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American Morning
In Arlene's Path; Suspects Questioned; Jackson Verdict Watch
Aired June 10, 2005 - 9:00 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. There's tropical storm warnings all over the Gulf Coast. Arlene pushing pass Cuba, taking aim now at the U.S. There are high winds and rough seas already in Florida.
That's a live picture, and residents know the drill all too well, stock up and hunker down. And they are.
Learning more about what happened the night Natalee Holloway disappeared. Police gathering more evidence in the case, and the latest is live in Aruba in a moment.
And juries love a verdict on Friday, we are told, but will jurors in Michael Jackson's case deliver that verdict in time for the weekend? Live outside the courthouse on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: 9:00 in New York. Welcome to Friday. And good morning. I'm Bill Hemmer.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad.
Also ahead, the shocking DVD discovered by a teacher in Rogers, Arkansas. You can see kids boxing and fighting. They're even mud wrestling. We're goig to talk to the mayor of that town about what kind of trouble these kids could be in.
HEMMER: That's coming up.
Also, Jack.
What's on your mind, email-wise?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: What's the big deal if two kids put on boxing gloves and have a little disagreement? I mean...
COSTELLO: They were fighting. I mean, some of these kids were beaten severely.
CAFFERTY: Oh. Well, that's different.
CAFFERTY: Two hundred thousands new millionaires created in this country last year. The rich continue to get richer. We're interested in your thoughts on what's behind the surge of American millionaires. AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: All right, Jack. Thanks.
Let's -- start, rather, with Tropical Storm Arlene now. In just the last few hours, Arlene said to be picking up even more strength as it crosses into the Gulf of Mexico. It's headed for the U.S., and just this morning the National Hurricane Center posting a tropical storm watch from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. Arlene expected to hit that area tomorrow.
And how well they remember. Folks along the Gulf Coast were hit hard by Ivan a year ago. Now they have to get ready again, buying plywood for windows and other emergency supplies for the weekend.
Arlene moving past the western tip of Cuba, drenching the island in the western portion with heavy rain and winds. And gaining power, again, as it moves through the Gulf.
Nefertiti Jaquez of WFOR live in Miami, Florida.
It looks like you're getting some winds there. Good morning. How are conditions?
NEFERTITI JAQUEZ, REPORTER, WFOR: I am being blown away, Bill. I want you take a look behind as spectators come out. During these winds, there have been flood watches, and they'll be expected to stay up until about 8:00 p.m. You have people just kind of out here looking at what these rough seas are doing.
If Brian can pan out even a little bit further, you have about a dozen surfers out here. You know, this is surfer's paradise once waves like this start to pick up. However, police and fire rescue do not suggest things like this.
And in other places in Florida, we've already had some destruction to buildings. Earlier this morning, we actually had a group of Russian foreign exchange students that were out on the water for about 20 minutes. One of them appeared lifeless as an off-duty lifeguard came out to save her.
Right now she is in critical condition. They were just out here trying to have some fun, didn't think something like this could happen, and unfortunately it has.
And as things pick up, we will bring you the very latest.
Reporting for CNN, in Miami, Nefertiti Jaquez.
HEMMER: All right. Nefertiti, thanks for that. WFOR helping us out with that.
She's on the east coast of Florida, too. You've got to imagine on the west coast of Florida things are a bit worse. Here's Rob Marciano tracking that, Arlene.
What are you seeing, Rob? ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, east winds, Bill. So on the east side of Florida, and mainly where she was there in Miami, they're coming right off the ocean.
So not a whole lot of friction there, a lot of wind-whipped waves. West side getting rain for sure, and getting winds off land. But later on today, as this thing continues to march up into the Gulf of Mexico, the west side will be a little bit harder hit, with heavier rain bands, some squally weather and certainly some gusty winds.
Look at the last couple of frames of the satellite picture as the center of this goes west of Cuba. I know the center looks like it's somewhere over here, but the west side of the system is pretty much nil.
Everything is to the north and east of the system. That's why Florida right now is getting hit the hardest. About 50 miles, the center of this thing, north of the western tip of Cuba.
Here's the forecast track out of the National Hurricane Center. Winds, by the way, up to 55 miles an hour at last check. Still not forecasting to become a hurricane, but it's going to be pretty close. And when the next advisory comes out at 11:00, you know, they may up that chance.
But right now, the timing is such, late tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening, somewhere around Mobil Bay, maybe just slightly to the west, anywhere from New Orleans to Pensacola, Florida, is where we think this thing will make landfall as a tropical storm, possibly -- possibly -- a minimal hurricane.
Other item up for business here is a red highlighted area across the central part of the country. We had 45 reports of tornadoes yesterday, Bill, and we'll likely see a similar number today. So severe weather in the plains, and that tropical storm now heading into the Gulf of Mexico.
HEMMER: All right. Busy day there. Rob, thanks for that.
You mentioned those tornadoes. To Valerie Morris with more on these and the rest of the headlines.
Hey, Val.
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, Bill. Thank you. And hello, everyone.
"Now in the News," storm chasers, they are catching some amazing footage. Take a look at this. Tornadoes in western Kansas. Nearly a dozen twisters were spotted Thursday; some excited tornado chasers caught two twisters at once.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tornado on the ground east! Tornado on the ground west! Tornado on the ground east! Tornado on the ground west! Woo!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: The damage is still being assessed this morning. Several homes lost roofs, and a lot of power lines were down.
President Bush pushing for parts of the Patriot Act to be made permanent. The president says the Patriot Act help the thwart terror plots in four states. He's set to deliver remarks at the National Counterterrorism Center in northern Virginia in the next hour. After that, he meets with South Korea's president at the White House.
And you can catch the president's remarks on the Patriot Act right here on CNN at 10:15 Eastern.
A 22-year-old man arrested in a suspected terror plot in California is expected to appear in federal court today. Prosecutors say Hamid Hayat and his father were making plans to carry out a jihad against the United States. They were both charged with making false statements to the FBI. Three other Pakistani neighbors near Sacramento have also been detained on immigration violations.
Australians are being warned not to travel to Indonesia. Australian officials say they have credible reports that suggest terrorists are planning attacks in the southeast Asian nation. They also say locations frequented by western tourists could be targeted. Indonesian police say security has been increased at a number of hotels.
And 13 Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies will be disciplined for a wild shooting in Compton last month. You may remember this video from the scene, deputies firing more than 100 shots at the unarmed driver.
Sheriff Lee Baca says one deputy will be suspended for 15 days. Others will receive shorter suspensions or written reprimands.
You are up to date. Now back to both of you.
HEMMER: Thanks, Valerie.
COSTELLO: Thanks, Valerie.
Police in Aruba have been questioning three new suspects in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The 18-year-old disappeared 11 days ago from the Dutch protectorate off Venezuela.
Police say the suspect, Juron Van Der Sloot, pictured here -- there he is -- on his Web site met Holloway the night before she went missing. Five men now arrested in the case. No formal charges, though, have been filed against any of them.
Karl Penhaul is live from Palm Beach, Aruba.
Karl, what do you know about these latest three men who were recently arrested? KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, police are telling us that one of the men, the 17-year-old, Juron Van Der Sloot, met Natalee Holloway in the casino of the Holiday Inn the night before she disappeared. And it was with him and his two friends that she was last seen outside the Carlos 'N Charlie's bar.
Now, you'll remember two other suspects were picked up by police at the weekend. And right now, police are trying to work out what the relationship is between the three arrested yesterday and the two suspects arrested at weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In handcuffs, a towel draped over his head, this is one of three new suspects police arrested in the hunt for Natalee Holloway. In total, five men are now in custody, but there's no sign of the missing teenager, no clue whether she's alive or dead.
KARIN JANSSEN, CHIEF PROSECUTOR: At this stage, we can't say what we are presuming at this moment. We have too little details to say. All options are open.
PENHAUL: Natalee drove away from Carlos & Charlie's Bar in the weather hours of May 30 with the three teenagers now held in police cells, according to their own statements. Police said she had met 17- year-old Joran Van Der Sloot, the son of an island justice official, at the Holiday Inn where Natalee was staying a day before she disappeared.
JAN VAN DER STRATEN, CHIEF POLICE COMMISSIONER: And they meet each other in the casino.
QUESTION: That day or...
(CROSSTALK)
VAN DER STRATEN: The day before.
PENHAUL: The two other men detained Thursday are brothers, Satish and Deepak Kaploe. There's been no statement yet on their behalf. The other suspects, detained at the weekend, are security guards. Their defense attorneys insist they had nothing to do with Natalee's disappearance.
Police previously interviewed the teenagers, but waited until Thursday, 11 days after Natalee's disappearance, to arrest them. They confiscated property, including a car and a computer.
JANSSEN: It is because of tactical reasons we didn't do that at another moment.
PENHAUL: Relative to the first two suspects fear wealth and race issues may cloud the investigation.
ALVIN CORNET, COUSIN OF SUSPECT: And it's on something about money wise who is rich and who is poor.
PENHAUL: That's Micky John, one of the first two suspects detained, from a black immigrant family from the poorer East End of Aruba. That's Van Der Sloot, from an influential family from the richer West End.
Prosecutors say evidence, not prejudice, will be the key.
JANSSEN: Suspicion of a suspect has nothing to do with the color of his skin. It has to do with the results of the investigation, if there are grounds for suspicion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL: Aruba's prime minister has pledged to get to the bottom of this disappearance. He says he'll take personal responsibility to see that the investigation comes to a successful outcome. And he, like all other Aruban islanders, are still insisting that this island remains a safe destination for tourism -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul, live in Aruba this morning.
HEMMER: In just a few hours, Carol, the Michael Jackson jury begins its sixth day of deliberations. Jurors put in about a half-day on Thursday due to high school graduations near Santa Maria, California.
Attorney Anne Bremner, she was there yesterday, back again today outside the courthouse.
Good morning out there, Anne.
ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Do you believe this theory about Friday verdicts?
BREMNER: You know, I do. I think that that's -- we've seen a lot of Friday verdicts in high-profile cases, and I think there's an air of anticipation out here that the end is near.
HEMMER: Yes. And you kind of alluded to that yesterday. You were noticing the faces of these jurors. What did you notice in their own behavior, Anne?
BREMNER: They were purposeful, they were deliberate, and they were serious as they went to their two white vans that they go right here in the back of the courthouse to. And, you know, when I say the end is near, it's not just the signs.
We have signs out front, people carrying, you know, "The end is near." But also, I think with this jury, that the end may be near and we may have a verdict today.
HEMMER: Well, there's another story that's ongoing outside the courthouse. You talk about the circus atmosphere every day. It seems to build every day. There was one super fan by the name of B.J. I think he's from North Carolina, perhaps.
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: Or somewhere in the Southeast. And Diane Dimond, a reporter for "Court TV," has gotten a restraining order to keep him away from her.
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: What is going on with that, Anne?
BREMNER: Well, B.J. is Michael Jackson's number one fan. He has been here since day one.
He moved here, he got a job at the mall that gives him Michael Jackson hours so he can be here. And he does all the chants, you know, "Michael's innocent," "Fight, Michael, fight," and "Stop the lies."
And he has targeted Diane Dimond as someone that he thinks is against Michael Jackson. So he -- you know, he basically -- he has some names for her. "She-Devil" is one of them. Some others I can't mention on air.
But there's a restraining order that's been filed, and he was served yesterday. And he has an arraignment coming up on -- I think it's an assault charge. So things are heating up. But B.J. is here every single day. With me he just...
HEMMER: Yes. With the restraining order, Anne, can he come back to the courthouse and just keep a certain distance, or is he not allowed to come back at all?
BREMNER: It would be the former, Bill, that he has to keep a distance from her. What I get from him is just a peace sign. And then he says, "Anne, you know he's innocent." So he's just -- he's the number one fan out there.
HEMMER: So I guess you're not as lucky as Diane Dimond if you're only getting a peace sign.
BREMNER: Yes. Right. That's what I get.
HEMMER: Another thought here about these deliberations. Someone commented this week that they're only deliberating a total of four hours a day. Is that a bit on the light side, if that's true? And why is that the case in such a high-profile trial?
BREMNER: Well, because they've got a number of breaks during the day. And we have -- we have these hours of 8:30 to 2:30 that have been in place since the trial started.
You know, jurors, I think, Bill, need momentum. And that's been a little bit of a problem here with a short day yesterday and then the first day was only a couple of hours of deliberation. So, you know, jurors need to hit their stride in terms of making some decision, and, you know, 12 people coming to a consensus in something this serious, with 10 counts charged against Michael Jackson, with jury instructions that were so complex it would make your head spin, you know, it's a difficult task. But I think they're up to the challenge.
HEMMER: Yes. There is another line of thinking that says, just go ahead and power through it and get it done, and work as long as it takes to get to the next point.
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: One more thought here about this atmosphere outside the courthouse. The American Michael Jackson fans got into a scuffle with the German Michael Jackson fans? What happened?
BREMNER: Who loves him more, that's what the fight was about. "I love him more." "We love him more." "No, we love him more." And there was a fight about that.
You know, every day, it's -- it's like, you know, a circus out there. It's like a parade. It's even like the rodeo that we had this weekend, with people bringing dogs down here, their babies, signs, you know, about religion, with American flags on top of them.
"France loves Michael Jackson." "Save our angel." And then a fight. "We love him more." "No, we do."
Unbelievable.
HEMMER: We'll see if your prediction is true today for a verdict on a Friday. Thanks, Anne.
BREMNER: I hope so.
HEMMER: All right. Anne Bremner, you might get out of there after all.
BREMNER: I know. Thanks.
HEMMER: Santa Maria, California. Thanks, Anne. Bye-bye.
COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, a teenager trying to change the nation's laws for sex offenders telling her personal story on Capitol Hill, trying to change the law of the land.
HEMMER: Also, drinking, boxing and mud wrestling. High schoolers getting a bit out of hand, and it's all caught on videotape. And now the police are involved. We'll talk about that in a moment -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And crimson tide. What's in the waters off the East Coast? It's killing the shellfish business and threatening to harm seafood lovers.
We're back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Seventeen-year-old Amie Zyla testified on Capitol Hill Thursday, urging Congress to make the records of juvenile sex offenders public.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMIE ZYLA, PUSHING AMIE'S LAW: I want to challenge you to look deep down inside. Isn't is time to put our kids' safety before the rights of a sexual offender, adult or juvenile? What is -- when is enough going to be enough?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Nearly a decade ago, Amie was sexually assaulted by a 14-year-old boy who was convicted in juvenile court. And after serving his time there, he went into -- he went on to assault several other children.
Amie Zyla and her father Mark join us now live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Welcome to both of you.
MARK ZYLA, AMIE'S FATHER: Hi. How are you?
A. ZYLA: Hi.
COSTELLO: I'm good.
Amie, why did you decide to come forward now?
A. ZYLA: Because what happened to me shouldn't have happened to other kids. It could have been stopped. He had no right to do what he did.
COSTELLO: When you saw your attacker, Joshua Wade, in court recently, how did that make you feel?
A. ZYLA: What do you mean, like...
COSTELLO: Well, when you saw him, were you surprised to see him?
A. ZYLA: Yes.
COSTELLO: And that he committed another assault against another child?
A. ZYLA: Yes. It made me -- made me upset, because he was -- he did it again and he shouldn't have. It could have been prevented.
COSTELLO: And Mark, I'm sure you felt somewhat the same.
M. ZYLA: Yes. You know, we were -- we were really surprised to see him out, and angry. You know, and when we tried to get some answers, we couldn't get them until we started contacting our state representatives. And they went to work for us. You know, Amie worked real hard to pass Amie's Law in Wisconsin. And now -- now she's working hard again to make this work on a national level.
COSTELLO: Oh, she certainly is. What a nerve-racking experience that must have been. Tell us about Amie's Law and what it means.
M. ZYLA: Amie's Law means that -- on the state level, it meant that we can unseal the records of juvenile sexual offenders so, you know, we can better know when -- where they are and, you know -- when -- when an agency wants to hire someone, that you know -- they better know who they're hiring. You know, it just -- it just -- it gives us another tool.
COSTELLO: Another tool, but, Mark, some critics might say that it destroys any chance of rehabilitation a juvenile might have.
M. ZYLA: Yes. You know, as we look at it, you know, the ripple effect in this kind of crime is so big. You know, sexual deviants and sexual predators are a much -- it's a whole different crime, it's a whole different animal. When one child is hurt, that is too much.
COSTELLO: Oh, I agree with that, but, you know, statistics show only 10 percent of juvenile offenders repeat their crime. So, you know, some people wonder if this law is really necessary.
M. ZYLA: Well, you know, you look at Amie, or you look at Jessica Lunsford, or you look at Sarah Lunde or other kids who are hurt, and I think that's all you really need to see to want, you know -- to make a decision on whether or not the law is a good law or an effective law.
COSTELLO: Well, I know you're going to continue lobbying in Washington. Amie Zyla and her father, Mark Zyla. Thank you for joining AMERICAN MORNING.
M. ZYLA: Thank you.
A. ZYLA: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Bill.
HEMMER: All right. Twenty-one minutes past the hour. In a moment, meet a woman using her golden years -- using her golden years to help others live the American dream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do this because I care. I care about humankind. I care about people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Yes. Her "Extra Effort" to rebuild lives, one piece of furniture at a time. That's still to come this hour on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: You all right?
COSTELLO: I was being chastised by the crew. I'm paying attention now.
HEMMER: That's all right. They're tough around here.
COSTELLO: They are.
CAFFERTY: They drive us with a whip here. Get used to it.
COSTELLO: Hi, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Hello, Carol.
Two hundred thousand new millionaires created last year in this country, which means one in every 110 of us now has a million dollars. According to a world wealth report by Cap Gemini and Merrill Lynch, 2.5 million Americans now have more than a million dollars in assets. That's almost a 10 percent increase from the previous year.
The question is this: what's behind the surge in America's millionaires?
Paul writes this: "I don't know how or why we have so many millionaires now compared to then, but I would like to know what it is I'm doing wrong. I have a job that pays $15 an hour. It's the highest paying job I've ever had, and I'll be happy just to make it into a home of my own some day."
Paul, I hope you make it, partner.
Cotty in Memphis, Tennessee, "The rise in millionaires and the decline of the pension funds are two sides of the same coin. The Bushes tap the ownership society alright. Their rich friends will own everything and the rest of us will have to struggle to get by."
Jack writes from Chapel Hill, North Carolina -- this is my favorite letter of the morning -- "This does not fit the whiny, wannabe class warrior, wet diaper tone of many of the emails read this morning, but is it possible that at least some of the newly-created millionaires got there from hard work and education, long hours, dedication, et cetera? I heard somewhere those things can work. Just a thought."
And Wesley in Virginia writes, "The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, the Republicans have held Congress and the presidency 17 of the last 25 years. Three more years to go. And sometimes I just wish Jesse Jackson would just shut up and go home."
(LAUGHTER)
HEMMER: Not so fast. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: There was a red tide rising off the coast of New England. In a moment here, it's become a disaster, too, for that region's the shellfish industry. The governor's looking for federal help, too. We'll talk about it and see whether or not he gets it after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired June 10, 2005 - 9:00 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. There's tropical storm warnings all over the Gulf Coast. Arlene pushing pass Cuba, taking aim now at the U.S. There are high winds and rough seas already in Florida.
That's a live picture, and residents know the drill all too well, stock up and hunker down. And they are.
Learning more about what happened the night Natalee Holloway disappeared. Police gathering more evidence in the case, and the latest is live in Aruba in a moment.
And juries love a verdict on Friday, we are told, but will jurors in Michael Jackson's case deliver that verdict in time for the weekend? Live outside the courthouse on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: 9:00 in New York. Welcome to Friday. And good morning. I'm Bill Hemmer.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad.
Also ahead, the shocking DVD discovered by a teacher in Rogers, Arkansas. You can see kids boxing and fighting. They're even mud wrestling. We're goig to talk to the mayor of that town about what kind of trouble these kids could be in.
HEMMER: That's coming up.
Also, Jack.
What's on your mind, email-wise?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: What's the big deal if two kids put on boxing gloves and have a little disagreement? I mean...
COSTELLO: They were fighting. I mean, some of these kids were beaten severely.
CAFFERTY: Oh. Well, that's different.
CAFFERTY: Two hundred thousands new millionaires created in this country last year. The rich continue to get richer. We're interested in your thoughts on what's behind the surge of American millionaires. AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: All right, Jack. Thanks.
Let's -- start, rather, with Tropical Storm Arlene now. In just the last few hours, Arlene said to be picking up even more strength as it crosses into the Gulf of Mexico. It's headed for the U.S., and just this morning the National Hurricane Center posting a tropical storm watch from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. Arlene expected to hit that area tomorrow.
And how well they remember. Folks along the Gulf Coast were hit hard by Ivan a year ago. Now they have to get ready again, buying plywood for windows and other emergency supplies for the weekend.
Arlene moving past the western tip of Cuba, drenching the island in the western portion with heavy rain and winds. And gaining power, again, as it moves through the Gulf.
Nefertiti Jaquez of WFOR live in Miami, Florida.
It looks like you're getting some winds there. Good morning. How are conditions?
NEFERTITI JAQUEZ, REPORTER, WFOR: I am being blown away, Bill. I want you take a look behind as spectators come out. During these winds, there have been flood watches, and they'll be expected to stay up until about 8:00 p.m. You have people just kind of out here looking at what these rough seas are doing.
If Brian can pan out even a little bit further, you have about a dozen surfers out here. You know, this is surfer's paradise once waves like this start to pick up. However, police and fire rescue do not suggest things like this.
And in other places in Florida, we've already had some destruction to buildings. Earlier this morning, we actually had a group of Russian foreign exchange students that were out on the water for about 20 minutes. One of them appeared lifeless as an off-duty lifeguard came out to save her.
Right now she is in critical condition. They were just out here trying to have some fun, didn't think something like this could happen, and unfortunately it has.
And as things pick up, we will bring you the very latest.
Reporting for CNN, in Miami, Nefertiti Jaquez.
HEMMER: All right. Nefertiti, thanks for that. WFOR helping us out with that.
She's on the east coast of Florida, too. You've got to imagine on the west coast of Florida things are a bit worse. Here's Rob Marciano tracking that, Arlene.
What are you seeing, Rob? ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, east winds, Bill. So on the east side of Florida, and mainly where she was there in Miami, they're coming right off the ocean.
So not a whole lot of friction there, a lot of wind-whipped waves. West side getting rain for sure, and getting winds off land. But later on today, as this thing continues to march up into the Gulf of Mexico, the west side will be a little bit harder hit, with heavier rain bands, some squally weather and certainly some gusty winds.
Look at the last couple of frames of the satellite picture as the center of this goes west of Cuba. I know the center looks like it's somewhere over here, but the west side of the system is pretty much nil.
Everything is to the north and east of the system. That's why Florida right now is getting hit the hardest. About 50 miles, the center of this thing, north of the western tip of Cuba.
Here's the forecast track out of the National Hurricane Center. Winds, by the way, up to 55 miles an hour at last check. Still not forecasting to become a hurricane, but it's going to be pretty close. And when the next advisory comes out at 11:00, you know, they may up that chance.
But right now, the timing is such, late tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening, somewhere around Mobil Bay, maybe just slightly to the west, anywhere from New Orleans to Pensacola, Florida, is where we think this thing will make landfall as a tropical storm, possibly -- possibly -- a minimal hurricane.
Other item up for business here is a red highlighted area across the central part of the country. We had 45 reports of tornadoes yesterday, Bill, and we'll likely see a similar number today. So severe weather in the plains, and that tropical storm now heading into the Gulf of Mexico.
HEMMER: All right. Busy day there. Rob, thanks for that.
You mentioned those tornadoes. To Valerie Morris with more on these and the rest of the headlines.
Hey, Val.
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, Bill. Thank you. And hello, everyone.
"Now in the News," storm chasers, they are catching some amazing footage. Take a look at this. Tornadoes in western Kansas. Nearly a dozen twisters were spotted Thursday; some excited tornado chasers caught two twisters at once.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tornado on the ground east! Tornado on the ground west! Tornado on the ground east! Tornado on the ground west! Woo!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: The damage is still being assessed this morning. Several homes lost roofs, and a lot of power lines were down.
President Bush pushing for parts of the Patriot Act to be made permanent. The president says the Patriot Act help the thwart terror plots in four states. He's set to deliver remarks at the National Counterterrorism Center in northern Virginia in the next hour. After that, he meets with South Korea's president at the White House.
And you can catch the president's remarks on the Patriot Act right here on CNN at 10:15 Eastern.
A 22-year-old man arrested in a suspected terror plot in California is expected to appear in federal court today. Prosecutors say Hamid Hayat and his father were making plans to carry out a jihad against the United States. They were both charged with making false statements to the FBI. Three other Pakistani neighbors near Sacramento have also been detained on immigration violations.
Australians are being warned not to travel to Indonesia. Australian officials say they have credible reports that suggest terrorists are planning attacks in the southeast Asian nation. They also say locations frequented by western tourists could be targeted. Indonesian police say security has been increased at a number of hotels.
And 13 Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies will be disciplined for a wild shooting in Compton last month. You may remember this video from the scene, deputies firing more than 100 shots at the unarmed driver.
Sheriff Lee Baca says one deputy will be suspended for 15 days. Others will receive shorter suspensions or written reprimands.
You are up to date. Now back to both of you.
HEMMER: Thanks, Valerie.
COSTELLO: Thanks, Valerie.
Police in Aruba have been questioning three new suspects in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The 18-year-old disappeared 11 days ago from the Dutch protectorate off Venezuela.
Police say the suspect, Juron Van Der Sloot, pictured here -- there he is -- on his Web site met Holloway the night before she went missing. Five men now arrested in the case. No formal charges, though, have been filed against any of them.
Karl Penhaul is live from Palm Beach, Aruba.
Karl, what do you know about these latest three men who were recently arrested? KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, police are telling us that one of the men, the 17-year-old, Juron Van Der Sloot, met Natalee Holloway in the casino of the Holiday Inn the night before she disappeared. And it was with him and his two friends that she was last seen outside the Carlos 'N Charlie's bar.
Now, you'll remember two other suspects were picked up by police at the weekend. And right now, police are trying to work out what the relationship is between the three arrested yesterday and the two suspects arrested at weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In handcuffs, a towel draped over his head, this is one of three new suspects police arrested in the hunt for Natalee Holloway. In total, five men are now in custody, but there's no sign of the missing teenager, no clue whether she's alive or dead.
KARIN JANSSEN, CHIEF PROSECUTOR: At this stage, we can't say what we are presuming at this moment. We have too little details to say. All options are open.
PENHAUL: Natalee drove away from Carlos & Charlie's Bar in the weather hours of May 30 with the three teenagers now held in police cells, according to their own statements. Police said she had met 17- year-old Joran Van Der Sloot, the son of an island justice official, at the Holiday Inn where Natalee was staying a day before she disappeared.
JAN VAN DER STRATEN, CHIEF POLICE COMMISSIONER: And they meet each other in the casino.
QUESTION: That day or...
(CROSSTALK)
VAN DER STRATEN: The day before.
PENHAUL: The two other men detained Thursday are brothers, Satish and Deepak Kaploe. There's been no statement yet on their behalf. The other suspects, detained at the weekend, are security guards. Their defense attorneys insist they had nothing to do with Natalee's disappearance.
Police previously interviewed the teenagers, but waited until Thursday, 11 days after Natalee's disappearance, to arrest them. They confiscated property, including a car and a computer.
JANSSEN: It is because of tactical reasons we didn't do that at another moment.
PENHAUL: Relative to the first two suspects fear wealth and race issues may cloud the investigation.
ALVIN CORNET, COUSIN OF SUSPECT: And it's on something about money wise who is rich and who is poor.
PENHAUL: That's Micky John, one of the first two suspects detained, from a black immigrant family from the poorer East End of Aruba. That's Van Der Sloot, from an influential family from the richer West End.
Prosecutors say evidence, not prejudice, will be the key.
JANSSEN: Suspicion of a suspect has nothing to do with the color of his skin. It has to do with the results of the investigation, if there are grounds for suspicion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL: Aruba's prime minister has pledged to get to the bottom of this disappearance. He says he'll take personal responsibility to see that the investigation comes to a successful outcome. And he, like all other Aruban islanders, are still insisting that this island remains a safe destination for tourism -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul, live in Aruba this morning.
HEMMER: In just a few hours, Carol, the Michael Jackson jury begins its sixth day of deliberations. Jurors put in about a half-day on Thursday due to high school graduations near Santa Maria, California.
Attorney Anne Bremner, she was there yesterday, back again today outside the courthouse.
Good morning out there, Anne.
ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Do you believe this theory about Friday verdicts?
BREMNER: You know, I do. I think that that's -- we've seen a lot of Friday verdicts in high-profile cases, and I think there's an air of anticipation out here that the end is near.
HEMMER: Yes. And you kind of alluded to that yesterday. You were noticing the faces of these jurors. What did you notice in their own behavior, Anne?
BREMNER: They were purposeful, they were deliberate, and they were serious as they went to their two white vans that they go right here in the back of the courthouse to. And, you know, when I say the end is near, it's not just the signs.
We have signs out front, people carrying, you know, "The end is near." But also, I think with this jury, that the end may be near and we may have a verdict today.
HEMMER: Well, there's another story that's ongoing outside the courthouse. You talk about the circus atmosphere every day. It seems to build every day. There was one super fan by the name of B.J. I think he's from North Carolina, perhaps.
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: Or somewhere in the Southeast. And Diane Dimond, a reporter for "Court TV," has gotten a restraining order to keep him away from her.
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: What is going on with that, Anne?
BREMNER: Well, B.J. is Michael Jackson's number one fan. He has been here since day one.
He moved here, he got a job at the mall that gives him Michael Jackson hours so he can be here. And he does all the chants, you know, "Michael's innocent," "Fight, Michael, fight," and "Stop the lies."
And he has targeted Diane Dimond as someone that he thinks is against Michael Jackson. So he -- you know, he basically -- he has some names for her. "She-Devil" is one of them. Some others I can't mention on air.
But there's a restraining order that's been filed, and he was served yesterday. And he has an arraignment coming up on -- I think it's an assault charge. So things are heating up. But B.J. is here every single day. With me he just...
HEMMER: Yes. With the restraining order, Anne, can he come back to the courthouse and just keep a certain distance, or is he not allowed to come back at all?
BREMNER: It would be the former, Bill, that he has to keep a distance from her. What I get from him is just a peace sign. And then he says, "Anne, you know he's innocent." So he's just -- he's the number one fan out there.
HEMMER: So I guess you're not as lucky as Diane Dimond if you're only getting a peace sign.
BREMNER: Yes. Right. That's what I get.
HEMMER: Another thought here about these deliberations. Someone commented this week that they're only deliberating a total of four hours a day. Is that a bit on the light side, if that's true? And why is that the case in such a high-profile trial?
BREMNER: Well, because they've got a number of breaks during the day. And we have -- we have these hours of 8:30 to 2:30 that have been in place since the trial started.
You know, jurors, I think, Bill, need momentum. And that's been a little bit of a problem here with a short day yesterday and then the first day was only a couple of hours of deliberation. So, you know, jurors need to hit their stride in terms of making some decision, and, you know, 12 people coming to a consensus in something this serious, with 10 counts charged against Michael Jackson, with jury instructions that were so complex it would make your head spin, you know, it's a difficult task. But I think they're up to the challenge.
HEMMER: Yes. There is another line of thinking that says, just go ahead and power through it and get it done, and work as long as it takes to get to the next point.
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: One more thought here about this atmosphere outside the courthouse. The American Michael Jackson fans got into a scuffle with the German Michael Jackson fans? What happened?
BREMNER: Who loves him more, that's what the fight was about. "I love him more." "We love him more." "No, we love him more." And there was a fight about that.
You know, every day, it's -- it's like, you know, a circus out there. It's like a parade. It's even like the rodeo that we had this weekend, with people bringing dogs down here, their babies, signs, you know, about religion, with American flags on top of them.
"France loves Michael Jackson." "Save our angel." And then a fight. "We love him more." "No, we do."
Unbelievable.
HEMMER: We'll see if your prediction is true today for a verdict on a Friday. Thanks, Anne.
BREMNER: I hope so.
HEMMER: All right. Anne Bremner, you might get out of there after all.
BREMNER: I know. Thanks.
HEMMER: Santa Maria, California. Thanks, Anne. Bye-bye.
COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, a teenager trying to change the nation's laws for sex offenders telling her personal story on Capitol Hill, trying to change the law of the land.
HEMMER: Also, drinking, boxing and mud wrestling. High schoolers getting a bit out of hand, and it's all caught on videotape. And now the police are involved. We'll talk about that in a moment -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And crimson tide. What's in the waters off the East Coast? It's killing the shellfish business and threatening to harm seafood lovers.
We're back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Seventeen-year-old Amie Zyla testified on Capitol Hill Thursday, urging Congress to make the records of juvenile sex offenders public.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMIE ZYLA, PUSHING AMIE'S LAW: I want to challenge you to look deep down inside. Isn't is time to put our kids' safety before the rights of a sexual offender, adult or juvenile? What is -- when is enough going to be enough?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Nearly a decade ago, Amie was sexually assaulted by a 14-year-old boy who was convicted in juvenile court. And after serving his time there, he went into -- he went on to assault several other children.
Amie Zyla and her father Mark join us now live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Welcome to both of you.
MARK ZYLA, AMIE'S FATHER: Hi. How are you?
A. ZYLA: Hi.
COSTELLO: I'm good.
Amie, why did you decide to come forward now?
A. ZYLA: Because what happened to me shouldn't have happened to other kids. It could have been stopped. He had no right to do what he did.
COSTELLO: When you saw your attacker, Joshua Wade, in court recently, how did that make you feel?
A. ZYLA: What do you mean, like...
COSTELLO: Well, when you saw him, were you surprised to see him?
A. ZYLA: Yes.
COSTELLO: And that he committed another assault against another child?
A. ZYLA: Yes. It made me -- made me upset, because he was -- he did it again and he shouldn't have. It could have been prevented.
COSTELLO: And Mark, I'm sure you felt somewhat the same.
M. ZYLA: Yes. You know, we were -- we were really surprised to see him out, and angry. You know, and when we tried to get some answers, we couldn't get them until we started contacting our state representatives. And they went to work for us. You know, Amie worked real hard to pass Amie's Law in Wisconsin. And now -- now she's working hard again to make this work on a national level.
COSTELLO: Oh, she certainly is. What a nerve-racking experience that must have been. Tell us about Amie's Law and what it means.
M. ZYLA: Amie's Law means that -- on the state level, it meant that we can unseal the records of juvenile sexual offenders so, you know, we can better know when -- where they are and, you know -- when -- when an agency wants to hire someone, that you know -- they better know who they're hiring. You know, it just -- it just -- it gives us another tool.
COSTELLO: Another tool, but, Mark, some critics might say that it destroys any chance of rehabilitation a juvenile might have.
M. ZYLA: Yes. You know, as we look at it, you know, the ripple effect in this kind of crime is so big. You know, sexual deviants and sexual predators are a much -- it's a whole different crime, it's a whole different animal. When one child is hurt, that is too much.
COSTELLO: Oh, I agree with that, but, you know, statistics show only 10 percent of juvenile offenders repeat their crime. So, you know, some people wonder if this law is really necessary.
M. ZYLA: Well, you know, you look at Amie, or you look at Jessica Lunsford, or you look at Sarah Lunde or other kids who are hurt, and I think that's all you really need to see to want, you know -- to make a decision on whether or not the law is a good law or an effective law.
COSTELLO: Well, I know you're going to continue lobbying in Washington. Amie Zyla and her father, Mark Zyla. Thank you for joining AMERICAN MORNING.
M. ZYLA: Thank you.
A. ZYLA: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Bill.
HEMMER: All right. Twenty-one minutes past the hour. In a moment, meet a woman using her golden years -- using her golden years to help others live the American dream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do this because I care. I care about humankind. I care about people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Yes. Her "Extra Effort" to rebuild lives, one piece of furniture at a time. That's still to come this hour on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: You all right?
COSTELLO: I was being chastised by the crew. I'm paying attention now.
HEMMER: That's all right. They're tough around here.
COSTELLO: They are.
CAFFERTY: They drive us with a whip here. Get used to it.
COSTELLO: Hi, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Hello, Carol.
Two hundred thousand new millionaires created last year in this country, which means one in every 110 of us now has a million dollars. According to a world wealth report by Cap Gemini and Merrill Lynch, 2.5 million Americans now have more than a million dollars in assets. That's almost a 10 percent increase from the previous year.
The question is this: what's behind the surge in America's millionaires?
Paul writes this: "I don't know how or why we have so many millionaires now compared to then, but I would like to know what it is I'm doing wrong. I have a job that pays $15 an hour. It's the highest paying job I've ever had, and I'll be happy just to make it into a home of my own some day."
Paul, I hope you make it, partner.
Cotty in Memphis, Tennessee, "The rise in millionaires and the decline of the pension funds are two sides of the same coin. The Bushes tap the ownership society alright. Their rich friends will own everything and the rest of us will have to struggle to get by."
Jack writes from Chapel Hill, North Carolina -- this is my favorite letter of the morning -- "This does not fit the whiny, wannabe class warrior, wet diaper tone of many of the emails read this morning, but is it possible that at least some of the newly-created millionaires got there from hard work and education, long hours, dedication, et cetera? I heard somewhere those things can work. Just a thought."
And Wesley in Virginia writes, "The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, the Republicans have held Congress and the presidency 17 of the last 25 years. Three more years to go. And sometimes I just wish Jesse Jackson would just shut up and go home."
(LAUGHTER)
HEMMER: Not so fast. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: There was a red tide rising off the coast of New England. In a moment here, it's become a disaster, too, for that region's the shellfish industry. The governor's looking for federal help, too. We'll talk about it and see whether or not he gets it after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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