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Secret Society; Brazilian Plane Crash; Iraq Vote Falls Short

Aired July 18, 2007 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: While most of his teammates will be on their way to training camp, Michael Vick will be headed to federal court next week on dog fighting charges. The NFL standout is accused of running a vast dog fighting operation out of his home in Virginia. The charges could cost Vick his career. And if convicted, he could be headed to prison.
As for the crime, CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin has the rare glimpse into a brutal, guarded world.

A word of warning, there are some disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What you are watching is a family vacation like none you have ever seen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was filmed approximately an hour or so prior to the fight, in a hotel room.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stand up, Mark. Let me get you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The person filming it is the dog fighter's wife.

GRIFFIN: The so-called fighter this undercover investigator is talking about is actually a dog owner. He's getting himself and his family prepared for the big event that brought them from Richmond, Virginia, to Columbus, Ohio.

The big event is secret, a championship dog fight. The stakes high.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Each fighter put up $5,000, winner take all.

GRIFFIN: They also know the loser may be left with a dog that may never recover.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very common for a championship fight to be videotaped. It's a marketing tool.

GRIFFIN: In all, 40 people have come to watch, which, in Ohio, is a felony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You really run the spectrum. There's actual business people who will frequent these, street people, and everyone in between. One of the fighters brought his grandkids. GRIFFIN: All will be arrested when the raid begins, but right now, oblivious to the police gathering outside, the ring is the only attraction.

This undercover detective, who does not want his face shown, has been on 40 raids in the last five years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a largely underground, clandestine activity. People may hear about a dog fight, but, you know, they don't think well it happens in my community.

GRIFFIN: Commander Geoff Shank with the U.S. Marshals Service in Chicago says it's not uncommon to find fighting dogs in raids he conducts.

COMMANDER GEOFF SHANK, U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE: We encountered what we later found out was 13 caged pit bulls. And one of the interview -- people we were interviewing, claimed to be called trainer. We put two and two together and realized he was a, quote unquote, "dog trainer."

We called the local -- Chicago Police Department. They were fully aware of who this guy was, told us they'd been looking for him for a couple of years.

GRIFFIN: Felons, gang bangers, drug pushers -- all have been linked to dog fighting. And more and more linked to inner city neighborhoods, many fights happening in broad daylight.

In Chicago's public schools, the problem is so extensive, school programs are being developed to try to tell children dog fighting is not OK.

DR. GENE MUELLER, ANTI-CRUELTY SOCIETY: The earliest surveys that we did showed about one in five grammar school children in Chicago were actively participating in dog fighting.

GRIFFIN: Dr. Gene Mueller, the head of Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society, says inner city dog fights have become entertainment, and the dog owners have become, in many cases, role models.

MUELLER: Kids are certainly involved. Felons, gang members. So we have these felons there who are fighting these dogs, for entertainment, or for gambling. Well, that means there's money there, which means somebody has to protect the money. So there's weapons there. And hey, it's an entertainment event, so we better have some drugs there.

GRIFFIN: Left out in all of this are the dogs themselves. This pit bull, dropped off for adoption, may have a chance. It has not been used for fighting.

But authorities have little choice when it comes to dogs trained and raised for sport. Usually vicious, they must be put to death. They are the final victims, whose owners have bred them to fight and sometimes die in a growing ring of violence. Drew Griffin, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Coming up this hour, we'll talk with an undercover investigator who's been on dozens of dog fighting raids.

And later, at 3:15 Eastern, John Goodwin from the Humane Society of the United States joins us. And up until now, that group has been critical of the Vick investigation.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Heading for Brazil, a team from the National Transportation Safety Board. It will help Brazilian authorities figure out what went so tragically wrong last night in Sao Paulo.

At least 200 people were killed after a plane slammed into a building just outside the airport. And today, new questions are being raised about the airport's location and the runway itself.

Let's bring in our own Miles O'Brien, our chief technology and environment correspondent. Also a licensed pilot.

So, what do you think?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, this is a problem that's been 90 years in the making. This airport was built in 1919. Imagine the airplanes and the requirements then. Also imagine the city of Sao Paulo then, a mere shadow of what it is now.

Eleven million people live in Sao Paulo. Let's Google Map our way down to this airport and give you a sense of what we're talking about.

This is the New York City of the southern hemisphere. Lots of skyscrapers, densely populated. This airport might as -- would be in Central Park if it were in New York City.

As we zoom in and give you a sense, the longest runway there is 6,300 feet. Now, 6,300 feet, that's a little more than a mile. That might sound like a lot. And certainly for the biplanes of 1919, that would have been plenty of capability. But 6,300 feet for an Airbus fully loaded on a rainy day is absolutely no additional margin.

PHILLIPS: Well, you wonder why there haven't been even more accidents. I mean, when you put it that way, it seems like a miracle that anybody was -- with that size of aircraft, right...

O'BRIEN: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ... on that type -- in that type of weather, would be able to ever land there safely.

O'BRIEN: The plot thickens, though. On Monday, there was a smaller aircraft that went off the runway without any problems. A lot of these runway excursions, as they like to call them, you don't hear about. But look at the distance between the end of the runway, right there, and the building where they ended up.

There's very little space there. There's no buffer, no room for play.

Take a look at what it looks like here in the cockpit of an airplane coming in there. We got some shots off of YouTube.

And this is aboard an A320, just -- the same kind of aircraft that was involved in this. Look at the skyscrapers beneath you there. As you come on this approach right over the skyscrapers, this is a good weather day, not like they had yesterday.

Now let's show you the other tape which will give you a sense of what it was like with bad weather. Look at -- look at how close they are to that skyscraper right there. They come in...

PHILLIPS: On the right side.

O'BRIEN: ... and of course those lights guiding them down to the runway. They call this airport an aircraft carrier, meaning you've got to hit your numbers right on the money.

PHILLIPS: But there's no hook.

O'BRIEN: But there's no hook and there's wires. It's not like a number three wire every time. Maybe they should have that.

But, in any case, what happened was they went to their charts for this aircraft, and they said, hey, it's a wet day and we weigh this amount of money -- this amount of weight. How much runway do we need? It came out to about 6,000 feet.

What they did not account for was the fact that the runway is not yet grooved. It's been repaved, but not grooved. And so, the water was standing more than it would normally, and that was perhaps maybe the difference.

Now, there's one other thing to consider here. There's been a series of overruns like this. We've seen them here at Midway Airport in the United States.

PHILLIPS: Even in Los Angeles.

O'BRIEN: Los Angeles.

PHILLIPS: Burbank, I think.

O'BRIEN: Burbank. Southwest Airlines occurred there.

PHILLIPS: Right. O'BRIEN: There's been a series of them. It happens about 40 times a year the world over. There is technology which makes it possible to stop an airplane when you don't have that kind of buffer zone.

Take a look at this airplane right here. This Gulfstream II was chartered by A-Rod himself, Alex Rodriguez. This happened this past fall at Burbank.

Now, look down at that nose wheel. It's buried. Yes, here -- if you can take a look right down in there...

PHILLIPS: You can see where it's buried.

O'BRIEN: ... look at the nose wheel. You see it's kind of buried in crushable -- I don't know what's happening to my -- oh, gosh. I just got a terrible report there.

Let's see if I can make that -- I can't make it out. But you see the nose wheel.

That is crushable concrete which has been installed at various airports. This particular airport had that overrun, installed this material, and it is designed to crush when an airplane gets on it.

PHILLIPS: Stop the airplane.

O'BRIEN: Stop the airplane. It causes damage to the airplane, but everybody walks away.

PHILLIPS: Right.

O'BRIEN: So, there are ways to stop it. In case, it was not evident. It was not there at that particular airport.

Some question, too, as who to whether the crew made the decision to try to get back airborne after landing and realizing the braking wasn't working. Split-second decisions. It will be second-guessed. Very difficult to know right now.

PHILLIPS: Well, it will be interesting what the NTSB recommends and if there's any changes made to that runway.

O'BRIEN: Right. Well, we'll find out. The black boxes have been recovered, flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder.

It will be very interesting to hear what they say.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. You're welcome.

MARCIANO: A long night of political theater complete with passionate monologues. The ending, well, a bit boring.

Senate Democrats called an all-night session in Iraq -- or on Iraq, but failed to get enough support to end debate and force a vote on their latest troop pullout plan. Majority leader Harry Reid led debate. Here's what he said after today's showdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: So, today I'm filled with a mixture of pride and regret. Pride for my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, who have risen to this crucial cause in giving the American people the debate they deserve, yet regret for my colleagues who have blocked the will of the people and the majority of this Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: The Democratic plan would bring U.S. troops home by next spring, a prospect that Republican senator John McCain calls a colossal mistake. But McCain, a struggling presidential hopeful, also acknowledges public frustration with the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The verdict of the people will arrive long before history's. I am unlikely to ever know how history has judged us in this hour. The public's judgment of me I will know soon enough. I will accept it as I must.

But whether it is favorable or unforgiving, I will stand where I stand and take comfort from my confidence that I took my responsibilities to my country seriously, and despite the mistakes I have made as a public servant and the flaws I have as an advocate, I tried as best I could to help the country we all love remain as safe as she could be in an hour of serious peril.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: Four Republican senators did vote with Democrats to advance the pullout proposal.

Well, the White House had called the Senate's all-nighter a stunt, and CNN's Elaine Quijano is there live.

What else are they saying, Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Rob.

Well, officials here at the White House say they certainly understand people's disapproval of the Iraq war, but what they dismiss is exactly that, what you said that they called a stunt. Officials here are saying that this essentially did nothing to further serious discussions on the Iraq issue.

Here is White House Press Secretary Tony Snow just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I'm not sure a whole lot was accomplished by it. I don't think a lot of people are going to take out campaign ads saying triumphantly that they skipped a night's sleep or that they spent time on a cot. So I think I'll just let it stay at that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, at the same time, officials certainly acknowledge there is discontent on Capitol Hill over the Iraq war, but once more, officials here are urging lawmakers to wait until September. That, of course, is when General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are due to deliver their reports to Congress -- Rob.

MARCIANO: Elaine Quijano live from the White House.

Thanks, Elaine.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, brutal allegations against Michael Vick, but Sergeant David Hunt has seen it all before. A veteran dogfight investigator takes us inside a world he calls sickening.

MARCIANO: And are these words their own? Two Iranian-American scholars held on charges of endangering national security in Tehran. Alleged confessions of spying are broadcast on state television.

PHILLIPS: Plus, the latest and reportedly last "Harry Potter" book isn't for sale yet, but some Web sites claim to offer a sneak peek. Does (INAUDIBLE) have an Internet connection?

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: It is 15 minutes after the hour. Here are three of the stories we are working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Michael Vick's NFL career and his freedom in danger. A federal grand jury has indicted the Atlanta Falcons quarterback in an alleged dog fighting ring that trained pit bulls to fight to the death. Vick faces a court appearance next week.

President Bush meets with his new import safety panel this hour. Its goal? To try to make sure food and other products shipped into the U.S. are safe. A string of contaminated products from China hit the U.S. shores recently, but the White House says it's not singling out that country.

And Brazil's government is getting some American help in the wake of a disaster that reportedly killed at least 200 people. The National Transportation Safety Board is joining the investigation into last night's crash of a Brazilian airliner. It slammed into a building just outside Brazil's busy airport.

PHILLIPS: Recovering in fair condition, that's about all the University of Colorado Hospital is saying about Andrew Speaker right now. The Atlanta lawyer diagnosed with a tough to treat form of tuberculosis. He underwent two hours of surgery yesterday.

Doctors removed the infected part of his right lung. Speaker, who was diagnosed in May, caused an international uproar when he traveled to Europe and back on commercial planes. Eight passengers have sued him for putting them at risk.

Still infected but no longer on the run, TB patient Franklin Greenwood is back in isolation at the University of Arkansas Hospital. He escaped more than two weeks ago by breaking a window. Today he's under constant monitoring by the police.

Doctors stay the 50-year-old is contagious but they don't believe his form of TB is drug-resistant. They want to test him further to determine how to treat him.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Bloody, brutal, and hugely popular. Although dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, its fans know exactly where to find it. But so do a growing number of cops. A veteran of dogfight raids joins us next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

MARCIANO: And first there were earthquakes in Japan, and now the radioactive leak that followed. A dangerous combination that's raising the question -- could it happen here?

Details straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, the Mad Tea Party ride at Disney World turned out to be a little madder than expected. And an Alabama woman who was waiting to ride that ride found herself in a Florida jail.

Victoria Walker allegedly got into a fight with a woman that she accused of cutting in line. Fists flew, now the other woman says she's suffering seizures, memory loss and blurred vision. Walker is out on bond pending a trial.

MARCIANO: And Whole Foods is giving its customers a way to make a bold statement when it comes to fashion -- well, and the environment.

Susan Liscovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us what that organic grocer is doing.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, bloody, brutal, and hugely popular. Although dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, its fans know exactly where to find it. So do a growing number of cops. A veteran of dogfight raids joins us next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano in for Don Lemon.

Well, he works undercover in a disturbing underground world and says it's as sickening as investigating child pornography.

PHILLIPS: Sergeant David Hunt takes you inside the world of dog fighting.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

He's one of the biggest names in sports and one of the highest paid, but NFL star Michael Vick's next major public appearance will be in a Richmond, Virginia, federal courtroom a week from tomorrow. That's his arraignment on dog fighting charges.

Vick acknowledges operating a kennel at his Virginia property, but the indictment alleges the site was home to a major dog fighting ring. The indictment includes gruesome details of animal fights and executions of dogs that lost or couldn't perform. And apart from his legal problems including the prospect of prison if convicted, Vick also faces career difficulties.

In a statement, the NFL says, "The activities alleged are cruel, degrading, and illegal. Michael Vick's has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts."

My next guest knows too well the crime and the culture of dog fighting. He's been on dozens of raids and teaches police how to investigate dog fights.

Sergeant David Hunt with the Franklin County Ohio Sheriff's Office asked us not to show his face since much of the work he does is undercover.

And Sergeant, I have to say, too, and I want to let our viewers know we've received a lot of e-mails from viewers that are very disturbed by the dog fighting video. We wanted to get the point across about how cruel it is, but at the same time, we're also being very selective. I want our viewers know that, to not show a lot of it because we know it is disturbing. But, it obviously proves the point it's controversial.

Let me talk to you about these raids. First of all, through your sources, through what you do, are you hearing anything about the Vick investigation? And give us a little insight to why someone like this would even want to operate something like this.

SGT. DAVID HUNT, FRANKLIN CO., OHIO SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Well, certainly this is very huge in the dog fighting community, a lot of the bulletin boards have been discussing it, a lot of the chatter among many of the dog fighters for the past few months have discussed it. And probably more important from a law enforcement perspective is the fact that the U.S. Attorney's Office is the entity pursuing this. That's very huge from a local law enforcement perspective given this was just recently made a federal felony just a couple of months ago.

So, it's very encouraging for local law enforcement to see both the United States Attorney's Office as well as USDA taking a very active role in these type of cases.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, take me into the mind-set, if you will, because this was the discussion in our meeting this morning. What type of person would even want to do this and see this as exciting and profitable? I mean, is it basically uneducated, lower- income, insensitive people that have no feelings for animals whatsoever?

HUNT: Well, certainly that component of our society is very prominent in this endeavor, but you also have to realize, just like with other criminal activity, this is often associated with other types of crimes such as drug trafficking, illegal firearms, and certainly illegal gambling.

As to the psyche, as to why people, you know, gain pleasure from it, I really can't fathom that myself either.

PHILLIPS: But when you make the arrests, you know, what are these people like? I mean, you -- they have no problem killing these animals, and they have no problem watching them fight like this. I mean, it's disgusting.

HUNT: Oh, absolutely, and one of the very unique aspects about this is their professed love of their dogs. You threaten them with going to prison, you threaten them with seizing their property, their assets, you know, possibly getting children services involved, and none of that matters to them.

What does matter is the fact that you're taking their dogs from them. They become very agitated, very violent. And as I mentioned, they profess to love these animals, but yet they treat them in this manner.

PHILLIPS: And you have actually compared this to being just as bad, if not worse, to child pornography. Explain to me why you say that. It's a strong statement.

HUNT: Well, as an undercover investigator, obviously child pornography is a very serious issue, and to view those images, especially if you're a parent, it's very hard to do. But you have to work through that to pursue the investigation. And dog fighting is really no different.

If you have any kind of affection for animals whatsoever, you see this type of barbaric activity going on, it takes a while to kind of get through that -- I don't want to say get numb to it, but you have to do the job, you have to keep going on, and I really like the analogy of child pornography. It's really no different.

PHILLIPS: So, is this getting more popular? Are you finding these types of fights and this type of business more popular, and is it growing? HUNT: I don't know if I would necessarily say it's more popular. Because of increased knowledge by law enforcement about this crime, I think you're seeing a lot more enforcement action being taken. And that's one of the biggest problems we have.

Most states across the country, when they send a police officer or sheriff's deputy through their basic training, they don't receive any training on animal laws or animal fighting laws. So, the biggest problem is the fact that most police officers really don't know about it. Once they get educated on it, they do become very proactive, and I think that's what you're seeing more and more of nowadays.

PHILLIPS: And when you teach the various police officers about what to look for, because you've even said they miss a lot of this activity because they don't know what to look for, tell me about some of the specifics, like certain kinds of tattoos on these men, treadmills in the home. Give us some specifics.

HUNT: Those are a couple. Just like with other endeavors, a lot of dog fighters will get a tattoo that reflects their interest in dog fighting. There's many different types out there. Treadmills are used to increase the cardiovascular status of the dog in preparation for a fight. There's various dietary supplements, veterinary medications, things like that. You have to realize that a dog fight is pretty similar to a boxing match.

So, prior to the actual fight, there's a cardiovascular regimen, strength training, dietary, all of that goes hand-in-hand. So, a lot of the things that are utilized within those respective areas will be seen at a location of a dog fight.

PHILLIPS: And explain the use of the treadmill. I thought that was interesting.

HUNT: You know, it's not uncommon for a dog fight to last upwards of two hours. So obviously, the dog has to have a pretty good stamina. So, it's very common to put a dog on a treadmill to build up its cardiovascular system in preparation for that long, drawn-out fight.

PHILLIPS: Final question, Sergeant Hunt. This obviously has become a news story because Michael Vick is being accused of this type of business. Just from your experience, the type of arrests that you've made, the culture that you've learned so much about, a lot of people wondering how could somebody with so much talent, so much money, so much going for him, a top NFL quarterback, ever want to be involved in something like this? I mean, can you even make some sort of psychological assessment from your background and your experience?

HUNT: Just based on my experience, a lot of people that are involved in dog fighting will have a lot of discretionary income. That's why this is very popular with a lot of drug dealers. So, that being said, I could see where professional athlete having a pretty decent income would have the money to be involved in this type of activity.

PHILLIPS: Sergeant David Hunt, Franklin County Sheriff's Department. Great insight, really appreciate your time.

HUNT: Thank you.

MARCIANO: Well, shut down indefinitely, the world's largest nuclear power plant in northwestern Japan. Authorities issued the order after learning a radiation leak there was worse than originally thought. The plant also reported fires and broken pipes after powerful earthquakes rattled the area Monday.

At least nine people were killed, hundreds injured when the quakes caused buildings and bridges to collapse. An estimated 13,000 Japanese are crowded into emergency shelters.

Earthquakes and nuclear power plants are the stuff of disaster movies. But real life disasters could happen, at least theoretically, and not just in quake-prone, nuke-friendly Japan.

CNN's Dan Simon reports on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The images vivid enough to prompt fears across the ocean. Some in the U.S. now questioning whether nuclear facilities here could be this vulnerable to earthquakes.

MARYLIA KELLEY, TRI-VALLEY CARES: I can't overstate how concerned I am that there will be nuclear material in the environment, in the event of a major earthquake.

SIMON: Just east of San Francisco lies the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. It stores more than 1,000 pounds of weapons-grade plutonium. One watch dog group believes the site poses a deadly risk in the event of a large earthquake. Seven million people live within a 50-mile radius.

KELLEY: These finely divided particles of plutonium could drift on the wind. They would be available to be breathed in or respirated by the people around Livermore here in the Bay area.

SIMON: A lab spokesperson dismissed those concerns saying, "Our facilities where we store nuclear materials meet or exceed current seismic standards. We have had no health or safety problems with our nuclear materials in the past during or after any earthquakes."

SIMON: Similarly, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the nation's nuclear power plants are safe and even earthquake-proof. The Diablo Canyon and San Onofre plants in California both sit near active fault lines. Federal authorities say both were designed specifically to withstand severe earthquakes and would not have leaked like the one in Japan.

DALE KLEIN, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION: It turns out, Dan, that the earthquake designs includes both the reactor, as well as auxiliary components, such as the spent fuel pools. These are designed to handle situations exactly like those that occurred in Japan.

SIMON (on camera): But officials concede nothing is absolutely 100 percent. As we saw in Japan, which was a U.S. designed facility, even the safeguards don't always hold up.

Dan Simon, CNN, Berkeley, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, dumb move number one, taking your 10-year-old for run in Pamplona. Dumb move number two, running past a cameraman who works for your ex-wife's favorite TV channel.

MARCIANO: Doh!

PHILLIPS: Oh, the glory, straight ahead.

MARCIANO: And look out! A dog in the road. A scary crash at the Tour de France. Wow!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCINAO: Like father, like son, and like mom is not happy. Al Goodman reports on a woman in Spain who got pretty P.O.'d when she clicked on the television and this is what she saw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the front of the pack, father and son, running in Pamplona, where authorities prohibit children. They're running in front of enormous steers. The father pulling his 10-year-old son out of harm's way. They were not running in front of Pamplona's famed fighting bulls, which the father did a day earlier without his son.

But with the pack of steers, which run right after the bulls. It's thought to be a little less dangerous. But it was enough to make the boy's mother, who is separated from the father, see red. She found out in the news media and went to police, arguing that any part of the running is dangerous. A judge agreed.

ADOLFO CARRETERO, LOWER COURT JUDGE (through translator): There is a risk to the boy's life, and I've issue a restraining order that takes away the father's visitation and vacation rights with his son.

GOODMAN: This is the industrial suburb, south of Madrid, where the boy's mother lives. And where the father returned the boy to her, as the court ordered.

(voice over): The mother was staying out of sight with her son. But this woman in town was shocked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): She's 10 years old and he's 10. My daughter, I wouldn't put her in front of any bull, or even a little cow. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It doesn't matter they weren't bulls and had their horns turned inward. If a steer falls on you, it could kill you.

GOODMAN: In Pamplona, not much sympathy for the father, either.

A boy is incapable of reacting to the danger, he says. The father told the Spanish media he never meant to put his son in danger, but on top of his other troubles, he had to pay a $200 fine for running with the bulls with a minor.

Al Goodman, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Let's get straight to the NEWSROOM, some developing news. Fredricka Whitfield working it for us, all right, Fred?.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD: All right, Kyra. A very bizarre and somewhat convoluted story, I'll try to make some sense out of it for you, out of Vancouver, Washington.

Police went to a residence there looking for a man they suspected of controlled substance and stolen firearms charges. But when they got there, somehow it turned into a shooting of one of the police officers. One woman was also released from the household, and now police are saying that another man is being held against his will as a hostage in that residence.

So, a standoff is taking place. You're looking at videotape that we've gotten from our affiliate, KGW. Hostage negotiators are on the scene, as well as the Vancouver bomb squad and the FBI. We're still waiting, some confirmation of the latest developments, but as you can see the apparatus there for the bomb squad under way, and it's still unclear just how many people may be holed up inside this residence besides the one person who is believed to be a suspect in this controlled substance and firearms charge that the police were pursuing in the first place. And whether, indeed, there is at least one hostage being held against his will. That taking place out of Vancouver, Washington, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll track it. Thanks to our affiliate KGW. Thanks, Fred.

MARCIANO: A short runway, and a driving rain, and a deadly plane crash. Today in Brazil, questions about safety issues at the airport. And it's not the first time they've had concerns about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: We continue to get active in the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's get right back to Fredricka Whitfield with details on another developing story. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Well, Rob, if you've ever traveled I-95 between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, you know how busy and how vital it is along the northeast corridor. So, now envision three southbound lanes on I-95 closed because of a hazardous material spill from a truck that wasn't an accident that the truck was involved in, but apparently it was leaking sulfuric acid. Something that's often used in fertilizers and oil refining among other uses. Well, because of this spill or leak, traffic is being diverted now off I-95 at exits 143 and exit 140. And they're being detoured onto U.S. 1.

It also means that a number of people, hundreds of vehicles that are caught on I-95 at about the investigation point of this sulfuric acid spill. What they're being asked is to turn around right over the median, the crossover at I-95. It's a real mess.

We're still waiting for new pictures to arrive to show you how dramatic and what a traffic nightmare it really is I-95 there. The southbound lanes, at Stafford county, which is right between Washington, D.C., and Richmond. Rob and Kyra?

MARCIANO: Fredericka, we've been hearing about the air travel delays. Now you can't even go by car in the northeast.

WHITFIELD: Right. Travel nightmare all the way around.

MARCIANO: We'll keep checking back for the story. Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, the ending to Harry Potter is one of the biggest secrets in publishing. But has it been leaked into the web? Entertainment Correspondent Sibila Vargas is in Hollywood, she's going to tell us if the secret has been spoiled. Was the book leaked?

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: It looks like the secret is out, Kyra. In case you're a Harry Potter fan, you should know that this will be a spoiler-free segment. But in case you just wanted to buy the book, the last Harry Potter book, at midnight Friday, it appears you can read the book online. It's not just parts of the plot for Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows that were posted online. Someone posted photographs of what looks to be every single page of the 784 page book.

The publishers tried their hardest to keep the contents of the book secret, and it was published and being distributed. They have not acknowledged that the photos are the actual book, but they have asked many of the sites showing the photos to take them down. There have been spoilers posted on the web for weeks that say they know how the book ends.

To be sure, some of those spoilers are speculation, but it's proven to be very tough to keep a secret. Just before we came on the air, the publishers of the book announced they are taking legal action against the book distributor Leedy Home Entertainment (ph) and Deep Discounts dot com because they have already sent out some individual copies of the book.

So, despite their best efforts there are already a few copies out there for some lucky readers, believe it or not.

PHILLIPS: Well, talk about revealing secrets. What are secrets about Michael Jackson people would like to get into? And what's the deal? He is in trouble with the courts again?

VARGAS: Well, as you remember, Jackson was acquitted of child molestation two years ago. But it turns out that he still hasn't paid all his legal bills. A judge has ordered the king of pop to fork over more than $256,000 to a law firm that handled some peripheral issues during the case. Jackson had counter-sued the firm over the issue, but this argument was dismissed from court. The firm Escouph and Maura (ph) have also represented Jackson in a dispute with a former business partner. Jackson lost and had to pay the former partner $900,000. There have been some stories about Jackson undergoing financial woes over the last few year, and stories like this one are definitely the reason why. Well, tonight on "Showbiz Tonight," the Hollywood weight watch. Why do many stars gain and lose weight, so much weight, over and over and over again? Are they sending a terrible message or are they just like us? A SPECIAL REPORT on TV's most provocative entertainment show, "Showbiz Tonight." Eleven p.m., Eastern and Pacific. Back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Sibila. Thanks.

MARCIANO: And you'll want to stay with the CNN NEWSROOM. We have breaking news out of Virginia. We'll update you on this story. Recent video now out of Virginia on I-95 going southbound where they are rerouting traffic due to a hazmat spill situation. Fredricka Whitfield is in the NEWSROOM and we will check back with her in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLPS: Majestic, vibrant, treasured American culture takes a spot in the pantheon of timeless art and historical wonder. We are talking about a giant drawing of Homer Simpson in his tighty whities.

MARCIANO: Doh!

PHILLIPS: CNN's Jeanne Moos reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): No kid would mix up this Homer with the Greek Homer, even though this homer suddenly appeared on an English hillside, next to centuries-old naked man carved into chalked bedrock. They call him the Cerne Abbas Giant, and as for the part that's most giant, you'll have to pardon our modesty.

HOMER SIMPSON, "THE SIMPSONS": Ha, ha!

MOOS: The Giant is an English icon who has come to represent fertility, according to the old wives tale. Some of the Giant's largess might rub off on childless couples who have romantic encounters atop it.

SIMPSON: What's that thing called when a guy is gay for a girl?

MARGE SIMPSON, HOMER SIMPSON'S WIFE: Straight. MOOS: So how did Homer, wielding a donut end up confronting the Giant, weaponize a club? And is this time lapse video on YouTube, proporting (ph) to show the stunt in progress the real thing?

Homer was merely painted while the Giant consists of a two-foot wide trench dug as recently as 400 years ago, or perhaps centuries earlier than that, no one knows.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So who do you think is more impressive? Homer or the Giant?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Homer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Because he's got pants on and the Giant hasn't.

MOOS (on camera): Postcards of the Giant are said to be the only image of a naked man cheerfully accepted by the British Post Office.

(voice over): But don't expect a male Homer on postcards. The guy who painted him says he is not permanent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How long will Homer last, then?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 14 days, dependent on the weather.

MOOS: Long enough to promote this ...

MOE SIZLACK, "THE SIMPSONS": The Simpsons Movie, in 2-D.

MOOS: And long enough for the British paper, "The Guardian" to ask readers to make up their own photo caption, Homererotic, seems to be the favorite so far.

(on camera): At least Homer wore his underpants.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I was thinking that, but I don't -- like I said, I don't think he's covering up too much.

MOOS: And if you lie down in Homer's donut hole, you won't get fat or pregnant ...

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