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Lebanon Fighting; House Democrats May Back Down on Timeline for Withdrawal; Former KGB Agent Accused in Death of Alexander Litvinenko; Drug Company Disputes Study Showing Avandia Risks

Aired May 22, 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: And at the top this hour, in northern Lebanon, a third straight day of violence. As the day began, dark plumes of smoke filled the sky over a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli. Lebanese troops trying to flush out Islamic militants. But after word of a unilateral cease-fire, a U.N. relief convoy was attacked as it entered the camp.
CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson on the ground near Tripoli.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: From where we're standing here, we've been able to hear sporadic heavy machine gun fire. We're about a mile from the refugee camp, which is behind me down there.

We've been able to see smoke rising from the camp. We've also heard heavy detonations. The fighting appears to be sporadic.

What we've heard from the U.N. is that when they drove their six trucks containing medical relief supplies, doctors and food supplies into the camp, they came under gunfire. Three of their trucks were hit, disabling those trucks. The other three trucks drove out.

Now, the U.N. says when they did that, they left behind eight to 10 workers inside the camp and they are currently trying to get them out. They're talking to the Fatah organization inside the camp to try and get them out. They're also talking to the Lebanese army to try to negotiate a way to get those eight to 10 U.N. workers outside, out of the camp.

And just a few hours earlier than that, we witnessed the end to a very tense standoff inside the town of Tripoli, about 10 miles, 15 kilometers south of here. Lebanese security forces surrounded an apartment building in a densely-populated area. When we arrived there, there was gunfire going on, explosions going on, smoke rising from the building.

What we were told by local residents was that the security forces discovered in that building at about 9:00 a.m. in the morning a militant holding out. A six-hour standoff ensued. And according to Lebanese security forces, the militant at the end of the standoff blew himself up. According to medical workers on the scene, there were some Lebanese security force casualties. We saw at least one policeman being taken away for what appeared to be smoke inhalation.

But from where we're standing right now, overlooking that camp, there is sporadic gunfire continuing. The army checkpoint close to us continues to screen vehicles coming into and going out of the area.

Nic Robertson, north of Tripoli, Lebanon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Arming the Lebanese military. U.S. shipments already under way, and now an acceleration of those shipments being urgently discussed.

CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joining us now live.

Barbara, what's the latest on this?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Heidi, since the war in Lebanon last summer, the U.S. military and the State Department have had a program of shipping arms and supplies to the Lebanese military, about $30 million under way. But we have confirmed from both military and diplomatic sources that the government of Lebanon, since this emergency began, has been in contact with the United States. Their top requirements now, they say, ammunition, armored vests, and helmets.

The Lebanese military is a fairly fragile organization. They have limited equipment, limited capability.

The program that's been under way, as you see here, has already been for the U.S. to ship Humvees, five-ton trucks, ammunition, spare parts for helicopters. When you look at it, it's a pretty basic list. But underlying this list of equipment is the military need to help the Lebanese armed forces be able to move around their country, as you see this week, and defend their territory.

It's something that the U.S. considers of vital interest, and so they are making every effort to continue these shipments and help the Lebanese military when they can -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Well, let's talk about that for just a second, Barbara. Why is the Lebanese army's fight so important to the United States?

STARR: Well, you know, Heidi, it's not just for the overall security situation and stability situation in the Middle East. But as you see with this current emergency, al Qaeda-inspired militants are beginning to look at Lebanon, as they have in the past, as well as Hezbollah has, as a safe haven, because the Lebanese military has not been a strong organization in the last years.

And so the U.S. does not want that to happen, doesn't want Lebanon, of course, to become yet again another safe haven. Since the war last summer with Hezbollah, there has been a very strong effort to beef up that Lebanese military force so they can be more capable, so these militants really can't take hold, and so the Lebanese army, the Lebanese military, becomes really the only security force in the country.

I think most experts would agree it's a long way from happening, but that's part of the goal, and that's why the U.S. and especially the U.S. military wants to help the Lebanese armed forces as much as they possibly can -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. We'll all be watching this one closely.

Thanks so much.

Barbara Starr, from the Pentagon today.

STARR: Sure.

HARRIS: Concession on Capitol Hill. House Democrats apparently back off a timetable to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. Democrats may have avoided one showdown with the president, but now they could face a battle among themselves.

CNN Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel is on Capitol Hill with more on a new proposal.

Andrea, good morning to you.

What is going on here?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's going on, Tony, is that Democrats recognize that there is -- the time -- the time is rapidly running out for them to pass an emergency war funding bill. They say they need to do it and they will do it before they go home at the end of the week for Memorial Day break.

What CNN has learned is that, according to several Democratic leadership aides, in the next hour or so, Nancy Pelosi and her team are going to present to other House Democrats a plan for a bill that will include no timeline, there would be no hard date for U.S. troops to withdraw. But it would include benchmarks with consequences.

What this would mean is about 18 different reports that President Bush would have to give to Congress, stating whether or not Iraqis have made progress meeting certain political benchmarks. And if they don't, that would be tied to Iraqi reconstruction aid. There would also likely be some kind of a waiver in there that President Bush could sign if he wanted that aid to go forward.

In this bill as well there would also be for the first time in years a boost in minimum wage. What they're still negotiating, Tony, is a bunch of domestic spending for projects like Hurricane Katrina cleanup, for Walter Reed improvements, things of that nature. But this is the plan that Democrats have been negotiating, not just among themselves here on Capitol Hill, but also with the White House.

They expect there will be many liberals in their caucus who won't support this, Tony, but they do believe, according to one House leadership aide, that they have enough support from Republicans over in the House to push this through later in the week -- Tony. HARRIS: Andrea, does this mean the Democrats caved?

KOPPEL: There will be some out there, the anti-war crowd, who will say that they did certainly in this measure, because it doesn't include timelines. You could make that argument. But Democrats also point out that President Bush said he wanted a clean bill. And this bill, if it gets through both the House and the Senate, would include benchmarks with consequences. So you could say, Tony, that both sides have given ground.

Democrats also point out they have a couple other defense bills that are coming up next month, and they will be pushing to write in language that includes a hard timeline for U.S. troops to withdraw.

HARRIS: Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel for us this morning.

Andrea, thank you.

COLLINS: In Iraq, dozens of people killed and wounded in a series of grisly attacks. The deadliest of the day so far, a car bomber strikes a Baghdad marketplace. At least 25 people dead, 60 wounded.

A short time later in the capital, three mortar rounds slam into a college. At least three students died in that attack, five others shot to death in a nearby neighborhood.

And north of Baghdad, gunmen kill a family of six. Baquba police saying the killers posed as police officers and set up a fake checkpoint.

HARRIS: U.S. troops racing the clock and battling exhaustion in their search for three missing soldiers. American forces raid suspected safe houses but come up empty.

The three soldiers apparently kidnapped after a May 12th ambush. Four other Americans and an Iraqi soldier were killed in the insurgent attack. The U.S. military says at least 26 airborne operations have been launched in the search. A militant group linked to al Qaeda has boasted it seized the men. The claim can't be verified.

COLLINS: A major new development in the poisoning death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. Britain plans to charge a Russian businessman who's also a former KGB agent with murder. The case likely to put London and Moscow on a diplomatic collision course.

The latest now from CNN Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance.

Matthew, good morning to you.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you as well, Heidi.

This a dramatic radiation poisoning case, really reads like the plot from some kind of Cold War thriller. And the latest dramatic developments today no exception, adding a latest twist.

The British authorities saying they now have enough evidence, they're confident that their investigation has produced enough evidence for them to identify that Russian businessman, former KGB agent -- his name is Andrei Lugovoi -- as the man they want to charge with the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, another former KGB agent who was murdered in London, poisoned with that radioactive isotope, Polonium 210, last year.

Well, making the announcement, the head of the British prosecution service, Ken MacDonald, did so knowing that this would add further tensions to the relationship between Britain and Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN MACDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS: I've instructed CPS lawyers to take immediate steps to seek the early extradition of Andrei Lugovoi from Russia to the United Kingdom so that he may be charged here with murder and brought swiftly before a court in London to be prosecuted with this extraordinarily grave crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Well, there has been reaction already, to the Russian news agency, at least, by Andrei Lugovoi, the man who the British authorities want to charge with the murder of that former Russian agent. He said that he's innocent. He's also promised that he'll reveal some kind of sensational information, in his words, in the future. He hasn't disclosed what that is yet.

There has also been reaction from Alexander Litvinenko's widow, Marina, who says she believes there may be more than one person who's involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARINA LITVINENKO, WIDOW: To say it is -- was a very difficult time for me to say nothing, it's still very difficult to speak about this. And the first time maybe I started to think not about just what happened and about my future and future of my son. It was very important for me, my son and my husband just his death is not -- say is not -- just like for nothing, you know, what happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Well, the British authorities are underlining that this statement, that this announcement dictates very clearly how important it is for them to bring the person responsible for these poisonings to justice. They said they expect full cooperation from the Russians.

For their part, though, the Kremlin have made it clear that they will not extradite any Russian citizen to Britain because it's against the Russian constitution, they say -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Wow. It certainly does read like some sort of novel or movie. Matthew Chance, thanks so much for the update on the story.

HARRIS: Well, thousands are expected at the Reverend Jerry Falwell's funeral today at the church he started more than 50 years ago. The influential religious leader died last Tuesday at the age of 73.

CNN's Brianna Keilar live in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Brianna, good to see you this morning.

Tell us what's going on there behind you, if you would, please.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, this memorial service is still a couple of hours away, and this line only just a couple of minutes ago began to move, people beginning to enter Thomas Road Baptist Church. But this line snakes all the way around the building, and this church here can accommodate about 6,000 or so people, and many more are expected. So this funeral -- or this memorial service for Jerry Falwell will be simulcast in the basketball arena, also at the football stadium on the campus of Liberty University.

Now, VIP guests who are expected here today, many of them big names in the evangelical Christian community -- Pat Robertson, Rick Warren, as well as Franklin Graham, who will be speaking today. But in terms of political heavyweights, maybe a presidential candidate, we haven't heard of any at this point.

And Tony, we may just have to wait until 1:00 p.m., when this memorial service gets under way, to see who does show up -- Tony.

HARRIS: Brianna, what happens now to Jerry Falwell's church? Who leads it?

KEILAR: Well, this is a transition that has been put in place the last few years. His son Jonathan will become senior pastor. He was executive pastor before he was dealing with the day-to-day operations of the church, and he will take his father's place.

And then at Liberty University, Falwell's other son, Jerry Jr., will take over as chancellor. These are transitions that had been set in place, especially in recent years, as Falwell's health had faltered -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Brianna Keilar for us this morning.

Brianna, thank you.

COLLINS: He won his battle against cancer. Now Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong goes to bat for a cancer research center in Texas. We'll talk with him live coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Risks versus benefits. Diabetics told their medicine could be dangerous. What should they do now?

We will talk with our medical correspondent coming up in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Filling up? Your wallet may actually be running on empty. Gas prices hit a new high. See, Lance would say just ride your bike, right?

Find out how much...

HARRIS: You better stop with me, Heidi.

COLLINS: ... you're paying coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Another possible use for Viagra -- fighting jet lag?

We'll explain. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Lance Armstrong won his battle with cancer. Now he wants to win the war.

The seven-time Tour de France winner is putting his celebrity power to work in Texas, supporting a push to get a $3 billion cancer research referendum before Texas voters.

Lance is joining us now live from Austin, Texas.

Thanks for being with us, Lance.

LANCE ARMSTRONG, TOUR DE FRANCE WINNER: Good morning.

COLLINS: It sounds like time is running out on this bill. Why Don't you tell us a little bit about this bill and why this push. There's quite a deadline at hand.

ARMSTRONG: Well, "deadline" is an understatement. I mean, today is really the last day that we can -- we can get this voted on the Senate floor.

And we're close. We have the votes from the Senate. I think we're up to 25 or 26 votes out of 31.

The lieutenant governor has been supportive up until now. So we just need him to recognize Senator Nelson's bill on the floor.

And I think this is an amazing opportunity for Texans to do something that has never been done before. It's a huge amount of money that can go directly to research in this state, and it would basically double what we're already doing in this state. So, you know, we're excited.

COLLINS: Yes. Backtrack for me just a little bit. Tell us exactly what the bill is. This is $3 billion that we're talking about, but $300 million that will be appropriated every year.

ARMSTRONG: Right. Yes, it's over 10 years, $3 billion in total. Just to give you a sense of perspective, right now we get about $200 million from the National Cancer Institute here in the state of Texas. So, this would take it from $200 million to $500 million. And, you know, we have great hospitals here, great institutions, great places to put that money to use, and ultimately try to find cures for cancer.

COLLINS: Yes. I mean, something that is very different certainly on a state level.

What does it mean to you, though, Lance, when you are able to take your celebrity and put it behind something of this nature, something so big?

ARMSTRONG: You know, again, it puts it all in perspective. This is something that we can talk about.

I mean, you can have a gala or you can have a charity bike ride, or you could sell little yellow wristbands for -- you know 60 million of those and raise $60 million. But when you start talking about these numbers, and talking about billions of dollars, you realize that, you know, we're just a little spec on the screen and this is something that has never been done before.

For me, it would clearly be the greatest thing that I've ever been involved in with regards to cancer, and probably, you know, for my entire life.

COLLINS: Yes. I know that you testified, in fact, last night in front of the Senate committee before the panel voted. Tell us a little bit about what you said and what you typically like to say to these legislators.

ARMSTRONG: Well, I think the main point is that, yes, it's a big number. It's $3 billion. Sometimes the trick is trying to understand whether or not this is an expense or this is an investment.

The cancer burden, not just in this country, but specifically in this state, is huge. We lose 35,000 Texans a year to the disease.

Economically, what does that mean to our system? It means a lot. I mean, cancer is expensive. Treatment later on -- in later stages of the disease is expensive.

And ultimately, the personal level. I mean, people are losing moms and dads and brothers and sisters. And, you know, that just doesn't need to happen anymore.

COLLINS: You know, in fact last time you and I talked, it was March of 2006, when Dana Reeve died. Where do you see the state of cancer research in our country five years from now?

ARMSTRONG: Well, hopefully, five years from now we have renewed interest in the disease, a renewed emphasis. We have a president in place that cares about the disease, not only in terms of funding, but also in terms of leadership. Certain programs we can put in place to combat this disease, access issues, making sure that the 200,000 people a year that die from the disease in this country that didn't need to because we could have saved them -- I mean, total, we loose 600,000 Americans.

COLLINS: Wow.

ARMSTRONG: A full 200,000 of them could have been cured if we would have just given them the treatment that you or I would have received.

That's not fair. That doesn't need to happen. And that's not what America is about.

So, you know, in five years, I see a big difference. I think if we can work on the whole spectrum of the disease, I don't see why we can't cut that in half.

COLLINS: Real quickly before we let you go, Lance, when the average American hears the word "cancer," do you think the days are gone where they just sort of blow past it?

ARMSTRONG: In terms of -- how do you mean blow past it?

COLLINS: Their knowledge or their concern, unless someone that they know is dealing with the disease. Do you think people are able to focus on it?

ARMSTRONG: You know, it's -- I mean, the disease is so pervasive. I mean, it touches every American life.

One in two men, one in three women will actually be diagnosed. Yet, it's one of those things where if you polled 100 Americans, only one of them would say that they thought they were going to get cancer.

So, it's our biggest fear, yet everybody is immune. So, we have to get past that and remind people that this is the number one killer in this country under the age of 85. It's time that we focus on it, it's time we have an administration that focus on it, and it's time that we fund it.

So, that's what we're trying to do here in Texas today.

COLLINS: All right. I'm sure everyone very much appreciates your effort in all of it.

Thanks so much for being with us.

Lance Armstrong today, live from Austin, Texas.

Thanks.

ARMSTRONG: Thank you. HARRIS: And still to come this morning in the NEWSROOM, jet lag blues. New research finds the little blue pill could help with that -- how do we describe this? You dare me to say it, don't you?

COLLINS: Yes.

HARRIS: Refreshed after flying. The story coming up in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: You didn't say it.

Well, it's goodbye, El Nino, hello buys hurricane season.

Government experts out this hour with their predictions. Buckle up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: Concern this morning among diabetics. The FDA issuing a safety alert for Avandia. Research links the drug to a possible increased risk of heart attack. Now people taking the drug are left wondering what to do.

For thoughts on that, we are joined now by CNN medical correspondent Judy Fortin.

Judy, thanks for being here.

JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this could be a big deal, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes.

FORTIN: The study will be published in the "New England Journal of Medicine," and it's calling into question the safety of Avandia, a popular drug used by about a million Americans and more than six million people worldwide.

It's used to lower blood sugar in Type II diabetics. That's the most common form of diabetes.

Researchers claim people taking Avandia have a higher chance of having a heart attack and dying of heart disease. The study's lead author talked about the results earlier on "AMERICAN MORNING".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. STEVEN NISSEN, CO-AUTHOR, AVANDIA STUDY: We found a 43 percent increase risk of heart attack and a 64 percent increase in death from cardiovascular causes.

Those are very striking increases. We do not think this is by chance alone. And we're very concerned about the drug, as I think many people in the medical community have been concerned. (END VIDEO CLIP)

FORTIN: Well, Nissen and his team analyzed data from 42 clinical trials and concluded there is a serious problem with this drug -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Wow. So, people who are already taking it, they should stop or talk with their doctors?

FORTIN: Don't just taking the drug, actually. Doctors are saying, make sure that you check with your own doctor first.

COLLINS: Yes.

FORTIN: And then based on the facts, decide if the drug is an appropriate treatment. After all, there are other treatments for lowering your blood sugar. The FDA has issued a safety alert cautioning those patients taking Avandia who also have underlying heart disease or they're at high for heart attack.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: The drug maker, GlaxoSmithKline, probably not a huge surprise here, but they're really disputing these findings.

FORTIN: That's right. There's a lot of money on the table here. This is a drug that brings in about $3 billion in revenue each year. The company stands by the safety of Avandia and says the study is based on incomplete evidence. It says quote its significant benefits continue to outweigh any treatment risks.

COLLINS: But back to the study's authors, they also actually had some pretty harsh comments about the way the approval process works in the United States.

FORTIN: This is kind of interesting to coming from researchers. They pointed the finger directly at the FDA calling the situation quote, a major failure of the drug use and the drug approval process in the United States. Some doctors are already making parallels to the Vioxx case three years ago. You'll remember that drug was pulled from the market after heart problems came to light. It's the FDA's job to keep track of drug side effects once the product hits the market.

Now, some critics say the FDA is very slow at that and they don't provide all the necessary information for doctors. This is one of those stories that's going to be continued not just from the drug aspect but also from the regulatory side.

COLLINS: Sound like it. All right, Judy Fortin for us today. Thank you Judy.

FORTIN: You're welcome.

COLLINS: Good morning once again to you everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: And good morning to everyone. I'm Tony Harris. In Iraq, dozens killed and wounded in a series of grizzly attacks, the deadliest of the day so far today, a car bomber strikes a Baghdad marketplace, at least 25 dead, 60 pounded. A short time later in the capital, three mortar rounds slam into a college, at least four students die in that attack, eight more shot to death nearby. And north of Baghdad, gunmen kill a family of six. Baquba police say the killers posed as police officers and set up a fake checkpoint.

COLLINS: Suicide bombing to end the American dream. Some things Muslims in America were asked about in a new poll. The Pugh Research Center questioned more than 1,000 Muslim adults this year. Two out of three were born outside the U.S. Most believed in the so-called American work ethic, that hard work results in success.

Sixty-one percent say they are concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism in the U.S. When asked about suicide bombers, 8 percent said they are sometimes or often justified, but among American Muslims younger than 30, 15 percent said suicide bombings are justified.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano. NOAA has just released its hurricane outlook for the 2007 season. We'll have the numbers and we will break them down for you when the CNN NEWSROOM continues.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Allan Chernoff, watching gasoline prices shoot skyward. Is there any legitimate reason? We'll explore coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Rob Marciano joining us once again, taking a look at the weather picture. Hi there Rob, actually we're talking hurricanes now.

MARCIANO: Yeah. It's that time of year to start talking hurricanes Heidi, Tony. The National Weather Service or the NOAA branch which houses the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, has put out their outlook for the 2007 season just moments ago. Here are the numbers. Let's take a look at them. The number of named storms expected, 13 to 17 named storms or tropical storms, those of which that would grow into hurricane strength, 74 miles an hour or higher. Seven to 10 of those will become hurricanes. Of those seven to 10 hurricanes that develop, they expect three to five of those to become major hurricanes, category three, four or five.

This is an above average forecast. Actually this forecast is very similar to what they put forward for last year's hurricane season forecast. As we all know, we had that el Nino kick in and everything turned around and we had a below average season. So over the past nine of 12 seasons have been above average since 1995 because we're in this active phase. We've also seen subtropical named storm Andrea. You remember that a couple of weeks ago, so that name has been crossed off the list. But take a gander at what the 2007 names are. Barry, Chantel, Dean, Erin, Felix, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo. Hopefully we don't get to Melissa and Noah but there's your list of 2007 names. Right now there is not a whole lot of action in the tropics and that's good news. But June 1 is when we officially start the hurricane season.

What good things might that hurricane season bring? Maybe some improvement to the severe drought that we are experiencing across the southeast. Tropical systems bring a whole lot of rain and we need a whole lot of rain in this part of the country in order to improve this drought situation and the fire situations.

So ideal situation would be, Tony and Heidi, to a tropical storm maybe, a lot of rain, not a whole lot of wind. That would be the perfect scenario. That's the forecast, looking to be another active year as far as the hurricane season goes and that starts in just under two weeks.

COLLINS: It's always something, isn't it?

MARCIANO: That's me bread-and-butter.

COLLINS: I was going to say, thankfully for you, all right, Rob, thanks.

HARRIS: Add a little coffee to that. Forget about the coffee. You want a morning jolt this morning? Visit the pumps, the gas pumps. Gas prices at a new record high now, just shy of $3.21 a gallon, according to AAA. That is almost two cents higher than the record set yesterday. Gas prices averaged more than $2.85 last month, at around $2.88 a year ago. What is going on here? CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When drivers fill their tank at Chris's Cho gas station, Chris tells them, don't blame me for high gas prices.

CHRIS CHO, GAS STATION OWNER: I would blame the oil companies, just look at their profit statements. They're making lots of money.

CHERNOFF: Record amounts of money. The country's big three oil companies, ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips raked in $72 billion of profit last year. Some members of Congress charge price gouging is behind those profits.

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D) NORTH DAKOTA: I find it kind of interesting that we keep talking about the marketplace as if it was a free market. Nothing could be further from a free market with respect to what's happening with oil.

CHERNOFF: A barrel of crude oil has actually been cheaper than it was this time last year, but oil companies say gas is more expensive because demand is high, while supply isn't. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They should be blaming the marketplace. They should be blaming the supply and demand.

CHERNOFF: The nation's oil refineries are running well below capacity and some critics charge that is intentional, but refiners say they are doing necessary maintenance that was delayed because of hurricane Katrina and in recent weeks, several refinery fires have caused output to be further reduced.

PAUL SANKEY, DEUTSCHE BANK: No company is stupid enough to try and make money by gouging the U.S. consumer. The simple fact is, they don't need to right now. Frankly, they're making so much money just by the nature of the market.

CHERNOFF: There could be more supply if there were more refineries, but no new ones have been built in decades. Oil companies blame that on tough environmental policies and the high cost of upgrading older facilities.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And Allan Chernoff joins us live from Jersey City, New Jersey. And Allan, you know what, Give us an update. What's happening at the location where you are? What's the sign back there? What is it reading there?

CHERNOFF: Tony, I'm sure you can guess, the prices actually went up earlier this morning. Right now, $2.91.9. That's actually a relative bargain here in New Jersey. New Jersey today is the only state in the nation right now where the average price of gasoline is below $3 a gallon. The taxes here are pretty cheap.

HARRIS: SO Allan, are gas prices expected to continue to rise?

CHERNOFF: Well, there is in theory, some relief down the road. We're talking about the fact that refineries are operating at less than 90 percent of capacity. They are supposed to increase their output. And if that continues, if it keeps on happening, more refineries coming back on line, the supply should increase and that should help prices to level off. But the expert at the Department of Energy, who's going to be testifying before Congress later today, he's saying that this could take a few weeks. So don't expect relief in the near future.

HARRIS: I'll believe it when I see it. CNN's Allan Chernoff for us. Allan, thank you.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From gas prices to airfares. I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. I'll tell how to pocket the difference when airfares decline. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm T.J. Holmes live in the CNN NEWSROOM where we are following the story of a bank robbery in Chicago where at least three people have been shot. We'll have the very latest, coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM right after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to go ahead and get you back to that story that we have been following here in the CNN NEWSROOM about a bank robbery. T.J. Holmes has all the details, at least as well as we know them at this point.

Hi there, T.J.

HOLMES: Hi there Heidi. This is out of Chicago where we do know at least three people have been shot. We now know that among them a security guard, one of the three that has been shot in this bank robbery, attempted bank robbery in Chicago. This is on the south side, a bank called Illinois Service Federal Savings and Loan Bank at the 8700 block of South King Drive.

This happened around 9:30 local time there and what we don't know right now is the suspect or suspects are in custody or if the suspect or suspects are among those that have been shot. We do know a couple victims have been taken to hospitals including that security guard as well, two other victims as well taken to a hospital. But we don't know whether those were patrons of the bank or possibly employees of the bank.

But again an armed robbery here. Police are keeping an eye out. We don't know again, which is key here is whether or not the suspects are still on the loose. Apparently a teller now I'm being told, a teller, information just being handed to me is that a teller, a security guard and a citizen were among those that were shot, injured and had to be taken to a hospital and actually four people trying to rob this bank.

This is the information just being handed to me, that those four people who tried to rob the bank, again those attempted armed robbery, those four people have not been apprehended according to police. We do know now that a citizen, a security guard and a teller were among the three who were shot at this bank. So still a developing story, new information coming into us literally by the minute. We will get back to you with as much as we have as soon as we have it, Heidi.

COLLINS: Boy, certainly developing. T.J., thanks so much.

HARRIS: "Your World Today" coming up in just minutes, 13 minutes away at the top of the hour right here on CNN. Hala Gorani, standing by with a preview, Hala, good morning.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Tony and Heidi. We will really bring you the world this hour on "Your World Today" at the top of the hour. Jim Clancy and myself will be looking at the latest from London on of course a truce shattered almost as soon as it began, an aid convoy getting caught in the crossfire in that Palestinian refugee camp. We'll also be speaking with Seymour Hirsch of the "New Yorker," whose latest article details the source of funding for some of these extremist groups that you may find surprising.

Also, you remember that tale of international intrigue where a spy was killed through poisoning? British prosecutors are now saying they plan to seek the extradition of a Russian citizen in that murder case.

Also, we'll be looking at the results of a Pew research poll on American Muslims in the United States, their views on religious extremism, terrorism and also how they feel they're integrating into U.S. culture. We'll have that and more at the top of the hour. Hope you can join us. Back to you.

HARRIS: We'll be there.

COLLINS: Thank you Hala.

We can't shorten the security lines or make the airlines run on time, but there is a solution to another common travel gripe. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details on how to get your money back when fares decline. This is good stuff.

LISOVICZ: This is good stuff and I think a lot of us just simply didn't know that this existed. We're talking about when you buy - you buy, purchase an air flight and the price actually declines and you think, I'm just stuck with the higher fare. So it applies after you've already bought your ticket. The "Wall Street Journal" points out that many airlines give partial refunds if they cut fares after you bought your ticket. That's something many customers including myself not aware of.

So many carriers, including JetBlue, United and U.S. Airways, that refund comes in the form of a voucher for the full price difference which can be used for future trips. Others offer the option of a voucher or cash after deducting charges. Keep in mind, tickets usually have to be purchased directly from the airlines for customers to qualify. So in other words, if you went to one of those travel Web sites and purchased the tickets there, they might not qualify. Heidi.

COLLINS: It is pretty cool, but it gets kind of time consuming doesn't it to constantly check the price of your flight?

LISOVICZ: Exactly and that's the complaint many travelers have. There's a new Web site called yapta.com. YAPTA stands for your amazing personal travel assistant. The site was developed, keep that in mind, the site was developed by a former executive for pricing at Alaska Air. It tracks prices of specific flights and alerts customers by e- mail when they fall below a certain threshold.

Airfares tend to swing based on ticket sales and the airlines own expectation of demand. They sometimes fluctuate as we well know, several times in a single day, sometimes it seems in a single hour. Keep in mind to get a refund, customers must call their carrier while the lower price is still in effect, yapta.com.

COLLINS: I like it.

LISOVICZ: By the way, airlines stocks today are taking off as oil prices take a break from their recent run up. Crude slipping nearly $1 today, but still above $65 a barrel. The overall market not doing too much. Checking the numbers, the Dow industrials right now down one point. The Nasdaq composite down less than that. So kind of a quiet session, leading up to the Memorial Day weekend, just a few days away. Heidi and Tony, back to you.

COLLINS: You know why it's quiet, sometimes nice.

LISOVICZ: We like it.

COLLINS: All right, Susan Lisovicz, thank you.

HARRIS: A feline fan caught up in the Mets Yankees game. What's he doing in there? Who's he rooting for? Find out in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Everyday on CNN, we come across ordinary people, who with little or no fanfare have an extraordinary impact in the communities where they live. All this year, we're not only bringing you their stories. We're also inviting you to tell us about heroes you may know. Today we introduce you to a doctor who helps homeless children on the streets of southern Arizona that doesn't charge them a dime. Dr. Randy Christensen is today's CNN hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I was 10 years old, I decided I would run away from home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been on the streets from 12 to 20.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's scary living on the streets. There's so many drugs and there's violence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I sleep in an abandoned house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was taken away from my parents at 10 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My dad dropped me off at a dumpster. He told me, don't even think about coming back home.

DR. RANDY CHRISTENSEN: There's as many as 5 to 10,000 kids on the streets of Arizona. We turned our heads. We don't look at them in their eyes. Many of the kids are truly forgotten.

I'm Dr. Randy Christensen. I'm the medical director for the cruising health mobile. We take care of kids on the streets through a medical mobile van. Everything that would be in a regular doctor's office is on the van. All of the kids that are seen by us are seen free of charge.

Did you need anything? Did you need a new backpack?

I've never really been about the money. I went to medical school thinking that I was going to be a surgeon but everything that made me stop and think had to do with children and adolescents. I chose to come out in the streets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dr. Christensen makes it where people actually want to come back and actually want to get help.

CHRISTENSEN: We pull up in the van and within five to 10 minutes, there's 20 or 30 kids coming out of every different alley or different street. You get out there and you see some of these kids and you talk to them and you give them a little bit of dignity and respect. All of a sudden, they open up. It's like a light bulb goes off and they want to talk and they want to tell you their story.

Let me listen to you. They think you might have pneumonia. Take a deep breath.

They still have that gleam of hope in their eyes. It's that hope that gives you hope. And at the very end, they give you a big hug and they say thank you. That means the most to me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Terrific story. In fact, if you'd like to make a contribution to the organization to support Dr. Randy Christensen, you'll find links to their Web site on ours at cnn.com/heroes.

HARRIS: And CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now.

COLLINS: "Your World Today" is coming up next with news happening all across the globe and right here and at home. I'm Heidi Collins. Have a great day, everybody.

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