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Girl Missing for a Year Found Alive; Paris Hilton Released From Jail; The Fight for Iraq; Car Safety Features Explained

Aired June 07, 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 good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Thursday, June 7th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Two missing teens. One story ends tragically, the other has hope for the future. Now suspects face serious charges.

HARRIS: Severe weather. This is a tornado touching down. We are checking to see if more storms are on the way.

COLLINS: And Paris Hilton has a new accessory, a bracelet for her ankle.

Heiress out of jail. She'll do her time at home.

In the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: A court hearing this morning in the case of a missing girl found alive after a year. Police say she was locked in a hidden room in a Connecticut home. Three people who live at that house were arrested, including Adam Gault. You see him being driven to the courthouse here.

CNN National Correspondent Jason Carroll is in Hartford.

And Jason, good to see you this morning.

What can you tell us about the condition of the young girl?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, according to police when they founded her yesterday, when they found Danielle Cramer, she was very, very pale, she was cowering in a corner in that 4x2 room, secret room that they found underneath the stairs.

What's going to happen at this point, she'll obviously have to undergo a psychological, as well as a physical, examination. And we're being told that once that's concluded, once authorities and investigators get more of a chance to interview her about her past year, what happened during that past year, perhaps even more charges will be filed against the three suspects -- Tony.

HARRIS: And Jason, what was the nature of the relationship between the suspects and the young woman?

CARROLL: Well, we can tell you about the relationship with one of them for sure, and that is -- and that is Adam Gault. He is the 40-year-old man who first came in contact with this young girl. Apparently at some time in the past he worked as an animal trainer, worked with her stepfather in that capacity. That's how he came in contact with this young girl.

Also under arrest, Ann Murphy, his common-law wife, and another woman, Kimberly Cray. Still trying to find out what their relationship was with this young girl, but that's how the three of them came in contact with Cramer -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. And what led police -- maybe you just answered this -- what led police to Gault in the first place?

CARROLL: Well, according to what investigators are telling us, they were looking at Gault -- well, first, Gault had some sort of a history of having inappropriate relations with young girls. That according to police. So that was the first thing that sort of led them to think that this guy might have something to do with her disappearance.

They started looking at his cell phone records. And when they looked at those, they saw some sort of connection.

And Tony, they also tell us there were "other circumstances"...

HARRIS: Yes.

CARROLL: ... that also led them -- led them to suspect that he had some sort of connection with this young girl. They did not elaborate in terms of what those circumstances were, only to say that it led them to believe that he was somehow having some sort of inappropriate relationship with her.

HARRIS: Yes. CNN's Jason Carroll for us in Hartford, Connecticut.

Jason, appreciate it. Thank you.

COLLINS: In Kansas, an arrest is made in the case of a missing teenage girl. Searchers found the body of 18-year-old Kelsey Smith at a lake near Grandview, Missouri. Police focused on the area after tracing signals from the girl's cell phone. When loved ones called her cell phone, it made contact with nearby towers. Authorities aren't saying how she was killed.

Smith was abducted from the parking lot of a Target store on Saturday. It's hard to make out, but police say this surveillance tape showed her being forced into her own car and driven away. A 26- year-old man is in custody and is expected to be charged today with her kidnapping and murder. HARRIS: Face to face for the first time since a clash over missile defense. President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin this morning meeting on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Germany.

President Bush wants to ease Russian concerns over a U.S. missile shield plan for Eastern Europe. He insists it's not an issue either side should, in his words, be hyperventilating about. But the Russian leader has threatened to retarget missiles on Europe. Relations between the U.S. and Russia are at their lowest point in decades.

COLLINS: The immigration reform bill suffers a setback and could suffer another blow this hour. The Senate voted early this morning to put a five-year limit on the temporary worker program. The program is a crucial piece of the compromise bill, and the vote could be a deal breaker. But the sponsor of the amendment says it's about protecting jobs for U.S. workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D), NORTH DAKOTA: We had a lot of discussion about immigration. No one on the floor of this Senate is talking about the impact on American workers. All of these jobs with temporary workers, we'll assume, are going to compete with people at the bottom of the economic ladder in this country. They're called American workers as well.

Let's sunset this and evaluate what we're doing, what kind of contribution to illegal immigration this will contribute to, and what an impact it has an American workers. Let's sunset this at the end of five years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Earlier, senators fought off other amendments to the bill. One would have barred a large number of illegal immigrants from gaining citizenship.

This hour brings another vote on amendments to the legislation. That may determine what happens with the bill.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: America's most famous ex-con back on the streets. That perp, none other than Paris Hilton.

The wayward heiress freed from her Los Angeles jail cell just three days into her sentence. Why? Why, you ask?

Here with the answer, CNN Entertainment Correspondent Brooke Anderson.

Brooke, why?

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, due to medical issues.

HARRIS: What does that mean? What does that mean?

ANDERSON: Well, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department spokesman wouldn't really tell us what that meant. He said after extensive consultation with medical personnel, with doctors, they did decide to free her from jail and send her to home confinement. He wouldn't specifically disclose any more information. He said due to privacy issues, although he did say that Paris doesn't have a staph infection.

HARRIS: Huh?

ANDERSON: But she is going home, house arrest. She will have an ankle bracelet on. And I misspoke earlier. That ankle bracelet actually has a range of only about 3,000 to 4,000 feet. So she is confined to her house.

And Steve Whitmore (ph), the spokesman, says she will have paid her debt to society, fulfilled her obligation after 40 days of house arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WHITMORE, L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: ... that she might have. After extensive consultation with medical personnel, including doctors here at CRDF, it was determined that Paris Hilton would be re- assigned to our community-based alternatives, to custody's electronic monitoring program.

And what that means is this: she has been fitted with an ankle bracelet and she has been sent home. And she will be confined to her home for the next 40 days. Because she has agreed to this, through her attorney, her sentence is now back up to 45 days. She has served already five days, so that's 40 days.

She will now be under the supervision of the L.A. County Probation Department.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And five days, you ask? Everybody is a little bit confused about that, but she checked in shortly before midnight on Sunday. They say that counts as a full day. She was released shortly after midnight this morning, and they say that also counts as a full day -- Tony.

HARRIS: Brooke, isn't this just absolutely the most egregious case -- I feel like Lou Dobbs here -- the most egregious case of star treatment, well, until the next one?

ANDERSON: Well, it is -- I agree with you. It is, Tony. But they do say it's not preferential treatment, that it is due to medical issues. But, you know, on Sunday Paris attended the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles before going to jail.

HARRIS: Did she have a pre-existing condition before she -- I'm sorry -- between the time she left the MTV Movie Awards, and then turned herself into prison? ANDERSON: Not that we know of. And, you know, she was in fairly decent spirits on the red carpet at the movie awards. She said she wanted to serve her time, she wanted to face the consequences. She wanted to be treated like anybody else. I don't know that that is the case now, because she has been released.

HARRIS: Was there some kind of pre-existing health condition that would be exacerbated by time in a cold cell?

ANDERSON: Anything is possible. Not that we were aware of, but Paris had been saying, we had been getting word that she had been crying a lot, saying that her cell, her 12x8 cell, was very cold, very bright. She wasn't sleeping, she wasn't eating, and she did get a visit from her psychiatrist.

HARRIS: All right. Brooke Anderson.

Well, it is what it is.

ANDERSON: It is what it is.

HARRIS: It is what it is.

All right.

Tune in for "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" here on CNN -- Brooke, thank you -- with more on the release of Paris Hilton, all of the late-breaking details on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," 11:00 p.m. Eastern on Headline News.

COLLINS: Andrew Speaker speaking out again. The so-called TB traveler says he's sorry but he will not be a scapegoat.

His latest comments in the NEWSROOM.

Parents' report card. Failing in one subject -- car safety. A study finds some moms and dads leave seat belt use up to the children.

That's in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: A grim weather forecast and a struggle to survive it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this is our Katrina. Seriously, we're a small group of people, but we're just as affected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Severe drought in South Dakota, straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: A trapped logger does what he has to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tree fell on his leg. He had a cell phone that couldn't get out. And he started cutting his own leg off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wow. A major misfortune followed by air stroke of good luck.

That story in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And quickly now, let's get you to some sound from President Bush with some comments on his meeting this morning with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G8 summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Vladimir and I just had a very constructive dialogue, particularly about missile defense. He expressed his concerns to me. He is concerned that the missile defense system is not an act that a friend would do. He made some interesting suggestions.

As a result of our discussions, we both agreed to have a strategic dialogue, an opportunity to share ideas and concerns between our State Department, the Defense Department and military people. This will be a serious set of strategic discussions. This is a serious issue, and we want to make sure that we all understand each other's positions very clearly. As a result of these conversations, I expect there to be better understanding of the technologies involved and the opportunities to work together.

I told Vladimir I'm looking forward to having him up to my folk's place in Maine at the beginning of July. And we'll be able to continue our discussions, our bilateral discussions on a variety of issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: There you have it, President Bush with some comments on his meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. With the Russian president right by his side, on the sidelines of the G8 summit.

It's a story we will continue to follow here in the NEWSROOM for you.

COLLINS: And as the G8 is going on, we have a rare opportunity today.

HARRIS: Yes.

COLLINS: We have General David Petraeus standing by. He's the commander of the multinational forces in Iraq. He is joining us now live from Baghdad.

General, welcome to the show. Thanks for being here. I guess quickly, we'd like to start off by asking you about some of today's news. As you know, General Lute is in the middle of his confirmation hearings. He will be a war adviser for both Iraq and Afghanistan.

What does that mean for you and your command?

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL FORCES, IRAQ: Well, first of all, it means that a very close friend, someone who knows combat, who knows this region, and who also knows Washington, will be our point man there. A single point of contact for the issues that we have, particularly with the inner agency there in Washington.

COLLINS: I think there are a lot of people who are confused. And the question has certainly come up, hasn't there always been a person who has been in charge of the coordination between what's taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan?

PETRAEUS: Well, there has. I think this gives that position some additional emphasis, some additional importance. And I think that he'll probably have authorities as I understand it, that individuals in the past in that position have not had.

So we think this is a positive development for those of us who are out here. And I know for those in Afghanistan as well.

HARRIS: General Petraeus, Tony Harris, with Heidi Collins in Atlanta.

Just want to turn your attention to some of the reporting this week from "The New York Times," the suggestion from a number of -- quoting -- some commanders on the ground, that the troop buildup in Baghdad is not going as well as had been hoped, that the effort to secure the 23 neighborhoods targeted by the troop buildup is going a little more slowly than had been anticipated.

What's your response?

PETRAEUS: Well, Tony, I think in some cases that's correct. We achieved some early success through the first several months of the effort. The sectarian murder and execution rate was cut by over two- thirds. And then we saw it come back a bit during the month of May.

This week it seems headed back down again, touch wood. But we clearly have some tough work to do.

There have been some neighborhoods where we cleared, and we're literally going to have to go back in and do that, and we will. But I think it's important to remember that we're still a week and a half, two weeks away from having all of the surge forces even on the ground for the first time. We do have some aggressive plans to use those, to go after al Qaeda and some of the sanctuaries in which they've been able to build and dispatch car bombs from -- for some time.

That won't be without a fight, but it is something that we must do in the areas around Baghdad to provide better security for the people in Baghdad.

HARRIS: So, General, just to be clear, you do not have all of your troops on the ground in country, in Baghdad yet?

PETRAEUS: That is correct. The fifth of the five surge brigades and the Marine expeditionary unit and the combat aviation brigade are still positioning themselves as we speak, or moving up from Kuwait. And again, they'll all be in position and actually in operations in less than two weeks.

COLLINS: General, we also had some reports yesterday, we reported here anyway, that Turkish soldiers were crossing into northern Iraq to fight Kurdish militants there. Reports have been denied. We recognize that. But what would it mean for U.S. strategy and the tactics in the region?

PETRAEUS: Well, it certainly could mean a rise in some tensions there.

Interestingly, I talked to the vice chief of defense staff of Turkey just two days ago. We have a relationship. We have common interests, not just with respect to the terrorists who are up in the very large, tall mountains up in northern Iraq, but also frankly in what comes through Syria, because as you know, foreign fighters have been able to move through Syria.

And so we discussed how we might be able to help each other. But I think that the Turkish military has taken some very prudent steps, they are poised to do what they deem is necessary if it comes to that, but they did not make any moves yesterday, as were originally reported.

COLLINS: And something else that we're hearing a little bit of information about, General Odierno revealed last week that the United States is talking with insurgents.

In your opinion, is that helping?

PETRAEUS: Oh, it is absolutely, yes. In fact, our strategy has always been with this new approach to try to determine who are the reconcilables out there among these groups that may have been in opposition to the coalition or to the government of Iraq and to separate them from the unreconcilables, the true extremists, the al Qaeda and the extreme secret cells of the militia.

And then to try, with the help of the government of Iraq, to make the reconcilables part of the solution instead of the problem. And that has worked in Anbar province.

What has taken place in Anbar is almost breathtaking. In the last several months, tribes that previously, at the very least, turned a blind eye to what al Qaeda was doing in that province, are now opposing al Qaeda very vigorously. And the level of violence in Anbar has plummeted, although there clearly is still work to be done, particularly in eastern Anbar province, in some areas inside the city of Falluja. And we will do that work as we get all the forces on the ground here in the weeks and months ahead.

HARRIS: And General, finally, do you have, perhaps, irreconcilables within the Iraqi security forces? Here's the question: Do you have a problem with Iraqi police being a part of these teams working with insurgents, Iraqi police working with insurgents, in planting some of these horrific, deadly IEDs?

PETRAEUS: Tony, there is no question but that some elements, particularly of the Ministry of Interior forces, during the height of the sectarian violence during 2006, were what we call hijacked by certain militia interests in particular. Some of those undoubtedly remain within the force. And as we identify those individuals -- and we have, and we then take action with the Ministry of Interior against them.

This minister has fired well over 1,500, I believe it is, members of Ministry of Interior forces. There are some more that need to go. And our partnership with him indicates that he is willing to make those kinds of tough decisions and to discipline his force when individuals are found to be acting against the government of Iraq or against their coalition partners.

COLLINS: General David Petraeus, we have so many more questions for you. You sure you don't want to stick around for another half hour or so?

It is nice to see you, though.

PETRAEUS: Well, you know, we were just walking through the neighborhood in Baghdad, and came upon the CNN house, believe it or not.

COLLINS: All right. Very good.

PETRAEUS: The minister of foreign affairs is outside there as well.

COLLINS: Yes, we understood that to be the case.

Thank you so much for sitting down and sharing your thoughts with us.

HARRIS: Thanks for your time.

PETRAEUS: Thank you.

COLLINS: We certainly appreciate it.

General David Petraeus, commander of multinational forces in Iraq.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Keeping your children safe in and around your car.

I'm Brianna Keilar, and I'll have a live report coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Danger zone -- kids in and around cars. A new study released just last hour suggests parents could do more to protect them.

Our Brianna Keilar is joining us now live from Alexandria, Virginia.

And Brianna, what can you tell us about this study? Some of these findings were pretty disturbing.

KEILAR: They certainly were, Heidi.

You know, some experts estimate that more than 200 children die per year in the U.S. in back-out incidents, when cars may be pulling out of driveways, or they're left unattended in vehicles in the heat. For instance, in a parking lot like this one. A parent dashes into a store.

Now, this study shows that most parents do a pretty good job of supervising their child, but something that was really interesting, when they asked parents, "Do you leave your children unattended in a vehicle," or "Do you know people in your neighborhood who do?" Some of them, even with kids as little as 3, 4 years old, said, yes, it was happening. And that increases with age.

And also something very interesting. About two-thirds of the parents who were surveyed said they thought it was unlikely or very unlikely that a child would be injured or killed by being left unattended in a car that overheats, even though, of course, Heidi, we've seen these very tragic results in news stories in recent years where kids are left in the cars that within minutes can reach deadly temperatures -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, we have seen that. It's just awful.

What safety features though are available in cars that will help keep kids safe in these types of situations?

KEILAR: You know, there are a lot of safety features. They tend to be in newer vehicles.

For instance, here you can see this is called a pull to close window. If a child is horsing around in the car, which, of course, you should tell them they shouldn't be, but if they are and they step on this window, it's going to only make the window go down. They physically have to pull up the switch to make the window go up. This is if they were to have a hand or an arm sticking out. In this case, another interesting feature like an elevator, if you were to automatically have the window go up, it senses that there's something in the window, a limb or a hand and then the window automatically goes down.

And another thing that can help is a locking gear shift. If a child is in the car alone and they're tugging on the gear shift, this is a locking one. It keeps it in park even if you press the button. Without the key in the car, it's not going anywhere, Heidi. But of course the most important safety feature is really a parent paying attention and telling their children how to stay safe, for instance, in those driveway incidents. If you're getting into your vehicle and turning it on, walk around the car first, make sure that there aren't children there and tell your kids that if they hear a car start, they need to back away from it because there is a danger, Heidi.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Yes, very, very good advice. Brianna Keilar, thanks so much, Brianna.

Good morning, everybody, I'm Heidi Collins.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: And I'm Tony Harris. Welcome back, everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM.

In Connecticut, three suspects expected in court this hour in the case of a missing girl found alive after a year. Police say they stumbled across the 15-year-old in a hidden room while searching Adam Gault's home. Gault and two women who lived in the house face charges of unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment. Police say more charges could be filed. Stay tuned to CNN NEWSROOM for details on their court appearance.

COLLINS: This morning on Capitol Hill, a confirmation hearing for Lieutenant General Douglas Lute. President Bush wants him to manage the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As part of the job, he would give the president daily briefings on the conflicts and offer his advice. A discussion today likely to focus on Lute's doubts about what the administration has called a troop surge in Iraq. He's questioned whether the strategy would be effective long term against the insurgency.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Karl Penhaul in Iraq's Diyala province reporting on the split in insurgent ranks coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Once allies, now foes, some Iraqi insurgents now turning on al Qaeda militants. CNN's Karl Penhaul reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PENHAUL (voice-over): This is the masked face of an insurgent backlash. Nationalist anti-American guerrillas and former Saddam Hussein loyalists are turning their sights on al Qaeda radicals. God is great, God damn the al Qaeda criminals they chant. The al Qaeda organization has dominated and humiliated Sunnis, Shiites and jihadis. It has forced people from their homes. They can't get enough blood. They kill many honest scholars, preachers and loyal mujahadin.

Based in (INAUDIBLE), a small district 40 miles north of Baghdad, they call themselves the united jihad council. An alliance of battle hardened insurgent factions including the 1920s brigade and the mujahadin army. They say two months of fierce fighting forced even mosques to close. Last Friday marked the first public prayers since the jihad council drove out al Qaeda. This worshiper thanks the masked gunmen for taking control of his town. The insurgent greets him with a kiss and pats him down for hidden weapons. Inside, the faithful listened to the imam's by now customary rant against U.S. occupation. The message is now mixed with condemnation of al Qaeda and its brutal tactics.

TRANSLATOR: We will fight the oppressors and with God's support, we will defeat al Qaeda. Al Qaeda made us suffer. They killed our clerics, our children and our women. They left their bodies dumped on the ground.

PENHAUL: Underscoring those words, a shallow grave near the mosque gives up its secrets. These jihad council gunmen express surprise this victim was not beheaded. But he was handcuffed, evidence, they say, it was an al Qaeda execution.

Until the split two months ago, nationalist insurgents and al Qaeda militants united in their war against the Americans as in this firefight in the nearby town of (INAUDIBLE) in 2004. Civilian sources living in the area say the rift came after nationalist insurgents rejected al Qaeda's calls to enforce extremist Islamic rule. They also oppose the influx of al Qaeda's foreign fighters and the murder of and torture of civilians for even the mildest dissent. It's a rift U.S. military commanders in this region are keen to exploit. Similar insurgent infighting was documented in western Iraq earlier this year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People have pretty much decided, they've discovered, that if they want to have a future, if their children want to have a future, if Iraq is going to have a future, that that future is not with al Qaeda.

PENHAUL: Once divided by common hatred of each other, the U.S. Army and these insurgents have for now, found a common foe in al Qaeda.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now from Diyala province in Iraq. Karl, this sounds like a major flip by these groups. What's going on here?

PENHAUL: It certainly is, Tony. We've been out in some of the villages southeast of the military base where we are now talking to these nationalist insurgent fighters. They say that they have drawn a red line between themselves and the al Qaeda fighters. They say very much that red line has been traced in blood by al Qaeda. They described horrific tortures and murders of the civilian population in that area. Some of the insurgent fighters describe how al Qaeda, according to them, burned a seven-year-old child alive and how they went on to torture and murder women. In one town alone, the insurgent fighters say that they found a mass grave with 27 victims in it. On top of all that, the insurgent fighters say that al Qaeda and radicals enforced other laws (INAUDIBLE) extremists, how they banned people from smoking in the streets and they also force people to be in their homes from 4:00 p.m. in the evening. Even in some cases, it was described to us that al Qaeda had even -- those all-important Friday prayers, Tony.

HARRIS: And Karl just quickly, I understand you have been talking to the U.S. military about this. What can you tell us about those conversations?

PENHAUL: There are some extremely important and interesting developments in that sense, Tony. In as much as the Americans are now firmly taking these renegade insurgent factions on board, they are arming them and they are coordinating with them so that, together, the Americans and these (INAUDIBLE) factions can take the fight to al Qaeda. But over the coming days, we hope to bring more in-depth information on that to you, Tony.

HARRIS: That would be great. CNN's Karl Penhaul for us in Diyala province in Iraq. Karl thank you.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. When NEWSROOM returns, I'll tell you about the surprise winner in an important survey on car quality. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Quality is job one according to one of Ford's recent ad campaigns and the result of a new survey backs it up. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us about the big win for the embattled auto maker. Hi there, Susan.

LISOVICZ: Hi Heidi, a nice change of pace with this story. When the topic turns to U.S. auto makers, too often the subject is lousy sales or big layoffs. But when the JD Power awards for initial quality came out, guess who had the most awards, not Toyota, which just surpassed GM as the number one auto maker, but Ford with five. The award looks at manufacturing defects and design problems in new cars as reported by their owners. Ford's iconic Mustang ranked as the most problem-free midsize sporty car. We all knows it goes fast, too. The Mercury Milan, which is owned by Ford, was the highest ranked midsize car. Ford also owns Lincoln and Lincolns MKZ was the top ranked entry premium car. Lincoln also picked up the award for top ranked SUV for its Lincoln Mark LT which is the luxury version of the Ford F-150 truck and Ford's Mazda unit won the award for compact sporty car for its Mazda MX-5 Miata. As far as premium, sporty cars, that honor went to the Porsche Boxster which remains classic.

COLLINS: A nice looking car. Where does Toyota come out in all of this?

LISOVICZ: That's right. Well, Toyota finished second with three awards. It was a contender. In addition, Toyota has another reason to celebrate. It sold its one millionth hybrid over the last decade. Those sales have been led by the world's best-selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius. That car was released in '97, was available here in the U.S. in the year 2000. Obviously, it gets really good mileage, 55 miles per gallon on average with combined city and highway driving.

As for the markets, well, we're going in reverse for the third straight session. The big concern was again, interest rates, the yields on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, topping 5 percent for the first time since last summer. That's a sign investors don't think the Fed will cut interest rates later this year, everybody been hoping for that. The Dow right now down 65 points. Since Monday's close, the Dow has lost nearly 300 points. The Nasdaq Composite is off about two-thirds of a percent. We're seeing a change in sentiment this week. Tony and Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: All right. We're hoping we see some positive numbers very, very soon. Susan Lisovicz, thanks so much.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

HARRIS: All this year, CNN is introducing you to some incredible people. Not only are they making a difference in the communities where they live, their own stories are pretty amazing, too. They are CNN heroes and today we want you to meet a young woman from Africa who is struggling to help her country deal with the staggering human devastation caused by HIV AIDS. Here is today's CNN hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Personally, I've had people very close to me dying of HIV AIDS. This stupid virus is tearing lives apart.

My name is Nthabeleng Lephoto coming from Touching Tiny Lives. We support orphaned and vulnerable infants. Our safe house is for critically ill or in need children. For us, babies come first. We have to give their medication even if sometimes they have to cry. But it's not just the medication. They start feeling loved.

Eighty percent of the children we help are in the rural areas. We go to each individual household. We give them nutrition like foodstuff, packages and education. We want to discuss their own problems, where they feel free. It's HIV/AIDS leaving the children with grandmothers. They shouldn't be doing this but they have to. I need to support these people, it's going to go on and on. Believe me, there are times when I really say, this is too much. But to see them smile, starting to enjoy life as it comes makes me want to help more and more and more and more. If there's no touching tiny lives, all these children that we have helped would have died.

HARRIS: And there's plenty of information available on our CNN hero and her organization on our website. You can also nominate your hero for special recognition later this year. All the details are available for you at cnn.com/heroes.

COLLINS: Trapped by a fallen tree. No help, little hope, in a desperate act, a man amputates his own leg. His survival story in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Trapped by a fallen tree. A California man takes extreme measures to save his own life. He amputates his leg with a pocket knife. The incredible survivor story from George Warren of our affiliate KXTV. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE WARREN, KXTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iowa Hill is one isolated community, no phone, no electricity and out on Big Dipper road, no one nearby to help a logger who got in trouble.

CATHY MORGAN, VICTIM'S FRIEND: The tree fell on his leg. He had a cell phone that couldn't get out. And he started cutting his own leg off.

WARREN: Sixty six-year-old Albert Hill spent nearly 12 hours with his left leg pinned under a tree doing what had he to do to free himself.

JACKSON MILES, VICTIM'S FRIEND: And he chipped away with his pocket knife all day long, yelling every half hour.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was in a position where he could not move four inches. I mean, he was stuck capital letters.

WARREN: Just before dark, a very modest prospector who insisted we not use his name, heard Al Hill's cries for help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, I hadn't turned the metal detector on yet. It just got me to the right place.

WARREN: A helicopter then got Hill to Sutter Roseville hospital where doctors finished the amputation below the knee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The son said he's in good spirits. So that's the main thing.

MORGAN: He's logged for years. It was just a freak accident. That's all.

WARREN: A freak accident followed by an amazing stroke of good luck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was going out there to look for gold.

WARREN: In Placer County, George Warren, news 10.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And just moments ago we had an opportunity to talk to General David Petraeus, the commander of multinational forces in Iraq. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, CMDR., MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ: What has taken place in Anbar is almost breathtaking. In the last several months tribes that previously at the very least turned a blind eye to what al Qaeda was doing in that province are now opposing al Qaeda very vigorously and the level of violence in Anbar has plummeted, although there clearly is still work to be done, particularly in eastern Anbar province and in some areas inside the city of Fallujah. We will do that work as we get all the forces on the ground here in the weeks and months ahead.

HARRIS: General, finally, do you have, perhaps, irreconcilables within the Iraqi security forces? Here's the question. Do you have a problem with Iraqi police being a part of these teams working with insurgents, Iraqi police working with insurgents in planting some of these horrific, deadly IEDs?

PETRAEUS: Tony, there is no question but that some elements, particularly of the ministry of interior forces during the height of the sectarian violence, during 2006, were what we call hijacked by certain militia interests in particular. Some of those undoubtedly remain within the force. And as we identify those individuals and we have and we then take action with the ministry of interior against them. This minister has fired well over 1,500, I believe it is, members of ministry of interior forces. There are some more that need to go. And our partnership with him indicates that he is willing to make those kinds of tough decisions and to discipline his force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: General David Petraeus a short time ago, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Well, you know, we'll always have Paris. But she won't always have a cell. Heiress out of jail, we'll tell you all about it in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Near Atlanta an early morning fire sweeped through a Riverdale motel. At least five people were killed, at least five injured, including fire fighters. As we look at these live pictures now, the motel's records were burned in the blaze so it is not clear if all the residents are accounted for. The cause of the fire still of course under investigation.

CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now.

HARRIS: "Your World Today" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Have a good day everybody.

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