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Suspects on Run after Chicago Bank Robbery; FBI Offers Reward in Chicago Bank Robbery Shootings; What's Behind High Gas Prices?; Battle Continues in Lebanon Refugee Camp; Study Warns of Effects of Taking Diabetes Drug
Aired May 22, 2007 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CO-HOST: Good afternoon, everyone. We're following a breaking story out of Chicago. A brazen robbery at a bank. Four suspects on the loose and three people are shot.
Hello, I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
MELISSA LONG, CO-HOST: Hello. I'm Melissa Long, in today for Kyra Phillips.
LEMON: Let's get straight now to the breaking news desk. T.J. Holmes following all the developing details on this story.
T.J., what do you have?
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: That was key right there, what you just said, Don, is that four suspects still on the loose. That is a big deal because we do know that three people have been shot. They do -- police believe these four now on the loose, certainly armed and dangerous.
Take you to Chicago, where the bank we're talking about here is the Illinois Service Federal Savings & Loan Bank. It's on the 8700 block of King Street. This happened -- this is on the south side of Chicago. Happened about 9 a.m. this morning.
Again, four suspects went in and apparently shot a security guard, shot a teller, also shot a citizen. That security guard was overpowered and shot in the chest, according to police. The teller was apparently shot in the back.
We do not know about the conditions of the teller or the security guard or the citizen that was shot. But four people tried to rob this bank, apparently got away in a maroon vehicle. And the search certainly is on now for those four people.
We did hear just a short time ago some comments from police officials there. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At about 9:34 this morning, officers from the sixth district responded to a call of a bank robbery here at 8700 South King Drive at the Illinois Service Federal. Upon arriving, they found three people shot. There -- what we believe is that there are four offenders who were involved in this armed robbery. We don't know what the proceeds were, whether they got anything. All three of our victims are being treated at area hospitals. We're not going to identify the victims at this time, because we haven't been able to notify next...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Again, don't know if the suspects here actually got away with money or not. But the key is here that the suspects, the police believe, are still out there on the loose. And after leaving three people shot, three people behind that have been shot, they certainly believe these four that they have on the loose are armed and dangerous.
Right now, witnesses telling them that they saw the suspects get away in a maroon vehicle.
We do know, as well, right now that schools, local schools, McDade Classical School and Neil Elementary School, those are two nearby schools that are in lockdown right now because police do not know where these suspects are, where they may have gone, if they are still in that area. So those schools are on lockdown and nobody allowed in or out until they get that work out.
Actually, that video is not related to what's happening in Chicago, if we can get that away. But there, back to the scene now in Chicago.
Now, we do expect a more in depth press conference from officials, possibly the FBI, coming out of Chicago. So we're keeping an eye out for that. I've been looking at the microphones right now on another live picture. Nobody's stepped to those microphones yet, but when they do -- there's the shot we're talking about. When they do step to that microphone, we will certainly get that information back to you.
But certainly, a scary situation. We do know that four armed suspects are on the loose running around somewhere in Chicago. So we'll keep an eye on that.
LEMON: T.J., that is -- being from that place -- I just moved here a couple months ago from Chicago -- it's a very busy place, a Chatham neighborhood, a neighborhood that's really sort of on a revival so to speak.
And so for something like this to happen is definitely terrible for that area, trying to bounce back there. That and Brownsville, historic areas in Chicago.
As you said, we're going to stand by and wait for that news conference to happen. Our very own Keith Oppenheim. Thank you so much, T.J. Our very own Keith Oppenheim is on the scene. He's just arrived there just a little bit ago. As soon as that happens, we're going to bring the very latest to you, live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. A bank robbery in Chicago.
Let's move on now, to get you live now to Lynchburg, Virginia, and the Thomas Road Baptist Church. This is where people are going today to pay respects and their final farewells to the late Jerry Falwell.
Of course, you know, Jerry Falwell died last week. We followed it extensively right here on CNN throughout the day and throughout the week, as a matter of fact.
And just to give you an idea, Melissa, we were talking about this morning, a lot of notables were there. But several notables won't be there. None of the people who are running for president plan to show up today. Just to tell you who's going to be there, Senator George Allen, Pat Robertson, Ralph Reid, Tony Perkins, and then also Rick Warren, who is the author of...
LONG: Of "A Purpose Driven Life". So thousands of people, we heard, before the doors of the church even opened were lining up outside, to pay their respects.
LEMON: Yes. So we're going to -- we're going to continue to follow that right here in the CNN NEWSROOM and bring it to you live. Also our Brianna Keilar will join us live from the service there.
LONG: Happening also right now, Congress is trying to figure out how to bring gas prices back down to earth. More competition for big oil, less thirsty vehicles, suing OPEC for price fixing, just a few ideas being tossed around on Capitol Hill.
Gas had been cheaper than it was in 1981, when you adjust for inflation, but you just can't say that anymore. AAA says the national average has hit a record, $3.20 per gallon. And the Lundberg Survey average topped the 1981 average by a nickel in today's money.
AAA says there's only one state left with an average price below $3. Where is that? That is the state of New Jersey, where full service is actually the law.
CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is there live at the gas pump.
Hi, Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Melissa. Come on over and get a bargain.
LONG: It is a bargain, $2.89.
CHERNOFF: Yes, $2.919. The price went up, actually, by 2 cents a gallon earlier today.
And they've been making good use of these numbers that they use to post the prices. The price is up 10 cents a gallon over the past three days alone.
So what's behind this big jump? Are consumers actually getting gouged?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF (voice-over): When drivers fill their tank at Chris Cho's gas station, Chris tells them, don't blame me for high gas prices.
CHRIS CHO, GAS STATION OWNER: I would blame the oil companies. I mean, if you just look at their profit statements, they're making lots of money.
CHERNOFF: Record amounts of money. The country's big three oil companies, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Conoco Phillips, 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 were the free market. Nothing could be further from the free market with respect to what's happening with oil.
CHERNOFF: A barrel of crude oil is actually a bit 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 the demand.
CHERNOFF: The nation's oil refineries are running well below capacity. Some critics charge that's 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)
CHERNOFF: A House subcommittee is going to be investigating the issue this afternoon, looking into whether or not, in fact, consumers are getting gouged, but there is no evidence that oil companies indeed are doing that -- Melissa.
LONG: And as you mentioned, up 2 cents since we spoke this morning just a few hours ago on "PIPELINE". Thanks so much, Allan Chernoff, live from one of the many gas pumps in New Jersey. Appreciate it. LEMON: We're going to get you back to the scene of a developing story. Let's go to Chicago now. Our Keith Oppenheim is on the ground, on the scene there, awaiting a press conference.
Keith, what is the latest happening in Chicago with that attempted bank robbery?
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're beginning to hear some of the traumatizing details from some of the folks around this bank.
Let me show you what's across this street. That is, Don, the Illinois Service Federal Savings & Loan. You can see that there are a number of police officers and traffic going by through our shot as I speak.
Three people this morning were shot inside the bank, and three to four suspects went into the bank, Don. We're told that a guard was shot in the back, a teller shot in the chest, and a customer also shot. We don't know the conditions, but we have heard, at least on local reports, that they have been critically injured.
And the question is how many are on the loose? Three, possibly four, suspects. Two local schools are on lockdown as a result of this. So people are -- around here are pretty jittery.
One thing I'll add, Don, is that this is a bank that is owned by African-Americans. It goes way back in this community, the Chatham neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. There are a lot of people that have emotional attachment to this bank because it has lent to blacks in this community traditionally when in the past some white- owned banks have not.
So people here are not only upset about a robbery but they're upset that it happened specifically at this bank.
Back to you.
LEMON: Absolutely, Keith. It's a neighborhood that's sort of in a renaissance now, that as well as the Brownsville neighborhood. Business, as you see. There are also some residential areas. And as you said, schools.
Keith, as soon as we get that press conference, we're going to come back to you. But thank you very much for that report.
LONG: Three days of fighting. The Lebanese army on one side, Islamic militants on the other. And caught in the middle, tens of thousands of refugees and the people trying to help them.
The battle rages on at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, and CNN's Paul Newton is monitoring it all from Beirut -- Paula.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's happened today is, in fact, we did have a lull in the early afternoon. The U.N. tried to get in with supplies of medicine, food and water. Unfortunately, three of those vehicles were shot at. There now are unconfirmed reports that a couple of people were hurt.
But still 8 to 10 U.N. workers apparently still remain inside the camp, trying to negotiate, to be able to get out. But what they really want and try and do is help those refugees still caught up in this full battle between extremist militants inside and the Lebanese army outside. They essentially right now are human shields.
And sources within the government here in Lebanon tell us they understand they're in a very difficult spot. They want to try and get to this Fatah al-Islam group. They are said to be hard core and dedicated. But really only numbering a little bit more than 100.
The problem is that right now the civilians in that area are in a state of siege. And they're being used in this way. They're literally caught in the cross-fire.
It's unclear at this point whether there's any kind of cease-fire that is going to hold throughout the evening. There has been sporadic gunfire. So they'll probably wait until overnight and again tomorrow morning to see if there is any kind of legitimate, long-standing cease-fire that will take hold there.
LONG: Paula Newton live from Beirut. Paula, thank you.
LEMON: We're following a developing story here on CNN, an attempted bank robbery. Three people are shot, and they're in the hospital right now. And the suspects still on the loose.
That podium you're looking at, all those microphones, a press conference expected to start any minute. We're going to bring it to you as soon as it happens right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LONG: And the story we've been following now for the last couple of days, the whales. And the whale sounds just didn't lure them. The banging pipes didn't scare them. So now what? Perplexing, yes. We're going to update the quest to reroute two stranded whales ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: And you're also looking live now at Lynchburg, Virginia, where friends and followers of the Reverend Jerry Falwell are saying their good-bye at this hour.
Hi, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, guys. I'm in your hurricane headquarters here today. Hurricane season begins a week from Friday. Today, NOAA released what they think will be a very active hurricane season. We'll tell you the numbers coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Three hours and 15 minutes since a brazen bank robbery this morning. You see the cameras getting set there, getting the white balance so that, when this news conference gets under way from Chicago we'll get the latest information.
Three people shot today. Four -- three, possibly four suspects, still on the loose around Chicago today. We're waiting to hear from the FBI and bank officials when that news conference gets started at any moment. We'll bring it to you live here on the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: That is one of the stories we're working on for you. It's 15 past the hour. Here are three more of the stories we're working on for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The U.S. plans to step up military aid to the Lebanese army as Lebanese troops take on Islamic militants at a refugee camp for a third day. The Lebanese army says it urgently needs more ammo.
Meantime, a U.N. convoy bringing aid to refugees got caught right in the cross-fire, trapping relief workers in the camp.
Stormy weather is on the way. The government predicts this year's Atlantic hurricane season will be busier than usual, with up to 17 named storms. Up to 10 of them could become hurricanes.
Slow going in California. The Coast Guard trying to find new ways to coax those two wayward humpback whales out to the open sea. The mother and calf, well, they had started back the right way after taking a wrong turn up the Sacramento River, but they've since stalled.
LONG: As Don just mentioned, an army in need of ammo. Lebanese troops have fired off countless bullets in their battle with the militants, and now they want more. And they're asking the U.S. for help.
CNN's Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Melissa, what we have learned is that literally overnight, the government of Lebanon has come to the Bush administration asking for more military assistance.
They say their most urgent need is for ammunition in the wake of this latest energy in Lebanon. They are also looking for armored vests and helmets.
The U.S., according to officials we have spoken with, is hoping to begin to make those shipments happen as quickly as possible.
Melissa, this is all part of a broader program that's been going on since the war in Lebanon last summer. The U.S. is supplying about $30 million worth of equipment. A lot of it seems like really basic material: Humvees, 5-ton trucks, ammunition supplies and even helicopter spare parts, as well as training.
But this is the kind of basic effort, the kind of basic material, that the U.S. government says the Lebanese armed forces need to basically handle their security needs in the country, and this latest emergency just underscores that -- Melissa. LONG: You said the Humvees, spare parts for the choppers. Help us to understand why all this is important, why is success of the Lebanese army so important to the U.S.?
STARR: Well, you know, in the wake of all of the instability that one sees in the Middle East, what the U.S. feels is Lebanon is really central.
Especially after the war last summer, when you saw that Hezbollah was perhaps the strongest security force in the country, the effort now is to turn that around and make the Lebanese military at least the strongest security force within its own country.
And ensure that Lebanon is not a free safe haven, if you will, for either Hezbollah or al Qaeda-inspired militants that we're seeing in the northern part of the country.
So no one expects Lebanon to really be able to become any sort of military power on its own. The effort with all of these shipments is to make sure Lebanon can see after its own affairs inside its country so other forces don't find it to be a safe haven -- Melissa.
LONG: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, offering her insight. Barbara, thank you.
LEMON: We're following developing news happening in Chicago. We want to get straight to the breaking news desk.
T.J. Holmes, update on that press conference. We're still waiting on that, aren't we?
HOLMES: Yes, we're still waiting for this to take place, hoping to get more information. Certainly some details, possibly about suspects in this case.
But again, out of Chicago, south side of Chicago, here, Don, where at least three people were shot earlier today and four suspects, on the loose now, when they tried to rob the Illinois Service Federal Savings & Loan bank, south side of Chicago.
A teller was shot in the back. A security guard was shot in the chest. And one other civilian was shot. Don't know about the condition of any of those three.
But the concern right now is that you have four armed and apparently dangerous people on the loose. That is the issue right now for police.
A couple of schools, nearby schools are in lockdown now, won't be able to get off lockdown until the police get the all-clear, until police have confidence the suspects are no longer in that area. But a dangerous situation, knowing that three people have been shot and four people, police believe, are on the loose.
Again, the FBI certainly on the case, as they are in most bank robberies. We're waiting to hear from them. More details possibly. Standing by to see someone step to a podium, the microphones, to give us more information. But we're certainly keeping an eye on this. And Don, when that press conference happens, we're certainly going to take that live.
LEMON: Absolutely. T.J., thank you.
HOLMES: All right.
LEMON: It's supposed to help type two diabetes. But regulators say it ups the risk of heart trouble. What should you do if Avandia is in your medicine chest? The latest medical news next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. When NEWSROOM returns, I'll tell you why the nation's largest oil field will be producing less crude and why the nation's largest taxi fleet will be pumping less gas.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: The maker of the diabetes pill Avandia is firing back a day after the Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert on the drug.
GlaxoSmithKline says it strongly disagrees with the findings of an analysis that prompted the warning. The study -- it was released yesterday -- concludes that people taking Avandia may be at a higher risk of heart attack or death.
But according to the drug maker, the conclusions were based on incomplete evidence. The lead author of the study, which will appear in the "New England Journal of Medicine" is you'd like to read more, spoke to CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. STEVEN NISSEN, CLEVELAND CLINIC: I think it's pretty clear that there is a serious problem with the drug. What the FDA should do, that's all obviously, ultimately their choice.
We offered our findings. We are obviously not involved financially. We're objective. We're independent. We have no vested interest one way or the other. What we do want to do, however, is if this drug is risky, we've got to act now to protect patients.
KIRAN CHETRY, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": Yes, I mean, it's a tough call. You have 200,000 people a year dying from diabetes. And the average diabetic has, I think, a 20 percent increased risk of heart attack even without taking a drug. So how do you distinguish the existing conditions and whether or not they're at greater risk for not taking it?
NISSEN: Well, there are many alternative drugs. You know, most of the drugs we use to treat diabetes are -- have been approved because they lower blood sugar. The reason we lower blood sugar is to prevent the complications of diabetes.
The problem with Avandia is it's lowering blood sugar, but it's very clearly increasing cardiovascular complications of diabetes.
CHETRY: Bottom line, if you have a loved one that takes this, with diabetes, is taking Avandia, what would your recommendation right now be?
NISSEN: Please talk to your doctor. Don't do -- don't make any decision based upon what you hear in news reports. This is a decision to be made with your physician in consultation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: Now, the Food and Drug Administration says it will put together an advisory committee on this drug ASAP.
In the meantime, switching to a different diabetes drug has its own risks. If you're taking Avandia, and especially if you already have heart issues, do as Dr. Nissen suggested and talk to your physician about your options.
LEMON: Live to Chicago now and that police press conference about the attempted bank robbery happening.
FRANK BOCHTE, FBI SPOKESMAN: One of the subjects took down one of the security guards and took the weapon from the security guard. The other two subjects entered a bank. One of them jumps over a counter. And the other subject stands by.
It appears that one of the -- the other security guard in the bank fires at one -- fires at the offenders, and there's an exchange of gunfire. During this exchange of gunfire is when our three victims are wounded.
Two of the victims are at Christ hospital. One of them's at Mt. Sinai Hospital. I really can't -- I'm not going to give out the information because we haven't made all the notifications on that.
We have additional resources in the area. We're looking for three offenders in dark clothing. They left in a late model maroon Buick or Olds with temporary on the license plate. We're working to find out where that -- who that car belongs to and trying to -- we're going to be being working with the FBI to enhance the temporary plate on that vehicle so we can find out exactly -- exactly who was driving that car.
Any questions?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think your -- do you think your outdoor surveillance can include (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're reviewing -- we're reviewing surveillance tape in the area. There are other businesses in the area that have surveillance tape. We know that they fled eastbound on 87th Street. And we're trying to find anybody along that way who saw anything. That includes surveillance or witnesses we're looking for right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was there any money taken?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was some money taken, but it's a small amount of money. We don't know how much yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you able to determine if the cameras got (INAUDIBLE) to identify ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll probably be providing that later on. What we will provide right now is a picture of the vehicle that was used.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) surveillance on (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
Their identities were disguised.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three men went inside and then there's a fourth wheel man, or there's three total?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we have right now is three apprentices (ph). It's now four people involved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike, do you know why the shots were fired, specifically what seemed to trigger their gunfire?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're looking at that right now. We're actually trying to pin down with the security guard exactly what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it possible that one of the suspects was shot?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're looking into that. There is -- it is a possibility, but we're not sure about that right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...(INAUDIBLE) the security guard began to fire, which one was the security guard that was wounded? The first one or the one that began to fire?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The security guard that fired the shots is the security guard that was wounded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell me just about bank security? Do they have one guards here, two guards here? Obviously, they're armed. Just walk us through how this whole -- how this unfolded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not exactly sure how they had the security guards set up. It's my understanding that on a regular basis at this bank they have two security guards working all the time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the condition of the victims? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, three victims are in serious and critical condition.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where did the guard go? Is he in Christ Hospital or ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guard is at Christ hospital. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guard -- there's a customer?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guard who was wounded, was it a female security guard?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it was a male security guard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was there -- was the other guard on duty, was she a female?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was not injured?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was not injured.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about the general (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The customer's a female.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A customer shot, a guard shot and ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And an employee of the bank.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have information about roughly how long they were in the bank, whether the guns were displayed the entire time or only after ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were in the bank for a very short period of time. Viewing the surveillance tapes, I would say they were in the bank probably four to five moments at the most.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now we're going to have the FBI talk.
BOCHTE: Frank Bochte, special agent spokesperson for the Chicago (ph) bureau of the investigation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spell your name please?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spell your last name.
BOCHTE: Frank. B as in "Boy", O-C-H-T-E.
I'm just here to say that due to the extreme amount of violence in this crime, the FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for the apprehension of these individuals. And we are also operating under the assumption that these individuals who robbed this bank today may also be involved in a bank not far from here on May 10th. It was a Kohl Taylor (ph) bank on East 63rd street. We're not 100 percent sure that it's the same individuals. At this point, there are some similarities.
QUESTION: We're live on Fox News right now. Could you explain what happened when the robbers entered the bank once again?
BOCHTE: Well, again, the CPD just spoke to that, he can come up and ...
QUESTION: ...live, Fox news channel, can you tell us what happened, what the security cameras are showing?
SHIELDS: After viewing video surveillance, what we determined is that three subjects entered the bank, armed with weapons. They took down one the security guards. One of the security guards jumps over the counter. Another security guard stands back. And someplace during this time there's an exchange of gunfire between our offenders and the security guard. Three people are wounded. Two are transported to Christ hospital. One is transported to Mt. Sinai.
QUESTION: By the way are the schools still on lockdown?
SHIELDS: The schools shouldn't be on lockdown. We've communicated with the schools in the neighborhood and with the board of education to explain what was going on and what's happening. To the best of our knowledge, the schools are not on lockdown and don't have to be on lockdown.
QUESTION: Mike, you said one of the guards jumped over the counter or was it one of the offenders.
SHIELDS: I'm sorry, one of the offenders. I misspoke, one of the offenders.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: All right, that was deputy chief Michael Shields from the Chicago police department at the microphone. Now, the head of the FBI there, spokesperson, Frank Bochte, talking about the circumstances surrounding this robbery.
Apparently this morning several suspects, three suspects walked into the bank. One of them holds back one of the security guards and then another one jumps over the counter and a gunfire ensued. One employee, one security guard and one civilian injured in all of this. All are at local hospitals.
Here's the interesting part, the FBI's offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of these suspects. They believe that one of these suspects may have been involved in another bank robbery at 63rd Street which is not far. This is at 87th Street back on May 10th.
So again, they're looking for three men. Here's what they say happened. They left -- their getaway car was a late model Maroon Buick -- Buick or Olds, with a temporary Illinois license plate. They must have some surveillance tape from this because they say they're working with the FBI to enhance that license plate to try to get some information to find out who owns that car.
That's the latest happening right now in Chicago. Three suspects according to authorities on the loose, armed and dangerous. Three people in the hospital this morning, only getting away with a small amount of money, but injuring several people in the process. Melissa.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: And still to come, we are going to take you live to Lynchburg, Virginia, friends and followers of reverend Jerry Falwell are saying good-bye at this hour. At the Thomas Road Baptist Church which he founded back in 1956. Remembering Jerry Falwell, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: I really like that music. A staple of the New York City experience, a yellow cab -- well, it's going green. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with more on making the big apple a friendlier place to the environment, that is, I should say from red apple to probably green apple. Not so bad, right?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, I don't like green apples, kind of tart. We never know what kind of language cab drivers will be speaking. But in five years, we can say for sure we know what kind of vehicle they'll be driving. It will be a hybrid.
Mayor Bloomberg announcing this morning that he's requiring the city's entire fleet of yellow cabs to be fuel efficient hybrids by 2012. Right now, less than 400 out of New York City's 13,000 taxis are hybrids. Cabbies will have to front the costs of their new, more expensive vehicles, but there could be significant savings down the road especially if gas stays at the levels we're paying now. One cab driver we spoke to said he was excited about the plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's good for the environment, plus I think it's more comfortable car than the other car I had before, which is a regular Crown Victoria so, you know, it's better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LISOVICZ: And it will indeed be better because of gas prices where they are. The city estimates cabbies will save more than $10,000 a year in fuel costs -- Don.
LEMON: So we're going to have green cabs. You know what's exciting, remember the whole cell phone thing where the legislation came out, you can't talk on your cell phone, the cab drivers at least. Do they still do it?
LISOVICZ: Yes! I think it's hands-free. But yes, I'm always responding to them and they're talking to someone else in another part of the world.
LEMON: I'm like, what did you say? They're like, I'm not talking to you. But they're not supposed to do that.
LISOVICZ: You're lucky that they respond to you. Most of the time, they just ignore me.
LEMON: This move with the green taxis, there's also another big change for New York City cabs on the way, right?
LISOVICZ: That's right, because when you think about hybrids, unfortunately, not a lot of them are made in Detroit. not yet. It could make a switch -- will mean a switch to foreign-made vehicles in New York City.
Taxi commission has so far approved eight models for use on city street, including the Toyota Highlander Prius and Camry, Honda's Accord and Civic and the Lexus Rx. The Ford Escape and Saturn Vue green line are the only domestic models to appear on the list at least so far. Currently the standard yellow cab is a Ford Crown Victoria, which gets a whopping 14 miles to the gallon. Hybrids on the other hand will be required to get at least 30 miles per gallon.
And while we're talking about oil, let's talk about a partial shutdown at the nation's largest oil field. BP says it's discovered a leak in a processing facility at its Prudhoe Bay Alaska oil field. The plant which puts out 100,000 barrels of oil a day has been shut down. The company says it's unlikely to resume operations for a few days. Analysts say the shutdown probably won't have much impact on oil prices. Crude down nearly $1 today, but still above $65 a barrel. Nonetheless, you want that shutdown to be temporary and short in nature.
As for stocks, they're flat all morning but are edging higher right now. The Dow industrials right now up 21 points. The Nasdaq is up 7 or about one-third of a percent and the S&P 500 is about a point and a half away from its all-time closing high set way back when in March of 2000 when dotcom mania was at its high. NEWSROOM next hour, I'll tell you how to pocket the difference between airfares when airfares unexpectedly decline after you've bought a ticket. That is news you can use. For now Melissa and Don, back to you.
LEMON: Speaking of those cabs, let's go back to that. I know they extended them. Remember a couple years ago where they had to be longer now? Let's hope these new green taxis Susan have more leg room than the old ones.
LISOVICZ: For our long-limbed anchors.
LEMON: You can barely fit into those things. All right Susan. We'll check back.
Coming up in the NEWSROOM the next hour, the big apple. We're all taking a bite out of high gas prices, how does Mayor Michael Bloomberg plan to do it? The answer live from New York at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. At 4:00 p.m. Eastern, our very own Wolf Blitzer talks with the mayor about his city's green efforts and more. That's later on 4:00 p.m. Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM." LONG: But right now in Virginia, thousands are gathering to say their final good-byes to the Reverend Jerry Falwell. The Moral Majority founder died last week at the age of 73. His funeral is being held at the Thomas Road Baptist church, which is where he got his start as a preacher more than 50 years ago.
Brianna Keilar joins us now, live from Lynchburg -- Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Melissa. Yes, the funeral for Reverend Jerry Falwell already under way here at Thomas Road Baptist Church. As you mentioned, he founded this church more than 51 -- or 51 years ago, rather and the people who are inside watching this memorial service waited for quite a while to get in. Some people were lined up here as early as 4:00 a.m. And as you can see now, some live pictures that we have.
This is Franklin Graham, who is giving one of the messages. He's one of the people -- one of the big names from the evangelical Christian community who is here today but so many people inside watching. This sanctuary accommodates about 6,000 people. There's also people across the campus at Liberty University who are watching a video feed there at the basketball arena.
Jerry Falwell, of course a very controversial figure both in life and in death. He was outspoken against homosexuality, against abortion rights and against feminism. He was the face of the religious right. He formed the Moral Majority in 1979 and he was highly criticized for injecting the evangelical Christian agenda into American politics. But if you ask the people here what they say that what he stood for was Christian values, that he lived what he preached. They say he was genuinely a compassionate person. We've heard from so many people Melissa, how much Jerry Falwell will be missed here.
LONG: As you mentioned, thousands of people there attending the service to pay their final respects. We also understand that there are some Republicans in the crowd but none of the presidential candidates have decided to attend today.
KEILAR: Now, that's exactly right. You may have been watching to see, were there going to be any presidential candidates and there are none. The biggest political heavyweight that we've seen so far is former Virginia Senator George Allen who, of course, in November lost his place in the Senate to Jim Webb. Most of the big names that are here today are from the evangelical Christian community, Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed and Franklin Graham, who is speaking right now at the funeral, Melissa.
LONG: Brianna Keilar from Lynchburg, Virginia, Brianna, thank you.
LEMON: He said, then he said. What? Republican rivals spar over immigration. That's right. He said and he said. And the language gets a little intense, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LONG: Live picture from Washington, D.C. coming up at 2:00 in the afternoon Eastern time. And dramatic changes already being proposed where the bipartisan immigration reform bill, it's now being debated in the Senate. Democrats are trying to limit or even scrap the bill's guest worker program saying it drives down wages and creates a permanent underclass of immigrant workers.
Now, meantime, Republicans want to make the bill tougher on the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, the Capitol Hill debate will drag on for a while.
LEMON: Melissa, you mentioned Republicans and the GOP race for president heating up with two campaigns facing off over immigration. Senator John McCain is a leading backer of a bipartisan bill that combines tighter border security with a guest worker plan. Rival Mitt Romney calls it a form of amnesty. McCain fired back, suggesting Romney has flip-flopped on the issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't want to be too critical because maybe a couple weeks from now he will change his position again, as he's changed from his previous position, which was in support of ours. And as I mentioned, maybe he can get out that varmint gun of his and chase those Guatemalans off his lawn.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The varmint shooting refers to Romney recently clarifying his experience as a hunter. The Guatemalan reference from the report that a lawn care company working on Romney's property employed illegal immigrants. The Romney camp is not amused. A spokesman suggests McCain can't deal with the political fallout from the immigration legislation.
Here to sort it all out for us is CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.
Bill, the gloves are off. What's going on with the fight between Romney and McCain? Why don't they get them into a ring and just let them duke it out?
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are going to do that in New Hampshire. Only one can come out of the New Hampshire primary alive. It's really a fight to the death between these two. New Hampshire's crucial for them next year. It's going to be in January, maybe earlier. But what's happening is McCain won the New Hampshire primary in 2000 so he's under pressure to win it again. If he can't win it again, then it will look like a real setback for him. He may not be able to survive the race.
On the other hand, Romney was the governor of a neighboring state, the state of Massachusetts so he's well known in New Hampshire. If he doesn't win the New Hampshire primary, the same will be true for him. He's in very serious trouble. The two are likely to fight it out to the death in New Hampshire.
LEMON: Speaking of this immigration thing, immigration is really an important issue in this race. When we polled voters earlier this month, 31 percent of them said immigration was extremely important in their choice for president. Now it ranked 10th in our list of top issues. Are all these candidates in both parties going to be hitting this hard to win voters? I imagine they would.
SCHNEIDER: Republicans. I don't know about Democrats. They haven't mentioned this issue very much. Although there are some Democratic groups and liberal groups and pro-immigrant groups that are angry about this compromise as well. But it's a much bigger issue in the Republican Party where there are a lot of conservatives and critics of illegal immigration who are fighting mad about this.
Conservatives don't have a favorite candidate right now in the 2008 race among at least the leading candidates, the front-runners, Giuliani, Romney, McCain. They have problems with all of them as we saw Romney and McCain attacking each other. Immigration, because it's a very hot-button issue among conservatives and they're fighting for support among conservatives, they're trying to discredit each other among conservatives. Romney saying McCain's a champion of this bill, which is very widely criticized by conservatives.
Of course, McCain, we just heard, saying that Romney at one point flip-flopped on this issue and has been known or at least reported, to have hired a firm that also hired illegal immigrants so they're going after each other on this very, very hot and heavy.
LEMON: Bill, we've seen all the marches across the country. It seems to be a very big issue. Why not Democrats? Why isn't this high on the radar for the guys who are running for president on the Democratic side?
SCHNEIDER: Among Democrats, there is some criticism of this bill, but the anger over illegal immigration, over amnesty, just ranks much higher among conservatives. You get some anger among Latinos on the Democratic side and some pro-immigration rights groups, but it's not nearly as pitched as it is among conservatives, which is the higher volume of complaint.
LEMON: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you.
LONG: We have the surveillance tape and FBI and local police in Chicago are searching today for more witnesses as they search for three people they say robbed a bank this morning and shot three people. Those three people a bank teller, a security guard and an normal citizen who were shot this morning and are now in critical condition in a hospital. We're following this story and we have more coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Scientists are a bit perplexed. They're in California, trying to come up with a new strategy to get those two wayward humpback whales back to the Pacific Ocean. The pair made it 20 miles closer to the coastline yesterday before running into some trouble at a bridge over the Sacramento River.
Dan Simon, he's been on whale watch. He joins us now from Marin County with the latest.
Hi, Dan.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Melissa.
Well, these whales just don't want to cooperate. At last check about an hour ago, these whales were about four miles north of the town of Rio Vista, still about 50 miles away from the Pacific Ocean. In terms of how you're going to motivate these whales, they're just not sure. We were told that they were going to turn to the pipe banging technique. That's taking some pipes under water, take a hammer and just banging them, trying to distract the whales, trying to get them to go the right direction.
Last night, these whales just weren't interested in going the right way when they were spotted by the Rio Vista bridge, they didn't want to move. So authorities concluded that maybe the traffic was the problem. They thought the noise was the problem so what do they do? They halted the traffic. They thought the whales might go. The whales just stayed put.
We're waiting to see if they're going to cooperate today. If they do, they're going to come right here in the San Francisco Bay. They have to come right here, go through the Golden Gate Bridge and go into the Pacific Ocean. We're waiting to see what's going to happen -- Melissa.
LONG: All right, Dan Simon again on whale watch. Of course, we will keep you up to date as the whales hopefully make it back out to the ocean in the salt water sometime soon. Thanks, Dan.
LEMON: And we're keeping you up to date on a makeover for an American icon, New York's yellow cabs going green. We're anticipating a news conference from the big apple, Mayor Michael Bloomberg. That should be happening about 2:00 p.m. Eastern. We'll bring it to you live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM as soon as it starts.
But first, we want to look at the big board today. The Dow up 36 points, 37 points now. We're going to check in with Susan Lisovicz for a full report in just a moment. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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