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CNN Live Today

Legal Fight Begins for Lewis "Scooter" Libby; CIA Leak Investigation; The Alito Nomination; Child Alert

Aired November 03, 2005 - 10:59   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Vice President Cheney's former right-hand man goes before a judge and pleads not guilty. The arraignment for Lewis "Scooter" Libby wrapped up just a short time ago. Libby is charged with making false statements, perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from the CIA leak investigation.

Live coverage just ahead from D.C.

A major legal victory for the maker of Vioxx. A jury in New Jersey today found that Merck properly warned consumers about the risk of the once-popular painkiller. The finding means that Merck will not be held liable in the case of a man who suffered a heart attack in 2001 after taking Vioxx.

A suspected al Qaeda terrorist is dead, and others in custody following a shootout with Pakistani security forces in Quetta. That announcement today from the country's information minister. He would not say whether the suspect in custody is considered a high-value target. Both men are described "as foreigners."

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is calling for immediate action to prepare for a possible flu pandemic. He gave a speech last hour where he outlined steps to stop the spread of bird flu. He stressed the importance of quickly detecting the virus and stepping up production of drug treatments and vaccines.

And in Chatsworth, California, an update on a story we told you about last hour about two young girls who were missing overnight. The girls, ages 10 and 13, are safe. They were found in a canyon.

The girls had gone out last night for a horseback ride, but they apparently never arrived at the stables. Again, both girls are safe.

Good morning. Welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY.

Checking the time around the world, just after 10:00 a.m. in New Orleans; after 11:00 in New York City; and after 5:00 p.m. in Paris.

From CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

The legal fight begins for Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Within the last half-hour, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements, obstruction of justice and perjury.

We're covering all the angles of Libby's arraignment. Chief National Correspondent John King outside the federal courthouse in Washington, fresh out of the courtroom where the procedure took place. And senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin is in New York.

John, back to you in D.C.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, quite an interesting proceeding, only nine minutes in length, held in the ceremonial courtroom in the U.S. Federal Courthouse you see behind me because of the expected large crowd of interest. A number of reporters in the room, a number of other interested parties, including some of the court personnel who came to watch the arraignment of a former top U.S. official.

Of course you mentioned Vice President's Cheney former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, charged with five counts, perjury and obstruction of justice, essentially lying to investigators, trying to find out who leaked the identity of an undercover CIA operative. Mr. Libby spoke only 14 words during the proceedings. He entered a plea of not guilty.

He said, "With respect, your honor, not guilty." And he also waived his right to a speedy trial. Immediately, we got a sense of how complicated and highly charged this trial of Scooter Libby will be.

The defense is waiting for the government's evidence. That has to be turned over as what is called the legal process of discovery. Special prosecutor Pat Fitzgerald saying that could take some time because so much of that material is classified.

They began that process today, declassifying as much of it as possible to give it to the defense. But also bringing voluminous packets. The attorneys for Scooter Libby now will fill out and essentially try to get a government security clearance so that they can review classified records.

The next proceeding for February 3. The judge initially wanted a proceeding in January, but both sides said the issues are too complicated to move that quickly.

And Scooter Libby's new defense team signaling in court that not only do they need time to review all that classified material, but they also expect as well to have what one of the attorneys called extended litigation on First Amendment issues.

Daryn, at the heart of this case, of course, is did Scooter Libby disclose classified information? What did he say in context with reporters? His defense making clear they expect when they try to get more information from those reporters that the reporters themselves, or perhaps their news organizations will fight to try to keep that information from the defense.

KAGAN: All right, John. Yes, you stay with us. We're going to continue our conversation. That was just getting to a great place before we had to go to break.

Bringing back in Jeffrey Toobin.

Jeff, first of all, this issue of classified information, you were saying as a former prosecutor who has had to deal with classified information, is there a possibility once you want to have it declassified the government says no? And then what do you do?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Well, that's -- that's the risk. There's something called "graymail," which is a defendant going to a court and saying, look, in order to defend myself, I need to disclose the following 10 documents. The court says, well, you're right, I think you do need that.

The government won't release it. They have to -- the government has to dismiss the charges.

In order to deal with that problem, the government set up a structure, set up a system to deal with classified information under this law called the Classified Information Procedures Act so that these issues are dealt with in an organized way in advance of a trial. However, the point you raise ultimately is a real one.

Sometimes a judge says, look, in order to get a fair trial, I think the following documents and facts need to be disclosed. The government may say, that's too classified. And a case has to be dismissed.

I don't know if that will happen. I mean, we're a long, long way off from that. But that is a tension in the system.

You know, I was just listening to all that John was saying, and, you know, when I started today, I was thinking, well, I wonder if there will be a trial before the 2006 elections. After listening to John, I'm thinking, I wonder if there will be a trial before the 2008 elections, because there are really a lot of issues here, and they are really difficult and complicated.

KAGAN: All right. Jeff, stay with me, because we're going to another event in Washington, D.C.

Harry Reid, the Senate minority leader, and Chuck Schumer, the senior senator from New York, sending a letter to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Let's listen in.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: ... and to clean house. America can do better. Business as usual is no longer acceptable. Real change is needed, and it's needed now.

Senator Durbin.

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: Thank you, Senator Reid.

The issue that came up this week on the floor of the United States Senate really is related to the same basic question. And that is whether or not we can restore the trust of the American people in the government. That's essential.

What we asked for in this closed session was something that had been promised for almost two years, and that is a complete disclosure from the Senate Intelligence Committee as to whether any member of this administration misled the American people when it came to the leadup to the invasion of Iraq. That is so fundamental to restore the trust of the American people.

In addition to that effort, we feel that the White House has to be sensitive to the fact that they have an opportunity now to change staffing in this administration, to basically move us forward as a country, and to restore their credibility and leadership. We're loyal Democrats...

KAGAN: We've been listening in to the Democratic leadership of the U.S. Senate making the call on Vice President Dick Cheney to get more information about what happened in the leadup to the war in Iraq.

Want to bring Bill Schneider in one more time, because this is the point you were making about the political maneuver that the Democrats are doing in trying everything they can to keep the issue of the war in Iraq and what led this country into that war. They want to keep that front and center.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right. The Democrats' strategy can be summarized in a single word, and it's a strong word: accountability.

They are demanding accountability, not only for the leak of the CIA agent's name, where no charge has been made in this investigation, but also accountability for the misuse of intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq, which they say is what is behind this case in the first place.

Well, if the Democrats' key word is "accountability," the Republican's key word is -- or it's two words -- "move on." They're ready to move on beyond this and go on with the rest of their agenda. That's what the political battle is about in Washington.

KAGAN: All right. We are watching it.

I want to bring Jeffrey Toobin back in, because, Jeff, we were interrupted by a question I had for you, and that was a thought that John King brought up in his coverage of what took place inside the courtroom. First Amendment issues, of course this is a case that's going to be a government official's word against three reporters' words. So, in some ways, does it sound like the media will be put on trial in the Scooter Libby case?

TOOBIN: Yes. I mean, that is a -- that is going to be a central part of this case, the conflict between Scooter Libby's version of events and Tim Russert of NBC, Judith Miller of "The New York Times," and Matt Cooper of "TIME" magazine. And as you recall, of course, in an effort to get Judith Miller's testimony in the grand jury, she went to jail for 85 days rather than -- rather than cooperate. That's the kind of tension that there's been in this case already.

And the defense is saying, well, you, Mr. Prosecutor, you may be happy with all the information that's come out from these reporters, but we have questions of them, too. We want to see their notes. We want to interview them. We may have a right to that in order to prepare our defense.

So that is going to be a very complicated legal problem. And I think the defense is right. It's going to take a lot of litigation to sort out what they have access to.

KAGAN: Gee, journalists and politicians, two of the favorites of the American people.

TOOBIN: That's right.

KAGAN: We have that slated out.

TOOBIN: How come there are no used car dealers in the case?

KAGAN: That's about the only thing. Plenty of lawyers, though.

There you go, Jeff.

TOOBIN: All right.

KAGAN: We will be back to you as well.

Let's check in at the White House. With all this happening, President Bush actually left town. He is leaving his domestic troubles of Washington behind. He is going to confront international challenges.

Mr. Bush left Andrews Air Force Base this morning, headed for Argentina. It's the Summit of the Americas. The president trying to revive his stalled plan for a free trade zone stretching from Alaska to the tip of South America.

Meanwhile, demonstrators are gearing up for Mr. Bush's visit. Thousands have already been protesting in the seaside resort where the summit is taking place.

Following this two-day summit in Argentina, Mr. Bush will go to Brazil. From there it's on to Panama. That is the final stop on his trop to Latin America. The president then returns to Washington, D.C.

The outlook on the nation's economy. The country's top economic policymaker -- we're talking Alan Greenspan -- he is on Capitol Hill this morning. We're going to tell you what he said and what that means for you and your money.

Plus, he created a global network. Now Ted Turner is focusing on global health concerns. Details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: All right. As if there wasn't enough going on in Washington, D.C., today, we move on to the Supreme Court nomination of federal judge Samuel Alito. His confirmation may pivot on a key group of senators known as the Gang of 14. It's a bipartisan group made up of 14 centrist lawmakers who could be key to Alito's confirmation.

Our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, here to explain why wooing them is so important.

Hello, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

That's right, it could be a pivotal moment, even though it's still early in the process, because as you mentioned, the Gang of 14 had their first meeting this morning about Judge Alito's nomination. And the bottom line is that prospects are looking good.

Some good vibes from the Gang of 14 after the meeting broke up a short while ago. This is significant, as you mentioned, because this bipartisan group of 14 moderates, seven Democrats, seven Republicans, as you remember, averted a nuclear showdown earlier this year over President Bush's lower court nominees. And once again, the Senate finds itself on the precipice of perhaps another nuclear showdown.

Democrats making some private noise about a possible filibuster of Judge Alito. Republican leaders saying they would respond by using the so-called nuclear option, changing the Senate rules to prevent these filibusters from being used to block judicial nominations.

The question now, will the Gang of 14 once again ride to the rescue, pull the Senate back from the brink? The power may rest in their hands, as you've mentioned. And as I said, it's looking pretty good.

Take a listen to what Democratic Senator Ben Nelson said after the gang met this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BEN NELSON (D), NEBRASKA: I think, number one, we felt that it's early in the process. It's way too early to talk about some of the more divisive things that have been talked about in the past.

We're going to let the process unfold and make up our minds as we go along that nobody's talking about those issues that would break us -- break up the gang or cause a rule change, or a filibuster. Certainly not at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: So you hear it right there. Some other lawmakers in the gang being a little blunter. Republican Mike DeWyne, for example, this week saying, bottom line, he does not believe that a filibuster would be justified in this case.

So basically, barring some unforeseen development at this point -- it's still early, the hearings haven't even started -- but at this point, prospects are looking pretty good for Judge Alito on the Hill in terms of being confirmed at some point either later this year or early next year -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Yes, which leads me to my Ed Henry question of the day. What about dates here? When's this all supposed to get started?

HENRY: That's the big question. I've been talking to some conservatives close to the White House who say this is a big matter that the Senate Republican leadership, and particularly Majority Leader Bill Frist, is going to have to weigh in on soon.

Conservatives are restless. They want to see the hearings get going soon. They want to make sure Judge Alito can get on the high court as soon as possible and replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, because conservatives see her as that moderate swing vote who may decide -- she's still sitting on the court, as you know, and she may swing some cases against conservatives.

They're very nervous about that. They're saying they'll hold Republicans accountable if they don't get these hearings moving early. But the problem is, as you know, the clock is ticking, the holidays are coming up.

It takes several weeks for the FBI background search, even before the hearing starts. So there are some Democrats pushing for this to start in January. Rather than to start hearings in December, go home for Christmas and then come back in January.

So it's still a divisive issue. Bottom line, nobody has decided, but I think it's more likely that it would really get going in January than December -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. Thank you.

HENRY: Sure.

KAGAN: It is 18 years after America's top banker, Alan Greenspan -- he is now preparing to move on. As you might know, Greenspan will be stepping down in January as head of the Federal Reserve.

He appeared last hour before Congress' Joint economic Committee. Greenspan's testimony follows the Fed raising interest rates a quarter point on Tuesday.

Our economics correspondent, Kathleen Hays, has been monitoring Greenspan's remarks this morning for clues about the health of the economy.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: It is two months after Katrina. We're finding out what the former FEMA chief was doing on the day the storm hit. Some controversial e-mail, that's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Live pictures from Washington, D.C., the federal courthouse there. You see those microphones? We expect Scooter Libby and his new attorney, Ted Wells, to come out in just a few minutes. We don't expect Scooter Libby to speak, but his new attorney, Ted Wells, answering questions and making a statement to reporters.

You'll see that live here on CNN.

Meanwhile, let's check in on some e-mail that were to and from former FEMA director Michael Brown. They provide a glimpse of what he was thinking during and after Hurricane Katrina.

You probably remember this video of President Bush getting a briefing from Brown in the days after the hurricane. Well, notice their respective shirt sleeves. There was a flurry of e-mail, apparently, to and from Brown during the crisis. And this was the advice from his press secretary...

"Please roll up the sleeves of your shirt, all shirts. Even the president rolled his sleeves to just below the elbow. In this crisis and on TV, you need to look more hard working."

Louisiana Congressman Charlie Malencon posted the e-mails on his Web site. He said the communication showed Brown was out of touch with what was happening.

He says that on the day of the storm, Brown exchanged e-mail about his attire after receiving a compliment. He wrote back, "I got it at Nordstrom's. Are you proud of me?" He followed that up with, "If you look at my lovely FEMA attire, you'll really vomit. I am a fashion god."

Brown's e-mail released by the Office of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the request of two congressmen whose committee is investigating the slow federal response to Katrina.

Well, it is two months after the big storm. Two very different worlds are emerging in New Orleans. One, the Lower 9th Ward, is still devastated, angry. Much of it like a ghost town, but life in the other, Algiers Point, is almost normal.

Our Dan Simon takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," the famous words of Charles Dickens in "A Tale of Two Cities." Here in New Orleans, that 19th century text resonates, as it feels literally like two cities have emerged since Hurricane Katrina. One filled with anger and desperation.

DAISY PETERS, 9TH WARD RESIDENT: Nobody's trying to help. Nobody's trying to do nothing. SIMON: But here across the river, on what locals call the West Bank, they have different problems, the kind you don't mind having, like where to get coffee and go shopping. Here it's about progress and optimism.

DON PAOLO, ALGIERS POINT RESIDENT: The biggest complaint we have is we never know when the garbage is being picked up.

JOY PAOLO, ALGIERS POINT RESIDENT: Big deal, right?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We'll get back to the story later. Right now there you see Lewis "Scooter" Libby coming out on the crutches after his arraignment at the federal courthouse. We expect his attorney, his new attorney, Ted Wells, to step up to the microphone, make a statement and answer questions.

Let's listen.

QUESTION: ... how you feel about the indictment, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John, you still good?

TED WELLS, LIBBY'S ATTORNEY: Mr. Libby has pled not guilty to each and every count in the indictment. In pleading not guilty, he has declared to the world that he is innocent.

He has declared that he intends to fight the charges in the indictment. And he has declared that he wants to clear his good name. And he wants a jury trial.

We do not intend to try this case in the press. Mr. Libby intends to clear his good name by using the judicial process.

And we have no further comment at this time.

QUESTION: Mr. Libby, can we get one word from you, sir? We haven't heard anything from you. What's your reaction to this, sir?

KAGAN: Well, that was brief. Not surprisingly, reporters there on the scene having a lot of questions. Those aren't going to get answered today.

Ted Wells, Scooter Libby's new attorney, saying that they don't intend to try to do this in the press, rather in a court of law. But as he said on behalf of his client, that he has declared himself innocent and he will fight to clear his good name.

Bob Franken is there -- Bob.

FRANKEN: Well, the one thing I would point out is that, at this stage of the game, that is exactly what a lawyer would say, particularly a new lawyer. Now, Ted Wells is somebody who has a long reputation of fighting these very high-profile battles in Washington, D.C. He is now joining a staff that up until now had been led by Joseph Tate, a member of Scooter Libby's law firm, who is based in Philadelphia.

And his experience was more in the realms of antitrust law and the like. But obviously, this has entered a new arena now. The indictments have come down. Indictments that we just heard Ted Wells say that, at least for now, they are going to be fighting the indictments. They want a jury trial.

They made it clear, as we heard earlier in reports from John King, that they're going to be filing an awful lot of procedural motions. They're going to demand that they have access to classified material.

First Amendment issues are going to come up, as John said they talked about in the court. That means they're going to be demanding testimony from various reporters.

Another possibility that has been widely discussed is the request about whether there might be testimony that is asked for from the vice president, Cheney, who, of course, was Scooter Libby's boss, and potential legal arguments that might come up about executive privilege.

This is not going to be a speedy process. But according to Ted Wells, at least at this stage, it is going to be a process that is going to be fought every step of the way -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Bob. Thank you.

To Jeffrey Toobin, interesting that he was specific, Ted Wells, in saying that they want a jury trial in this case.

TOOBIN: Well, that's why you hire Ted Wells. Ted Wells is someone who specializes in jury trials. He comes from a firm, and he's done a lot of litigation-type work and motion-type practice. But Ted Wells is really one of the top lawyers in the whole country when it comes to making your -- making a case in front of a jury. And he's not -- it's not especially a surprising choice, but it shows that Scooter Libby really knows what he's doing and knows -- has listened to people's advice about who the really top trial lawyers in the country are, because Ted Wells is always on those lists.

KAGAN: All right. Jeff Toobin, Bob Franken, thank you.

(NEWSBREAK)

KAGAN: A must-see story for families is ahead, especially if you or a family member, or a friend drives an SUV. It's something that's happening all the time all over the country and people don't even realize it. It is killing children.

We'll explain in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Well, another reminder why it's a good idea to stay with us here at CNN. You're seeing things first and seeing things you're not seeing anywhere else. Just a couple of minutes ago, we showed you Ted Wells, the new attorney for Scooter Libby Lewis, in front of the courthouse in Washington D.C. You didn't see it anywhere else. So let's show it to you again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED WELLS, LIBBY'S ATTORNEY: Mr. Libby has pled not guilty to each and every count in the indictment. In pleading not guilty, he has declared to the world that he is innocent, he has declared that he intends to fight the charges in the indictment, and he has declared that he wants to clear his good name and he wants a jury trial.

We do not intend to try this case in the press. Mr. Libby intends to clear his good name by using the judicial process. And we have no further comment at this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

It was brief comment there's. They didn't answer any questions as Ted Wells and Scooter Libby came out of that federal courthouse in Washington D.C. More on that with our full team of correspondents and experts as we move ahead.

First, though, a story that we think is really important. It's an important story for you and your family. It happens all the time all over the country. People don't even realize it. It is killing children. It sounds like basic driver's ed, but actually it's a growing problem in these days of these big SUVs. Drivers are backing over small children. So is it the driver's fault, or the carmakers for not adding safety devices? It's a controversial question.

Our consumer correspondent Greg Hunter has been looking into this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four-year-old Jackson Peck wanted to be a superhero. He liked to wear a costume wherever he went. Superman was his favorite.

JULIE PECK, JACKSON PECK'S MOTHER: My last words were, do you know how much I love you? I feel very blessed to have that time with him.

HUNTER: Jackson's parents never imagined that moment with their son, 10 months ago, would be their last. It was two days before Christmas. Jackson's grandmother dropped off to go caroling with other grandchildren. As she backed up the family's SUV, Jackson ran behind the vehicle, but she backed up. With the children screaming in horror, Jackson's grandmother backed over him.

PECK: He was gone instantly. I didn't hear a sound when the car backed over him. When they pulled it back off of him, he didn't make a sound.

HUNTER: Jackson's story isn't unusual. All these children were killed in back-over accidents, and the numbers are growing.

Janette Fennell, founder of the safety group Kids and Cars, tracks these tragedies because the government doesn't. She discovered 100 deaths a year, on average. Two children backed over and killed each week, typically in a driveway, with a parent or relative behind the wheel.

JANETTE FENNELL, KIDS AND CARS: Little children do not have to die this way. All of these incidents are not only predictable, they're 100 percent preventable.

HUNTER: Fennell says one factor is the "bye-bye syndrome," where a the child darts out to say goodbye.

FENNELL: The baby thinks, well, daddy can see me. I can see the car. But daddy can't, because you're in his blind zone.

HUNTER: Safety advocates most people know there are blind spots behind every vehicle, but they often don't realize how big that blind spot can be.

DAVID CHAMPION, "CONSUMER REPORTS": More and more people are buying bigger and bigger vehicles, and the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the blind spot.

HUNTER: "Consumer Reports" routinely tests vehicles for blind spots. To illustrate just how much size can matter, we went to its auto test track. Using 28 inch cones, the height of an average 2- year-old, testing director, David Champion will mark where the driver in the sedan first sees the cone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, further back. OK, that's good.

HUNTER: Now he measures the distance from the cone to the car.

CHAMPION: It's 10 feet 10 inches.

HUNTER: But watch what happens with larger vehicles, like this minivan.

CHAMPION: It's eighteen 18 feet, one inch.

HUNTER: Or this SUV.

CHAMPION: Twenty-five feet, 10 inches.

HUNTER: And how far away is the cone from this truck?

CHAMPION: Forty-six feet, nine inches.

HUNTER: Now look at the dramatic results. In this case, the truck's blind spot is more than four times greater than the sedan's. "Consumer Reports" also points out, "The shorter the driver, the bigger the blind spot can be."

CHAMPION: On these big vehicles where we see something like 20, 30, 40 feet of blind spot behind, that is where the problems are. That is where the deaths we are seeing with back-over accidents are occurring.

HUNTER (on camera): Backing up in a big SUV can be deceiving. You can't see anything from that vantage point, can you? And when I check my mirrors, driver's side, rear view and passenger, it looks clear to me, too.

But if I get out of the vehicle and walk behind it, we've got a little surprise for you.

Hello, kids.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: Hello.

HUNTER: Twenty-nine school kids from East Hattam (ph) Elementary school in Connecticut, all hidden dangerously out of view.

PECK: You can actually kill your own child, which is the worst tragedy. It's a double-edged sword. I mean, it's guilt along with killing someone that you love dearly.

HUNTER (voice-over): Julie Ann Smith peck brought an SUV to keep their children safe. They say no one warned them bigger vehicles often have reduced rear visibility.

(on camera): Did you realize the numbers of back-over accidents that happen every year before it happened to your son?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

PECK: No. I didn't even know that the name of it was back-over.

HUNTER: Total shock?

PECK: Total shock.

HUNTER (voice-over): This recent study from the Centers for Disease Control found more than 2,400 children a year are injured in back-over accidents. The pecks Say drivers need to see what's behind them, because there's no way to watch churn every second.

CHAMPION: They just get away from you very quickly. Anyone with children knows that.

RON DEFORE, SUV OWNERS OF AMERICA: Nobody knows whether it's a vehicle problem, or is it a personal problem? Is it because somebody didn't check behind the vehicle, or is it because of lack of vision?

HUNTER: CNN contacted the automakers trade group. It sent us to this man, Ron Defore. He represents SUV Owners of America, an organization partially funded by car companies.

DEFORE: We aren't addressing this issue right now.

HUNTER (on camera): So 2,400 kids a year being backed over, 100 kids a year dying. How many kids have to die or be hurt before you'll address the issue?

DEFORE: The most important thing that we focus on is how many lives can be saved in an SUV, as opposed to moving to a smaller vehicle.

HUNTER (voice-over): Defore says there's not enough data to require automakers to come up with a fix.

(on camera): Should people who own SUVs be warned that their backup blind zone is bigger than smaller vehicles? Should they be warned about that?

DEFORE: It's in their owner's manual.

HUNTER: It's in their owner's manual?

DEFORE: Yes.

HUNTER: Do you think that's enough, read your owner's manual?

DEFORE: It would help, because it addresses this issue.

HUNTER (voice-over): Right after our interview, SUV Owners of America posted this message on its Web site, telling drivers, be aware of your blind spots, directing readers to "Consumer Reports."

FENNELL: You need to be able to see when you're going backwards. You can't just kind of close your eyes and hope there's nothing back there.

HUNTER: To help drivers see better, some carmakers are offering new options like bumper sensors. If someone gets too close, the sonar signal shows the location.

And a few manufacturers also sell a backup camera, like this one. Shift into reverse and the navigation screen switches to a live picture of what's behind the vehicle.

(on camera): One company puts its rear-view technology right in your rear-view mirror, making it even easier to see someone riding this trike.

(voice-over): The mirror gets a signal from this camera that can be retrofitted on to any vehicle. The system is made by Audiovox, which also sells this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is our new a hitch sensor.

HUNTER: It's a set of wireless ultrasonic rear sensors you can install yourself.

(on camera): Installation time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About two to five minutes.

HUNTER: Sensors cost only a couple hundred dollars. But cameras aren't cheap, 1,000 bucks with installation. That's half the price of factory-installed equipment. But "Consumer Reports" says, based on its research, this technology should be required.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would have all the manufacturers that produce these bigger vehicles put backup cameras on all of them.

DEFORE: That is a very dangerous public policy, because you start pricing the vehicles well beyond what a lot of people can afford.

CHAMPION: How much is a life worth? You can't put a price on that.

HUNTER: At Jackson Peck's funeral, everyone wore Superman T- shirts. His parents set up a foundation for needy children, so their son will remembered as the superhero he wanted to be, but they say their lives will never be the same.

PECK: To lose a child that was loud, and rambunctious and full of life, is -- you can't imagine. The stillness and the quietness of the house is excruciating.

HUNTER: Greg hunter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Want to add this to our story, that bipartisan legislation was introduced in the Senate that would, in part, provide drivers with a means of detecting the presence of a person or object behind their vehicle. A government safety spokesman tells CNN they're concerned that cameras and sensors might give people a false sense of security. They're also concerned about the cost, so they're continuing to study the problem.

It is 16 minutes before the top of the hour. President Bush, countries around the world and world health organizations have their own plans to fight the spread of bird flu. Now even Britain's Virgin Atlantic Airline has a plan. We're going to tell you about that after the break.

Also, Ted Turner is at this year's Global Health Summit in New York City. Hear his ideas about solving some of the world's health problems, coming up next.

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KAGAN: To health news now, Virgin Atlantic Airways is taking precautions against a possible human outbreak of bird flu. The airline says it's stocking up on the antiviral drug Tamiflu. Virgin would not confirm how many units of the drug that it had purchased. A Swiss company is the sole manufacturer of Tamiflu, and supplies are already on backorder because of increased demand.

CNN founder Ted Turner is trying to draw attention to the millions of children around the world who die from preventable diseases, like the measles. This hour, Turner is addressing the "Time" magazine Global Health Summit in New York.

Earlier today he talked with Soledad O'Brien on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: What's your message today? I know you're going to be addressing...

TED TURNER, CNN FOUNDER: Well, basically, that the American people are the most generous in the world, individually. But unfortunately, our government for foreign aid gives less than two- tenths of one percent of GDP. We're way below the recommended am, which is seven-tenths of GDP, less than 1 percent of the total economy of the country.

But if the average American, because it doesn't -- this is not on the radar screen most of the time with the media, the American people are not fully informed about just how much misery and agony there is out there in the developing world, and how a little money and a little effort can make a huge difference out there. If they know about it, that's why we're here. Because things will change. That's what we're trying to do. And you have got to give a lot of credit to Bill Gates, too, and the Gates Foundation, which are contributing billions to children's health around the world. And he was here yesterday and spoke along with Bill Clinton. It's been a very, very good conference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: As an example of what can be done, Turner says health organizations have been able to vaccinate about 150 million children in Africa for less than $1 per person.

Here's a look at other stories making news overseas this morning.

There's been another night of rioting in France. The violence erupted a week ago in a largely immigrant suburb of Paris after the deaths of two teenagers. They were electrocuted while hiding from police in a power substation. Officials have scheduled meetings with community leaders in an effort to diffuse that crisis.

Some ominous warning from the World Food Program. The agency says it may have to scale back aid flights for earthquake victims in South Asia if it doesn't get more money. The U.N. agency has asked for $100 million for the next six months, but has received only a tenth of that. It says it also needs more helicopters for the relief efforts.

And the powerful typhoon has left at least 20 dead in the Vietnam central region. The National Weather Center says 29 inches of rain fell in the area. More than 120,000 people who were evacuated from the region are now returning to their homes. Typhoon Kai Tak has now moved north and weakened into a low pressure system.

We're going to have a full check of the weather and business, coming up next, after this.

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(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

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KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan. I'm going to step aside for an hour. I'll be back from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. slot, so I'll see you in a little bit.

Meanwhile, international news up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY." Jim Clancy and Zain Verjee will be along after a quick break, and I will see you in an hour.

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