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Four Dead Pre-Term Infants Found at Maryland Home; U.S. to Sell Weapons to Mideast Allies; Bush Meets with British Prime Minister; Police Keeping Eye on Self-Proclaimed Pedophile Blogger; Tom Snyder, Ingmar Bergman Pass Away

Aired July 30, 2007 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Are more weapons the answer to the Middle East peace? The Bush administration wants to sell tens of billions of dollars worth of missiles, bombs and ships to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel and other Mideast nations.
DON LEMON, CO-HOST: The strategy is simple: arm your friends, alarm your neighbors. We'll go live to a country in the latter group moments from now.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

In Maryland, a gruesome discovery turns even more so. Police in Ocean City say they found the bodies of three more pre-term babies at the home of this woman charged with murder in the death of a pre-term infant found there last week.

Let's go straight to our Brianna Keilar. She's in Washington with the very latest for us.

What do you have, Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, Ocean City police right now, they have a team of about 30 to 35 people working in Freeman's yard with backhoes and shovels, digging up certain areas of the yard to see if they can find anything. But at this point they haven't found anything. They say this process, what they call an excavation, could take up to three days.

But meanwhile, let's tell you what led police to Freeman's home. It was early Thursday morning in the 4 a.m. hour. Freeman went to a hospital, this according to police, where she was complaining of cramping and bleeding. Medical staff there examined her, and they found a placenta and an attached umbilical cord but no baby.

So at this point according to police, social services got involved. That's when police got involved. And then police got a warrant. So on Thursday night, they went to Freeman's home, and what they say they found was a dead pre-term infant that was wrapped in a blanket in the bathroom of the home, a baby that they say recently had died. Then they checked Freeman's bedroom and they say they found a trunk that contained three -- or pardon me, one garbage bag and inside of that garbage bag three smaller plastic bags. Now, two of those bags, according to police, held the remains of the second and third pre-term infants. And then in the third bag, police say they found what they believe is a placenta.

It was on Friday when police got a search warrant for a motor home at Freeman's house. This was on her property. And that's where they found the fourth body of a pre-term infant, this one also wrapped in a garbage bag.

Now, it's unclear when the last three babies died. But police say they do believe these were Freeman's babies, that she was pregnant with them. And at this point the remains of these -- these pre-term infants have been sent to the medical examiner's office in Baltimore, and a report is expected sometime next week.

But meanwhile, Freeman herself is expected in an Ocean City district courtroom this hour. Her bail review hearing was postponed from late this morning. And she is facing charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter, all of those charges related to the recent death of the first baby that was discovered by police on Thursday, Don.

LEMON: OK, Brianna. You mentioned that first baby. So why has Freeman only been charged in connection with one of the deaths when police found four bodies?

KEILAR: This has to do with a Maryland law that went into effect in 2005. In 2005, a viable fetus statute came into effect. And this tightened and really toughened the penalty for committing a crime like this for -- if a fetus is medically viable fetus and someone does harm to kill that fetus, this really toughened the charges that a person would face.

So at this point, police are confident that that first baby died recently. So they charged her under this statute. But at this point they're waiting for a report from the medical examiner's office on the other three, Don.

LEMON: And Brianna, again, we are expecting an arraignment this hour, correct?

KEILAR: At this point it is a bail review hearing, yes. They were going to wait and see. She may already be in a courtroom at this point. It was supposed to be earlier. And then it was postponed until 1 Eastern today.

LEMON: Brianna Keilar, we'll check back. Thank you for that report.

PHILLIPS: New developments today in the Michael Vick case. For the first time since he was indicted, Michael Vick is speaking out. Within the hour an interview with him aired on Atlanta radio station V-103. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PORSCHE FOXX, V-103: Will we see No. 7, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Mike Vick, back on the field?

MICHAEL VICK, INDICTED FOR CHARGES RELATED TO DOG FIGHTING: Under the right circumstances, I think it can work. I know I put the city through a lot. I know sincerely (ph), I put him through a lot. And you know, it hurt me to put him through these situations, and for him to have to deal with that, because he shouldn't have to.

So like I said, under the right circumstances, there'd be a lot of things that would need to be worked out, you know, for them to put their trust and faith back in me. But if I had the opportunity, without a doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And that was Michael Vick talking to V-103's Porsche Foxx. We're not sure when exactly it was recorded.

Well, it's still early in the game in the Michael Vick dog fighting case. But the Atlanta Falcons quarterback might have taken a big hit today from one of his co-defendants.

Four days after entering a not guilty plea Tony Taylor reversed course. This morning, he pleaded guilty to a federal dog fighting conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Taylor will be sentenced on December 14 and faces up to six years in prison.

What this means for Vick and the other two defendants remains to be seen. But analysts suggest that it is likely bad news for the boys of Bad Newz Kennels. Their trial is schedule to begin October 26.

Now, a pro-Vick rally was held yesterday outside his home in the Georgia -- his home field, rather, the Georgia Dome. And he got more support today from the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. R.L. WHITE JR., PRESIDENT, NAACP ATLANTA CHAPTER: We think the NFL moved too swiftly when applying punitive measures, even before his arraignment. Sponsors moved too quickly to drop him. And many of us who have had hours of excitement because of its incredible talent have quickly turned on him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, Vick is sitting out the Falcons training camp, as ordered by the NFL commissioner. He's also been suspended by Nike, and other Vick merchandise has been pulled from store shelves.

LEMON: A multibillion-dollar military upgrade in the Mideast, and the U.S. is footing the bill. The beneficiaries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel and several neighbors. The goals: boosting civility, fighting terror and undercutting the likes of al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Iran.

CNN's Aneesh Raman is in Tehran now and he joins us now by broadband -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, good afternoon.

Reaction from Tehran was swift today. And it was laced with a familiar condemnation of American policy in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice-over): For Iran's government, any talk of American weapons coming to the Middle East means just one thing. And a former American official said it.

RICHARD HAASS, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Iran has emerged as the biggest threat, not simply to U.S. interests in the region but the Saudi, Egyptian and other moderate Arab interests. So partially, this is to give them confidence and capacity against Iran.

RAMAN: And it's not just the Saudis and the Egyptians. A potential southern flank seems set to emerge, as the U.S. is also discussing arms sales with the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

It's intended, analysts here say, as in-your-face pressure on Iran that was met with immediate scorn.

MOHAMMAD ALI HOSSEINI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN (through translator): America has always considered one policy in this region ands that creating fear and making an effort to sell its arms and impose the export of these arms.

RAMAN: Iran has for some time been preparing for a military attack. And it's not a potential arms race among neighbors that Iran fears. According to Professor Mohammad Marandi.

PROF. MOHAMMAD MARANDI, MIDEAST EXPERT: The Persian Gulf region is so small that the amount of weapons that Iran has right now is enough to defend itself. And it will be enough to deter the United States. So I don't think there's any other power that is a threat to Iran beyond the United States.

RAMAN: Who are already next door, dealing with an Iraq mired in violence, and leading Iran to think their only real threat doesn't have the option now to attack the Islamic republic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: And Don, so it goes, just a week after Iran and the U.S. sat down to talk in Iraq, a sign that any step forward comes clouded by decades of mistrust -- Don.

LEMON: Aneesh, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Bob Gates will be traveling today to Saudi Arabia. How are the Iranians responding to this trip?

RAMAN: Well, they'll be watching very closely. We've seen a muted response, just that one statement from the foreign ministry, to this potential arms deal.

But keep in mind, in the broader Middle East, Iran is, of course, the Shiah power, Saudi Arabia the Sunni power. They are competing for influence. The two countries, this should give you a glimpse into their at-times animosity.

Just a week or so ago there was a report that a fatwa had been issued by a senior cleric in Saudi Arabia against Shia sites in Iraq. And all the private players, virtually all of them in Iran, they condemn that.

So there is a lot of ethnic allegiance that exists towards their groups in Iraq and a broader sense against each other. So they'll be watching it very, very closely, Don.

LEMON: Aneesh Raman in Tehran. Thank you, Aneesh.

PHILLIPS: Good-bye Tony Blair, hello Gordon Brown. The new guy at Number 10 Downing Street meeting with President Bush today at Camp David.

The British prime minister and the president are stressing their common ground on Iraq and other issues but not really talking about their differences. Let's go now to CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry with more.

Hi, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

You're right; there are some small differences, but they really kept those under the surface, both men trying to say the right things. Mr. Bush immediately saying and noting what everyone wants to know about whether they can find common ground in the post-Blair era.

Mr. Bush said they could, declaring that they will have a, quote, "productive strategic relationship.

Mr. Brown, meanwhile, also talking about a historic partnership and saying something else critical here, very important; saying on Iraq, "We have responsibilities to keep."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The notion of America and Britain sharing values is very important, in that we have an obligation, it seems to me, to work for freedom and justice around the world. And I found that -- a person who shares that vision and who understands the call.

GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We're in a generation-long battle against terrorism, against al Qaeda-inspired terrorism. And this is a battle for which we can give no quarter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: But there did appear to be some daylight, potentially, down the road in terms of pulling out British troops. Mr. Brown noted at one point that three out of the four provinces where British troops have been working, that they essentially have been secured.

And he was talking about a day soon where he sees a possibility of that fourth province being secured and leaving open the possibility of the 5,500 British troops still there, eventually, coming home.

And also he was pressed, Mr. Brown was, by a British reporter, who noted Mr. Brown had said at one point that Afghanistan is the frontline in the war on terror. He clarified and said that he also believes al Qaeda is a threat in Iraq.

But clearly, that's not the same thing that Mr. Bush has been saying. He says that Iraq is clearly the central front in the war on terror. So there are some small differences there. You have to keep those in mind, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We'll follow the trip. Ed Henry, live from the White House. Thanks, Ed.

LEMON: When news gathering becomes news making, the spotlight turns to the rules and risks for TV choppers as Phoenix begins a week memorials.

PHILLIPS: Attracted to children but he hasn't committed a crime. A pedophile speaks out about his preferences. A tough case for the man, parents and police.

LEMON: Plus, is a popular diabetes drug too dangerous to stay on the market? The FDA weighs its options on Avandia.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Fifteen past the hour. Three of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Tiny bodies, a grisly case. An Ocean City, Maryland, woman is appearing in court this hour after four pre-term babies were allegedly found dead on her property. All the babies are believed to be hers.

More civility, less influence from Iran. Twin goals of a series of new arms deals between the U.S. and its Mideast allies. Iran is accusing America of spreading fear in the region.

And who gets the publishing rights to O.J. Simpson's book, "If I Did It"? A Miami judge could answer that question just hours from now. He's expected to rule on whether to give those rights to the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. PHILLIPS: The Internet's opened up a whole new world for people whose interests lie outside the mainstream. Unfortunately, that includes adults who are sexually attracted to children, pedophiles.

One self-proclaimed pedophile in California uses his blog to talk about the best places to gawk at children. And police can't touch him.

More now from reporter Stacy Butler of CNN affiliate KCAL.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACK MCCLELLAN, PEDOPHILE BLOGGER: It isn't really just a sexual thing. It's the whole ambience of children that I enjoy.

STACY BUTLER, KCAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jack McClellan isn't afraid to tell you how he feels about little girls.

(on camera) Are you a pedophile?

MCCLELLAN: Yes, I -- I didn't even consider myself one until a couple of years ago. I started reading some of the stuff on the Internet, and it kind of resonated with me. Kind of refer to ourselves as kind of the silent majority.

BUTLER (voice-over): But he's terrified to show his face.

MCCLELLAN: I've received a lot of death threats.

BUTLER: Death threats because he says he took pictures of little girls at countless family events near Seattle, then posted them on his pro-pedophilia web site.

MCCLELLAN: I felt the best thing do would be to get completely out of that area.

BUTLER: Before McClellan left Washington state his site was shut down. But now it's back. And so is he. This time, right here in the southland.

MCCLELLAN: I'm looking to find a permanent place here.

BUTLER: We found McClellan living out of his car near Venice Beach, mapping out local events to attend where little girls, or L.G.s, as he calls them, are plentiful.

(on camera) What about those events do you like?

MCCLELLAN: Just to be -- well, obviously, just going there mainly to be around the kids.

BUTLER (voice-over): He claims he's not a convicted sex offender, and police say his web site is legal.

McClellan's message to parents: get used to it. He's allowed to attend the same festivals you do. (on camera) You don't see what you are doing as wrong?

MCCLELLAN: No. I -- I mean, obviously I'm not doing anything illegal at these things. I mean, if they pass a law saying you can't go to these things to admire kids, I mean, that -- I guess I'd have to obey that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, angry parents are now using the Internet against McClellan, posting where he's been sighted, even pictures of him hanging out in the parks. They're also pushing California lawmakers to shut McClellan down.

Retired L.A. police detective Bill Dworin works for a child protection coalition. He says the blogger is dangerous, period.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DWORIN, CHILD PROTECTION ADVOCATE: There's always a threat. He claims not to have sexually abused a child. Yet, he also talks about going up to children and hugging them. That in itself, because of his sexual attraction towards children, makes that a crime.

If he's doing that here in Los Angeles and any other community, then he is committing a crime in California.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: This obviously has to be terribly unnerving to parents.

DWORIN: It should be. Parents should be aware that these people are out there, these child seducers, these pedophiles, who sees a child as a sexual object and, given the opportunity, they will abuse children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, local police are trying to make parents aware of McClellan's activities. They're circulating his picture and license plate number, a controversial move since he's not wanted for any crime.

McClellan says he fears for his life and might sue the department.

LEMON: A deadly collision between two news helicopters is raising serious safety questions. We'll take to the skies with the concerns and possible solutions to keep people safe, next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In all those areas you see right there, wildfires are keeping hundreds of people on edge today, from Florida to California, Michigan to Montana. Thirty-five major fires are burning in seven states, most of them in the west. One is just south of Glacier National Park. It's jumped numerous fire lines and burned about 5,000 acres.

Nearly a month-old fire at Santa Barbara County, California, has flared up again. A dozen families have evacuated. Hundreds more are on alert. And it could get a lot worse today.

Is that so, Chad Myers?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Thank you, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: Last week was a gut-wrenching one for investors. In fact, it was the worst week in more than four years for the Dow and S&P 500. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with details of how it's looking today.

Just got to keep you busy, Susan.

(STOCK REPORT)

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Coming up in the next hour, Xerox paper is going green. Not green in color but green as in good for the environment. It will cost less, as well. I'll have that story the next hour.

In the meantime, back to you, Kyra and Don.

PHILLIPS: Sounds good. See you in a little bit, Susan.

LEMON: Potential problems for the popular diabetes drug. The FDA is taking a closer look today. We'll have the latest on concerns about Avandia. That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Happening right now in Maryland: a gruesome discovery turning even more so.

Police in Ocean City said they found -- they found the bodies of three more pre-term babies at the home of this woman, charged with murder in the death of a pre-term infant found there last week. Something we've been talking about since this morning.

Kathleen Koch is actually there in Ocean City, Maryland. She was in the courtroom when we first found out about the story.

Kathleen, what's the story? Is she going to be let out on bail or not?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She absolutely will not, no. Judge Daniel Mumford here, the district court of Worcester County in Maryland, denied her bail.

The state -- that was deputy state attorney Michael Farlow (ph) -- argued that he believed that Freeman was a flight risk. He said she has a business here, she has assets that could be made liquid and she might flee.

Now, her attorney, Frank Benzenutto (ph) said Ms. Freeman is 37 years old. She's lived here for 20 years. She has family here, a business here. She will not flee.

And then Ms. Freeman herself spoke. She said she -- told the judge, she said, "May I speak?" She said, "I'm prepared to make sure that I appear for trial. I will do that. I need to clear my name in this case. I'm not going to leave. I'm going to help clear the situation up. I don't have thousands to flee with."

Clearly, Judge Daniel Mumford (ph) was not convinced. And he -- he ruled that she should be held without bond. They did set a date for a preliminary hearing in the case. And that's going to be August 27.

PHILLIPS: Do we know anything else about her? Was she married? What type of work or type of business does she have there in Ocean City, Kathleen?

KOCH: As a matter of fact, I had only just arrived here on the scene about five minutes before court went into session. So those are the questions that we'll be asking the rest of the afternoon and hopefully getting some answers, too.

But very interesting to see her in court. She walked in very slowly, her ankles shackled, her hands cuffed, with a rather worried look on her face. Long, kind of light brown hair, straight hair, wearing prison garb.

But did speak out very clearly and very calmly to the judge. And again, kept insisting she was going to be able to clear her name in this case.

PHILLIPS: And just to set things straight, she went to the hospital because she was having some pains. And then somehow authorities were alerted to get a search warrant on her home. And that's when they found the dead baby in addition, to these other babies in garbage bags. Correct?

KOCH: Apparently so. And she's also the mother of four other children. And as far as we know, we understand they are with family in the Washington, D.C., area.

But again, I'm just arriving here on the scene. So we'll have more information on her business, her background, her family, and just what police found as soon as we can get it to you.

PHILLIPS: Kathleen Koch in Ocean City, Maryland. Thanks, Kathleen. LEMON: Bruised, battered, but alive. A traffic helicopter crew in northeast Texas survived a crash today. The pilot and two traffic reporters for Dallas TV and radio stations were onboard when the chopper lost power. None is badly hurt.

It hasn't even been three days since that terrible helicopter collision in Phoenix which killed four people from two TV stations.

PHILLIPS: Visitors are leaving flowers at a makeshift memorial near the site of the Phoenix crash. Funerals for all four victims will be held this week. A joint memorial service for the KTVK crew, photojournalist Jim Cox and pilot Scott Bowerback, is set for tomorrow. Services will be held for KNXV pilot Craig Smith and photographer Rick Krolak on Thursday and Saturday.

Now, what happened in the skies over Phoenix? Federal investigators probing Friday's midair collision of two news helicopters are expected to release a preliminary report at the end of the week.

Two pilots and two photographers were killed in that collision. The NTSB has interviewed witnesses and examined maintenance records for those choppers. Five news helicopters were covering a police chase at the time, and an aviation expert says it may be time for new rules.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER GOELZ, FORMER NTSB MANAGING DIRECTOR: News copters were flying under visual flight rules. They get admitted into the airspace by the FAA and then they have to see and avoid.

And there are a couple of easy solutions to this, John. I mean, one is you can simply pool your pictures. The FAA can allow one or two helicopters into the chase area, and then they have to pool their pictures. And that keeps five or six helicopters from vying for the same airspace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: A full report on the investigation is expected now within nine months.

LEMON: Both of those choppers were covering a car crash and sharing airspace with three other helicopters.

Our Jim Acosta examines the dangers in another crowded airspace, Manhattan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm hovering over the East River in New York City. And what I'm doing at the moment is being called into question by some aviation experts who want to know whether there should be some new rules for this daily staple of local television news. The choppers. (voice-over) They are the eyes in the sky, beaming back bird's- eye views of breaking news. In Phoenix last Friday, these two news helicopters were hovering over a slow-moving police chase.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My God. Channel 15 and Channel 3 just had a midair collision. They're in the park. Oh, man.

ACOSTA: Both choppers spiraled to the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard like a loud gunshot. And then about two seconds after that, there's this real loud, like, huge bang. And then just two helicopters coming straight down.

ACOSTA: Four people, the two pilots and two photographers in each helicopter, died. Federal investigators on the scene believe the chopper on the left in this picture, for station KNXV, somehow flew into its counterpart at station at station KTVK.

News chopper accidents are rare, but they do happen. Three years ago in New York, a helicopter for station WNBC spun out of control and slammed into a rooftop in Brooklyn.

MARY SCHIAVO, FORMER TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL: I think it should be reviewed. There's -- it's only going to increase.

ACOSTA: Aviation expert Mary Schiavo say it may be time to require news choppers to put a co-pilot or lookout in their cockpits, to make sure they don't get too close.

SCHIAVO: Here that person, the co-pilot, would have served as a lookout, probably would have dramatically increased the safety of the operations.

ACOSTA: Because news choppers typically fly at low altitudes, they don't spend much time communicating with air traffic controllers. Once they're cleared into an area, it's up to those pilots to avoid accidents by sight. Schiavo says that's too risky.

SCHIAVO: The rule of the road in visual flight rules, the rule of the air, is see and avoid.

ACOSTA (on camera): Up here in the sky, helicopter pilots insist they are flying it safe. They point out there are TV news helicopters across the country, flying every day, that don't have mishaps, saying they spend more time covering car crashes than they do chopper crashes.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Critics accuse him of lying. His backers insist he can't explain apparent contradictions in public. At issue, sworn statements Attorney General Alberto Gonzales made to Congress about a secretive surveillance program. New information has surfaced, and CNN's Ed Henry has it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY (voice-over): The internal dispute in 2004 over President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program centered on data mining of information gleaned from the program, rather than the actual eavesdropping.

A former government official told CNN the distinction is critical, because it will be Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' defense against allegations he committed perjury.

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: There's not been any serious disagreement about the program that the president has confirmed.

HENRY: That, despite the fact former deputy attorney general, James Comey, threatened to quit because of his concerns.

JAMES COMEY, FORMER DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: I prepared a letter of resignation.

HENRY: In 2005, when the president acknowledged conducting eavesdropping without warrants, he did not admit the government was searching through databases of information picked up by that surveillance, which is what Gonzales is hanging his defense on, if you listen to his precise words.

GONZALES: The disagreement that occurred and the reason for the visit to the hospital center, was about other intelligence activities. It was not about the terrorist surveillance program that the president asked...

HENRY: Democrats say this is a distinction without a difference, because the data mining and the surveillance are both part of the broader wiretap program.

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: The truth is, is that the attorney general, in my view, has at least lied to Congress and may have committed perjury.

HENRY: One Republican insists Gonzales did nothing wrong.

SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: This is not really about the attorney general. This is about the Democrats. They're using him as a punching bag to get to the president.

HENRY: The White House, meanwhile, is using the threat of a potential summer terror attack to try and speed through a small package of changes to the law overseeing the surveillance program.

According to a letter obtained by CNN, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell on Friday told House and Senate leaders, "In light of the urgency of the situation, I offer the attached significantly narrowed proposal focused on the current, urgent need of the intelligence community to provide warning of potential terror attacks."

(on camera) Democrats say they're reading the changes closely to make sure nothing controversial is being pushed through too quickly. But after months of stalled talks, Democrats say they're close to a deal that would give the White House short-term tweaks to the program.

A major clash over bigger changes is coming in September.

Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Terror prevention or a power grab? Critics are giving the Bush administration an earful over that surveillance reform package Ed just mentioned. Let's take a closer look now with homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.

Hi, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, as it's called, was passed in 1978.

Now President Bush said in his radio address Saturday that it is badly out of date, largely because of technological changes.

Last April, the administration asked for changes and updates to the law, but now it is pushing, as Ed mentioned, for a more focused set of reforms. And as you heard him say, Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, sent a letter to Congress on Friday stressing the urgency of the need for those reforms.

One change that they are looking for, the authority to intercept communications between suspected terrorists overseas without a warrant when those communications travel through a switch in the United States.

And Capitol Hill sources say there could be an agreement on a small narrow piece of the FISA update proposal before Congress starts its summer recess on Friday. But no specifics. The discussions are said to be delicate.

Back to you.

LEMON: So then, Jeanne, why are they asking for this now?

MESERVE: Well, one reason is because of that summer recess which starts on Friday. Congress will be out for several weeks.

In addition, as you know, there's heightened concern about al Qaeda and its rebuilding and regrouping. And some people are suggesting that the administration might also be trying to divert attention from the problems of the attorney general, Alberto Gonzales.

LEMON: Jeanne Meserve, thank you.

MESERVE: You bet. PHILLIPS: A widely used diabetes drug under scrutiny today for possible side effects, serious side effects. What you need to know, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, new concerns today about the popular diabetes drug Avandia. Federal officials are meeting to discuss whether it should be pulled from the market.

CNN medical correspondent Judy Fortin joins with us now with all the details -- Judy.

JUDY FORTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a popular drug. In fact, it's used by about a million Americans around the country with Type II diabetes to control blood sugar.

Well, today's FDA hearing is looking at whether the drug should be pulled from the market because of heart risks or whether a prominent warning label should be added to the prescription information.

The hearing comes in the wake of a "New England Journal of Medicine" report back in May that said users of Avandia run a 43 percent higher risk of heart attack.

Now, the drug's maker, GlaxoSmithKline, maintains Avandia is safe and their analysis doesn't show additional risk.

At the all-day hearing, the FDA is asking an independent panel of experts to discuss and then vote on whether this drug, also known as Rosiglitazone, is safe for the public.

One of the longest presentations this morning was by Dr. David Graham, who works for the FDA's Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology. But he was not actually speaking on behalf of the FDA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DAVID GRAHAM, FDA: We asked the question are there definitively documented population health related benefits of Rosiglitazone to justify its continued marketing? And for that we conclude the answer is no, and that Rosiglitazone should be removed from the market.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FORTIN: Now, the panel is about to come out of a lunch break, and then we'll hear from the public.

Following the discussion this afternoon, the advisory committee will vote if Avandia should be taken off the market. The action is just a recommendation, though. The FDA is not required to follow the advice, but, Kyra, usually it does.

PHILLIPS: So patients that are taking the drug now, what are they supposed to do?

FORTIN: Well, hopefully, after today's hearing, they'll answer a lot of questions for these patients out there. Up until now the patients have been told that if they're taking Avandia, not to panic and to consult with a doctor before stopping the drug.

Not taking any medication for most of these patients really is not a realistic option. And there are other drugs available and other classes. However, side effects, you really need to talk with your doctor about this.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll keep following it. Thank you.

LEMON: All right. And this just in now to the CNN NEWSROOM. We're getting word from California that Al Gore III has been pleaded guilty to drug charges.

CNN is learning that he pleaded guilty today to possessing marijuana and other drugs.

You may remember a few weeks ago, he was pulled over and taken in for drunk driving and also possessing some prescription drugs and other illegal drugs.

Well, today in Laguna Niguel, California, Al Gore's son, Al Gore III, pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana and other drugs. A judge there said that the plea can be reversed if he completes an intense drug diversion program in 18 months. Details to come on this in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Continuing now with medical news, multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, mysterious disease of the central nervous system. Some 400,000 people in the U.S. have it, and every hour another M.S. patient is diagnosed.

After a decades long search researchers have identified new genetic risk factors.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thirty-three- year-old Jennifer Paretta was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 10 years ago. Now her son is worried he could be next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Am I going to have M.S., mommy?

JENNIFER PARETTA, HAS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: No, you're not going to have M.S. in your life. You know why? Because they're going to come out with a cure.

COHEN: There's a reason 6-year-old Anthony is concerned. The disease runs in his family. Paretta's dad's twin brother had it.

Right now, there's no way of testing someone for M.S. But a breakthrough discovery may one day change that.

Thirty years after the first M.S. gene link was found, a long- awaited discovery. Analyzing the DNA of thousands of people with M.S., researchers from around the world have identified two new genes they say increase an individual's risk of M.S. by 30 percent.

DR. JONATHAN HAINES, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY: That now will allow us to understand much better what is going on with M.S. And then be able to, again, develop treatments and better therapies for M.S.

COHEN: Much about M.S. remains unknown. It's widely considered an autoimmune disease. Something makes the body attack and destroy insulation along nerve fibers, stopping the flow of information from the brain to the body.

But identifying two more genes will help solve only part of the M.S. puzzle. Most of the time people don't get M.S. because it runs in their family. They get it for reasons doctors don't fully understand.

Still researchers believe this discovery puts them on track for eventual genetic testing, even preventing M.S.

DR. JOHN RICHERT, NATIONAL M.S. SOCIETY: It gets us much closer to understanding the basic cause of the disease and to understanding how to prevent the disease in the first police.

COHEN: The discovery makes Paretta optimistic that one day a mom like her won't have to worry if her child will get M.S.

PARETTA: I think my kids are going to be OK. They have the same outlook I do, especially on this disease.

COHEN: And if they're not, she knows they can handle it.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: After 21 years apart, a father and daughter make an online connection. Details of their happy MySpace reunion straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Here's something all Iraqis can agree on: Sunni, Shiite and Kurd. They're proud of their soccer team.

The Iraqi national team won the Asian Cup final yesterday in Indonesia. They shut out three-time champ Saudi Arabia 1-0. Soccer scoring an exclusive goal -- an elusive goal, I should say, Iraqi unity.

Iraqis celebrated the victory by shooting off guns. Stray bullets killed at least four people and wounded 17 others. The government is trying to convince the players to come to Baghdad to bask in their glory. But many of the players live abroad and are afraid they, and the crowds, would be easy targets for insurgents.

PHILLIPS: Well, most people use the web site MySpace to stay in touch with friends or meet new ones. But one Florida man made the connection of a lifetime recently, courtesy of a helpful 11-year-old with a MySpace account.

Here's Charles Billi of CNN affiliate WSVN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES BILLI, WSVN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alex Estrella is proud of his service to his country. Here are his war pictures, photos of him in Desert Storm.

But despite being a tough soldier, Estrella is quickly turning to mush. He's a bundle of nerves because in a few minutes he's going to see his daughter for the first time in 22 years.

ALEX ESTRELLA, FOUND DAUGHTER ONLINE: And I don't really know how I should act. I mean, like -- I mean, I love her.

BILLI: Her absence ended when Estrella recently searched her name on MySpace.com. Only one April Lynn came up near Ft. Myers. He typed "Are you my April?" She was. And the moment both had been waiting for, for 22 years is here.

ALEX ESTRELLA: Hi, baby.

APRIL LYNN ESTRELLA, FOUND FATHER ONLINE: How are you?

BILLI: It is emotional, raw, almost surreal. Flesh and blood reuniting after two decades of separation.

Now comes the next step.

ESTRELLA: We're just going to get to know each other little by little and -- and stay together from now on, you know. I'll always be there for her now, now that I found her.

I'm just so happy that you're here. And again, I'm sorry that it took so long and for me to find you. But I'm so happy that I did. And I'll never let you go now. OK? I love you.

APRIL LYNN ESTRELLA: I love you, too, Dad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, Alex and April say that they hope to spend every weekend together, splitting time between their two hometowns.

LEMON: Well, is the V.A. to blame for a Marine's death? Could veterans officials have prevented his suicide? In the next hour, his family joins us live in the NEWSROOM to talk about why they're suing the Veterans Administration.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: He kept millions of Americans awake into the wee hours. As host of "Late Night" -- the "Late Late night" TV show, Tom Snyder was a cultural icon.

The talk show host died yesterday in San Francisco after a long struggle with leukemia.

Known for his casual style, Snyder often smoked during interviews. Now, among his guests, John Lennon and Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols. In 1981, Snyder interviewed Charles Manson in prison.

Those who knew him best say he loved broadcasting and he also loved to laugh. Tom Snyder was 71 years old.

PHILLIPS: Woody Allen once described him as probably the greatest film artist since the invention of the motion picture camera. Director Ingmar Bergman has died at his home in Faro, Sweden.

Bergman directed moody films about such difficult subjects as plagues and madness. He also used inventive moviemaking techniques which led may to call him the great master of modern cinema.

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