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U.S. Flexes Navy Muscle Near Iran; American Cancer Society Urges MRI Scans For Breast Cancer Screening; Abandoned Baby Found in Truck; Rapist on the loose in Arizona; Tallest Man in the World Weds

Aired March 28, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A million-dollar oops, but it's not the first time a fast car has slowed down the hard way. Uh-uh.
(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Let's go back and reflect, shall we?

Jeanne Moos?

(LAUGHTER)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Did you ever borrow someone's car, then die of mortification because you scratched it? Now magnify that mortification, because what just crashed is a million dollar-plus Ferrari driven by comedian Eddie Griffin.

EDDIE GRIFFIN, COMEDIAN: I just need driving lessons.

MOOS: Griffin was practicing for a charity race to promote his new movie when he decided to take one more spin. At least he didn't get the photographer. The comedian was unhurt, but the Ferrari was totaled, the $1. 2 million Ferrari owned by the producer of Griffin's new movie.

DANIEL SADEK, MOVIE PRODUCER: I'm speechless about that, because I really liked the car. But it is what it is.

MOOS: It is what it was. Another actor practicing from the charity race was Jackie Chan who couldn't hind the smirk in his voice as he viewed the crash video.

JACKIE CHAN, ACTOR: Oh, $1. 2 million.

MOOS: People seemed to get some weird kick out of seeing ultra- expensive Ferraris bite the dust. YouTube has a comprehensive selection of Ferrari crashes. The Ferrari's demise is celebrated in movies, for instance when a rich kid and his friends used his parents' car and then tried to turn back the odometer.

People take pleasure in the Ferrari's pain, or even the drivers, drivers showing off for a leggy girl.

This was a cigar commercial. At least Eddie griffin didn't hurt his head, just his pride as he tried to salvage by joking about one of his movie roles, Undercover Brother.

GRIFFIN: It is good to know Undercover Brother is good at karate and all of the rest of that. But the Brother can't drive.

MOOS: But even in his movie, he spun out, but at least the Brother's beverage never spilled. You never want to spill anything in a Ferrari.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Oh, my God. No, you're right. Brother can't drive.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: He can't. But you know what?

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Brother would not get my keys either.

LEMON: They got more publicity, don't you think, from that...

WHITFIELD: Oh, yes.

LEMON: ... him wrecking it, than...

WHITFIELD: Yes, I think so.

Folks are really going to try and tune in now...

LEMON: Mm-hmm. We will see.

WHITFIELD: ... to the movie when it comes out.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: All right, much more of the CNN NEWSROOM right after this.

LEMON: It starts right now.

Hello. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips.

Captive British sailors appear on Iranian television. They look to be in good shape, but the British government is outraged.

Plus: a sexual predator targeting teenage girls left home alone -- details on the search for the predator live in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: It is the top of the hour, and there are lots of developments to tell you about this hour in the case of those British sailors and marines detained by Iran.

An Iranian TV network has released video of the group, including Faye Turney, the only woman. The Iranian government, meantime, released this letter, which it says was written by Turney. In the letter, which hasn't been authenticated, Turney admits the Brits entered Iranian waters.

Now, Britain, of course, insists they did not. The British Defense Ministry has released GPS satellite coordinates to back up that claim.

Earlier, Iran's foreign minister told CNN that Turney could be released today or tomorrow.

Why don't we join CNN's Aneesh Raman? He's been tracking developments from the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia. And he joins us now via broadband.

What are the new developments, Aneesh?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Don, the first time that we have seen the British military personnel since they were seized last Friday, as you mentioned.

Featured prominently is the women sailor, Faye Turney. She, according to Iran's foreign minister, will be released as early as today, perhaps tomorrow.

In the video, the British military personnel are shown in relatively good condition. It's a stark difference from the images we saw in 2004, when military British personnel were being held by Iran. At that time, they were shown blindfolded.

So, clearly,. it's an attempt by Iran to show that they treated well. Of course, Britain has called the release of this tape -- quote -- "unacceptable," and is still demanding to see their personnel in person.

Now, we can bring you a new development. The chairman of Iran's Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations and National Security, a committee that carries some degree of political weight on this issue, has just come out in the Iranian press and said that the days of Britain to bully are over, that the British government should stop bullying.

It is time for logic, he said. And he said harsh stances by the British government are going to complicate matters even more. We heard earlier today that the British government was going to suspend bilateral business as this standoff continued -- Iran clearly not backing down.

This parliamentarian is a hard-liner within Iran. Among the hard-liners, there is increasing calls for the British military personnel to be put on trial and charged with espionage. That is why no one is looking too far into the imminent, it seems, release of the woman sailor. That seems to be a result of cultural sensitivities within Iran. It does not predict an early release for the other 14 British military - Don.

LEMON: Aneesh Raman, reporting live for us, thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is also weighing in on the detained British sailors and marines.

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Obama talked about the British response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE SITUATION ROOM")

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that the British obviously are taking the prudent steps that are required, sending a strong, unequivocal message to the Iranians that they have to release these British soldiers. I think that they are handling it in the appropriate way.

You know, my sense is that the Iranians are going to stand down fairly soon, but, look, one of the obligations of the commander in chief is to make sure that our troops are protected, wherever they're projected around the world.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So if they were to hold them, let's say, for 444 days -- Iranians have held Americans hostage for a long period of time -- what, do you just let them be held there?

OBAMA: No, you don't. I think you take firm action to make sure that those troops are returned.

BLITZER: Do you want to be specific?

OBAMA: You know, I think that it's important to say that all options, including military, would be on the table in such a circumstance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And you can see Wolf's full interview at 7:00 p.m. Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM," right here on CNN.

And you may have noticed Washington seems to be staying out of the dispute. Wondering why?

Our State Department correspondent Zain Verjee has an explanation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.S. government really has not come out making harsh statements or strong demands or condemning Iran.

Senior officials tell CNN, the U.S. has really been playing it low-key on purpose, because the British government has asked that the U.S. does that. The U.S. says it's not going to say or do anything that would jeopardize British efforts to get their crew freed. And the U.S. also knows that it has a very difficult, a testy relationship with Iran, and really doesn't want to complicate things right now. So, the comments that you're hearing from the State Department are really limited, saying only that the capture of the British military personnel was illegal and that they should be released.

Now, this morning, the deputy State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, also added that the U.S. really wanted to see Iran do the right thing and resolve the dispute peacefully. He also said the U.S. fully supports the British position that they were in Iraqi and not in Iranian waters when they were seized.

There are also questions about whether the British crew was seized in a tit-for-tat mission, because, as you know, Don, the U.S. has captured Iranian operatives in Iraq. And the question is, you know, could the Iranians be using for -- rather, could the Iranians be looking for a prisoner swap?

The U.S. says that there are no discussions about any kind of swap at all, and the British have not even asked them to do so.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The British ambassador to the United Nations has just briefed the Security Council on the standoff. He's hinting Britain may want the U.N. to step in.

The Persian Gulf is a busy place today -- the sea, the sky bustling with U.S. naval activity, the most since before the invasion of Iraq. Two U.S. carrier groups are conducting war games.

Straight to the Pentagon now and senior correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

And, Jamie, these are deployments that had been planned far before this kind of conflict involving Britain and Iran. Even the U.S. was thinking for a second to back out of this mission, and then, after a conversation with Britain, said, no, let's go ahead?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, the -- the U.S. Navy says that they rarely have two aircraft carriers operating together in the Persian Gulf, and they wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to conduct an exercise.

But, privately, Navy officials admit that there is a message in this for Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): A Navy FA-18 flies out of the sun and on to the deck of the USS Eisenhower, one of two U.S. aircraft carriers now conducting high-profile air warfare exercises right off the coast of Iran. The decision to dispatch a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf was made months ago, long before Iran's provocative capture of 15 British sailors and marines last week. But Pentagon sources tell CNN the decision to conduct the rare dual exercise with two carriers, 100 warplanes, and more than a dozen escort ships, was ordered just this week to make a show of resolve to Tehran.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: They are watching what the United States and our coalition partners are doing, and will draw their own conclusions about the reliability of our word and the strength of our commitments.

MCINTYRE: While the Eisenhower and Stennis battle groups are practicing hunting submarines, sinking ships, and clearing mines, all things they would do in a war with Iran, the top U.S. commander for the region insists, with its hands full in Iraq, the U.S. is not spoiling for a fight.

ADMIRAL WILLIAM J. FALLON, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We're not interested in a war. We have got a conflict going here that we have got lots of folks tied up trying to fix.

MCINTYRE: But the American armada is aimed at reassuring other Gulf states the U.S. has the naval power to keep vital shipping lanes open. Jittery investors have already sent oil prices to a high for the year, on fears that rising tensions could disrupt the 40 percent of the world's oil that flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: If the intent of the U.S. naval maneuvers was to intimidate the Iranians, they are claiming to be unimpressed. In fact, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement today, saying he doesn't believe the U.S. actually conducted any exercises. He says their monitoring doesn't detect that.

The U.S. dismisses that as pure propaganda -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: But, of course, that kind of monitoring, or perhaps even those kinds of operations, are taking place in international waters.

MCINTYRE: Well, that's true. But the Iranians still have a fairly robust navy. They would be able to tell if there's 100 air -- warplanes flying around.

(CROSSTALK)

MCINTYRE: The exercise is supposed to go on for another day or so. But, clearly, the Iranians are escalating the war of words, as they insist that the U.S. isn't doing anything in what they say is their part of the world.

WHITFIELD: All right, interesting.

Jamie McIntyre, thanks so much at the Pentagon. LEMON: Out of the studio and up to the Hill -- he's out of the studio a lot, actually. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, CNN's Lou Dobbs weighs in on the free trade debate in Washington.

WHITFIELD: And a different kind of test, a better diagnosis, but only for some women -- straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, new advice about breast cancer screening.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Free trade has been the most expensive trade policy this nation has ever pursued. There is absolutely nothing free about ever-larger trade deficits, mounting trade debts, and the loss of millions of good-paying American jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, this is not "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." It's Lou Dobbs today. Our own CNN anchor testified on Capitol Hill this morning about a subject near and dear to his heart, foreign trade, and how it affects U.S. jobs.

And Lou joins me now from Washington.

How did it go?

DOBBS: Good to be with you.

And I thought it was -- I think it's a very hopeful sign when Congressman Sherman's committee, his subcommittee, the Foreign Affairs Committee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, takes on this very important issue, examining foreign policy and trade policy from the perspective of the American worker, the working men and women, our middle class, who are the foundation of the country.

And, to me, that's a very hopeful development and hopefully the beginning of a turning point in our history.

LEMON: Yes. And you know what? Most people are saying, how does this affect the average person in the middle class, Lou?

DOBBS: Well, I believe, straightforwardly, as I testified today, as I have written in two books, our middle class is, frankly, under attack because of these trade policies, a foreign policy, the corporate and political elites who are putting our middle class, working men and women in this country, into direct competition with the cheapest labor in the world.

It is absolutely insane policy. We have had 31 consecutive years of trade deficits. We have run up a trade debt of over $5 trillion since 1994. It's unsustainable.

Carla Hills, as you saw there, Ambassador Hills, the former trade representative, she and I agreed on one thing: It's unsustainable, the course we're on, and we have got to change it.

LEMON: Yes. I asked you how it went.

What I really want to know from you is how did House members react to what you said? Do you think that what you said will lead to any sort of action or making a difference when it comes to this issue?

DOBBS: Well, obviously, I certainly hope so. I thought that members of the committee, Chairman Sherman, could not have been more gracious.

The Democrats and the Republicans on that committee alike were very gracious toward me, engaged with their questions and their concerns. It was a terrific experience for me, testifying, with Ambassador Hills, for more than two hours this morning.

I truly believe that Congress is on its way to changing a direction that is calamitous for this country, that is pursuing trade policies that have resulted in 31 consecutive years of trade deficit, the loss of three million manufacturing jobs, three million more jobs, middle-class jobs, outsourced to cheap foreign labor markets.

It has to change. I think that this new Congress is ready to start those changes. And I am hopeful that this Congress will regain its constitutional authority to conduct trade policy, and will reject the president's call for continuation of his so-called fast-track trade authority.

LEMON: And Lou Dobbs always passionate about issues here.

And I have got to say you, I saw you smiling, but people watching you and talking to a camera, it's a bit different. Were you -- were you a little nervous?

DOBBS: Well, not really, because these are issues, as you say, I -- you know, I care deeply about. The issues affect all of us.

Nothing could be more important. And, as you know, Don, I only say what I mean, and I always mean what I say.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Oh, yes.

DOBBS: So, there's -- there's no need to be, as I said, nervous.

LEMON: Not only do I know that. I think a whole lot of people know that.

Lou Dobbs, thank you very much.

DOBBS: Thank you.

LEMON: And, just in case you're wondering, it is Lou Dobbs afternoon and evening here on CNN.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: You can watch more of Lou Dobbs on CNN tonight. He'll host a prime-time special about America's continuing battle against illegal drugs. It's called "The War Within." And it airs at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

And don't forget his regular program, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." It airs weeknights at 6:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Thanks, Lou.

WHITFIELD: Straight shooter all the time.

LEMON: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, it is 17 minutes now after the hour of 3:00 Eastern. Here are the stories we're working for you in the NEWSROOM.

Iranian TV broadcast images of British sailors held in Iran. The Iranian government also released a letter it claims was written by Faye Turney, the only woman in the group. In the letter, which has not been authenticated, Turney admits British forces entered Iranian waters. London insists they did not.

A disturbing sight in Chicago -- smoke poured from the roof of a 45-story residential high-rise today. It turns out a cooling unit had caught fire. But residents were never in danger. That's the good news.

And, in medical news, two new studies call for MRI exams for women who have breast cancer, and those who are at high risk of developing it. The recommendation does not apply to otherwise healthy women. And we will talk to a cancer expert in just a few minutes about what this means for women.

Meantime, home alone -- teenage girls targeted by a predator. Now police in Arizona are targeting him before he strikes again. The story is straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Ringing the bell for Rudy Giuliani -- the Republican presidential hopeful picked up a big business endorsement today from tax cut advocate Steve Forbes.

And, as you see here, the two also kicked off today's trading at the Nasdaq market site. Forbes has twice made his own run for the Republican nomination. He is considered a leader of the party's pro- business wing.

And, of course, all the day's political news is available any time, day or night, at CNN.com/ticker. It's constantly updating with the latest from the campaign trail, and on your money as well.

The turmoil in the mortgage sector has prompted congressional investigations into some questionable lending practices. And now the FBI is also getting involved.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with the details, because, Susan, we're finding that more and more people are really finding themselves in trouble because of such creative loans that have been available.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

You know, everybody piled on. Everybody wanted to get a home, a second home. And some people shouldn't have, and some people -- some institutions that were loaning money shouldn't have as well.

We're seeing the fallout now. These are homes. The nation's sixth largest home-builder is being investigated by the FBI, as well as the IRS and the U.S. attorney's office in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Beazer points out that there have been no allegations of wrongdoing, but the company is being investigated because of possible fraud in its lending practices. The probe follows reports in "The Charlotte Observer" that detailed allegations of abusive lending practices and unusually high foreclosure rates in some Beazer developments.

Shares of Beazer are getting whacked today. Right now, they are down nearly 9.5 percent -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, so, this did start with lenders. There's a lot of red ink, as well, that is getting a closer, I guess microscopic, look, right?

LISOVICZ: Yes.

Well, I mean, you know, this was where it all started. More than 20 lenders have been driven into bankruptcy this year alone, Fred. New Century Financial is expected to follow suit. "The New York Times" says it could happen as soon as this week. New Century was one of the biggest players in the industry, and it's still hoping to find a buyer. But that doesn't seem likely. Several states, including California, New York and Ohio have banned New Century from issuing new mortgages there.

And, today, the company ended its ties with Freddie Mac, meaning that it can no longer sell mortgage loans to the two government- sponsored firms that back so many home loans. The other one is Fannie Mae. Investors, of course, are worried that the turmoil in the mortgage sector will spread.

But, for now, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke says the problems are contained. Bernanke, however, also pointed out this morning on Capitol Hill that uncertainties remain for the economy as a whole.

This and a jump in oil prices are putting pressure on the major averages. The Dow is three for three this week. That is three losses in three days, unlike last week, where it was five wins in five days. The Nasdaq composite, meanwhile, is down 15 points. The Dow, you can see, is down 82, or two-thirds-of-a-percent. The Nasdaq is down by a similar percentage.

And that's the latest from Wall Street. I will be back in 30 minutes for the closing bell.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We have been talking a lot about cancer lately. It's been in the news a lot.

Mammograms may not be enough for women at high risk of breast cancer. New evidence shows magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, may be the key -- the key -- to finding trouble spots other tests might miss.

And with me now is Dr. Otis Brawley, associate director of the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University.

Talk to me about these new findings, because we have -- and I have been talking to you a little bit before. We have got different ones. We have got the PET scan, which is sometimes used for breast cancer, mammogram, and the ultrasound.

But the MRI is by far the best one. But not everyone gets it.

DR. OTIS BRAWLEY, WINSHIP CANCER INSTITUTE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, EMORY UNIVERSITY: That's right. That's right.

The problem is, the MRI is so expensive. Only about 10 percent of facilities that offer breast screening actually have an MRI. The other problem is, the MRI is incredibly sensitive.

LEMON: Right.

BRAWLEY: And you get a lot of what we call false positives, where we tell it a woman there may be something wrong with your breast. We need further testing. And, ultimately, we find out there was absolutely nothing wrong with the breast.

LEMON: OK. So, then, you're a doctor. Then, why can't we somehow make the costs less, or at least help in the cost of this MRI?

BRAWLEY: You know, with today's recommendations, my prediction, as I look in a crystal ball, is, there will be more MRI facilities around the country.

As there are more MRI facilities, I suspect the costs will go down. Many insurances have been hesitant to actually pay for MRI.

LEMON: Mm-hmm.

BRAWLEY: Now you will see insurances that are going to pay for it. So, I suspect the costs will go down, but it's going to take several years. But we still have this concern. There is a bunch of people who should be getting this test who won't. And there's a group of people who should not be getting this test who will. (CROSSTALK)

LEMON: So, we will figure all that out.

Now, can much of this be helped by funding, or at least by the federal government? Where does Washington, and specifically the White House, stand on cancer funding now?

BRAWLEY: You know, a great problem, in terms of cancer research -- and I do cancer research for a living -- is, the National Cancer Institute budget has essentially been static from 2003 until 2007.

Yes, in the 1990s, there was a tremendous movement to double the budget for the National Cancer Institute, and the NIH, where all the research is funded from. But since then we've had no increases and when one looks at inflation there's actually been a decrease.

LEMON: OK. That's a good point. It's a decrease when you look at inflation. So why not? Where's the money going?

BRAWLEY: You know, I really don't know. I'm not a federal budgeteer. The money is going -- There are a number of places where there's been an increase in the federal budget, the Defense Department for example. But within the NIH for cancer research, for other health care research, it's been really static for about four years.

LEMON: OK. Just so you think -- what the White House spokesperson and presidential candidate's wife out there both saying their cancers recurred, might this help when it comes to that issue?

BRAWLEY: These are very brave people and you're going to help a lot of folks just by coming out and talking about the disease, folks with the disease. One other aspect may very well be folks will look at cancer funding and look at research funding.

LEMON: OK. Before you go, I want to ask you about this. Because this was very interesting to me. He and I were talking during the break. You were saying that many women have breast cancer, know about it, and they don't get treatment.

BRAWLEY: That's right.

LEMON: Because of the costs, or fear.

BRAWLEY: That's exactly right. This is a real shame. We've even shown ...

LEMON: Sixty percent you said here ...

BRAWLEY: Six percent.

LEMON: Six percent.

BRAWLEY: Yeah. We've even shown in some of our screening programs, six percent of women who are diagnosed with an abnormality told, this is breast cancer, end up not getting it treated. That's six percent in Atlanta.

LEMON: Why?

BRAWLEY: Unfortunately sometimes they can't afford treatment. Sometimes treatment is so hard to get in terms of job and family issues.

LEMON: And they're afraid of the disease?

BRAWLEY: Sometimes they're afraid of the disease and the stigma. We have folks who are hiding from their family that they have breast cancer. Folks like Mrs. Edwards are going to help with that.

LEMON: That's what I was going to say, maybe Tony Snow and Elizabeth Edwards may help in that regard. Thank you so much for joining us, very knowledgeable about this. We appreciate it.

BRAWLEY: My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: Well, they're locked down in a stare-down. Democrats in Congress and the president. Senators are chugging forward on the bill that would set a date for U.S. troops to pull out of Iraq. A roll call yesterday defeated a Republican bid to strip deadlines from the war funding bill. The president says the date-setters are wasting their time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT: The House and Senate bills have too much pork, too many conditions on our commanders and an artificial timetable for withdrawal.

And I have made it clear for weeks, if either version comes to my desk, I'm going to veto it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And Senate Republican and presidential hopeful John McCain joined most his party in voting to strike the withdrawal date from the funding bill. Afterward he spoke with CNN's Wolf Blitzer where re described some Baghdad streets safe enough for you or I to walk through. That comment didn't sit well with a CNN correspondent who walks those streets every single day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No way on earth can a westerner, particularly an American, stroll any street of this capital of more than 5 million people. I mean, if al Qaeda doesn't get wind of you, or if one of the Sunni insurgent groups don't descend upon you, or if somebody doesn't tip off Shia militia, then the nearest criminal gang is going to see dollar signs and scoop you up.

Honestly, Wolf, you'd barely last 20 minutes out there. I don't know what part of Neverland Senator McCain is talking about when he says we can go strolling in Baghdad. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, appearing on CNN's THIS MORNING, Senator McCain defended his comments, proposing the media are preventing Americans from seeing progress in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) AZ: I'm not saying that they could go without protection. The president goes around America with protection, so certainly I didn't say that.

The fact is that the neighborhoods are safer, and every indicator of that, the number of bodies found, the number of deaths, the fact is, we are making progress.

It's still dangerous, it's still a long way to go. But the fact is that things have improved, and much of that you do not get to the American people, and that's just a fact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain speaking on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING this morning.

WHITFIELD: Heavy snow, fierce winds and perhaps some tornadoes, shaking up the region. Let's talk to Rob Marciano about these extreme conditions. Rob?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Fredricka, a couple of spots we're worried about.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: So flooding could be an issue on top of the potential for tornados.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks for the warning, Rob.

Riptides proving deadly for swimmers in Coco Beach, Florida. Lifeguards had to pull nine people from the water yesterday. One man drowned, a 69-year-old who was pulled ashore by other swimmers, he died after being taken to the hospital.

About 100 people crammed aboard in a dilapidated sailboat, reaching the Florida shore today. But they were quickly rounded up. The coast guard believes they fled Haiti three weeks ago. One man died in the crossing. Three others are in critical condition from dehydration. The others may soon be on their way back home.

Haitians who make it to the U.S. illegally are generally sent back, unlike most Cubans.

LEMON: No pushing at the pool. Oh, my goodness. A rule this coach apparently forgot. Who's a swimmer and why is this man so mad? Wait until you find out their relationship here. It's surprising and shocking.

Ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: Two years, three abandoned babies, one mother perhaps? Details straight ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Boy, this next video got everybody riled. An angry coach takes it out on his swimmer daughter. Yes, it's his daughter. Now Mihau Zubkov (ph) of Ukraine is banned from going anywhere near her.

An Australian television station caught the scuffle on tape at the world championships under way in Melbourne. The altercation ended when TV staffers called police. Zubkov is set to appear tomorrow at the Melbourne's magistrate office. The head of the competition calls Zubkov's behavior quote, "unacceptable."

And right after this, he tries to hug her. OK. Unbelievable.

OK. A major league gesture from a major university. Ohio State's baseball team opens its home season this afternoon with proceeds to benefit the team from Bluffton University. You'll remember, five Bluffton players died in a bus crash here in Atlanta. That was a few weeks ago. Ohio State's donation is for those involved and also their families, and to help build a memorial on Bluffton's campus.

Now Buckeyes coach Bob Todd said as often as teams travel, he knows it could easily have been his own team.

WHITFIELD: An abandoned newborn left in the bed of a pickup truck. Shocking enough when it happens once. But police in California say this is the third time in 18 months and all the babies are from the same mother. It's an unbelievable story from reporter Christine Musson from CNN affiliate KGPE in Fresno.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was about this big, stiff, frozen.

CHRISTINE MUSSON, KGPE-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was on the night of December 3rd, 2006, that a newborn baby girl was found in the back of this pickup truck in Maria Pena's driveway.

MARIA PENA, FOUND INFANT: I never checked the pickup. I never did. I wish I would have.

MUSSON: The newborn now named Angelita DeOrosi or Little Angel of Orosi is the third child since February 2005 left in this neighborhood. Now DNA shows all three have the same mother.

PENA: I can't understand her. I can't. I don't know why she would do something like that.

MUSSON: And while Pena tries to make sense of the situation, the Tulare County Sheriff's Department wants to know who the children's mother is. The department is now offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with information.

SGT. CHRIS DOUGLAS, TULARE COUNTY, CALIF. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: There's at least one person who knows what's happening, and the circumstances as to why it's happening this way.

MUSSON: California safe haven law has been in place since 2000. These are three sites in the Cutler-Orosi areas where newborns can be taken.

DOUGLAS: You can drop off a newborn child up to 72 hours without any questions, without any prosecution. You can drop that baby off and it's in safe hands.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The little girl found in the back of the pickup truck did not survive. Her two siblings did.

Within a mile and a half radius of a neighborhood in Chandler, Arizona, three girls' lives have been forever changed. And police want to make sure there isn't a fourth victim. This police drawing depicts a serial sexual predator who was brazen, who knows the area and preys on teenagers in single-parent families. I spoke with Chandler police sergeant Rick Griner a little while ago about the predator's M.O.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SGT. RICK GRINER, CHANDLER, ARIZ. POLICE DEPT.: He is doing a lot of surveillance. He is watching the victims, he is watching the victims' families. He knows when the parent leaves and when the victim is there alone.

WHITFIELD: Do you believe he's learning this information in any other way than sheerly by making an observation?

Might he be learning this information in any other way as far as you know?

GRINER: As far as we know, no. We believe that he is just watching his victims prior to the actual attack.

WHITFIELD: And these attacks taking place in what kind of radius from one another? Does it seem like they're all happening in the same neighborhood?

GRINER: The second and third one were literally blocks away. The first one was about a mile away from these two.

WHITFIELD: How are you getting the schools to help cooperate in trying to find this predator, how to warn these young people to better protect themselves?

GRINER: We have contacted the Chandler Unified School District. We are sending the same fliers we handed out last night to the schools. So hopefully the two junior high feeder schools from that neighborhood will be distributing those today. Also, the school resource officer at one of the schools went around to every classroom yesterday to give them a brief update and an overview of how to stay safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And beyond that, police have beefed up patrols in the area.

LEMON: And there is trouble for a country singing star Wynona Judd. Judd is filing for divorce after her estranged husband's arrest on sex charges involving a minor. The couple has been married more than three years. Nashville Police say Dan Roach is charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery against a child younger than 13. He was arrested as a fugitive last week in Texas. In a statement, on her Web site, Judd says, "I am obviously devastated. Our family will pull together, begin the healing process and hopefully by the grace of God become stronger. We will move forward with our faith, family and our friends to find resolution to this difficult situation."

WHITFIELD: April marks Larry King's 50th year in broadcasting. CNN is bringing you highlights from Larry's most memorable interviews. Carla Faye Tucker was one of Texas' most controversial figures on death row. Larry interviewed her from prison weeks before she was scheduled to be executed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: We won an Emmy for that show, but I rather would not have won it. I liked Carla Faye a lot.

We're back on LARRY KING LIVE. Carla Faye Tucker, though, if the governor, or the parole board doesn't stop it, will be executed on February 3rd for a brutal murder she was involved with her former boyfriend who has since passed away.

She was a pathetic, tragic, bright, very religious figure. Pat Robertson fought to save her. The weird thing at that prison was, we couldn't touch her. So she was behind a facade. And all you could do is put your hands up next to her. And then we took shots of her walking along the prison yard.

I could see why it won an Emmy. It was deserving of winning an Emmy. You ask the best questions, you listen to the answers. But it's a show you'd rather not do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Oh, take a walk on the wild side. Yeah, that's what some visitors at the Grand Canyon ...

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's why you want me to sing. Doodoodadoodoodadoodooda -- How is that?

LEMON: A glass bottom deck. Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: You criticized my singing a couple weeks ago. So -- I gave you a little doo doo doo wop.

LEMON: A walk on the wild side. It's 70 feet over the canyon's rim. It's open to the public today. You can gaze down 4,000 feet. We know about that. But it is going to cost you, I think it's $75 for this breath-taking view.

WHITFIELD: Oh my God. I would be on my hands and knees. Uh-uh.

OK. Well, paper or plastic? You've heard that question, every time you go to the grocery store. Now, grocery shoppers in San Francisco won't have to deal with that dilemma any longer. City supervisors have approved a first in the nation ban on plastic grocery bags. The kind made from petroleum products.

Supermarkets and drugstores can let customers choose between paper, cloth or new types of plastic made from corn. Some stores call the ban unreasonable. The mayor is expected to sign it. It will take effect in six months for grocery stores, a year for pharmacies.

LEMON: Hmm.

He searched high and low, and now the world's tallest man has found a bride. Bao Shujian (ph) is 7'9" tall, his new wife, she's 5'6.

WHITFIELD: That's pretty tall for a woman.

LEMON: The pair married ...

WHITFIELD: He's just really, really, really tall.

LEMON: They married this week after Bao conducted a worldwide search for a mate. He found one in his own hometown in Inner Nepal (sic).

You may remember the last time we back caught up with Bao it was back in December. He was fishing a piece of plastic out of the stomach of an ailing dolphin. Oh, do you remember this? In the Chinese aquarium. Because he had long arms.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, that makes sense.

LEMON: So he could get in there and get it.

WHITFIELD: And saved it. I liked that story. Happy ending, too.

All right. The closing bell and a wrap-up of the action on Wall Street. That is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Time to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

WHITFIELD: He is in THE SITUATION ROOM to give us an idea of what else is coming up.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Hi, guys. Thanks very much. We have an in-depth interview with presidential candidate Barack Obama. He has a lot to say about the war in Iraq and Congress' showdown with President Bush. We'll find out what the Democratic senator says he'll do differently if he winds up in the White House.

Also, the crisis between Britain and Iran deepens as controversial new video emerges of the sailors and marines being held by Tehran. Can the U.K. mount a rescue mission? We're going to show you some military options.

Plus, congressional Democrats respond to a new veto threat from President Bush. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urges him, and I'm quoting now, to "take a deep breath." we have the latest on the showdown over an Iraq withdrawal timetable. All that, guys, coming up right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

LEMON: All right, Wolf, thanks. Looking forward to that interview.

WHITFIELD: All right. Harry Potter, the retirement years. So soon?

Well, it's not quite exactly what you're thinking. But it is the swan song for the magically successful book, film and everything else franchise. The seventh and final Potter volume won't be out until late July. But fans can stare at the cover until then. This is the illustration for the British version of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." J.K. Rowling's publisher says the American printing of the book will have a different cover art.

LEMON: Well, you won't have to wait for late July for this one. Read all about it. Get it now. Oprah Winfrey has chosen this novel "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy for her book club. About a father and son trying to survive as they wander through a burned landscape.

Bleak, perhaps, but extraordinary in Winfrey's opinion. She says the reclusive author who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has agreed to his first television interview ever with her. And it will happen in the coming weeks.

WHITFIELD: And of course, you can see Oprah tonight and hear some of her comments ...

LEMON: Oh, that's right.

WHITFIELD: ... about her school in South Africa and how some people are now criticizing it.

LEMON: Saying it's too strict on the girls.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. So on ANDERSON COOPER 360 tonight you'll be able to see a little more Oprah. You can't get enough.

LEMON: Should be very interesting.

WHITFIELD: From her show. Right.

All right. The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

Susan Lisovicz standing by with a final look at the trading day. Hi, Susan.

(CLOSING BELL REPORT)

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