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Lake Tahoe Wildfire; Pregnant Woman Killed; Religion and Government; Schools and Freedom Of Speech; Summer Car Preps
Aired June 25, 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: They're trying to keep flames away from hundreds of homes. Already 220 buildings have burned.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Ohio Police Officer Bobby Cutts on the other side of the law. He's due in court today, charged with killing his pregnant girlfriend. A woman also arrested in the case.
HARRIS: A family reunion ends in tragedy. A chartered bus veers off a Kentucky interstate and slams into a bridge.
It is Monday, June 25th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: An intense battle against a raging wildfire happening right now Meyers, California, near Lake Tahoe. Dozens of homes and other buildings burned to the ground. Hundreds more are threatened. At least a thousand people have fled the flames. There could be more as the day continues. CNN's Ted Rowlands is with us now live from Meyers.
Ted, we're learning a little bit or hearing something about this fire possibly being suspicious.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that we just picked that up from a morning briefing, that they believe this fire started under suspicious circumstances. An investigator is on his way, his or her way, to try to find out the exact cause. But that is going to infuriate the people that lost everything because of this fire and there are a lot of them.
We're in the wake of the fire. The head of the fire is where most of the attack is going on. We're just behind it. And you can see the utter devastation that this intense fire has left behind. Home after home, completely devastated. Firefighters estimate about 220, at least, buildings, including homes, were devastated by this fire.
And you look around this neighborhood, you look across the street, it's the same thing. Chimneys are the only thing standing, home after home just completely leveled. It is really something to see. It is horrific to just imagine what these people are going to go through when they come back to find out that they literally have nothing.
About 2,000 acres has been consumed by this fire. Firefighters are hoping to attack it from the air in earnest. The problem now is there's a very heavy layer of smoke and fog and so they have not been able to fly the aircraft yet. They're hoping that the weather conditions change within the next few hours so that they can really go all-out on this fire and the head of it.
There is smoke everywhere around here for miles. People are being warned to stay inside.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. KEVIN HOUSE, EL DORADO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: The best thing they can really do is stay home. Barton Hospital is actually saying they could keep the windows closed, try to stay out of this stuff as much as possible. It's very congestive. There's a lot of emergency personnel going on.
The best thing they can do is just -- is stay home. If the people want to help, you know, they have some needs that, you know, maybe in a shelter or something like that. But even that, we can only take so many people and they're already very congested.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: Shelters full. About 1,000 people evacuated. Some evacuated on foot because they hung around for so long. One of the things we have seen out in front of these home, garden hoses. People trying to keep the flames away. But firefighters and everybody had to get out, especially in this neighborhood, you see the destruction. Unfortunately, these people are going to come back to find that they have lost everything.
Heidi.
COLLINS: Wow. It's just unbelievable pictures we've been getting from all of this.
Ted, I wonder if you might be able to give us a little bit better lay of the land, just for people who have maybe only been there for vacation and that beautiful lake. Lake Tahoe is situated here? And then possibly Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe Ski Resort. Is that where you are now or you're southwest of there, I believe? Is that correct?
ROWLANDS: Yes. Right. We're about five miles outside of south Lake Tahoe. There's north and south Lake Tahoe. This is right -- we're right on the border of Nevada and California. We're in a town called Meyers. Just up from Heavenly Ski Resort in the south Lake Tahoe area. The flames are headed towards that area, but the hope is that they'll be able to stop this thing and stop it soon before anymore homes are consumed.
COLLINS: Yes, we have heard that they have already begun the air assault this morning. I'm sure they'll be more of that as the day continues.
Ted, we'll check in with you later. Thanks so much.
HARRIS: And this just in to CNN. Let me sort of give you a bit of the back story on this. Last hour we told you that a verdict was expected today in the $54 million pants lawsuit.
COLLINS: (INAUDIBLE).
COLLINS: It is. It is. D.C. administrative law judge, Roy Pearson, claims his dry cleaner lost and expensive pair of pants. He alleges fraud saying that the cleaner did not live up to its promises of satisfaction guaranteed. He also wants money for pain and suffering and for legal bills.
Ready. A drum roll, please. We have a verdict. A decision by the judge.
The judge has ruled in favor of the owners of the dry cleaners. Again, in this $54 million pants lawsuit, the judge hearing the case has moved in favor of the owners of the dry cleaners.
COLLINS: Now, OK, are those the pants that we're looking at right there?
HARRIS: I think those are the pants in question, yes, Heidi.
COLLINS: But I thought they were missing? I'm confused.
HARRIS: Well, they've been found. And there you have it.
COLLINS: So then what's the problem? Maybe if he'd only asked for a couple million it would have been a different verdict.
HARRIS: No. It would have been the same verdict.
COLLINS: OK.
HARRIS: A check of weather now. And you better get us to Chad.
COLLINS: Chad, save us.
Actually, I'm sure you have quite a bit more on the fire situation. Quickly, did you see that video of earlier today that showed just that incredible layer of smoke? It almost looked like something from space. I've never seen a picture like that before.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Want to get to this now. In southern Kentucky, a terrible accident scene. At least one person dead and the Associated Press now reporting 66 injured in that crash east of Bowling Green. It's on Interstate 65. Look at these pictures now. The bus slammed into the (INAUDIBLE) concrete overpass, but it's not clear why at this point. The charter company that owns the bus says it was rented by a family. They were returning to Alabama from a reunion.
Bombs explode across Iraq and the casualty toll mounts. First stop, Baghdad, and the gun lobby of a busy hotel. It leaves 12 people dead, 21 wounded. Reportedly among the victims, seven tribal leaders. They were meeting to discuss national unity. The attack raises a major concern now, how did a suicide bomber penetrate at least three layers of security? The Mansour Hotel house the Chinese embassy and several western organizations.
South of Baghdad, a suicide car bomber targets a government compound. In all, at least four different targets bombed in suicide attacks today. The casualty, at least 46 kills, 132 injured.
HARRIS: Ohio Police Officer Bobby Cutts heads to court this afternoon. He is facing two murder charges in the death of his girlfriend Jessie Davis and her unborn baby. And now an old friend of his is also under arrest. Our Jim Acosta is on the case in Canton, Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The arrests came less than one day after authorities smashed their way into the home of 29-year-old Myisha Ferrell. But investigators are so far revealing little about her involvement in the disappearance of Jessie Davis, the pregnant mother whose body was found on Saturday just outside a national park north of Canton.
RICK PEREZ, STARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Myisha Lynne Ferrell is charged with obstructing deputies and agents in the investigation into the disappearance of Jessie Davis.
ACOSTA: Justin Linstrum (ph), who lives above Myisha Ferrell's apartment, says investigators were on the look-out for a comforter.
JUSTIN LINSTRUM: While they were here, the sheriffs were specifically asking about the comforter they found in my laundry in the basement. I mean it was my comforter and all. But at the same time, you know, it doesn't take a genius to put that together.
ACOSTA: A comforter disappeared from Davis' home at the same time the pregnant mother vanished more than a week ago. Linstrum says investigators also appeared to be hunting for a source of bleach found all over the crime scene.
LINSTRUM: I could hear them talking about a lot of bleach that they had found. Said there was more bleach in this house than they had ever seen anywhere.
ACOSTA: Investigators entered Ferrell's home just hours after authorities charged Davis' ex-boyfriend, Bobby Cutts Junior, a police officer, with two counts of murder. A source close to the search told CNN, Cutts directed investigators to the location of the body.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And Jim Acosta joins us now.
Jim, we understand some documents have been filed in this case. What can you tell us about those? ACOSTA: Well, Tony, some charging documents have been filed in this case in advance of this initial court appearance that's being made this afternoon by Bobby Cutts Jr. and Myisha Ferrell. And according to these documents, authorities are now saying that Bobby Cutts Jr. did kill Jessie Marie Davis at her home.
And that is significant because there were lots of questions about whether or not she was abducted from her home, kidnapped from her home alive and then killed later. But according to authorities and what they're saying in these documents, one can presume now that authorities believe that Bobby Cutts Jr. killed Jessie Marie Davis in her home and then moved her body elsewhere.
There have also been questions as to whether or not he had help moving that body. And as for Myisha Ferrell, her charging documents only talk about communicating false information. The documents do not talk about moving any bodies. So at least for the moment, authorities are not saying that about her.
HARRIS: OK. CNN's Jim Acosta for us in Canton, Ohio.
Jim, thank you.
COLLINS: This just in to us here now at CNN. We are getting a Supreme Court ruling today. The White House really are winning this one five to four. Let me tell what you it's about quickly. Religious charities and whether or not taxpayers can sue over discretionary spending. Authority by the White House, office of faith-based and community initiatives. It uses general appropriation to then promote the use of federal funds for faith-based charities and social services. But does it violate separation the of church and state? That seems to be the issue here. Some taxpayers sued saying it does and moments ago, as we say, the Supreme Court weighed in, five to four and the White House wins this one. Let's take a look at the issue a little bit further with Gary Nurenberg.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Heritage Baptist Church in Annapolis, Maryland, doesn't apply for federal grants for its charitable programs.
REV. HENRY GREEN, HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH: The federal government should stay out of the church, period, end of story.
NURENBERG: Catholic Charities, which run a shelter for homeless veterans in Chicago, does apply for federal money to help pay for its programs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We help them and we care for them. We do not ask their religious tradition. But we -- it does not matter to us.
NURENBERG: President Bush created a White House office of faith- based and community initiatives within two weeks of taking office.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to insure that faith-based and community groups will always have a place at the table.
NURENBERG: The office holds conferences to help faith-based charities get federal funds, but critics argue it does more than that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They show preference for facilitating the funding of faith-based groups over secular groups.
NURENBERG: With that belief as a basis, a coalition of agnostics and atheists sued as taxpayers, arguing the office violates the first amendment doctrine dictating separation of church and state.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The government itself is actually impermissibly advancing religion and promoting religion with our tax dollars.
NURENBERG: The administration says it just wants faith-based groups to be on equal footing with other charities applying for federal aid. And the charities argue they aren't using the federal money to preach.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we're not a selling things or we're not -- what we're trying to do is we take care of people who are the most in need.
NURENBERG: Administration critics see political motives.
GREEN: It's a payoff to the religious right, and particularly to the ultraconservative members of the religious right who are -- who have supported their administration.
NURENBERG: The narrow, legal question for the court, do taxpayers have the right to sue, has political overtones as well.
EDWARD LAZARUS, SUPREME COURT LEGAL ANALYST: This question of who gets to sue is a significant piece of the conservative legal agenda. They want to narrow the circumstances in which citizens can get into court.
NURENBERG: The court has now provided an answer.
Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Want to take a moment to talk about this a little bit further. We have CNN legal contributor, Avery Friedman on the line with us now to help us break it down maybe a little maybe.
Avery, can you hear me OK?
AVERY FRIEDMAN, ATTORNEY: I hear you great, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Terrific. What do you think of the ruling here? Five to four in favor of the White House.
FRIEDMAN: Well, it's certainly representative of the new coalition, the new majority. The argument about faith-based and the obstruction with what's called the establishment clause of the first amendment, at least for those people that thought it wasn't right to mix government with religion, went up in smoke today. That five to four decision is somewhat unprecedented.
And what the majority did, Heidi, was took a procedural issue by saying, if the groups didn't have what's call standing. That is they didn't have the right to bring the suit in the first place. And that counter balances against a vigorous defense saying, who else would be challenging these sort of claims?
COLLINS: So why did they have standing, Avery?
FRIEDMAN: Well, in my opinion, it did. But the five to four majority said, not. That they were too far removed from the issues that the organization essentially couldn't connect up their interests with the faith-based programs established by the White House. Or advocated by the White House.
COLLINS: So you see this ruling really blurring the lines, then, between the separation of church and state?
FRIEDMAN: Oh, I think from the standpoint of 60 years of jurisprudence on the issue of establishment law under the first amendment, it in deed blurs the line. But what the majority did, Heidi, so that it's clear, is it really didn't face-off with the issue. It just used procedural grounds to avoid addressing the issue. And that's what was so disturbing for those who wound up losing the case.
COLLINS: Well, so what should have happened here then? How should it really have gone, in your eyes?
FRIEDMAN: Well, I think this was a showdown on whether or not the court would say that the whole concept of faith-based programs, in and of itself, violates the first amendment, which prohibits mixing essentially government and religion. In other words, all the parties here were looking for a substantive decision. And what the majority did is essentially say, look, these parties don't have the right to challenge it. This case, dismissed.
COLLINS: But you had to have heard in the package that we just ran, the piece by Gary Nurenberg there, one of the religious gentlemen, I'm not sure if he was a pastor or a minister or a priest for that matter, he did say, you know, because we are getting these federal funds doesn't mean that we're taking them and using them politically or trying to forward any cause that may offend certain people. It only is in order to help our churches be able to thrive.
FRIEDMAN: In other words, the function of the church, according to the prevailing parties, has nothing to do with religion but rather advancing social services and healthcare and those sort of issues, where the government hasn't fulfilled that responsibility. That's the underlying philosophy behind faith-based programs. The parties who lost the base said basically, no, it's a scam. It's essentially a way of forcing religion on the recipients of these social service programs, creative arguments, good arguments, but they lost.
COLLINS: All right, Avery. That is the first Supreme Court decision of the day. We are expecting a few others. We'll have to see how they shake out.
But are you ready to have some fun. Let's talk about this $54 million pants lawsuit.
FRIEDMAN: Oh, yes.
COLLINS: The dry cleaning issue where this gentleman here said that, you know, they lost his pants and it cost him pain and suffering and satisfaction guaranteed was just thrown out the window. Tried to sue and he lost. What do you think?
FRIEDMAN: He lost big time. And actually this person is a sitting administrative judge in the District of Columbia.
COLLINS: That's right.
FRIEDMAN: Roy Pearson went to course first bringing a suit against the Chung family, who owns the dry cleaner, for $67 million. He reduced it to $54 million in trial a couple of weeks ago. He said, well, I really only want $2 million, which is $1.5 million for my pain and suffering. Now apparently he has been traumatized by the memory of his pants, yes.
COLLINS: They were lucky pants or something, weren't they?
FRIEDMAN: Yes, something. And I want $500,000 to pay my lawyer, who, of course, was himself. Judge Judith Bartnoff, in a 23-page opinion, very carefully, thoughtfully written, concluded that he failed to meet his burden of proof, case thrown out and she is inviting briefs on the issue of sanctions against Judge Pierson.
COLLINS: Holy cow. Sounds like a whole lot of paper used on that. I won't say wasted, but certainly used.
All right, Avery Friedman, law professor and civil rights attorney. We certainly appreciate your time today. Thank you.
HARRIS: Get ready to celebrate. Gas prices drop. Find out what you can expect to pay for a gallon of regular.
COLLINS: Also, it's now or never. Supporters of an immigration bill, backed by the president, put their hopes on a key Senate vote. We'll have a preview.
HARRIS: Convicted of a young woman's killing, now welcomed into the foundation bearing her name. Journey of forgiveness.
COLLINS: The edge of danger. A man slips from firefighters and falls two stories. We'll show you the dramatic pictures and tell you what happened.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis. Gas prices are falling and that means one thing, road trip. How to prepare your car for summer travel. "Top Tips" are next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And this just in to CNN. The U.S. Supreme Court -- Heidi, you mentioned a moment ago we were expecting a number of decisions today. Here's the second one so far today. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling that schools can sensor students.
This is a case over this banner, you may recall, "bong hits 4 Jesus." The school in question here in Juneau, Alaska, had raised an outing to watch the Olympic torch make its way through Juneau in route to the 2002 winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City. And the student in question here said he was asserting his right to free speech and to speak out. The principal interpreted the banner, "bong hits 4 Jesus," as advocating drug use. Gary Nurenberg has more on the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): As the symbolic torch was carried through Juneau, Alaska, on its way to the 2002 Olympics, Douglas Public High School let students stands on city streets to watch it pass by. When it did, Douglas student Joe Frederick unfurled this banner, "bong hits 4 Jesus."
JOSEPH FREDERICK: I find it absurdly and funny. I was not promoting drugs. I assumed most people would take it as a joke.
NURENBERG: His school principal didn't. She tore down the banner and suspended him. Frederick sued, arguing his constitutional rights were violated.
DOUGLAS MERTZ, ATTORNEY FOR STUDENT: He was a citizen exercising free speech in a public place, at a public event.
NURENBERG: But the school argues . . .
KENNETH STAR (ph), SCHOOL'S ATTORNEY: It was a field trip where the school was able and did exercise its authority.
NURENBERG: In this case, to prevent kids from being exposed to arguably pro-drug messages, according to its attorney Kenneth Star.
STARR: The school should be able to put a stop to these kinds of pro-drug culture messages.
NURENBERG: They disagree. As members of students for a sensible drug policy, they traveled to Washington to demonstrate for students speech rights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they are learning at such a young age that, you know, freedom of speech is more a myth than a fact, then that is sort of a dangerous president to set for our country. NURENBERG: The court has long ruled schools do have rights to limit students' speech, but Frederick's lawyer, Douglas Mertz, says they don't apply in this case.
MERTZ: The test is whether the exercise of free speech creates a substantial disruption of the educational process.
NURENBERG: But what's disruptive enough to limit free speech? These California kids demonstrated against immigration policy last year.
Others oppose the war in Iraq. Can school muzzle those views. Some Christian groups have filed briefs here saying that too much school power could prevent kids from espousing religious views.
EDWARD LAZARUS, SUPREME COURT LEGAL ANALYST: The legal rule that's established is going to cover a lot of different kinds of protests that may involve student messages that are much more profound and are really aimed at some of the most important disputes in society.
NURENBERG: Making "bong hits 4 Jesus" an important addition to first amendment law.
Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And once again, the Supreme Court has ruled against that high school student in the "bong hits 4 Jesus" banner case. A decision that is said to have some broad implications for students' rights. We will continue to follow this in the NEWSROOM.
And we are just getting word of another decision. All right. Now they're coming in fast and furiously now here in the NEWSROOM. Tell me again what the most recent decision is on?
COLLINS: I believe we are hearing a five to four ruling on the campaign finance reform. We're just getting this as it comes in. So we want to make sure we get it to you as fast as possible. This is in favor of the abortion group. A five to four ruling.
Let me tell you a little bit more what it's about. This is whether issue ads that are aired mainly on television and then funded in house by businesses, labor unions, so forth, can actually be banned. It's usually about 60 days before a general election, 30 days before a primary, as the free speech dispute comes about seven months before the primaries. It's being closely watched, as I'm sure you know, by advocacy groups and political parties.
Again, ruling in favor of the abortion group, five to four, the Supreme Court ruling today. We have several of these coming in. So we're just getting them out to you as soon as possible. That one on the issue ads. Five to four. We will continue to follow these and bring them to you just as we get them. Temps are rising, gas prices are falling, and many of us are looking down the road to summer vacation. Mine starts Friday. But before packing, make sure your car is ready for the journey. Here to explain, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.
So, Gerri, the gas prices are going down a little bit. People still planning to drive for their summer vacation?
WILLIS: Yes, but you've got to get your car ready. You know, you can't just like, you know, do no preparation.
Tip number one, check the tires before you load up the car. Use a tire gauge to check your tire pressure. Tires that aren't properly inflated will waste gas. And, well, they don't perform well on the road. Check your tire pressure when it's cooler out, since hot air causes tires to swell and you get an inaccurate reading. Set the tire pressure to the manufacturer's recommendations. And you can find that on a sticker inside the door or the glove box.
Heidi.
COLLINS: It's like buying a new pair of shoes at the end of the day. You don't want to do that. You got to do that in the morning.
WILLIS: That's -- it's got to fit, right?
COLLINS: That's right. That's right. Also number two, keep your car hydrated. What do you mean by that?
WILLIS: That's right. Well, you know, check the level of all your vehicle's vital fluids. So I'm talking about engine oil, brake fluid, windshield washer fluid. If the engine oil is below the hash mark on the dip stick, you know this, you'll want to add more oil. Your brake fluid should be at least two-thirds full. Check out the color of the fluid. It should be clear or light amber. If it's dark and cloudy, the fluid should be replaced and the brake system flushed. And your windshield washer fluid, well, you fill that up all the way.
Heidi.
COLLINS: You know, I hear you saying all these tips and people, yeah, yeah, you know, I've heard this before. But then, do they really do it? And all of a sudden they're found, you know, broken down by the side of the highway in boiling, boiling hot conditions.
WILLIS: And you don't want to be there with the kids in the back seat. It's a nightmare, right?
COLLINS: I can only imagine.
So, avoid overheating. Make sure you have enough of that coolant.
WILLIS: Yes. You have to make sure you've got the coolant. If you're hauling a heavy load or your idling in traffic, your car is in danger of overheating. Check the composition of a radiator's mixture by using an antifreeze tester. These are cheap at auto parts stores. They only cost a couple of bucks. The ideal mixture of coolant and water inside your vehicle's radiator is 50/50.
Heidi.
COLLINS: OK. And then run the AC, which I really never go anywhere without my AC running. I'm big on Freon.
WILLIS: All right. Well, there's nothing worse than being stuck without air conditioning on a hot day, right?
COLLINS: Yes.
WILLIS: So to make sure your AC system is working right, turn it on and feel just how long it takes to get cold. If it seems like it takes a really long time or, you know, sometimes the air just never gets cold enough. You go and get what they call a recharge. And if you smell a musty, mildewy odor, that usually means the drain vents may have some mold and may need a cleaning. Just little details to make you more comfortable as you travel.
And as always, if you have any tips you'd like to share with your fellow viewers or any questions you'd like us to answer, send us an e- mail to toptips@cnn. We answer them right here every Friday morning. We'd love to hear from you.
And I'm going on vacation, too, next week. I'm very excited.
COLLINS: Where you going?
WILLIS: West coast. California, baby.
COLLINS: OK. I'm going east.
All right. Well, we'll come back and compare notes.
WILLIS: Absolutely.
COLLINS: Gerri, thank you.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
(NEWSBREAK)
HARRIS; A new message from kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston held by militants. His plea and a new tape, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: I want to take a moment to break down some of these rulings that we're getting in from the Supreme Court today. And there are several to tell you about, at least three so far. Let's get straight to it. The first one on religious charities. I'll tell you a little bit about what it is about, a 5-4 vote, which was a conservative majority, that concluded taxpayers did not have standings to go ahead an challenge in court the discretionary spending authority of the executive branch for its Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
Now, way back an atheist and agnostic group from Wisconsin claimed that the Bush administration had given churches and religious groups an unfair advantage in access to federal grant programs, all kind of issues of the separation of church and state came to mind. But again, that vote, 5-4 in favor of the White House.
HARRIS: And then there was the case of the so-called, so named "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." It's a free speech case. Frederick, the student in this case, and the principal at issue in this case. Did Juneau, Alaska officials have the authority to suspend a student who displayed a 14-foot long drug message banner at an off-campus, but school- sponsored event. The Supreme Court saying, yes, school officials in fact do have the authority to sensor students. And that came in a 6-3 decision.
COLLINS: And another one here to tell you about. It seems like the votes are getting a lot of 5-4 votes. This one is also 5-4 in favor of the right-to-life groups. So let me tell you about this one regarding campaign-finance reform. Really what it is about is issue ads that are aired mainly on television, funded in-house by businesses or labor unions, or of course special interest groups, whether or not they can be Banned 60 days before a general election, 30 days before a primary. Free speech dispute comes about seven months before the primary that's obviously being closely watched by many advocacy groups and political parties. That one, again, came down 5-4 in favor of right-to-life groups.
HARRIS: So a bit of a sigh of relief. Gas prices are down, better than going the other way I suppose, dropping below $3 a gallon for the first time since April. The Lundberg Survey puts the national average at $2.99, down 11 cents in the last two weeks. The cheapest gas, Jackson, Mississippi, at $2.75 a gallon. The most expensive, Chicago, at $3.39. AAA's daily fuel check puts the national average at a fraction below $2.98 this morning. It was 13 cents lower a year ago.
COLLINS: Senate Showdown -- supporters and opponents of the president's immigration plan are primed for a key vote.
CNN's Ed Henry explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This week is make or break on immigration reform in the Senate. So supporters of the bill rallied Sunday in Los Angeles, but opponents are also mobilizing to drive home a potent message of their own.
PATRICK BUCHANAN, FMR. PRES. CANDIDATE: I think this is a blanket amnesty for wholesale illegality. And I think it will result in another invasion of the United States that's even greater than this one.
HENRY: President Bush is desperately trying to counter that argument in order to salvage a key legacy item. GEORGE H.W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is not amnesty. There will be penalties for those who come out of the shadows. They pass a strict background check, pay a fine, hold a job, maintain a clean criminal record, and eventually learn English, they will qualify for and maintain a "Z" visa.
HENRY: The problem is that too many of the president's fellow Republicans, even fellow Texans are not buying it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't like what's in it now. I think the amnesty, the cut-off after five years of the guest worker program I think is completely unworkable.
HENRY: Ironically, Democrats are praising the president's approach, including a provision providing an immediate infusion of several billion dollars to secure the nation's border.
SEN. RON WYDEN (D), OREGON: This new approach is going to provide about $4 billion for technology. It's going to provide additional money for sentencing. So it'd be a lot more in the area of border security.
HENRY: But if the bill again fails to clear a procedural hurdle, Democrats anxious to rack up legislative victories will move on to other issues. And then the calendar gets hijacked by the 2008 presidential campaign, when an issue as divisive and emotional as immigration reform has no chance of passage.
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R), MINORITY WHIP: If we don't get it done in the Senate now, it will not be done in the Senate this year or next year, and not before sometime in 2009 when who knows who will be president.
HENRY (on camera): In a sign it's do or die time for this legislation, the president will hold yet another immigration event on Tuesday. And he'll be working the phones, lobbying the few lawmakers who are still on the fence, and warning of the cost of doing nothing.
Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Missing for 10 days, her body finally found. Now Jessie Davis' boyfriend goes to court today. The police officer charged with the pregnant woman's murder.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
COLLINS: Convicted of a young woman's killing. Now welcomed into the foundation bearing her name. Journey of forgiveness.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: From killing a young woman to doing good works in her name. CNN's Fredricka Whitfield reports on a journey of forgiveness.
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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Back home in Capetown, South Africa, Ntobeko Peni and Easy Nofemala, today zeroing in on a future, 14 years after killing an American woman.
August, 1993, three years after Nelson Mandela was released from prison, political tensions and related violence throughout the country were at an all-time high. Among those trying to promote democracy, American Amy Biehl.
LINDA BIEHL, AMY BIEHL'S MOTHER: And I know that Amy was captivated, and in a way we had a little bit of an understanding before her death.
WHITFIELD: Linda Biehl says her daughter's passion for this country was so deep, it was hard to understand how or why anyone would target Amy.
At the time, Peni explains, he and Nofemala were members of a political group, following orders to start a revolution at all costs, make townships ungovernable, especially by whites.
NTOBEKO PENI, CONVICTED OF KILLING AMY BIEHL: I mean, when we saw Amy was so (INAUDIBLE), we saw our primary target.
WHITFIELD: This is where, in an instant, so many lives would collide,. At this still-busy township gas station, Biehl was dropping off friends, when pulled from her car by a group of young men, beaten and stabbed to death.
(on camera): This is the memorial of what happened here. It also symbolizes a remarkable partnership and journey of reconciliation between Amy's family and two of the young men convicted of killing the 26-year-old.
(voice-over): After serving four years in prison, they won early release through South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, then, astonishingly, a phone call.
BIEHL: They wanted to tell us that they are doing good things.
WHITFIELD: They had the Biehls forgiveness, were welcomed in to the family, and the foundation bearing Amy Biehl's name, helping the poorest in Cape Town.
WHITFIELD (no camera): Deep down inside, don't you feel a little bit angry at them?
BIEHL: No. And you know why? Because it has taken such courage for them to even come forward to me. I blame this whole ugly system of Apartheid that created, you know, these fears and hate in people. I thought you know, if I really go back, that's what I blame. WHITFIELD (voice-over): Peni is now the foundation's program director, and at peace with themselves.
PENI: So Amy's death has contributed in a way that is very difficult to explain. The person that I am today as shaped by that particular history.
WHITFIELD: Nofemala as well, and now through the foundation is learning carpentry. He sees his future building.
(on camera): Every day that you look at her what do you think of?
EASY NOFEMALA, CONVICTED OF KILLING AMY BIEHL: I mean, I call her and I say Makula (ph). "Makula" means grandmother, a person that can spoil a child too much.
WHITFIELD: Three families, one tragic incident coming together, forming an incredible example of forgiveness, touching other lives many times over.
Fredricka Whitfield, CNN, Cape Town.
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COLLINS: To in China now, and dramatic video of a fire rescue in Shanghai. Look at this. Firefighters tries a burning apartment building. A man you see there waiting on a ledge to avoid the massive flames, well, he's fitted with a safety harness around his waist.
But as he tries to get to the firefighter's ladder, he falls from the fourth floor to the second floor, hitting a metal pole on the way. And luckily, he was saved by the safety rope and the apartment was destroyed. Wow.
HARRIS: Suicide bombers in multiple strikes across Iran. Dozens of victims. Some of them prominent.
COLLINS: And also, a Kentucky crash -- a charter bus slams in to a bridge, bringing a family reunion to a tragic end.
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