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No-Confidence Vote; Sectarian Killings; Debt Collectors; Mass Killing
Aired June 11, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It is the first decline since January. The Lundberg Survey says, on average, drivers will pay $3.11 a gallon for self-serve regular gasoline. Analysts say that's because gas from overseas refineries costs less.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Stay inform all day in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown.
A young man's fate expected to be decided this morning. Jenarlo Wilson (ph) could learn whether he will goes free. A teen sex case ruling.
COLLINS: Attorney general under fire. The Senate set the no- confidence vote on Alberto Gonzales. President Bush not impressed.
HARRIS: And enemy becomes ally. Word that U.S. forces are arming Sunni fighters in a common battle against al Qaeda. It's Monday, June 11th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales likely facing a no-confidence vote in the Senate. The vote pushed by Democrats. Gonzales under fire for last year's dismissals of some federal prosecutors. CNN's Brianna Keilar is with us now from Washington.
Brianna, how is this day going to set up?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, this is interesting because this is not the actual no-confidence vote. It's a vote to proceed with the motion to vote. A test vote, if you will, to see where people are lining up. Some parliamentary procedure there to confuse you. But the Senate would have to garner 60 votes today before they have the actual no-confidence vote.
New York Democrat Chuck Schumer is sponsoring this bill. He held a press conference this weekend, accusing President Bush of putting his friendship with Gonzales above the rule of law. He also called the Justice Department the new FEMA.
And some Republicans, of course, they want to see Gonzales go, but that still doesn't mean they'll be lining up along with Democrats. This is expected to be a partisan vote. Several Republican senators and aides tell CNN that they feel this resolution by Chuck Schumer is politically motivated and they aren't going to play ball.
Heidi.
COLLINS: And it really does come down to the opinion of just one person, again, it's President Bush, and he is still backing Gonzales, right?
KEILAR: That's right. No indication that his support of Alberto Gonzales is wavering. And while in Bulgaria, at a joint news conference with Bulgaria's president, he talked about this. He called this a meaningless resolution and he said that this is a political move by Democrats.
COLLINS: All right, Brianna, we know you'll be following it for us. Thanks so much.
HARRIS: Teenage sex. It sent one Georgia man to prison. But this morning a judge may set Jenarlo Wilson free. The Georgia man is serving a 10-year prison sentence for having what's described as consensual sex with a teenager. At the time he was 17 and the girl was 15. Under Georgia's old law, he was convicted of aggravated child molestation. The offense has since been reduced to a misdemeanor. Former President Jimmy Carter is among those seeking his early release.
COLLINS: Under attack in Iraq. Crucial parts of the country's infrastructure. This morning three U.S. soldiers are dead, crushed in the collapse of a highway overpass. The structure blown up by a suicide bomber. Six other U.S. troops wounded in the attack south of Baghdad Sunday night. The bridge spanned one of Iraq's main highways. Bulldozers are still trying to clear the debris this morning.
HARRIS: Torture, kidnapping and murder on the rise in Iraq. Civilians the targets of brutal sectarian violence. CNN's Paula Hancocks takes a look, but we warn you, some of the images may be disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): For over a year there's been little or no room in Baghdad's morgues. Bodies found around the capital are simply laid out in the more courtyard, awaiting identification from devastated relatives.
The Baghdad security plan was, in part, based on the theory that the more U.S. troops on the streets, the less bodies on the streets. It appeared to be working for a couple of months, as many militias kept a low profile during March and April, but the number of murders are now almost back to pre-security plan levels at the start of the year.
Almost 750 bodies were found last month, many of them with hands bound and showing signs of torture. The number for June is already worryingly high. One Iraqi police colonel, who did not want to be identified, says the killings will continue as long as the security forces remain on the outskirts of neighborhoods. Few Iraqi police dare to enter inside the most dangerous areas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): If we're not inside, how can we stop these murders and kidnappings? We can't control the situation until security forces are inside these areas and based there.
HANCOCKS: But U.S. officials deny this increase in murders represents a long-term trend, pointing out that overall violence in Baghdad has still lowered since the U.S. began to increase numbers.
BRIG. GEN. KEVIN BERGNER, U.S. MILITARY SPOKESMAN: It's uneven and it will periodically spike up like we saw with violence in May. It's not going to be a straight-line or a steady linear kind of result. It will be uneven and we'll have to adjust as we go.
HANCOCKS: At the same time, the U.S. military, all the way up to the commander in chief, President Bush, has already admitted that things in Iraq will get worse before they get better. And after that, one U.S. commander admitting that only a quarter of the capital is under control. It's difficult to see how increased troops on the ground will consistently reduce sectarian violence.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Fact-finding mission to Iraq. Britain's next prime minister, Gordon Brown, in Baghdad this hour. He is meeting with Iraq's prime minister today. Brown says he wants to assess the situation on the ground before taking office later this month. Britain has been reducing troop levels in Iraq. Three out of four provinces that were under British control have been handed over to Iraqi troops.
President Bush back in the air this hour after wrapping up his eight-day trip to Europe. Last stop before boarding Air Force One, Sophia, Bulgaria. The president met with the leader of Bulgaria, a former communist bloc nation. It's now a U.S. ally. He thanked Bulgaria for its support in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the issues discussed during the president's visit, the U.S. plans for a mission shield in eastern Europe. Also on the president's agenda, a democracy roundtable.
HARRIS: A grim scene in Wisconsin. Six people shot to death, twin baby boys and four adults. A two-year-old girl is surviving her wounds. This morning investigators are piecing together exactly what happened. It all began Saturday night when police stormed a how in Delavan, Wisconsin, after getting a report of shorts fired. They were too late. Investigators are looking into the possibility it was a murder/suicide.
COLLINS: Recovering from stormy weather this morning in parts of the nation's mid section. More on the way. Storm clouds dropping marble-sized hail in Ogalalla, Nebraska. This scene near Interstate 80. The area also got, as you can see, torrential rain. And on Interstate 25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, a frightening scene for travelers. An apparent tornado -- it certainly looks like one to me -- dropping from the sky. No word of any injuries or damage.
HARRIS: Stormy weather in the nation's mid section. Let's say it again, stormy weather in the nation's mid section. That has been the pattern.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: And still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, solving the autism puzzle. Is the first piece a vaccine. The question posed in court today. That story in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Arming the Sunnis in Iraq. Who's providing the weapons? In some cases, the U.S. Working with former enemies to fight al Qaeda. We'll tell you why, coming up in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Answering the call of duty. Not as a soldier, but as a mother. An update on the case of the awol mom ahead in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: And the slammer for an accused toilet paper snatcher. Justice rolls on, in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. And you are in the NEWSROOM.
Teenage sex. Ten years in prison. A judge's ruling this morning could set this man free. We'll explain, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We have been awaiting some Supreme Court decisions today. I want to make sure that we get this one out to you. We do have one for the tobacco companies. I want to tell you what exactly has happened. The Supreme Court did rule just moments ago that Philip Morris Companies cannot move a lawsuit by cigarette smokers into federal court.
Some history on this now. Philip Morris did move one particular case to federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas, saying it could do so because the company is actually regulated, of course, by the Federal Trade Commission. The court said the fact that an agency actually directs the companies activities does not actually permit moving the case to federal court. The reason they want to do that, well large damage awards from state courts would have cost the tobacco companies, of course, more money had there been a successful suit against them.
So, once again, the tobacco liability has been ruled against by the Supreme Court. We'll continue to follow a couple of other decisions we are expecting today.
HARRIS: We have an update to report in the case of the awol mom. You may remember National Guard Specialist Lisa Hayes failed to return to duty in Iraq. She said a custody battle left no one to care for her daughter. The Army charged her with desertion, yet Army lawyers helped her file for a hardship discharge. Friday night she was awarded an honorable discharge. Earlier on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING we spoke to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA HAYES, AWOL DURING CUSTODY BATTLE: I learned of domestic violence and my ex-husband physically slapping my daughter across the face. After three weeks of trying to get a hold of him to notify him that I would be coming home on R&R I found this out because I called the police department and they informed me what had been going on at the household. I immediately said, Oh, my God, you know, what am I going to do? I'm in Iraq. I'm pretty much a world away.
I asked to go home and I was going home on two weeks of R&R, so I did actually make it home. We petitioned the court for an exparte (ph) hearing. That was denied. The other party needed to be present. So I went back to Iraq for a week and a half and then I got a Red Cross message telling me that I had court. That I needed to come home.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: There have been some who have complained that there are a lot of single parents out there who do make the necessary arrangements for childcare. Have you felt any backlash of others saying, you know, I'm in a similar boat and I don't want to be stuck in Iraq either.
HAYES: No, I really haven't. I think pretty much everybody has been sympathetic and understands the circumstances. I think, there again, it was one National Guard commander who didn't.
LINDA THEROUX, ATTORNEY: It was mainly pointing out the areas of the court order where the court found an impermissible risk to leaving the child in the situation. And it was really pointing out that there was alcoholism in the family, there was an admission of slapping the child across the face and there was an arrest and conviction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Lisa Hayes surrendered to military authorities last week with her seven-year-old daughter by her side. Hayes has another custody hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
COLLINS: The numbers are staggering. The CDC says about one in every 150 children has autism or a related disorder. This hour, families who say their children's autism was caused by vaccines are getting a chance to make their case. Those claims are being heard by a special federal court. The families are seeking payment from a $2.5 billion compensation fund. Previously studies have found no association between autism and the vaccines in question.
HARRIS: Missing for almost a year, found last week, now expected to head back to school. Danielle Cramer's (ph) parents say they're still trying to restore a sense of normalcy for the 15-year-old. The school and the town are not being disclosed. The teen was found last week, police say, in a hidden room in a West Hartford home. Authorities have charged three people in the case. Danielle Cramer's parents join Larry King tonight for their first live primetime interview. Hear what they have to say tonight on "Larry King Live" 9 p.m. Eastern.
COLLINS: Roll change in Iraq. Former foes become allies in the fight against al Qaeda. Arming the Sunnis and why, in the NEWSROOM.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis.
Harassing phone calls, abusive language. Are debt collectors breaking the law. What your rights are, coming up in "Top Tips" in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Taking a look at the big board now. The Dow Jones Industrial averages is down about 22 points to rest at 13,400. One good thing we know out there, by the way of our business stories, is gas prices are down a little bit. So we're going to talk about that and if there's any effect on those numbers that you are seeing right there in just a few minutes.
HARRIS: A little bit.
COLLINS: Yes.
HARRIS: Americans are facing mountains of debt and complaints against debt collectors are starting to stack up also. If you're being badgered, know your rights. Here to explain them, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis on a Monday.
Gerri, great to see you?
WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Tony. Good to see you.
HARRIS: Hey, look, I'm ready to fight. I've got my dukes up.
WILLIS: All right. I'm pleased.
HARRIS: I'm ready to assert my rights.
WILLIS: Awesome.
HARRIS: So what are my rights?
WILLIS: Well, OK. Well, first let's take a look at some of the top grievances compiled by the Federal Trade Commission.
HARRIS: OK.
WILLIS: Here are the things that go on. Twenty-one percent of people complain that collectors were harassing and persistently calling. And 12 percent of complaints alleged debt collectors used obscene or abusive language. Others complain the collectors called at odd hours.
OK. So now you now the complaints. Here are your rights, Tony.
HARRIS: All right.
WILLIS: Debt collectors cannot call you before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. If you don't want to be contacted by telephone, outline your request in a letter. Send it certified mail. Look, a collector is not allowed to threaten you with a lawsuit, they can't threaten to garnish your wages, sell your property or even threaten you with arrests. These are big no-noes.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
Well part of our understanding here has to be in knowing the process that we have now entered into here.
WILLIS: Right. And it's a big mystery for people. You know, if you're over six months late say on a credit card bill, your credit card issuer, they try to get you to pay up. If that doesn't work, your debt is then sold to a collection agency. And if that collection agency isn't successful, your debt is sold again and again to another collection agency. A second, a third, a fourth. You get the point here. It lives on and on.
HARRIS: Yes. So what happens if I've got a collector calling me about something and, look, I don't owe this particular debt? What do I do?
WILLIS: I get complaints like this all the time. If you don't owe the money, you can dispute it in writing within 30 days of being notified. Now the creditor cannot contact you until you are sent a written clarification of the debt in question. Don't be coerced into paying a debt you don't owe. Remember, if you do pay just to get rid of those debt collectors, it's an admission of guilt and it will have a negative impact on your credit score. But people get harassed, they get scared, they start paying things they don't owe.
HARRIS: Right. Can I simply -- I know this is going to do terrible things to the credit score -- but can I simply just wait out the collectors?
WILLIS: Well, you know, there is an expiration date. There's a limit to how long collectors can legally collect your debt. Now generally the limit, called a statute of limitations, is seven to 10 years. You'll want to check in with your state attorney general's office to find out what laws apply in your state. And, of course, you can find out by contacting naag.org. That's naag.org.
Don't accept a new credit offer from a creditor you never repay. This is important, Tony. Once that creditor renews your credit relationship, that seven to 10 year clock starts ticking all over again.
HARRIS: That's a good reminder there.
Where to turn? Where do we go? Look, we're being hassled. We're not quite sure of our rights. You know, we weren't able to write everything down as you were telling it to us this morning. Where do we turn? Where do we go?
WILLIS: Well, if you think your rights have been violated by a debt collector, contact your local state attorney general's office or the Federal Trade Commission. They have a phone number, 1-877-FTC- HELP.
And a reminder to your viewers, Tony, send us your questions to toptips@cnn.com. If you have debt collector questions or any other money questions, we answer them right here every Friday. We love to hear from your smart, smart viewers.
HARRIS: There you go. You know, giving them compliments always helps.
Gerri Willis . . .
WILLIS: Well, it's true.
HARRIS: Gerri, great to see you. Thank you.
WILLIS: Good to see you.
COLLINS: Arming the Sunnis in Iraq. Who's providing the weapons? In some cases, the U.S. Working with former enemies to fight al Qaeda, coming up in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Still serving his time after a change in the crime law. Will Jenarlo Wilson go free? It's decision day, in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And coming up on the half hour. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. Good morning. I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins.
A horrific crime scene in Wisconsin. Six people shot to death. Among them, twin baby boys. This morning investigators piece together what happened. More now from CNN's Keith Oppenheim.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): In a small town, the sounds of a massacre.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I just heard a rapid succession of shots.
OPPENHEIM: Saturday night police are called to this white house in Delavan, Wisconsin. In a minivan outside they find a two-year-old girl shot in the chest. She was alive. But inside the home, six people, four adults and two two-month-old twin boys, all shot and found dead. Relatives of the victims were stunned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know what kind of person would do that.
OPPENHEIM: Kay Macara is the mother of one of the victims. She identified her daughter as 19-year-old Vanessa Iverson (ph).
KAY MACARA, MOTHER OF VICTIM: The police stopped at my house this morning and asked me if I had heard from her and when was the last time I saw her.
OPPENHEIM: What wasn't clear, who was responsible and why.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All I know is that they were just having a good time and somebody was just angry.
OPPENHEIM: Neighbors and relatives told us they suspect this was a domestic dispute, a murder-suicide, but police did not confirm that, leaving open the possibility someone fled the scene.
CHIEF TIMOTHY O'NEILL, DELEVAN POLICE: We want to make sure that there's no stone unturned.
OPPENHEIM: Authorities would only say that there was no danger to the neighborhood at this point. That was perhaps slight comfort to a community trying to understand a brutal attack on four adults and three small children.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales likely facing a no-confidence vote in the Senate. The vote, pushed by Democrats, is expected to come later today. Gonzales under fire for last year's dismissals of some federal prosecutors.
During his stop today in Bulgaria, President Bush stood firmly behind his attorney general. He dismissed the no-confidence vote as pure politics. Gonzales is a long-time friend and legal adviser to the president.
COLLINS: A new strategy for fighting al Qaeda in Iraq: the U.S. arming Sunni fighters who were once the enemy. That's just one thing going on in Iraq today.
Let's talk about all of it now with our military analyst, retired Brigadier General James Spider Marks joining us this morning.
Good morning to you, general.
Let's begin with trying to sort of break this down a little bit by what is happening by way of strategy, to arm the Sunnis that are promising, if you will, to fight al Qaeda-linked groups. What is that promise that they make? I mean, how do you really decide that, yes, this particular person will be true to his word?
BRIG. GEN. JAMES MARKS (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Heidi, first of all, it's very important to understand that any type of agreement that you work into with local Sunni organization or anyone that you're trying to get on your side, if you have to kind of establish sides, must be done very precisely, must be done very clearly, and you've got to establish metrics so that you can measure that these bad guys that you're dealing with are in fact going to be a part of your team.
So this is not unusual. It's unprecedented in this particular case. Frankly, I would say that at some levels it's already been done.
But what's clear, what General Petraeus has to do in order to ensure this is done right, is he has established the authority down to the local level, so that local commanders can make those calls, because they've got a sense of the environment and the individuals that they're dealing with, so that he this do they judgments and ensure that they're meeting the requirements as they go along.
COLLINS: It seems really tough. Obviously, though, if you're on the frontlines you have a better idea because you see it firsthand.
But I know they're going to do these biometric tests where anybody who's going to be provided a weapon, their fingerprints will be taken, there will be retinal scans done, apparently the serial numbers of the weapons will be registered. Is that enough?
MARKS: Well, it's not enough. If we are going to provide munitions to our former enemies and try to get them on our side, clearly you've to ensure that you maintain control of those, that you have routine checks to ensure that the inventory hasn't been depleted. If it has, Heidi, you've got to back and determine where that stuff went.
I think the technological enablers are good, because you then can identify the very specific individuals.
But understand, let's be honest with each other, once those weapon systems get out in the streets, if they're not controlled in some way, they will just simply dissipate and kind of work their ways into other hands. So it's clearly done at the local level. Local controls and local commanders can withdraw those authorities as quickly as they issue them.
COLLINS: All right. And so these Sunni groups are promising to fight al Qaeda and the al Qaeda-linked groups, and they say they're going to help cut down on attacks, or even stop attacks, on Americans. How are they going to do that better than the American forces?
MARKS: Well, point No. 1 is information flow. When you have folks who are on the ground they -- and they're natives -- they've got access to information that the U.S. may not. Now over the course of time, the U.S. has established a presence, they have inroads, they have sources, but there's nothing like getting information, valuable information, that you can then check out to determine whether it's really going to help you out. So information is the key thing.
COLLINS: Can't they just take that information and give it to the U.S. forces?
MARKS: Well, that's what hopefully is going to happen. But what you have with insurgent forces, they have inroads and they're running sources within other groups, so the network within a network is what the U.S. probably has a very difficult time with, and routinely tries to get native forces or native individuals or groups to assist them with it. So once you have that inroad, you want to give them certain authorities to do certain things, and then you check it and try to keep it within bounds.
COLLINS: As you know, some people are really talking about this, especially if they are in charge of making those decisions. In fact, one general, Rick Lynch --he's the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division -- offered this caveat to the new strategy. Let's listen fur just a second.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, U.S. ARMY: If I've got indications there's somebody out there killing our soldiers, we ain't talking to them. We're killing our capturing them. We haven't crossed that line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So as we mentioned earlier, won't it be really tough to determine who exactly you should be making these deals with by way of arming them?
It's clearly, that's the most difficult decision. That's why guys like Ricky Lynch have to delegate the authority down to the battalion commander, maybe the regimental or brigade level, because they know their environments, and they know those folks that in their areas better than anybody else. They can make a pact with that specific devil, as opposed to some other devil, as Ricky indicated, who needs to die.
COLLINS: Yes. Quickly we want to switch topics slightly. On Friday we learned that General Peter Pace stepping down as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. What's your reaction to that, and the effect it may have on new strategies or any strategy in Iraq?
MARKS: As you know, Heidi, change in the military is the constant that we all understand and appreciate. General Pace is a magnificent Marine. I think the challenge is that he was tied to Secretary Rumsfeld from the very, very beginning, so his fingerprints are on the strategy that exists, at least the military portions of that strategy, that exist in Iraq and Afghanistan today. Clearly the administration made a call that it was time for him to leave. The sad point is he truly is a great American.
COLLINS: What do you think of his replacement?
MARKS: Very tough Naval officer, class of's 68, if I'm not mistaken, from the Naval Academy, has a great reputation of being a real hard-nosed, yet a very pragmatic leader and a great listener.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. We appreciate your comments here today, as always.
MARKS: Thanks, Heidi.
COLLINS: Spider Marks, thanks.
HARRIS: Let's show you some pictures just in a short time ago to the CNN NEWSROOM. This is out of Boca Raton, close to Boca Raton, Florida, in a canal near Boca Raton, pictures of a stuck barge. You can see the work that's going on right now. Workers at the scene you are looking into a possible fuel leak as they work to keep the vessel afloat. There are no known injuries. Workers are trying to prevent the barge from sinking completely. I think you can see that the tip of the barge may be a bit submerged, though it looks like they may be making some progress with this. It's just a shot we'll keep an eye on for you.
We're understanding if there is a fuel leak, it is probably just a minor leak, so we'll keep an eye on the picture for you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Hey, they are calling it the toilet paper caper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's facing potentially three years of incarceration for three rolls of toilet paper.
I can't say it with a straight face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: But not everybody's laughing. A possible third strike for one woman. Details ahead in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Royal Romeo, a peck and a point caught on camera. Hello, ladies, I'm a prince. The story is coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
COLLINS: Potentially the greatest story of the day. You ready? The case of the missing toilet paper. Police say they may have solved it. And that could mean serious consequences for one woman.
We get the story now from Katie Piper of affiliate KCCI in Iowa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE PIPER, KCCI REPORTER (voice-over): Just when you think you've heard it all...
CHIEF LON WALKER, MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA POLICE: She's facing potentially three years of incarceration for three years of toilet paper. I can't say it with a straight face.
PIPER: Suzanne Marie Butts (ph) got busted.
GENE SEIM, PARKING LOT ATTENDANT: The word gets around, you know.
PIPER: Even the parking lot attendant at the courthouse knew about it.
SEIM: I've heard they call it the toilet paper caper.
PIPER: This week an employee watched Butts take the two-ply from the women's bathroom and called police.
(on camera): Police caught up with Butts outside the courthouse, but she didn't come clean at first; she was hiding the toilet paper under her clothes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first time I did this, the first time.
PIPER: We asked Butts why she did it, but she said her attorney didn't want her to talk with us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He told me not to answer any questions urn he's with me.
WALKER: Normally that would be a simple misdemeanor.
PIPER: But this is her third theft charge. Now it's up to a judge to decide what punishment fits this crime.
And as for the employees at the courthouse? At least they know that something was up.
WALKER: They're saying that they seemed to go through a lot of toilet paper at the courthouse.
SEIM: I thought it was going down pretty fast at times, that's right, yes.
COLLINS: Now, I don't want to be too gross, here, but did you happen to notice the gal's last name in the toilet paper caper? Butts. I didn't know that until just now. We cannot write this.
And by the way, it is now up to a judge to decide if jail time is actually warranted in this case. We will follow that for you.
HARRIS: We will?
COLLINS: Oh, yes.
HARRIS: OK. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, just five words -- that's the longest acceptance speech allowed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bidding starts at 99 cents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Webby winners teach the Oscars about brevity in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Hopefully you already know to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 until noon Eastern, but did you know you can take us with you on your iPod? It's really cool. CNN NEWSROOM podcast available 24/7 right on your iPod.
HARRIS: Britain's Prince Harry causing a bit of a stir. Again, these pictures reportedly of the 20-year-old prince posing with women at a Calgary bar last night. CBC News says he stayed until after the bar closed and had a few drinks with the ladies. Prince Harry is third in line to the British throne. He's reportedly in Calgary to train at a British army base in Canada.
COLLINS: If brevity is the soul of wit, the Webby Awards must have been a riot. That's because acceptance speeches could be no more than five words.
In case you missed the gala event, CNN's Jeanne Moos has a recap.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Only at the Webby's would this lame joke seem endearing.
ROB CORDDRY, HOST, WEBBY AWARDS: Knock knock.
AUDIENCE: Who's there?
CORDDRY: Ya.
AUDIENCE: Who?
CORDDRY: That's my favorite search engine.
MOOS: If you're searching for Internet stars, this is the red carpet for you. There's lonely girl 15, winner of the best actress Webby. They're the two guys who created YouTube.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES: YouTubers, this is for you.
MOOS (on camera): The night is long, but the speeches at least are short, no more than five words allowed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, mom, whoever you are.
MOOS (voice-over): Five words, even if you're the CEO of eBay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: Bidding starts at 99 cents.
MOOS: Even Facebook didn't get much face time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just here for Bowie.
MOOS: That would be David Bowie, winner of the Webby for lifetime achievement.
DAVID BOWIE, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT WINNER: I only get five words -- (bleep), that was five.
MOOS: Bowie on the same stage as Monkey Mail?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the Webby goes to Monkey Mail.
MOOS: It lets you put your voice in a chimp's mouth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Monkeys are funnier than people.
MOOS: Monkeying around at the Webby's were the Beastie Boys, Webby Artist of the Year. Their five words ...
BEASTIE BOYS: Can anyone fix my computer?
MOOS: The co-creators of YouTube were asked about their favorite on-line videos.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With water buffalo, lions, and a crocodile ...
MOOS: A lion catches a water buffalo calf, then the lions almost lose the calf. To the rescue, the whole herd of water buffalo, they beat up the lions, then re-claim their calf. Hard to top that, but YouTube co-founder Steve Chen (ph) picked this favorite.
STEVE CHEN, CO-FOUNDER, YOUTUBE.COM: Video of a human slingshot.
MOOS: They didn't try that stunt at the Webby's, but they did try this one. Eighteen million people have watched what happens when Mento mints react with Diet Coke, so what better finale for the Webby's than to perform it live, using strings to pull open caps, releasing Mentos into the Coke.
MOOS (on camera): So, you're soaked, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh yes, we are soaked to the skin.
MOOS (voice-over): For a year, these two have made a living performing the Coke and Mentos routine. Practice makes perfect. Better keep their Coke and Mentos away from your computer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're still here.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And still to come this morning, frightening scenes along the New Mexico highway, packed with travelers. Funnel clouds in the desert southwest. That story ahead for you in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Trying to get back to normal: a Connecticut teen who was missing for almost a year, now expected to head back to school. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A battle in the Senate over the future of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. I'm Brianna Keilar in Washington. I'll have a live report, straight ahead.
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