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American Morning
Horror in Oklahoma; Egg-Citement at the White House; Saddam Hussein on Trial
Aired April 17, 2006 - 06:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Checking our top stories at this hour, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld under fire, the calls mounting for him to resign. President Bush standing by his man at the Pentagon.
Take a look at just how incredibly dangerous a tornado can be if you get too close. That farmhouse there highlighted is swept away, literally swept away by a tornado. This is Jasper County, Illinois. There you see it.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Right there, yes. Man.
O'BRIEN: Fortunately, no injuries reported.
And got your 1040 done yet, Betty?
NGUYEN: I did mine. I'm one of the lucky ones.
O'BRIEN: Now you're bragging.
NGUYEN: Unlike you.
O'BRIEN: Now you're bragging. I got the packet done, though. That's good.
If not, most of you have until midnight to file your taxes. But if you're in the Northeast and happen to be sending your taxes to Andover, Massachusetts, where they celebrate Patriots Day today, a 24 hour reprieve.
NGUYEN: Just a little more time.
O'BRIEN: I'll take 24 hours.
NGUYEN: You need all the time you can get, apparently.
O'BRIEN: Absolutely.
Oh, by the way, if you're affected by Hurricane Katrina, you have until August 28th.
NGUYEN: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Automatic extension there.
Good morning to you. I'm Miles O'Brien.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen, sitting in for Soledad this morning. We've got a lot to tell you about today.
Police in Purcell, Oklahoma, say the man suspected of killing a 10-year-old girl apparently planned to -- listen to this -- mutilate the body, and there were signs he was considering cannibalism.
Here's CNN's Ed Lavandera with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Investigators and prosecutors say that what happened to 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin was the most gruesome and heinous crime this area has ever seen. Police say 26- year-old Kevin Ray Underwood is the man who killed her.
He lived right across the hall in the apartment complex where Jamie Rose Bolin lived with her father. Neighbors and mourners have started a small memorial in front of the young girl's apartment, bringing by Easter lilies and teddy bears, as many people around here are still struggling to comprehend how something so evil could happen in this small town.
Kevin Ray Underwood is expected to make his first court appearance Monday morning. Prosecutors say they will then file first- degree murder charges against him, and they do say they plan on seeking the death penalty in this case.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Purcell, Oklahoma.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Goodness.
Well, word could come today about possible charges against Duke University's lacrosse players. Prosecutors may go to a grand jury to make their case for charges in the rape accusations made against the players. Whether or not there are any charges, the Reverend Jesse Jackson says his Rainbow Push Coalition will pay the tuition of the alleged victim.
O'BRIEN: Another round of crash tests to tell you about involving vehicles, and for the first time a hybrid was in the mix. The Toyota Prius may be stingy on gas consumption, but does it offer a generous amount of safety?
CNN's Brianna Keilar live now from Washington with more on that.
Hello, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
A lot of manufacturers asked the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to delay side impact tests this year, and this year those results are finally in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR (voice over): If you want to roll in a safe ride, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says it should stand up to accidents from all sides. In the latest crash tests, that's just what the Kia Sedona did, making it a top safety pick and the only minivan to ever earn that distinction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Kia Sedona provides good protection in frontal crashes, rear crashes, and also side impacts. So that's good news for families shopping for that.
KEILAR: GM's minivan, the Uplander, received some of the lowest marks. It did not perform well in side tests. The rear seat coming completely detached from the car in the tests with optional side airbags.
GM responded to the results saying, "In the 10 years this basic structure has been in use for these vans and their predecessors, we know of no cases in which a rear seat became detached in a side impact." GM says the test does not warrant concern, but the Uplander's design will still be improved.
If you're in the market for a safe small car instead, Subaru's Impreza got the top safety pick award.
In the institute's first test of a hybrid, the Toyota Prius performed well in frontal crash tests. In side impact tests, it did well with optional side air bags but poorly without.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Other vehicles were tested as well, and some of these results do apply to related models. So go to IIHS.org if you want to see how all of the cars fared.
Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Brianna.
Happening "In America," legal challenges are expected in Omaha, Nebraska, against a new law that would change the way the school is districted and segmented. Opponents call it state-sponsored segregation.
Omaha is now divided into three separate school districts. One is mostly white, one African-American, the third mostly Hispanic. Supporters of the change say minority control of the school boards ensures that white students won't get preferential treatment.
A Canadian man allegedly gunned down two registered sex offenders in Maine. Twenty-year-old Sean Marshall (ph) later killed himself when police stopped him on a bus bound for Boston. Police are unsure if there's any connection between Marshall (ph) and the victims. Police in Maine removed the list of registered sex offenders from their Web site after the killings.
It could be a scene at the annual White House Easter egg roll today. Gay and lesbian parents will be there to protest Bush administration policy.
AMERICAN MORNING'S Bob Franken is covering that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Who would have thought that the White House Easter egg roll, with its cute little children, cute animals and cute Easter eggs, would be controversial. Well, this one is, because standing in the long lines over the weekend were couples who clearly were identifying themselves as gay couples wanting to make the point that they wanted their families and their children to be considered normal. Some controversy from others who said they didn't really think this should be turned into a political event.
As for the White House, first lady Laura Bush is quoted as saying, "Anybody is welcome." But these tickets come with a time certain. It's like reservations. And some of those who were involved in this were saying that they're not being allowed in until at least noon, long after the president and the first lady, who were expected to show up, had left.
It should be pointed out that the first Easter egg roll at the White House was held when the president was Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878. Times have changed.
Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, it's time now for a check on the forecast. Chad Myers is at the CNN Center.
Chad, a lot of people spent Easter with their families. Many could be headed home this morning. How is it looking out there?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, sometimes a Monday morning can be really a headache when it comes to weather.
NGUYEN: Yes.
MYERS: But so far, so good here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MYERS: Back to you guys in New York.
NGUYEN: Still raining out West. Can they catch a break?
O'BRIEN: No, they can't.
NGUYEN: My goodness. All right.
Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome, Chad. Well, the world would be a lot better off if folks were a little less rude, but has one city just gone too far with that when it comes to enforcing politeness? Really, can you go too far in enforcing politeness?
O'BRIEN: I don't believe so.
NGUYEN: Yes. We're going to take a look, though. That's coming up.
O'BRIEN: If you please.
Also, a new movie finds itself in the middle of a legal battle. We'll tell you why it could get yanked from theaters and land a California prosecutor in some hot water.
NGUYEN: Plus, freedom for Molly the cat. Check her out. The story behind the rescue of New York City's fugitive feline, that's ahead right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
O'BRIEN: She looks good.
NGUYEN: Yes. Not too bad after being in a wall for two weeks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Take a look at this. In Serbia, the Danube River is the highest it has been in 100 years. Workers are racing to control the flooding there. Right now, the dikes are holding, and some evacuations have begun.
Now to Colombia. They're burying the dead from Wednesday's mudslides. As many as 29 people may be dead. Relentless rain caused a river to overflow, touching off that mudslide. Roads are blocked, thousands of people are out of their homes.
In Iraq now, the on again-off again Saddam Hussein trial still moving in fits and starts. The trial resumed briefly and then was promptly adjourned.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Aneesh Raman in Baghdad.
Saddam Hussein's trial resumed today. The session lasting just over one hour.
The court announced that handwriting experts had confirmed that signatures on at least eight documents were those of Saddam Hussein and some of his co-defendants. A ninth document was deemed inconclusive. The court adjourned until Wednesday, when more documents, those bearing Saddam's signatures, will be examined.
Meantime, Iraq's parliament was to be convening as we speak. Instead, they canceled today's session, postponing it for "a few days." The reason, the political crisis that has gripped the country continues with no resolution on who will be the country's next prime minister.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Arwa Damon, embedded with U.S. Marines in Ramadi, which is one of the more violent cities in Iraq. There have been upwards of 70 American deaths here since July. Military operations are ongoing, conducted both by the U.S. and the Iraqi army, despite daily insurgent attacks.
Now, military commanders say that while the danger level in the city may not be decreasing, there has been significant progress made. The Iraqi army is now some three brigades strong, which is about a few thousand soldiers. And an Iraqi police force is being trained.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: For more on these stories and all the other top stories this morning, visit CNN.com -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, still to come right here on AMERICAN MORNING, a look how video games and CD players are making one state's prison system a little safer.
And you've probably seen her story by now, yes, Molly the cat. That's not Molly. There she is.
Well, she's captured the hearts of not only New Yorkers, but cat lovers around the world. Can you believe it? That story...
O'BRIEN: Not you. You're not a fan, are you?
NGUYEN: Well, we'll talk.
Stay with CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
NGUYEN: "Manic Monday," but what a beautiful sunrise in Charlotte, North Carolina, this morning. Going to be 81 degrees there. It's kind of like summer, it seems. But some storms may roll in.
Oh, it's going to rain on that parade.
Good morning, Charlie (ph).
O'BRIEN: Good golly, Ms. Molly. Good morning to you. A New York City kitty is licking up luxury now.
Molly the cat stuck in the wall in Greenwich Village, free at last after two weeks between the bricks. As always, we marvel at the attention a single kitty in a predicament can get the world over. Carol Costello adding fuel to the fire for us this morning.
Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Talk about your 15 minutes of fame. Just say the name "Molly"...
O'BRIEN: And then some.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: And then some. You're right about that.
Just say the name "Molly" here in New York City" and everybody knows who you're talking about, that darn cat trapped between that wall. And it was pitiful, too, because when the cat was trapped you could hear her little faint meows through the walls.
Still, pitiful. It attracted so much attention. I mean, who knew the rescue of Molly would be of such epic proportion?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're coming, Molly.
COSTELLO (voice over): It was the "meow" heard 'round the world, quite literally. The tale of Molly the trapped cat extended far beyond the crawlspace in New York City, capturing headlines in South Africa, Kuwait, France and Britain.
PETER MYERS, DELI OWNER: You couldn't get down the street for camera crews, emergency services vehicles, fire department. It was manic.
COSTELLO: Photographers, TV trucks, psychics and pet psychologists all descended on a British grocery store to listen and walk.
MYERS: If the word hadn't got out, we probably wouldn't have got the volunteers.
COSTELLO: But word got out in a huge way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was watching it live on TV every -- every -- every moment. You know, CNN had it on. All the local news had it on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love cats, too, but just the amount of attention that it got from all the services was just insane. We had the bomb squad here twice, we had five -- we had five visits from the fire department and another six or seven from the police department.
COSTELLO: But after two weeks of tempting Molly to come out with the cries of kittens, the chirping of birds, and even a giant mouse, Molly moved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually started crying when I found out that that gentleman grabbed hold of her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody was standing around and you could kind of feel its -- I don't know, if you've been part of an event like that, you just kind of feel everyone lean in. And so everyone in the bar could see that, everyone kind of leaned in and just exploded. Everyone was cheering and clapping and...
COSTELLO: Molly's owner says after a feast of roast pork and sardines, the cat was moved to an undisclosed location to escape the glare of the media, and she wasn't the only one feeling the effects of her ordeal.
MYERS: I had to go home to rest up because I was -- I hardly slept for five days. I think I was suffering from post-traumatic missing cat disorder.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: I know what you're thinking. What does this all mean?
I was trying to put it in some sort of perspective in my mind, and I couldn't figure it out. The only thing I could figure is it just makes us feel good to help this helpless creature. And maybe that's really all it means in the end.
O'BRIEN: Wow. Deep thoughts.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: I have so many basic questions. How did she -- how did she finally get out?
NGUYEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: She popped her head out.
O'BRIEN: She just popped out?
COSTELLO: Just -- and nobody knows why.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: They were drilling more holes in between the walls to give her more of a chance to poke her head out. And finally, she just did. And you could see that firefighter grab her and take her to safety.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Good thing they didn't drill in the wrong place, if you know what I mean.
Hey, and who -- who owns Molly?
COSTELLO: A local family. O'BRIEN: Yes?
COSTELLO: And they don't want their name let out...
O'BRIEN: OK.
COSTELLO: ... because they're getting so much attention from around the world, they're just tired. They need a couple of days to rest up.
O'BRIEN: So Molly gets the fame and they're in the shadows. All right.
COSTELLO: For now.
O'BRIEN: For now.
Carol Costello, thank you very much -- Betty.
NGUYEN: We have some breaking news to tell you about this morning. This according to The Associated Press.
We have learned that in Tel Aviv, Israel, a Palestinian suicide bomber, according to police, blew himself up in a commercial area in Tel Aviv. We don't know how many possibly dead because of this, but we do know that 35 people are wounded.
Here are some pictures right now from Israeli TV. As you can see, ambulances are on the scene. People tending to those 35 wounded.
And again, police say a Palestinian suicide bomber -- we don't know how many, but according to this wire report with The Associated Press, it seems like there's one at the moment -- has blown himself up in a commercial area in Tel Aviv, Israel. Of course we're going to stay on top of this and bring you the latest as it comes in to CNN.
There's much more coming up right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Here's a look at some of the stories we're working on this morning.
The Pentagon fires back against criticism of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
An online diary may have given advance warning of a horrific murder in Oklahoma.
One state prison system has a new way to keep inmates on good behavior.
And then same-sex parents making a statement at this year's White House Easter egg roll today.
And the latest crash test results are in. Find out which cars passed with flying colors.
Those stories ahead, but first this.
NGUYEN: Yes, listen to this. British Air says $16.5 billion with a "B" just isn't enough.
Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
Really, not enough, huh?
ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE": Yes. You know, we're in the world of huge mega money here, Betty. And...
NGUYEN: Apparently.
SERWER: ... $16 billion not cutting it. These are a couple of globalism stories, both a sign of the times. Let's start with this one Betty was just talking about.
A British airport operator called BAA has rejected a $16 billion bid by Goldman Sachs, saying it's just not enough money. This company manages all the big airports in London, Gatwick and Heathrow, as well as airports all over the rest of the U.K., and does some business here at Newark Airport and BWI, Pittsburgh, other airports, as well.
It sort of hearkens a little bit to the Dubai ports deal.
O'BRIEN: A reverse Dubai deal.
SERWER: Yes, a little bit, although it's not a security issue, really.
O'BRIEN: Right.
SERWER: It's just an issue of money.
O'BRIEN: But wait a minute, airports are about security.
SERWER: They are, but no one has raised that particular issue here.
NGUYEN: It's all about the dollars.
SERWER: It is, but it shows the international nature of this business, too. And we might not even been talking about it had it not been for Dubai ports. You can see how we're all connected and companies are in each other's business -- in other country's business, I should say.
Another globalism story. Earlier today, this morning, Carrie Lee talked about the Chinese economy and how it was growing great guns. And you might wonder what Chinese businesses and the government are doing with all the money. Well, here's a clue.
For instance, the Chinese Construction Bank, which is one of the big four state-controlled banks in China, is looking to take a major stake in the Wall Street investment firm Bear Stearns. This would be about a $4 billion deal that is being considered here for about 10 to 20 percent of this storied investment bank, if I may call it that.
And interestingly, you know, of course, when these Chinese companies have come and tried to take over or get stakes in companies here, a lot of times this has raised hackles. People have been concerned. You remember the CNOOC-Unocal deal that was ultimately rejected.
I don't think there's going to be a problem here with this one because it's a small stake. And Wall Street is very competitive, and there are all sorts of deals across borders like this. But still, it's just another sign of the times. Chinese businesses is so flushed with cash, looking to invest here in the United States.
NGUYEN: Yes.
O'BRIEN: You know, it wasn't too long ago it was Japan, and we were talking about the same issue in the '70s. So it's interesting. I guess the point is, as you point out, the borders become inconsequential when it comes to money.
SERWER: That's right. And it -- but it raises issues of security...
NGUYEN: Yes.
SERWER: ... trade, where our economy is going, where our economy is going versus the Chinese economy. And these are big, big issues that we'll have to address, you know, at all times, now and down the road, as well.
NGUYEN: On top of that, Tax Day for a lot of folks.
SERWER: Yes, I know about that, Betty.
NGUYEN: You know about that quite well, don't you?
SERWER: Yes. I've had some issues a little bit. Let's just leave it at that.
NGUYEN: Yes, just tiny issues.
O'BRIEN: That will be a later segment.
NGUYEN: That's a long segment.
SERWER: That's right.
NGUYEN: Thanks, Andy.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Andy Serwer.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: As we approach the top of the hour, let's check on the forecast. Chad has that.
Hello, Chad.
MYERS: Hi, Miles. Almost called you Soledad. Sorry, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Any old O'Brien will do.
MYERS: I could have called you Andy. It would have made a little bit more sense.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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