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American Morning
Blair Requests; Michael Jackson Verdict Watch; New Papacy
Aired June 07, 2005 - 07:29 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
A series of attacks to tell you about in Iraq this morning, three car bombings all taking place south of Kirkuk. At least six Iraqi soldiers were killed, about a dozen other people wounded. The attacks come as U.S. and Iraqi troops are launching a new offensive in the northern city of Tal Afar. Exclusive CNN images shows forces in the field. You see them there. So far, one American soldier has been killed in the operation. Nearly 30 suspects have been detained.
The two men suspected in connection with the disappearance of an Alabama girl in Aruba are set to appear in court today. A judge is being asked to determine if the men can be legally held. The police have not announced specific charges against them. Hundreds of volunteers are continuing to search for 18-year-old Natalee Holloway; $50,000 now being offered in reward money in the case.
A possible blow to New York's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. A New York state board has rejected plans to build a $2 billion stadium on Manhattan's West Side. But there still could be negotiations. Officials have said the stadium is crucial to improve New York's chances for hosting the 2012 Games. The International Olympic Committee is set to choose a host city next month.
And Mexico's Fire Volcano is putting hundreds on alert. We have these amazing pictures. Oh, take a look. Wow! The volcano eruption sending a plume of ash almost three miles into the sky. No word of any casualties. Experts say it is the worst eruption from the volcano in more than 15 years. Oh, amazing pictures, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Did you see the lightning in there?
COSTELLO: Wow!
MYERS: There was so much sheer, so much of the tearing apart in a thunderstorm that I could see a bolt of lightning actually come from the cloud itself, from the smoke cloud itself and actually touch down to the ground. That was pretty amazing there. I don't think we're going to see it there. It was on that wider shot. But that was quite something.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, President Bush will welcome British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the White House today. Mr. Blair comes looking for an agreement on global warming and an increase in aid to Africa.
Suzanne Malveaux is live for us at the White House this morning. Nic Robertson live in London outside 10 Downing Street.
Suzanne, though, we're going to start with you. The president has announced an additional $674 million in aid to Africa. What's supposed to happen today?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, Soledad, the president, the White House is going to get the kind of picture that they're looking for, the two men standing side by side making this joint pledge to help Africa.
What this does is that it takes the sting out of the U.S. refusal to sign on to Blair's proposal to actually double the amount of aid in about 10 years or so. At the same time, it highlights the U.S. commitment to that continent.
O'BRIEN: Let's bring in Nic Robertson, as we mentioned. Nic, even with this, that 674 million, is not what Blair wanted, right?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It isn't. Blair is looking for billions of dollars. The European Union has committed itself to 80 billion in aid for Africa by the year 2010. It is orders of that magnitude that he was hoping to get with President Bush.
There does seem to be broad agreement on the notion of debt relief for Africa. But Tony Blair is trying to set the stage for a successful G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, in a month's time. That will form part of his political legacy. So, this really is a very important meeting for Tony Blair just in terms of what he wants for Africa and his political legacy -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes. And money-wise, it seems to fall far short for him. Suzanne, back to you. We know now what Blair wants. What exactly does President Bush want out of this meeting?
MALVEAUX: Well, President Bush, of course, wants a recommitment by Mr. Blair to support the U.S. policy in Iraq. We expect, of course, that he will also get that, despite the rising insurgency. He'll call on other countries to come forward as well.
Mr. Bush also wants Blair to say that despite their differences in approach, that the U.S. is committed to protecting the environment, to a nuclear-free Iran. Of course, all of this leading up to the July G8 summit meeting. Both of these leaders presenting a united front -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: And back to you, Nic. If President Bush wants continued support for the war in Iraq, then is there a sense where you are that, in fact, he should have gotten more of a financial commitment from President Bush?
ROBERTSON: I think for Tony Blair and the Labor Party, they've been disappointed so far at this sort of lack of payback, if you will, for that support. They have back-up plans to go it alone with European partners for reducing poverty in Africa. And if that's what it takes, then that's the route they'll go. But they had expected more.
They will also be hoping to make some -- get some agreements, at least, on climate change to reduce the prospect of global warming, cleaner technologies, a more efficient use of fossil fuels and other fuel technologies. So, they will be looking to make agreements there as well -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: A lot is on the table. Nic Robertson for us this morning. And Suzanne Malveaux at the White House as well. Thanks, guys.
CNN is going to have live coverage when President Bush and Prime Minister Blair hold their joint news conference. We expect that around 4:45 this afternoon -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, Soledad, four hours and counting now. The jury in Michael Jackson's case is expected to resume their deliberations.
Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner at the courthouse in Santa Maria, California, up early again. We are almost there, aren't we, Anne?
ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We are. It's very close.
HEMMER: Almost, yes.
BREMNER: We're almost there.
HEMMER: Let's run through a number of things, first of all. Juror number two apparently is the jury foreman. What do you know about this gentleman from court?
BREMNER: Well, he's been one of the most serious jurors. And he takes a lot of notes. He seems -- you know, when people are all laughing about things, if the judge cracks a joke, or even with Leno, he laughs, but he's probably the most subdued of this entire jury. So, I think he's the perfect foreperson. He's been serious. He's been paying attention. He's taken a lot of notes. And he seems to get along with all of the jurors, from what I've seen.
HEMMER: Yes, the jury has been given almost about a hundred pages of instruction. This is like...
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: ... a novel of law. How do you imagine that will impact their deliberations?
BREMNER: Well, the jury instructions, you can weigh them. I mean, there's a ton of jury instructions. And some of them are incredibly complex. So, again, with someone like this that's so serious-minded I think he'll be very helpful with the jurors in going through them and helping all of the jurors make sense of them. They each have their own packet, but they're going to have to basically go through a lot of complicated conspiracy instructions and instructions on the law. When they were reading the instructions in court, it's almost like your head was spinning listening to them. They were so confusing.
HEMMER: You know, the jury asked the judge, what, one question yesterday? Is that right?
BREMNER: At 9:50 a.m.
HEMMER: Yes. Why don't we know what that question was?
BREMNER: We're dying to know out here. And the judge basically has sealed a lot of things in this case, because he wants to give Michael Jackson a fair trial. And so, he's decided that he is not going to release any of the juror questions. We don't know if it was a question about the law or a question about, you know, whether they have to be unanimous in their decision, guilty, not guilty. We just have no idea. But we just know it was a question.
HEMMER: But in a normal case, we would know at this point, right?
BREMNER: Absolutely.
HEMMER: Give me a sense for the atmosphere outside the courthouse.
BREMNER: It's wild. You know, it really -- it was like let the circus begin. Yesterday, we had fans out here, t-shirts, you know, pictures of Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson impersonators, fans filming each other, you know, filming everything out here. Jesse Jackson was here. He gave a press conference. And we also had Michael Jackson's father wandering around in the morning, asking where his son was. It's just unbelievable. And it's even right now with people lining up to try and get seats for court for the verdict now at 4:30 in the morning.
HEMMER: And we're looking at the videotape of Michael Jackson's father. What was he saying when he said, I want to know where my son is, when he showed up yesterday?
BREMNER: Well, he seemed to be confused. And he thought maybe there was a verdict. That's what a lot of people thought he was saying, where is my son? You know, where is Michael? And it turned out there was an explanation that, you know, the vans that we see bringing Michael Jackson had departed from Neverland, but they were going to get washed. And so, he was confused thinking there might be a verdict, and he was down here.
HEMMER: Well, earlier you said a verdict by midweek is your prediction, if you do predictions at all.
BREMNER: Yes. HEMMER: Do you still believe that, Anne?
BREMNER: I do. I think that that would give the jury enough time to go through the instructions. They've only had one question. There is no dissension. There are no signs up in the jury room saying, you know, we'll work for early release. Let us out. They seem to be working hard. And I think midweek is reasonable. So that is tomorrow.
HEMMER: Two more things here. You say the weirdness in this case is not done yet. What do you mean by that?
BREMNER: The weirdness?
HEMMER: Yes. Sorry, Anne. Hang on. You used a word with our producers last night. You said the weirdness in this case is not over just yet. What do you mean?
BREMNER: Well, because, you know, Bill, there has been so many, like, misfires, you know, the twilight zone of this case with witnesses, you know, and events. You know, it's like, you know, pajama day, people going out on stretchers, you know, one of the lawyers on a stretcher, a fan on a stretcher. It just gets curiouser and curiouser in the courtroom and out of the courtroom. And, of course, the hospitalizations of Michael Jackson from the jury selection, to pajama day, to last week, to this weekend. And we have to expect, you know, judging from the past, that the future will have a few more surprises.
HEMMER: I think you're probably right about that. Hey, thanks, Anne. We'll be watching today. Maybe a verdict today. Maybe not. Nonetheless, you will be there. Anne Bremner outside the courthouse in Santa Maria.
BREMNER: I will. Thank you.
HEMMER: Thanks. All right -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, ahead this morning, the jury soldiers in the HealthSouth fraud trial. Is the defendant, though, ready to cut a deal? We're going to talk to Andy Serwer about that as he minds your business just ahead.
HEMMER: Also, a secretary defies one of Pope John Paul II's final wishes. We'll tell you about the secrets that may have been saved after all. That's next in a moment when we continue right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: When Pope Benedict XVI was elected, many wondered what the new face of the Roman Catholic Church would be. Well, it's been almost two months now. Is the pope living up to his former nickname, "God's Rottweiler?" Well, the new papacy is the subject of a new book. It's called "The Rise of Pope Benedict XVI." And the author is CNN Vatican analyst John Allen. Nice to see you, John. Nice to see you in person.
JOHN ALLEN, AUTHOR, "THE RISE OF BENEDICT XVI": Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Fifty days for Pope Benedict, and he has accomplished a fair amount. Let me just tick some things off. Fast track Pope John Paul II to sainthood, forced the resignation of the editor "America," the "Jesuit" magazine, called Catholics in Italy to boycott a referendum on certain kinds of fertility treatments, says gay marriage is like anarchy. Kind of a busy 50 days.
ALLEN: Well, look, I mean, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was John Paul II's right-hand man for 24 years. So, there is not a lot of on- the-job training for this pope. I mean, he doesn't need a lot of time to get his legs under him. I think he had a very clear vision of where he wants to go. And I think he laid out that vision on the morning of the conclave that elected him on April 18 when he talked about this dictatorship of relativism in the developed west and his desire...
O'BRIEN: Which means what? What do you mean by that?
ALLEN: Well, basically it was the idea that there is no objective truth; that truth is relative to person, to place, to time, in his calls to say that simply isn't true. There are certain objective truths. So that freedom isn't the freedom to do whatever you want. Freedom is the free choice to follow God's plan. And that's what he meant by this anarchy business about gay marriage.
And obviously, that is drawing the lines in the sand about what's acceptable and what isn't that is going to encourage some people and it's going to anger others. And in that instance, it's going to be a dramatic pontificate. It's going to make news. And the things you just ticked would be leading cases in point.
O'BRIEN: The archbishop of San Francisco, William Levada, now has been named to the Congress to the Congressional of Faith. Am I saying...
ALLEN: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Basically the doctrine office.
O'BRIEN: Which was actually the job that the pope had before he was named pope?
ALLEN: That's right.
O'BRIEN: How significant is it that, in fact, an American now has that position, which, obviously, is a very important position?
ALLEN: Well, I think it's significant for Americans for two reasons. First of all, that's the office in the Vatican that has responsibility for handling sex abuse cases. That is, when priests are charged with sex abuse that's the office that has to look into it. So, the fact that you have an American who has lived through all of that for the last three years and brings very much an in-the-trenches perspective on that, I think, is important.
Some people have accused the Vatican of being a little bit slow, a little bit ambivalent in responding to that. I think that certainly will change under Archbishop Levada.
A quick point is just that Levada, although he's certainly a conservative, is by no means a head hunter. He's not seen as somebody who takes pleasure in cracking the whip. He's seem as somebody actually who can kind of craft compromise and find solutions that stop short of disciplinary action. So, in that sense, the great purge that a lot of people are expecting under this pope may not be happening.
O'BRIEN: How about this news about Archbishop Dziwisz. I found this pretty shocking. He was Pope John Paul II's very trusted aide, right-hand man, personally speaking. He now says that, in fact, he did not burn these notes and documents that Pope John Paul requested as one of his final wishes in his will.
ALLEN: Well, this is actually a request that he made in 1979. It was one of the first notes in his testament. And there were 26 years of experience after that. I mean, for all we know there may have been an exchange between the pope and Dziwisz on what should happen. The point is this: That Dziwisz is not just his private secretary. He was the closest thing the pope had to a son. And I don't think anybody is going to challenge...
O'BRIEN: It's not read as disobedience?
ALLEN: No, no, no, no. I think it's read as a very sentimental desire on the part of Dziwisz to preserve the pope's legacy.
O'BRIEN: Very interesting. You know, I'm curious to know how this new pope is on the social scale. I mean, compared to Pope John Paul II, who was so comfortable with people and crowds. Are you getting a sense of how the Ratzinger, the former Cardinal Ratzinger is?
ALLEN: Yes. I mean, look, this is a professor who is most as home in a study surrounded by books. He is making a valiant attempt, you know, to play well on the public stage. But it's obviously not terribly comfortable for him.
I mean, look, I was with him in Bari, which is the southern Italian city down in Puglia, a week ago for his first trip outside Rome. You know, had this been John Paul II, this would have been a huge deal. This pope, on the other hand, got in the helicopter, got there, said mass, and went home. I mean, he was actually in the air longer than he was on the ground. And this is going to be, in that sense, a less visually dramatic or less theatrical papacy, more focused on the business that he wants to do.
O'BRIEN: I wonder if it's going to be more disappointing in a way for the Catholics who have gotten used to a pope you can kind of reach out and touch.
ALLEN: Yes. On the other hand, this is a 78-year-old man. I mean, it's unrealistic to expect that he's going to be able to travel and do the big events the way a 58-year-old could. Look, mark my words. This is not going to be a quiet papacy. This is going to be a papacy of big ideas and great drama. It's going to be a drama of ideas, however, rather than big events.
O'BRIEN: Yes, you said it here first. The new book is called "The Rise of Benedict XVI." CNN Vatican analyst John Allen is its author. Nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us.
ALLEN: Nice to see you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: In a moment here, former HealthSouth chief Richard Scrushy has a chance to end his corporate fraud trial. But will he take that offer? A good question for Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business" and watching this case in a moment when we continue after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Former HealthSouth chief's Richard Scrushy turns down a chance to end his corporate fraud trial early. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
Not really a shocker, I think, this one.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes. It's an exercise in the obvious. I mean, it looks like this is going to be a mistrial. Maybe he even gets an acquittal here.
Richard Scrushy's attorney is saying that he will not accept a deal from the government. And why should he, as a mistrial looms? The 11th day of deliberations yesterday. Today the jury will be off. And they'll also be off, if need be, on Thursday and Friday, because of previous commitments, vacations and such.
Yesterday, the jury passed a note to the judge, a handwritten note, which says -- and you can see it here. Isn't this amazing? "We regret to inform the court that after many days of deliberating we are unable to reach a verdict of either guilty or not guilty of any/all counts." So, as you can imagine, Mr. Scrushy is probably fairly pleased with the developments so far.
O'BRIEN: Aergo (ph) no deal.
SERWER: That's right, aergo (ph) no deal.
Let's talk about the markets yesterday, Soledad. Up a little bit, as you can see here, across the board. Not a whole lot of action going on. Some deliberations on Wall Street. But this about interest rates. Futures up smartly, though, this morning. So, we'll be looking for a higher open.
O'BRIEN: All right, we'll look to that. Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
HEMMER: And here is the " Question of the Day" with Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, sir. Are you still here?
After increasing in each of the last three years, murder and violent crime rates declined last year. Murder rates were down 3.6 percent. Violent crime, which is defined as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, dropped almost 2 percent. The sharpest declines were in the country's largest cities and rural areas. According to figures out by the FBI, murders dropped 7.1 percent in cities with populations over 1 million and 12.2 percent in towns with fewer than 10,000 people.
So, the question is this: Why do you suppose the violent crime rate is declining?
Mike in New York writes: "Surprisingly simple. There are fewer men in the 16 to 25 age group than before, and a higher percentage of men currently in that age group are in jail."
HEMMER: Come on.
SERWER: I think that's not a bad deal.
CAFFERTY: Bob writes this: "Maybe the FBI forgot the city of Brotherly Love. From January through the end of March, 2005, Philadelphia had more killings than Baghdad." Bob signs his letter, "just outside Philadelphia with my head down."
Tony in Illinois: "I see no decline here. Murder and gun play are on the rise. If the government claims violent crime is declining, I suspect fuzzy math is being used."
David in Florida: "This is so basic. When the job market improves, the crime rate goes down."
HEMMER: Amen.
CAFFERTY: Which is true.
And Donald writes from Florida: "Demographics. We are an aging population. Old people don't kill each other. Younger people kill each other."
O'BRIEN: We're aging at that rate, though?
HEMMER: You saw New York City when crime rate went down in the '90s because the economy was going up. I mean, they parallel each other all the way across the country.
CAFFERTY: Well, and there's another reason. Rudy Giuliani was mayor of New York City for a couple of years here. And the police department got cracking and just cleaned up the streets of this town something fierce.
SERWER: Those squeegee guys, do you remember them?
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: He cleaned up this town like maybe no mayor ever has before.
HEMMER: But I don't think he could have had the success he had in this city unless the economy was doing well. The Nasdaq was shooting up to 4,000 or 5,000, too, which it did at the time.
CAFFERTY: That's probably true.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: In a moment here, more on that massive case of ID theft. This time affecting some four million Citibank customers, looking at that today. "Money" magazine says there are four basic, sure-fire things you can do to fix this growing problem. We'll look at it in a moment here when we continue at the top of the hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Still to come, a "CNN Security Watch." The former 9/11 commissioners turn up the heat on the government to look at what they're doing now to help keep America safe. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The two men charged in the disappearance of an American teenager in Aruba expected to find out today if they'll go free. A key ruling as the search for Natalee Holloway continues.
Could scientists give America's enemies a step-by-step plan to poison the nation's milk supply? Serious questions this morning about putting research in the wrong hands.
And another massive loss of personal information. Citigroup saying, oops, to 4 million people, searching for a solution to identity theft on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
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Aired June 7, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
A series of attacks to tell you about in Iraq this morning, three car bombings all taking place south of Kirkuk. At least six Iraqi soldiers were killed, about a dozen other people wounded. The attacks come as U.S. and Iraqi troops are launching a new offensive in the northern city of Tal Afar. Exclusive CNN images shows forces in the field. You see them there. So far, one American soldier has been killed in the operation. Nearly 30 suspects have been detained.
The two men suspected in connection with the disappearance of an Alabama girl in Aruba are set to appear in court today. A judge is being asked to determine if the men can be legally held. The police have not announced specific charges against them. Hundreds of volunteers are continuing to search for 18-year-old Natalee Holloway; $50,000 now being offered in reward money in the case.
A possible blow to New York's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. A New York state board has rejected plans to build a $2 billion stadium on Manhattan's West Side. But there still could be negotiations. Officials have said the stadium is crucial to improve New York's chances for hosting the 2012 Games. The International Olympic Committee is set to choose a host city next month.
And Mexico's Fire Volcano is putting hundreds on alert. We have these amazing pictures. Oh, take a look. Wow! The volcano eruption sending a plume of ash almost three miles into the sky. No word of any casualties. Experts say it is the worst eruption from the volcano in more than 15 years. Oh, amazing pictures, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Did you see the lightning in there?
COSTELLO: Wow!
MYERS: There was so much sheer, so much of the tearing apart in a thunderstorm that I could see a bolt of lightning actually come from the cloud itself, from the smoke cloud itself and actually touch down to the ground. That was pretty amazing there. I don't think we're going to see it there. It was on that wider shot. But that was quite something.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, President Bush will welcome British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the White House today. Mr. Blair comes looking for an agreement on global warming and an increase in aid to Africa.
Suzanne Malveaux is live for us at the White House this morning. Nic Robertson live in London outside 10 Downing Street.
Suzanne, though, we're going to start with you. The president has announced an additional $674 million in aid to Africa. What's supposed to happen today?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, Soledad, the president, the White House is going to get the kind of picture that they're looking for, the two men standing side by side making this joint pledge to help Africa.
What this does is that it takes the sting out of the U.S. refusal to sign on to Blair's proposal to actually double the amount of aid in about 10 years or so. At the same time, it highlights the U.S. commitment to that continent.
O'BRIEN: Let's bring in Nic Robertson, as we mentioned. Nic, even with this, that 674 million, is not what Blair wanted, right?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It isn't. Blair is looking for billions of dollars. The European Union has committed itself to 80 billion in aid for Africa by the year 2010. It is orders of that magnitude that he was hoping to get with President Bush.
There does seem to be broad agreement on the notion of debt relief for Africa. But Tony Blair is trying to set the stage for a successful G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, in a month's time. That will form part of his political legacy. So, this really is a very important meeting for Tony Blair just in terms of what he wants for Africa and his political legacy -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes. And money-wise, it seems to fall far short for him. Suzanne, back to you. We know now what Blair wants. What exactly does President Bush want out of this meeting?
MALVEAUX: Well, President Bush, of course, wants a recommitment by Mr. Blair to support the U.S. policy in Iraq. We expect, of course, that he will also get that, despite the rising insurgency. He'll call on other countries to come forward as well.
Mr. Bush also wants Blair to say that despite their differences in approach, that the U.S. is committed to protecting the environment, to a nuclear-free Iran. Of course, all of this leading up to the July G8 summit meeting. Both of these leaders presenting a united front -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: And back to you, Nic. If President Bush wants continued support for the war in Iraq, then is there a sense where you are that, in fact, he should have gotten more of a financial commitment from President Bush?
ROBERTSON: I think for Tony Blair and the Labor Party, they've been disappointed so far at this sort of lack of payback, if you will, for that support. They have back-up plans to go it alone with European partners for reducing poverty in Africa. And if that's what it takes, then that's the route they'll go. But they had expected more.
They will also be hoping to make some -- get some agreements, at least, on climate change to reduce the prospect of global warming, cleaner technologies, a more efficient use of fossil fuels and other fuel technologies. So, they will be looking to make agreements there as well -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: A lot is on the table. Nic Robertson for us this morning. And Suzanne Malveaux at the White House as well. Thanks, guys.
CNN is going to have live coverage when President Bush and Prime Minister Blair hold their joint news conference. We expect that around 4:45 this afternoon -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, Soledad, four hours and counting now. The jury in Michael Jackson's case is expected to resume their deliberations.
Criminal defense attorney Anne Bremner at the courthouse in Santa Maria, California, up early again. We are almost there, aren't we, Anne?
ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We are. It's very close.
HEMMER: Almost, yes.
BREMNER: We're almost there.
HEMMER: Let's run through a number of things, first of all. Juror number two apparently is the jury foreman. What do you know about this gentleman from court?
BREMNER: Well, he's been one of the most serious jurors. And he takes a lot of notes. He seems -- you know, when people are all laughing about things, if the judge cracks a joke, or even with Leno, he laughs, but he's probably the most subdued of this entire jury. So, I think he's the perfect foreperson. He's been serious. He's been paying attention. He's taken a lot of notes. And he seems to get along with all of the jurors, from what I've seen.
HEMMER: Yes, the jury has been given almost about a hundred pages of instruction. This is like...
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: ... a novel of law. How do you imagine that will impact their deliberations?
BREMNER: Well, the jury instructions, you can weigh them. I mean, there's a ton of jury instructions. And some of them are incredibly complex. So, again, with someone like this that's so serious-minded I think he'll be very helpful with the jurors in going through them and helping all of the jurors make sense of them. They each have their own packet, but they're going to have to basically go through a lot of complicated conspiracy instructions and instructions on the law. When they were reading the instructions in court, it's almost like your head was spinning listening to them. They were so confusing.
HEMMER: You know, the jury asked the judge, what, one question yesterday? Is that right?
BREMNER: At 9:50 a.m.
HEMMER: Yes. Why don't we know what that question was?
BREMNER: We're dying to know out here. And the judge basically has sealed a lot of things in this case, because he wants to give Michael Jackson a fair trial. And so, he's decided that he is not going to release any of the juror questions. We don't know if it was a question about the law or a question about, you know, whether they have to be unanimous in their decision, guilty, not guilty. We just have no idea. But we just know it was a question.
HEMMER: But in a normal case, we would know at this point, right?
BREMNER: Absolutely.
HEMMER: Give me a sense for the atmosphere outside the courthouse.
BREMNER: It's wild. You know, it really -- it was like let the circus begin. Yesterday, we had fans out here, t-shirts, you know, pictures of Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson impersonators, fans filming each other, you know, filming everything out here. Jesse Jackson was here. He gave a press conference. And we also had Michael Jackson's father wandering around in the morning, asking where his son was. It's just unbelievable. And it's even right now with people lining up to try and get seats for court for the verdict now at 4:30 in the morning.
HEMMER: And we're looking at the videotape of Michael Jackson's father. What was he saying when he said, I want to know where my son is, when he showed up yesterday?
BREMNER: Well, he seemed to be confused. And he thought maybe there was a verdict. That's what a lot of people thought he was saying, where is my son? You know, where is Michael? And it turned out there was an explanation that, you know, the vans that we see bringing Michael Jackson had departed from Neverland, but they were going to get washed. And so, he was confused thinking there might be a verdict, and he was down here.
HEMMER: Well, earlier you said a verdict by midweek is your prediction, if you do predictions at all.
BREMNER: Yes. HEMMER: Do you still believe that, Anne?
BREMNER: I do. I think that that would give the jury enough time to go through the instructions. They've only had one question. There is no dissension. There are no signs up in the jury room saying, you know, we'll work for early release. Let us out. They seem to be working hard. And I think midweek is reasonable. So that is tomorrow.
HEMMER: Two more things here. You say the weirdness in this case is not done yet. What do you mean by that?
BREMNER: The weirdness?
HEMMER: Yes. Sorry, Anne. Hang on. You used a word with our producers last night. You said the weirdness in this case is not over just yet. What do you mean?
BREMNER: Well, because, you know, Bill, there has been so many, like, misfires, you know, the twilight zone of this case with witnesses, you know, and events. You know, it's like, you know, pajama day, people going out on stretchers, you know, one of the lawyers on a stretcher, a fan on a stretcher. It just gets curiouser and curiouser in the courtroom and out of the courtroom. And, of course, the hospitalizations of Michael Jackson from the jury selection, to pajama day, to last week, to this weekend. And we have to expect, you know, judging from the past, that the future will have a few more surprises.
HEMMER: I think you're probably right about that. Hey, thanks, Anne. We'll be watching today. Maybe a verdict today. Maybe not. Nonetheless, you will be there. Anne Bremner outside the courthouse in Santa Maria.
BREMNER: I will. Thank you.
HEMMER: Thanks. All right -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, ahead this morning, the jury soldiers in the HealthSouth fraud trial. Is the defendant, though, ready to cut a deal? We're going to talk to Andy Serwer about that as he minds your business just ahead.
HEMMER: Also, a secretary defies one of Pope John Paul II's final wishes. We'll tell you about the secrets that may have been saved after all. That's next in a moment when we continue right after this.
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O'BRIEN: When Pope Benedict XVI was elected, many wondered what the new face of the Roman Catholic Church would be. Well, it's been almost two months now. Is the pope living up to his former nickname, "God's Rottweiler?" Well, the new papacy is the subject of a new book. It's called "The Rise of Pope Benedict XVI." And the author is CNN Vatican analyst John Allen. Nice to see you, John. Nice to see you in person.
JOHN ALLEN, AUTHOR, "THE RISE OF BENEDICT XVI": Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Fifty days for Pope Benedict, and he has accomplished a fair amount. Let me just tick some things off. Fast track Pope John Paul II to sainthood, forced the resignation of the editor "America," the "Jesuit" magazine, called Catholics in Italy to boycott a referendum on certain kinds of fertility treatments, says gay marriage is like anarchy. Kind of a busy 50 days.
ALLEN: Well, look, I mean, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was John Paul II's right-hand man for 24 years. So, there is not a lot of on- the-job training for this pope. I mean, he doesn't need a lot of time to get his legs under him. I think he had a very clear vision of where he wants to go. And I think he laid out that vision on the morning of the conclave that elected him on April 18 when he talked about this dictatorship of relativism in the developed west and his desire...
O'BRIEN: Which means what? What do you mean by that?
ALLEN: Well, basically it was the idea that there is no objective truth; that truth is relative to person, to place, to time, in his calls to say that simply isn't true. There are certain objective truths. So that freedom isn't the freedom to do whatever you want. Freedom is the free choice to follow God's plan. And that's what he meant by this anarchy business about gay marriage.
And obviously, that is drawing the lines in the sand about what's acceptable and what isn't that is going to encourage some people and it's going to anger others. And in that instance, it's going to be a dramatic pontificate. It's going to make news. And the things you just ticked would be leading cases in point.
O'BRIEN: The archbishop of San Francisco, William Levada, now has been named to the Congress to the Congressional of Faith. Am I saying...
ALLEN: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Basically the doctrine office.
O'BRIEN: Which was actually the job that the pope had before he was named pope?
ALLEN: That's right.
O'BRIEN: How significant is it that, in fact, an American now has that position, which, obviously, is a very important position?
ALLEN: Well, I think it's significant for Americans for two reasons. First of all, that's the office in the Vatican that has responsibility for handling sex abuse cases. That is, when priests are charged with sex abuse that's the office that has to look into it. So, the fact that you have an American who has lived through all of that for the last three years and brings very much an in-the-trenches perspective on that, I think, is important.
Some people have accused the Vatican of being a little bit slow, a little bit ambivalent in responding to that. I think that certainly will change under Archbishop Levada.
A quick point is just that Levada, although he's certainly a conservative, is by no means a head hunter. He's not seen as somebody who takes pleasure in cracking the whip. He's seem as somebody actually who can kind of craft compromise and find solutions that stop short of disciplinary action. So, in that sense, the great purge that a lot of people are expecting under this pope may not be happening.
O'BRIEN: How about this news about Archbishop Dziwisz. I found this pretty shocking. He was Pope John Paul II's very trusted aide, right-hand man, personally speaking. He now says that, in fact, he did not burn these notes and documents that Pope John Paul requested as one of his final wishes in his will.
ALLEN: Well, this is actually a request that he made in 1979. It was one of the first notes in his testament. And there were 26 years of experience after that. I mean, for all we know there may have been an exchange between the pope and Dziwisz on what should happen. The point is this: That Dziwisz is not just his private secretary. He was the closest thing the pope had to a son. And I don't think anybody is going to challenge...
O'BRIEN: It's not read as disobedience?
ALLEN: No, no, no, no. I think it's read as a very sentimental desire on the part of Dziwisz to preserve the pope's legacy.
O'BRIEN: Very interesting. You know, I'm curious to know how this new pope is on the social scale. I mean, compared to Pope John Paul II, who was so comfortable with people and crowds. Are you getting a sense of how the Ratzinger, the former Cardinal Ratzinger is?
ALLEN: Yes. I mean, look, this is a professor who is most as home in a study surrounded by books. He is making a valiant attempt, you know, to play well on the public stage. But it's obviously not terribly comfortable for him.
I mean, look, I was with him in Bari, which is the southern Italian city down in Puglia, a week ago for his first trip outside Rome. You know, had this been John Paul II, this would have been a huge deal. This pope, on the other hand, got in the helicopter, got there, said mass, and went home. I mean, he was actually in the air longer than he was on the ground. And this is going to be, in that sense, a less visually dramatic or less theatrical papacy, more focused on the business that he wants to do.
O'BRIEN: I wonder if it's going to be more disappointing in a way for the Catholics who have gotten used to a pope you can kind of reach out and touch.
ALLEN: Yes. On the other hand, this is a 78-year-old man. I mean, it's unrealistic to expect that he's going to be able to travel and do the big events the way a 58-year-old could. Look, mark my words. This is not going to be a quiet papacy. This is going to be a papacy of big ideas and great drama. It's going to be a drama of ideas, however, rather than big events.
O'BRIEN: Yes, you said it here first. The new book is called "The Rise of Benedict XVI." CNN Vatican analyst John Allen is its author. Nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us.
ALLEN: Nice to see you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: In a moment here, former HealthSouth chief Richard Scrushy has a chance to end his corporate fraud trial. But will he take that offer? A good question for Andy Serwer, "Minding Your Business" and watching this case in a moment when we continue after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
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O'BRIEN: Former HealthSouth chief's Richard Scrushy turns down a chance to end his corporate fraud trial early. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
Not really a shocker, I think, this one.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes. It's an exercise in the obvious. I mean, it looks like this is going to be a mistrial. Maybe he even gets an acquittal here.
Richard Scrushy's attorney is saying that he will not accept a deal from the government. And why should he, as a mistrial looms? The 11th day of deliberations yesterday. Today the jury will be off. And they'll also be off, if need be, on Thursday and Friday, because of previous commitments, vacations and such.
Yesterday, the jury passed a note to the judge, a handwritten note, which says -- and you can see it here. Isn't this amazing? "We regret to inform the court that after many days of deliberating we are unable to reach a verdict of either guilty or not guilty of any/all counts." So, as you can imagine, Mr. Scrushy is probably fairly pleased with the developments so far.
O'BRIEN: Aergo (ph) no deal.
SERWER: That's right, aergo (ph) no deal.
Let's talk about the markets yesterday, Soledad. Up a little bit, as you can see here, across the board. Not a whole lot of action going on. Some deliberations on Wall Street. But this about interest rates. Futures up smartly, though, this morning. So, we'll be looking for a higher open.
O'BRIEN: All right, we'll look to that. Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
HEMMER: And here is the " Question of the Day" with Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, sir. Are you still here?
After increasing in each of the last three years, murder and violent crime rates declined last year. Murder rates were down 3.6 percent. Violent crime, which is defined as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, dropped almost 2 percent. The sharpest declines were in the country's largest cities and rural areas. According to figures out by the FBI, murders dropped 7.1 percent in cities with populations over 1 million and 12.2 percent in towns with fewer than 10,000 people.
So, the question is this: Why do you suppose the violent crime rate is declining?
Mike in New York writes: "Surprisingly simple. There are fewer men in the 16 to 25 age group than before, and a higher percentage of men currently in that age group are in jail."
HEMMER: Come on.
SERWER: I think that's not a bad deal.
CAFFERTY: Bob writes this: "Maybe the FBI forgot the city of Brotherly Love. From January through the end of March, 2005, Philadelphia had more killings than Baghdad." Bob signs his letter, "just outside Philadelphia with my head down."
Tony in Illinois: "I see no decline here. Murder and gun play are on the rise. If the government claims violent crime is declining, I suspect fuzzy math is being used."
David in Florida: "This is so basic. When the job market improves, the crime rate goes down."
HEMMER: Amen.
CAFFERTY: Which is true.
And Donald writes from Florida: "Demographics. We are an aging population. Old people don't kill each other. Younger people kill each other."
O'BRIEN: We're aging at that rate, though?
HEMMER: You saw New York City when crime rate went down in the '90s because the economy was going up. I mean, they parallel each other all the way across the country.
CAFFERTY: Well, and there's another reason. Rudy Giuliani was mayor of New York City for a couple of years here. And the police department got cracking and just cleaned up the streets of this town something fierce.
SERWER: Those squeegee guys, do you remember them?
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: He cleaned up this town like maybe no mayor ever has before.
HEMMER: But I don't think he could have had the success he had in this city unless the economy was doing well. The Nasdaq was shooting up to 4,000 or 5,000, too, which it did at the time.
CAFFERTY: That's probably true.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: In a moment here, more on that massive case of ID theft. This time affecting some four million Citibank customers, looking at that today. "Money" magazine says there are four basic, sure-fire things you can do to fix this growing problem. We'll look at it in a moment here when we continue at the top of the hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Still to come, a "CNN Security Watch." The former 9/11 commissioners turn up the heat on the government to look at what they're doing now to help keep America safe. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The two men charged in the disappearance of an American teenager in Aruba expected to find out today if they'll go free. A key ruling as the search for Natalee Holloway continues.
Could scientists give America's enemies a step-by-step plan to poison the nation's milk supply? Serious questions this morning about putting research in the wrong hands.
And another massive loss of personal information. Citigroup saying, oops, to 4 million people, searching for a solution to identity theft on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
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