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CNN Live Sunday
National Immigration Demonstrations Expected Tomorrow; Huge Turnout for Darfur Rally; Darfur Rebels Balk at Signing Peace Plan
Aired April 30, 2006 - 16:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In the midst of an energy crisis. Get used to it, says the country's energy secretary. It could be years before gas prices come down. And then get cooking with a fuel alternative which involves a trip down the baking aisle at your local grocery store.
Also, police video -- car thieves caught on tape behind the wheel. Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headlines.
Darfur rebels balk at signing a peace plan. The Sudanese government agreed to sign the deal endorsed by the African Union. It is aimed at ending the bloodshed the Bush administration calls a genocide.
And you're now looking at live pictures from the nation's capital. You're looking at Nick Clooney, alongside his son actor George Clooney. Among those speaking and among the many folks who have turned out in the nation's capitol there to call attention to the killing and the plight in Sudan. We'll take you there live in a moment.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Iran is playing games by offering snap inspections of its nuclear sites. She says the world community is solid in its opposition to Iran developing nuclear weapons.
Brush fires damage at least two dozen homes in southwest Florida. Fires in Lee County have blackened more than 1500 acres. Two 10-year- old boys have been arrested for allegedly starting the fires.
We will start with the energy crisis. That's the word used today by the Bush administration, crisis. Top officials warned there is no simple way to get the cost of gas back down. But opponents are urging the White House to try something new. CNN's Ed Henry reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time a senior Bush official is calling America's energy problem a crisis and said it may take three years to lower gas prices.
SAMUEL BODMAN, ENERGY SECRETARY: There's apparently some evidence that we have a crisis. There's a lot of concern about this and so the president is looking at everything, every tool at his disposal to put to work on it. And so I'm not embarrassed by that. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you call it a crisis?
BODMAN: I would call it that. Yes, I think that there's great concern.
HENRY: Democrats charge this shows President Bush's plan to increase supply, promote investment in alternative fuels and investigate price gouging falls short.
SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: All I had to do was look at Mr. Bodman's body language and what he said. We think we have a crisis. I'm not embarrassed. What is that?
HENRY: The White House is facing new pressure from a conservative Republican, Trent Lott who says he's now open to a Democratic plan to tax the huge profits oil companies are reaping.
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R), MISSISSIPPI: This may come as a shock to you, but I'm going to keep my options open. The message to the oil companies is hold down your price of gasoline and it better start sliding back the other way. If they don't control it and if they continue to have prices go up, profits go up and salaries go up, Congress will do something.
HENRY: But experts point out raising taxes or a Senate Republican plan to give consumers $100 gas rebates will have little impact on prices in the short term. The long-term problem is America's dependence on foreign oil.
JAMES WOOLSEY, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: That's why we need to keep -- need to start dealing with these problems now. So the next time this comes up, we won't be wringing our hands.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: The president has already shot down the idea of a windfall tax and the White House is not likely to look kindly on another Democratic proposal floating around now to break up the big oil companies. Today Democrat Chuck Schumer charged the companies are basically stifling competition and it may be time for the Senate to take a look at, in his words, a little good old fashioned trust busting. Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Henry at the White House.
Get involved Washington. That's the message thousands of voices strong from the crowd packing the national mall today. They are concerned with the deadly violence plaguing the Darfur region of Sudan. We want to take you straight to the national mall right now where actor George Clooney is along side his dad Nick Clooney just now speaking and finishing up on his message helping to attract so many people to the national mall today. Our Brianna Keilar is on the mall. Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. We just heard from George Clooney, one of the more anticipated speakers of the day. He just got back recently from a visit to Sudan and he's been sharing his experiences there.
But we also heard in the last hour from Illinois Senator Barack Obama. And he said quote, silence, acquiescence, paralysis in the face of genocide is wrong. He also went on to say that the U.S. has done a better job about recognizing what is going on in Sudan than European countries and that's true in fact. The United States is responsible for most of the aid that has been given to Sudan. But Obama also said the U.S. needs to do more.
That's really what the organizers of this rally are trying to send. That's the message they are trying to send. The speakers today have really run the gamut from all walks of life including some people who have seen genocide firsthand like Elie Wiesel, holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIE WIESEL, NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE: Darfur today is the world's capital of human suffering. Not to offer our help, not to urge or governments to intervene in any manner possible, is to condemn us on grounds of immorality. Darfur deserves to live. We are its only hope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Another man who saw genocide unfold around him, Paul Rusesabagina, the man who the movie "Hotel Rwanda" is based around. He spoke earlier and he is joined by people like Def Jam record CEO Russell Simmons, Def Jam records CEO Russell Simmons and George Clooney, people who are trying to throw their star power into this to get awareness out. Here is what George Clooney had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR/ACTIVIST: That the U.S. policy, the UN and the world's policy on Sudan is failing. World leaders will tell you that the policy will keep us from intervening. Well fortunately this is not a dictatorship. You make the policy. All of you here, all of you here decide what is right, and what is wrong. We're at the doorstep of something we thought was impossible to dream of in the 21st century. If we turn our heads and look away and hope that it will all disappear, then they will, all of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Organizers of this rally have also put together a post card campaign. They have these post cards that are addressed to President Bush and they are trying to get a million people to put their names on these postcards, send them to the president to send them the message that they want the U.S. to do more than it is already doing. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Brianna Keilar, thanks so much from the nation's capital.
Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek will soon be speaking at the Darfur rally and he'll join us later at 6:00 Eastern, 3:00 Pacific live right here on CNN.
Darfur's plight is not a new one. The people of western Sudan were already in dire need when the current conflict three years ago pushed them into full on despair. CNN's Jeff Koinange reports that both time and resources have nearly run out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Darfur, a dry, desolate swath of land, the western part of Sudan, about the size of Texas. A land where tens of thousands of black Africans have been systematically slaughtered by an Arab militia known as the Janjaweed that the United Nations says is sponsored by the Sudanese government itself. Where tens of thousands of women like Miriam Ibrahim have been raped and mutilated, and millions more forced to flee their homes.
It's in camps like this that the poorest of the poor find refuge. But only for a short while as the few eight agencies still able to operate here are constantly being attacked by the Janjaweed. Death, disease, and despair, it's genocide in the 21st century.
JAN EGELAND, U.N. UNDERSECRETARY, HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: It's the biggest human drama of our time, three million lives are at stake. Three million people need food every day.
KOINANGE: Food and water and shelter, but most of all, security. There are only 7,000 mostly African peacekeepers on the ground, one for every 4,000 refugees.
EGELAND: We need to have resources if we are to avoid massive loss of life. We hope that all those watching can give money to the United Nations or to the nongovernmental organizations or to the Red Cross. I don't care as long as the money goes to the people in Darfur.
KOINANGE: The U.N.'s top humanitarian may as well be speaking a foreign language. A handful of countries have contributed more than a $100 million in aid this year. But the U.N. says it would need five times that amount to prevent millions of people from becoming extinct in plain sight. Jeff Koinange, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Tomorrow could be a costly day for the U.S. economy. Massive immigrant-led immigrations (sic) are planned in cities across America. Immigrants plan to walk off their jobs and skip school. Supporters will rally against proposed laws declaring illegal immigrants felons. It's a grass roots project with a growing following. Our Thelma Gutierrez takes us inside.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The great march, massive student walk-outs, the national day of action.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's never been done in the history of the Mexican Latino civil rights movement in the U.S.
GUTIERREZ: All building toward May 1, the great American boycott. Supporters are asked to boycott work, school and not spend any money to show their economic power.
Who is behind this? We go to what's called the lion's den.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Concentrate on the phone banking. Concentrate on the phone calls.
GUTIERREZ: For a behind the scenes look at the force driving the marches. We are not talking about PR executives with big advertising budgets or high profile national leaders. We're talking about people like Jesse Diaz, a gardener and a Ph.D candidate who is putting himself and his daughter through college by cleaning yards. In six weeks he's traveled to 20 different cities to help strategize.
JESSE DIAZ, RALLY ORGANIZER: We feel we're in a position to keep the pressure on to gain amnesty for the 11 or 12 million undocumented folks that are here now.
GUTIERREZ: It was protests against the minutemen, self-appointed protectors of the border that moved Diaz, a U.S. citizen, to take a stand against what he believes is racism. That's what propelled him from this to this.
DIAZ: It has brought us all together with the same interest, the interest of the community, the interest of 12 million folks right, that are looking for our leadership.
GUTIERREZ: Using donated tickets, Diaz has traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago, New York and Washington, often with no place to stay, sleeping at people's homes and community centers.
DIAZ: It's been hard organizing it because we don't have no money. We have very little money to go across the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a sacrifice to be made. I think people are willing to sacrifice for justice and a humane immigration law.
GUTIERREZ: In fact for some of the organizers who live paycheck to paycheck; that means no full income for the past six weeks. But Diaz says it is worth it.
DIAZ: We're not settling for learning and reading about history. We are making its, brothers and sisters, we are making it.
GUTIERREZ: Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And in about 20 minutes from now, I'll talk with one of the other organizers behind Monday's boycott, Javier Rodriguez. That's at 5:30 Eastern. Events are planned at more than 60 cities across the nation. To give you the best coverage CNN has teamed up with the Spanish language television network Univision. Beginning in the east, we'll have live reports from New York, Washington, Miami, Chicago and Atlanta.
Moving west, we'll be live in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles as well as Mexico City. And you can count on our local affiliates to provide coverage from other cities. CNN.com is preparing photo galleries and web blogs and for streaming live footage of events, check CNN pipeline. And watch reports by our Spanish language network, CNN en Espanol.
Our coverage goes throughout the day starting at 6:00 a.m. with "AMERICAN MORNING."
What's the hold up for a memorial for United flight 93? We'll tell you. That story straight ahead.
And why is our Ed Lavandera being cuffed. It's all part of a new police tactic to bait car thieves and catch them in the act.
And speaking of cars, it may look like American classic, but wait until you see what is under the hood. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Bombing, grenade attacks and execution, Iraq saw it all again today. This was a roadside bombing on a U.S. military convoy. Iraqi police say some U.S. troops were hurt but U.S. military officials have not confirmed that. Attacks elsewhere in Iraq killed at least 10 people including three private security contractors and two Iraqi children.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is talking about Iraq's future and the future of U.S. troops there. She told CNN's "LATE EDITION" today Iraqi forces are making significant progress in their military training.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: There's no doubt that their forces are getting better. There's no doubt that we are doing fewer of the kind of large scale operations though from time to time we do. And there's no doubt that as they get better, we're going to be able to do less. But we really do want it to be based on conditions on the ground. So do the Iraqis. If there's anything that they recognize that they are not quite ready for these tasks that they want to take that responsibility and we should want them to take it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: $2.92 a gallon, that's the national average today for regular gas. The higher octanes, you don't want to know. It's enough to make you want to leave the car at home, bike to work or walk or dogsled, anything but pay this much for gasoline. At least the high mileage models give you some relief. More and more Americans these days are looking for any reason to steer clear of the pump. Peter Viles reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three dollar gas makes people do some strange things like pouring vegetable oil into the gas tank of a classic Mercedes.
BRIAN FRIEDMAN, LOVECRAFT BIO-FUELS: 100 percent vegetable oil, Wesson, Mazola, you put it straight in the tank.
VILES: Lovecraft Bio-fuels sells old diesel sedans that have been converted to run on vegetable oil which sells for about $2.25 a gallon.
FRIEDMAN: The money stays in the U.S. economy and it's a clean burning car. There's just winners all the way around.
VILES: This woman likes the retro look of the car but --
CLEO BAUDENBACHER, CAR SHOPPER: I still visualizing myself putting gallons of vegetable oil in my tank.
VILES: The drawback is you need a diesel engine which rules out 96 percent of the cars sold in America. Ethanol blends like E-85, that's 85 percent ethanol, can be cheaper than gas in some places but E-85 is not widely available. You see electric vehicles on the road, but no major car maker is marketing them to consumers who complain about having to charge them so often. Politicians talk a lot about hydrogen and fuel cells.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What you're witnessing here is the beginning of a major change in the driving habits of the American people.
VILES: But the fact is, you cannot buy a fuel cell vehicle today and no one knows for sure when or even if Detroit will produce them. That leaves the old fashioned option, shop for a mass produced car that gets better gas mileage. A good rule of thumb fewer cylinders means more miles per gallon.
JOE CARRACCIOLO, COLONIAL HONDA: A lot of the four cylinder cars are very very popular right now.
VILES: Hybrids, which run on gas and electricity offer the best mileage. This Honda Civic hybrid gets an estimated 51 miles per gallon on the highway and 49 in the city. It's roughly $4,000 more than the conventional Civic and there's often a waiting list, but you do get a Federal tax credit of up to $2,000 if you buy one. One more thing to consider if you're shopping for a new car and you're very concerned about gas mileage and that is that you cannot rely on the accuracy of those EPA gas mileage estimates that are on that sticker in the window of a new car. In almost every case, your actual mileage when you drive the car is not going to be as good as those EPA numbers. Pete Viles for CNN, Glendale, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Other headlines making news across America. Two 10- year-old boys are under arrest for allegedly setting a series of brush fires in south west Florida. Police say a third juvenile is wanted in the case. The fires have scorched more than 1500 acres and damaged or destroyed nearly two dozen homes.
A world famous skyscraper undercover. The lights on the New York Empire State building have been turned off for the weekend to show people what the city's skyline looked like before the landmark building was there. The lights go back on tomorrow to mark the building's 75 birthday.
The first weekend of New Orleans famous jazz fest wraps up with Bruce Springsteen storming the stage tonight. The party is far from over though. Part two comes next weekend with Paul Simon, Keith Urban and Fats Domino all scheduled to perform.
Fast wheels with the keys inside. Too good to be true, you bet it is, catching crooks made easy.
And later, American classics on the streets of Havana. You might be surprised at what it takes to keep them running.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Catching a fish bait and hook, catching a car thief, bait a car. CNN's Ed Lavandera has the story. It premiered on CNN's "PAULA ZAHN NOW."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ever wonder what car thieves do once they've swiped a hot new ride? Well, thanks to the magic of hidden cameras, now you can see for yourself.
First, they always look around for something else to steal. Some smile and laugh; some reach for the car's cell phone. Some brag about how easy it was.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just got in (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I got it from Wal-Mart (inaudible). I parked right next to it. They left their keys in it.
LAVANDERA: And the car thieves are as diverse as the cars they steal. There are male thieves and female thieves. There are young ones and even older ones.
Some like to drive to rap music; some prefer to go a little bit country.
Believe it or not, most put on their seatbelts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put on your seatbelt.
LAVANDERA: But there's nothing quite like that moment when the thieves realize they've been caught red-handed. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The AC...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait a minute. Is this a camera? Look.
LAVANDERA: These cameras are used by dozens of police departments nationwide in vehicles known as bait cars. Reid Stacy is a Dallas police officer. He says using these cars to catch criminals is just like hunters trying to catch their prey.
REID STACY, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT: You know, if you go hunting, you've got to know exactly what you're looking for and you've got to know what kind of equipment you need to take care of the job.
LAVANDERA: Stacy and his fellow officers in the Dallas PD auto theft squad have a fleet of bait cars -- they won't say exactly how many -- but this Honda Civic is just the kind of car thieves love to steal. But you definitely don't want to steal this particular car.
ALBERT ALANIS, DALLAS POLICE OFFICER: For someone that doesn't know, they don't even think about that. They see the nice stereo, they see the nice wheels. You know, they hear the engine. The nice seats will be stripped for another vehicle.
LAVANDERA: The officers leave the bait cars in the parts of town where cars are most often stolen. Then they wait for the criminal to take the bait.
(on camera): All right, they're setting up the bait car now. The way it's going to work is, once it's armed, the moment this door opens, it triggers the alarm and sets off the videotape. And we'll take it out for a test drive.
Car's on. Looking around, you can't -- you know you're being videotaped, but you can't really see the camera anywhere.
(voice-over): A few miles away, in the police department's dispatch center, the bait car's movement sets off the alarm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once the alarm goes off, here are the GPS coordinates of where the actual car is at. And once you start moving, you'll start to know when that car is moving and speed it's heading, and the direction it's traveling in.
LAVANDERA (on camera): I guess if I were really stealing this car, I'd be out of the parking lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell right now that he has got the ignition on and he is traveling 19 miles an hour.
LAVANDERA: Everything seems to be going well so far.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can disable the ignition on that car at a click of a button.
LAVANDERA: I'm in second gear, and the car has completely just stalled out. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The car is coming to a stop.
LAVANDERA: I'm trying to restart it, but nothing. Nothing. The car's -- car's dead.
(voice-over): As the car stalls out, the doors lock.
(on camera): That's it. I'm stuck. I can't get out. I can't open the doors.
(voice-over): Officers swoop in and make the arrest.
(on camera): It wasn't me, you know.
(voice-over): And just like that, our joy ride is over.
(on camera): Nice.
(voice-over): Because of these bait cars, Dallas police say auto theft has dropped 10 percent in the last year. Police departments nationwide are reporting similar trends. Officers hope it makes thieves think twice.
GREG FREGEUA, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT: Just the thought of it possibly being one of our cars, hopefully someone will have second thoughts on stealing that car.
LAVANDERA: Richard Henderson has a lot of time to think about those bait cars. He was caught stealing one of them last year. We spoke inside the prison unit, where he's now serving a 35-year sentence for theft.
RICHARD HENDERSON, CONVICTED CAR THIEF: When I came over there, the music was up loud, the windows are left down and the truck is running. So I just got in the truck and drove off.
LAVANDERA: Officers dropped the truck off at a convenient store. Within moments, Henderson and a friend jump in and drive off. They drive for several minutes before police roll up on them. Henderson says he had no idea bait cars existed. The night he stole the truck, he says he was looking to make some quick money.
HENDERSON: When you're doing drugs, anything to get the next high, you're going to do it.
LAVANDERA: Henderson says leaving these cars in poor neighborhoods just isn't fair. He says what do you expect when something so tempting just sits there?
HENDERSON: If you set a truck out there with tools and stuff on the back of it, yes, it's going to get took. They know that. That's the problem. That's why they do it. They set a car out there with $2,000, $3,000 rim on it, yes, it's going to get took.
LAVANDERA: The FBI estimates that about 1.2 million cars are stolen every year in the United States. Police officers hope bait cars will help slow that trend down. Word appears to be spreading on the street. Proof is on the videotape. Just listen to these thieves wonder out loud if the car they're driving is a trap.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about those cars that you talked about where people leave them and (INAUDIBLE).
LAVANDERA: Listen to how confident the driver is that this isn't one of those cars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They would have done it in the mall parking lot where it would have been safe to.
LAVANDERA: But when the police lights turn on, some just freak out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn, he got the gun out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up in the car. Hands up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn.
LAVANDERA: The prize for the most entertaining bait car goes to the Columbus, Ohio, Police Department when a thief gets caught here...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, look what the...
LAVANDERA: The radio starts blaring the theme song to "Cops."
There's not much Richard Henderson can do. But this car thief has one piece of jailhouse advice.
HENDERSON: You all make sure you all stay away from those trucks or those cars.
LAVANDERA: Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And that story comes to us from "PAULA ZAHN NOW." Make sure you join Paula weeknights at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.
A look now at our top stories. A massive rally is under way in Washington at this hour. Demonstrators are calling on the Bush administration and the international community to do more to stop the violence in Sudan's Darfur region.
Mediators say chances of a peace deal in Darfur are 50/50. The Sudanese government says it is ready to sign a plan drafted by the African union mediators. The deadline for the warring parties to accept the proposal is today but rebels are refusing to sign.
The new White House chief of staff warns there is no silver bullet that will reduce gas prices. Appearing on the Sunday talk shows Josh Bolten said, "The only solution is for the U.S. to reduce its dependence on foreign oil." The opening weekend of the first New Orleans jazz and heritage festival since Hurricane Katrina ends in a few hours. Rocker Bruce Springsteen wraps up tonight's performances.
We all know about the Cuban missile crisis when the U.S. and the Soviet Union almost went to war over nuclear weapons in Cuba. Well now some car owners there are asking can't we all just get along? Their cars do. Because of U.S. and Russian know how and Cuban ingenuity. Morgan Neill explains in one of the "Best of CNN" pieces.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: '56 Dodge pulling out from Havana's Hotel National brings to mind images from gangster movies half a century ago. But this is no godfather. It's more like Frankenstein. Under these elegant exteriors lie an unholy mix of parts cobbled together from any source at hand.
TRANSLATION OF ALFONSO GIL, 54 CHEVY OWNER: We make adaptations a lot of Russian parts are put in because there aren't American parts here. So we put in Russian parts. A lot of inventions so it will run.
NEILL: That's right. Parts made by former cold war adversaries battling it out inside the cars themselves. The elegance of the American classics with the utilitarian heart of a Russian lava and that's not all. Newer cars are available here but most Cubans can't afford them and American replacement parts are not to be had. Of necessity the owners of these cars are masters of ingenuity. They can find their way around almost any problem using, for example, this shampoo.
TRANSLATION: At the time of the economic crisis brake fluid was hard to get. But we know what it's made of and we use substitutes. For example, we use shampoo for brake fluid, shampoo diluted in water, a fairly crazy mixture.
NEILL: While the old cars tend to be romanticized it's worth remembering this side, hours upon hours spent under the hood. But when those polish pistons and that French carburetor working just right to keep that Russian motor humming, it's hard to imagine a better ride. Morgan Neill, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Nice ride. Well what was Havana like when those classic cars first rolled off the assembly line decades ago? Actor Andy Garcia shows us tonight at 10:00 eastern. He'll talk with CNN about his directorial debut in his new film "The Lost City".
Tomorrow is May 1st and in more than 60 cities across the country events are planned for the so-called day without immigrants. Straight ahead I'll speak with Javier Rodriguez, an organizer of one of the rallies.
And later -- who's going to pay for the memorial to the United Flight 93? That's what one congressman wants to know before groundbreaking begins. More on that story straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's an explosion at the Pentagon. An explosion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: We've all heard about what happened onboard United flight 93 on September 11. This weekend movie goers shelled out more than $11.5 million in tickets to see Hollywood's version. "United 93" debuted a respectable second at the weekend box office just behind "RV". According to a Universal Pictures survey, more than half of "United 93's" audiences were married couples and nearly three-quarters were the age of 30 and older. A planned memorial for victims of United flight 93 has run into funding problems for a third straight year. A lone republican congressman is holding up federal funding until other money issues can be resolved. CNN's Brian Todd has the story which you may have first seen in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Who could forget that smoking wreckage, the only real image we have of United flight 93's final moments on September 11. Now controversy surrounds that very field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Controversy over the allocation of land and money.
HAMILTON PETERSON, FATHER, STEPMOTHER DIED ON FLT. 93: That community has changed from a quiet area into now an extreme hot spot in terms of tourists.
TODD: Families of flight 93 victims on the west steps of the capitol already emotional from their screening of a new movie about their loved one's heroic struggle against the hijackers. Now they say they're concerned that funding from congress for a flight 93 memorial has been held up for possibly a third straight fiscal year by one congressman, republican Charles Taylor of North Carolina. We spoke to David Beamer whose son Todd was quoted as saying, "Let's roll" to overtake the hijackers.
DAVID BEAMER, SON DIED ON FLIGHT 93: It's been enough time for the process to run its course and for our elected officials to get on board.
TODD: But Congressman Taylor has his own concerns like how much taxpayers will have to shell out. More than half the nearly $60 million projected for the flight 93 memorial is supposed to come from private fund raising, the rest from the federal government and the state of Pennsylvania. But Taylor cites other projects like the Oklahoma City bombing memorial where private money didn't materialize as promised. In a statement Taylor said, "What we do not want to do is embarrass the country or the families of those aboard flight 93 with a memorial that is only partially funded." David Beamer and the other relatives of flight 93 victims say they're not angry that this funding has been held up but they just want to get the process done and the memorial construction started. As one of them pointed out, they wouldn't even be here at the foot of an intact capitol building if it weren't for their relatives.
A reference to the 9/11 commission's finding that the capitol may have been the intended target of the hijackers on flight 93. Congressman Taylor says he'll make sure the passengers and crew on that plane will get what he calls a realistic and lasting tribute. But neither Taylor nor anyone else will predict if the goal of unveiling that memorial on September 11, 2011 will be met. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And you can join Wolf Blitzer and the team in "THE SITUATION ROOM" each weekday at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.
Businesses across the country brace for another big walk-out. It's called a day without immigrants. Ahead I'll talk to one of the organizers behind tomorrow's planned demonstration.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In about 15 minutes more of CNN LIVE SUNDAY with Susan Roesgen. How are you?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: During just great Fredricka. At 6:00 you know we all know the struggle, we here often about the struggles of military families at home while the men are serving in Iraq. Certainly the struggles of military wives but what about military husbands, the husbands of wives who are serving over there. They have some unique problems and we'll be talking to a guy whose wife is an army medic in Iraq.
Then at 10 o'clock who's going to work tomorrow and who's staying home. We've got this real debate about immigration in this country, huge rallies planned in many cities across the country tomorrow. We'll be talking to two people on either side of the immigration fence, if you will.
WHITFIELD: All right. Perfect segue into our next segment. Susan Roesgen thanks so much.
ROESGEN: You bet.
WHITFIELD: Supporters say it is making history. A day of national demonstrations set to take place in more than 60 cities across America tomorrow. Javier Rodriguez with the March 25th Coalition in Los Angeles is a spokesperson for the boycott. Good to see you Javier.
JAVIER RODRIGUEZ, MARCH 25TH COALITION: Thank you very much. Good evening to all of you.
WHITFIELD: Well, what is expected tomorrow? How large is this gathering expected to be across the country? RODRIGUEZ: It will be tens of millions from coast to coast, from Los Angeles to New York. You can expect L.A. to be at a standstill. Almost totally you will not have truckers, you will not have taxi drivers, garment workers, hotel workers, restaurant workers, half of the teacher force will not be going to school, you can expect that almost 100 percent of the students from junior high to high schools and more than likely also elementary will not be going to school. You will not be expecting any --
WHITFIELD: And why Javier, that sounds pretty disruptive. Why not the other options that have been tossed around from other immigrant advocates who have said why not have a gathering after school, after work. One I'd have this would be a day of community service instead of a boycott? Instead of being so disruptive?
RODRIGUEZ: Because the Sensenbrenner Bill is still alive. And now we know that it was the Bush administration through the attorney general's office Alberto Gonzalez who included the clauses for criminalizing immigrants and the rest of the American public and we want to make sure that the Sensenbrenner Bill does not come into play when the so-called conference, conciliatory meetings, take place between the house and the senate version.
WHITFIELD: Are you concerned at all, though, that instead of simply getting people's attention, instead this sort of planned boycott may alienate a rather significant portion of this community?
RODRIGUEZ: No, on the contrary. The rest of the American public supports the boycott just as you have seen the polls say that -- say very clearly that 70 percent or more of the American public supports legalization for the undocumented -- let me also say that the boycott had an extended not just here in the United States it's all the way -- to all of Mexico, Central America, even Europe. In Mexico --
WHITFIELD: You think this gathering is going to offer the kind of pressure that you're hoping will be applied in congress that perhaps it will mean instant amnesty to the some 11 million undocumented workers that you speak of?
RODRIGUEZ: I think we will have some similar effects as we had after we had a million plus people on the streets of L.A. on March 25th. Two days after on the 27th the republicans finally came out and put legalization on the table. This time around they know what our demands are. And we are expecting a respectable -- a respectable response from congress, yes.
WHITFIELD: Javier Rodriguez of the March 25th Coalition and now one of the organizers for tomorrows planned demonstrations as well. Thank you so much.
RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well a number of businesses will be shutting down tomorrow so immigrant workers can take part in this nationwide demonstration. Their reasons for doing so are as varied as the businesses they run. Our Ines Ferre has one employer's story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Francisco Guerrero, co-owner of a body shop on New York's Long Island says on any given weekday up to 16 cars get serviced here. But Monday they'll be closing up shop for the day in support of illegal immigrants.
FRANCISCO GUERRERO, AUTO SHOP CO-OWNER: We need to help them. Because we -- we were helped before.
FERRE: Francisco says he was forced to immigrate to the United States when he was 12 after civil war broke out in El Salvador. He was granted permanent residency and by age 24 he was serving in the U.S. Navy. He later saw duty in Desert Storm. Francisco says these are crucial times for immigrants.
GUERRERO: Through the years what Martin Luther King did here, Chavez did in California. So at this point we have to be part of this movement. We need to. Just because we are legal that doesn't change anything. We're still immigrants.
FERRE: All of his employees are immigrants, some documented, some still waiting for their papers. Even though Francisco openly shows his solidarity for the immigration movement, there is a fear among some that the movement may backfire. Days after the last public protests, raids carried out around the country led to the arrests of almost 1200 immigrants and brought the anxiety level up another notch.
One of Francisco's relatives who has permanent residence status but doesn't want to reveal his identity, fears that by openly supporting illegal immigrants he could somehow lose his residency and be deported.
Just by associating. He says he has a family. If he loses, he loses everything. But Francisco never forgets his roots. His father's picture reminds him of where he came from and why he's here.
GUERRERO: That's -- my family. Every day that I come to work I feel good because -- what I learned of my father. So it keep me doing the right thing.
FERRE: To him, that means closing shop on May 1st. Ines Ferre, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: CNN is bringing you extensive in-depth reports on the demonstrations from across the country. It all begins on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" at 6:00 a.m. Eastern tomorrow. Join us for this historic day.
And still ahead this hour --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Speaking of suspects, where is the great white hunter? I am sorry Vice President Cheney couldn't be here tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The president and his alter ego letting off some steam. We'll take you to the White House correspondent's dinner next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well it is rare to see a sitting president being lampooned and actually enjoy it. But last night at the annual White House correspondent's dinner President Bush let his hair down so to speak for a double dose of Dubya. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Members of the White House Correspondent's Association, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Here I am. I'm absolutely delighted to be here. As is Laura.
STEVE BRIDGES, IMPERSONATOR: She's hot.
BUSH: As you know, I always look forward to these dinners.
BRIDGES: It's just a bunch of media types. Hollywood liberals, democrats like Joe Biden. How come I can't have dinner with the 36 percent of the people who like me?
BUSH: It's good to see so many influential guests here tonight, Justice Scalia. Justice Alito.
BRIDGES: Yeah, all the usual suspects.
BUSH: Speaking of suspects, where is the great white hunter?
BRIDGES: I am sorry Vice President Cheney couldn't be here tonight.
BUSH: So I want to talk about some serious issues such as --
BRIDGES: Okay. Here it comes.
BUSH: Nuclear proliferation. Nuclear proliferation. Nuclear proliferation.
BRIDGES: Nukear proliberation.
BUSH: Ladies and gentlemen that ruggedly good looking guy right there is Steve Bridges. He's a fine talent. In fact, Steve did all my debates with Senator Kerry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And the president showing good comedic timing as well. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, Susan Roesgen and more of CNN FROM coming up. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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