Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Accuser's Allegations; Brutal Beating; Nuclear Deadline; I Want My CNN; Amazing Shot; 'United 93'
Aired April 28, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A new wrinkle this morning in the Duke rape investigation, the accuser making similar accusations 10 years ago. We have much more on that story ahead.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Big money for big oil. While drivers pay the price at the pump, another major oil company releases its earnings this morning.
And in spite of all the rhetoric on Capital Hill, SUVs, believe it or not, seem to be the vehicle of choice for your lawmakers. This morning, we'll take a look exactly at what they are driving.
M. O'BRIEN: And smoke and fire enshroud the area around Interstate 95 near Cape Canaveral. We'll have the latest on firefighters' efforts to get things under control there.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And it should be a very quiet weather day on both the East Coast and the West Coast, but for the Central Plains, things could get very rough. I'll have your complete forecast coming up on this AMERICAN MORNING.
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you. I'm Miles O'Brien.
Should we begin this morning with the national anthem, English or Spanish?
S. O'BRIEN: Which version would you like?
M. O'BRIEN: What would you like?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
Welcome, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
Of course adding a little fuel to an already controversial fire,...
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: ... the whole immigration debate, the national anthem is now coming out with a Spanish language version. And it's really a version. It's not word for the same, same.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Boy, some people are really angry about it. We're going to discuss that more this morning.
First though, some new information to share with you in the Duke rape investigation. Defense attorneys in the case say they are surprised by the release of an old police report to The Associated Press shows the accuser in the case claimed to have been raped before.
CNN's Jason Carroll has more this morning from Durham, North Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well this is a development that defense attorneys are going to be looking very closely at. It all has to do with an incident report, a police incident report filed in Creedmoor, which is about 15 miles from here, filed 10 years ago by the accuser.
She told a police officer 10 years ago that 3 years before that, when she was 14, that she had been sexually assaulted by three men. It says -- quote -- "The three suspects raped and beat her when she was 14 years old." She names the three suspects in that police report.
The officer who took the police report at the time, 10 years ago, told her to write a chronological report of exactly what had happened to her. Apparently she did that, but the case was never prosecuted. And at this point, it is unclear why.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Durham, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: In Houston this morning, a young man clings to his life while authorities ponder hate crime charges in an attack so brutal and violent it's hard to tell the story. Two white teenagers behind bars, charged with beating the 16-year-old Hispanic boy within an inch of his life after he tried to kiss a 12-year-old girl at a party over the weekend.
Ed Lavandera with our story from Spring, Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A 16-year-old boy is in critical condition this morning in a Houston hospital fighting for his life after being brutally attacked at a party last weekend.
There are two suspects in this case, both have been charged with aggravated sexual assault. One of them is 18-year-old Keith Turner. The other is 17-year-old David Tuck. Prosecutors and investigators say that they got into a fight with the 16-year-old boy at a party last Saturday night at about 11:30 at night.
The fight erupted inside this suburban Houston home. They then dragged the 16-year-old boy where prosecutors say that the men kicked him in the head with steel-toed boots and then proceeded to sodomize him with a two-inch wide PVC pipe.
The boy has suffered major internal injuries to vital organs and prosecutors aren't sure if the boy will survive. If he does die, they do say that these two teenagers will then be charged with capital murder in this case. So all eyes are on the hospital here in Houston where this 16-year-old boy is recovering from these injuries.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Spring, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Hundreds of sex offenders off the streets and in custody this morning. More than 1,100 sex offenders picked up during a weeklong sweep by the U.S. Marshals Service. "Operation Falcon II," carried out in 27 states, mostly west of the Mississippi. Most of those sex offenders considered violent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CLARK, MARSHALS SERVICE DIRECTOR: We go on pre-dawn raids. You take down wanted felons off the streets, so mothers can walk their kids to the bus stop later that day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Marshals say there are more than a million fugitives on the loose and sex offenders pose a special challenge. Experts say at least 60 percent of them are repeat offenders -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, we're all talking about it, we might as well discuss gas. Let's check now gauging today's gas prices. The average price per gallon of regular unleaded, drumroll please, $2.92. A month ago, $2.50. One year ago, the price for a gallon of regular was $2.23.
The president of Azerbaijan is in Washington, D.C. today for talks with President Bush. Among the topics on the table of course will be oil. The country is scheduled to deliver the first shipments of oil from the Caspian Sea to Western markets through a new pipeline this June. D.C. helped Azerbaijan develop energy markets in the West.
And we are awaiting the release of more oil profit numbers this morning. Another depressing thing, I guess, here today. Chevron expected to release some of their figures sometime before the market opens today. Yesterday, of course, ExxonMobil announced more than $8 billion in first quarter profits. Chevron is expected to be just about half that number.
High gas prices prompting New Jersey to consider some statewide changes. They are thinking about decreasing the maximum speed limit to 55 miles an hour. Also, they're thinking about ending that ban on self-service gas stations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will start with select sites, if not on all of the turnpike positions over a period of time, and in some local neighborhoods, north, south and central, to see whether these price savings actually flow through to the consumer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Self-service stations are illegal in Jersey. Governor Corzine says that consumers could save as much as six cents a gallon. Opponents of the plan, though, say that gas station insurance rates will probably rise and that, of course, could eventually come back and hurt consumers. New Jersey and Oregon are the only states that don't allow self-serve stations.
And have you ever wondered what -- if lawmakers practice what they preach when it comes to conserving gas? A little bit later this morning, AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken takes a look at our beloved lawmakers and what they really drive, SUVs.
M. O'BRIEN: It's not Prius country, put it that way.
S. O'BRIEN: The SUV is a hint there for anybody who is wondering.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
Iraq is now a magnet and a safe haven for terrorists. And al Qaeda-inspired terrorists are the biggest threat to the U.S. That's a couple of not-so-shocking findings. In a new report out later today from the State Department, it is the annual report on terrorism from that agency, and a source is telling us Iraq is luring a "foreign fighter pipeline" and has become a cause for Islamic terrorists. The official believes al Qaeda is likely still planning a big attack on U.S. soil.
There is also concern about small terror cells that are inspired by al Qaeda and its philosophy. Their attacks may be less spectacular, but they are more numerous and harder to detect.
The tense showdown with Iran reaches a new level today with neither side blinking. Today is the deadline imposed by the United Nations on Iran to stop making nuclear fuel that could be used in atomic weapons. The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency will formally tell the U.N. Security Council Iran has not complied with demands.
Aneesh Raman is live now from Tehran. He joins us on the line -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miles, good morning.
It's a little loud where I am. I'm amid demonstrations that are taking place after Friday prayers in support of Iran's nuclear program. The country's president in the northwestern part of the country this morning, saying that Iran is not heeding any international calls to halt its nuclear program.
I was just at a mosque in Tehran University, among some of the more hard-line segments of Iran's society in the capital, the former President Rafsanjani spoke. He said Iran is open to confidence- building measures to the world; but America, he had extremely harsh words.
The crowd that numbered around 5,000 to 7,000 repeatedly shouted death to America. The former president in detail recalled the incident where American helicopters crashed as they tried to rescue the hostages that were taken after the revolution here.
So it seems that not only is Iran remaining defiant against the international community about its nuclear program, but the rhetoric is clearly rising and pointed specifically at Washington and at Americans -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Aneesh Raman in Tehran, thank you very much.
Be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Taking a look at some of the stories happening in America this morning, a confrontation at Cleveland's main airport has turned deadly. Police were responding to a disturbance at the ticket counter when the passenger they were trying to subdue bit an officer in the neck and then grabbed his gun. Police say the suspect then used that gun to shoot another police officer. The wounded policeman, who still has a bullet lodged in his back, is said to be alert and doing OK. A third police officer then shot and killed the suspect.
After more than 50 years, activist Rosa Parks might be getting a pardon for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. Alabama Governor Bob Riley signed a bill that would allow pardons for hundreds of people who were arrested for violating segregation-era laws. Each person, or that person's family members, will have to formally ask for the pardon.
Interstate 95 in Brevard County in Florida reopened just a short while ago. The Florida Highway Patrol had to shut it down after a brushfire jumped the highway there. The 850-acre fire is now mostly under control. No reports of any injuries there.
Weather update for you 10 minutes in to our morning. Let's get right to Reynolds Wolf.
Good morning.
WOLF: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Let's keep our fingers crossed for Florida. I mean I know it's the Sunshine State, but we really do need some rain there.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, they sure do. You're right.
All right, Reynolds, thanks.
WOLF: You bet.
M. O'BRIEN: A little less sunshine, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, absolutely.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Reynolds.
You can file this one under one of the many reasons Scott McClellan won't miss his job as the White House Press Secretary. Yesterday on Air Force One, the issue was what to watch on TV in the press cabin.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, an interesting exchange between the reporters and Bush administration officials. They wanted to know why there is this apparent preference for FOX News Channel.
Let's take a look at this report from Internet correspondent Abbi Tatton from "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT (on camera): In the air today, those reporters asking the questions of Scott McClellan, "Do all the TVs on Air Force One have to be tuned to FOX?" "First I've heard of it," answered Scott McClellan.
But the questions persisted. One person saying they were "officially complaining." Another reporter saying they were told no when they asked for CNN, although told no by whom is a little bit unclear. That reporter answered, "well, the magic people at the end of the phone."
More questions for Scott McClellan. He said he found it amusing and said repeatedly that it's the first he's heard of it, but then goes off to investigate.
The bottom line comes at the end of the transcript. The channels on Air Force One will be changed to the channel requested, which is CNN.
If you want to read this transcript for yourself, we've posted it at CNN.com/situationreport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: You know on JetBlue you can watch whatever you want.
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: Maybe they should rig them up with that deal, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: But fewer televisions, I think, on Air Force One.
M. O'BRIEN: Maybe that's the problem. All right.
S. O'BRIEN: It could be. It could be that. M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, gas prices expected to go even higher. I'd tell you now to go fill up today, but it'll probably start a run on the gas station, so don't do it. Wait until I get there.
S. O'BRIEN: And Britain's Prince Harry taking on a new project, really following the work of his late mother. We'll tell you what he's doing coming up in just a moment.
M. O'BRIEN: And her name means miracle in Spanish. We'll tell you why the little girl born with "mermaid syndrome" is living up to that name.
But first, a look at what else is making news on this Friday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: The woman who says she was raped by three Duke lacrosse players apparently filed a police report 10 years ago, when she was 14, allegedly that three men sexually assaulted her. The Associated Press report said none of the three men was ever charged in the alleged incident.
A Florida brushfire temporarily shut down part of Interstate 95. The fire jumped the highway in St. John near Cocoa Beach. It's said to be now under control.
And Chevron is out this morning with its quarterly earnings report. Yesterday, ExxonMobil announced that it earned more than $8 billion.
M. O'BRIEN: And so how will Chevron do, Carrie Lee? Want to predict?
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oil stocks have been doing very well lately.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Well, we'll just say not oil well, just well.
LEE: Right.
M. O'BRIEN: Just well.
LEE: Exactly. A play on words there...
M. O'BRIEN: Why don't we begin with oil?
LEE: Let's talk about oil. Four days in a row now oil prices have actually been coming down, so we're just about 70 bucks a barrel now.
The latest here, China has raised its interest rates, trying to cool its very fast-growing economy. China, the number two consumer of oil in the world, and so the thinking here of course that demand for oil will slow in China. That's help pushing oil prices down here. Also, the World Bank may have resolved a dispute with Chad, which had threatened to shutoff its pipeline. So both of those things sending oil prices down lower.
Yesterday, though, stocks ended in the plus column, in part because of words from Fed Chief Ben Bernanke. He came out talking to Congress, saying that the Fed could potentially take a break from raising interest rates. Said they are data driven, constantly reevaluating their forecast. He said that the Fed will keep an eye on high energy prices, the slow housing market to see if those things put a crimp in our economy.
But still, Wall Street took this as a sign that when the Fed next meets in May, we could see another point hike there. That's pretty much a given. And then after that, we could see a stop, at least temporarily, on rate hikes.
So here's where we finished yesterday. This morning, though, it is looking like a weak start on Wall Street. And that's widely, at least as far as techs are concerned, because of Microsoft.
The software giant missed estimates on profit and sales for the recent quarter. They are giving guidance for this year, ending June, that also falls short of some estimates. They're trying to spend a lot more money on R&D, research and development, to try to keep things moving forward.
S. O'BRIEN: I can see that. All right.
LEE: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Carrie, thank you very much.
LEE: Sure.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Carrie Lee. Appreciate that.
S. O'BRIEN: Have you heard this story about the shooting in Seattle? It's so bizarre. It involves police investigators. And now they have this incredibly improbable clue.
Carol has got this story. She's in the newsroom this morning.
This is a weird one, this really is.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a strange story. And it ends sadly, but, you're right, in 20 years of reporting, I have never seen something like this.
In Seattle, I'm going to set the scene for you now, police are called to a busy city street. There's a young man holding a gun. That's what eyewitnesses say.
When police arrive, the 18-year-old suspect has the gun behind his back. It was stuffed down the back of his pants. As police order him to lie on the ground, police say he pulls the gun out of his pants and points it at officers like that.
Take a look at the suspect's gun. One of the officer's bullets enters the barrel of the suspect's gun and jams into the cylinder of the young man's revolver. You see that there, just a tiny bit. It actually pushed another bullet out.
The officers fired seven shots in all. The suspect died at the scene. There is an investigation under way. But police say the position of the bullet in the suspect's gun proved beyond a shadow of a doubt he indeed pointed that revolver at police.
S. O'BRIEN: That is so strange, isn't it?
M. O'BRIEN: So...
COSTELLO: I've never seen anything like that.
S. O'BRIEN: So he -- the officer fires a gun. He fires it directly into the suspect's drawn gun.
M. O'BRIEN: Into the barrel.
S. O'BRIEN: Which, of course, in these kinds of shootings is always a debate, you know did the suspect draw the gun? And so what we're seeing here, that little tip right in the middle,...
COSTELLO: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: ... that's the cop's bullet poking through the chamber?
COSTELLO: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: And that bullet pushed out the other bullet that killed the guy?
COSTELLO: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: Wow!
COSTELLO: Isn't that something else?
S. O'BRIEN: That's a bizarre shot.
COSTELLO: Yes. Well they're investigating.
M. O'BRIEN: Wow!
COSTELLO: And they're trying to piece it all together exactly what happened. But seven shots were fired in all. It was just a strange twist of fate that one of those bullets entered the barrel of that gun, the cylinder of that gun and came out the back.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, wow!
All right, Carol, thanks for that. M. O'BRIEN: Wow, what a shot. All right.
Still to come this morning, the nationwide opening of "Flight 93." Are you ready for this movie about 9/11? We're live on the story.
WOLF: And nice and quiet through much of the country. However, for the Central and Southern Plains, we have a potential for a severe weather outbreak. We're going to watch this area for you very carefully and let you know what you can expect for the weekend ahead.
CNN's AMERICAN MORNING will continue in a few moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Some of the top stories we're taking a look at at CNN.com this morning.
This little girl, her name is Milagros, or miracle, and now Peru's miracle baby is taking some steps, a little bit of help there. It's been nearly a year since doctors successfully separated her legs. The birth defect that she had was known as "mermaid syndrome."
Barry Bonds needs four more home runs to top Babe Ruth's 714. Don't expect a party, though. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says the league will celebrate if and when Bonds tops Hank Aaron's total of 755.
And Apple more friendly to the environment, the computer company says it's going to recycle old Mac PCs for free and anybody who buys a new one as well.
Rosie O'Donnell back to daytime TV. She's reportedly going to replace Meredith Vieira on ABC's "The View." An official announcement is expected today. O'Donnell is going to join Barbara Walters and the rest of the crew in September.
M. O'BRIEN: Reynolds Wolf watching the weather for us.
Hello, -- Reynolds.
WOLF: Hello.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Miles, back to you.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, -- Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet, -- sir.
M. O'BRIEN: Are you ready for the "United 93" movie as it arrives at a theater near you today? As you know, it's the heart- wrenching story of the passengers who fought back, sending that plane down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, instead of the Capitol. There was a preview last night in D.C. CNN's Brianna Keilar is live in Washington.
Brianna, good morning.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
We spoke with a lot of people who feel differently about the timing of this movie. Some said they are just not ready to see 9/11 played out on the movie screen, but others said they are hoping the movie can answer some questions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Runway 4 left clear for takeoff.
KEILAR (voice-over): The memories of 9/11 are so painful, still so raw, the trailer from the new movie "United 93" was pulled from a movie theater in New York after complaints. Some say it's too soon to see that day on the big screen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, it brings back memories that I would rather not relive.
KEILAR: But some of the biggest advocates for the movie are the people most closely connected to the doomed fate of the flight, like Elsa Strong. Her sister died on Flight 93 and now she's promoting the movie.
ELSA STRONG, 9/11 VICTIM FAMILY MEMBER: We all felt the same sense of relief after seeing the movie that it had been done so well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are not going to land this plane. They are not going to take us back to the airport.
KEILAR: Mary Alice Mankamyer, a volunteer ambassador for the Flight 93 Memorial, says the movie sends an important message.
MARY ALICE MANKAMYER, VOLUNTEER AMBASSADOR, FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL: Don't ever think that a decision that you make just affects you. It affects everybody around you and may affect the whole world.
KEILAR: But at a premiere of the movie at Georgetown University just a few miles from the Pentagon, some people said embellishing the events of Flight 93 may just be unavoidable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Most likely it's Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: "United 93" might be the first 9/11 movie to make it to the silver screen, but it won't be the last. Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" is scheduled to open in theaters in early August.
Miles, back to you.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Brianna Keilar. S. O'BRIEN: I have a girlfriend whose husband was one of the pilots on Flight 93. And she said it's so disturbing to have the movie kind of done around you and to see yourself and someone you love portrayed. You know they offered a screening ahead of time to the family members. And you know she said on one hand you feel like you have to see it, because people ask you and you want to be able to comment with authority.
M. O'BRIEN: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: On the other hand, though, I would imagine...
M. O'BRIEN: What does she think of it?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I don't think she's processed it all yet.
M. O'BRIEN: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: You know she doesn't really know.
M. O'BRIEN: Wow!
S. O'BRIEN: Weird. It's kind of a weird thing.
We're going to take a look at the morning's top stories straight ahead this morning, including this. Can you hear it? That's "The Star-Spangled Banner."
M. O'BRIEN: I should cover my heart.
S. O'BRIEN: Don't recognize the words? That's because it's in Spanish. This version is going to hit radio stations across the country today.
M. O'BRIEN: Ay caramba.
S. O'BRIEN: And there are lots of people saying ay caramba. This one is called "Nuestro Himno." I am not joking. It's intended to be a song of solidarity. Well, some folks, though, aren't taking it that way. We're going to talk about this controversy just ahead.
M. O'BRIEN: And then there's Bob Franken -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well here in Washington, we have a lot of people who say they want to do something about the energy prices, but they are contributing to it. We'll talk about that when AMERICAN MORNING continues in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
