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CNN Live Today
Determined Texas Team Using Divers and Dogs in Search for Missing Teenager; Battle Bicentennial; Live Eight Concerts This Weekend
Aired June 28, 2005 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Insurgent attacks killed a dozen people in Iraq today. Among them, a Task Force Liberty soldier, assigned to a coalition in the northern town of Balad. Other attacks left an Iraqi lawmaker, police officers and firefighters dead.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in New York this hour. She'll take part in a send-off rally for the New York City Olympic Committee. The delegation is traveling to Singapore to try and bring the Games to Gotham in 2012.
NASA boss Michael Griffin is on Capitol Hill this morning, just ahead of the space shuttle's first scheduled post-Columbia flight. But an oversight panel says NASA has met only 12 of 15 recommendations for return to flight. The shuttle has been grounded since Columbia disintegrated back in 2003.
And President Bush responds to growing public concern about the war in Iraq. The president addresses the nation from Fort Bragg, North Carolina tonight. CNN's coverage begins live at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
And now there is a whole new way to get your news on Web with free video at CNN.com. Just log on to our Web site, and click on "watch" to check out the most popular stories. It's free video under your command right now at CNN.com.
Now to a high-profile missing persons case, this one in Aruba. The mother of Natalee Holloway is expressing frustration over one suspect's release. Judge Paul Van Der Sloot was released Sunday. He is the father of 17-year-old -- a 17-year-old who is still being detained. Natalee's mother told CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," she believes the judge could help solve the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: I was devastated. I felt like we worked so hard for a month. I mean we were here at 11:00 p.m. on the 30th, and we worked so hard for where we were. I cannot believe that it was ripped away from me. Soledad, I don't know. Am I back at square one? You know, I don't know that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: As you recall, Natalee Holloway has been missing for more than four weeks now. Monday, a judge released Steve Croes, a 26- year-old disc jockey, saying there was not enough evidence to hold him. Three young people are still detained, but have not been charged.
Meanwhile, a determined Texas team is using divers and dogs in the search for the missing teenager. The crew has been in Aruba since Friday.
And CNN's Alex Quade has this update on their mission.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the sky, in the sea, across the island, the Texas volunteer searchers hunt for Natalee Holloway, with fresh eyes and special resources.
I go up in a helicopter with Equusearch director Tim Miller, and Natalee's father, Dave Holloway.
DAVE HOLLOWAY, NATALEE'S FATHER: It's kind of discouraging, because we have a lot of area to cover, and I have been working on the ground since day one. And we're at day 28 or 29, and these guys are basically my best and last hope of finding her.
QUADE: While the search on land has been exhaustive, the waters have been less explored. Using high-tech sonar and master divers, they try to find evidence of Natalee. This is now a full-scale volunteer operation, complete with cadaver dogs.
TIM MILLER, EQUUSEARCH: The best case scenario is that we find Natalee. You know, the odds are against us finding her alive.
QUADE: I go along as they search for the missing teen.
MILLER: If we see anything that even looks like evidence, and we brought -- we brought the flags, we just go ahead and we mark it, we step back in our same tracks and stuff.
QUADE: They search places of interest, including lakes and other bodies of water.
Here, they are searching abandon fishing huts and windy beaches.
(on camera): The volunteers are searching for brown flip-flops, a teal tanktop and a denim skirt. These are the last things that Natalee Holloway was seen wearing. They are searching at this location on the off chance they may have washed up on shore.
(voice-over): Many things do wash up here. Like garbage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you all search like this, you're looking for anything.
QUADE: Michael Monk (ph) is a volunteer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're always worried about where you're stepping. If we just trample through something, we have the likelihood of destroying and disrupting any evidence that may be in the area.
MILLER: There is a lot of highs when they think maybe we came across something. I mean, today, we found a shoe that we really thought might be leading us in another direction, but it ended up that it wasn't hers.
QUADE: Frustration is one thing. Dealing with the tropical heat and humidity is another. For all of the volunteers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm trying to get him cooled down. It's very important to keep him hydrated and cooled off.
QUADE: This is Rick, one of four cadaver dogs, and his handler, Diane Wetzel (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's getting pretty tired right now. He's been back and forth across these dunes. And it's a kind of a tough terrain. So he's doing well, though. He's searching. He's -- took a little sip of salt water, much to my chagrin, but it feels good. Now, we're getting wet.
QUADE (on camera): How is everybody feeling out here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tired.
QUADE: Yeah?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hot. It's rough terrain, and it's hard for him to get over in some places. Some places, you just can't go into it. Right now, the shoreline here is just rough because of the sand dunes and the rocky terrain that we're trying to traverse.
QUADE (voice-over): Tim Miller says his team won't stop searching for Natalee, despite the difficulties.
MILLER: Once they get emotionally involved in this...
QUADE (on camera): And they are all emotionally involved.
MILLER: They're all emotionally involved. They have all -- they have all adopted Natalee. Every one of them.
QUADE (voice-over): This is no vacation. Rather a determined effort for a missing person none of these volunteers actually know. A fact not lost on Natalee's father, Dave Holloway.
HOLLOWAY: If foul play was involved, these guys are the best and last hope of finding her.
Alex Quade, CNN, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Shifting gears now, Britain is kicking off a season of celebration. It's the bicentennial of the Battle of Trafalgar, a historic fight at sea between the Brits and Napoleon's navy. Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers is getting his sea legs in Portsmouth, England, and he joins us live.
Hi, Walt.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty.
Well, without being too facetious, what the British are really celebrating this year is the fact they're not French. That is, this is the 200th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar. That was when lord -- or Admiral Horatio Nelson attacked the combined French and British fleet off Cape Trafalgar, off Spain, and the outcome of that battle really thwarted Napoleon's plans for invading Britain. Thus the British remained the British, although there's no denying Napoleon's ambitions at the time.
Now the British are celebrating throughout the summer months. The actual anniversary is October 21st. Queen Elizabeth has led the commemorative ceremonies here today. She actually looked quite lovely, and she appeared to be having a wonderful time waving to the crowds and greeting the various ships which assembled in this fleet review here in the harbor. This is a grand tradition, dating back to the 14th century, King Edward III. The last time Britain had a fleet review -- and there are 170 or so ships from 36 different nations -- the last fleet review was the queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977 -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Walt, boy, this is quite a production we're looking at. My question to you, is have the British and French ever kissed and made up over Trafalgar?
RODGERS: Well, to be truthful, nobody does a pageant like this better than the British. And the answer to the question is, yes, and no. Officially Britain and France of course have kissed and made up. The British navy -- the first sea lord, Allen Davis, Admiral Allen Davis, went out of his way to see that there was no triumphalism in this celebration, nothing that would embarrass the French, or British who were defeated 200 years ago. You talk to the Brits here, though, gathered in this audience and they'll tell you -- and I swear this happened -- we thrash them 200 years ago and we'd love to thrash them again. Again, they're beating up on the French. Another fellow told me we like their wine, we like their cheese; we don't like anything else about the French. And another Englishman said to me -- and this was quite rich given the situation in Iraq -- he said, listen, he said, you want to go to war with the Americans? You can never trust the French, because they don't speak English!
NGUYEN: Oh, boy! they still got -- they're still slinging it today. Well, I have to ask you, because we were looking at your live shot. I see all the people standing behind you. People have definitely come out to witness this today.
RODGERS: We've heard numbers of about a quarter of a million, and it was a beautiful day earlier. That is to say we had lovely, warm sunshine along the British coast. As I say, the anniversary of Trafalgar isn't until October, but the Brits never take any chances with the weather. If they can celebrate it in June, be it Trafalgar or the queen's birthday, that's when they're going to celebrate it.
Again, a very, very happy celebration here today, and again, officially, the British and French governments have sort of kissed and made up from Trafalgar, although you know, some things never change. They're battling again now over the European Union's budget. The more things change, the more they stay the same -- Betty.
NGUYEN: That is So true. Walt Rodgers, we thank you for that.
Well, Moscow is the latest addition today to the list of Live Eight concerts. There will be 10 Saturday. All but one though will be in a G-8 country. Wealthy, industrialized nations are the target of organizers. But are fans getting the message?
CNN correspondent Mallika Kapur takes a look now from London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And they did. The world's best known artists, the 70,000 fans in London's Wembley Stadium and a global TV audience. It was July 13th, 1985, the day Live Aid rocked the world into action. The concerts in London and in Philadelphia raised millions of dollars for famine victims in Africa.
20 years later, the organizer, Bob Geldolf is doing it again, with one big difference. This time he doesn't want your money.
BOB GELDOF, LIVE 8 ORGANIZER: It's because it's political. We've done charity, now we want justice.
KAPUR: The aid concerts, called Live 8 after the upcoming G-8 Summit, have an openly political message: forgive debt from African nations, increase aid, make poverty history.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or just have a look at makepovertyhistory.com, OK?
KAPUR: Is it all just a bit too political for those going to the gig?
BEN JONES, VIRGIN RADIO: If we're totally honest, 90 percent of those people going will be going for a great concert, which is a bit of a shame.
KAPUR: Geldolf doesn't mind. At least he's guaranteed an audience. Two million people participated in the lottery to receive tickets to the London concert, billions will watch it on TV.
GELDOF: So if kids turn on the networks and see Alicia Keys and Jay-Z and all these people and they're on telly, hey! Of course they're going to watch a great gig. But during that, that's the point I make -- you've got eyeballs -- during that period we'll be putting out not heavy political messages, but messaging about what needs to be done and what can be done.
KAPUR: Yasmine (ph) and Will (ph) have tickets to Saturday's concert.
(on camera): What message do you think Bob Geldolf is trying to get across with Live 8?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I suppose it's like a starting point for dialogue, but other than that, I don't really know what his message is.
KAPUR: And it probably doesn't matter. They're going to the gig, Will see Elton John, and Yasmine to hear Razorlight.
Mallika Kapur, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Back here in the states, one set of parents in Milwaukee are just thrilled with their newest baby girl. Why she's making news, though, all around the country? That's next.
Plus, as Americans get ready to celebrate the 4th of July, we've got some important safety information for you when it comes to those fireworks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: Madison Square Garden is playing host to the NBA draft and si.com is your home for all the action.
When it comes to top picks, will the Bucks go with Utah's seven- foot center Andrew Bogut, who took his team to the sweet 16? Or 19- year-old Marvin Williams from North Carolina, who arrived at Chapel Hill a top recruit, yet accepted a back seat for the Tar Heels national championship run.
You can check out other top college choices by clicking through this interactive gallery. When it comes to high school, the top prospect, Gerald Green, is drawing comparisons to a young Tracy McGrady for his athleticism and shooting stroke.
Follow the draft at home with these player profiles, which include bios and vital stats. And don't forget to log on to si.com/nbadraft Tuesday night for a live draft tracker and analysis.
From the dot-com news desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
NGUYEN: One of the world's most prominent families is privately mourning the death of one of their own. Wal-Mart heir John Walton died after the plane he was flying crashed Monday in Wyoming. Though he was well-known for his last name, Walton carved out an identity of his own.
And CNN's Susan Lisovicz reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Flying was John Walton's passion. And on Monday it claimed his life.
The 58-year-old son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, and a member of the company's board, John Walton was an accomplished man in his own right. Walton was a Green Beret in Vietnam, and his heroism under fire earned him a Silver Star. When he returned home, his family wanted him to join Wal-Mart. He did as a company pilot.
He later started his own business as a crop dusting pilot, and then got into the boat-building business. As one of Sam Walton's four children, John Walton was also one of the richest people in the world. He and his siblings all ranked in the top 10 richest Americans in the Forbes 400 last year, with a combined worth of close to $100 billion. And he used that wealth to spearhead Wal-Mart's two charities, allocating hundreds of millions of dollars to a special interest: education reform.
But John Walton studiously avoided the limelight. He chose not live near the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. He made is home instead in Wyoming, which is where his ultralight crashed shortly after takeoff in Grand Teton National Park.
Susan Lisovicz, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: There is more to come this hour. And we want to give you now a preview of what's coming up in the noon hour on "YOUR WORLD TODAY."
JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Jim Clancy.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Zain Verjee. Coming up at the top of the hour, U.S. forces try to pick off outsiders (INAUDIBLE).
CLANCY: The U.S. president set to accentuate the positive one year after the handover of sovereignty in Iraq.
VERJEE: All that and more here on CNN International.
CLANCY: Join us for "YOUR WORLD TODAY."
NGUYEN: And we will have a check of the weather and business. That's next.
Plus, it is an arrival for the family record book. Look at her! This newborn outweighs her siblings and they -- nope, they were not small at all, either.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: In our "Daily Dose" of health news, the maker of Viagra says it has found no evidence linking the impotence drug to an increased risk of blindness. However, Pfizer may change the Viagra label to reflect rare reports of a serious eye condition in some men who have used the drug. The company is in talks with the FDA over this revised label. Pfizer says the FDA may require similar information on other impotence medications.
The Bill Gates Foundation is awarding $435 million in new grants aimed at improving the health of the world's poor. Among the grant winners, a project to develop needle-free vaccines for children, and a handheld device that could diagnose a range of illnesses. Other projects include a plan to fight disease using stem cells as a lifetime vaccine and an effort to make mosquitoes incapable of transmitting disease.
Now, you've got to check this out. A Milwaukee family has a big bundle of joy on its hands today. Delaney Jessica Bizell weighed in at 13 pounds, 12 ounces. Look at her. And she was three weeks early! Delaney's older sisters were nothing to sneeze at. One weighed nearly 12 pounds at birth, and the other 10-1/2 pounds. Mom and dad say three big girls are enough, they're done, enough, over, shop is closed, is what mom says.
All right, well, with the July 4th holiday approaching, it's time for the annual reminder about the dangers of do-it-yourself fireworks. The government is urging Americans to use caution and common sense. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission held a demonstration last hour on the risk of injuries and deaths from fireworks. Look at this, the commission says eight people were killed by fireworks accidents last year. About 6,600 were injured in month-long period before and after the 4th of July holiday. Be careful out there.
Your "Daily Dose" health news is always just a click away. Log on to CNN.com/health for the latest medical news. You'll also find special reports and a health library.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Daryn Kagan today.
International news is up next. So you'll want to stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY" with Jim Clancy and Zain Verjee. That's after a quick break. Thanks for being with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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