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Wall Street Watch; Atlanta-Area Bank Robbers May be as Young as 16; Jefferson Appointment to House Committee

Aired February 28, 2007 - 13:59   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips.

While the bulls and the bears duke it out on Wall Street, what's an investor to do?

Hang on. Help is on the way from personal finance expert Suze Orman.

LEMON: His credibility was compromised when the feds allegedly found a bunch of cash in his freezer. But no charges yet, and he lands a top House committee job.

PHILLIPS: Girls just want to have funds? Georgia cops are on the hunt for two young women, maybe as young as 16, wanted in a bank heist.

Nice sunglasses.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: It is the top of the hour, and we start with breaking developments on the weather front.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: A big spotlight on the Big Board. This may be the most watched set of numbers in the country right now. All eyes on Wall Street a day after a global stock sell-off. As you can see right now, Dow Industrials up 57 points.

CNN's Susan Lisovicz following all the action at the New York Stock Exchange.

So what's going on with this rally today, Susan?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's a relief rally, Kyra. And, you know, it's basically something that you see oftentimes when you have a decisive sell-off.

In fact, we were just figuring out the last big sell-off that we saw for the Dow Industrials was March 24th of 2003. That was a loss of 307 points, 3.6 percent. So it's actually worse on -- in percentage terms for the Dow. The next day, March 25th, the Dow rallied 66 points. Well, guess where we are right now? The Dow is up 63 point. And it's not unusual to see it happen. But, you know, where do we go from here? I think that's -- that's the story.

PHILLIPS: So how are investors taking all of this in? Is it a window of opportunity, or possibly a warning of more losses to come?

LISOVICZ: That's the big question, Kyra. And I think, obviously, for today, you see a window of opportunity, because the stock market, whether it's the Dow Industrials, the Nasdaq, the S&P 500, all solidly higher right now.

I mean, this is not -- we're not going to see any records today. But, you know, we have nice breadth, big volume today. So a lot of factors you can say that, you know, people are buying today.

On the other hand, you know, this didn't happen in a vacuum what happened yesterday. We had a very long win streak. We have concerns about a slowing U.S. economy. We have a lot of money going in to China. Big explosive growth there, and there's risk involved with the stock market.

And we also had come into play yesterday with a big sell-off. So I think in some ways you can make the argument for both. There is a window of opportunity, but there's caution going forward as well.

PHILLIPS: All right. Susan Lisovicz, live from the New York Stock Exchange.

We'll continue to check in with you.

You can see the numbers now, Dow Industrials up 69 points.

You've got questions? Well, she's got the answers. Not just Susan, but personal finance expert Suze Orman steps into the NEWSROOM in the 3:00 Eastern hour to talk about the stock market.

If you're concerned about your 401(k) or worried about your portfolio, you can just e-mail your questions now to cnnnewsroom@cnn.com.

LEMON: And let's head straight to the CNN newsroom. Fredricka Whitfield working on details on a developing story -- Fredricka.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Don.

Well, it's not your ordinary bank robbery. This one taking place in a bank that's inside of a grocery store in an Atlanta suburb. And police say they believe that two girls who may have been around 16 -- look at the picture right here -- are the ones who allegedly carried out the robbery.

They walked up, they handed over a note. They are seen there smiling, and they walked away with the money.

So, Wayne Delk of the Cobb County Police Department is on the line with us now with possibly some developments on who you are looking for.

So, Mr. Delk, what's the latest?

WAYNE DELK, COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA, PUBLIC INFO. OFFICER: Well, the latest right now is that our detectives have been fairly diligently working on this case. They have received numerous phone calls once this story first aired last night. And, of course, some of them not as worthy of an investigation as others.

But they have come up with some very good leads, and right now are talking to some persons of interest who may have information. And I'm being told by our investigators that we should have some new information to release within the hour.

WHITFIELD: So, it would seem that these pictures are very clear and being broadcast in the local area, that somebody has to recognize these two girls.

Have you been receiving phone calls since making this image public?

DELK: We have received a lot of phone calls as the images went public. Once again, like I said, some of them, people are saying, "Well, this person is someofone in my family," and our investigators are following up on the more credible leads. But apparently, they've gotten some leads today or some information today which has proved to be fairly good information. And they are working on trying to identify the two suspects and hopefully will get some good news out to the people today.

WHITFIELD: Well, might these two suspects actually know someone who works at the bank given that they seem awfully relaxed and at ease?

DELK: That's always a possibility. That's the one thing that struck our investigators as quite peculiar. The first thing being the young age of these two suspects, and then the ease and their mannerism and how at ease they seemed, and how this seemed to be a fun thing. They seemed to be having a good time doing this.

WHITFIELD: What did the note say?

DELK: I don't have the specifics on the exact wording of the note. It was just a demand note for cash. That was the basic demand note given to one of the tellers.

WHITFIELD: Any weapons involved?

DELK: No, we have no indication that there were any weapons at all in this case.

WHITFIELD: Any indications of any threats being made?

DELK: Not any verbal threats. Like I said, I don't know the exact verbiage of the note. But the note was a demand for cash.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Public information officer Wayne Delk of Cobb County Police.

Thanks so much for your time.

So, they feel like, Don, they are closing in on trying to reach these two suspects in this case and wherever else this investigation may lead them.

LEMON: All right. Fredricka Whitfield, thank you so much for that.

A grisly scene, a sadly familiar scene in Baghdad, where a car bomb went off today in a crowded outdoor market. At least 10 people are dead, twice that number hurt. It happened in a mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhood.

We also learned today of the death of another American service member. A spokesman says a U.S. soldier was killed yesterday by small arms fire on patrol in western Baghdad. That, along with three other U.S. deaths reported yesterday, bring the U.S. military death toll in Iraq to 3,162.

If a bomb goes off in Iraq and no reporters are there to report it, did it really happen? Well, you may have wondered if you tried to sort it out as we have. Conflicting accounts of an alleged bombing this week in Ramadi. Well, today it's pretty clear a brutal attack did happen and 18 people are dead, most of them young boys playing soccer.

Earlier today, U.S. military officers addressed an allegation sparked by confusion that the explosion was caused by an American bomb.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADM. MARK FOX, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: The allegation was false. And so, obviously, somebody was stirring -- I can't -- I can only speculate as to what was going on there, but there was only one explosion. There were no children killed, and it was a controlled explosion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Fox is talking about an explosion yesterday when troops destroyed some confiscated ordnance. Somehow, that blast was mixed up with the deadly car bombing near the Ramadi soccer field that happened Monday. Iraqis say 12 boys and six women died in that blast.

PHILLIPS: Let's get to Reynolds Wolf. He's been following these tornado warnings in Ft. Lauderdale.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: A controversial congressman who was bounced from one key assignment lands another. We'll have that story straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And all eyes on the Big Board. We're tracking the markets, watching them all day for you. And financial guru Suze Orman is taking your e-mails. The address is cnnnewsroom@cnn.com. And she'll join us next hour.

Let's take a look at that Big Board again. The market now, the Dow is up at least 65 points -- 66 points.

We'll keep checking it for you all day.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: It's a quarter past the hour now. Here's a few of the other stories that we're working on from the CNN NEWSROOM.

Stocks are steadier, traders are calmer. We're watching Wall Street's Big Board, where the numbers are trending upward after yesterday's sell-off. Dow Industrials up 50 points.

And forget we asked, let's move on. That's what the jury tells the judge in the trial of former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Jurors submitted a question during deliberations yesterday but now say that they answered it themselves. Libby's accused of lying to investigators about the leak of a CIA operative's identity.

Anna Nicole Smith's DNA sample, a Florida judge says they can be given to doctors hired by Smith's ex-boyfriend, one of several men claiming to have fathered Smith's baby. We're waiting for a ruling on who gets custody of Smith's body.

LEMON: Well, still no Ways and Means, but a new and weighty assignment for a controversial Democratic congressman. The House Democratic Caucus has approved a seat on the Homeland Security Committee for Louisiana congressman William Jefferson. Jefferson, you may remember, has been the subject of an FBI bribery investigation which at one point turned up a stash of allegedly dirty cash in his freezer.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi explained the decision to CNN's Larry King last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": What's about the flack over Congressman Jefferson? He had $500,000 alleged bribe money in his freezer, and yet you put him on the House Homeland Security Committee.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Well, not that it makes any difference, but I think it was $90,000 in his freezer. And what I said to my colleague is, "You have $90,000 in your freezer? Whatever the explanation, you have a problem with me." So I had him removed from the Ways and Means Committee last year.

KING: I'm sorry. I had it wrong. I had it written $90,000. I read it wrong. PELOSI: But Mr. Jefferson's district has been -- New Orleans, greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Rita, and a committee of jurisdiction there, Homeland Security, is an appropriate place for him to be. But I removed him from the Ways and Means Committee, that had something to do with the accusations made against him. Homeland Security does not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Republicans, of course, are not watching all of this in silence.

Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel joins us from Capitol Hill with the fallout -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Don.

Republicans are crying foul. They are criticizing that decision by Speaker Pelosi and other Democrats to let Jefferson take a seat on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Back in June, when Speaker Pelosi forced Jefferson to step down from his position on Ways and Means, at least temporarily, she said Democrats were determined to uphold high ethical standards, even though Jefferson hadn't been charged with a crime. Now Republicans are wondering, what's changed since then?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ROY BLUNT (R), MINORITY WHIP: Our side will general think that this is not only not a good idea, but totally inconsistent with the major point that the speaker made when she wanted to be the speaker. That this would not be allowed, that there were penalties on their side. And the idea that Homeland Security is somehow less important than the tax writing committee, I think is a ludicrous idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: And so, in order to make a political point, Congressman Blunt says that Republicans are going to threaten basically to block the appointment on the floor, even though they don't have the votes to do so.

Jefferson continues to maintain his innocence. He says he has never accepted any bribes. But we do know from the FBI, Don, that the investigation is continuing -- Don.

LEMON: Andrea Koppel, thank you.

PHILLIPS: Fredricka Whitfield in the newsroom.

What are you working on for us, Fred?

WHITFIELD: Well, the Ohio River. Apparently, a barge that ran aground last night has now spilled about 3,700 gallons of a toxic chemical into the river. All this being reported by The Associated Press.

It happened in the area called Brookport, Illinois, which is on the river just between Illinois and Kentucky. It's unclear what caused the barge to run aground, but this toxic liquid is ordinarily used as a solvent in the production of acetone.

The liquid is kume (ph), and it was on this barge. About 3,700 gallons of it now have spilled into the river. It's unclear what this might do to any kind of wildlife, or whether this endangers anyone or any living being at this juncture, but it is still early. And the spill did take place involving this barge there on the Ohio River.

So, we're continuing to work some sources to find out a little bit more about this story, and when we get it, we'll bring it back to you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Fred.

The war within -- new studies on post-traumatic stress and the toll it takes on women.

That's straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Where exactly is this chemical spill, Fred?

WHITFIELD: Well, we're closer to getting some more information about what happened there on the Ohio River.

The Illinois EPA spokesperson, Maggie Carson, is on the line with us now.

And so, Ms. Carson, how and why did this barge run aground there on the Ohio River, dumping 3,700 gallons of this toxic liquid?

MAGGIE CARSON, ILLINOIS EPA SPOKESWOMAN: We don't have full information on just how the accident occurred. It appears, though, it hit a structure rather than ran aground. And it's possible that high water levels may have led to this. But this is all very preliminary, and we will expect more information as time moves along.

Your reference to 3,700 gallons, this was an early estimate. We think maybe now it's more in the neighborhood of 7,000 to 8,000 gallons. But, of course, again, all of this is preliminary and we're doing our best job to provide you full information.

WHITFIELD: So, far more extensive spill with up to 8,000 gallons of this toxic liquid called kume (ph) now in the Ohio River. What is your understanding about what this does to any wildlife in the area, or does it endanger any persons as well?

CARSON: This is something that our experts are looking at right now as far as the environmental impact. We really don't have a good estimate on that, but we do have people looking at this. And we'll be happy to provide you an update when we pull this information together. WHITFIELD: Well, since this is a liquid that is a solvent, that means that it may be a little bit difficult to contain, if at all there, in the Ohio River, right?

CARSON: Oh, absolutely. And certainly the size of the Ohio River, there's a tremendous volume of water going through there. So there's a dilution factor. And this will be taken into consideration as they try to take the measures to contain it.

And you -- I'm sure you know that it's not just the Illinois EPA. We're working with agencies from the state of Kentucky, other Illinois agencies, as well as the Coast Guard and other federal agencies.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: So, say in the case of like an oil spill when we see, like, the sponge buoys and pads being thrown into the water to absorb oil, something like that cannot be used for this type of solvent?

CARSON: It would be very difficult, but the Coast Guard is really the expert in this type of remediation and this type of management. It's -- again, this is a waterway between two states, and, therefore, any action are done in concurrence with them.

WHITFIELD: Ms. Carson, would this impact drinking water?

CARSON: Not in Illinois. Now, again, I can only speak for our state. We have checked. Only one intake for a public water supply is on the Ohio River, and it is well down stream. And we are not concerned about the public drinking water.

WHITFIELD: Now, what about this barge then? Are you concerned that this -- up to 8,000 gallons of this solvent may turn out to be 12,000 or 15,000 gallons later?

CARSON: Certainly containing it is the critical thing right now. We want to minimize it. And in any waterway with the current, we're looking at not just where it occurred, but downstream as well. So we'll be looking for these things as the hours and days go along.

WHITFIELD: All right. Illinois EPA spokeswoman Maggie Carson.

Thanks so much for your time.

CARSON: My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: Don and Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Fred.

LEMON: All right. Thank you very much.

And all eyes, of course, today on the Big Board. We're watching the markets for you all day.

Check it out. The Dow up 38 points now. Almost 39 points. And financial guru Suze Orman is taking your e-mails. The address is cnnnewsroom@cnn.com. She'll join us next hour.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. Want to be on Hollywood's a-list? Not this one. Guests at some swanky soirees may have been exposed to Hepatitis A by an infected waiter. Now Wolfgang Puck's catering business is under a health department microscope. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is the bottom of the hour and we start with some developing news out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Take a look at this video just in to the CNN NEWSROOM. It is hail coming down in Broward County. It looks like in big chunks. This is just into the CNN NEWSROOM. And of course our meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is all over it. Reynolds, tell us what's going on.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: We've been keeping a close eye on Wall Street since the market began to slide yesterday morning. The Dow Industrial tumbled 416 points yesterday as the world reacted to a sell-off in China's main index. Let's get to Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange for a look at how stocks are faring today. Hey, Susan.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

LEMON: Vaccinating children against a sexually transmitted disease. Well, the controversy is raging in Texas where the governor is requiring sixth grade girls to be vaccinated against some strains of the human papilloma virus. Now just today we learned more than one in four American women age 14 to 59 have some form of HPV. The consequences can be deadly, but some Texas parents want nothing to do with the vaccine. Here's CNN's Alina Cho in Austin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think a lot of people want to say this debate over the HPV vaccine is about right wing conservatives fighting with left wing liberals.

But it's actually far more complicated than that. It's pitting Republicans against Republicans. Pro-family groups against the governor. And in the center of it all, the parents who say the governor has no right to manage the health of their children.

MORGAN WAGGONER, FOURTH GRADER: Bye, mom.

PAM WAGGONER, MOTHER AGAINST REQUIRED HPV VACCINES: Bye, Morgan. I'll see you later. CHO (voice over): Ten-year-old Morgan Waggoner has no idea she's at the center of a national debate over a vaccine for a virus that causes cervical cancer.

WAGGONER: It's a disease and you can get it from kissing and stuff like that.

CHO: And she has no idea the disease is sexually transmitted. But she could soon be required to be vaccinated against the Human Papillomavirus, or HPV. Texas Governor Rick Perry signed an executive order mandating the vaccine for all girls entering the sixth grade. Morgan's parents are Republicans and voted for Perry twice, but say on this the governor is wrong.

CHRIS WAGGONER, FATHER AGAINST REQUIRED HPV VACCINES: It's our decision as a family. It's not the state's decision to immunize my daughter.

CHO: The Texas Eagles Forum, a bipartisan group, is leading the charge against the vaccine, saying it contradicts the state's abstinence only sex education policies and questioning the drug's high cost. And last week, the parents of five Texas school girls filed a lawsuit against the governor, saying the school-aged girls of Texas are not guinea pigs. Morgan's mother believes the HPV vaccine, though FDA approved, has not been tested enough to be considered safe.

P. WAGGONER: There's no need for me to vaccinate my child at 12 years of age.

CHO: The vaccine, called Gardasil, is made by pharmaceutical giant Merck. One of its lead lobbyists in Texas is Perry's former chief of staff. But Perry says this decision was based solely on public health.

GOV. RICK PETTY, (R) TEXAS: This is safe. It's been tested. And it's available.

CHO: State Representative Garnet Coleman agrees and says he wants his 11-year-old vaccinated.

GARNET COLEMAN, TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: And because it's easily transmitted, that means we can protect children or women now.

CHO: Morgan Waggoner's parents say it's too soon to talk about sexually transmitted diseases with their daughter. And she thinks so, too.

M. WAGGONER: It feels weird.

CHO (on camera): Why?

M. WAGGONER: Because it feels like I'm really young and they're talking about older stuff.

CHO: And if you're wondering why Texas is at the center of this debate, a couple of reasons. Number one, Texas is the first state in the nation to mandate the vaccine, so that's significant.

Also, 3,700 women in the U.S. die each year of cervical cancer. A 10th of those victims are in Texas. That's part of the reason why the governor says it's important to act now, while opponents of the mandate say this drug, Gardasil, was approved by the FDA eight months ago.

Why the rush to mandate? They say if the governor believed this issue was that important, he should have held public hearings and let the state legislature decide what to do about this, not issue a blanket mandate.

Alina Cho, CNN, Austin, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And we're following another story. Two young women wanted for a brazen bank robbery. The latest on that story from the police that's on their trail. The news keeps coming, we'll keep bringing it to you, Chanel glasses and all. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, they are young, they're female and they're felons. Bank robbers to be precise. Police in suburban Atlanta have some great surveillance pictures and lots of questions for the smiling young women in sunglasses. This was a bank branch at a supermarket where detectives say the two handed a teller a note demanding cash and cash they got. It's being called a considerable amount of money, but police say they are closing in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WAYNE DELK, COBB COUNTY POLICE (on phone): We have received a lot of phone calls as the images went public. Once again, like I said, some of them, people are saying, well, this person is someone in my family. And our investigators are following up on the more credible leads. But apparently they've gotten some leads today or some information today which has proved to be fairly good information and they are working on trying to identify the two suspects and hopefully will get some good news out to the people.

WHITFIELD: Well, might these two suspects actually know someone that works at the bank given that they seem awfully relaxed and at ease?

DELK: That's always a possibility. That's the one thing that struck our investigators as quite peculiar. The first thing being the young age of these two suspects and then the ease in their mannerism and how at ease they seemed and how this seemed to be a fun thing. They seem to be having a good time doing this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Where did you say Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie were? Police say the girls were apparently unarmed.

LEMON: All right, well talk about a blue period for Pablo Picasso's daughter. Two Picasso originals valued at $66 million were stolen from her home in Paris.

Police say the theft like the art, is hard to make heads or tails of. Diana Widmaier-Picasso and a friend were at home asleep at the time and there are no obvious signs of a break-in.

At the moment, more than 500 Picasso works are stashed away somewhere in the world away from their rightful owners. Experts say almost all of them are next to impossible to sell.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer. A.j., What's on tap tonight?

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Well Kyra, you know models really do need to watch what they eat. Listen to this. What was a party to celebrate Beyonce getting on the cover of the "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue has turned into a health scare. I'll explain what I'm talking about when CNN NEWSROOM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A developing story now on the Ohio River. A toxic chemical spill between Illinois and Kentucky. Is the water safe? We'll have more on that story at the top of the hour.

LEMON: All right, time now for entertainment news. Beyonce couldn't be prouder that she's on the cover of this year's "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit edition. But she and many others may be wishing they'd skipped that party. I know what happened there. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT'S" A.J. Hammer joins me with the latest on a health scare. This is bizarre, A.J.

HAMMER: It's bizarre Don, and news you just don't want to get especially when you are in a celebratory mood. A major warning is going out to Beyonce and some swimsuit models today because a caterer at a recent "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit edition party has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A. Again, news you don't want to get.

Health officials say the worker may have exposed guests at the party. They are urging Beyonce, the models and anyone else who may have eaten raw food at the magazine's February 14th event to get a preventative shot immediately.

The virus can spread through contaminated food and water. Now the infected employee is currently on medical leave. Wolfgang Puck Catering did issue a statement. They are saying, quote, "We immediately work to take every precaution to further safeguard our patrons and other employees."

Don, Puck's restaurants were not affected nor were any of the part parties Puck's catering company did after February 20th, which is a good thing, because that includes of course the Governors Ball which takes place right after the Academy Awards. LEMON: That's all I have to say about that.

HAMMER: Could have been ugly.

LEMON: OK, so one of my favorite television shows, I understand there may not be another doctor -- one less TV doctor to handle all those medical emergencies on -- it's a big show.

HAMMER: It's a big show and nobody to handle the Hepatitis A scares, I guess. Sad but true that actress Katherine Heigl could actually be taking her scrubs off for good. Not a done deal yet, but "People" magazine is reporting that Heigl has dropped out of talks with "Grey's Anatomy" over salary.

The magazine cites a source as saying, quote, "The actress is disappointed and hurt that Touchstone doesn't value her as much as her other costars, especially Sandra Oh and Isaiah Washington."

Now Heigl plays Dr. Isobel Izzie Stevens on the ABC medical drama, the most popular show on television. CNN contacted Heigl's publicist and ABC Touchstone for a comment. So far no response there.

And happy birthday Elizabeth Taylor. All right, belated happy birthday in any event. The legend celebrated her 75th yesterday at a Las Vegas resort. Taylor arrived all decked out as she is one to do in diamonds and fur. She was escorted to the party by her 52-year-old son who happens to share the very same birthday. Her guests serenaded her with birthday wishes. They were all treated to a big Mardi Gras- style party complete with jambalaya, ribs and collard greens. Now the Hollywood icon says her secret to longevity is just hanging in, pretty simple.

Coming up tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," we've got the inside story on just how Britney Spears finally wound up in rehab and stayed. Including startling ultimatum that she got from Kevin Federline. We've got the details you haven't heard before tonight on TV's most provocative entertainment news show at 11 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on "Headline Prime." Don, we will see you then.

LEMON: Oh, A.J. mine's tomorrow. I'm not even going to get the ribs, let alone diamonds and pearls.

HAMMER: Happy birthday to you, Don, I had no idea.

LEMON: Thank you, thank you very much. I'll be 21 again. All right, A.J., look forward to tonight.

Want to cut in line at the DMV? Well, this isn't the way to do it. A lady wrecked, that's straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And all eyes on the big board. We're watching the markets for you all day. Let's take a look now. The Dow is up 16 points right now and our financial guru Suze Orman is taking your e-mails. The address is CNNNEWSROOM@CNN.com. She'll join us next hour. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: War is war, fear is fear, blood is blood, whether you are old or young, black or white, male or female. But new studies show the psychological burdens of war may weigh heavier on women troops than men. CNN's Deborah Feyerick takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When Navy medic Linda Michel came home from Iraq in September her husband and three kids met her at the airport, overjoyed she was back safe, or so they thought.

FRANTZ MICHEL, HUSBAND OF LINDA MICHEL: Seemed a little nervous, a little -- I don't know, a little different.

FEYERICK: Linda, a trained nurse, had been treating prisoners at Camp Buqah (ph) in southern Iraq for almost a year. Like many women returning from war, the transition would be tough.

MICHEL: She had to kind of get used to the children. She had to kind of get used to the house. There was a lot of difficulty adjusting.

FEYERICK: For Linda, getting readjusted was especially hard. Her husband Frantz, a lieutenant colonel in the Infantry Reserve had served in Iraq a year earlier. As a result, the couple had been apart for nearly three years.

MICHEL: I think she was afraid that she might not be able to pick up the pieces and get our life lack to the way it was.

FEYERICK: Two weeks after coming home Linda Michel, Navy medic and mother of three, sat on her bed, and shot herself in the head with her husband's gun.

(On camera): Were you the one who found her?

MICHEL: Yes. I had no idea at what level, you know, how deep -- how much pain she was in.

FEYERICK: About 150,000 women have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Experts say women are more likely than men to feel the emotional affects of the battlefield once they come home. A recent Army study examined 220 veterans and found nearly 24 percent of women, compared paired to 19 percent of men, suffered some mental illness.

HELEN DAVIS, NYS MENTAL HEALTH ASSN.: You know it's the intensity of pain.

FEYERICK: Helena Davis, a mental health expert, says Linda's feelings are common among women, who learn how to survive in combat zones, only to lose their identity when the fighting stops.

DAVIS: A woman coming home from war, first of all, has to deal with let going of her warrior self and coming back to her parent, spouse, caretaker self.

FEYERICK: Women may isolate themselves rather than ask for help, which they feel, mistakenly, is a sign of weakness.

(On camera): Do you think your wife hid her vulnerability?

MICHEL: She always wanted to portray herself as being strong. Every job she did, she did it 110 percent.

FEYERICK: Frantz says in Iraq, Linda was prescribed antidepressants, which she quit when she left. He had no indication how serious the problem was from either his wife, or the Defense Department.

The armed force doss not monitor troops who may suffer psychological problems once they get home. Even the symptoms for conditions like post traumatic stress disorder may not surface or weeks. The Veterans Administration says monitoring vets would be an invasion of privacy.

PATRICIA RESICK, VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION: Once you're discharged, you're a citizen. We can't mandate citizens in our country to go get mental healthcare or check-ups as veterans.

FEYERICK: Frantz Michel says he doesn't blame anyone and that he and his wife are patriots, proud of their service. Now he is left to pick up the pieces.

(On camera): So what does the youngest ask you?

MICHEL: When is mom coming back?

(On camera): What do you tell her?

MICHEL: Mom's in heaven now, mom's not coming back, but mom is always with us. She'll always be part of the family.

FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Albany, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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