Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Inmate Escape; 'The Truth About Jesus': Where Judas Betrayed Jesus
Aired April 03, 2007 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Iran intrigue. A missing American. He's a former FBI agent. And this morning, also, the British government says the next 48 hours are critical in the standoff over those captured sailors.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Collision course. President Bush striking back today against Congress over war spending. For the first time, the Senate leader threatening to cut off cash all together.
S. O'BRIEN: New pictures this morning from the Solomon Islands. Devastation and a climbing death toll from the tsunami.
M. O'BRIEN: A new pet food danger. And now the threat is not the same one. You could get sick from it as well.
We're live from Tehran, London, Amman, Baghdad, Washington and New York on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's Tuesday, April 3rd. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Thanks for being with us.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks for being with us back from your vacation. Did have a good time?
M. O'BRIEN: It's good to be back.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it was.
S. O'BRIEN: No it's not. You were in the Bahamas. You loved it.
M. O'BRIEN: No. OK. But I'm here now.
S. O'BRIEN: But welcome back anyway.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin this morning with the war over the war in Iraq. President Bush coming out this morning with a fresh warning for Congress, while the Senate leader, Harry Reid, is threatening to cut off funding for the war altogether. CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry now on what we're going to hear from the president ahead this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is ratcheting up pressure on the president, backing a new bill to cut off most Iraq War funding by next month, sparking a double barreled assault from the White House.
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time the self-appointed strategist on Capitol Hill understood a very simple concept, you cannot win a war if you tell the enemy when you're going to quit.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: There's just these shifting sands when it comes to the Democrats in their decisions. It's almost shifting so fast, like a sandstorm.
HENRY: Reid spokesman, Jim Manley, fired back, "the only thing that has shifted is the public's opposition to the war in Iraq. As more and more Americans demand to see the troops get out of what is clearly a civil war, this administration stubbornly continues to stick its head in the sand."
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll veto a bill.
HENRY: Both sides were already fighting over a war funding bill the president has promised to veto because of a provision calling for U.S. troops to start leaving Iraq within 120 days. Reid has now also signed on to a bill sponsored by anti-war Democrat Russ Feingold that would only allow war spending in three areas, fighting al Qaeda, training Iraqis, and securing the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. While neither bill has much chance to become law, Democrats say it's about forcing Mr. Bush to change policy. But the White House shows no signs of budging.
CHENEY: It's nothing less than an attempt to force the president's hand. They're going to find out they've misread George W. Bush.
HENRY: There's been a late add to the president's schedule for Tuesday morning. He will make a statement in the Rose Garden about this Iraq funding issue. A clear sign that the White House believes they can get some political mileage out of it.
Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Those remarks in the Rose Garden set for 10:10 a.m. Eastern Time. And, of course, CNN is going to carry that live.
It's going to be a short turnaround. Back to the war zone for some just recalled Army troops. The Pentagon is sending the 10th Mountain Division back to Iraq after only 10 and a half months at home. They're supposed to have had 12 months. And some of the 4th Infantry are going back to Iraq just after seven months of rest.
M. O'BRIEN: This morning, a State Department is investigating the disappearance of a retired FBI agent in Iran. The man was least seen on Kish Island several weeks ago. He was apparently working as an author and producer, trying to arrange some sort of interview. The State Department is not releasing his name. A spokesman says there is no reason to believe he is being held captive. It has nothing to do with those people you see in the water there, by the way. A spokesman says the disappearance is unrelated to the seizure of those British marines and sailors.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Tensions easing just a little bit between Iran and the U.K. Iran's chief negotiator now says that the sailors will not go on trial and we're hearing from the British prime minister, Tony Blair, this morning, who says the next two days are critical to resolving this crisis. Let's check in again with CNN's Jim Boulden. He's got some late developments from us this morning from London.
Jim, good morning.
JIM BOULDEN, ABC CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Yes, Tony Blair was on the campaign trail in Scotland this morning and he says the next step is up to Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We hope very much that the Iranian government realizes that the best way to deal with this is in a diplomatic way in order to get those people released. All the way through we've had, if you like, two very clear tracks on this. One is to try and settle this by way of peaceful and calm negotiation, to get our people back as quickly as possible. The other is to make it clear that if that's not possible, then we have to take as increasingly tougher position. So I'm not going to say anymore about this right at the moment, but it's for the Iranian government now to come back with their response.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOULDEN: Mr. Blair said on radio as well this morning that the next 48 hours are crucial, but he did not say what the further steps that Britain might take. He really wants to see what Iran will do now.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Jim Boulden for us this morning in London.
Thank you, Jim.
The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and a bipartisan delegation of high-level politicians are expected in Syria this morning. They're coming from Lebanon, where Pelosi told reporters she has "no illusion but great hope" for her meeting with the Syrian president, Bashar al- Assad. She's expected to talk about the fight against terrorism, Syria's role in Iraq and Syria's support of Hamas and Hezbollah. The White House says Pelosi's trip undermines U.S. policy.
M. O'BRIEN: Another gold-plated bombshell about to drop in the 2008 Oval Office sweepstakes. The New York Times reported this morning, Barack Obama has amassed a $20 million war chest. Just $6 million shy of Hillary Clinton's $26 million. John Edwards has come in with $14 million. On the GOP side, the man with the most Benjamins, Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, with$21 million, followed by Rudy Giuliani, $14 million, and John McCain, a disappointing $12.5 million.
Soledad.
SOB: The first pictures are in this morning from the south Pacific where that earthquake and tsunami just ravaged the Solomon Islands northeast of Australia. So far, 28 people are now confirmed dead. Twenty village in the Solomons. I mean take a look at this. This is, you know, sort of typical of the damage there. Wiped out. The waves were as high as 30 feet. Rescuers expect, in fact, that the number of people who were killed will go up as they continue to search for some of the missing. International aid is just starting to arrive to the region.
M. O'BRIEN: Another reason to think twice and read the label before feeding your pet this morning. This time, it is a salmonella scare. 8-in-1 petfood says its dog, cat and ferret treats may have the bacteria that could harm you and your pet. The company is recalling all of its Dingo Chick'n Jerky, Dingo Kitty chicken Jerky, and Dingo Ferret chicken Jerky. If you have them, throw them away and call the number you see on your screen there, 888-232-9889 to arrange a refund.
Meanwhile this morning, more mystery and confusion over that huge pet food recall. Dozens of pets are dead, hundreds sickened after their owners fed them contaminated food. And there may be more recalls on the horizon while inspectors from the federal government try to find the source of all the sickness. AMERICAN MORNING'S Greg Hunter live at a New York pet shop with a look at what you need to know to keep your pets safe.
Good morning, Greg.
GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Miles.
I'm at Petco at 92nd and Broadway here in Manhattan. They have a whole flood designated for dog and cat food and dog and cat food treats. And, boy, have these folks been busy trying to keep all this off the shelves. They say they're doing something almost every, single day. Sometimes a couple of times a day to keep this recall active and the bad food off the shelves.
And, boy, it hasn't been easy for consumers, either. Just by the time they think, wow, I could go out and buy my favorite pet food, something else hits the recall list. So what do you need to do to keep your pets safe? Listen up. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTER: This is how pet store owner and dog borderer Marcia Habib starts her day, checking the Internet for recalls for both wet and dry pet food.
So you've got to research this every day?
MARCIA HABIB, OWNER, SUTTON DOG PARLOUR: We have to do it every day. That's the first thing we do every day.
HUNTER: The list on the original web site, menufoods.com, is daunting. There can be dozens of products for each manufacturer on the list. Making things more complicated, there are now at least three more websites to check for recalled pet food. Experts like Dr. Ann Hohenhaus of New York's Animal Medical Center still do not know exactly what's poisoning pets in the tainted food.
DR. ANN HOHENHAUS, THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER: Well, I don't think we know what it is. The story is really confusing. So how the rat poison and the melamine both fit into this story is really perplexing and unclear.
HUNTER: Still a mystery?
HOHENHAUS: Mystery.
HUNTER: So what should concerned pet parents do? Well, you can check the many websites every day for recalled food. Or when all else fails, you can look for one ingredient that seems to be the string that ties all recalled pet food together.
The big headline here for consumers is, if you're worried at all and you don't know if it's on the recall list or not, the main ingredient to look for, for a pet owner is . . .
HOHENHAUS: Wheat gluten.
HUNTER: Number one?
HOHENHAUS: Yes. That's been the offending ingredient that's been common in all of these recalled foods.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTER: And on every single bag, the manufacturer is required to put the ingredients, and that's where you can look for the wheat gluten. Now, here, this says corn gluten. We're not talking about corn gluten, we're talking about wheat gluten.
And just to give you a little proper now, it could be dry food, it could be wet food, although it's mostly wet food. It can be dogs or cats. And it can also be treats for dogs and cats. Look for the wheat gluten in this particular case and, according to Dr. Hohenhaus, she says that's the clearest way to keep your pet safe with this recall. So that's the one thread that ties it all together.
Back to you guys.
M. O'BRIEN: So if you see wheat gluten on there, don't buy it? Is that's the word?
HUNTER: That's what she says. She says, hey, listen, if you don't want to take any chances at all, you don't want to go on the website, you know, just don't buy anything with wheat gluten. That's the thing that has the thread between this whole thing. This whole recall was rat poison. It's plastic. It's this. It's that. Wheat gluten is the threat that ties it altogether, yes. Don't buy that if you want to keep your pets safe.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Greg Hunter at my pet store, 92nd and Broadway, thank you.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. There's some medical news to tell you about this morning. It's really an interesting split over mammograms. Should every woman who's over 40 automatically get one every year or not? The American College of Physicians says, well, maybe not. Says women with no risk factors for breast cancer should talk to their doctor first. That perhaps you can postpone your mammogram until you're 50.
Now that information is in direct conflict with advice from the American Cancer Society, which says annual mammograms starting at the age of 40 are the way to go. So we're going to check in this morning with Sanjay Gupta. He'll weigh in. And he'll be along in our next hour to figure out what should women between 40 and higher do.
M. O'BRIEN: CNN "Gas Gauge" time. Gas prices up again for the ninth week in a row. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded now $2.71. That's up from $2.43 last month. The price last year this time, $2.59. The state with the most expensive gas, California, averaging almost $3.27 a gallon. The cheapest, South Carolina, about $2.48.
The Supreme Court has weighed in on global warming and it's a big blow to the Bush administration. The court ruling states can sue the federal government to force regulation of carbon dioxide emissions for new cars. The ruling also says the Federal Environmental Protection Agency should now consider carbon dioxide a pollution and thus should regulate it. The White House has opposed any regulation of greenhouse gases.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, the Florida Gators are waking up today, back to back champions. They are the best in college basketball. The second year in a row. They topped Ohio State last night. The score was 84- 75. And it is just more salt in the wounds for the Buckeyes. Florida beat Ohio State for the national championship in football this year, too. M. O'BRIEN: Amazing. And I don't think any school has held both titles, football and basketball.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, now they have.
M. O'BRIEN: They now have.
All right. Extreme weather across the Midwest bringing snow, thunderstorms and high winds. Is Chad Myers in the middle of that? No. He's in Washington, D.C., live from the Cherry Blossom Festival. We'll get a report from him shortly.
And it started with an escape. It turned into a crime spree. It ended with an amazing hostage standoff. We have some incredible pictures. The wild ride in Ohio yesterday. We'll tell you about that.
And there's this. At least 100 chemical plants in the U.S. where a terrorists attack could threaten over a million people. So why is the federal government stopping states from tightening security? We'll have the answer.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Ah, springtime in Washington and the cherry blossoms are looking mighty fine. Just in time for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The trees ring the title basin, as you know. Japan gave them as a gift to the U.S. in 1912. It's doubtful anyone then could have predicted the tourism bonanza that those trees create each year. More than a million come to ogle at the blooms. But you better hurry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not this many. No, I've never seen this many all in bloom at once. It's just spectacular.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Chad Myers, right in the middle of those blossoms right now. Tough assignment, Chad. Though assignment.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: IBM is making an offer to President Bush that could make the lives of soldiers in Iraq a lot easier. A shortage of Arabic translators in Iraq make it hard for troops to communicate with Iraqis. IBM now plans to give the U.S. $45 million worth of Arabic- English translation technology. The donation is to honor 21-year-old Army Sergeant Mark Eckerd Jr. He's in the wheelchair there. His dad, Mark Sr., the man standing with the president, is an IBM mainframe sales specialist in Massachusetts. Eckerd was wounded while on patrol in Ramadi, losing both legs below the knee. S. O'BRIEN: There are a bunch of angry protests in Pakistan. This time it is not the U.S. that's the target. Hundreds of Pakistans are taking to the streets to demonstrate against the Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf, who is increasingly on thin ice in his home country. CNN's Nic Robertson live for us now from Islamabad with the very latest.
What's the point of these protests, Nic? Good morning.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, the point is, the protesters wanted to show their support for Pakistan's chief justice whom three weeks ago President Musharraf asked him to resign. The chief justice said no, that he would fight the charges that were being brought by President Musharraf's government. He would fight them in the court here.
The case has been adjourned. The defense says the charges are folly. The chief justice is being charged with misusing his powers. The defense wants to have their an open court. It's been held in closed session. This is really raising passions against President Musharraf, who is seen as possible for challenging the judiciary here. And as the lawyers have been telling us today here, and there have been very many angry lawyers, a strong and independent judiciary, they say, is the key to a democracy and they don't believe that President Musharraf is giving them that at this time.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson for us this morning in Islamabad.
Nic, thank you.
Coming up this morning, are America's chemical plants safe from attack? There are new regulations out. Some critics say, though, it is to little to late.
And Beyonce on marriage. Is she or isn't she married to Jay-Z? She'll set the record straight, straight ahead this morning.
And then all this week, we continue with the truth about Jesus, live from the holy land. Coming up, a stop in the Garden of Gethsemane, where it is said that Judas betrayed Jesus. That's a beautiful garden, isn't it? You're watching AMERICAN MORNING and some live pictures of that garden. We're back in just a moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: New chemical plant security regulations are out from the Department of Homeland Security. Critics say, though, they don't really make us any safer. Jeanne Meserve is CNN's homeland security correspondent and she's got the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Trucks containing chlorine used as chemical bombs in Iraq with devastating effect. A reminder of just how lethal an attack on a chemical plant could be. By some estimates, there are more than 100 facilities in the United States, where an attack or accident could affect more than one million people. Yet only now, more than five years after 9/11, is this gap in homeland security being addressed with government regulation.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: What we have to do is focus on the risk, put the measures in place that address the real risks and those serious risks.
MESERVE: The regulations address perimeter security, access controls, theft and internal sabotage. The first priority, the estimated 300 to 400 plants that handle the most dangerous chemicals in the most populous areas. Critics says it is too little too late.
RICK HIND, GREENPEACE: Unfortunately, more eye watch and public relations for the administration and the chemical industry than it is real protection that the American people deserve.
MESERVE: Some states have implemented stronger chemical security laws. DHS says it sees no problems with state laws now on the books, but will not give states a blank check to implement tougher legislation.
CHERTOFF: States have a degree of freedom to regulate in the interest of the security for their citizens, as long as they don't actually frustrate what we're trying to do.
MESERVE: That is not good enough for Senator Frank Lautenberg, who's home state of New Jersey contains some of the nation's highest risk chemical plants.
SEN. FRANK LAUTENBERG, (D) NEW JERSEY: We have the right to protect our people and we won't let the federal government endanger them.
MESERVE: And Lautenberg is hopeful that Congress will expressly prohibit the federal government from preempting state chemical security legislation, no matter how strong it may be.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: U.S. stock markets, step aside. You just got passed by. The European markets are now bigger for the first time since World War I. That sounds like a bummer. Twenty-five minutes past the hour. Carrie Lee "Minding Your Business" with that. And also word on inflation and some economic indications, which may put the Fed in a bind.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
Well, let's start with the Fed. Let's talk about what's happening in the U.S. markets right now.
First of all, looking like a very strong open for stocks this Tuesday morning. So it could get off with some green arrows, the markets pointing upward. Yesterday, though, we got a weak report on manufacturing and that could put the Federal Reserve in a bit of a tough position because we know the Fed cares about inflation.
Now, obviously, they lower interest rates to pick up a slowing economy. And if we're seeing weak reports, like manufacturing, well, that could put them in a tough position because they want to curb inflation as well. So maybe a little bit of a conundrum for the Fed.
But still, after a choppy session yesterday, markets did end higher. The Dow up 27 points. You can see the Nasdaq, S&P, slightly higher as well.
Now on to the European versus U.S. stock market. We're talking about the whole value of European stocks versus U.S. As you said, for the first time since World War I, Europe has eclipsed the U.S.
Really three main reasons. First of all, the euro has grown so much against the dollars. We're seeing emerging European markets, like Russia, gain ground. And then also, bottom line, strong European stock performance. Since 2003, European stocks have gained 160 percent, versus about 70 percent for U.S. stocks. So the worldwide playing field may be evening out a little bit.
M. O'BRIEN: So we're yesterday's news?
LEE: What's that?
M. O'BRIEN: We're yesterday's news?
LEE: Well, I don't know if I would go that far, but Europe is certainly going strong, that's for sure.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Carrie. See you in a little bit.
LEE: OK.
S. O'BRIEN: Top stories of the morning are coming up next.
An escape, a crime spree and a hostage standoff. We'll show you a wild and dangerous run across Ohio, coming up next.
And then the truth about Jesus. Our series live from the holy land. We're taking you to the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas is said to have betrayed Jesus. That's straight ahead.
And what will $1.2 million buy you in the big apple? Here's a hint. Not very much.
M. O'BRIEN: A closet.
S. O'BRIEN: We'll take a closer look. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Tuesday, April 3rd. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us.
S. O'BRIEN: Here are some of the stories on our radar this morning.
President Bush striking back against Congress. There is a Rose Garden address planned for this morning. The Senate leader, Harry Reid, has threatened to cut off war funding altogether if the president vetoes a bill that includes a deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
M. O'BRIEN: Questions in Ohio. How did an inmate escape the U.S. marshalls, leading to a car jacking, a bank robbery, a car chase and a hostage taking? Much of it caught on tape. Dramatic moments. We'll show you in a little bit.
S. O'BRIEN: And there's a new pet food recall to tell you about this morning. This one involves pet food treats. Also, a possible salmonella outbreak. We'll update you on that.
M. O'BRIEN: And we pick up the trail for Jesus, live from the Holy Land all this week. These are live pictures from the Garden of Gethsemane.
S. O'BRIEN: That's because I couldn't pronounce it yesterday.
M. O'BRIEN: Those ancient olive trees. We're trying to find out the exact spot where Jesus was betrayed.
We'll show you coming up.
There's a showdown brewing this morning over funding the war in Iraq. Vice President Cheney is blasting Congress for trying to put restrictions on the president and force an end to the Iraq war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time for Congress to stop the political theater and send the president a bill he can sign into law. By delaying funding for the troops, the Democrats believe they can make the president accept unwise and inappropriate restrictions on our commanders. It's nothing less than an attempt to force the president's hand. They're going to find out they've misread George W. Bush.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is ready to take some drastic action. He says he'll work toward completely cutting off money from the war if the president reject Congress's proposal to begin withdrawing U.S. troops. President Bush will be talking about the debate from the White House Rose Garden later this morning. He's scheduled to speak at 10:10 Eastern Time.
CNN will bring it to you live of course -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Now, the presidential candidate and senator, Barack Obama, says he and most Democrats aren't likely to support cutting the funds for troops. But if President Bush vetoes the war spending bill, Democrats will keep adding pressure to try to get the president to change his position.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We'll fund the war in three-month increments. We're going to keep you on a shorter leash. Or we're going to otherwise constrain you and let you try to veto the bill again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Also for Obama, quite a bombshell about to drop in the 2008 Oval Office sweepstakes. The presidential race it's otherwise known as.
"The New York Times" is reporting this morning that Barack Obama has amassed a $20 million war chest. That's just $6 million shy of Hillary Clinton's $26 million that we were talking about yesterday.
Let's take a look at some of the other folks in the race.
John Edwards has $14 million. On the GOP side, the man with the most money is Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. He's got $21 million, followed by Rudy Giuliani, who's got $14 million, and John McCain, who's got $12.5 million.
Now, Giuliani and McCain are considered the front-runners, but it's Mitt Romney who's got the most dough.
M. O'BRIEN: By a long shot.
An escaped prison inmate is back in custody this morning in Ohio. His arrest yesterday afternoon came after what police describe as a crime spree across the state and a tense hostage standoff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN (voice over): It started in a Youngstown, Ohio, hospital. Doctors there were treating 34-year-old Billy Jack Fitzmorris, an inmate at a nearby federal prison, a convicted drug dealer. Somehow he overpowered an armed guard, stole his .38 revolver and fled.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was able to escape, alleged to have committed two car-jackings, as well as possibly two armed bank robberies.
M. O'BRIEN: Police say Fitzmorris stole a car and sped toward the Columbus area, more than 150 miles from the hospital where he escaped. Police say he robbed two banks and they gave chase.
Fitzmorris hit two cars, then began running through an alleyway, breaking into a house. Two women and a man were inside at the time. Moments later, one woman escaped from a second-story window, rolling off the roof on to the ground below, crawling to safety with the help of police.
But the other woman was held hostage for two very tense hours. Eventually, she was released unharmed. Police moved in, and Billy Jack Fitzmorris was back in custody after a wild afternoon.
Scary as it was, amazingly no one got hurt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: We'll talk about the dramatic escape and the arrest with U.S. marshals in our 8:00 Eastern hour.
Stay tuned for that -- Soledad.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
Wow, what a spectacular site.
All this week we're taking a look for "The Truth About Jesus". We're live in the Holy Land. And each day this week, we're visiting a different sacred site.
Today, CNN's Atika Shubert is live at the Garden of Gethsemane, where the bible says Jesus prayed for the world and was betrayed by Jesus -- Judas, rather.
Atika, good morning to you.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
This is the area that Jesus and his disciples are said to have come after that Last Supper. It's called the Garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane meaning oil press, and this olive grove is believed to be the exact location. And it is here that Jesus is believed to have wrestled with the idea of his own death, come face to face with his own mortality.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHUBERT (voice over): Olive trees, said to be nearly 2,000 years old, silent witnesses perhaps to what the bible describes as Jesus' most difficult test and his ultimate betrayal, here in the Garden of Gethsemane. These stairs are believed to be one of the routes Jesus may have walked over the Mount of Olives to preach in the Temple of Jerusalem in the week before his crucifixion. It is here in the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus is said to have wrestled with the prospect of his own death, gazing over the tombs of the Kidron Valley.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the struggle was for self-mastering, that Jesus had been forced to think about his death as something imminent by the site of the great tombs in the valley. In other words, personality was coming apart under fear.
SHUBERT: The Basilica of the Agony houses a rock said to be the very one on which Jesus prayed, but historians say the exact spot remains unknown.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The site of the Garden of Gethsemane, which is fairly certain, is much bigger than the site -- size of that church. So it could have happened anywhere in that garden.
SHUBERT: It is also here that Judas is said to have kissed Jesus, identifying him for arrest. But the only witnesses keep their secrets, whispering to those that come to visit, revealing nothing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SHUBERT: As you can imagine, Soledad, this has become an increasingly popular place, especially for pilgrims during Holy Week. The garden itself here is only open for a very short time. Otherwise, unfortunately, it is closed to visitors, but it is right next door to the church.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, it's absolutely beautiful. It's absolutely beautiful.
So, now, visitors are allowed when they're pilgrims during a specific time to come in to visit, or they have to sort of stay on the outside and visit the church, but can't walk around the garden as you're doing this morning, Atika?
SHUBERT: It's such a popular place, that they really had so many visitors coming in early this morning. There were literally hundreds of people, so they have to close it off, unfortunately. When it's much more quiet, you can actually ask if you can be allowed to come in very briefly. So, if you're very lucky, you'll be able to catch that time.
S. O'BRIEN: Wow. And so what a remarkable spot you got today.
Atika Shubert for us this morning in the Garden of Gethsemane.
So beautiful.
Thank you, Atika -- Miles.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Something in the medical community to tell you about this morning, and it's a big one.
Should every woman who is over 40 get a mammogram every year? The debate opened up once again today. We'll explain.
And is she or isn't she? Beyonce tackles the rumor that she's already married to Jay-Z. She spilled the news to Star Jones.
We'll show you, straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: The Supreme Court has weighed in on global warming, and it should have reverberations in Detroit, and beyond.
It's about five minutes before the top of the hour. Carrie Lee "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning, Carrie.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.
That's right, from Detroit to the White House, this was a big ruling, a divided ruling, 5-4 in the Supreme Court's part, ruling that carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act, and that the Bush administration broke the law in its refusal to limit emissions of those gases. So, basically, this ruling does give the EPA the authority to regulate the fuel economy.
This is obviously good news for environmentalists. They like it. Not such good news, obviously, for the White House. And it really sets the stage for new regulations of auto emissions.
Now, this could be years away, but basically, it could force automakers to increase their fuel economy. They've already been trying to do this on their own. President Bush has encouraged them to do it on their own, but now the regulations could force them to do it.
We know that Detroit already has serious troubles, of course, that they heavily rely on SUVs, other big trucks and other gas guzzlers. So, this could make their challenge perhaps even greater.
By the way, Miles, we will get March auto sales numbers out later today. So that will be the latest on the auto industry. But big ruling on the Supreme Court's part today.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Carrie Lee.
LEE: Thanks.
M. O'BRIEN: See you in just a little bit -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Some health headlines for you this morning.
The biggest one this morning is about mammograms and whether every woman should get one once we turn 40. The American College of Physicians is splitting now with the American Cancer Society on this one.
Physicians groups say women with no risk factors for breast cancer should talk to their doctor first and that perhaps you can postpone your mammograms until you're 50. The American Cancer Society says annual mammograms starting at age 40 is the way to go.
We're going to check in with Dr. Sanjay Gupta in just a moment to weigh in on all of this. He'll be with us right at the top of the hour.
And you'll be seeing TV ads for Celebrex once again. Remember it's used to treat arthritis pain. Pfizer is bringing it back after stopping the campaign after concerns about heart attacks in long-term Celebrex users. Well, the new Celebrex ads are going to stress that the risks of Celebrex are the same as rival treatments like Ibuprofen and Naproxen.
And if you drink even moderately, you could be at risk for an aneurysm. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that just a couple of drinks a day could increase your chances of an aneurysm. That's when blood pumping through a weakened artery causes it to balloon and possibly rupture. It often causes death.
It was a six-year study and it covered 39,000 men.
M. O'BRIEN: In France, as we speak, an attempt is being made to set a speed record for a train. They want to break an old record of a little more than 320 miles an hour that was set 17 years ago by the same train, the TGV.
You know what that stands for, right, Soledad? Train a grande vitesse. That means fast train.
S. O'BRIEN: Had no idea.
M. O'BRIEN: Really fast train.
Jim Bittermann is on board the train. They're going to try to go at about -- they're going to try to beat the record at 320 miles an hour -- actually, 320.2, aiming for a 335 -- look at that train go. Holy cow -- 335.5 miles an hour.
And apparently they're going so fast that Jim Bittermann can't even get a cell phone call in. You know, he's blasting through those cells.
Take a look at this graphic. There is the world speed records. Well, actually, they're trying for 335. That number must be wrong.
The fastest Maglev train in the world is in Japan, 363 miles per hour. And then, of course, the Acela. Our little Acela... S. O'BRIEN: It's slow compared...
M. O'BRIEN: ... it can go 150 miles per hour on two little stretches between Boston and Rhode Island.
S. O'BRIEN: How much of a distance do you need to leave to stop, to apply the brakes at that speed coming in to a station?
M. O'BRIEN: I think they have to start braking the moment they leave the station, pretty much, to stop.
S. O'BRIEN: The other...
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. That's how it goes.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, you would think.
All right. Let's talk a little bit about medical news. A woman's decision is one of our top stories this morning as we begin our next hour right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
A new recommendation today about mammograms for women in their 40s. But the recommendation is going directly against what the American Cancer Society recommends. We'll take a look at that.
M. O'BRIEN: A collision course. President Bush striking back today against Congress over war spending. For the first time, the Senate leader is threatening to cut off cash for the war all together.
S. O'BRIEN: And what a scene of devastation. Pictures coming in from the Solomon Islands this morning. They show just how much damage was done by that tsunami.
We'll talk ahead to a survivor.
M. O'BRIEN: And a new pet food danger. Now it's treats, and it's a danger that you could have, too. You could get sick, as well.
We'll explain all this. We're live from Washington, New York, Chicago and Jerusalem on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: And good morning, and welcome, everybody. It is Tuesday, April 3rd.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
