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Libby Sentencing Under Way; Missiles and Messages; GOP Debate

Aired June 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: Lewis "Scooter" Libby getting set right now to find out whether he will have to spend time in prison. Sentencing for the former top aide to Vice President Cheney now under way.
CNN's Brianna Keilar is covering the story in Washington.

And Brianna, good to see you. What's happened so far, some early indications -- you were reporting last hour that you're getting indication that there may be some prison time in Lewis "Scooter" Libby's future.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, that's right. That's something experts were expecting, but in court just moments ago, a concrete sign from Judge Reggie Walton that there will be prison time for Scooter Libby. And it's because of this -- right now they're going over sentencing guidelines, what the judge should consider or not consider when he determines the sentence for Libby.

Well, the prosecution in the sentencing guidelines discussion over obstruction, which is the major charge that he was convicted of, the prosecution argued that because this investigation into the leak of the identity of Valerie Plame as a CIA operative, because -- because that investigation was thwarted, there were certain things that could have come out of that investigation, and we will never know. That will be lost because of the obstruction.

Well, the defense argued that this was an investigation where no one was charged, where no one pleaded guilty. And so obstruction shouldn't be treated so weightily. But the judge said he agreed with the prosecution in that matter. He also agreed with the prosecution's argument for a perjury charge.

But again, this obstruction charge is the big one. This is what would carry prison time here. So a concrete sign that Scooter Libby will be getting some prison time -- Tony.

HARRIS: Brianna, what are you hearing about letters from, I suppose, character witnesses from the defense? But I'm also hearing that there's some letters perhaps from folks who believe that a tough sentence is required in this case.

KEILAR: Yes, let me tell you about these letters. These are letters to the court to Judge Reggie Walton, some of them from supporters of Scooter Libby, some of them not. Some of them from members of the public, not necessarily witnesses. But we didn't know who they were from, and we have just learned who some of them -- who sent some of the letters in, more than 160 of them, including John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., as well as former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, and even the flight attendant, a former flight attendant on Air Force Two, obviously sending in letters in support of Scooter Libby.

At this point, we are still trying to go through those and determine exactly what they said. But those have been made public -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. CNN's Brianna Keilar for us in Washington, D.C., outside of the federal courthouse building there.

Brianna, thank you.

COLLINS: Want to bring you more information now about Virginia Tech and some developments that have happened there with Norris Hall. You may remember, of course, the site of the shooting at Virginia Tech.

Betty Nguyen is in the newsroom with the very latest on that.

Hey, Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, Heidi.

We're learning that they are going to do a phased use of Norris Hall, starting on June 18th. Now, this is a decision that obviously the university has really taken a lot of time to determine if this is the right course of action.

As you know, Norris Hall is the area where some 31 people, including the gunman, were killed back on April 16th of this year. In all, 33 people were killed on that campus, making it the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

Well, because so many were killed in Norris Hall, there's been a lot of talk as to what to do with that. Well, we have learned that they are going to do a phased reuse of the building, as I mentioned, on June 18th, and they're going to dedicate the offices and laboratories in that bulling to the Engineering, Science and Mechanics, and Civil and Environmental Engineering departments. That's what's going to be in there.

And they had used this prior to the shooting, but what they're not going to do is have general assignment classes in this hall, which they did have a few of those before the shooting. It's really going to be detailed to the Engineering Department.

And the president of Virginia Tech said this: "After considering all points of view that were offered, I determined the best course of action is to enable the College of Engineering to continue its healing and to move forward with a phased reuse of the bulling."

And what they're saying here essentially is that there's a lot of sophisticated and expensive laboratories that simply cannot be moved. And on top of that, Heidi, dozens of graduate students' work has essentially been frozen in time as they decide what to do with this building. It's in the building, and no one has really gone back in -- at least the students haven't -- since the shooting there.

Now, obviously, there are many who may think that this should be a memorial or should be used in a different way. But the university has decided that they ware going to reuse this building, and that will start at least part of it.

It's going to be a phased situation there. And part of it will be reinstated on June 18th. And so students will start to come back into that classroom.

And it's something that the university is going to deal with as they continue to heal from the worse mass shooting in U.S. history on that campus.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Betty Nguyen.

Thank you.

HARRIS: "No survivors." Chilling words from the Coast Guard this morning searching for a plane that crashed into Lake Michigan. The plane was carrying four members of the University of Michigan organ transplant team, along with two crewmembers.

The plane went down yesterday shortly after taking off from Milwaukee. It was en route to the Detroit area. Divers are looking for remains today, and federal transportation officials are heading to the site to investigate the cause of the crash.

COLLINS: Chad Myers standing by now to tell us more about the weather situation, mostly in Texas that we've been talking about.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: President Bush and an important speech last hour. The topic, democracy. And his pointed jabs at Russia almost certain to stoke new tensions reminiscent of the Cold War.

CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry is traveling with the president. He's joining us now live from Prague in the Czech Republic.

So, what is the president saying about Russia now this morning? We saw the address, but didn't speak directly to that point.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, the point to underline is the fact that Mr. Bush may have poured a little bit of gasoline on this fire. As you know, tensions already escalating over missile defense.

The U.S. insisting that all it wants to do with this new missile defense system is to shield Eastern Europe from attacks from Iran, other rogue nations in the Middle East. But Mr. Putin, the Russian president, has been saying, not in my back yard. He's concerned that the U.S. could ultimately turn these defensive weapons into offensive weapons, right on Russia's door step. And a very blunt threat from Mr. Putin, saying that he may have to point nuclear weapons at points in Europe in retaliation.

Mr. Bush, earlier today, as you noted, had said that the Cold War is over. He wanted to try to cool everything down, get everyone to calm down. But in this speech about democracy and spreading it around the world, he may have poured a little gasoline on that fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And Russian reforms that were once promised to empower citizens have been derailed, with troubling implications for democratic development. Part of a good relationship is the ability to talk openly about our disagreements, so the United States will continue to build our relationships with these countries, and we will do it without abandoning our principles or our values.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, it's important to note that Russia was just one of many countries named by the president in a very broad speech about what he calls the freedom agenda, trying to spread democracy around the world. Of course, exhibit A in that agenda was Iraq, and it has not worked out as the Bush administration had planned, clearly.

And also worth noting that Mr. Bush has said similar things before about Russia, trying to prod them on democratic reforms. But the point here is that the timing of it now will certainly sting a little tougher, a little harder for Mr. Putin given all these tensions. And all this talk about the potential of a new Cold War could really overshadow the rest of the G8 agenda, which kicks off tomorrow in Germany.

As you can imagine, this Bush-Putin relationship much different now than it was six years, when Mr. Bush famously said he had looked into Mr. Putin's eyes, had seen into his soul, and said he could trust him. That trust appears to have been broken -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Ed, your best guess as to what will happen on this front tomorrow and throughout the G8 between the two leaders?

HENRY: Well, on Wednesday they're hopefully -- they're hoping that they can shift the focus a little bit to other issues like climate change. But what we can expect is on Thursday, when there's a meeting on the sidelines, as they say, between Mr. Bush and Mr. Putin, you can bet this is going to be topic A, that they're going to have to confront it. And assuming they don't get it all done this week -- because it's a tough issue -- Mr. Bush has also invited Mr. Putin, as you know, to his family home in Maine in July to try to get these escalations to come down just over so slightly -- Heidi.

COLLINS: And he has accepted that invitation, correct? HENRY: That's right. Mr. Putin planning to come to Maine at this point, but some critics of the administration now suggesting the U.S. looks weak for inviting Mr. Putin, which was a warm gesture, when all Mr. Putin is responding with rather cold rhetoric Cold War-style rhetoric -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Ed Henry watching it all for us from Prague.

Ed, thank you.

The Manchester showdown. GOP presidential candidates poised to square off in a debate. A preview from our senior political analyst Bill Schneider coming up.

HARRIS: Talking god and religion on the campaign trail. What do the Democratic candidates have to gain?

Our faith and values correspondent, Delia Gallagher, straight ahead.

COLLINS: Concern grows for the fate of a missing teenager.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's just a great person, full of life. Never would hurt anyone. She's the sweetest girl you'd meet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Abduction in Kansas. More about it coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The Republican presidential candidates take center stage tonight. They will debate in New Hampshire and fight to stand out among the crowd.

Here to talk about it is Bill Schneider, our senior political analyst, and part of the best political team on television.

Bill, good to see you this morning.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Tony.

HARRIS: All right. Let's get started.

Bill, let's start with some fighting words from John McCain on the issue of immigration. Have a listen, and then let's talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pandering for votes on this issue, while offering no solution to the problem, amounts to doing nothing. And doing nothing is silent amnesty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, McCain suggesting that an imperfect immigration bill is better than no immigration bill at all. He has really, hasn't he, Bill, drawn a line in the sand on this one?

SCHNEIDER: He has indeed. And he's challenging his opponents to come up with an alternative plan. Something which they really haven't done yet.

They've been vocal critics of the immigration compromise deal that was made by Senate leaders, but he's come up with an interesting new catch phrase, "Silent amnesty." He's saying that if you don't have anything that's an alternative, and we don't pass this bill, things are going to stay the same, and staying the same means that 12 or 14 million illegal immigrants can stay in the country, just as they are now.

Aren't you giving them amnesty? They're not paying a penalty. That's an interesting challenge.

HARRIS: Yes, it, and one -- the other candidates will have to respond to it, it seems to me, tonight.

On the war in Iraq, do you expect to hear more from the president's troop buildup and more talk about Democrats as defeatists?

SCHNEIDER: I think we will hear that. But there's going to be some qualifications.

I think the Republican candidates know that patience is wearing thin even among Republicans. We're seeing steadily rising criticism of the war. People want to know, how are we getting out? When this is going to end?

So I think you're going to hear some suggestions from some of the contenders that we'll wait a little while longer. September seems to be the date...

HARRIS: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: ... that everyone is talking about, when General Petraeus gives his status report. And they'll say, well, let's wait for General Petraeus, see what he reports. And if things haven't improved in September, we may have to change course, perhaps dramatically.

HARRIS: As you view this, is tonight a do or die night for any of the Republican contenders?

SCHNEIDER: I wouldn't say it's do or die, because, look, it's so early.

HARRIS: Yes. SCHNEIDER: But I would say that Rudy Giuliani has a great deal at stake. He has been the front-runner. You know the old Janis Joplin song, "If you ain't got nothing, you've got nothing to lose." Many of the candidates ain't got much coming into this race. Giuliani does.

So he has something to lose. And the more his views, which are not conservative on a lot of social issues, the more his views are examined and exposed, the more vulnerable he could become. So I would say Rudy Giuliani probably has the most to lose among the contenders in this debate.

HARRIS: Who do you feel is surging a bit? Who has something to really gain tonight by a really solid performance?

SCHNEIDER: Well, certainly McCain and Romney are the contenders who are going to be battling it out. And a lot of conservatives are going to be looking hard at Mitt Romney.

HARRIS: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: Among the three leading contenders, I think he's attracted a lot of conservative interest, and they're going to want to know, is he really one of us? Does he really agree with us? He could gain a lot in this debate.

HARRIS: Fred Thompson won't be there. He's not a declared candidate yet. But will his presence be felt tonight?

SCHNEIDER: He will be a hovering presence over this debate -- the other candidate. And it could come out two ways for him.

He could either have a lot to lose, because people can look at this debate and say, hey, these guys are great. A couple of them could come out with real star power. Someone could make a statement or make a breakthrough, and then people will wonder, Thompson, who's he? Why do we need him?

Or the debate could look weak, the Republicans could watch it and say, you know, none of these people really measures up. Won't someone come in and save the Republican Party? Ah, there's Fred Thompson. Maybe he'll do it.

HARRIS: Yes. And you will be there to follow all the hits and misses tonight for us.

Bill Schneider, great to talk to you. Thank you, Bill.

SCHNEIDER: Sure, Tony.

HARRIS: And tonight the Republicans are up to bat on CNN. Their debate is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Our primetime coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

COLLINS: He's known on Capitol Hill as "Dollar Bill". Now he's accused of taking more than $500,000 in bribes. Details on a lengthy indictment ahead in the NEWSROOM.

High school graduations. Students cross the stage and sometimes enthusiasm crosses the line, according to some. The punishment in one Illinois district, we'll tell you about it ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Infidelity, family tragedy and good versus evil in a time of war. Three top Democrats running for president make think personal beliefs public at a forum on faith. It was sponsored by an evangelical group and moderated by CNN's Soledad O'Brien.

CNN Faith and Values Correspondent Delia Gallagher joins us from New York.

Delia, great to see you.

Generally speaking, what did you think of last night?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT: Well, I thought it was extremely interesting, Tony, to see these candidates who were clearly a little bit uncomfortable talking outside of their comfort zone...

HARRIS: A-ha.

GALLAGHER: ... about these personal issues. I mean, those were some tough questions put to them. And it's not usual that we have candidates who have to talk so much about their personal faith.

HARRIS: Perfect, perfect, perfect. You lead to me Senator Hillary Clinton talking about her own comfort level in discussing her faith.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not sure I would have gotten through it without my faith. And, you know, I take my faith very seriously and very personally. And I come from a tradition that is perhaps a little too suspicious of people who wear their faith on their sleeves. So that a lot of the...

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: ... a lot of the talk about and advertising about faith doesn't come naturally to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Delia, what did you think of this? Did you hear a lot of that, that reluctance last night?

GALLAGHER: Well, look, Tony, did you hear the applause that she got?

HARRIS: Yes, did I hear that.

GALLAGHER: She stems (ph) from the tradition that suspicious -- wearing your faith on your sleeve. And I think this is the catch-22 that we're in with faith and politics, because these politicians are talking about their faith journey, they know that the American public wants a political candidate who has a strong moral character, who goes to church on Sunday, who gives the appearance of being a faith person, and yet we have an extreme sensitivity to church and state separation. And so, we don't want to hear them saying, well, I'm going to make public policy based on my faith.

So, they have this catch-22, because they have to say, well, I personally believe this, but it's not going to affect my vote.

HARRIS: Yes. Hey, Delia, this is interesting. Why are Democrats coming out now speaking of faith?

GALLAGHER: Well, because it's campaign time. I mean, you know, they -- since 2004, they learned the lesson. There's a huge chunk of voters out there. They call them value voters, and they said, well, what do these people want?

And they're the Evangelicals, conservative Evangelicals. I mean, Evangelicals sponsored this event last night, but they're the more liberal Evangelicals. And they want to say, hey, we've got values, too. The values of abortion and gay marriage are not the only values on the agenda. And this is what this whole thing is about, trying to say poverty is a value, too, hunger is a value, and global warming is a value.

HARRIS: Yes. But you know what, Delia? It will lead many to say, you know what? This is cynical. It is all about -- you're right, it's about election season. And you know what? This is all about votes, and Democrats believe they can win votes if they start talking about faith.

GALLAGHER: Well, listen, you know, I -- far be it for me to say that any of these people are not good, holy, faith-filled people. But there are two issues. One is your personal faith and the other is what are you going to vote on the issues?

HARRIS: Yes.

GALLAGHER: And this is where they're going to have a problem, because they want to try and convince some of these value voters that, hey, we're values people, too. But the question is, what are the important values to those value voters? And I think that the issues of abortion and gay marriage are still those galvanizing issues for the traditional value voter. And he or she may not find themselves agreeing with some of these candidates.

HARRIS: Yes. Faith and Values Correspondent Delia Gallagher for us.

Great to see you, Delia. Thank you.

GALLAGHER: Thanks, Tony.

COLLINS: Wyoming senator Craig Thomas is dead. He had been battling leukemia since November.

Thomas, who was 74, was diagnosed last year just as he was electioned for a third term in the Senate. Thomas was a conservative Republican but had the respect of his peers on both sides of the aisle. He was honored in the Senate this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: Madam President, I would ask that the Senate now stand for a moment of silence in recognition of Senator Craig Thomas, Wyoming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Thomas' death will not bring about a numbers change in the Senate. Wyoming's Democratic governor will name a successor from a list chosen by state Republicans.

HARRIS: Sentencing for the vice president's former top aide. Lewis "Scooter" Libby facing a federal judge's decision this morning. The very latest on the story coming up for you in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Welcome back. Bottom of the hour. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Good morning, I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is about to find out whether he will be heading to prison. Libby's sentencing taking place right now in Washington. Libby was convicted in March and found guilty of perjury and obstruction in the probe into the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. The former top aide to Vice President Cheney still says he's innocent. He plans to appeal the verdict. Meanwhile, prosecutors are pushing for a prison sentence of up to three years. Libby's defense team argues he shouldn't have to serve any time behind bars. They are asking for probation.

HARRIS: Indicted, Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson facing corruption charges. That includes a wide-ranging bribery investigation. CNN Justice correspondent Kelli Arena reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looked bad. $90,000 allegedly stashed in a freezer at his DC home. And according to Federal prosecutors, it was. Democratic Congressman William Jefferson now faces charges including racketeering, soliciting bribes and money laundering. The cold cash was allegedly found by the Feds more than two years ago. So why did it take so long to indict?

CHUCK ROSENBERG, U.S. ATTORNEY: I think if you look at this 94- page indictment and the number and complexity of schemes that are alleged, actually, I would argue that we moved pretty quickly here.

ARENA: Jefferson allegedly asked for millions in bribe money in assets, once even asking for a bribe in a congressional dining room. The government says he scored more than $500,000. He's also accused of bribing a Nigerian official to help broker business deals in Africa. The counts carry a penalty of more than 200 years in prison.

JOSEPH PERSICHINI, FBI ASST. DIRECTOR: This case is about greed, power and arrogance.

ARENA: The probe has already led to guilty pleas by a Kentucky businessman and a former aide to the congressman. Both men are cooperating. The congressman maintains his innocence.

ROBERT TROUT, JEFFERSON ATTORNEY: Congressman Jefferson is innocent. He plans to fight this indictment and clear his name.

ARENA: The probe was hardly a secret. A search of his congressional office sparked an all-out constitutional controversy over whether Federal agents could legally raid the offices of a sitting congressman.

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R) ILLINOIS: There's ways to do it and my opinion is that they took the wrong path.

ARENA (on-camera): That raid remains controversial to this day. And prosecutors still don't have all the documents that were seized. But they think what they do have is more than enough to lock Congressman Jefferson up for a very long time. Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: It was the scene of terror and bloodshed in the Virginia Tech shootings, now a new use for Norris Hall. School officials say the building will re-open in about two weeks for engineering offices and laboratories. It will not be used for classes as it was before. Norris Hall is where a student Seung Hui Cho killed 33 students and faculty as well as himself in April. It's been vacant since the shootings.

HARRIS: Survival in the desert and for one hiker, authorities say it meant a bottle of water that was never offered. CNN's Rick Sanchez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was about a year ago, July 16th, when Dave Buschow and 11 others set out on an intense wilderness survival course offered by the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, BOSS for short. This survival experience was going to be like few others. They were to hike for miles at an elevation of 6,000 feet in the Utah desert. The temperature, over 100 degrees. We sought out another Utah wilderness guide, Doyle Moss who is not connected with the BOSS course. He says at the canyon floor it was probably hotter. So a canyon becomes almost a furnace? DOYLE MOSS, MOSSBACK PRODUCTIONS: Yes. In actuality, sure. Without green foliage, those rocks just radiate that heat and it's probably 10, 20 degrees even warmer.

SANCHEZ: The group was led into the canyons to find water by digging into the red dirt. However, the dig turned up nothing. On the second day of their hike around sunrise, the group came here to Deer Creek. They were allowed to dip their cups into the creek to get water. Dave Buschow took his water bottle and filled it from the creek. As he was walking away, two staff members told him, you've got to pour it out. His family says it was that action that sealed his fate.

ROB BUSCHOW, HIKER'S BROTHER: At that point when he dumped out that water, he put his life in their hands, that they were going to keep him safe.

PAT HERBERT, HIKER'S MOTHER: When I heard that, I was just totally appalled. And I just felt like I had been punched in the stomach.

SANCHEZ: After leaving Deer Creek and hiking the canyons and bluffs for hours, the group tried but failed again to find water. According to the sheriff's report, Buschow began showing signs of dehydration, first leg cramps, then he became delusional, confusing a tree for a person and worse, as the family learned from the report --

HERBERT: He couldn't see in color. He said I'm seeing in black and white, in other words, it's affecting his brain so that he couldn't see in color.

SANCHEZ: You understand that he told people that?

HERBERT: Yes.

SANCHEZ: And that is what, if he's seeing in black and white and if he's hallucinating, that means he's --

BUSHCOW: His brain is literally frying, you know. It's affecting every part of his body at this point, his speech, his balance, his vision. I mean, there's how much more does very to show before he gets a drink of water?

SANCHEZ: The BOSS survival school officials refused to answer our questions. The website states the course is not for the feint of heart and that it will take students quote past those false limits your mind has set for your body. But on July 17th, Dave's Buschow's body reached its limit, just 100 yards from water found in a cave. Cramped, delusional and losing consciousness, he dropped to the ground.

HERBERT: He said to the instructor who was standing right there with him, I can't go on. Can you bring me the water?

SANCHEZ: What did the instructors do?

HERBERT: They just kept pushing and pushing and saying, you can do, you can do it, you can do it.

SANCHEZ: The sheriff's report says that instructors, most who are CPR trained were carrying water themselves but even Buschow said he needed water, they didn't offer it to him. To pass the course, students must only drink from natural sources like a stream or spring.

BUSCHOW: I said, well, then fail him for that part of the course. At least he has water and he would have survived.

SANCHEZ: Dave Buschow did not survive. He died with the instructor standing over him.

HERBERT: It was just plain indifference to human suffering and just macho stupidity.

SANCHEZ: Because of the incident, BOSS' permit for using Federal land has been partially suspended by the U.S. Forest Service. If they want it back, the Forest Service says, they must change their course policy to include, among other things, that students carry water in a 32-ounce bottle. If they hadn't agreed to integrate these new changes, you wouldn't have allowed them to use the land?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

SANCHEZ: CNN has learned from Forest Service officials that the BOSS survival school will change its survival course policy on water. But that brings little comfort to the family of David Buschow.

HERBERT: My son died, my son died right there on the spot so close to water. It's just a nightmare.

SANCHEZ: Rick Sanchez, CNN, in the Utah desert.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The TB traveler, is he contagious? A crucial test for tuberculosis patient Andrew Speaker. Details ahead here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: An anxious wait. An Atlanta lawyer with a hard-to- treat form of tuberculosis is waiting results of a crucial third test. It could determine whether he's a danger to others. The first two tests on Andrew Speaker turned up negative for the bacteria in his saliva and phlegm. A third negative and doctors say he would be considered relatively non-contagious. That would mean he could be allowed to make brief trips outside his Colorado hospital room.

HARRIS: All year long CNN is shining the spotlight on some very special people each an example of how a single individual can turn their personal vision for a better world into action. We call them CNN heroes and this morning, we introduce you to a New York dentist who is not afraid to leave behind Madison Avenue to make a difference. Trey Wilson is today's CNN hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. TREY WILSON: Every single one of us has that capacity to be of service to others. And I just did something about it. I'm Trey Wilson. I live in New York City and I provide free dental care and dental education to Kenyans. Dental care in Kenya is virtually nonexistent. When I arrived in Kenya, routinely, I saw my clinic, four-year-olds with 20 teeth that need to be extracted. I bring a team of dentists and volunteers that provide dental care in two clinics that we've established in (INAUDIBLE) which is the fifth largest city in Kenya.

When we arrived in the morning, there are already 400 or 500 people assembled, ready to be seen. My organization gives patients the opportunity to have their teeth fixed. We provide dental education and we hand out toothbrushes to people. There was a woman who waited seven hours to see me because she said I like my smile and I won't have anything to smile about if they pull my front tooth. I think it would be a good idea to try to save that tooth.

She was so happy and her beauty, her beauty really came out. Give me a hug. My life would have been a Monday through Friday, Madison Avenue dentist, getting in my car and driving out to the country and gardening all weekend. But I had a revelation, that with just a little bit of effort, I could make a huge impact. All of us are far more resourceful than we ever think we are. And we have much more to give than we think that we have.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Trey Wilson. If you'd like to learn more about this CNN hero or want to nominate someone you think deserves special recognition, you will find all the details at cnn.com/heroes.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. How much would parents pay for peace of mined? When NEWSROOM returns, I'll tell you about teen-surance. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A major insurance company is betting there's a big market for a program that makes parents virtual back-seat drivers, even when teenagers are off driving on their own. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us all about it. Good morning to you Susan.

LISOVICZ: Good morning Heidi. I think parents and teenagers are going to have differing opinions about this type of program. It is called teen-surance. It uses a GPS-type device to notify parents when their young driver speeds, drives when they're not supposed to or even stays out past curfew. Safeco says parents can also use the web to track where their car is at any moment, 24/7. Safeco, which has around 4.3 million customers is offering the teen driving program in all 44 states where it provides auto insurance. It costs $25 a month. An insurance trade groups says the program could be a big step towards preventing teen deaths. According to Federal data, 19 teens die every day in crashes. Safety researchers say the most dangerous time is the first few months for kids behind the wheel. Heidi?

COLLINS: Sounds like there might be a bit of conflict of interest here, though.

LISOVICZ: Yes, a lot of the data that's being collected. All of the driving information will be collected by an independent firm. Safeco says it won't see any of it, even if an accident leads to a claim. The company says it will measure aggregate data to see if teens in this program end up having fewer crashes and that could potentially lead to lower rates for teen-surance drivers.

Safeco is a publicly traded company. Its shares are down about 0.3 percent. And the markets, well, they're down worse today, extending earlier losses. Earlier in the day, Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke says inflation risks remain a bit elevated. Another source of pressure, a better than expected read on the economy services sector. Investors taking those two signs that interest rates won't come down soon. After yesterday's record high, the Dow showed a little bit of pressure today, down maybe two points or about nearly two-thirds of a percent. The Nasdaq is down 0.5 percent. The S&P, which hit another all-time closing higher like the Dow yesterday, down 0.5 percent as well. So seeing some red arrows here today. Heidi and Tony, back to you.

COLLINS: Susan, thank you.

HARRIS: How do the major presidential candidates stand on health care? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines them.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Overcrowded emergency rooms, skyrocketing costs, millions of Americans with no insurance. It's a health care system in crisis.

MARK MEANEY, NATL INSTITUTE FOR PATIENT RIGHTS: We pay the most and we get the least of any other industrialized nation.

HARRIS: Groups like the National Institute for Patient Rights want a less fragmented health care system. Presidential candidates in both parties are writing their own prescriptions.

JOHN EDWARDS (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This country's health care system is completely dysfunctional.

HARRIS: John Edwards' plan requires employers to help finance their workers' insurance and creates tax credits for the poor. Hillary Clinton's plan is similar, but she also wants insurance companies to cover preventive care to help drive down premiums. She's also targeting chronic illness, beefing up programs already in place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: I want to interrupt our story there just quickly for you because we are getting confirmation CNN has been able to confirm this breaking news. Former White House aide, Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been sentenced to 30 months in jail as well as a $250,000 fine. Our Brianna Keilar is there with more information on all of this. Brianna, tell us what you know.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, Lewis "Scooter" Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison as well as a $250,000 fine in this case where he was charged and convicted with obstruction of justice, making false statements and perjury. We heard that experts were expecting he would be sentenced between 2 and 2 1/2 years and so t has been handed down as expected. Judge Reggie Walton sided with the prosecution in a main argument during arguments over sentencing guidelines. The prosecution said that because Libby had obstructed this investigation of the leak of Valarie Plame's identity as a CIA operative, that there were possible ramifications on that investigation, ramifications that we will never know. The defense said, no one was charged, no one pleaded guilty in this investigation. And so this obstruction charge should be treated with less weight. In the end, the judge siding with the prosecution and, again, Heidi, Lewis "Scooter" Libby being sentenced to 30 months in prison and a fine of $250,000. Heidi?

COLLINS: Is it at all a surprise, Brianna? We were wondering how long this might actually take and whether or not the appeals process would happen and then also if that appeals process stretched out long enough, there has been so much talk about a possible pardon by President Bush.

KEILAR: That's exactly right. The question at this point would be would Judge Walton allow Libby to post bail so that he would actually be out of prison during that appeals process. We don't know that answer at this point. Legal experts say the best-case scenario for Libby would be that in this case, his lawyers would draw out that appeals process, this would take long enough until President Bush would leave office, hopefully he would pardon Libby and then in the end he would serve no prison time. But at this point, a lot of unanswered questions. We'll just have to wait and see.

COLLINS: Brianna Keilar, thanks so much for that. I want to go over this real quickly once again as we're getting this information into us about Lewis "Scooter" Libby quickly. That sentence, once again, 30 months in prison for the obstruction of justice charge. And also, we have a $250,000 fine here that has been put on him. I'm getting this information in my ear. Say it one more time for me, Tom. He will also be getting two year's probation after that sentence that we just announced here, 30 months in prison and the $250,000 fine. Remember, he was convicted on March 6th of four counts out of the five-count indictment alleging perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements to FBI investigators. As you know, there are plans to appeal. That will be an ongoing story that we tend to follow here, of course.

HARRIS: If we can, let's get back to Brianna Keilar and Brianna, I know you had an opportunity to sort of poke your head into the courtroom just a bit. Brianna, are you there? OK, great. Brianna, I know you had an opportunity to poke your head into the courtroom just a bit there. Give us a sense, if you would, of the atmospherics surrounding this day. Who was there on behalf of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, if you would, some of the theatrics in the courtroom. KEILAR: You know, Tony, I actually was not in the courtroom. My colleague, Brian Todd is in the courtroom. He has been telling me what's been going on. Before this sentence ever came down, actually before court even convened, we saw Harriet Grant, Scooter Libby's wife in tears actually. We had seen her be emotional when he was convicted. She was in tears long before the sentence was handed down because it was expected that he would be sentenced to some prison time. And, again, we're awaiting Brian Todd, my colleague, who is in the courtroom and can share all those details with us. At this point, the latest that I have, Tony, from within the courtroom is that there's -- Scooter Libby is facing a prison sentence of 30 months as well as a $250,000 fine. Also from my colleague, Paul Corson (ph) inside the courthouse at this point, this 30-month sentence is on the obstruction conviction and Judge Walton also handed down 15-month sentences on the other convictions, three other convictions, which are concurrent. So we are still waiting, of course, for Brian Todd, who's going to sort some of these details out for us.

HARRIS: Sure.

KEILAR: This was expected. Experts thought that he would be sentenced between 2 and 2 1/2 years. Of course, 30 months, very much falling in line with what they expected, Tony.

HARRIS: Brianna, thank you.

COLLINS: Quickly, we want to get now to our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin as we are just now getting word on the sentence that was handed down for Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Jeffrey, your thoughts on this? Right in line with what we expected?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is longer than I expected. I can't speak for other so-called experts. But this is a long prison sentence in a white collar case, 30 months is 2 1/2 years. It's a long time to spend in prison. And under Federal sentencing law you have to serve 80 percent of that time. You only get 20 percent off for good behavior. If this sentence stands, he's looking at at least two years in prison. For a guy with small children and someone who has led an exemplary life before that, this is a very long sentence and $250,000 fine is no joke either for someone who's not independently wealthy. So Judge Walton really threw the book at Scooter Libby.

COLLINS: So you said if this sentence would stand. Talk more about that.

TOOBIN: Well, there are two issues. There's the appeal, which frankly, I don't think has much chance of success. But this long sentence is really going to raise the pressure on President Bush, especially among his most conservative supporters for a pardon. If Scooter Libby had gotten probation, the pardon issue would have fallen away. With such a long sentence and with Libby facing so much time in jail, there is going to be a lot of pressure from people like Fred Thompson, the former senator who's now running for president. He's been a very outspoken supporter of Scooter Libby who are going to be urging President Bush to pardon him. But as we all know, pardons are very politically dicey operations. The government, the people by and large don't support pardons. Only hardcore supporters tend to do it, so it's going to put the president in an explicitly difficult position.

One very big issues, which is probably being decided as we speak, is does Scooter Libby get out on bail pending appeal? The sentencing proceeding as I understand it, is still going on. That's the issue because if he doesn't get bail pending appeal, he's going to go to jail in the next few weeks. If he does get bail pending appeal, it could be another year or even longer until he goes to jail. That will play into the pardon decision as well and I expect that as we're talking here, the lawyers for Scooter Libby are urging Judge Walton to grant him bail pending appeal.

COLLINS: All right, Jeffrey stick with us. As we are rounding the top of the hour here, just want to remind everyone in case they are just now joining us, we have just learned, CNN has confirmed that the sentence...

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