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American Morning

Police Ambush; Fat Man Walking; Duke Rape Investigation

Aired May 09, 2006 - 06:31   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 for you.
A state of emergency in effect right now in Florida because of massive fires still burning there on Florida's east coast. Parts of Interstate 95 shutting down this morning in Brevard and Volusia County. Brushfires have made driving there dangerous.

The Food and Drug Administration asking a federal appeals court to restore a ban on those dietary supplements with low doses of Ephedra. Ephedra is a weight loss drug and is linked to several deaths.

In Australia, two miners trapped for two weeks, rescued and safe. The miners, look at them. They just walked right out "Rocky" style. They both were taken to a hospital to be checked out, however. Already one of them has signed himself out.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A deadly ambush outside a Fairfax County, Virginia, police station to tell you about this morning. Police say a teenage gunman targeted officers during their shift change. A veteran officer is now dead, two others are injured. The gunman also killed at the scene.

Let's get right to Carol Costello. She's live in the newsroom with more on this story.

Hey, Carol. Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.

Good morning to all of you.

Fairfax County Police say this was the work of one loan gunman. They're identifying the gunman as 18-year-old Michael Kennedy from Virginia. They say the teenager was armed with a high-powered rifle and two handguns. He was crouched between two cars in that parking lot when he opened fire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice over): A police station in Fairfax, Virginia, the unlikely scene of a deadly shootout between cops and a lone gunman. Police say the suspect pulled into the station parking lot at about 3:30 Monday afternoon and immediately opened fire on police. Three officers hit, one a female detective. A nine-year veteran of the force was killed in the crossfire.

CHIEF DAVID ROHRER, FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE: This is the first officer that we have lost to an assailant.

COSTELLO: One of the two wounded officers is in critical condition following surgery. The other officer suffered only minor wounds.

The gunman, who police have not identified, died at the scene. He was said to be heavily armed, carrying a rifle and two handguns. Official say the suspect tried unsuccessfully to steal a pickup truck from one civilian before confronting another.

MARY ANN JENNINGS, FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE SPOKESWOMAN: He was able to hijack at gunpoint a van. That van was driven onto the parking lot at the Sully station, and it's my understanding that he was outside the van, at least part of the time, when he was shooting.

COSTELLO: In a tragic irony, the shooting occurred on the same day the department was honoring officers who died this the line of duty. Now, as Fairfax Police begin their investigation, they're mourning the loss of one of their own.

ROHRER: The Fairfax County Police Department I'm very proud of. And we have a family, obviously, ourselves. My 1,320 officers, plus our civilian employees and all of our volunteers are grieving now as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: As for why, that is the big question this morning. Police had arrested this kid on a car-jacking charge, he was free on $33,000 bond. As for that detective who was killed allegedly by this young man, she had two small kids, she was married to another detective.

You know, Chantilly in Fairfax County isn't exactly known for violent crime. This is the very first officer killed in the line of duty for Fairfax County Police, and they are still trying to explain exactly why -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, it's such a sad story, isn't it? I mean, she -- her kids are in elementary school. They're so little to lose their mother. That's awful.

Carol, thanks for the update. Appreciate that.

Here's a look at some of the other stories that are happening "In America" this morning.

Rhode Island Democrats meeting at their state convention endorsed Congressman Patrick Kennedy for reelection. The congressman wasn't there. He's at the Mayo Clinic being treated for what he is calling an addiction to painkillers. Congressman Kennedy checked himself in following a car accident in D.C. last week.

The FDA is asking an appeals court to overrule a judge in Colorado and restore a ban on dietary supplements that contain low doses of Ephedra. Ephedra was banned two years ago after it was linked to several deaths.

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars toured areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. They're hoping to put the spotlight on the families that are still struggling with the aftermath of the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER GARNER, ACTRESS: It's just so much worse than you even can imagine. You know, if that happened in Los Angeles, in Bel Aire, believe me, believe me, there would be houses now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: That, of course, is a good point there. That, of course, is Jennifer Garner. You saw Reese Witherspoon, as well, Holly Robinson Peete. The tour, which was arranged by the Children's Defense Fund, was all part of an effort to help children who have been traumatized by Katrina's aftermath.

Two big surprises for an expected mom in Alabama. She went into labor a month early. OK. That's no big surprise. Yesterday morning that happened. With the help of her 8-year-old daughter and a neighbor she delivered twins. Theo the other big surprise, in the bathroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE, HELPED MOTHER DELIVER: My mom, she was like, "The baby is coming." And I rather and I caught it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: Wow.

S. O'BRIEN: She caught the baby.

You go, girl.

M. O'BRIEN: Good job, girl.

S. O'BRIEN: That's a good -- that's a good helper.

M. O'BRIEN: Wow.

S. O'BRIEN: The mom, and the twin, who are boys, right there -- look how cute they are -- they are both doing well.

M. O'BRIEN: Good for her.

S. O'BRIEN: It could be a big day for Barry Bonds today. The San Francisco Giants slugger takes aim at Babe Ruth tonight home against the Chicago Cubs. He's got 713 homers, just one behind Babe Ruth, for second on the career homerun list.

It will be interesting to see what happens, if that happens.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it will.

S. O'BRIEN: You know, this guy, we were talking about him yesterday.

M. O'BRIEN: I sure do.

S. O'BRIEN: Steve Vaught, the fat man walking -- that's his words, not ours -- walking. He is, of course -- all the way from the California coast, he went from San Diego and is arriving in New York.

M. O'BRIEN: He is 10 miles from New York City right now. As a matter of fact, I just checked out his Web site, fatmanwalking.com, and he's inviting people to meet him at the George Washington Bridge on the New Jersey side pedestrian walkway and walk over the bridge with him.

Let's check in with Kimberly Richardson of our New York affiliate, WABC.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY RICHARDSON, REPORTER, WABC (voice over): We caught up with Steve Vaught just outside of Fairfield, New Jersey, with stress fractures and blisters on both feet. He was about 24 miles from reaching his final stop, New York City. But how he got this far is what makes this father of two so remarkable. He left San Diego April 10th of last year and walked the whole way.

STEVE VAUGHT, CROSS COUNTRY WALKER: The change comes from duress. The change comes from hardship. And getting through those things is really -- is really a character-building thing if you make it so.

RICHARDSON: Step by step, he made it through Los Angeles, Flagstaff, St. Louis and Harrisburg. Why? Well, when the scale hit 410 pounds, Steve decided it was time to make a life change, and so he started walking. But over the time what he calls his walk of self discovery has evolved into so much more than just a weight loss plan.

VAUGHT: I've really come to understand that weight loss has very little to do with your body and almost everything to do with your mind. It's the condition you find yourself in emotionally that causes you to get to a point where you get to 400 pounds.

RICHARDSON: During his cross-country journey, Steve celebrated his 40th birthday, walked through the desert, 123 degrees, the plains, 15 degrees. He takes short breaks and even has a Web site fatmanwalking, where fans track his every move. And that show of support, he says, is what keeps him going.

VAUGHT: For me, the scale, the pedometers, the miles, they mean nothing. It's been -- it's been the journey. It's been the experience that's really counted, really mattered.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: That report from Kimberly Richardson of our affiliate WABC.

Now, Steve lost...

S. O'BRIEN: A hundred pounds.

M. O'BRIEN: ... 100 pounds throughout the course of this.

S. O'BRIEN: So he's down to 300-something, right? Because he started at 415.

M. O'BRIEN: He's a big guy, yes. That was part of what spurred him on.

Fifteen pairs of shoes, 12 pairs of pants, three shirts, 30 pairs of socks. Countless blisters.

S. O'BRIEN: Only three shirts?

M. O'BRIEN: I know. I was wonder about the shirts.

S. O'BRIEN: OK.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Anyway, let's not go there.

Anyway, so, 5:30 p.m., if you're in the New York -- the tri-state area, as they say, go meet him. I may get on my bike and go see him.

S. O'BRIEN: Really? That will be fun.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Take the kids. We'll go ride across the bridge.

S. O'BRIEN: That's a great idea.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Bring your DV cam and do a little interview with him.

M. O'BRIEN: That's it. That's what I'll do.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Bring the kids.

M. O'BRIEN: A little Franken (ph) cam kind of thing.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes. I like that.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Excellent. We'll check him out and we'll give you an update tomorrow as he finishes his journey.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. A short break. We're back in just a moment.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) M. O'BRIEN: Duke University now admits it was slow to respond to those rape allegations aimed at some lacrosse players, but the university claims it did not act faster because police apparently doubted the credibility of the woman who made the accusations.

For more on this, we are joined by Julia Lewis of our affiliate WRAL in Durham.

Good morning, Julia.

JULIA LEWIS, REPORTER, WRAL: Good morning, Miles.

You know, the Durham Police Department, as well as Duke University, are under fire because of their initial response to this case. You will remember this all stems from a rape accusation involving an exotic dancer and members of Duke's lacrosse team.

Now, the initial report came in on the early hours of March 14th, but university president Richard Brodhead didn't find out about these allegations until 10 days later. Duke officials say that's because they went on the word of Durham Police, who said they didn't think this woman's report was credible. We got the latest reaction from Duke University officials, as well as defense attorneys.

Let's here what they say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUE WASIOLEK, DUKE UNIVERSITY DEAN OF STUDENTS: It did not appear as though this case was really going to go very far because there were some real inconsistencies in some of the information that the alleged victim was providing.

WADE SMITH, ATTORNEY FOR COLLIN FINNERTY: It goes straight to her credibility, which is ground zero in this case. That -- that credibility of woman is ground zero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEWIS: Now, Wade Smith represents Collin Finnerty, one of two Duke lacrosse players charged with rape in this case. He says the fact that Durham Police told the -- told Duke that the woman had changed her stories several times will go straight to the heart of their case -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Julia, so it was 10 days before the president of the university knew anything about it? Was the story in the media at that point at all?

LEWIS: No. It had been kept fairly quiet here in Durham. In fact, I think it was about the same time -- I think we heard about it just before President Brodhead did, and then he heard about it through the media.

M. O'BRIEN: OK. So what's next now in this case, Julia? LEWIS: Well, the grand jury is expected to meet on Monday, and District Attorney Mike Nifong says he is still hoping to charge a third player. So that could come on Monday. Also, Reade Seligman and Collin Finnerty, the two charged in this case, are expected to be in court. And the second round of DNA tests that have been ordered, those results could come back next week.

M. O'BRIEN: Julia Lewis, with our affiliate WRAL in Raleigh- Durham.

Thank you very much.

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, really happy news out of Australia to share with you this morning. Those trapped miners we've been telling you about, well, they finally have been pulled to safety. We're going to take you inside that dangerous rescue mission that ended so well.

Plus, President Bush's approval rating still hovering in the low 30s. Which issue is weighing him down the most? The answer might surprise you.

We'll take a look ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: This morning they are calling it a miracle down under. Two trapped miners are alive and they're well and they're back above ground this morning after a dramatic end to a very dangerous rescue operation. They had the whole world watching.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I wasn't here I wouldn't believe it.

S. O'BRIEN (voice over): The two Australian miners buried under ground for two weeks walked out of Tasmania's Beaconsfield gold mine unassisted. Thirty-five-year-old Todd Russell and 37-year-old Brant Webb had been trapped in a small steel cage the size of a dog kennel more than a half mile beneath the surface. After emerging, they acknowledged the cheering crowds who had been praying for their survival.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After two weeks, it's just fabulous to see the men. It's just fabulous to have those families all come out together. It was just so exciting. I can't believe how exciting it was.

S. O'BRIEN: Their incredible rescue ended a drama that practically everyone in the world was watching. It began on April 25th, when a minor earthquake triggered a rock slide inside the mine and trapped the two men.

A huge stone slab landed on their 16-square-foot cage and formed a kind of roof that kept them from being crushed. A third miner who was working outside the cage was killed. It was several days before anyone realized that Russell and Webb were alive. Rescuers carefully drilled through the rock and set up a 52-foot-long narrow pipe to get oxygen, food, water, and supplies, including iPods, to the miners. But a deeper tunnel had to be drilled to get them out. Fellow miners worked around the clock in an intricate and frustrating operation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They had to be totally honest with them and keep them informed every step of the way so that -- they're miners. They're experienced guys. If you lie to them, they will know. So they had to have absolutely faith that everything that was being said was right.

S. O'BRIEN: Rescuers hit rock five times harder than concrete while cutting the final sections of the escape tunnel. They used hand tools to avoid triggering another cave-in. When Todd Russell and Brant Webb finally reached the surface, crowds of mine workers and bystanders applauded and thanked the remarkable efforts of those who brought them to safety.

BILL SHORTEN, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS UNION: This is a day for the rescuers. The rescuers have been fantastic. We have the best mines rescue people in the world, in my opinion. This -- we have the best in the world, and they have demonstrated that.

S. O'BRIEN: The trapped miners finally out and happy to be reunited with their loved ones.

SHORTEN: These men are lucky to have families like this, and these families are lucky to have men like the ones who have been rescued. It's -- I actually feel sort of -- I'm just glad it's over. I'm so glad it's over.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Both Todd Russell and Brant Webb are said to be doing remarkably well. In fact, Webb signed himself out of the hospital. A third miner, Larry Knight (ph), who died under ground was laid to rest today in Australia.

M. O'BRIEN: What a remarkable story that is, really.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes. And boy do they -- they look so much better than I thought they would after two weeks. Even with the water and the iPods.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE": It's just amazing, two weeks. I mean...

S. O'BRIEN: That's a long time to be under ground in that little, tiny, tiny cage.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

Andy Serwer, good morning to you, sir.

SERWER: Good morning to you guys. Some business news coming up.

We all know that newspapers are hurting right now, but a few are bucking that trend. We will tell you which ones and why.

Plus, how are beer companies fighting back against wine makers?

We'll tell you all about that coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Andy Serwer is minding our business this morning.

What you got?

SERWER: We are talking about the business of newspapers. And it's not really great news.

Numbers are in for newspapers, circulation over the past six months. And it's down, down 2.5 percent for the nation's 770 largest newspapers. And the worst news of it is that it follows on another decline from the previous six months. A couple of the papers doing worst -- the "San Francisco Chronicle," "Boston Globe," "Atlanta Journal-Constitution".

Obviously, the Internet has everything to do with this. And the traffic at Web sites of the newspapers is up significantly. However, it doesn't generate as much revenue.

There are a few newspapers bucking the trend, however, and that includes "USA Today" and "The New York Times," which are up slightly. And that shows, you know, the national span really matters, probably, and you are really adding value by doing independent stories, not just wire service stuff.

So, the model is changing and the newspapers aren't going away, but what kind of decline are we talking about here?

S. O'BRIEN: Is it also because "The New York Times" charges to get access to their online content? Is that helping raise their bottom line?

SERWER: That would be interesting. So, in other words, people would not be going to the Web site so much and then going to the newspapers. They're just talking about newspaper circulation being up a little bit. I think some of their paid content at the newspaper not doing as well as they anticipated.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, the question is, can they get a little more revenue, squeeze a little more revenue out of the online portion of their business? Because that's clearly where it's headed.

SERWER: Yes. And it's a model that is just constantly being figured out right now.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. SERWER: Now, on the other hand, the business that seems to be making a bit of a comeback, beer. For decades, beer has been losing market share to wine. More and more Americans drinking wine at the expense of beer, but now beer seems to be making a bit of a comeback. It has to do with new products, new beer.

You know the mini keg by Heineken? Do you know that? Is it in your fridge?

M. O'BRIEN: Come in my office. In my office.

SERWER: Do you?

M. O'BRIEN: Sure, absolutely. Always have...

(CROSSTALK)

SERWER: Show us.

M. O'BRIEN: So wait a minute, so beer sales are up, newspaper sales down. What does that tell us about deep-rooted problems in this country?

SERWER: It's a wonderful country is what it's saying.

M. O'BRIEN: That's what it says.

SERWER: Maybe not.

M. O'BRIEN: I set you up, you knock them out of the park.

SERWER: Yes, there you go.

M. O'BRIEN: All right.

S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Andy.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: Chad Myers, hello.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That tells you something, doesn't it?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it does.

MYERS: Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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