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Captive British Sailors Back Home; America Votes 2008: Money Matters; Locked Up for Sickness

Aired April 05, 2007 - 10:59   ET

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


TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Wow. Look at this. OK. Here we are, top of the hour.
Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM, everyone.

Tony Harris, with Fred.

Out of Iran, and this morning -- look at these pictures, Fred -- back on British soil. Fifteen sailors and marines taken captive by Iran are back home.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: They are some happy folks. Understandably.

The emotions are just pouring out. It's nice to see all these -- all this hugging and kissing. And we're seeing little kids in the picture, too.

HARRIS: Well, they arrived at the Royal Marines base in Devon, England, about, oh, an hour and a half ago, 90 minutes or so ago. That's where they've been reunited with family members after undergoing medical checkups, debriefings.

The British troops were held, as you know, by Iran for almost two weeks before the surprise announcement yesterday that they were free to leave. Britain says diplomacy and not deal making led to their release.

WHITFIELD: Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the return of the British troops freed by Iran, but the celebration was pretty mixed over the sadness over the loss of four British troops in Iraq.

CNN's Robin Oakley joining us live now from outside 10 Downing Street in London.

I'm sure there's a lot of relief coming from that building as well, knowing now that all the sailors and marines are on English soil with family.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: A huge relief, Fredricka, of course. And at moments like this, when they're getting back together with their families, all the hugs and kisses and the family loyalties renewed, you forget for a little while about the ramifications of international politics and the deal making behind the scenes. But, of course, Tony Blair is denying that there was any deal making behind the scenes. He says he got the release without an apology to Iran, without any fixing behind the scenes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I think that what has actually happened is that we have managed to secure the release of our personnel, I think more quickly than many people anticipated, and have done so incidentally -- and I want to make this very, very clear -- without any deal, without any negotiation, without any side agreement of any nature whatever. We made it clear at the outset we weren't going to do that, and we held firm to that position throughout.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OAKLEY: In his statement when he spoke to us on Downing Street, Tony Blair was really defending his negotiating tactics. Iran, of course, has said it's much better to talk to us directly, they said, and we'll get -- you'll get results.

They resented Tony Blair taking it to the U.N. Security Council and to the European Union for support. But Tony Blair has been insistent all along that, with Iran, you have to take the dual track approach, both the international pressure and the bilateral talks -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. And it looks like that presented these results right here, as we look at earlier pictures of the marines and sailors landing at Heathrow before they were then transported to the marine -- the Royal Marine base, where they were reunited with family.

All right. Robin Oakley, thanks so much, from London.

Well, before they left Iran, the British troops talked to Iranian TV about their treatment during their captivity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAYE TURNEY, BRITISH SAILOR (through translator): I had a very pleasant stay. I will go back to my country to see my daughter and my family. Under the circumstances, it is apparent that our stay was pleasant in Iran.

All our wishes were granted. We do not have any bad feelings towards Iran, and we are indebted to the Iranians. They were kind to us and they took care of us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We had a very kind treatment. They were generous and good to us. Many in Britain do not know much about Iran or the Iranian people. I think if the West knew more about Iran, we would witness more cooperation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Fred, take a look at it again.

WHITFIELD: Can't get enough of this, huh? HARRIS: Well, yes. You know, you just try to see this from all of the different sides and all of the different perspectives. You think about the family members who have been riding this wave of emotions over this nearly two-week period now...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HARRIS: ... when it looked like there would be a quick resolution to this standoff, this bit of a crisis, and then there was the moment when no one was really sure because it looked like the rhetoric was certainly heating up. There was a time when we thought that Faye Turney, the lone female in this group, would be released early, within a couple of days. And then, because of the back and forth that was going on, that was not going to happen.

And then the encouraging signs, say, over the weekend that negotiating were going on, that direct talks were happening as well between Iran and British officials, all leading up, culminating in to this day. There was the news conference yesterday. That was a bit of a surprise because no one expected that announcement.

We all know that the news conference with Iran's president was scheduled for the day before. It was canceled. So when the news came out yesterday, everyone was surprised by it because, frankly, I think a lot of folks observing this story figured there would be just a reiteration of what had been said in the days leading up to that news conference.

And then some of the theatrics of that news conference, ultimately culminating with the message, the words from the Iranian president that these sailors and marines would be released. And now what do we have a day later?

WHITFIELD: Oh, and it's beautiful. It is a great scene to see, these 15 marines and sailors reuniting with their family members. And they cannot wait to hear and see from at least one of those members who happens to live in Hayle, England, not far away.

HARRIS: Yes, let's talk about that. Yes, the coastal town of Hayle, England, is home to one of the freed British troops. Family members there are celebrating his release and waiting for his return.

CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh joins us live from Hayle.

Alphonso, I don't know if you've been able to see some of these pictures, but I'm more curious as to whether or not the folks in that community, that small community of Hayle have been able to witness this homecoming and reunion.

ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they are following every development so closely, whether if it's on television, or perhaps even in the local press. The local paper here saying they want their hero to come home.

Of course, they're referring to 21-year-old Nathan Summers, as you referred to, one of those 15 British service members held against their will in Iran, now back on English soil. Nathan's mother telling me last night that she cannot wait to have their son in her arms.

And then here, in this town -- this is Nathan's hometown -- they say they cannot wait at the local pub just down the street where Nathan used to work before he joined the Royal Navy. They have been partying for the last 24 hers, champagne bottles popping all over the place. They have now got a big banner in front of that pub.

And tonight, they are hoping Nathan will walk through that door. If not this evening, at least by tomorrow, where they say they are ready to party like there's no tomorrow, so glad that he's back home safely -- Tony.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

APRIL RAWSTHORNE, NATHAN SUMMERS' GRANDMOTHER: Just excited and overjoyed that Nathan's on his way home and everything has turned out fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN MARSH: Now, of course that was Nathan Summers' grandmother talking to us this morning and explaining the kind of roller-coaster emotion she's been through over the last two weeks. Of course, seeing her 21-year-old grandson on Iranian television looking very quiet, but she said looking strong. He's not a man of many words, she told us.

And then imagine that contrast, those pictures that are freshly coming out within the last hour or so, those service members back on British soil. In fact, at an air force base in this part of the country, in the southwest, those hugs and kisses of some family members who were transported to that air force base. What people here are waiting for is for Nathan Summers to come back here in Hayle -- Tony.

HARRIS: Alphonso, correct me if I'm wrong here, but I believe you talked to Nathan's mom. I'm sure that you talked to Nathan's older brother, Nick. Did they talk to you about what the support of the community has meant to them during these trying days?

VAN MARSH: Yes, they have. We had the opportunity to actually spend time down here.

This is a repeat visit for us. We were down here in Hayle as this diplomatic crisis unfolded to speak, as you mentioned, to Nathan's older brother, Nick, who is also in the service, is only 18 months older than Nathan. He was telling us that they were almost encouraged, for lack of a better term, by the support that they've been getting not just from the community, but also from the authorities, the Ministry of Defense, the British officials.

Nathan's mother telling me last night that any time they wanted new information, the Ministry of Defense was there for them, even giving her a special phone. At some point in the last 24 hours, Nathan's mother tells us, Nathan was expected to call her on a direct line, on a phone given to her. So we know that when Nathan wanted to speak to his family, they didn't have to worry about cell phone coverage or the line being busy, that he would be able to talk to his mother and let her know that he is OK.

HARRIS: And as we look at these joyous pictures, we are also mindful that on this very day, a day of mixed emotions for the British people. This is a country that has suffered the loss of their service personnel in Basra, fighting in the war in Iraq.

Alphonso Van Marsh for us this morning.

Alphonso, thank you. Appreciate it.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, let's talk a little weather now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Following the campaign trail through New Hampshire. A new look at how things are shaping up for Republican contenders in the Granite State.

A new CNN-WMUR presidential primary poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire shows John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in a dead heat, 29 percent a piece. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney follows with 17 percent.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich coming in with two percent. For the record, Gingrich has yet to announce he's even in the race.

New Hampshire is home to the first in the nation primary. That's set for next January.

WHITFIELD: So, Senator Hillary Clinton raising $26 million for her presidential race, but perhaps the big surprise, Senator Barack Obama, with $25 million. And on the Republican side, again, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney with more than $20 million.

Is it all about the money, big money?

CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein joins us to talk more about the fund-raising.

Good to see you.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about the Democrats first. At first, we were all wowed, everybody was, by the $26 million of Clinton. And then here comes Obama with $25 million. And then really not that far behind Edwards, at $14 million; Richardson, $6 million.

I wonder if the real story is here and maybe the real question is, can you win, can you even compete unless you have a big, big bank like this? BROWNSTEIN: Well, historically, fund-raising is important in a presidential race, primarily as a reflection of your political support. I mean, these candidates get so much attention from the free media that it is possible, at least in the past, to emerge with a relatively smaller bankroll.

Howard Dean raised the most money, certainly in the year before the presidential race in '04, and he wasn't the nominee. What's different this time is two things.

The scale of this is so enormous. I mean, what Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are doing is unprecedented. And also, the calendar has moved so many big states likely to the very front of this primary season that it's hard to do what insurgent candidates did in the past, which was break through in Iowa and New Hampshire and raise money then.

You've got to sort of have it banked before it starts. So the pressure is enormous. And I suspect that with these top-tier candidates raising so much money, the financial pressure will probably cause some of the second-tier Democrats to drop out before anybody actually gets a chance to vote on them.

WHITFIELD: Oh, interesting. So, I'm hung up on something you just said about the reflection of the political support, this money is. So let's talk about the Republicans.

We talk about name recognition such as McCain and Giuliani, but it's Mitt Romney who really is kind of a newcomer on a national scale who's got the big money here, $20 million.

So is this kind of support, this financial support, going to the candidate who is the anti-establishment?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, on the Republican race, the Republican race really hasn't gelled to the extent that the Democratic race has. And by the way, whenever I talk about the Republican race, I point out that my -- my wife works in John McCain's Senate office.

WHITFIELD: Right, full disclosure.

BROWNSTEIN: But having said that, really the story of 2006 was that McCain lost his stature as the clear front-runner in the race. Rudy Giuliani emerged as someone who was leading in the polls.

But all three of the candidates, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, face substantial questions from the core of the party, the conservative core of the party. And there is still agitation among those activists looking for somebody else.

You mentioned Newt Gingrich, Fred Thompson, who might come in the race. The three of them seem to be very well matched. Giuliani and McCain generally ahead in the polls. Romney showed a lot of strength fund-raising. But this doesn't feel like it's all in place yet, because you have this unusual situation where the core supporters of the party don't have a candidate they're entirely comfortable with. WHITFIELD: Wow. And then when you try to dissect the numbers -- for example, Hillary Clinton versus Obama -- the dollar figures really equate differently when it comes down to the voters. We're talking about 100,000 donors to Obama, versus 50,000 donors to Clinton. So, really, we're talking about Clinton, she can count on those donors with deeper pockets.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: But when you're talking about Obama, when many of the donors are donating $100, $1,000, and multiply that coming up with the $25 million, really you're looking at this voter base very differently, aren't we?

BROWNSTEIN: Right. Three quick points on the Democratic fund- raising.

First of all, the macro story here is that the Democratic candidates, in a very unusual pattern, raised substantially more as a group than the Republican candidates. And that is an indication of the kind of energy that we saw on the Democratic base in these last few years, the reaction to the war in Iraq, the disillusionment with President Bush. It's still a force that's out there that's going to provide a lot of support for them going all the way through '08.

Secondly, for Hillary Clinton, these numbers are an indication that, even though she's raising extraordinary sums of money, fund- raising is not going to be as big an advantage in this race as she hoped. Barack Obama has demonstrated that he can be competitive.

And third, I think your point is well taken. Hillary Clinton is someone who has enormous support in the kind of traditional infrastructure of the party.

WHITFIELD: Right.

BROWNSTEIN: Obama is trying to build support from a kind of an -- almost insurgency kind of movement, a lot of small donors. And in this modern era we saw begin in '04, you can go back to those small donors again and again. That's going to give him the ability to maintain competitiveness financially for quite a while, possibly.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ron Brownstein, thanks so much. Always appreciate your insight.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

HARRIS: The 15 freed British sailors and marines now back with their loved ones after being debriefed at the Royal Marines base in Devon, England.

ITN reporter Helen Callaghan is standing by there live.

And Helen, look, we've been watching these great pictures from afar. You're there in Devon on the ground. We're here in Atlanta.

Describe that scene on the ground.

HELEN CALLAGHAN, ITN: Well, you know, this is the day that these families have been waiting for. They didn't dare believe that it would ever happen, but now their loved ones are back on British soil. And that's exactly what they've been praying for the last 13 days or so.

I was with some of the families over the last few days, and they were telling me what an emotional roller-coaster they've been on, just relief, really, when they heard yesterday what was going to happen. But they were cautiously optimistic, I suppose, stoical, really, just trying to hang in there, waiting for their loved ones to actually come home.

And now, finally, they've been reunited with them. So, really, here, they were just so anxious before they arrived. And now that they've seen them, it's been tears aplenty, there have been hugs and there have been kisses.

HARRIS: Wow. Great pictures.

Helen, what is next? Boy, I want to watch more of the pictures, but I also want to ask you a couple of other questions. What is next for the sailors and marines?

CALLAGHAN: Sure. Well, we're being told really here at the naval base that it depends on what the sailors and marines want to do next. It really is up to them.

They deserve a bit of down time, said their minders today. And they know that the first thing that they'll want to do is to have a chat with their family, to be reunited with them, and just to have perhaps a dinner tonight more than anything else.

They will probably stay here in Devon tonight, and then they'll be debriefed over the next couple of days. Really, it's informal at the moment. They're having a physical check, they're having psychological assessments, and that kind of thing. Even, perhaps, toxicology tests, we're told, as well.

But, of course, there will be intelligence that various authorities need to glean from these people. And that will be done at various intervals between their meetings with their families.

HARRIS: Helen, are you being kept at a distance, or might you get an opportunity to speak with one of the service personnel?

CALLAGHAN: Well, we've already been in once to the base. At the moment, we're on the perimeter.

We're with lots of local people here in Devon who have been lining the streets and waiting for them to arrive, and clapping and cheering as the helicopters arrived. But we're told that tomorrow, hopefully, we will be able to speak to the 15 personnel.

It's up to them, of course. It's at their discretion. But if they want to come out and say hello to us, we'll be here.

HARRIS: Beautiful,.

Alright. ITN reporter Helen Callaghan for us in Devon, England.

Helen, great report. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And a sad note. A legend lost. Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson's life and impact on sports. We want to share that with you in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Public safety versus civil rights. In this case, a sick man loses.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): In Phoenix, Arizona, Robert Daniels is in custody, in solitary confinement in a hospital prison ward. Not because he's committed a crime, but because he's sick. Very sick.

ROBERT DANIELS, QUARANTINED TB PATIENT: I never thought that this could happen. I'm telling you, I'm sometimes sitting on the bed and I'm just crying because of all the quietness.

GUTIERREZ: We can't see Robert Daniels. We can't meet him. Daniels has tuberculosis. A deadly, drug resistant strain. And he's been quarantined by the state.

DANIELS: I'm not being isolated, I'm being incarcerated.

GUTIERREZ: For the past eight months, the 27-year-old has been confined to his room, equipped with a special ventilation system. His only contact with the outside world is the medical staff who feed and treat him and a telephone.

DANIELS: I don't have nobody to talk to. I have -- my mental health is going down. I'm just slowly dying.

GUTIERREZ: Daniel says he contracted TB while living with his wife and children in Moscow. He returned to the United States for medical treatment. Arizona health officials told Daniels that he was infectious and repeatedly warned him to wear a mask in public. He didn't.

BOB ENGLAND, MARICOPA COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR: I hate locking people up.

GUTIERREZ: Maricopa County health director says, when the public is at risk, he has no choice.

ENGLAND: It is a very rare individual for whom we need to pursue legal remedies and legally isolate somebody so that they don't expose others.

GUTIERREZ: But some say Daniels' civil rights are being violated because he has not been charged with any crimes.

DANIEL POCHOOA, ARIZONA ACLU: He gets no TV, no phone. He has a light on in his cell 24 hours a day, seven days a week. His phone calls are monitored.

GUTIERREZ: The Maricopa Sheriff's Department says Daniels created his own problem.

JOHN MACINTYRE, MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I personally would have been perfectly if Mr. Daniels had shown the sense that God gave a goat and kept his mask on.

GUTIERREZ: For Robert Daniels, there's no end in sight. Doctors say treatment for the type of TB he has could take years.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And to get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness.

The address is CNN.com/health.

Hello, everyone. And welcome back to the NEWSROOM.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

HARRIS: And good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris.

Thanks for being with us.

WHITFIELD: Joyful family reunions, can't get enough of this.

HARRIS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Great pictures here. The order of the day at the Royal Marines base in Devon, England, much relieved family members have plenty of hugs and kisses for the 15 British troops freed by Iran and back on English soil. They arrived earlier today at Heathrow Airport bearing gifts from the Iranian government that held them for almost two weeks. British Prime Minister Tony Blair says only diplomacy was involved in their release.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: What has actually happened is that we have managed to secure the release of our personnel. I think more quickly than many people anticipated and have done so incidentally and I want to make this very, very clear, without any deal, without any negotiation, without any side agreement, of any nature whatever. We made it clear at the outset we weren't going to do that and we held firm to that position throughout.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Meantime, Iran's president says the troops were freed as an Easter gift to the British people.

HARRIS: On the front lines in Iraq where more American and British troops have been killed. The military says five U.S. soldiers died around Baghdad in two separate roadside bombings. There was also an insurgent attack involving small arms fire. We're told four British troops and a civilian translator died in an ambush. A British military spokesman says that the troops were returning from a mission west of Basra this morning when they were blasted with a roadside bomb, small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. The military says the soldiers fired back, killing one or more of the attackers.

WHITFIELD: Well, something for frequent flyers to think about this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really out of control. There's no reason why we should be responsible for people's lives and we're not getting enough rest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, this is a new one. Flight attendants, are they too tired to look after your safety? It's a huge concern, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

ALLAN CHERNOFF (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Allan Chernoff in New York. The Department of Transportation has a plan that it says could save thousands of lives on the nation's highways. Details straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The FAA requires nine hours of rest for flight attendants between shifts but do they really get that? Is your safety being compromised as a result? CNN's Alina Cho reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Flight attendants may be putting passenger safety at risk by working too many hours at a stretch on too little sleep.

This flight attendant won't reveal her identity because she's terrified of losing her job. She says extreme fatigue among flight attendants could be catastrophic in an emergency.

KIM, MAJOR AIRLINE FLIGHT ATTENDANT: If a flight attendant is not prepared and she hasn't had good rest, I don't know how she can possibly evacuate an aircraft that's on fire in a short period of time.

CHARLIE BLACK, MAJOR AIRLINE FLIGHT ATTENDANT: And those seconds ticking away is the difference between live and death.

CHO: Flight attendant Charlie Black has logged 50 million miles over her 37-year career. She says a 16-hour shift is not uncommon.

BLACK: It's the lack of rest, the inability to recuperate.

CHO: The problems have been documented. This comprehensive study commissioned by the Department of Transportation was released in 2005. In it, flight attendants say they often work with no more than four to six hours of sleep and the study found that sleep loss can result in slowed reaction time, disorientation and involuntarily sleep.

KIM: Falling asleep as they're talking, sitting in their jump seat, falling asleep. Just dozing off.

CHO: The FAA requires nine hours of rest time for flight attendants between shifts but the nine hours of time off is not actual rest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

CHO: The clock starts ticking the moment the plane arrives at the gate.

KIM: As you're getting off the aircraft, my rest has begun. I'm still saying good night, have a good evening.

CHO: There's also paperwork and travel time.

BLACK: I have gotten in my car and driven home and didn't remember the last 30 minutes of the drive.

CHO: In a statement, the FAA tells CNN there is no data that shows current practices pose any risk to airline passenger safety. The Air Transport Association, which represents 90 percent of the nation's airlines says, we rely on the results of the FAA safety studies and there has been recommendation for change.

And airline experts don't expect to see a change in rest time rules any time soon. The reason, the bottom line.

VAUGHN CORDLE, AIRLINEFORECASTS: Financial distress since 9/11, we've had oil prices that are three times higher than they were in the 20 years prior. So the industry has to make up for that.

KIM: It's really out of control. There's no reason why we should be responsible for people's lives and we're not getting enough rest. It's real simple, we're just not getting enough rest.

CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Trying to prevent rollovers. The federal government announcing new auto stability rules. Will they keep you safe on the road? That's the key question. CNN Senior Correspondent Allan Chernoff (ph) is in New York with this story. Alan, good morning to you.

ALAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony, and the Department of Transportation says there's no question this will make the highways much safer. In fact, they're saying if they get this all in place, they are now going to require it by the model year 2012, thousands of lives could be saved on the highway.

In fact, between 5,000 and 10,000 lives saved. They're saying they are now going to require electronic stability control on all new cars and light trucks. That includes the vast majority of SUVs by model year 2012. They're saying that this could reduce one car crashes by one-third and crashes involving one SUV by more than half and prevent the majority of rollovers. Keep in mind, rollovers are those accidents that are responsible for so many fatalities on the nation's roads and highways.

The Department of Transportation is saying not only will this be a life saver, but it also will be vastly an improvement in terms of injuries. So many fewer injuries they're predicting on the roads.

Right now, about 30 percent of new cars and trucks actually do have the electronic stability control but they want this all in place by model year 2012 to make sure that the highways are safer.

HARRIS: Okay. Alright. A requirement by 2012, but I have to ask you, maybe a two for here. At what cost, Allan, per vehicle and at what cost for the industry?

CHERNOFF: For individuals, the Department of Transportation is estimating the cost would be an average of $111 per vehicle. Doesn't sound all that bad. You add up all those vehicles, though, for the industry, $1 billion for the vehicle manufacturing industry. So certainly it will cost a lot for Detroit.

But keep in mind, this is a computerized system. A lot of people wonder, how does this all work? The computer is able to sense when the car begins to swerve, and then automatically can break individual wheels, which we can't do. Remember when we step on the brake, we're braking axles there; we're not actually breaking individual wheels. This would have the ability to do that, and it certainly is helpful to people who have it on their vehicles.

HARRIS: Hadn't thought about it quite that way. But yes, you're absolutely right about that. All right, Allan Chernoff for us in New York. Allan, thanks. Appreciate it.

CHERNOFF: Wanted to get this story to you yesterday, but with all the breaking news, we just couldn't find a place for it. But we want to tell you about a legendary football coach and a legendary man who is being remembered. There he is, Eddie Robinson's body will lie in state Monday in the Rotunda at the Louisiana capital. The former Grambling State University coach dies Tuesday night after a long battle with Alzheimer's Robinson was a fighter. In more than 50 years at Grambling, he built a football powerhouse, taking his teams, and the school, from obscurity to national prominence. While struggling to get past years of segregation, Robinson sent more than 200 young men to the NFL. Eddie Robinson was 88.

WHITFIELD: Bullets, bombs and budgets. The war in Iraq and the funding. The fight at home. How will it affect the troops on the front lines? A closer look coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Some dramatic video to show you. It involves a murder suspect in China, and his refusal to surrender to police. Take a look at this. This is the -- you'll see it here in a second -- the eighth floor of a hospital. The suspect, armed with two knives, barricaded himself in a room and perched on a window ledge. Police ordered firefighters, as you can see here, to open up on him with a high pressure spray. After about two hours of trying to get him to surrender, well, the firefighters were able to get their man, as you can see. And police say the suspect was not harmed. Pretty dramatic, isn't it?

WHITFIELD: Yes, it is. It's interesting, the alternative not rubber bullets, not real bullets, but instead a water cannon.

HARRIS: Taken down with a high-pressure hose.

Water cannon?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HARRIS: Blast away.

WHITFIELD: He's kind of lucky actually, with the nice soft landing, no less.

HARRIS: Look at these pictures. We don't have time.

WHITFIELD: Well, Hala Gorani has a lot more of the look at the world and how folks are taking care of things, taking care of business -- Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. We're going to take you around the world on "YOUR WORLD TODAY."

I was holding my breath there when I saw that man fall out the window. Thankfully there was an inflated mattress there to catch him.

Anyway, Jim Clancy and myself at the top of the hour, noon Eastern, hope you can join us. We're going to you to the United Kingdom. The 15 released British sailors and marines finally back on British soil after nearly two weeks in captivity in Iran. We'll go live to the service member's hometown, and we'll be asking who won the diplomatic tug of war between the U.K. and Iran, if anyone. Also we are going to take to you Italy. Violent riots at a soccer match in Rome. Look at these pictures taken. While the violence was occurring, supporters from both sides were seen throwing missiles at each other. Two English fans were stabbed outside the stadium. We'll bring you more on that story.

Also, the world's most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia. While the editor of the Indonesian edition of "Playboy" magazine has been cleared of indecency charges, not everyone in that country is happy. That story as well and much more, hope you can join us, top of the hour.

HARRIS: Absolutely. OK, Hala. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Well, 10 days and counting. The Pentagon saying April 15th is a critical date in funding the war. Congress has tied the money to a time line for withdrawal, forcing a standoff with President Bush.

Here's CNN's Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, the aftermath of twin bomb attacks. Progress in Iraq is still very much a mixed picture.

CNN has obtained a copy of a letter the Joint Chiefs of Staff is sending to Congress outlining what will happen in the war if the military doesn't quickly get the $100 billion it wants in additional war funding. Without that money, the chiefs say there will be "... increasingly disruptive measures..."

Spending restrictions could delay sending fresh troops to Iraq to replace those completing their tour of duty.

ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Well, if it were a complete cutoff of the funds, I mean, there's no question that that would bring an end to the war. We would have to come home if there were no funds at all.

STARR: Gates has already been briefed on what will happen if Congress delays approving the funding.

GATES: If the supplemental isn't approved by April 15th, they -- they said in their letter that the Army would be forced to curtail or suspend the training of reserve units preparing for rotations, to slow the training of the next deployers, stop the repair of tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles.

STARR (on camera): There's little doubt there will be a political deal and money will be approved. The only question may be, how will the delay affect troops on the front line.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, so what if you live in Washington but you want to watch the St. Louis Cardinals? It was a problem but not anymore. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details. It's about equal opportunity, isn't it, Susan?

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, I swear, I'm a baseball fan.

HARRIS: I know you are.

LISOVICZ: Maybe I need glasses.

HARRIS: That's OK. I know you are. You get a branch (ph) for that.

WHITFIELD: They were moving so fast on the screen.

LISOVICZ: That's it.

WHITFIELD: All right, Susan, thanks.

HARRIS: Beloved pets dying, growing concerns about a massive pet food recall, now medical detectives are on the case searching for the source of the problem.

CNN's Sumi Das reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not quite CSI, but in this California lab, leading researchers are investigating a mystery that's literally sweeping the nation. What's causing kidney failure in potentially dozens and dozens of dogs and cats.

ALEX ARDANS, CALIF. ANIMAL HEALTH & FOOD SAFETY LAB: Something that strikes fear or really gets a laboratory such as ours uptight is to hear a large number of animals dying.

DAS: Using powerful and precise equipment purchased with California's homeland security grants, scientists analyze pet food samples eaten by a cat who later died.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fluid that extracts out certain chemicals from the food ...

DAS: One substance they found that may provide vital clues is called melamine. It's used in plastics and as fertilizer. The FDA says that chemical was traced to a source of wheat gluten, a common pet food ingredient.

(on camera): The toxicologists and chemists here were among the first to detect melamine. But the lab is receiving additional pet food samples and conducting further tests to make sure nothing is overlooked.

(voice-over): Scientists say melamine by itself isn't believed to be toxic.

ROBERT POPPENGA, UC DAVIS: In laboratory rodents it seems to be relatively nontoxic. The problem is that cats may be a very sensitive species to melamine. And we really haven't answered how sensitive cats are to that chemical as of yet.

DAS: Verifying that melamine is indeed the reason healthy pets are suddenly dying would require tests that animal rights activists are likely to fight.

POPPENGA: You know what you ideally would like to do would be to expose cats to pure compound and see if it induces renal disease. And that is a very politically sensitive issue, using dogs and cats as experimental animals.

DAS: That's not an option immediately available to the lab. But it won't stop testing and searching for additional clues.

POPPENGA: We just want to make sure that we're not overlooking something.

DAS: Sumi Das, CNN, Davis, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, so getting up the tree was easy. Getting down, not so easy.

Well, Bill Hart (ph), U.S. coast guardsman out of Conroe, Texas decided I'm going to hang out up here. He shimmied up the towering pine yesterday afternoon to retrieve his beloved cockatoo, Geronimo. Anyone would do that. But he failed to think of how do I actually get down.

Seventy-five feet off the ground, Hart discovered that he couldn't climb down while holding the bird. So after about four hours ...

HARRIS: They airlifted him?

WHITFIELD: Yes, this was a big deal, you know, he's a coast guard dude. He's got connections. So after about four hours, the coast guard delivered Hart and his cockatoo safely back on the ground. Hart says the first thing he'll do is clip Geronimo's wings. Most people do that.

HARRIS: Is that what they do?

WHITFIELD: Yes, they clip the wings. Somestimes you can buy them already with wings clipped.

HARRIS: Hey, enjoy it.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it was fun.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening around the globe and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield, have a great day.

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