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American Morning
Idaho Murder Mystery; Battle Over Judges; 'Star' Struck
Aired May 19, 2005 - 08:59 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: New information about the triple killings in Idaho and questions for the man sought by police. Does he know anything about the missing children in the case? A live report is ahead.
A terrifying scene in Minnesota. A sheriff's deputy hit by an out-of-control truck. His story, though, has a remarkable ending.
And the wait is over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had to take my mask off. It was too heavy, the tentacles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: "Star Wars" fanatics going all out for the biggest movie opening of the year. The theaters are packed on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.
Also ahead this morning, the parents of Terri Schiavo had a brief meeting with Pope Benedict on Wednesday. They gave him a framed picture of their daughter.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In a moment here, we're going to talk with Bob and Mary Schindler live from Rome about what was said then. And that's something you'll only see here on CNN coming up in a few moments.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, good morning again.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
It's been three-and-a-half years since the terrorists hit the twin towers, and down there at Ground Zero in three-and-a-half there's years, there's been a lot of talking, very little building. They've come up with a design for this thing called the Freedom Tower, and yesterday Donald Trump referred to the Freedom Tower as "The worst pile of crap architecture I've ever seen in my life," and then he proposed rebuilding the twin towers, taller, stronger, and some redesign ideas for the entire site. The question this morning is whether you think Donald Trump has the right idea. Should we rebuild the twin towers downtown? AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: And the debate continues. Jack, thanks for that.
Headlines now with Carol again.
Good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," we're just learning the Army is restarting the process against Private Lynndie England and her court-martial. An Article 32 hearing has now been set for May 24. A military judge declared a mistrial in the England case earlier this month. Her name and face has become synonymous with the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.
Two separate shooting attacks in Iraq. An aide to the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric, has been assassinated. The attack taking place this morning at Baghdad's Sadr City.
Insurgents also killed an Iraqi oil ministry official. Police say the man was gunned down outside of his home.
And in Baquba, a roadside bombing killed at least two Iraqi policemen and wounded a third. A civilian also hurt in that attack.
Also in the news this morning, another message believed to be from terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. A new audiotape posted on several Islamic Web sites. On that tape the speaker denounces Iraq's new government and defends the killing of fellow Muslims to avoid disrupting the jihad. CNN has not been able to verify if that voice on the tape is indeed that of Zarqawi's.
The Patriot Act, already under some criticism for cutting civil liberties, could be getting even tougher. Aides for Pat Roberts, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, say he is working on a bill to expand the Patriot Act. The proposal would include giving the FBI faster access to your personal records.
To California now, where the defense in the Michael Jackson trial is set to present more high-profile witnesses. Among those set to take the stand today, CNN's own Larry King. A hearing is planned before King's testimony to determine what will be admissible in court.
That will be interesting to hear what Larry has to say. He's not talking.
HEMMER: What can he and what can he not say on his show?
COSTELLO: I think they're...
HEMMER: He's a witness.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: On the show he's been very fair and even-minded. And he said he's going to stick with that. So I don't know if that's, you know...
HEMMER: And that's if he takes the stand. It's not a done deal, but it's just expected.
COSTELLO: It's expected. But they're still talking about what he's able to say, because apparently he sat down with another person who said something about Michael Jackson's accusers. And that's what Larry King is going to testify about. So isn't that hearsay? I don't know.
O'BRIEN: I'm interested no matter what. I want to know.
COSTELLO: I just want to see him walk into the courtroom surrounded by media.
O'BRIEN: All right, Carol. Thanks.
Idaho police spoke with their person of interest late into the night last night. They're trying to solve that mystery of how three people were brutally killed in Coeur d'Alene and what happened to two young children.
Sean Callebs is live for us in Coeur d'Alene for us this morning.
Sean, good morning. Any progress in this investigation?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Indeed, hours talking to Robert Roy Lutner. No information on those two missing children.
At the same time, the sheriff says that this killing here wasn't random. In his words, "Someone was on a mission."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Heavy rain just another obstacle for small-town investigators trying to piece together a triple murder mystery and the disappearance of two children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The investigation's really slow right now.
CALLEBS: The Amber Alert continues to flash, but so far no sign of the missing children, 9-year-old Dylan Groene and his little sister Shasta. It's been a challenge for investigators from the outset. Three victims who were tied up, and no one in the house to tell investigators that two small children were missing.
CAPT. BEN WOLFINGER, KOOTENAI COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Well, obviously that was very important. There was just no way for us to know that until we had identified who the people were or had an idea of who they were, found their next of kin and then learned about the children.
CALLEBS: Amber Alert calls are steadily streaming in from the public.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kootenai County Sheriff's Department assistance hotline?
CALLEBS: But even this emergency management post is a work in progress.
SANDRA VON BEHREN, KOOTENAI COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: This is the first time that we've activated it for the Amber Alert. Actually, I guess it is something that, you know, we didn't expect to have here in Coeur d'Alene, happen here in Coeur d'Alene. So it is, you know, kind of a shock to us.
CALLEBS: The sheriff's office identified 33-year-old Robert Roy Lutner as a person of interest, and authorities questioned the man late Wednesday after he alerted them to his whereabouts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: Now, the last 48 hours here have been characterized by searchers going through hundreds of acres with cadaver dogs and search dogs, trying to find signs of the two children. But that apparently has wrapped up.
We have learned divers will be put in small creeks and ponds in the area. And yesterday, Soledad, even a few searchers on horseback going into these heavily-wooded mountains.
O'BRIEN: Incredible mystery there. Sean Callebs for us this morning. Sean, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: The FBI says it's the strangest bank robbery they have ever seen in the state of Kansas, and with good reason, too. It happened in Olathe. That's a town about 25 miles outside of Kansas City.
A gunman wearing a hood and a T-shirt with a slogan "Show me the money" went into a bank on Wednesday, told several employees to strip down to their underwear. He then ordered them into a minivan, had one of the hostages drive it to a nearby airport.
I spoke with an FBI agent about conflicting reports about whether or not the suspect might have intended to hijack that plane you see right there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF LANZA, FBI SPOKESMAN: He parked a car about two miles away from the bank, a black Toyota Camry which he -- which he brought with him. You know, what was he going to do with that if he escaped by plane? So, you know, that leads us to believe that maybe his -- his planned escape was not by plane, but he was going to go back and get into his car eventually.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: The suspect was shot, by the way, in an exchange of gunfire. Hospitalized now in critical condition. Not charged yet. That may happen later today. No one else, luckily, though, was hurt.
O'BRIEN: Let's take to you Capitol Hill now. The bitter debate over judicial nominees is set to resume in half an hour on the Senate floor. Some leading senators are hinting that a compromise could be possible. Time, of course, a key factor.
CNN's congressional correspondent, Joe Johns, live for us on Capitol Hill.
Good morning, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
When the Senate returns to its business today, the issue on the floor once again will be the nomination of Priscilla Owen to be an appellate court judge, but this is very much a struggle running on two different tracks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS (voice-over): Democrats on the Capitol steps vowing defiance.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: They want it all, all the say, all the control, all the power. It's their way or the highway.
JOHNS: Party leaders squaring off.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: It's the partisan leadership-led use of closure vote to kill, to defeat, to assassinate these nominees.
JOHNS: But while senators gave emotional and sometimes bitter speeches about nominees Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown, behind the scenes, away from all the attention, a handful of Democrats and Republicans were meeting privately, looking for a way to break the impasse.
SEN. BEN NELSON (D), NEBRASKA: There are 10 people in the room, there are 11 opinions. So, you know, we're going to continue to do that. But I think -- but they're not -- they're not so diverse that it doesn't look like you can -- bringing them together.
JOHNS: So who are the leaders of this behind-the-scenes effort? On the Democratic side, Ben Nelson, the junior senator from Nebraska who's making a name for himself as someone unafraid to cross party lines. Also, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, one of the youngest members of the Senate. On the Republican side, John McCain, the maverick conservative who has no problem crossing his party and his president when he thinks he's right.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We're making some progress, but we have no -- no conclusion yet.
JOHNS: And Virginia's John Warner, one of the old bulls of the Senate, a powerful committee chairman with a courtly manner and a deep love for the institution. And the two senators from Maine, the last bastion of Yankee moderate Republicanism, influential because their votes can never be taken for granted.
So as the conversation grows louder in the public arena...
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: It's contemptible. It's contemptible.
SEN. JOHNN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: This debate is not about principle. It's all about politics. And it's shameful.
JOHNS: Behind the scenes, a hint of compromise. The mission is to find 12 senators to sign on to an agreement. Republicans would refuse to change the rules on filibusters and Democrats would promise to let some but not all disputed judicial nominations go through and be more careful about who they try to block in the future.
Why 12? Because the way the Senate breaks down, six Republicans would be enough to deny GOP leader Bill Frist the 51 votes needed to kill the filibuster. And six Democrats would be enough to make the filibuster unsustainable in the first place.
If either side abuses the deal, all bets would be off. In nuclear terms, it's a gradual disarmament, a version of the old axiom, trust, but verify.
Leadership...
FRIST: All we want is a vote, an up-or-down vote. Accept, reject, confirm, yes, no, that's all that we're asking for.
REID: And the majority is moving toward breaking the rules to change the rules. That's improper, it will change the Senate forever.
JOHNS: ... and leadership.
MCCAIN: We'll just continue to work right up until the last minute.
NELSON: And we wouldn't continue to do it if we didn't have some expectation of achieving an agreement.
JOHNS: Two tracks. One headed to a showdown fueled by political pressure from activist groups, the other headed toward compromise.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: And pressure from the outside continues today. Activist groups on both sides are running TV ads, of course. And a conservative group is holding a conference call to promote the nomination of Priscilla Owen -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Joe Johns on Capitol Hill for us this morning with the latest there. Joe, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: Pretty big deal weather-wise right now. Tropical Storm Adrian swirling near Central America. It could become Arlene. Chad's watching that, explains that as well.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, the force is with just about everybody today. Today's "Star Wars" release brings us to the last episode of our AMERICAN MORNING "Star Wars" trilogy, the fans.
Sibila Vargas live in L.A., where they have been, no surprise, up all night.
Hey, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. How are you?
This is absolute madness out here. The "Star Wars" fans are out in full force. What makes them so devoted? I mean, why would they stand in lines for days, weeks, and sometimes even at the wrong theater? Well, I went out in search of answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where the fun begins.
VARGAS (voice-over): And fans are having a lot of fun whether quoting favorite lines...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am your father.
VARGAS: ... catching up on their reading...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wonder if this is why they got the PG-13 rating?
VARGAS: ... or other activities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they're making Jedi robes in the back.
VARGAS: The faithful are gathering one last time to see a "Star Wars" movie for the first time. At Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, they're lining up and the movie isn't even playing there. Undaunted, these diehards are trying to convince Grumman's to honor a long-standing "Star Wars" tradition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the home of "Star Wars." This is where it premiered in 1977. It's where it premiered in Episode I and II. And there's no other place best suited to premiere the movie.
VARGAS: But even if the film isn't showing there, fans are making the wait worthwhile by raising money for the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. As Yoda might say about the journey, this is not the destination.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lineup isn't entirely just about the movie, they're here for the experience. They're here to hang out with the fans and, you know, just be a part of this -- this great experience.
VARGAS: "Star Wars" creator George Lucas says the gathering reminds him of Woodstock.
GEORGE LUCAS, DIRECTOR, "STAR WARS": It's a chance for like- minded people to get together and have fun and sort of party for several weeks on a street. Once "Star Wars" is gone, I'm sure they'll find something else, another reason to gather and have fun.
VARGAS: A lot of fans refuse to believe this is really the end of the line.
(on camera): Are you kind of sad that this is the last of the installments?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So he says. In about 10 or 15 years, he'll be like, come on, let's make another one. So I'm actually waiting for...
VARGAS: You think then? He's going to get older, though, that's the thing. It took him 20 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George, you know you're going to make another one, you know. So we'll be here for seven, eight and nine.
VARGAS (voice-over): Let the countdown begin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, I'm not sure if he's going to get his wish, but I'll tell you, George Lucas told me that he does plan on re-releasing all of the "Star Wars" episodes in order on 3-D and starting in 2007. So you can bet the fans behind me, they're all going to be there because, they are absolutely die-hard fans -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's no shock there. OK. Now, you talked about fans going to the wrong theater. What do you mean by that? And if they went to the wrong theater, did they ever get to see the movie?
VARGAS: Well, you know what? They were hoping that they would play it there, but they finally -- you know, they gave up hope, they said, OK, it's not going to play there. But yesterday they got an incredible treat.
Storm troopers actually escorted them here to the Arclight theater, where the film is actually playing. And also, they got this incredible treat. They got a lightsaber duel that was happening every hour on the hour. And like I said, these fans have been here since midnight, and they've been here all day long, so it just shows their devotion -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: It's just weird, you know, Sibila? It is just weird. But I get it. Thanks, Sibila.
VARGAS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: It's just craziness.
HEMMER: Strange scene in L.A., would you say?
O'BRIEN: They've got a lightsaber battle.
HEMMER: More news in a moment here, plus this on CNN...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: I can imagine the Holy Father saying, "I know. I know about Terri." I mean, it was the most I could have ever, ever hoped for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Only on CNN, Terri Schiavo's parents join us live in Rome, Italy, on their meeting Wednesday with the pope.
O'BRIEN: Then we're going to meet a group of students who started college here in New York City just days before the 9/11 attacks. They graduated this week. We'll hear how that day shaped their four years of college and their career choices as well.
HEMMER: Also stopping by today, "Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander is here, talking about his latest role. We'll talk to him in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHINDLER: I could even tell you how it felt, because when I gave it to him, he said he -- he said, "I know. I know about Terri." He said that to me. I can't imagine the Holy Father saying, "I know. I know about Terri." I mean, it was the most I could have ever, ever hoped for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That is Mary Schindler in Vatican City talking yesterday about her meeting with the pope, Pope Benedict XVI, on Wednesday. She says she was absolutely amazed the pope knew about her daughter, Terri, and the family's long battle over her feeding tube. Bob and Mary Schindler presented a framed mass card to the pope.
Now something you'll only see here on CNN today. The Schindlers are with us from Rome.
And we welcome you here to AMERICAN MORNING.
Mrs. Schindler, I want to begin with you. What did that brief meeting with the pope mean to you yesterday? SCHINDLER: Well, first of all, it wasn't a mass card. It was Terri's memorial card that we had made up for her funeral. And we had it framed.
And the meeting with the pope was when I saw him coming up from the side, and I couldn't believe he was going to come all the way up, I had the picture there. And I told him, it was a picture of Terri, and like I said before, he said, "I know. I know it's Terri."
But then he touched his heart and he kept patting his heart, like "It broke my heart." And then I gave him the picture, and he took it, and it was -- it was so beautiful.
HEMMER: Also at the Vatican, Mr. Schindler, you met with a cardinal. Renaato Martino is his name. Why this particular cardinal, and what did you talk about?
BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: Well, essentially, we were explaining to the cardinal what our ambitions are as we further Terri's Foundation. It started originally for Terri, but we will continue our efforts and literally be crusading against any type of euthanasia, wherever we can help. And essentially, the bottom line is what happened to Terri should never, ever, ever happen to another human being, not only in the United States, but throughout the world.
HEMMER: Terri died -- I apologize for the interruption. I thought you were finished with your thought there. Terri died about seven weeks ago, but the autopsy report still has not been completed or released. Is this taking longer than you thought, Mr. Schindler?
B. SCHINDLER: Well, not really. We haven't given that much thought. So it -- whatever their procedure is, it's the first time we've ever experienced anything like that, so we had no way of putting a time frame on it.
HEMMER: I am told -- well, we know that Michael Schiavo wanted this autopsy done. But I'm told, Mrs. Schindler, that you would like to see it completed as well. What do you hope this autopsy will reveal?
B. SCHINDLER: Well, first of all, the autopsy was mandatory. It wasn't whether we wanted it or Schiavo wanted it. It was something that is a standard procedure. And Terri -- in a situation like Terri's.
And we'll have to just wait and see the results of it. And we haven't really given that much thought, to be frank with you.
HEMMER: Have you, Mrs. Schindler?
M. SCHINDLER: No. No. I'm just waiting, you know, to see what happens. I've never gone through anything like this before, so, you know, I really don't know what to expect.
HEMMER: If you look back as a couple right now, fighting for your daughter, and all the legal battles that we all watched play out publicly on every TV set in this country, is there something would you do differently based on the strategy that you carried out in Florida?
M. SCHINDLER: I think that we had -- our legal representation was, you know, beyond reproach. We were fortunate to be blessed with good attorneys, but it was the mindset of the courts. And we view it as judicial homicide.
So what could you do different? I really don't know. They had a -- they were firmly set to do what they were going to do, and nothing would stop them.
HEMMER: And Mrs. Schindler, how would you answer that? Same way, or not?
M. SCHINDLER: Exactly. They had a mindset to kill my daughter, and that's what they did. They carried it out.
HEMMER: How are you doing?
M. SCHINDLER: We're doing OK. We're doing wonderful. The pope has helped. The cardinals have helped. It's just been so spiritual and so uplifting over here, that it's been absolutely wonderful for our whole family.
HEMMER: Thanks for your time. Thank you, Mary Schindler and Bob Schindler.
M. SCHINDLER: Thank you.
B. SCHINDLER: May I just add one more thing?
HEMMER: Sure.
B. SCHINDLER: Hello -- no, about Terri's foundation, that it will be proceeding forward in an effort to eliminate any type of euthanasia in the future. And we do have that Web site that will be brought up to date very soon, and it's at TerrisFight.org. So we would appreciate people supporting our efforts in the future.
M. SCHINDLER: Thank you.
HEMMER: Thank you. And take care in Rome.
B. SCHINDLER: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Sure.
B. SCHINDLER: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: We'll be right back. All right.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: What to build? Here's Jack, "Question of the Day."
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Bill. After almost four years of bickering about the redesign of the World Trade Center site, New York City officials have precious little to point to in the way of accomplishment down there. I think they've laid a cornerstone and drawn up some blueprints.
Yesterday, Donald Trump called the design for the proposed Freedom Tower on that site "the worst pile of crap architecture I've ever seen in my life." Trump stepped up with his own proposal -- this is it -- for the site, a stronger, taller version of the original twin towers.
Love him for hate him, Donald Trump builds buildings for a living. That's what he does. The question this morning is, do you like Trump's plan to rebuild the twin towers? Overwhelmingly, overwhelming you do. Overwhelmingly.
Brian writes from Daytona Beach, Florida, "Why not? The original towers were built in the names of David and Nelson Rockefeller, the kings of New York in their era. The Donald is the new king. Let him have his castle."
Signed, Donald Trump.
J.R. in California, "It figures a self-aggrandizing blowhard like Trump would exploit at least one aspect of the September 11 tragedy for his own means. Who would get the development contract? Trump. Who profits? Trump? Piece of crap architecture? Trump's hair certainly qualifies."
Catherine in Rhode Island writes, "Rebuilding the towers is an arrogant idea coming from an extremely arrogant Donald Trump. What makes Donald Trump think he has the market cornered on good taste and beauty? The towers were ugly."
And Mary in Ohio writes, "As a frequent traveler to New York City, working across the street at the Amex Financial Center, yes, I love Trump's idea. I'm tired of looking at the hole. It makes me very sad."
"You go, Donald. Bring it on. No one else can make it happen."
HEMMER: That certainly drew a lot of attention, too. Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, meet the first American to climb the world's tallest 14 peaks. He's going to talk to us about his amazing quest for the top ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 19, 2005 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: New information about the triple killings in Idaho and questions for the man sought by police. Does he know anything about the missing children in the case? A live report is ahead.
A terrifying scene in Minnesota. A sheriff's deputy hit by an out-of-control truck. His story, though, has a remarkable ending.
And the wait is over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had to take my mask off. It was too heavy, the tentacles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: "Star Wars" fanatics going all out for the biggest movie opening of the year. The theaters are packed on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody.
Also ahead this morning, the parents of Terri Schiavo had a brief meeting with Pope Benedict on Wednesday. They gave him a framed picture of their daughter.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In a moment here, we're going to talk with Bob and Mary Schindler live from Rome about what was said then. And that's something you'll only see here on CNN coming up in a few moments.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, good morning again.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
It's been three-and-a-half years since the terrorists hit the twin towers, and down there at Ground Zero in three-and-a-half there's years, there's been a lot of talking, very little building. They've come up with a design for this thing called the Freedom Tower, and yesterday Donald Trump referred to the Freedom Tower as "The worst pile of crap architecture I've ever seen in my life," and then he proposed rebuilding the twin towers, taller, stronger, and some redesign ideas for the entire site. The question this morning is whether you think Donald Trump has the right idea. Should we rebuild the twin towers downtown? AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: And the debate continues. Jack, thanks for that.
Headlines now with Carol again.
Good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," we're just learning the Army is restarting the process against Private Lynndie England and her court-martial. An Article 32 hearing has now been set for May 24. A military judge declared a mistrial in the England case earlier this month. Her name and face has become synonymous with the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.
Two separate shooting attacks in Iraq. An aide to the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric, has been assassinated. The attack taking place this morning at Baghdad's Sadr City.
Insurgents also killed an Iraqi oil ministry official. Police say the man was gunned down outside of his home.
And in Baquba, a roadside bombing killed at least two Iraqi policemen and wounded a third. A civilian also hurt in that attack.
Also in the news this morning, another message believed to be from terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. A new audiotape posted on several Islamic Web sites. On that tape the speaker denounces Iraq's new government and defends the killing of fellow Muslims to avoid disrupting the jihad. CNN has not been able to verify if that voice on the tape is indeed that of Zarqawi's.
The Patriot Act, already under some criticism for cutting civil liberties, could be getting even tougher. Aides for Pat Roberts, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, say he is working on a bill to expand the Patriot Act. The proposal would include giving the FBI faster access to your personal records.
To California now, where the defense in the Michael Jackson trial is set to present more high-profile witnesses. Among those set to take the stand today, CNN's own Larry King. A hearing is planned before King's testimony to determine what will be admissible in court.
That will be interesting to hear what Larry has to say. He's not talking.
HEMMER: What can he and what can he not say on his show?
COSTELLO: I think they're...
HEMMER: He's a witness.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: On the show he's been very fair and even-minded. And he said he's going to stick with that. So I don't know if that's, you know...
HEMMER: And that's if he takes the stand. It's not a done deal, but it's just expected.
COSTELLO: It's expected. But they're still talking about what he's able to say, because apparently he sat down with another person who said something about Michael Jackson's accusers. And that's what Larry King is going to testify about. So isn't that hearsay? I don't know.
O'BRIEN: I'm interested no matter what. I want to know.
COSTELLO: I just want to see him walk into the courtroom surrounded by media.
O'BRIEN: All right, Carol. Thanks.
Idaho police spoke with their person of interest late into the night last night. They're trying to solve that mystery of how three people were brutally killed in Coeur d'Alene and what happened to two young children.
Sean Callebs is live for us in Coeur d'Alene for us this morning.
Sean, good morning. Any progress in this investigation?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Indeed, hours talking to Robert Roy Lutner. No information on those two missing children.
At the same time, the sheriff says that this killing here wasn't random. In his words, "Someone was on a mission."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Heavy rain just another obstacle for small-town investigators trying to piece together a triple murder mystery and the disappearance of two children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The investigation's really slow right now.
CALLEBS: The Amber Alert continues to flash, but so far no sign of the missing children, 9-year-old Dylan Groene and his little sister Shasta. It's been a challenge for investigators from the outset. Three victims who were tied up, and no one in the house to tell investigators that two small children were missing.
CAPT. BEN WOLFINGER, KOOTENAI COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Well, obviously that was very important. There was just no way for us to know that until we had identified who the people were or had an idea of who they were, found their next of kin and then learned about the children.
CALLEBS: Amber Alert calls are steadily streaming in from the public.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kootenai County Sheriff's Department assistance hotline?
CALLEBS: But even this emergency management post is a work in progress.
SANDRA VON BEHREN, KOOTENAI COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: This is the first time that we've activated it for the Amber Alert. Actually, I guess it is something that, you know, we didn't expect to have here in Coeur d'Alene, happen here in Coeur d'Alene. So it is, you know, kind of a shock to us.
CALLEBS: The sheriff's office identified 33-year-old Robert Roy Lutner as a person of interest, and authorities questioned the man late Wednesday after he alerted them to his whereabouts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: Now, the last 48 hours here have been characterized by searchers going through hundreds of acres with cadaver dogs and search dogs, trying to find signs of the two children. But that apparently has wrapped up.
We have learned divers will be put in small creeks and ponds in the area. And yesterday, Soledad, even a few searchers on horseback going into these heavily-wooded mountains.
O'BRIEN: Incredible mystery there. Sean Callebs for us this morning. Sean, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: The FBI says it's the strangest bank robbery they have ever seen in the state of Kansas, and with good reason, too. It happened in Olathe. That's a town about 25 miles outside of Kansas City.
A gunman wearing a hood and a T-shirt with a slogan "Show me the money" went into a bank on Wednesday, told several employees to strip down to their underwear. He then ordered them into a minivan, had one of the hostages drive it to a nearby airport.
I spoke with an FBI agent about conflicting reports about whether or not the suspect might have intended to hijack that plane you see right there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF LANZA, FBI SPOKESMAN: He parked a car about two miles away from the bank, a black Toyota Camry which he -- which he brought with him. You know, what was he going to do with that if he escaped by plane? So, you know, that leads us to believe that maybe his -- his planned escape was not by plane, but he was going to go back and get into his car eventually.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: The suspect was shot, by the way, in an exchange of gunfire. Hospitalized now in critical condition. Not charged yet. That may happen later today. No one else, luckily, though, was hurt.
O'BRIEN: Let's take to you Capitol Hill now. The bitter debate over judicial nominees is set to resume in half an hour on the Senate floor. Some leading senators are hinting that a compromise could be possible. Time, of course, a key factor.
CNN's congressional correspondent, Joe Johns, live for us on Capitol Hill.
Good morning, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
When the Senate returns to its business today, the issue on the floor once again will be the nomination of Priscilla Owen to be an appellate court judge, but this is very much a struggle running on two different tracks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS (voice-over): Democrats on the Capitol steps vowing defiance.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: They want it all, all the say, all the control, all the power. It's their way or the highway.
JOHNS: Party leaders squaring off.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: It's the partisan leadership-led use of closure vote to kill, to defeat, to assassinate these nominees.
JOHNS: But while senators gave emotional and sometimes bitter speeches about nominees Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown, behind the scenes, away from all the attention, a handful of Democrats and Republicans were meeting privately, looking for a way to break the impasse.
SEN. BEN NELSON (D), NEBRASKA: There are 10 people in the room, there are 11 opinions. So, you know, we're going to continue to do that. But I think -- but they're not -- they're not so diverse that it doesn't look like you can -- bringing them together.
JOHNS: So who are the leaders of this behind-the-scenes effort? On the Democratic side, Ben Nelson, the junior senator from Nebraska who's making a name for himself as someone unafraid to cross party lines. Also, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, one of the youngest members of the Senate. On the Republican side, John McCain, the maverick conservative who has no problem crossing his party and his president when he thinks he's right.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We're making some progress, but we have no -- no conclusion yet.
JOHNS: And Virginia's John Warner, one of the old bulls of the Senate, a powerful committee chairman with a courtly manner and a deep love for the institution. And the two senators from Maine, the last bastion of Yankee moderate Republicanism, influential because their votes can never be taken for granted.
So as the conversation grows louder in the public arena...
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: It's contemptible. It's contemptible.
SEN. JOHNN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: This debate is not about principle. It's all about politics. And it's shameful.
JOHNS: Behind the scenes, a hint of compromise. The mission is to find 12 senators to sign on to an agreement. Republicans would refuse to change the rules on filibusters and Democrats would promise to let some but not all disputed judicial nominations go through and be more careful about who they try to block in the future.
Why 12? Because the way the Senate breaks down, six Republicans would be enough to deny GOP leader Bill Frist the 51 votes needed to kill the filibuster. And six Democrats would be enough to make the filibuster unsustainable in the first place.
If either side abuses the deal, all bets would be off. In nuclear terms, it's a gradual disarmament, a version of the old axiom, trust, but verify.
Leadership...
FRIST: All we want is a vote, an up-or-down vote. Accept, reject, confirm, yes, no, that's all that we're asking for.
REID: And the majority is moving toward breaking the rules to change the rules. That's improper, it will change the Senate forever.
JOHNS: ... and leadership.
MCCAIN: We'll just continue to work right up until the last minute.
NELSON: And we wouldn't continue to do it if we didn't have some expectation of achieving an agreement.
JOHNS: Two tracks. One headed to a showdown fueled by political pressure from activist groups, the other headed toward compromise.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: And pressure from the outside continues today. Activist groups on both sides are running TV ads, of course. And a conservative group is holding a conference call to promote the nomination of Priscilla Owen -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Joe Johns on Capitol Hill for us this morning with the latest there. Joe, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: Pretty big deal weather-wise right now. Tropical Storm Adrian swirling near Central America. It could become Arlene. Chad's watching that, explains that as well.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, the force is with just about everybody today. Today's "Star Wars" release brings us to the last episode of our AMERICAN MORNING "Star Wars" trilogy, the fans.
Sibila Vargas live in L.A., where they have been, no surprise, up all night.
Hey, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. How are you?
This is absolute madness out here. The "Star Wars" fans are out in full force. What makes them so devoted? I mean, why would they stand in lines for days, weeks, and sometimes even at the wrong theater? Well, I went out in search of answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where the fun begins.
VARGAS (voice-over): And fans are having a lot of fun whether quoting favorite lines...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am your father.
VARGAS: ... catching up on their reading...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wonder if this is why they got the PG-13 rating?
VARGAS: ... or other activities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they're making Jedi robes in the back.
VARGAS: The faithful are gathering one last time to see a "Star Wars" movie for the first time. At Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, they're lining up and the movie isn't even playing there. Undaunted, these diehards are trying to convince Grumman's to honor a long-standing "Star Wars" tradition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the home of "Star Wars." This is where it premiered in 1977. It's where it premiered in Episode I and II. And there's no other place best suited to premiere the movie.
VARGAS: But even if the film isn't showing there, fans are making the wait worthwhile by raising money for the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. As Yoda might say about the journey, this is not the destination.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lineup isn't entirely just about the movie, they're here for the experience. They're here to hang out with the fans and, you know, just be a part of this -- this great experience.
VARGAS: "Star Wars" creator George Lucas says the gathering reminds him of Woodstock.
GEORGE LUCAS, DIRECTOR, "STAR WARS": It's a chance for like- minded people to get together and have fun and sort of party for several weeks on a street. Once "Star Wars" is gone, I'm sure they'll find something else, another reason to gather and have fun.
VARGAS: A lot of fans refuse to believe this is really the end of the line.
(on camera): Are you kind of sad that this is the last of the installments?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So he says. In about 10 or 15 years, he'll be like, come on, let's make another one. So I'm actually waiting for...
VARGAS: You think then? He's going to get older, though, that's the thing. It took him 20 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George, you know you're going to make another one, you know. So we'll be here for seven, eight and nine.
VARGAS (voice-over): Let the countdown begin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, I'm not sure if he's going to get his wish, but I'll tell you, George Lucas told me that he does plan on re-releasing all of the "Star Wars" episodes in order on 3-D and starting in 2007. So you can bet the fans behind me, they're all going to be there because, they are absolutely die-hard fans -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's no shock there. OK. Now, you talked about fans going to the wrong theater. What do you mean by that? And if they went to the wrong theater, did they ever get to see the movie?
VARGAS: Well, you know what? They were hoping that they would play it there, but they finally -- you know, they gave up hope, they said, OK, it's not going to play there. But yesterday they got an incredible treat.
Storm troopers actually escorted them here to the Arclight theater, where the film is actually playing. And also, they got this incredible treat. They got a lightsaber duel that was happening every hour on the hour. And like I said, these fans have been here since midnight, and they've been here all day long, so it just shows their devotion -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: It's just weird, you know, Sibila? It is just weird. But I get it. Thanks, Sibila.
VARGAS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: It's just craziness.
HEMMER: Strange scene in L.A., would you say?
O'BRIEN: They've got a lightsaber battle.
HEMMER: More news in a moment here, plus this on CNN...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: I can imagine the Holy Father saying, "I know. I know about Terri." I mean, it was the most I could have ever, ever hoped for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Only on CNN, Terri Schiavo's parents join us live in Rome, Italy, on their meeting Wednesday with the pope.
O'BRIEN: Then we're going to meet a group of students who started college here in New York City just days before the 9/11 attacks. They graduated this week. We'll hear how that day shaped their four years of college and their career choices as well.
HEMMER: Also stopping by today, "Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander is here, talking about his latest role. We'll talk to him in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHINDLER: I could even tell you how it felt, because when I gave it to him, he said he -- he said, "I know. I know about Terri." He said that to me. I can't imagine the Holy Father saying, "I know. I know about Terri." I mean, it was the most I could have ever, ever hoped for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That is Mary Schindler in Vatican City talking yesterday about her meeting with the pope, Pope Benedict XVI, on Wednesday. She says she was absolutely amazed the pope knew about her daughter, Terri, and the family's long battle over her feeding tube. Bob and Mary Schindler presented a framed mass card to the pope.
Now something you'll only see here on CNN today. The Schindlers are with us from Rome.
And we welcome you here to AMERICAN MORNING.
Mrs. Schindler, I want to begin with you. What did that brief meeting with the pope mean to you yesterday? SCHINDLER: Well, first of all, it wasn't a mass card. It was Terri's memorial card that we had made up for her funeral. And we had it framed.
And the meeting with the pope was when I saw him coming up from the side, and I couldn't believe he was going to come all the way up, I had the picture there. And I told him, it was a picture of Terri, and like I said before, he said, "I know. I know it's Terri."
But then he touched his heart and he kept patting his heart, like "It broke my heart." And then I gave him the picture, and he took it, and it was -- it was so beautiful.
HEMMER: Also at the Vatican, Mr. Schindler, you met with a cardinal. Renaato Martino is his name. Why this particular cardinal, and what did you talk about?
BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: Well, essentially, we were explaining to the cardinal what our ambitions are as we further Terri's Foundation. It started originally for Terri, but we will continue our efforts and literally be crusading against any type of euthanasia, wherever we can help. And essentially, the bottom line is what happened to Terri should never, ever, ever happen to another human being, not only in the United States, but throughout the world.
HEMMER: Terri died -- I apologize for the interruption. I thought you were finished with your thought there. Terri died about seven weeks ago, but the autopsy report still has not been completed or released. Is this taking longer than you thought, Mr. Schindler?
B. SCHINDLER: Well, not really. We haven't given that much thought. So it -- whatever their procedure is, it's the first time we've ever experienced anything like that, so we had no way of putting a time frame on it.
HEMMER: I am told -- well, we know that Michael Schiavo wanted this autopsy done. But I'm told, Mrs. Schindler, that you would like to see it completed as well. What do you hope this autopsy will reveal?
B. SCHINDLER: Well, first of all, the autopsy was mandatory. It wasn't whether we wanted it or Schiavo wanted it. It was something that is a standard procedure. And Terri -- in a situation like Terri's.
And we'll have to just wait and see the results of it. And we haven't really given that much thought, to be frank with you.
HEMMER: Have you, Mrs. Schindler?
M. SCHINDLER: No. No. I'm just waiting, you know, to see what happens. I've never gone through anything like this before, so, you know, I really don't know what to expect.
HEMMER: If you look back as a couple right now, fighting for your daughter, and all the legal battles that we all watched play out publicly on every TV set in this country, is there something would you do differently based on the strategy that you carried out in Florida?
M. SCHINDLER: I think that we had -- our legal representation was, you know, beyond reproach. We were fortunate to be blessed with good attorneys, but it was the mindset of the courts. And we view it as judicial homicide.
So what could you do different? I really don't know. They had a -- they were firmly set to do what they were going to do, and nothing would stop them.
HEMMER: And Mrs. Schindler, how would you answer that? Same way, or not?
M. SCHINDLER: Exactly. They had a mindset to kill my daughter, and that's what they did. They carried it out.
HEMMER: How are you doing?
M. SCHINDLER: We're doing OK. We're doing wonderful. The pope has helped. The cardinals have helped. It's just been so spiritual and so uplifting over here, that it's been absolutely wonderful for our whole family.
HEMMER: Thanks for your time. Thank you, Mary Schindler and Bob Schindler.
M. SCHINDLER: Thank you.
B. SCHINDLER: May I just add one more thing?
HEMMER: Sure.
B. SCHINDLER: Hello -- no, about Terri's foundation, that it will be proceeding forward in an effort to eliminate any type of euthanasia in the future. And we do have that Web site that will be brought up to date very soon, and it's at TerrisFight.org. So we would appreciate people supporting our efforts in the future.
M. SCHINDLER: Thank you.
HEMMER: Thank you. And take care in Rome.
B. SCHINDLER: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Sure.
B. SCHINDLER: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: We'll be right back. All right.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: What to build? Here's Jack, "Question of the Day."
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Bill. After almost four years of bickering about the redesign of the World Trade Center site, New York City officials have precious little to point to in the way of accomplishment down there. I think they've laid a cornerstone and drawn up some blueprints.
Yesterday, Donald Trump called the design for the proposed Freedom Tower on that site "the worst pile of crap architecture I've ever seen in my life." Trump stepped up with his own proposal -- this is it -- for the site, a stronger, taller version of the original twin towers.
Love him for hate him, Donald Trump builds buildings for a living. That's what he does. The question this morning is, do you like Trump's plan to rebuild the twin towers? Overwhelmingly, overwhelming you do. Overwhelmingly.
Brian writes from Daytona Beach, Florida, "Why not? The original towers were built in the names of David and Nelson Rockefeller, the kings of New York in their era. The Donald is the new king. Let him have his castle."
Signed, Donald Trump.
J.R. in California, "It figures a self-aggrandizing blowhard like Trump would exploit at least one aspect of the September 11 tragedy for his own means. Who would get the development contract? Trump. Who profits? Trump? Piece of crap architecture? Trump's hair certainly qualifies."
Catherine in Rhode Island writes, "Rebuilding the towers is an arrogant idea coming from an extremely arrogant Donald Trump. What makes Donald Trump think he has the market cornered on good taste and beauty? The towers were ugly."
And Mary in Ohio writes, "As a frequent traveler to New York City, working across the street at the Amex Financial Center, yes, I love Trump's idea. I'm tired of looking at the hole. It makes me very sad."
"You go, Donald. Bring it on. No one else can make it happen."
HEMMER: That certainly drew a lot of attention, too. Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, meet the first American to climb the world's tallest 14 peaks. He's going to talk to us about his amazing quest for the top ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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