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Two Men Investigated in Aruba Missing Girl Case; Jury Deliberates in Jackson Trial; Pizza Delivery Man Shot on Job

Aired June 08, 2005 - 08:00   ET

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

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


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Those two men charged in the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway going before a judge in Aruba only hours from now. The lawyer for one of the men tells us about the case against his client.

Also, the jury in Michael Jackson's trial goes back to work today. We'll talk to defense attorneys today and a prosecutor about which side is helped by the long deliberations.

And modern warfare in an ancient city -- exclusive pictures from our embedded reporter with the U.S. military in northwestern Iraq, those pictures and the story on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.

Also ahead this morning, we're going to introduce you to a pizza delivery guy. He gets shot, continues to deliver the pizzas anyway.

HEMMER: That was a large pepperoni and then some, huh? A wild story. How he was ambushed by a kid with a Halloween mask. And we'll hear that story only as the man known as Taz can tell it. That's his nickname. And you'll hear from him a bit later this hour.

O'BRIEN: Jack is with us, as well.

HEMMER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He has more dedication to his job than I do.

Coming up in "The Cafferty File," it's Wednesday, time for "Things People Say."

A politician criticizing others for not making an honest living. This is news.

Another politician suggesting his wife might be hiding something from him.

And actor and telephone thriller Russell Crowe weighs in on being a father. What a lucky child.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.

HEMMER: All in the name of publicity.

Thank you, Jack.

Here's Carol Costello with the headlines now, top of the hour -- hi there, Carol.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

Good morning to all of you.

Now in the news, a developing story out of California. FBI agents have arrested two people and detained two others in an ongoing terrorism investigation near Sacramento. One of the men reportedly confessed to attending an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan. More details could be released later today.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

A record price tag for military spending. Defense costs across the globe have reportedly passed the $1 trillion mark for the first time since the cold war. According to a European research institute, the boost is mainly due to the U.S.-led war on terror and the growing defense budgets in India and China.

After two years of debate, the Senate is set to confirm the judicial nomination of Justice Janice Rogers Brown. She's the second of three controversial nominees to pass through the confirmation process thanks to a deal that cut through Democratic filibusters. If confirmed, Brown will only be the second black woman on the D.C. Court of Appeals, what some consider the second highest court in the United States.

Just weeks after testifying in the Michael Jackson trial, "Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin is expected in court this morning in Oklahoma. This time he's facing charges related to drug possession. Culkin was arrested in Oklahoma last September on two misdemeanor counts. He was riding in a car where police say they found a half ounce of marijuana and some other drugs.

And in southern California, another police chase caught on tape. It started when the driver apparently tried to kidnap a woman. Police chased the suspect through two counties at speeds from 35 to 70 miles per hour. At one point, the patrol car nudges the minivan and that sent it into a barrier. You'll see it shortly here. The stand-off ends when sheriffs' deputies tossed a flash bang grenade into the van. Oh, that was an all day kind of thing, an all afternoon kind of thing.

HEMMER: And that white van, that white van wasn't stopping.

COSTELLO: No.

O'BRIEN: He would not give up.

HEMMER: Yes.

COSTELLO: No.

O'BRIEN: It went on and on and on and on and on.

COSTELLO: Yes. You'd think after his car spun around -- spun out of control, he would get out and say OK, but no.

HEMMER: That car spun three times. He kept going twice. It was only when they hit the barricade that the thing had to stop.

O'BRIEN: And when they brought in those giant Humvee sized massive things in front of him from the SWAT team.

COSTELLO: I'd be going no problem.

O'BRIEN: And so it's like...

COSTELLO: OK, I'm (INAUDIBLE)...

O'BRIEN: I'm done.

HEMMER: You've got me. The day is done.

O'BRIEN: No. You're right.

Carol, thanks a lot.

COSTELLO: Sure.

O'BRIEN: In Aruba, the search continues for 18-year-old Natalee Holloway, missing now for more than a week. Two suspects in the case are expected to make court appearances in just about two hours. Prosecutors haven't yet said what the men are accused of. But a defense attorney says they're accused of homicide and murder.

Chris Lejeuz is the defense attorney for one of the suspects.

He's in Palm Beach in Aruba this morning.

Mr. Lejeuz, thank you for talking with us.

We appreciate your time.

You represent one of the suspects, one of the two suspects in this case. I read that at one point you actually represented both men.

Why the change?

CHRIS LEJEUZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The change has been because I was requested by the prosecutor's office to withdraw from one of the two suspects because they consider that the statements of the two suspects were not equal, they were different. They consider the possibility that there would be or could be a conflict of interest in the near future.

O'BRIEN: So do we read that, then, as an indication that these two men could testify against each other? LEJEUZ: Possibly the prosecutor does. I have no reason to believe that they will testify against each other as yet. I haven't seen it also in the documentation, which has been recently given out to me, yesterday afternoon at 5:00.

O'BRIEN: Can you tell us more information about these two men, for example, their names? We've only heard of them as suspects or security guards.

Who are they?

LEJEUZ: They are security guards. They are young men. One is 28 years old, the other one is 30 years old. Their initials are J. and J. I am sorry, but I will not tell any more than that about the names. If you need the names, you have to contact the prosecutor's office in Aruba.

They are first offenders, as we call them in Aruba, which means they have no previous criminal record.

O'BRIEN: Have you talked to them? Have had an opportunity to sit down and talk to them? And have they said anything about Natalee Holloway? Did they know her? Had they ever met her? Had they seen her?

LEJEUZ: Yes, I did have an opportunity to speak to them. My colleague has also spoken to them on Sunday. I've spoken to them on Monday. They have both denied very categorically knowing Natalee Holloway or ever having any contact with her. They never spoke to her. All they know about her is what they read or saw in the press.

O'BRIEN: They have been formally accused, but not formally charged. I believe that's correct.

What are the accusations of, exactly?

LEJEUZ: The accusations are very serious. They are murder, what you would consider in the United States murder one; conspiracy to commit murder; homicide, what you might consider murder two; conspiracy to commit homicide; and, also, kidnapping, what you would call kidnapping with a deadly result.

O'BRIEN: Have the prosecutors told you or filled you in about any of the evidence that they have in this case?

LEJEUZ: They have. What I have seen up to now does not consistent of any forensic evidence. We have only statements from certain witnesses that have stated that they have seen certain people who might be the suspects. But they -- none of them have confirmed that they have ever seen Natalee Holloway in the company of any of these two suspects.

O'BRIEN: There were reports that Natalee was seen dancing with three men at a club, left with them around 1:30 in this morning. Those three men, I believe, said that they had dropped Natalee back off at her hotel around 2:00 in the morning.

Do those three men have any connection to the two suspects who are now being held?

LEJEUZ: No. No connection whatsoever. They have, indeed, stated that they have left her at the hotel after they have danced with her and been out with her, showed her part of the beach of the country of Aruba and then when they left her at the hotel, they didn't see her anymore. They -- these three young men have no connection whatsoever with the security guards.

O'BRIEN: What happens in court today?

LEJEUZ: Today we will have an arraignment before the judge and before the prosecutor. The prosecutor will extend, probably, the detention for eight more days. And the judge will have to look at the detention to consider if the detention is legal, if it's according to our laws. If the judge finds the detention to be legal, then they will remain detained for another eight days.

O'BRIEN: Does that mean that we could hear some of the evidence that the prosecutor says he has in this case?

LEJEUZ: You could hear it if the defense allows you to hear it. The prosecutor normally does not supply any evidence to any press.

O'BRIEN: Chris Lejeuz is the defense attorney for one of the men who is a suspect in the case.

Thanks for talking with us this morning, Mr. Lejeuz.

We certainly appreciate your time.

LEJEUZ: You're welcome.

HEMMER: All right, Soledad, nine minutes now past the hour.

Let's move to the Michael Jackson case now. No verdict yet. But in about three-and-a-half hours from now, that jury out in Santa Maria, California will resume deliberations. So far, they've worked 14 hours, so far.

Let's talk about that.

First, from the prosecution side, our senior legal analyst is Jeffrey Toobin, with me here in New York.

And for the defense out there in Santa Maria, up early again, Anne Bremner outside the courthouse in California -- Anne, good morning to you.

ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good morning.

Good morning to you.

HEMMER: And, Jeff, good morning to you, as well.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, sir.

HEMMER: We're going to try and put on our best carnac turban this morning, because none of us know what these jurors are talking about. None of us know what these jurors are considering.

As a prosecutor, you enter day four. Does that portend good things for the state or not, do you think?

TOOBIN: Well, I'll tell you, if there had been a verdict already, that would be bad for the prosecution. A very quick deliberation in a case of this length and complexity, I think, would have clearly, almost certainly been acquittal.

HEMMER: Because they go inside and they say...

TOOBIN: Because they would have said that we don't buy any of this, they're not working their way through the charges. Here you have 10 counts, many of them very different from one another. The prosecution, I think, has at least a fighting chance by the fact that we are now into day three/day four.

HEMMER: That's what your turban tells you?

TOOBIN: That's my...

HEMMER: Hey, Anne, what does your turban tell you?

BREMNER: You know, very quick, of course, can be a not guilty. And, but then guilty could come in when the jurors have deliberated, basically, a reasonable amount of time. But then it kind of comes full circle when they go too long. Then you're looking back at a potential not guilty or a hung jury.

So, as Thomas Mesereau right now, I wouldn't be overly worried about how long they've been out and I'm hoping they're staying out a lot longer.

HEMMER: Well, that's interesting.

Look at this for a second here. If we look back over time, celebrity cases, O.J. Simpson. Jurors deliberated for three hours, not guilty.

BREMNER: Right.

HEMMER: Scott Peterson, seven hours, 14 minutes, guilty. Robert Blake, nine days, not guilty.

Does this follow your thinking, Jeff? TOOBIN: Roughly. I mean none of these rules are absolute. But, you know, some trial lawyers have a rough rule of thumb that says one day of deliberation for each week of trial. That would suggest a 16 week trial, which this was, would be 16 days of deliberation. I think that's too long.

But I think a verdict late this week or early next week would be very much average for a trial of this length. I mean there is nothing -- I mean, you know, we're impatient. We want a verdict right away. But this is not a very long deliberation at this point.

HEMMER: We're waiting and they're working through it.

TOOBIN: Exactly.

HEMMER: Anne, you saw the jurors come out of court yesterday.

BREMNER: I did.

HEMMER: Were you able to pick up anything when you read -- tried to read their faces yesterday afternoon?

BREMNER: Yes, you know, I kind of go back out there and watch them every day when they come out. But yesterday, there was a media throng. And they had, juror number one had a big cake. I don't know what that was all about. Maybe someone's birthday.

They looked serious, they looked purposeful and they looked straight ahead. One juror kind of covered her face because there were so many people out back. But it seems that they came in the morning in jeans, casual, ready to work, not probably ready to deliver a verdict, because jurors tend to dress up a little bit more when they're going to deliver a verdict, I think.

But they seem that they are definitely working hard and they have a purpose. Now, whether that's for the defense or for the prosecution, we're going to find out. But they seem driven.

TOOBIN: You know, one crazy thing happened, though. One, the foreman threw a phone at one of the other jurors. No, I'm just making that up. I'm just trying to draw together all of our big legal stories.

BREMNER: Really?

TOOBIN: (INAUDIBLE).

HEMMER: You know, you were just out there at the end of last week.

TOOBIN: Yes. Yes, I was.

HEMMER: This description that Anne gives us every day about this atmosphere outside the courthouse, I have to think that plays in some way into these jurors' minds. TOOBIN: Oh, yes. They know what's going on. I mean this -- and also what's been weird about this trial, at the beginning in the arraignment, when Michael danced on the hood, the top of the car, there were hundreds of people. Then during much of the trial there was hardly anyone there.

HEMMER: Right.

BREMNER: Right.

TOOBIN: Then now, at summations, everybody came back. I mean they know what a big case this is. They know the attention. And I don't know which side that helps, but it's certainly a factor in their deliberations.

HEMMER: A yes or no answer, Anne. You said midweek a verdict.

Well, we're at midweek, right, Wednesday? You still going with that?

BREMNER: I still think so. I think they looked like they were ready to do something as of yesterday.

TOOBIN: It can't be today.

BREMNER: And we're hoping today.

TOOBIN: It can't be today...

BREMNER: What?

TOOBIN: ... because my son is graduating from sixth grade, so I'm busy today. So it can't be today.

BREMNER: I take it back.

HEMMER: Your son's name is?

TOOBIN: Adam.

HEMMER: Adam?

TOOBIN: Yes, that's right.

HEMMER: Here's to Adam.

TOOBIN: But -- here's to Adam.

So it can't be today. I think early next week, actually.

HEMMER: All right, we'll see.

Thanks, Anne.

BREMNER: Yes.

TOOBIN: All right.

HEMMER: Thanks, Jeff.

BREMNER: And congratulations, Jeffrey.

HEMMER: Yes, congratulations to Adam.

TOOBIN: Thank you. Yes, Adam.

HEMMER: Man.

TOOBIN: Yes, all the way. A sixth grade -- I didn't even graduate from sixth grade, you know? Like they just said fine, you're in seventh grade.

HEMMER: Well done, Adam.

On to the seventh grade.

TOOBIN: Right. Thank you.

HEMMER: Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, thanks.

A look at the weather now.

Chad Myers at the CNN Center.

What are you looking at -- Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Looking at the potential for the first tropical storm of the season.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: You know, I feel like we asked for warm. We complained about the cold. We whined about the cold. And it's like oh, you want warm? OK.

MYERS: Yes, watch what you ask for.

O'BRIEN: Here's warm. You are absolutely right, Chad.

HEMMER: And we threw in a few complaints about the rain, too, along the way.

O'BRIEN: You don't like rain? Here's the humidity.

Thanks, Chad.

HEMMER: See you, Chad.

In a moment here, a story you will only see here on CNN. Inside the joint operation to root out Iraq's insurgency in the northwestern part of the country. And, as you will see this morning, danger lurks around every single corner there.

O'BRIEN: Also ahead, Howard Dean causes a controversy with comments about Republicans. Is the Democratic Party chairman in trouble?

HEMMER: Also, remembering Mrs. Robinson. Looking back on the life and career of Anne Bancroft.

That's ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Eighteen minutes past the hour now.

In news from Iraq, three American soldiers died in two separate attacks last night. Two were killed by indirect fire in Tikrit. The other soldier died in Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded near his patrol in that city.

Now to a story you will only see here on CNN.

Jane Arraf, embedded with the U.S. military, reporting today on a large scale U.S. and Iraqi offensive to try and root out insurgents from the town of Tal Afar. That's in northwestern Iraq, near the border with Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): This is modern warfare in an ancient city -- U.S. attack helicopters overhead, tanks in the streets. The danger is insurgents lying in wait in the alleys, where these vehicles can't go. With the buildup of U.S. forces along the Syrian border, this was a major show of force by the American and Iraqi Army in Tal Afar.

As they moved into town, gunfire flew. An American officer working with Iraqi soldiers was killed. Three suspected insurgents also died. The Suriya (ph) neighborhood is believed to be a stronghold of insurgents. On the walls of one of the houses was scrolled "Long Live the Mujahedeen."

Some of the raids focused on specific targets. Others were looking for anything suspicious.

(on camera): This is one of the series of houses on this block that U.S. and Iraqi forces have gone through to see if there are insurgents here. They've blown open the doors and gone through the entire house, but they haven't found anyone here or anything in it.

(voice-over): This Iraqi Army lieutenant says the insurgents here have fled. But he promises "We'll find them."

In a nearby house, Iraqi soldiers find what appears to be a manual for explosives and land mines. "These tracts are further proof these are terrorists," this soldier says, but he won't say how. They round up weapons, including rocket propelled grenades and warheads found in a cemetery. They detain at least 28 suspected insurgents, all Iraqi and most of them on their wanted list for launching or organizing attacks.

The U.S. and Iraqi Army commanders try to win over the few civilians they see. This one is an assistant school principal.

UNIDENTIFIED U.S. SOLDIER: Tell him that the Iraqi Army coalition forces are here to rid his neighborhood of terrorists.

ARRAF: The man says he hasn't seen any terrorists. Iraqi General Mohsen Dosek (ph) tells him there are people in the neighborhood helping the insurgents. He says the neighborhood has to help the Iraqi Army fight them. At the same time, the army is trying to separate friend from foe.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Tal Afar, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Yes, Tal Afar is thought to be the base where insurgents use when attacking Iraq's third largest city in the north, the town of Mosul -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Howard Dean never too far from controversy. He's making new charges against the Republican Party. But is he doing his own party any good?

At look at that is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: And we're back with Jack and the Question of the Day.

CAFFERTY: Thanks, Soledad.

General Motors announced it's cutting 25,000 jobs over the next couple of years. At its production peak in '79, G.M. had 600,000 workers. Today, they have 125,000. The company said health care costs alone add $1,400 to the sticker price of every G.M. car or truck built.

And it's not just G.M. that's in trouble. Ford and Chrysler are also watching foreign auto makers capture an ever increasing share of the North American market.

The question is what can be done to save America's automotive industry?

Mark writes this: "This is the '70s all over again. Detroit's big three have put all their eggs in a huge pickup and SUV market while their nimble foreign competitors design and build cars like the Prius that look to the future, which is $5 a gallon gasoline. Did G.M. really think the Hummer represented the car of the future?"

Weldon in Newmarket, Ontario: "If the same amount of pride went into the workmanship of an American made car as goes into a foreign built car, America would be laughing all the way to the bank."

Michelle in Michigan: "The U.S. auto industry needs more support from our country. Our government needs to help relieve the high health care costs in this country. Maybe they could stop taking millions of dollars from insurance and drug company lobbyists each year and actually think about what is best for us, the American public."

Michelle, don't hold your breath.

And Jason in Missouri writes: "The year is 2005, so where's my electronic flying car?"

HEMMER: Keep waiting, huh?

O'BRIEN: Yes. Exactly. Yes, good responses.

HEMMER: Thanks, Jack.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.

Still to come this morning, a pizza delivery man who was so dedicated that not even a bullet could stop him. He tells us what drove him to keep making deliveries even after he had been shot.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Here's a reminder. You can get the latest news every morning in your e-mail. Signing up for AMERICAN MORNING Quick News at cnn.com/am, there for you every morning.

In a moment, Hollywood loses a legend. Looking back on the life and career of Anne Bancroft, ahead here, when we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: A pretty day here in New York City. It's going to be about a thousand degrees.

Hey, good morning, everyone, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

Good to have you along with us today.

In a moment here, we're going to meet a guy, a pizza delivery man who is giving newfound definition to the term dedication on his job. He was shot on the job and kept on working.

O'BRIEN: His friends call him Taz. When he goes out for deliveries, really, nothing stops the guy. He tells us his wild story just ahead this morning. HEMMER: Like super people power.

O'BRIEN: It's unbelievable -- actually, it is. It's one of those cases of starts off weird, gets more bizarre and then ends also dramatically, very weirdly.

HEMMER: And everybody got their dinner.

O'BRIEN: And he's a great guy.

Yes.

HEMMER: Not a bad gig.

COSTELLO: I actually think that's a case of being too dedicated to the job. But we'll see.

O'BRIEN: I'm bleeding, but I have pizzas to deliver.

COSTELLO: But here's your pizza. But could you get me a Band- Aid?

HEMMER: 'tis a mere flesh wound.

How are you -- Carol?

COSTELLO: I'm fine.

Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News," two former hotel security guards in Aruba are expected to appear in court today. That's in connection with the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. Prosecutors say there is a reasonable suspicion the men were involved in some criminal acts. A lawyer for the men tells CNN his clients are accused of murder and kidnapping. A $55,000 reward has been offered for information in the case.

We are awaiting more details today about a terror investigation out in California. FBI agents have arrested two people and detained two others near Sacramento. Among the group, a man who reportedly confessed to attending an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan. Much more on this developing story throughout the show, so stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial set to resume a third full day of deliberations. Jackson is waiting out the verdict at his Neverland Ranch. His fans are continuing to gather outside of the courthouse to sing, to wave signs and they're even dancing. And some are praying. Deliberations are set to resume in about three hours.

A medical first. An Alabama woman has given birth to a baby girl after undergoing the first known successful ovary transplant in the United States. Stephanie Yarbur became pregnant after getting ovarian tissue from her identical twin sister. Both mom and daughter are doing just fine this morning. Doctors say the birth could give hope to women who have had cancer and cannot have children. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will have more on this case later on AMERICAN MORNING.

And the bridezillas invade New York's Times Square. Take a look. 19 wannabe brides dove in and started clawing through a giant, 20-foot lemon cake. It's disgusting, isn't it? They were looking for a ring box worth $50,000. That's what they were digging for. This event sponsored by Women's Entertainment Network to promote its show "Bridezilla." And that show's about brides going nuts planning the wedding. The winner, by the way, was a woman from Orange County, New York. She said she'll use the money to fix up her house and for dry cleaning.

HEMMER: Cute. Thank you, Carol.

Democratic party chairman Howard Dean has not stopped attacking Republicans, even though some top Democrats say he does not speak for them.

Let's talk about that with Democratic consultant Victor Kamber down in D.C. Vic, good morning to you.

VICTOR KAMBER, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Also, WABC radio host Mark Simone with us here in New York City. Mark, good morning.

MARK SIMONE, WABC RADIO HOST: Good morning.

HEMMER: Normally this is Kamber and May. Today it's Kamber and Simone. We push forward.

He's Howard Dean on Monday in San Francisco. Listen. We'll talk about it a bit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: The Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people. They're pretty monolithic party. They pretty much all behave the same and they all look the same. And they all -- you know, it's pretty much a white Christian party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Hey Victor, Joe Biden and some others are saying -- they're kind of walking carefully around these comments. Do you do the same?

KAMBER: No, I -- well, it depends what you mean. I don't subscribe to everything that Howard Dean says, but do I think he's a terrific chairman? Do I think he's done a good job so far? Do I think he will continue to? Certainly.

Do I understand why Senator Biden, Senator Edwards and others may disassociate themselves for some remarks because they don't agree with those remarks or because they are running for president, looking for their own constituencies? The issue is, was he wrong in what he said or are we just uncomfortable that he said it. I'm not sure he was wrong in what he said. It just may be we'd like not to have those things said sometimes.

HEMMER: So you agree with his characterization, then, of the Republican party?

KAMBER: Well, I think it is a white Christian party, isn't it? I mean, let's be honest. I don't know that they have many African- Americans, many Hispanics, many Jewish, many Muslim. I mean, it's a white Christian party.

HEMMER: What about it, Mark?

KAMBER: I don't mean that badly, either.

SIMONE: Oh, I'm sure you don't. The Bush administration has appointed, for instance, blacks to higher positions than any other administration. Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, Colin Powell. You know, Howard Dean to me looks like Russell Crowe getting a busy signal. I mean, he's always angry.

You know, the reason Bill Clinton was the only president in a quarter of a century -- Democratic president to get elected -- was because he didn't attack and describe everybody as evil and stupid and -- I mean, can you imagine if he ran against Bush, Sr., with that sort of stuff? It never would have worked.

HEMMER: Victor, looking back...

KAMBER: Howard Dean...

HEMMER: Did the party make the right decision in giving Dean this job?

KAMBER: Yes, again, when you look at what the job is. I mean, can we sit here -- can either of you remember who was the party chairman when Bill Clinton ran?

HEMMER: Terry McAuliffe?

KAMBER: No, he wasn't. The first time.

HEMMER: Ferraro (ph)?

KAMBER: I think it was, frankly, Ron Brown.

HEMMER: Are you quizzing me or am I quizzing you?

KAMBER: Well, what I'm saying is -- what I'm saying is the party chairman has a certain function. He's not running for president of the United States. So he's trying to organize, he's trying to build grassroots, he's raising funds. I mean, all the things that a party chair does, Howard Dean is doing a good job doing.

SIMONE: But that's -- you made my point in that nobody remembered who the party chairman was when Clinton ran, because he stayed behind the scenes, raised money and ran the party, instead of stirring the pot and appealing only to extremists. KAMBER: And Mark, in next year when the presidential race heats up, the party chair will also take a backseat as Terry McAuliffe (ph) did once we had some nominees running.

HEMMER: Let's go to topic...

KAMBER: It's a natural thing.

HEMMER: Let me move to topic number tow. That was Howard Dean on Monday. Yesterday on Tuesday Tony Blair and George Bush at the White House. This issue of debt relief in Africa came up. Tony Blair was looking for a lot more money. It seems as if the U.S. has met him about halfway on that.

Mark, there are some who are questioning whether or not President Bush should have gone more in this area or more in the area of global warming, as somewhat of a payback for the support that Tony Blair gave the U.S. for the war in Iraq. Do they have a point on that?

SIMONE: Well, I can't believe liberals would criticize President Bush. But let's face it, no matter what he did, he'd be criticized. If he didn't give any money, he's heartless. If he gave a lot of money, it's a bribe, it's a payback to Tony Blair.

I think he makes a good point, though. We need to do something here and we need to be careful and go step by step. Some of these governments may not spend the money effectively or wisely. Let's make sure that's done first. And obviously, we made a mistake in Rwanda. We won't make the mistake here.

HEMMER: $674 million at this point. Is that enough, Victor or should we...

KAMBER: Not at all. Not at all. And this is not about payback to Tony Blair. This is the telling of both men. Blair has obviously a greater concern for -- in the world, for third world countries, for the problems that are out, than our president does. You know, our country gives less than one percent of money for foreign aid, for all the talk about how much we do. The wealthiest country in the world, the richest country and we're not helping where we should be. Shame on us.

SIMONE: We're giving more to Africa now than we were in the '90s. And again...

KAMBER: I'm not suggesting that Bill Clinton or anybody in the '90s did a good job, either. What I'm saying is today and now, we're not doing enough.

SIMONE: But it's not just a case of throwing money at the problem. You want to do it slowly, make sure it's spent effectively. Also remember, we hurt a lot of their farmers with our subsidies and tariffs. Those may need to be changed, too.

HEMMER: We'll hear more about this. G-8 Summit's in early July. Thank you, gentleman, both of you. KAMBER: Thank you.

SIMONE: Thanks.

HEMMER: Victor Kamber, Mark Simone. WABC Radio...

O'BRIEN: Most of us call in sick when we're feeling even slightly under the weather. But not a pizza man in Tampa, Florida, who continued to make deliveries, even after he'd been shot.

Thomas Stefanelli is in Tampa this morning and joins us. Nice to see you. How you feeling?

THOMAS STEFANELLI, SHOT PIZZA DELIVERY MAN: Fine. How you doing, Soledad?

O'BRIEN: I'm doing great. But on the other hand, I wasn't shot in the thigh. Are doctors saying that you're now?

STEFANELLI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Good. Glad to hear it. Walk me back through this story. Because I have to say, Thomas, this falls under the category of very strange, but true. You've been called to a house to deliver a pizza. Nobody answers the door and so you start ringing other doorbells to see what's going on. What happened?

STEFANELLI: I see a young man come walking up from the side of me on the side of the fence with a Halloween mask on. So I walk down towards the gate to meet up with him. At that point, he pulled a gun on me.

O'BRIEN: And what did you do?

STEFANELLI: Telling me to -- so I knocked the gun out of my face.

O'BRIEN: OK, and then you started struggling...

STEFANELLI: Took him to the ground.

O'BRIEN: OK. And then you started struggling with him a little bit, didn't you?

STEFANELLI: No. There was no real struggle. It was just a matter of me taking the gun out of my face when the first shot went off and taking him right down to the ground beside me.

O'BRIEN: Is that when the second shot went off?

STEFANELLI: Yes, when I had him on the ground.

O'BRIEN: His friend, then, comes running out, right, and says -- tries to help him. And what did you do?

STEFANELLI: No, he didn't really try to help him. He was yelling at him, like, what the hell are you doing, what the hell your doing, yelling at him. And I didn't know what he was going to do, so I stood up and put my foot on the kid and faced him.

O'BRIEN: And then what happened?

STEFANELLI: He was all telling me, get out of here, get out of here. So I picked up my delivery bag, got in my Jeep and continued on my route.

O'BRIEN: OK. Now this is the part that -- I've got to tell you, Thomas -- I find a little strange. Because you'd been shot by that second shot. When did you realize it?

STEFANELLI: I didn't even -- when I was going down the road.

O'BRIEN: So you're in your car?

STEFANELLI: I was going down the road. Yes. I didn't feel it. I didn't even notice until I was going down the road. And I came up by the police sub station down the street after I seen the hole in my shorts and blood on my shorts. So I pulled in there.

O'BRIEN: OK. And?

STEFANELLI: Which -- at that point there was no cops there.

O'BRIEN: Oh. So what did you do?

STEFANELLI: So I went to my next delivery and called my boss from there.

O'BRIEN: Now why would you go on to your next -- I mean, why not drive yourself directly to the hospital and check yourself in? You'd been shot in the leg.

STEFANELLI: But it wasn't that -- really that bad. It wasn't bleeding profusely and none of that. It was just little spots of blood and a little bit of pain, not that much.

O'BRIEN: You delivered not one, not two, not three, but four pizzas before you finished your route and then went to the hospital. What did the doctors tell you there?

STEFANELLI: I didn't go to the hospital right away. After my last delivery, I went back to the shop and called 911.

O'BRIEN: OK. Eventually, you ended up at the hospital, though, and the doctors found the bullet, right?

STEFANELLI: The police found the bullet at the shop in my back pocket.

O'BRIEN: How did it get in your back pocket?

STEFANELLI: Because it had ended up hitting my wallet. It stopped and fell in my back pocket. O'BRIEN: You've got the bullet. It's now being held as evidence, right?

STEFANELLI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: You're fine. You look like you've recovered almost completely. Now that you had a little time -- I mean, I know you are very calm obviously -- but was there a point where you thought, I could have been killed in all of this?

STEFANELLI: No.

O'BRIEN: Not for a second.

STEFANELLI: No.

O'BRIEN: Did your boss give you a big raise, throw you a party?

STEFANELLI: No. That was what I told him when I got back to the shop. I said, two things, I want a raise and I want hazard pay, is what I told him when I got back.

O'BRIEN: And he said?

STEFANELLI: He laughed about the raise, and gave me $50 for hazard pay.

O'BRIEN: Was it worth it?

STEFANELLI: Not really.

O'BRIEN: I know you've been doing this for three years. Are you going to stay on the job? It sounds kind of dangerous.

STEFANELLI: Yes, I worked last night.

O'BRIEN: All right, we're glad to hear that it all turned out well and that you're healthy. Good luck to you. Spend the $50 well.

STEFANELLI: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thomas Stefanelli joining us this morning from Tampa, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And police say several suspects in that shooting have been identified. No arrests, though, have been made.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, one airline braces for a potential strike by flight attendants. Andy explains the company's backup plan as he minds your business, ahead.

HEMMER: Also, Hollywood losing one of its greatest talents. We remember today the life of Anne Bancroft, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: The lights on Broadway will be dimmed tonight for Anne Bancroft. The Tony, Oscar and Emmy winner died on Monday of cancer.

Aaron Brown looks back at her 50 years on the stage, on the screen and on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE GRADUATE")

DUSTIN HOFFMAN, ACTOR: Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN (voice-over): Anne Bancroft was Mrs. Robinson, the elder woman to Dustin Hoffman's emerging young man in "The Graduate." The movie directed by Mike Nichols was a classic. The role, her most famous, but not the role she liked best. "With all the good work I've done, some of it very good," she said, "all people want to talk about is Mrs. Robinson. Nobody talks about 'The Miracle Worker.'

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE MIRACLE WORKER")

ANNE BANCROFT, ACTOR: W-A-T-E-R, water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: She won a Tony on Broadway and an Oscar for the film. She was Anne Sullivan in the story of Helen Keller, "The Miracle Worker." "More happens in her face in 10 seconds than happens in most women's faces in 10 years," said Arthur Penn, who directed her on Broadway.

Born in the Bronx to Italian immigrant parents, she dreamed of being an actress in a time when just getting by was hard enough. But her mother encouraged her, and off to Hollywood she went. Anna Maria Louisa Italiano became first Anne Marno, and then Anne Bancroft. "I thought," she said, "it sounded more dignified."

Her film debut came in 1952, "Don't Bother to Knock," a decade of supporting roles. Then Broadway with the great Henry Fonda, "Two for the Seesaw," for which she won a Tony. She was a dedicated actress and made it sound deceptively easy.

BANCROFT: It's getting up early and it's putting on wigs and, you know, learning lines, and, you know, most of it is that. I mean, there's very few moments in the day when you are really expressing yourself.

BROWN: She married Mel Brooks in 1964. "I've never had so much pleasure being with another human being," she said, after they first met. Their son, Maximillian, born eight years later. The two then co-starred in the farcical "To Be or Not To Be."

For a time, she turned down work in favor of family life, but the lure of the stage, the theater, the screen, pulled her back. The range of her work impressive. She was an aging ballerina in "The Turning Point," another Oscar nomination.

Anne Bancroft could be equally on convincing as Golda Meir or a mother superior in "Agnes of God." There were so many roles we would need most of the program just to list them all. Rarely an easy character or easy role.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "KEEPING THE FAITH")

BANCROFT: All right now, over to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANCROFT: It's kind of like giving birth. Think of giving birth, I mean, it's very painful, and hard, hard work. And yet, isn't it worth it?

BROWN: Which brings us back to Mrs. Robinson, she was warned not to take it: it's all about sex with a younger man, but she saw her Mrs. Robinson as a character of unfulfilled dreams and played her to...

(MUSIC PLAYING: "MRS. ROBINSON")

BROWN: Anne Bancroft died of cancer. She was 73.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Welcome back. Here's Jack.

CAFFERTY: Northwest on standby in case of a strike, and another way for them to shove unwanted commercial advertising down your throat. You're a captive audience.

Andrew Serwer has that and more. He's "Minding Your Business."

SERWER: A couple of stories about flight attendants this morning, Jack. The toughest job in America? Well, some people say it is. It's certainly one of the toughest jobs out there. Northwest airlines anticipating labor turbulence, is looking for flight attendants, has put up ads at monster.com. The interesting wrinkle here, though, is these would only be people who would be hired in the event of a strike.

CAFFERTY: So these are scabs they are looking for?

SERWER: Well, that's an ugly word, Jack, but yes. This is what they are saying on the ad. "Individuals who successfully complete flight-attendant training may be offered employment in the event of a labor dispute or strike." Here is some of the specs. This is interesting. If you want to be a flight attendant, ability to meet the physical requirements for the job. You must be 5'2" without shoes on. I guess that's to put the luggage up. You can't be shorter than 5'2".

CAFFERTY: You can't be any shorter than that?

SERWER: You can't be shorter than 5'2". You must be at least 5'2". Ability to perform basic math calculations. That Budweiser is $4. Here's $5. We'll give you the $1 change. Yes, I think that's what the math involved. I shouldn't be saying that. That's not very nice.

Now, here's what is going on with another flight attendants story. Alaska Airlines, here's what you got there. Fasten your seat belt, put your seats and tray tables in the upright position, and please accept this credit card application. That's right, flight attendants on Alaska Air are shilling Bank of America's Visa card. They're pitching it over the intercom, and then they walk down the aisle and hand out applications.

CAFFERTY: That's outrageous.

SERWER: I don't know if it's outrageous. You're a captive audience. I don't want to hear this. I don't want to hear it.

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: What choice do you have? You're strapped into a seat at 30,000 feet, and you've got some mutant standing there trying to shove a credit card down your throat. That's outrageous.

SERWER: U.S. Airways also has a deal with this credit card, and they get paid, the people at U.S. Air, $50 for every applicant they ring in. That's pretty amazing. America West has a deal with Saab. I mean, these airlines are hungry for revenue anyway they can. "Washington Post" has this story.

CAFFERTY: That's just awful.

SERWER: Let's talk about the markets yesterday. A mixed session on Wall Street. The Dow was up. Nasdaq and S&P down.

And this morning, futures are rocking, though. Texas Instruments raised its outlook yesterday, and people saying, what about oil prices and interest rates?

CAFFERTY: It's like going to the movies. You pay nine bucks and you have to suffer through 50 minutes of commercials before the movie starts. That's just awful.

HEMMER: What was the last movie you saw, Jack?

CAFFERTY: What?

HEMMER: What's the last movie you saw in the theaters?

CAFFERTY: I got roped into seeing that -- what the hell was that thing with...

SERWER: "Monster-in-Law."

CAFFERTY: Yes, "Monster-in-Law."

O'BRIEN: You saw that?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: How was it?

SERWER: He's a big Jane Fonda fan, because he sees every picture she makes.

O'BRIEN: And Jennifer Lopez.

SERWER: And J-Lo?

How did you ever get roped into that? I mean, your two favorite actresses?

CAFFERTY: There's a diminutive red-headed woman that holds a lot of sway over my weekend hours.

SERWER: She who must be obeyed.

CAFFERTY: Huh?

SERWER: She who must be obeyed.

CAFFERTY: She said, let's go to this movie.

O'BRIEN: Yes, honey.

CAFFERTY: I said, drive on, baby.

HEMMER: Did you change the screen door yesterday?

CAFFERTY: What?

HEMMER: Did you change your screen door yesterday? You said you were going to go home and make your wife happy, change the screen door.

CAFFERTY: I've forgotten what that was about.

SERWER: Guess he didn't do it.

CAFFERTY: What were we walking about.

HEMMER: Guess he didn't do it.

CAFFERTY: I have a lot of things I have to get to here. And It's Wednesday and I have to do these things that people say. And I have a lot of time left to get my stuff done. So stop interrupting me.

SERWER: You go. CAFFERTY: "A lot them have never made an honest living in their lives." That would be Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee talking about Republicans.

"I'm quite confident she's not decided to do that, or if she has she hasn't told me." Bill Clinton on whether his wife is going to run for president in 2008.

"I'm not a victim of anything except my own shortcomings." Aren't we all, Dan? Dan Rather who wound up blowing that "CBS Evening News" gig over that George Bush story.

"I've always been perfectly fine sitting next to the kitchen in a restaurant. Food doesn't taste any better by the window." Renee Zellweger, who stars with Russell Crowe in the new film "Cinderella Man."

And then this, "The child has brought fullness to my life that I could not have anticipated. Until you experience the simple joy of the first time he points to a seagull and says duck, it's fascinating. He gets it." Russell Crowe talking about his 16-month-old son Charlie. Monday Crowe was arrested for throwing a phone at a hotel concierge here in New York because he couldn't call Australia, something no doubt the 16-month-old will enjoy reading about when he gets old enough to understand what a moron his father is.

O'BRIEN: Almost sounds like something a 16-month-old would do when they get a little frustrated.

Interesting. All right, Jack, thanks a lot.

SERWER: Duck, cell phone is coming.

O'BRIEN: Yes, duck.

SERWER: Duck.

Coming up in just a moment, "HEADLINE PRIME's" Nancy Grace joins us live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, FMR. PROSECUTOR: No matter how you want to look at it, it's hard to put perfume on a pig.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The fiery former prosecutor tells us what she thinks is going on in the Michael Jackson trial. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired June 8, 2005 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Those two men charged in the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway going before a judge in Aruba only hours from now. The lawyer for one of the men tells us about the case against his client.

Also, the jury in Michael Jackson's trial goes back to work today. We'll talk to defense attorneys today and a prosecutor about which side is helped by the long deliberations.

And modern warfare in an ancient city -- exclusive pictures from our embedded reporter with the U.S. military in northwestern Iraq, those pictures and the story on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.

Also ahead this morning, we're going to introduce you to a pizza delivery guy. He gets shot, continues to deliver the pizzas anyway.

HEMMER: That was a large pepperoni and then some, huh? A wild story. How he was ambushed by a kid with a Halloween mask. And we'll hear that story only as the man known as Taz can tell it. That's his nickname. And you'll hear from him a bit later this hour.

O'BRIEN: Jack is with us, as well.

HEMMER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He has more dedication to his job than I do.

Coming up in "The Cafferty File," it's Wednesday, time for "Things People Say."

A politician criticizing others for not making an honest living. This is news.

Another politician suggesting his wife might be hiding something from him.

And actor and telephone thriller Russell Crowe weighs in on being a father. What a lucky child.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.

HEMMER: All in the name of publicity.

Thank you, Jack.

Here's Carol Costello with the headlines now, top of the hour -- hi there, Carol.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

Good morning to all of you.

Now in the news, a developing story out of California. FBI agents have arrested two people and detained two others in an ongoing terrorism investigation near Sacramento. One of the men reportedly confessed to attending an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan. More details could be released later today.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

A record price tag for military spending. Defense costs across the globe have reportedly passed the $1 trillion mark for the first time since the cold war. According to a European research institute, the boost is mainly due to the U.S.-led war on terror and the growing defense budgets in India and China.

After two years of debate, the Senate is set to confirm the judicial nomination of Justice Janice Rogers Brown. She's the second of three controversial nominees to pass through the confirmation process thanks to a deal that cut through Democratic filibusters. If confirmed, Brown will only be the second black woman on the D.C. Court of Appeals, what some consider the second highest court in the United States.

Just weeks after testifying in the Michael Jackson trial, "Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin is expected in court this morning in Oklahoma. This time he's facing charges related to drug possession. Culkin was arrested in Oklahoma last September on two misdemeanor counts. He was riding in a car where police say they found a half ounce of marijuana and some other drugs.

And in southern California, another police chase caught on tape. It started when the driver apparently tried to kidnap a woman. Police chased the suspect through two counties at speeds from 35 to 70 miles per hour. At one point, the patrol car nudges the minivan and that sent it into a barrier. You'll see it shortly here. The stand-off ends when sheriffs' deputies tossed a flash bang grenade into the van. Oh, that was an all day kind of thing, an all afternoon kind of thing.

HEMMER: And that white van, that white van wasn't stopping.

COSTELLO: No.

O'BRIEN: He would not give up.

HEMMER: Yes.

COSTELLO: No.

O'BRIEN: It went on and on and on and on and on.

COSTELLO: Yes. You'd think after his car spun around -- spun out of control, he would get out and say OK, but no.

HEMMER: That car spun three times. He kept going twice. It was only when they hit the barricade that the thing had to stop.

O'BRIEN: And when they brought in those giant Humvee sized massive things in front of him from the SWAT team.

COSTELLO: I'd be going no problem.

O'BRIEN: And so it's like...

COSTELLO: OK, I'm (INAUDIBLE)...

O'BRIEN: I'm done.

HEMMER: You've got me. The day is done.

O'BRIEN: No. You're right.

Carol, thanks a lot.

COSTELLO: Sure.

O'BRIEN: In Aruba, the search continues for 18-year-old Natalee Holloway, missing now for more than a week. Two suspects in the case are expected to make court appearances in just about two hours. Prosecutors haven't yet said what the men are accused of. But a defense attorney says they're accused of homicide and murder.

Chris Lejeuz is the defense attorney for one of the suspects.

He's in Palm Beach in Aruba this morning.

Mr. Lejeuz, thank you for talking with us.

We appreciate your time.

You represent one of the suspects, one of the two suspects in this case. I read that at one point you actually represented both men.

Why the change?

CHRIS LEJEUZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The change has been because I was requested by the prosecutor's office to withdraw from one of the two suspects because they consider that the statements of the two suspects were not equal, they were different. They consider the possibility that there would be or could be a conflict of interest in the near future.

O'BRIEN: So do we read that, then, as an indication that these two men could testify against each other? LEJEUZ: Possibly the prosecutor does. I have no reason to believe that they will testify against each other as yet. I haven't seen it also in the documentation, which has been recently given out to me, yesterday afternoon at 5:00.

O'BRIEN: Can you tell us more information about these two men, for example, their names? We've only heard of them as suspects or security guards.

Who are they?

LEJEUZ: They are security guards. They are young men. One is 28 years old, the other one is 30 years old. Their initials are J. and J. I am sorry, but I will not tell any more than that about the names. If you need the names, you have to contact the prosecutor's office in Aruba.

They are first offenders, as we call them in Aruba, which means they have no previous criminal record.

O'BRIEN: Have you talked to them? Have had an opportunity to sit down and talk to them? And have they said anything about Natalee Holloway? Did they know her? Had they ever met her? Had they seen her?

LEJEUZ: Yes, I did have an opportunity to speak to them. My colleague has also spoken to them on Sunday. I've spoken to them on Monday. They have both denied very categorically knowing Natalee Holloway or ever having any contact with her. They never spoke to her. All they know about her is what they read or saw in the press.

O'BRIEN: They have been formally accused, but not formally charged. I believe that's correct.

What are the accusations of, exactly?

LEJEUZ: The accusations are very serious. They are murder, what you would consider in the United States murder one; conspiracy to commit murder; homicide, what you might consider murder two; conspiracy to commit homicide; and, also, kidnapping, what you would call kidnapping with a deadly result.

O'BRIEN: Have the prosecutors told you or filled you in about any of the evidence that they have in this case?

LEJEUZ: They have. What I have seen up to now does not consistent of any forensic evidence. We have only statements from certain witnesses that have stated that they have seen certain people who might be the suspects. But they -- none of them have confirmed that they have ever seen Natalee Holloway in the company of any of these two suspects.

O'BRIEN: There were reports that Natalee was seen dancing with three men at a club, left with them around 1:30 in this morning. Those three men, I believe, said that they had dropped Natalee back off at her hotel around 2:00 in the morning.

Do those three men have any connection to the two suspects who are now being held?

LEJEUZ: No. No connection whatsoever. They have, indeed, stated that they have left her at the hotel after they have danced with her and been out with her, showed her part of the beach of the country of Aruba and then when they left her at the hotel, they didn't see her anymore. They -- these three young men have no connection whatsoever with the security guards.

O'BRIEN: What happens in court today?

LEJEUZ: Today we will have an arraignment before the judge and before the prosecutor. The prosecutor will extend, probably, the detention for eight more days. And the judge will have to look at the detention to consider if the detention is legal, if it's according to our laws. If the judge finds the detention to be legal, then they will remain detained for another eight days.

O'BRIEN: Does that mean that we could hear some of the evidence that the prosecutor says he has in this case?

LEJEUZ: You could hear it if the defense allows you to hear it. The prosecutor normally does not supply any evidence to any press.

O'BRIEN: Chris Lejeuz is the defense attorney for one of the men who is a suspect in the case.

Thanks for talking with us this morning, Mr. Lejeuz.

We certainly appreciate your time.

LEJEUZ: You're welcome.

HEMMER: All right, Soledad, nine minutes now past the hour.

Let's move to the Michael Jackson case now. No verdict yet. But in about three-and-a-half hours from now, that jury out in Santa Maria, California will resume deliberations. So far, they've worked 14 hours, so far.

Let's talk about that.

First, from the prosecution side, our senior legal analyst is Jeffrey Toobin, with me here in New York.

And for the defense out there in Santa Maria, up early again, Anne Bremner outside the courthouse in California -- Anne, good morning to you.

ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good morning.

Good morning to you.

HEMMER: And, Jeff, good morning to you, as well.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, sir.

HEMMER: We're going to try and put on our best carnac turban this morning, because none of us know what these jurors are talking about. None of us know what these jurors are considering.

As a prosecutor, you enter day four. Does that portend good things for the state or not, do you think?

TOOBIN: Well, I'll tell you, if there had been a verdict already, that would be bad for the prosecution. A very quick deliberation in a case of this length and complexity, I think, would have clearly, almost certainly been acquittal.

HEMMER: Because they go inside and they say...

TOOBIN: Because they would have said that we don't buy any of this, they're not working their way through the charges. Here you have 10 counts, many of them very different from one another. The prosecution, I think, has at least a fighting chance by the fact that we are now into day three/day four.

HEMMER: That's what your turban tells you?

TOOBIN: That's my...

HEMMER: Hey, Anne, what does your turban tell you?

BREMNER: You know, very quick, of course, can be a not guilty. And, but then guilty could come in when the jurors have deliberated, basically, a reasonable amount of time. But then it kind of comes full circle when they go too long. Then you're looking back at a potential not guilty or a hung jury.

So, as Thomas Mesereau right now, I wouldn't be overly worried about how long they've been out and I'm hoping they're staying out a lot longer.

HEMMER: Well, that's interesting.

Look at this for a second here. If we look back over time, celebrity cases, O.J. Simpson. Jurors deliberated for three hours, not guilty.

BREMNER: Right.

HEMMER: Scott Peterson, seven hours, 14 minutes, guilty. Robert Blake, nine days, not guilty.

Does this follow your thinking, Jeff? TOOBIN: Roughly. I mean none of these rules are absolute. But, you know, some trial lawyers have a rough rule of thumb that says one day of deliberation for each week of trial. That would suggest a 16 week trial, which this was, would be 16 days of deliberation. I think that's too long.

But I think a verdict late this week or early next week would be very much average for a trial of this length. I mean there is nothing -- I mean, you know, we're impatient. We want a verdict right away. But this is not a very long deliberation at this point.

HEMMER: We're waiting and they're working through it.

TOOBIN: Exactly.

HEMMER: Anne, you saw the jurors come out of court yesterday.

BREMNER: I did.

HEMMER: Were you able to pick up anything when you read -- tried to read their faces yesterday afternoon?

BREMNER: Yes, you know, I kind of go back out there and watch them every day when they come out. But yesterday, there was a media throng. And they had, juror number one had a big cake. I don't know what that was all about. Maybe someone's birthday.

They looked serious, they looked purposeful and they looked straight ahead. One juror kind of covered her face because there were so many people out back. But it seems that they came in the morning in jeans, casual, ready to work, not probably ready to deliver a verdict, because jurors tend to dress up a little bit more when they're going to deliver a verdict, I think.

But they seem that they are definitely working hard and they have a purpose. Now, whether that's for the defense or for the prosecution, we're going to find out. But they seem driven.

TOOBIN: You know, one crazy thing happened, though. One, the foreman threw a phone at one of the other jurors. No, I'm just making that up. I'm just trying to draw together all of our big legal stories.

BREMNER: Really?

TOOBIN: (INAUDIBLE).

HEMMER: You know, you were just out there at the end of last week.

TOOBIN: Yes. Yes, I was.

HEMMER: This description that Anne gives us every day about this atmosphere outside the courthouse, I have to think that plays in some way into these jurors' minds. TOOBIN: Oh, yes. They know what's going on. I mean this -- and also what's been weird about this trial, at the beginning in the arraignment, when Michael danced on the hood, the top of the car, there were hundreds of people. Then during much of the trial there was hardly anyone there.

HEMMER: Right.

BREMNER: Right.

TOOBIN: Then now, at summations, everybody came back. I mean they know what a big case this is. They know the attention. And I don't know which side that helps, but it's certainly a factor in their deliberations.

HEMMER: A yes or no answer, Anne. You said midweek a verdict.

Well, we're at midweek, right, Wednesday? You still going with that?

BREMNER: I still think so. I think they looked like they were ready to do something as of yesterday.

TOOBIN: It can't be today.

BREMNER: And we're hoping today.

TOOBIN: It can't be today...

BREMNER: What?

TOOBIN: ... because my son is graduating from sixth grade, so I'm busy today. So it can't be today.

BREMNER: I take it back.

HEMMER: Your son's name is?

TOOBIN: Adam.

HEMMER: Adam?

TOOBIN: Yes, that's right.

HEMMER: Here's to Adam.

TOOBIN: But -- here's to Adam.

So it can't be today. I think early next week, actually.

HEMMER: All right, we'll see.

Thanks, Anne.

BREMNER: Yes.

TOOBIN: All right.

HEMMER: Thanks, Jeff.

BREMNER: And congratulations, Jeffrey.

HEMMER: Yes, congratulations to Adam.

TOOBIN: Thank you. Yes, Adam.

HEMMER: Man.

TOOBIN: Yes, all the way. A sixth grade -- I didn't even graduate from sixth grade, you know? Like they just said fine, you're in seventh grade.

HEMMER: Well done, Adam.

On to the seventh grade.

TOOBIN: Right. Thank you.

HEMMER: Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, thanks.

A look at the weather now.

Chad Myers at the CNN Center.

What are you looking at -- Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Looking at the potential for the first tropical storm of the season.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: You know, I feel like we asked for warm. We complained about the cold. We whined about the cold. And it's like oh, you want warm? OK.

MYERS: Yes, watch what you ask for.

O'BRIEN: Here's warm. You are absolutely right, Chad.

HEMMER: And we threw in a few complaints about the rain, too, along the way.

O'BRIEN: You don't like rain? Here's the humidity.

Thanks, Chad.

HEMMER: See you, Chad.

In a moment here, a story you will only see here on CNN. Inside the joint operation to root out Iraq's insurgency in the northwestern part of the country. And, as you will see this morning, danger lurks around every single corner there.

O'BRIEN: Also ahead, Howard Dean causes a controversy with comments about Republicans. Is the Democratic Party chairman in trouble?

HEMMER: Also, remembering Mrs. Robinson. Looking back on the life and career of Anne Bancroft.

That's ahead this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Eighteen minutes past the hour now.

In news from Iraq, three American soldiers died in two separate attacks last night. Two were killed by indirect fire in Tikrit. The other soldier died in Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded near his patrol in that city.

Now to a story you will only see here on CNN.

Jane Arraf, embedded with the U.S. military, reporting today on a large scale U.S. and Iraqi offensive to try and root out insurgents from the town of Tal Afar. That's in northwestern Iraq, near the border with Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): This is modern warfare in an ancient city -- U.S. attack helicopters overhead, tanks in the streets. The danger is insurgents lying in wait in the alleys, where these vehicles can't go. With the buildup of U.S. forces along the Syrian border, this was a major show of force by the American and Iraqi Army in Tal Afar.

As they moved into town, gunfire flew. An American officer working with Iraqi soldiers was killed. Three suspected insurgents also died. The Suriya (ph) neighborhood is believed to be a stronghold of insurgents. On the walls of one of the houses was scrolled "Long Live the Mujahedeen."

Some of the raids focused on specific targets. Others were looking for anything suspicious.

(on camera): This is one of the series of houses on this block that U.S. and Iraqi forces have gone through to see if there are insurgents here. They've blown open the doors and gone through the entire house, but they haven't found anyone here or anything in it.

(voice-over): This Iraqi Army lieutenant says the insurgents here have fled. But he promises "We'll find them."

In a nearby house, Iraqi soldiers find what appears to be a manual for explosives and land mines. "These tracts are further proof these are terrorists," this soldier says, but he won't say how. They round up weapons, including rocket propelled grenades and warheads found in a cemetery. They detain at least 28 suspected insurgents, all Iraqi and most of them on their wanted list for launching or organizing attacks.

The U.S. and Iraqi Army commanders try to win over the few civilians they see. This one is an assistant school principal.

UNIDENTIFIED U.S. SOLDIER: Tell him that the Iraqi Army coalition forces are here to rid his neighborhood of terrorists.

ARRAF: The man says he hasn't seen any terrorists. Iraqi General Mohsen Dosek (ph) tells him there are people in the neighborhood helping the insurgents. He says the neighborhood has to help the Iraqi Army fight them. At the same time, the army is trying to separate friend from foe.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Tal Afar, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Yes, Tal Afar is thought to be the base where insurgents use when attacking Iraq's third largest city in the north, the town of Mosul -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, Howard Dean never too far from controversy. He's making new charges against the Republican Party. But is he doing his own party any good?

At look at that is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: And we're back with Jack and the Question of the Day.

CAFFERTY: Thanks, Soledad.

General Motors announced it's cutting 25,000 jobs over the next couple of years. At its production peak in '79, G.M. had 600,000 workers. Today, they have 125,000. The company said health care costs alone add $1,400 to the sticker price of every G.M. car or truck built.

And it's not just G.M. that's in trouble. Ford and Chrysler are also watching foreign auto makers capture an ever increasing share of the North American market.

The question is what can be done to save America's automotive industry?

Mark writes this: "This is the '70s all over again. Detroit's big three have put all their eggs in a huge pickup and SUV market while their nimble foreign competitors design and build cars like the Prius that look to the future, which is $5 a gallon gasoline. Did G.M. really think the Hummer represented the car of the future?"

Weldon in Newmarket, Ontario: "If the same amount of pride went into the workmanship of an American made car as goes into a foreign built car, America would be laughing all the way to the bank."

Michelle in Michigan: "The U.S. auto industry needs more support from our country. Our government needs to help relieve the high health care costs in this country. Maybe they could stop taking millions of dollars from insurance and drug company lobbyists each year and actually think about what is best for us, the American public."

Michelle, don't hold your breath.

And Jason in Missouri writes: "The year is 2005, so where's my electronic flying car?"

HEMMER: Keep waiting, huh?

O'BRIEN: Yes. Exactly. Yes, good responses.

HEMMER: Thanks, Jack.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack.

Still to come this morning, a pizza delivery man who was so dedicated that not even a bullet could stop him. He tells us what drove him to keep making deliveries even after he had been shot.

Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Here's a reminder. You can get the latest news every morning in your e-mail. Signing up for AMERICAN MORNING Quick News at cnn.com/am, there for you every morning.

In a moment, Hollywood loses a legend. Looking back on the life and career of Anne Bancroft, ahead here, when we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: A pretty day here in New York City. It's going to be about a thousand degrees.

Hey, good morning, everyone, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

Good to have you along with us today.

In a moment here, we're going to meet a guy, a pizza delivery man who is giving newfound definition to the term dedication on his job. He was shot on the job and kept on working.

O'BRIEN: His friends call him Taz. When he goes out for deliveries, really, nothing stops the guy. He tells us his wild story just ahead this morning. HEMMER: Like super people power.

O'BRIEN: It's unbelievable -- actually, it is. It's one of those cases of starts off weird, gets more bizarre and then ends also dramatically, very weirdly.

HEMMER: And everybody got their dinner.

O'BRIEN: And he's a great guy.

Yes.

HEMMER: Not a bad gig.

COSTELLO: I actually think that's a case of being too dedicated to the job. But we'll see.

O'BRIEN: I'm bleeding, but I have pizzas to deliver.

COSTELLO: But here's your pizza. But could you get me a Band- Aid?

HEMMER: 'tis a mere flesh wound.

How are you -- Carol?

COSTELLO: I'm fine.

Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News," two former hotel security guards in Aruba are expected to appear in court today. That's in connection with the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. Prosecutors say there is a reasonable suspicion the men were involved in some criminal acts. A lawyer for the men tells CNN his clients are accused of murder and kidnapping. A $55,000 reward has been offered for information in the case.

We are awaiting more details today about a terror investigation out in California. FBI agents have arrested two people and detained two others near Sacramento. Among the group, a man who reportedly confessed to attending an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan. Much more on this developing story throughout the show, so stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial set to resume a third full day of deliberations. Jackson is waiting out the verdict at his Neverland Ranch. His fans are continuing to gather outside of the courthouse to sing, to wave signs and they're even dancing. And some are praying. Deliberations are set to resume in about three hours.

A medical first. An Alabama woman has given birth to a baby girl after undergoing the first known successful ovary transplant in the United States. Stephanie Yarbur became pregnant after getting ovarian tissue from her identical twin sister. Both mom and daughter are doing just fine this morning. Doctors say the birth could give hope to women who have had cancer and cannot have children. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will have more on this case later on AMERICAN MORNING.

And the bridezillas invade New York's Times Square. Take a look. 19 wannabe brides dove in and started clawing through a giant, 20-foot lemon cake. It's disgusting, isn't it? They were looking for a ring box worth $50,000. That's what they were digging for. This event sponsored by Women's Entertainment Network to promote its show "Bridezilla." And that show's about brides going nuts planning the wedding. The winner, by the way, was a woman from Orange County, New York. She said she'll use the money to fix up her house and for dry cleaning.

HEMMER: Cute. Thank you, Carol.

Democratic party chairman Howard Dean has not stopped attacking Republicans, even though some top Democrats say he does not speak for them.

Let's talk about that with Democratic consultant Victor Kamber down in D.C. Vic, good morning to you.

VICTOR KAMBER, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Also, WABC radio host Mark Simone with us here in New York City. Mark, good morning.

MARK SIMONE, WABC RADIO HOST: Good morning.

HEMMER: Normally this is Kamber and May. Today it's Kamber and Simone. We push forward.

He's Howard Dean on Monday in San Francisco. Listen. We'll talk about it a bit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: The Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people. They're pretty monolithic party. They pretty much all behave the same and they all look the same. And they all -- you know, it's pretty much a white Christian party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Hey Victor, Joe Biden and some others are saying -- they're kind of walking carefully around these comments. Do you do the same?

KAMBER: No, I -- well, it depends what you mean. I don't subscribe to everything that Howard Dean says, but do I think he's a terrific chairman? Do I think he's done a good job so far? Do I think he will continue to? Certainly.

Do I understand why Senator Biden, Senator Edwards and others may disassociate themselves for some remarks because they don't agree with those remarks or because they are running for president, looking for their own constituencies? The issue is, was he wrong in what he said or are we just uncomfortable that he said it. I'm not sure he was wrong in what he said. It just may be we'd like not to have those things said sometimes.

HEMMER: So you agree with his characterization, then, of the Republican party?

KAMBER: Well, I think it is a white Christian party, isn't it? I mean, let's be honest. I don't know that they have many African- Americans, many Hispanics, many Jewish, many Muslim. I mean, it's a white Christian party.

HEMMER: What about it, Mark?

KAMBER: I don't mean that badly, either.

SIMONE: Oh, I'm sure you don't. The Bush administration has appointed, for instance, blacks to higher positions than any other administration. Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, Colin Powell. You know, Howard Dean to me looks like Russell Crowe getting a busy signal. I mean, he's always angry.

You know, the reason Bill Clinton was the only president in a quarter of a century -- Democratic president to get elected -- was because he didn't attack and describe everybody as evil and stupid and -- I mean, can you imagine if he ran against Bush, Sr., with that sort of stuff? It never would have worked.

HEMMER: Victor, looking back...

KAMBER: Howard Dean...

HEMMER: Did the party make the right decision in giving Dean this job?

KAMBER: Yes, again, when you look at what the job is. I mean, can we sit here -- can either of you remember who was the party chairman when Bill Clinton ran?

HEMMER: Terry McAuliffe?

KAMBER: No, he wasn't. The first time.

HEMMER: Ferraro (ph)?

KAMBER: I think it was, frankly, Ron Brown.

HEMMER: Are you quizzing me or am I quizzing you?

KAMBER: Well, what I'm saying is -- what I'm saying is the party chairman has a certain function. He's not running for president of the United States. So he's trying to organize, he's trying to build grassroots, he's raising funds. I mean, all the things that a party chair does, Howard Dean is doing a good job doing.

SIMONE: But that's -- you made my point in that nobody remembered who the party chairman was when Clinton ran, because he stayed behind the scenes, raised money and ran the party, instead of stirring the pot and appealing only to extremists. KAMBER: And Mark, in next year when the presidential race heats up, the party chair will also take a backseat as Terry McAuliffe (ph) did once we had some nominees running.

HEMMER: Let's go to topic...

KAMBER: It's a natural thing.

HEMMER: Let me move to topic number tow. That was Howard Dean on Monday. Yesterday on Tuesday Tony Blair and George Bush at the White House. This issue of debt relief in Africa came up. Tony Blair was looking for a lot more money. It seems as if the U.S. has met him about halfway on that.

Mark, there are some who are questioning whether or not President Bush should have gone more in this area or more in the area of global warming, as somewhat of a payback for the support that Tony Blair gave the U.S. for the war in Iraq. Do they have a point on that?

SIMONE: Well, I can't believe liberals would criticize President Bush. But let's face it, no matter what he did, he'd be criticized. If he didn't give any money, he's heartless. If he gave a lot of money, it's a bribe, it's a payback to Tony Blair.

I think he makes a good point, though. We need to do something here and we need to be careful and go step by step. Some of these governments may not spend the money effectively or wisely. Let's make sure that's done first. And obviously, we made a mistake in Rwanda. We won't make the mistake here.

HEMMER: $674 million at this point. Is that enough, Victor or should we...

KAMBER: Not at all. Not at all. And this is not about payback to Tony Blair. This is the telling of both men. Blair has obviously a greater concern for -- in the world, for third world countries, for the problems that are out, than our president does. You know, our country gives less than one percent of money for foreign aid, for all the talk about how much we do. The wealthiest country in the world, the richest country and we're not helping where we should be. Shame on us.

SIMONE: We're giving more to Africa now than we were in the '90s. And again...

KAMBER: I'm not suggesting that Bill Clinton or anybody in the '90s did a good job, either. What I'm saying is today and now, we're not doing enough.

SIMONE: But it's not just a case of throwing money at the problem. You want to do it slowly, make sure it's spent effectively. Also remember, we hurt a lot of their farmers with our subsidies and tariffs. Those may need to be changed, too.

HEMMER: We'll hear more about this. G-8 Summit's in early July. Thank you, gentleman, both of you. KAMBER: Thank you.

SIMONE: Thanks.

HEMMER: Victor Kamber, Mark Simone. WABC Radio...

O'BRIEN: Most of us call in sick when we're feeling even slightly under the weather. But not a pizza man in Tampa, Florida, who continued to make deliveries, even after he'd been shot.

Thomas Stefanelli is in Tampa this morning and joins us. Nice to see you. How you feeling?

THOMAS STEFANELLI, SHOT PIZZA DELIVERY MAN: Fine. How you doing, Soledad?

O'BRIEN: I'm doing great. But on the other hand, I wasn't shot in the thigh. Are doctors saying that you're now?

STEFANELLI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Good. Glad to hear it. Walk me back through this story. Because I have to say, Thomas, this falls under the category of very strange, but true. You've been called to a house to deliver a pizza. Nobody answers the door and so you start ringing other doorbells to see what's going on. What happened?

STEFANELLI: I see a young man come walking up from the side of me on the side of the fence with a Halloween mask on. So I walk down towards the gate to meet up with him. At that point, he pulled a gun on me.

O'BRIEN: And what did you do?

STEFANELLI: Telling me to -- so I knocked the gun out of my face.

O'BRIEN: OK, and then you started struggling...

STEFANELLI: Took him to the ground.

O'BRIEN: OK. And then you started struggling with him a little bit, didn't you?

STEFANELLI: No. There was no real struggle. It was just a matter of me taking the gun out of my face when the first shot went off and taking him right down to the ground beside me.

O'BRIEN: Is that when the second shot went off?

STEFANELLI: Yes, when I had him on the ground.

O'BRIEN: His friend, then, comes running out, right, and says -- tries to help him. And what did you do?

STEFANELLI: No, he didn't really try to help him. He was yelling at him, like, what the hell are you doing, what the hell your doing, yelling at him. And I didn't know what he was going to do, so I stood up and put my foot on the kid and faced him.

O'BRIEN: And then what happened?

STEFANELLI: He was all telling me, get out of here, get out of here. So I picked up my delivery bag, got in my Jeep and continued on my route.

O'BRIEN: OK. Now this is the part that -- I've got to tell you, Thomas -- I find a little strange. Because you'd been shot by that second shot. When did you realize it?

STEFANELLI: I didn't even -- when I was going down the road.

O'BRIEN: So you're in your car?

STEFANELLI: I was going down the road. Yes. I didn't feel it. I didn't even notice until I was going down the road. And I came up by the police sub station down the street after I seen the hole in my shorts and blood on my shorts. So I pulled in there.

O'BRIEN: OK. And?

STEFANELLI: Which -- at that point there was no cops there.

O'BRIEN: Oh. So what did you do?

STEFANELLI: So I went to my next delivery and called my boss from there.

O'BRIEN: Now why would you go on to your next -- I mean, why not drive yourself directly to the hospital and check yourself in? You'd been shot in the leg.

STEFANELLI: But it wasn't that -- really that bad. It wasn't bleeding profusely and none of that. It was just little spots of blood and a little bit of pain, not that much.

O'BRIEN: You delivered not one, not two, not three, but four pizzas before you finished your route and then went to the hospital. What did the doctors tell you there?

STEFANELLI: I didn't go to the hospital right away. After my last delivery, I went back to the shop and called 911.

O'BRIEN: OK. Eventually, you ended up at the hospital, though, and the doctors found the bullet, right?

STEFANELLI: The police found the bullet at the shop in my back pocket.

O'BRIEN: How did it get in your back pocket?

STEFANELLI: Because it had ended up hitting my wallet. It stopped and fell in my back pocket. O'BRIEN: You've got the bullet. It's now being held as evidence, right?

STEFANELLI: Yes.

O'BRIEN: You're fine. You look like you've recovered almost completely. Now that you had a little time -- I mean, I know you are very calm obviously -- but was there a point where you thought, I could have been killed in all of this?

STEFANELLI: No.

O'BRIEN: Not for a second.

STEFANELLI: No.

O'BRIEN: Did your boss give you a big raise, throw you a party?

STEFANELLI: No. That was what I told him when I got back to the shop. I said, two things, I want a raise and I want hazard pay, is what I told him when I got back.

O'BRIEN: And he said?

STEFANELLI: He laughed about the raise, and gave me $50 for hazard pay.

O'BRIEN: Was it worth it?

STEFANELLI: Not really.

O'BRIEN: I know you've been doing this for three years. Are you going to stay on the job? It sounds kind of dangerous.

STEFANELLI: Yes, I worked last night.

O'BRIEN: All right, we're glad to hear that it all turned out well and that you're healthy. Good luck to you. Spend the $50 well.

STEFANELLI: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thomas Stefanelli joining us this morning from Tampa, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And police say several suspects in that shooting have been identified. No arrests, though, have been made.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, one airline braces for a potential strike by flight attendants. Andy explains the company's backup plan as he minds your business, ahead.

HEMMER: Also, Hollywood losing one of its greatest talents. We remember today the life of Anne Bancroft, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: The lights on Broadway will be dimmed tonight for Anne Bancroft. The Tony, Oscar and Emmy winner died on Monday of cancer.

Aaron Brown looks back at her 50 years on the stage, on the screen and on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE GRADUATE")

DUSTIN HOFFMAN, ACTOR: Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN (voice-over): Anne Bancroft was Mrs. Robinson, the elder woman to Dustin Hoffman's emerging young man in "The Graduate." The movie directed by Mike Nichols was a classic. The role, her most famous, but not the role she liked best. "With all the good work I've done, some of it very good," she said, "all people want to talk about is Mrs. Robinson. Nobody talks about 'The Miracle Worker.'

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE MIRACLE WORKER")

ANNE BANCROFT, ACTOR: W-A-T-E-R, water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: She won a Tony on Broadway and an Oscar for the film. She was Anne Sullivan in the story of Helen Keller, "The Miracle Worker." "More happens in her face in 10 seconds than happens in most women's faces in 10 years," said Arthur Penn, who directed her on Broadway.

Born in the Bronx to Italian immigrant parents, she dreamed of being an actress in a time when just getting by was hard enough. But her mother encouraged her, and off to Hollywood she went. Anna Maria Louisa Italiano became first Anne Marno, and then Anne Bancroft. "I thought," she said, "it sounded more dignified."

Her film debut came in 1952, "Don't Bother to Knock," a decade of supporting roles. Then Broadway with the great Henry Fonda, "Two for the Seesaw," for which she won a Tony. She was a dedicated actress and made it sound deceptively easy.

BANCROFT: It's getting up early and it's putting on wigs and, you know, learning lines, and, you know, most of it is that. I mean, there's very few moments in the day when you are really expressing yourself.

BROWN: She married Mel Brooks in 1964. "I've never had so much pleasure being with another human being," she said, after they first met. Their son, Maximillian, born eight years later. The two then co-starred in the farcical "To Be or Not To Be."

For a time, she turned down work in favor of family life, but the lure of the stage, the theater, the screen, pulled her back. The range of her work impressive. She was an aging ballerina in "The Turning Point," another Oscar nomination.

Anne Bancroft could be equally on convincing as Golda Meir or a mother superior in "Agnes of God." There were so many roles we would need most of the program just to list them all. Rarely an easy character or easy role.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "KEEPING THE FAITH")

BANCROFT: All right now, over to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANCROFT: It's kind of like giving birth. Think of giving birth, I mean, it's very painful, and hard, hard work. And yet, isn't it worth it?

BROWN: Which brings us back to Mrs. Robinson, she was warned not to take it: it's all about sex with a younger man, but she saw her Mrs. Robinson as a character of unfulfilled dreams and played her to...

(MUSIC PLAYING: "MRS. ROBINSON")

BROWN: Anne Bancroft died of cancer. She was 73.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Welcome back. Here's Jack.

CAFFERTY: Northwest on standby in case of a strike, and another way for them to shove unwanted commercial advertising down your throat. You're a captive audience.

Andrew Serwer has that and more. He's "Minding Your Business."

SERWER: A couple of stories about flight attendants this morning, Jack. The toughest job in America? Well, some people say it is. It's certainly one of the toughest jobs out there. Northwest airlines anticipating labor turbulence, is looking for flight attendants, has put up ads at monster.com. The interesting wrinkle here, though, is these would only be people who would be hired in the event of a strike.

CAFFERTY: So these are scabs they are looking for?

SERWER: Well, that's an ugly word, Jack, but yes. This is what they are saying on the ad. "Individuals who successfully complete flight-attendant training may be offered employment in the event of a labor dispute or strike." Here is some of the specs. This is interesting. If you want to be a flight attendant, ability to meet the physical requirements for the job. You must be 5'2" without shoes on. I guess that's to put the luggage up. You can't be shorter than 5'2".

CAFFERTY: You can't be any shorter than that?

SERWER: You can't be shorter than 5'2". You must be at least 5'2". Ability to perform basic math calculations. That Budweiser is $4. Here's $5. We'll give you the $1 change. Yes, I think that's what the math involved. I shouldn't be saying that. That's not very nice.

Now, here's what is going on with another flight attendants story. Alaska Airlines, here's what you got there. Fasten your seat belt, put your seats and tray tables in the upright position, and please accept this credit card application. That's right, flight attendants on Alaska Air are shilling Bank of America's Visa card. They're pitching it over the intercom, and then they walk down the aisle and hand out applications.

CAFFERTY: That's outrageous.

SERWER: I don't know if it's outrageous. You're a captive audience. I don't want to hear this. I don't want to hear it.

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: What choice do you have? You're strapped into a seat at 30,000 feet, and you've got some mutant standing there trying to shove a credit card down your throat. That's outrageous.

SERWER: U.S. Airways also has a deal with this credit card, and they get paid, the people at U.S. Air, $50 for every applicant they ring in. That's pretty amazing. America West has a deal with Saab. I mean, these airlines are hungry for revenue anyway they can. "Washington Post" has this story.

CAFFERTY: That's just awful.

SERWER: Let's talk about the markets yesterday. A mixed session on Wall Street. The Dow was up. Nasdaq and S&P down.

And this morning, futures are rocking, though. Texas Instruments raised its outlook yesterday, and people saying, what about oil prices and interest rates?

CAFFERTY: It's like going to the movies. You pay nine bucks and you have to suffer through 50 minutes of commercials before the movie starts. That's just awful.

HEMMER: What was the last movie you saw, Jack?

CAFFERTY: What?

HEMMER: What's the last movie you saw in the theaters?

CAFFERTY: I got roped into seeing that -- what the hell was that thing with...

SERWER: "Monster-in-Law."

CAFFERTY: Yes, "Monster-in-Law."

O'BRIEN: You saw that?

CAFFERTY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: How was it?

SERWER: He's a big Jane Fonda fan, because he sees every picture she makes.

O'BRIEN: And Jennifer Lopez.

SERWER: And J-Lo?

How did you ever get roped into that? I mean, your two favorite actresses?

CAFFERTY: There's a diminutive red-headed woman that holds a lot of sway over my weekend hours.

SERWER: She who must be obeyed.

CAFFERTY: Huh?

SERWER: She who must be obeyed.

CAFFERTY: She said, let's go to this movie.

O'BRIEN: Yes, honey.

CAFFERTY: I said, drive on, baby.

HEMMER: Did you change the screen door yesterday?

CAFFERTY: What?

HEMMER: Did you change your screen door yesterday? You said you were going to go home and make your wife happy, change the screen door.

CAFFERTY: I've forgotten what that was about.

SERWER: Guess he didn't do it.

CAFFERTY: What were we walking about.

HEMMER: Guess he didn't do it.

CAFFERTY: I have a lot of things I have to get to here. And It's Wednesday and I have to do these things that people say. And I have a lot of time left to get my stuff done. So stop interrupting me.

SERWER: You go. CAFFERTY: "A lot them have never made an honest living in their lives." That would be Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee talking about Republicans.

"I'm quite confident she's not decided to do that, or if she has she hasn't told me." Bill Clinton on whether his wife is going to run for president in 2008.

"I'm not a victim of anything except my own shortcomings." Aren't we all, Dan? Dan Rather who wound up blowing that "CBS Evening News" gig over that George Bush story.

"I've always been perfectly fine sitting next to the kitchen in a restaurant. Food doesn't taste any better by the window." Renee Zellweger, who stars with Russell Crowe in the new film "Cinderella Man."

And then this, "The child has brought fullness to my life that I could not have anticipated. Until you experience the simple joy of the first time he points to a seagull and says duck, it's fascinating. He gets it." Russell Crowe talking about his 16-month-old son Charlie. Monday Crowe was arrested for throwing a phone at a hotel concierge here in New York because he couldn't call Australia, something no doubt the 16-month-old will enjoy reading about when he gets old enough to understand what a moron his father is.

O'BRIEN: Almost sounds like something a 16-month-old would do when they get a little frustrated.

Interesting. All right, Jack, thanks a lot.

SERWER: Duck, cell phone is coming.

O'BRIEN: Yes, duck.

SERWER: Duck.

Coming up in just a moment, "HEADLINE PRIME's" Nancy Grace joins us live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, FMR. PROSECUTOR: No matter how you want to look at it, it's hard to put perfume on a pig.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The fiery former prosecutor tells us what she thinks is going on in the Michael Jackson trial. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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