Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Race for the White House; President Bush Tours Tornado Devastation; Legal Analysis of Anna Nicole Smith and Scooter Libby Cases

Aired March 03, 2007 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and you're in the NEWSROOM on this Saturday, March 3rd, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We begin the day in the south, specifically Americus, Georgia, site of that deadly tornado this week. The second stop on a heart breaking trip. President Bush arrived just a short time ago in South Georgia where nine people died in Thursday's tornadoes. CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff joins us now from Americus, Georgia. Allan?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, the president just left here a few minutes ago. And the president did take a look at some of the worst devastation here. He went over and met with people who live here, whose homes were absolutely destroyed. He seemed quite compassionate in talking with them and certainly telling them that the government is going to try to provide assistance over here. Afterwards, he did meet with the county sheriff, Pete Smith, the sheriff of Sumter County. And the sheriff said to him, I listened to the tape just a moment ago, he said we have got to get the people help here, get them back on their feet. He said we're doing everything we can, but we need some help. And the president responded by saying, well, the state's working on an assessment, they'll get the request into the federal government and they'll turn it around quickly to help the people down here. And then the president went on to say, he would like to see groups like Habitat for Humanity get down here, come down here, that's an exact quote. Afterwards, the sheriff reminded the president that Habitat for Humanity, in fact, is based right here in Americus. Following that, the president said, well, I would like them to come around the corner and start building homes because, of course, the federal government can provide some aid, and he said there clearly are some people he met who don't have insurance. So they're going to need help from those volunteers. And he said that's really the best help that anyone can get. Having neighbors come over, give a hand and try to rebuild homes. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, Allan Chernoff thanks so much, from Americus, Georgia. Well, before Americus, earlier the president toured Enterprise, Alabama, where a tornado killed eight high school students there. CNN's Susan Roesgen is there. Susan?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Fredricka, the big news here today is cleanup, the sound of chainsaws and the smell of freshly cut pine. In addition to the damage here at this high school there is widespread damage in the entire town of Enterprise between 100 and 150 homes were either damaged or destroyed. Gigantic pine trees are on those homes, cars were tossed around, debris is every where, you may be able to hear some hammering on the roof of the high school behind me. So we have National Guard troops out here keeping control of the situation. A lot of homeowners and even students at this high school are shocked and stunned as they are by what happened have come out and just decided to pitch in to do whatever they could to clean up. As you mentioned Fredricka, the president did stop here first this morning, and he met with some of the students. He gave them hugs. I talked to one student who said it wasn't a fake hug it was a genuine real hug. He seemed genuinely moved by what had happened to them and he encouraged the student to encourage her fellow students to try to get them to come together and to get over this. She happens to be a senior and she says it's really tough as a senior not to finish her senior year at this high school but she told me Fredricka, that she does hope that she will be able to walk across the football field here behind me in her cap and gown, at least for graduation. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And Susan, besides that senior high school student that you spoke of, how about other folks? How encouraging was it for them to see the president take the time to see first hand the kind of devastation, to see what they're up against now in trying to rebuild?

ROESGEN: Oh, it meant so much to them. I mean what else can you do? They know that they have been devastated, both adults and young people here are going through a really rough time. So it meant the world to them. Even the mayor yesterday told me, look, I'm not sure that the president will come here, but I would be honored if he would come, even under these terrible circumstances. So when you have the president of the United States come down, shake hands, give people hugs, tell them, look, we're going to do what we can for you, not just emotionally but also Fredricka in terms of money. He has declared Enterprise, Alabama, a major disaster area. That frees up federal funds to help all these people who are trying to clean up and pick up to help them in that effort. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Yeah and that's going to help considerably especially for those who were uninsured. Susan Roesgen thanks so much from Enterprise, Alabama.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well let's find out first hand just what it was like to live through the tornado that passed through Enterprise, Alabama. Granison Wagstaff actually attended that high school years ago and now he's a substitute teacher. He just happened to be there on that day, on Thursday, teaching economics when the tornado hit. Good to see you Granison and thanks so much for being with us. I should say you are a teacher, Mr. Wagstaff. What was this like for you? You all knew that the tornado was on the way. But at this point, all the kids were getting assembled and you with them because they were getting ready to be dismissed from school, right? When suddenly someone looks out the window and said, oh, no.

GRANISON WAGSTAFF, SUBSTITUTE TEACHER: Yeah, yes, ma'am. It was just a situation where we were expected to be leaving then when 1:00 came and there wasn't a decision made for people to be -- to start letting go. I was talking with some students and we were just shooting the breeze and everything. I get up to go to the bathroom and the lights start flickering and a window or something had cracked. And so as I took two steps and then I heard -- like you say I heard somebody say, oh, no, and then I look up and I see the funnel cloud tearing debris and making -- and start descending down towards the school and then, you know, everybody was just like, you know, hide, run, duck. Hit for cover. Hit for cover.

WHITFIELD: And so you actually grabbed one of the students, right, and you guys kind of huddled together?

WAGSTAFF: Yes, ma'am. One of the kids, he was a football player, we were just talking about football, his name was Riley. And so I grabbed him and we just held on to each other and I guess -- I don't know, crazy curiosity, I looked back and all of a sudden, I see the funnel cloud, part of the funnel cloud come towards me, as it was ripping through the school. So I just -- I turned my head and said a quick prayer and just put my head down and just -- I guess, you know in a sense, just try to ride it out. And it was kind of weird because I felt the tornado go by me. I guess it kind of jumped as it was coming towards me. I guess by the blessing of the Lord it jumped up out of the school and landed back on another school. And as it was rising out, I'm guessing, because I really couldn't see what was going on --

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. So Mr. Wagstaff, so what did that feel like? What was that sensation, you know, of this wind coming toward you and then kind of skipping around you? Tell me what that felt like.

WAGSTAFF: Actually, this is going to sound crazy, but the wind, it felt good. I mean it felt like -- it was a warm and calming wind. Even though it was doing all the destruction, when you go off the feeling of the wind, I mean, just to feel -- it didn't feel hot, it didn't feel cold, it just felt -- I don't know, it just felt warm. And it's just a tragedy that something like that you know, could happen. This is a school it's made of cement and brick and it just was going through it and sounded like twigs snapping.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, it would almost seem like, given that this was a brick building, a lot of people would think, well if you're going to be anywhere, then being inside this brick building would certainly be the safest place. But it would shred this building just like it would any other structure in its path.

WAGSTAFF: Yes, ma'am, definitely. After everything passed, you know, it was kind of frantic for a second. And it was almost like, you know, everything was moving in slow motion. I couldn't hear anything and -- for a second, then I kind of got my bearings, I checked myself, I checked Riley. And then, you know, something was like turn around. I turn around and that's when I see the walls collapsing, I hear crying and moans come get me, I'm trapped.

WHITFIELD: And then I understand you also saw a lot of people -- a lot of the students and other teachers trying to help one another.

WAGSTAFF: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: Right away.

WAGSTAFF: Yeah, right away everybody, you know, because this is a small town, we all feel each other's pain. So students and everybody just frantically, you know, just throwing debris, moving debris. You had guys trying to pick up those big cement blocks by themselves, trying to get students out. And fortunately we were able to get some help. Unfortunately, I just hate it, we weren't able to get some of them out. There were a couple of people trapped. We were trying to talk to them to try to keep them calm until the EMS got there and once the EMS got there, a lot of the students and the faculty, we were just trying to back up out of the way and let those guys do a good job. They got there real fast. I was just -- I was so grateful for those guys, they did a spectacular job.

WHITFIELD: Well it really does sound like so many people just really pulled it together and did a remarkable job. Granison Wagstaff, Mr. Wagstaff thanks so much for your time. Substitute teacher there at Enterprise High School. And also to see the devastation of your alma mater must be something else as well. We really appreciate it.

WAGSTAFF: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

That horrible bus crash taking place yesterday in Atlanta. We'll go to a hospital and hear from some emergency workers in a live report coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some stories we're following today in the NEWSROOM. In Copenhagen, nearly 200 arrested in a second night of rioting, schools were vandalized, cars burned and buildings were damaged. Leftist groups are upset over the forced eviction of squatters from a youth center. In Baghdad, Iraqi police, again, hit by roadside bombs. Also confirmation today, the bound bodies of 14 policemen are the same men threatened on an al Qaeda connected website Thursday.

And just what went wrong and how? Two of many questions being asked this hour as investigators try to determine what caused the deadly crash of a charter bus in Atlanta. Four members of Ohio's Bluffton University were among six people killed in yesterday's accident. In the predawn darkness, the bus plunged from an overpass, onto the interstate. The bus driver and his wife were also killed. CNN's Don Lemon is at Atlanta's Grady Hospital with the latest on the survivors, many of whom are starting to be dismissed. Don?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah that's right about 15 people were dismissed either yesterday evening or early this morning from the hospital. There were originally about 19 patients here at the hospital. Today, two are in critical condition, one in fair condition, another in serious condition. We learned earlier from one of the doctors who worked on the patient that the person who is in serious condition had to go back into surgery overnight. Just a short while ago, we had some new video of some of the players arriving here at Grady Memorial Hospital to check out some of their friends and to root for those people who are still here in the hospital. They went around to visit various patients here in the Atlanta area today and also back to the site of that horrendous accident that happened yesterday in the predawn hours on the southbound lanes of I-75. One of the doctors who was first on the scene there was really coordinating all of this effort is Dr. Eric Ossmann. You said it was really a testament to the maturity of these guys the way that they handled this horrific situation yesterday.

DR. ERIC OSSMANN, GRADYMEMORIAL HOSPITAL: We're used to seeing really, really dramatic situations but this was really incredible to see the bus on its side, the number of patients involved and what was really amazing was just how well composed these young men were. They were really quite stable.

LEMON: I know you guys prepare for these sorts of things so you're very focused. But considering, you know, it's college athletes, many of them teenagers, early 20s, getting to that scene, I imagine, it was just a very tough time for you.

OSSMANN: Yeah, as a parent, I mean we got the call as a school bus and so obviously all sorts of thoughts go through your head and just to see these young guys in that kind of shape was really, really very dramatic.

LEMON: Yeah, very dramatic. Now I understand from Brian Schepler, if you don't mind stepping out of the way, also from Tony Trimble, you guys were the first on the scene there. You said for you, a very poignant moment came because when the team captain had to go out and do something that was just really unbelievable.

TONY TRIMBLE, EMS WORKER: Yes, the team captain had to go out and help identify the dead once he returned to the bus. He was remarkably composed for a young man his age. He identified the dead to his team members and then led them in a small group prayer in the bus.

LEMON: Yeah you said he came in and said somebody has to go do it and he said I'm the team captain.

TRIMBLE: He said I'm the team captain, they're players on my team, I'll do this.

LEMON: Unbelievable for folks that age. And you being the first person on the scene there, I know I spoke with you earlier but you said for you, even though you do it all the time, it's very emotional.

BRIAN SCHEPLER, EMS WORKER: Just, again, the immensity of the scene and the emotions that you have, really going out on the scene, knowing what you're going into it's just, you know, it's a rough call at first. You're just going to -- once you get there, you're going to work mode and you start doing what you need to do.

LEMON: And we talked to one of the players who was injured yesterday, his name is A.J. and he said that you guys were there within five to ten minutes and they were actually surprised that you could get there so quickly. Really crediting the doctors here in Atlanta and also the emergency workers for getting them, you know, making a bad situation better for them at least. So we thank you guys for joining us and we appreciate your work here. So as far as the investigation goes, the National Transportation Safety Board here on the ground in Atlanta. They're going to hold a press conference a little bit later on this evening. They're going to try to figure out if there was indeed some sort of black box type device in the bus that may give them some idea as to exactly what happened and why that accident happened. So I'll throw it back to you, Fredricka. As soon as that happens, we'll bring it to you live, of course.

WHITFIELD: All right, let's hope it does bring some answers. Thanks so much, Don.

In Ohio, on the Bluffton University campus, they are in mourning. Look at these still pictures coming in. A candlelight vigil was held last night for the victims and their families.

And coming up, in about 30 minutes from now, Anna Nicole Smith has been buried. What now for her daughter? We're going to talk about DNA in our legal segment.

The first lady on a remote island with a lot of albatrosses. Not a very active constituency, so what is she doing there?

And speaking of constituencies, Senator McCain is M-I-A this weekend at the big conservative gathering in D.C. Will that hurt him?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Birds under attack, albatross chicks. Their lives threatened by trash dumped into the ocean. Seems their parents pick up bottle caps and junk at sea and then feed it to their chicks, killing them by the thousands. First Lady Laura Bush, an avid bird watcher, traveled to the remote northwestern Hawaiian Islands to see it for herself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH: We need to all think, even back on the mainland, about what we can do to make sure we don't drop plastic things into the gutters and they wash out to the ocean.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And so now greenhouse gases and global warming are of concern. It was the cause celeb in Hollywood. All that gushing over Al Gore's documentary and endless talk about saving the environment, but when it comes to polluting our planet, our David Mattingly uncovers where Hollywood really stands.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the glow of the Hollywood spotlight still warm, one inconvenient truth behind Al Gore's celebrated documentary could be a greenhouse gas problem that hits strangely close to home.

MARY NICHOLS, UCLA INSTITUTE OF THE ENVIRONMENT: I think a lot of people were shocked when they realized that because in Los Angeles, of course, we are very dependent on and very attuned to the motion picture industry. But at the same time, we don't think of them as a heavy polluter.

MATTINGLY: It seems unlikely for an industry without smokestacks. But the people who make your favorite films and TV shows are one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases in the Los Angeles area. Last year the UCLA Institute of the Environment determined the industry leads a Godzilla sized footprint in the atmosphere. Tons of greenhouse gases comparable to L.A.'s aerospace industries.

(on camera): This is the same industry that always seems to be at the forefront of environmental causes. Studios crank out big budget films with earth friendly themes all the time. It's no secret in Hollywood that green sells. The question is, is Hollywood buying?

MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ, PRES., PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA: The reality is a big movie production uses lots of trucks and vans and trailers and generators and lights and that's how we make the movies that the entire world loves. We're not going to just throw that out.

MATTINGLY: Marshall Herskovitz is president of the Producers Guild of America. He says some solutions they're looking at include more energy efficient studios and using biodiesel to power generators. That emits less CO2. The producers of "The Day after Tomorrow," a disaster flick bout the perils of a greenhouse future, went so far as to plant trees and spend hundreds of thousands to mitigate their carbon output. But few have followed that example.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a hit and miss. They're just learning how to do some of this stuff.

MATTINGLY: Gary Petersen used to work with studios to create recycling programs and reduce the industry's massive demand for raw materials. In the 21st century, the new cleanup targets carbon emissions.

GARY PETERSEN, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT: Three years ago, they would have said go away. A lot of them would have said go away, I have to get this thing on time and this. Now they understand, they're understanding more, the education is coming across.

MATTINGLY: Education from a variety of sources, sometimes from the stars themselves. Daryl Hannah is a board member of the Environmental Media Association.

You go to the producers and say here is a way you can make this production greener --

DARYL HANNAH, ACTRESS: Exactly.

MATTINGLY: What do they say to you when you do that?

HANNAH: Well you know in many cases it's stuff that will actually save them money.

MATTINGLY: And that is the green where all change is possible. It's also good PR. Any screenwriter will tell you, in Hollywood, the bad guy never wins. David Mattingly, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And coming up, we'll check back on those hurt by the tornados in the southeast. And then conservatives vote this afternoon on their favorite. Does Rudy Giuliani have a chance?

And Anna Nicole Smith has been buried but her legal disputes have not been laid to rest. That's in our legal segment coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. They're cleaning up debris in the southeast today. A series of deadly tornadoes hit Alabama and Georgia Thursday.

Today, President Bush toured the devastation. He started out in Enterprise, Alabama, where a tornado hit the local high school there killing eight students. Mr. Bush said while no one can heal the wounds, the federal government will try to help the survivors. He also asked for help from every day Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My call to the people here in Alabama and around the United States is if you feel the generosity in your heart to help people affected by this terrible tornado, I would ask you to contribute. One such fund is the Red Cross. There will be others, we will make sure, that the USA Freedom Corps will have posted on it, a place where people can contribute money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: After leaving Enterprise, Alabama, President Bush travelled on to south Georgia where nine people died in that same series of storms.

An annual spring baseball trip to Florida turns deadly in Georgia. A charter bus carrying a college baseball team from Ohio plunged 30 feet from an overpass onto an interstate highway in Atlanta. Six people were killed in yesterday's accident, including four members of the Bluffton University baseball team. The team coach and 28 players were treated at area hospitals. Most have been released. The bus driver and his wife died in the wreck as well. CNN's Don Lemon is at the crash scene with a look at what may have happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: This is I-75, where it happened. You can see, that's the HOV lane. One way is HOV exit-only lane to the right here. And then to the left is the HOV lane continuing south on I-75.

He came up this ramp, went through the stop sign that you see right here. And, then, once he got here, it appears he realized -- from the skid marks, he realizes from here that he is on the exit ramp and not continuing on the interstate, tries to take a sharp turn this way, but couldn't do it in time.

And, as you can see from the marks here on the wall, it appears the bus scraped up against this wall. He sheared the top of the fence, and then went over the side. There is another barricade there that carries some sort of piping from one side of the interstate to the other. He even went over that, and then back on to I-75 southbound.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And now to the race for the White House. Conservatives are a crucial part of the GOP base. So it should come as no surprise that Republican presidential candidates came out in force for a big conservative gathering this week. CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It was SRO in an outsized Washington ballroom as Republican conservatives crowded in to hear and applaud Rudy Giuliani. The presidential candidate with whom they arguably have the least in common.

RUDY GIULIANI (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't all agree on everything. I don't agree with myself on everything. And the point of a presidential election is to figure out who do you believe the most.

CROWLEY: That's going to be harder than it sounds. Conservatives are not knocked out about any of the three top polling Republican candidates. They disagree with Giuliani on social issues, worry about John McCain's maverick impulses, and doubt the sincerity of Mitt Romney's new positions on several issues. The trio is working hard to close the gap, all of which gives the also-runnings materials to work with.

MIKE HUCKABEE (R) FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: Today we hear a lot about those who have had what's often called the road to Damascus experiences on every issue from guns, and same-sex marriage, to the sanctity of life and taxes.

REP. TOM TANCREDO (R-CO): It's just that conversions are supposed to be made on the road to Damascus, not the road to Des Moines.

CROWLEY: And that's the thing about this gathering, for so early in the game they are mighty quick to jump on each other. MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Judges add things not in the Constitution, and they take away things that are in the Constitution. And in that regard, they let the campaign finance lobby take away First Amendment rights. If I'm elected president, I will fight to repeal McCain-Feingold.

CROWLEY: Ouch! John McCain was not present to pull that stinger out. He skipped the CPAC meeting altogether, something that did not endear him to many participants. But Camp McCain does not see this particular meeting as a necessary stop on the road to the White House. Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So who will conservatives end up supporting for the Republican nomination? Let's talk it over with CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.

And so let's begin with McCain since that was one of the last thoughts that Candy Crowley had in her piece, that he is conspicuously absent. What kind of ripples are being sent throughout that conference right now?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well some of the organizers of this conference that I spoke to that I spoke to, some of the delegates here are telling me they feel dissed by the fact that McCain did not show up, that they feel as if he's disregarding them.

He's tried to mend fences with conservatives. He's picked a lot of fights with them in the past, but he's been trying to make up, reaching out towards those he's criticized. But he didn't show up for this convention. The only major Republican candidate who didn't address this convention, even though he was invited. A lot of them are not failing to notice that.

WHITFIELD: Though he is the maverick, though he is his own man, he's always kind of set his own path, should anyone really be surprised that he would say, you know what, I don't find this appropriate for me right now and that it's OK?

SCHNEIDER: Well, he's trying to have it both I was apparently. He's trying to get some of that maverick image that he had in 2000 back. He made the quote, announcement, unquote, on "David Letterman" the other night, which is kind of an unconventional venue.

And then he didn't show up for the conservative meeting. But yet he has reached out to conservatives. He spoke to religious broadcasters and said, "I've always favored the overturn of Roe v. Wade," which is the decision that gave constitutional status to abortion rights.

So it looks like he's trying to have it both ways. But a lot of people have doubts here about his credentials and about whether he's really with them or not. He's become the establishment Republican candidate. He was the maverick in 2000. This year he's the establishment figure. WHITFIELD: And some kind of felt comfortable with calling him more of a moderate conservative though.

SCHNEIDER: He has reached out to Democrats. He takes pride in the fact that he's able to reach across the aisle.

That's the problem that McCain faces. To a lot of voters in the Republican Party and outside, he's neither fish nor fowl and he's not the front-runner for the Republican nomination anymore. Rudy Giuliani, who did address this gathering yesterday, he's become the front-runner for the Republican nomination and I'm hearing a lot of good things about Giuliani among conservatives even though they differ with him in some key social issues.

WHITFIELD: So for Giuliani, we're seeing -- he's getting a few more points at that meeting. But for other candidates like Romney, or even Huckabee or even Brownbeck, and possible even Gingrich, even though he hasn't officially thrown his hat into the ring, but apparently he's there, right? Are they gaining any points, those that I mentioned, gaining any points significantly from this meeting?

SCHNEIDER: Yes, they are. They are. As Candy indicated, there is an opening for a conservative to become the standard bearer of the conservative movement.

Newt Gingrich will address this conference right beside me this afternoon. There's a lot of hope that he may get into the race. He said he'll decide in the fall. But there clearly is a lot of conservative -- there are a lot of conservatives here who are hoping that someone will come in and save the conservative cause because they don't trust any of the three front runners.

WHITFIELD: Wow. All right, Bill Schneider, thanks so much. And of course we're going to be talking to you again in the 4:00 hour.

Well our experts will look at the legal problems as well. All of those problems still pending, all surrounding the burial of Anna Nicole Smith. That's coming up.

And what's up with the jury in the Scooter Libby trial? Still no verdict after more than a week. What does that mean?

And new rules for travelers took effect in January. Everyone must now have a passport if they go out of the country, even to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. Well, now the Department of Homeland Security has relaxed some passport rules for children traveling by land or sea. More in this week's "On the Go" segment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMY ZIFF, TRAVELOCITY: The new rule will mean that kids under the age of 18 can travel with their parents and get in with a copy of their birth certificate. And if children of the ages of 16 to 18 are traveling with, say, a religious group, a social group, a school group, something like that, they'll be able to get into the country from Canada or Mexico, the Caribbean as well, with just their copy of their birth certificate. And that is by land or by sea.

Air travel, everybody needs a passport. That's really important to emphasize. If you're cruising or if you're driving, you don't need a passport until January 1, 2008. For people who have any questions on how to get a passport, where to get a passport, if they want an expedited passport, renewal questions, anything like that, they can go to www.getapassport.com. It has all the answers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Happening right now in the news, party time down under. Hundreds of thousands turn out for the 29th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade in Sydney, Australia. Since it started in 1978, the annual celebration has turned into one of the city's biggest outdoor parties. That said, Australia still does not recognize same sex marriages.

With help from MySpace.com, police in Fort Smith, Arkansas hope to nab a robbery suspect. The MySpace profile is a wanted poster of sorts which contains bank camera photos of the robber.

Anna Nicole Smith's body, shrouded in pink satin ribbons and feathers, is now in the grave. But it could be years before her legal troubles are laid to rest. Our Chris Chandler reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CHANDLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Early Friday morning, a motorcade arrived at the Broward County, Florida medical examiner's office where Anna Nicole Smith's body had been held since her death.

Police escorted a hearse containing her casket to the Miami International Airport. From there, the former playmate's body was put on a private airplane and flown to the Bahamas. After the plane arrived, a motorcade accompanied the casket to a church in Nassau. There the appointed guardian for Smith's baby daughter spoke to reporters.

RICHARD C. MILSTEIN, DANNIELYNN'S GUARDIAN: If one were to write a Greek tragedy, one cannot write a script as sorrowful and as hurtful as this.

CHANDLER: About 300 friends and family of Smith attended the service. A graveside service followed. Both were closed to the public. Among the mourners, Smith's attorney and partner Howard K. Stern and photographer Larry Birkhead. Both men and at least two others claim to be the father of Smith's baby girl.

Smith was buried beside her son Daniel. He died in the Bahamas last year of what an autopsy showed to be a drug overdose. Smith died last month at a Florida hotel and casino. The cause is not known. She was 39. I'm Chris Chandler reporting from Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So still unanswered, who is the father of Smith's baby and who gets her late husband's inheritance? Let's see what our legal experts have to say. Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney and law professor. Good to see you, Avery.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney. Good to see you as well, Richard.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right Richard, let me begin with you. So she's buried now. But what are the chances of exhumation? Because now we're hearing that Daniel's father wants him exhumed to be buried in Texas. I mean, it is still not resolved it seems, where these two bodies should rest in peace.

HERMAN: Fred, I think is such a transparent attempt by this guy who crawled out of some rock. He hasn't seen this kid in 20 years. Clearly hasn't spoken to him in 10 years. He comes out, obviously at the behest of mommy dearest, old Virgie there, who will do anything to try to get the bodies back in Texas.

WHITFIELD: So you think these are legitimate threats? I mean, is there really a legal leg to stand on in pursuit of this?

HERMAN: Look, there is going to be a hearing. A judge is going to have a hearing in the Bahamas on it. But the fact is that Anna was the mother and natural legal guardian. She chose to bury her son at this location and this guy coming out of nowhere, while he may be the biological father, had no relationship with this boy.

WHITFIELD: Avery?

FRIEDMAN: Let me -- the specific legal answer is this, Fredricka. In the Bahamas, their laws are similar to British common law. And that will employ what are called equitable principles. They're going to examine the fact that Billy Smith hasn't seen Daniel since he was six-years-old. He died at 20. Legally we hadn't heard hide nor hair from him for over six months. The reality, it is a legal nullity. Nothing is going to happen.

WHITFIELD: OK, in the meantime, another unanswered question, this is, you know, over the whole paternity issue. Who is the father of Dannielynn? Where are we on that? For a moment there were emergency hearings in Florida. But the originally started in California. Where is it going to be, Avery?

FRIEDMAN: Well, Judge Seidlin is out. Richard Milstein, the guardian is out. We are now looking to Bahamian law. And under that law, Howard K. Stern is presumed to be the father. The question is, will the judge in the Bahamas order a DNA sample? Will the judge order DNA sample of the infant? So many of those questions are unresolved. However, what is important to know, and this is sort of street law, Fredricka, what's happening is there are communications between Stern and Birkhead. And it may very well...

WHITFIELD: ... Yes, suddenly they're looking a little chummy.

FRIEDMAN: Well, what is going on essentially is that Birkhead may very well wind up being the father and Howard is going to be uncle Howard, but the trade-off is going to be that Howard will be responsible for the guardianship -- for the execution of any kind of probate, which will make him a millionaire on top of intelligence we're picking up that there may be as many as seven life insurance policies. And guess who the beneficiary on all of them are?

WHITFIELD: Howard K. Stern, ladies and gentlemen.

FRIEDMAN: You got it.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. Go ahead, Richard.

HERMAN: All of that -- I hear all that life insurance stuff. Stern has completely denied that. But Avery -- what is going on with Debra Opri, the attorney representing Larry Birkhead, puts her arm around Howard Stern at least 42 times during the funeral and pats him on the back and hugs him.

WHITFIELD: You can both be my client.

HERMAN: A deal is coming down here. They are making a deal these guys. A lot of money involved here.

WHITFIELD: Wow, OK, when you talk about a lot of money just in terms of the life insurance, still unresolved everybody is the whole estate. The estate from Anna Nicole's late husband, Mr. Marshall. That's still unresolved. Who would be there to fight it either way? Seems like everyone has passed away.

HERMAN: That's the potential windfall. Some $400 million potentially to the estate, which is the sole baby. That is the estate. But Howard Stern is the executor. He's the trustee, so whether he's the biological father or the court appointed father, he still controls the money for the child.

FRIEDMAN: That's why the negotiations are going on right now. That's exactly right.

WHITFIELD: Wow. OK. Still lots of questions on that one. I have a feeling we'll be talking about it again this week.

Well let's move on to another case that has everyone kind of hanging tooth and nail in Washington. This is the Scooter Libby case, a former chief of staff for the vice president. These jurors have been deliberating now what, seven days, going into the next week. So can we read the tea leaves here? They have been requesting a lot of office supplies. They have been asking a few questions. So Avery, what does this mean?

FRIEDMAN: Fredricka, I think what is going on is wonderful. It demonstrates that our system, once you take that oath as a juror, really works. This is a wonderful jury and they raised the question late on Friday that U.S. district judge Reggie Walton will have to ask on Monday. And that is, is it -- does the government have to prove that it is not humanly possible for someone to forget?

Now, Judge Walton will answer that the government does not have to prove that. And what that really means is they're at the final end, the final part of this deliberation. Expect a verdict this week.

WHITFIELD: OK.

HERMAN: Fred, I'll tell you, the jury is asking questions about the definition of reasonable doubt. That means at least one juror, at least one juror is fighting for Libby. It could be just one, Fred. It could be -- I've seen this in cases where juries dragged on...

WHITFIELD: ... And that's enough for a hung jury.

HERMAN: Hung jury, right. That's all they need is one juror.

WHITFIELD: You've got to have a unanimous decision here?

HERMAN: Yes. Must be 12-0 or it's a hung jury.

FRIEDMAN: Well, 11-0. Remember, they knocked one off. It has to be 11-0 in this case.

WHITFIELD: Right, right. OK, so now at what point would the judge say, you know, OK, this is taking a long time. Say it gets passed Monday. Would he in any way interject? Would he offer kind of guidance to the jurors so that they can hurry up and render a decision?

HERMAN: There is a mechanism for the judge to speak to the jury and tell them, look, they have a duty, they took an oath to come to a verdict here an he can try to push them as much as he wants. I think those will begin this week about midweek if there is no verdict. But I tell you, the longer it goes, the better it is for Libby. That's all I can tell you.

FRIEDMAN: Maybe, maybe.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's what I'm starting to wonder about that as well. I don't know you would be a little bit more nervous or starting to get a little bit more relieved at this point.

(CROSSTALK)

FRIEDMAN: There is a proposition. There is a proposition that the longer a jury goes, the more defense oriented it is. Not necessarily in this case, Fredricka. I think, again, let's see what happens this week. I'm expecting we're going to see a verdict from a very sophisticated, very smart jury.

HERMAN: The judge instructed the jury if they are not firmly convinced of Libby's guilt, then that is reasonable doubt. And as a defense attorney, I think that's a great instruction. WHITFIELD: Wow, well they do seem to be a very thoughtful jury, that's for sure. Avery and Richard, thank you very much. Always good to see you.

FRIEDMAN: Nice to see you, take care, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, guess what, people, look up. There is an eclipse coming up soon and this one, you can actually look at.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So in football, they call it a Hail Mary. Well what do you call this when it is in basketball? Woosh. All right, long shot buzzer beater from last night during a seventh grade basketball tournament at St. Paul Catholic School in Westerville, Ohio. The kid who hurled it, making daddy very proud. He's the coach's son, after all. The video, courtesy of a local fan. Thanks for sharing.

The man in the moon gets to take a break today all because of a total eclipse. You can expect the moon to turn shades of amber and crimson as it passes through the earth's shadow, starting at 3:18 p.m. Eastern. The grand finale should happen at 5:44. Don't miss that.

And you've probably have seen the commercial, but are the Geico cavemen ready for primetime? So easy, even a caveman can do it. Well you've seen the pitch everywhere on TV, including here on CNN. Now, the cavemen might get their own sitcom. ABC has ordered a pilot for the fall TV season. No guarantee if it will make air. The show will be set in Atlanta.

The top stories in a moment including more from the tornado zone. President Bush follows the path of destruction throughout the south. Also, "Chasing Angelina." Go along for the ride as the paparazzi pursue the superstar actress.

That's next hour on CNN "SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS." And then at 4:00 Eastern, you're back in the NEWSROOM. We're with the family of one of the survivors of this week's deadly bus crash. But first, here is Bonnie Schneider in the Weather Center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com