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White House Celebrates Pope's Birthday; Virginia Tech Remembers Shooting One Year Later; Pope Addresses Sex Abuse Scandal; Tibetans to Protest Olympic Torch in India
Aired April 16, 2008 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: How will America receive him?
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And one year later, students at Virginia Tech remember their fallen classmates.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips live in the nation's capital. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The sky was blue, the carpet red, the guest wore white and the crowd was huge for the first papal visit to the White House in 29 years. Pope Benedict XVI is between public events this hour. His visit with President Bush wrapped up about an hour ago.
And late this afternoon, he'll make his way to the largest Catholic Church in North America, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
This happens to be the pope's 81st birthday, and this morning's ceremonies at the White House definitely took the cake. CNN's Ed Henry is there.
And speaking of cake, I heard they all broke out in a "Happy Birthday" song, just for the pope.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was one of many remarkable moments. In fact, Kyra, the fact that, on his 81st birthday, he was here at the White House and, spontaneously, the crowd broke out into that song, "Happy Birthday to You." It was interesting because you can see that the pope was visibly moved by that, by the singing. He stood up. He raised his hands and really thanked everyone for singing to him.
And that crowd, I should mention, the White House now estimating there were more than 13,500 people packing the South Lawn of the White House. You know this morning we were talking about 9,000 to 12,000. It's now over 13,500 is the count from the White House.
And mission accomplished for this hope. One of the key messages he's trying to bring is about himself: trying to introduce himself to the American people who do not know a lot about him. He seemed to accomplish that by humanizing himself a bit.
And for President Bush, while there are clear differences with this pontiff over issues like Iraq, he tried to stress the positive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE BENEDICT XVI: As I begin my visit to the United States, I express once more my gratitude for dedication, my joy to be in your midst and my fervent prayers that Almighty God will confirm this nation and this people in the ways of justice, prosperity and peace. God bless America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: You heard "God bless America" there.
The president talked about what they agree on: issues of life, for example. He never used the word "abortion" but talked about the sanctity of life. Something that the pope, obviously, talks about, as well.
And I can tell you, a joint statement has just come out in the last few moments between the White House and the Holy See, giving us a readout on what happened after the public ceremony, when they went behind closed doors in the Oval Office.
Most interesting part of all is that the only readout we're getting from the White House and the Holy See are all the positive things, the things where they agree. They say that they spoke about the promotion of matrimony and family. Obviously, they agree on the issue of same-sex marriage. They spoke about rejection of terrorism around the world, resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, concern for Christians who are still in Iraq.
And also that the pope and the pontiff spoke about Latin America and the need to treat immigrants in the United States humanely. Those are all issues the two leaders agree on. Interesting that this readout they put out doesn't mention any of the issues that divide them, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Definitely going to be talking about that throughout the afternoon.
Ed Henry there, live at the White House. Ed, thank you so much.
We're going to be following the pope's every step of his journey to America. But we'll also hear some other voices, including those on the Busted Halo satellite radio show. Talk about outreach. We're also going to hear from our old friend, Delia Gallagher, Vatican journalist and expert. And we're going to talk about Catholic values and voting styles, both of which could be crucial in November.
LEMON: Across the commonwealth of Virginia today, flags fly at half staff, and the campus of Virginia Tech is awash in orange and maroon, more so than usual. It is a solemn -- in solemn support for the school one year since the darkest day in its history. And CNN's Cal Perry is in Blacksburg, Virginia, joins us now with the very latest.
Solemn day there, Cal.
CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a very solemn day indeed, Don. And it's been exactly one year to the day since 32 people were killed on the campus behind me. And today Virginia Tech is trying to remember those who were killed and at the same time trying to look to the future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PERRY: Not far from the scenes of the shootings, thousands of people gathered on the university's drill field to pay a very personal tribute.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We must remember what we commemorate, what is at the heart of this day, is not public. Rather, it is a very private and profound loss.
PERRY: Each of the 32 victims was remembered by name.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brian Christopher Clark, Stack to his friends.
PERRY: The shootings are something that still haunt many who were on campus last year, on a day some simply call 4/16.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've seen things we -- you only -- you know, you see on TV. You don't think you would ever see in real life.
PERRY: Seung-Hui Cho, a 23-year-old English major, was the shooter. He slaughtered 32 in total, pausing as he moved between two separate shooting sights to mail photos, videos and a manifesto to NBC News.
One year after the tragedy, makeshift memorials have become permanent, while students and faculty try to move forward. Many still consider this place hallowed ground.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a sad place. You know, we walk in every morning here, and it's just a reminder of what was taken away from us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PERRY: You know, Don, one of the most fascinating things I found when talking to people here on the campus is the fine line that both the faculty and the students are going to have to walk in the coming months. Everybody wants to remember the 32 that were killed. There's no question about that.
But in speaking to many of the students, they say, "We don't want to be defined by this tragedy." So it really is a community that's mourning the deaths that were -- that happened a year ago but at the same time really just wants to move on, Don.
LEMON: Cal Perry on the campus of Virginia Tech. Cal, we appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much. And one year is nowhere near enough time to heal physically or to move ahead emotionally. But those who survived the shootings are dealing with their demons. And you'll meet one of them in just a few minutes.
A federal judge in Miami has declared a second mistrial for six men accused of plotting terrorist attacks with al Qaeda. Among the possible targets, Chicago's Sears Tower.
Jurors said they were deadlocked after nearly two weeks of deliberations. The first trial for the so-called Liberty City Seven ended the same way. A seventh defendant was acquitted.
No word on whether the government will pursue a third trial.
PHILLIPS: Now, yesterday we told you oil prices hit a record high. Today it happened yet again. Prices spiked in early trades and nearly $115 a barrel before edging down just a bit.
Now, this follows a government report shows a much bigger drop in gasoline supplies than analysts had expected. Gas prices are also at a new high: nearly $3.40 a gallon, according to AAA. Prices are up nearly 19 percent from a year ago.
LEMON: A spring storm is headed for southeast Colorado, to the relief of firefighters. They're battling two major wildfires and 50 mile-per-hour winds. Three people have died, two near the city of Ordway. The entire town has been evacuated, and more than 7,000 acres and about 20 buildings have burned.
In Fort Carson, south of Colorado Springs, the pilot of an air tanker has been killed. Fire has scorched at least 9,000 acres there.
Colorado is not the only state under a red-flag warning. What are other areas we're watching for today? We'll have to check that out with our Chad Myers. He's in the CNN weather center.
What are they looking for? What should we be looking at, Chad?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Believe it or not, Don, there's going to be a snowstorm around Denver. We had this windstorm yesterday across parts of Colorado and all the wind, the heaviest wind is actually going to be into New Mexico today.
But Colorado Springs, right under there is Pueblo. Look at those wind gusts -- 21 miles per hour. Try to fight a fire in that. And then out toward La Junta, where actually the wind is the strongest, right around the rain and right around the wind and fire itself, that's where we're seeing gusts to around 20, 25 miles per hour.
The extreme fire danger, though, today is really New Mexico and West Texas. Here it comes right out of the southwest. Very dry air. This is critically low, relative humidity, like three to four percent. And this has been a drought area for many, many years. And winds are going to gust to 50 miles per hour. Any spark that goes is going to make a firestorm today. So you have to be very careful out there. Obviously, no burning. Banning burns have been in effect for quite some time. But the banning burn at this point in time really only is going to apply to those areas right around where those winds are 50, 60 miles per hour.
And there you saw just briefly a little bit of the winter storm warnings for around Denver. Mainly south and west of Denver itself but certainly into the foot hills. And Denver, you will see snow: probably six inches, maybe more. But if you get up into the foothills, it will be a couple of feet of new snow.
And I was just up in Idaho the last couple of days, and I got snowed on up there, as well. So Don, winter still trying to hold on in some spots.
LEMON: Oh, well.
MYERS: You should see a guy trying to trout fish in the snow. A blast.
LEMON: There's a name for that, you know. Time heals everything. And there won't be winter anywhere soon.
MYERS: Right.
LEMON: If you just keep moving forward with the calendar.
Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: All right. You're welcome.
PHILLIPS: Well, and Pope Benedict is still a bit of a stranger to his American flock. He's certainly not to the president. The two may have their differences, but they have a lot of shared beliefs.
John Allen accompanied the pope from Rome. He's our senior Vatican analyst and columnist for the "National Catholic Reporter." And we'll talk about those differences in a minute, because even Ed Henry mentioned that. Well, they always talk about the things they agree on but not what divides them.
Right out of the box, though, there you were on the plane. And boom, you asked him about sex abuse and the scandal. And he talked openly. He confronted it with you.
JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Yes, you bet he did. And I think it's important, just briefly, to set the scene for that. Because this did not blindside the pope. It wasn't a surprise to him.
Days ago the Vatican had asked us to submit questions to the pope. And so the Vatican spokesperson actually chose the four that would be asked. And moreover, he had told us the pope is going to speak only in Italian. But when I asked him this question, I said, "This is so important for the American public, could you please respond to this in English?" You know, he was ready to go. So it was clear the pope wanted to answer this question and sort of get it out of the way, almost, as his journey to the United States began.
PHILLIPS: Did he answer your question, though? Did you feel like you got enough the moment you asked him?
ALLEN: Well, I think you never feel like you get enough on a question that's as complex and painful as the crisis. But I think he certainly gave us more than we had expected. I mean, I expected him to say something like, I am heartsick for what has happened. I support the efforts of the American bishops to deal with this. And sort of leave it at that.
Instead, he give us this fairly detailed three-point answer about how we have to deal with this in terms of rules and regulations to make sure no pedophiles are priests. We have to do justice for the victims and bring healing and compassion to them. And we be proactive and make sure that only sound people are ordained with this line, that it is more important to have good priests than to have lots of them.
That's -- that's more of a bite at the apple than we thought we would see.
PHILLIPS: We're going to talk more about that and other issues the pope is already addressing and, of course, those touchy issues that are also dividing what the president believes and also what the pope believes, as well.
John, thanks. We'll talk some more.
ALLEN: You bet.
PHILLIPS: OK -- Don.
LEMON: We have some breaking news that we want to tell you about. It involves that ricin. Remember the ricin scare in Las Vegas? It happened back in February.
A man was -- went into a coma after he came into contact with ricin in his hotel room and spent several weeks in a coma and then eventually woke up. Authorities weren't sure how it got there. And now they're investigating this.
But we are told that the man authorities say they believe was sickened by ricin, has been arrested by federal authorities. And he will be charged with federal charges. Again, that man who was sickened by ricin in his Las Vegas hotel room back in February has now been arrested and will be charged on federal charges. Not exactly sure what those charges are.
This is according to the "Associated Press." We're working to get confirmation and to get more details on this.
And we do now have confirmation, I am being told, from the FBI to CNN that this man has been arrested and will -- will be charged with federal charges on this. Pardon me. Getting some information in my ear here. So again, we'll update you on that just as soon as we get more information.
The center of the Tibetan exile community and the Olympic torch, a fiery combination. Protesters are already clashing with police as India braces for the torch run.
PHILLIPS: Plus, it's a drug millions of people once used. Now its maker is accused of pumping up the research.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, after running into fiery anti-China protests on its world tour, the Olympic torch got some peace and quiet in Pakistan. Today's leg of the relay was held behind closed doors in an Islamabad stadium. Only invited guests and members of the media were there.
Now, the government says security concerns led to the change in venue. Pakistan and China have very close ties. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has been in Beijing this week, meeting with Chinese officials.
Well, tomorrow the torch is in New Delhi. And Indian officials have also made some changes to the route. It will be much shorter than planned, due to fears of protests by the country's huge community of Tibetan exiles. Thousands of police have been deployed in the capital, with officers detaining dozens of demonstrators earlier today.
Let's get a little more on this. Sara Sidner joins us now from New Delhi with the latest on the torch relay and some of the protests. When it comes to the protests, not -- India doesn't really want to cause any waves with China.
And this is sort of throwing a monkey wrench -- I'm not sure if I'm correct with this, Sara -- into the two nations, who are trying to really bridge a relationship.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I think that's -- that's pretty much true. It's the protests that have put China and India in a strange spot. India particularly. Because when the Tibetans first got to India, they were told that they should not take part in any political activity. And yet they do, sometimes on a weekly basis here in New Delhi -- Don.
LEMON: Yes. And so, listen, let's get to -- now to this torch relay. Let's talk about the protests coming before. At the embassy, protests this morning, people saying, you know, "No China," "No Olympics in China," what have you. Several people were arrested. It appears from the video that there may have been some violence? Talk to me about the protests, Sara.
SIDNER: Well, the Tibetans, many of them, say that, look, we only do nonviolent protests. We are not into doing anything violent. But we witnessed ourselves people storming the Indian embassy, trying to jump over the walls. And I asked someone about that today, one of the presidents of the Tibetan Youth Congress. And he said, "We don't consider that violence. We are just trying to get in to have our voices heard. We have never hurt anyone. We've never hurt any police officer or anyone who's come to detain us."
But these protests can be quite large and quite rowdy. And you know, with burning of flags, the burning of the Chinese flag and this sort of thing. But they all say, "Look, this is our freedom of speech. And we want to be able to tell the world what's been happening in our former Tibet."
LEMON: Yes. And then, you know, it's got the -- it's got the largest Tibetan exile community in India. And that's why this is partly why all of this is going on. But more protests planned, and some of them, we're told, possibly in secret?
SIDNER: I don't know if in secret. See, what's happening, Don, is that both the Indian Olympic Association and the Tibetan protesters are kind of in a stalemate. No one knows what the other one is doing. And announcements are not being made.
And oftentimes, for example, I'll get a text message from the Tibetan Youth Congress or someone from a Tibetan group, saying, "Hey, we're going to protest in 30 minutes. There will be a thousand people there."
So it is kind of hodgepodge, depending on who gets in contact with you. They're not exactly sure exactly where they're going to be and when they're going to be there. But that's partly, Don, because the Indian Olympic Association has not come out with their exact plan as to where exactly this torch relay is going to happen until today, which is less than 24 hours until the torch gets there.
And also, they haven't said exactly when they're going to have this torch relay. So the protesters are waiting for that and trying to figure out where they can be so that they can have the largest voice, especially trying to attract the international media.
LEMON: Sara Sidner, joining us from New Delhi. Sara, we appreciate that reporting. Thank you.
And for more in-depth coverage on the Beijing games, log on to CNN.com/Olympics. There's an interactive torch relay map, interviews with Olympians, a look at Chinese culture and much, much more there at CNN.com/Olympics.
Is the government keeping you safe when you fly? Our special investigations unit looks into new allegations surrounding the federal air marshal service, including lower standards and fudged numbers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All eyes are on Pennsylvania in today's political ticker. The state's critical presidential primary is next Tuesday. And senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will share a stage tonight for another debate, this time in Philadelphia. Their face-off comes as the latest CNN Poll of Polls shows Clinton with a five-point edge over Obama in Pennsylvania.
Well, the Boss has decided on a favorite presidential candidate. Rocker Bruce Springsteen has posted a letter on his Web site calling Barack Obama a man who, "speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years."
Springsteen's last presidential endorsement, by the way, didn't work out so well. He endorsed John Kerry in 2004.
Democratic Congressman John Murtha says that John McCain is too old to be president. The 75-year-old congressman told union members in his home state of Pennsylvania today that he and McCain are about the same age and that being president is, quote, "no old man's job."
Murtha has endorsed Hillary Clinton. And for the record, if elected, John McCain would be 72 when he takes office.
All the latest campaign news is available at your fingertips, as you know. Just go to CNNPolitics.com. We also have analysis from the best political team on television. That and more at CNNPolitics.com.
LEMON: Well, a bit of seemingly bad news from JPMorgan is actually giving investors hope that the credit crisis may be nearing an end. So how is bad news giving investors hope?
Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Answer that for me, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, you know, sometimes it's not that things are so much better; it's that things aren't as bad as people feared. And that is the case with JPMorgan.
JPMorgan saw its first-quarter earnings slide 50 percent, but its shares are up nearly five percent. Why is that? Well, its CEO, Jamie Dimon says the credit crisis is working itself out and the results, you know, better than expected.
And the definite feeling on Wall Street is that, once the big financials clean up their balance sheets, they are going to be more likely to lend. And that is something that could help out all of us, Don.
LEMON: Yes. Well, the credit crisis, too, Susan, is putting a lot of attention on financial companies. But given the state of the economy, there are concerns, a lot of concerns about lots of companies.
LISOVICZ: That's right. And that's why there's so much nervousness about the first quarter. We all know, whether you're looking at retail sales or job losses, that the first three months of the year were pretty tough, and we're just starting to hear from corporate America. Well, not so bad. Intel, it's a giant chip maker. Its chips are used in just about everything. It posted strong sales. And the company is saying, "We're really not seeing signs of an economic slowdown in the U.S." Its shares are up 6 percent. That's helping the techs, in general.
And Coca-Cola, the big consumer beverage giant, saw its sales soar, as well. Of course, in Coke's case, the weaker dollar helps. It sells a lot of its cola overseas, and the weaker dollar helps out its sales, Don.
LEMON: Finally, with some good news, Susan. With some good news. But that doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet.
LISOVICZ: No, no. And in fact, you know, we got more housing figures, and the situation remains pretty bleak there.
New construction, home construction starts, fell in March to a 17-year low. That's not all bad in the sense that you really don't want a whole lot of construction, because we have such a glut of unsold inventory already on the market.
You know, one problem that also exists, of course, is inflation. And we got news on that front today, as well. Consumer prices rose .3 percent. That was pretty much what was expected. Of course, that's what you and I pay.
We did see a big drop in apparel -- apparel prices, of course -- that didn't completely offset the big rise in fuel prices. But today investors are looking at the glass as half full.
Check out the big board. The blue chips over 200 at the highs of the session; up 189 points right now. The NASDAQ is up 52. Nice performance for the NASDAQ.
And coming up, we're going to talk more about inflation. It's hurting a lot of us with rising energy prices. But don't tell that, Don Lemon, to the man who earned over $3 billion -- with a "B" -- last year alone. We'll have that story in the next hour.
LEMON: Looking forward to that. All right. Thank you, Susan.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
LEMON: An aborted takeoff, a flight that ended in flames. We'll hear from a missionary from Minnesota who narrowly escaped with his family.
And Tiger Woods making a different kind of cut this week. We'll have an update on the golfer's surgery.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Here we go. Now we have the information on that ricin story I was trying to tell you about a little bit earlier when it was just coming across the wires. OK. CNN confirmed a man who was sickened by the deadly toxin ricin has been arrested on federal charges in Las Vegas.
The FBI says that 57-year-old, his name is Roger Bergendorff was arrested today after being released from the hospital where he had been being treated since February 14. Here is what he is charged with. He is charged with possession of a biological toxin and two weapons charges stemming from the materials authorities say they found in that hotel room, that extended stay hotel several blocks off the Las Vegas strip.
The three charges carry a possible penalty 30 years in a federal prison and $750,000 fine. The man sickened by ricin arrested on federal charges. Details to come in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: 1:31 Eastern Time right now and here are some of the stories we are working on right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
After 13 days of deadlock jury deliberations, a federal judge declares another mistrial in the Liberty City terror case. Six residents of Miami's Liberty City neighborhood were accused of plotting attacks on FBI offices and the Chicago Sears Tower. This is the second mistrial. No word whether there will be a third trial.
Three separate wildfires have consumed nearly 20,000 acres in Colorado. Two volunteer fire fighters were killed when a fire damaged bridge collapsed under the truck. A pilot died when his fire-fighting plane crashed near Fort Carson.
Thousands turned out today to welcome Pope Benedict XVI in Washington. Benedict became only the second pope to visit the White House.
LEMON: Remember after 9-11 they said federal air marshals are supposed to be on your flight? They're supposed to keep you safe and supposed to be good at it? Now congress is looking onto allegations that fewer flights are covered by marshals and that the agency overseeing them, they are lowering their standards.
CNN's special investigations unit correspondent, Drew Griffin, has this exclusive report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): He is a former federal air marshal and weapons trainer who left in 2006 after four years. Why? He said the air marshal service wasn't doing its job. So many marshals were leaving, not being replaced, and fewer flights have an assigned air marshal aboard.
Even worse he says, to fudge the numbers, managers at his L.A. office began assigning agents to short, no-risk flights -- Phoenix to San Diego, Los Angeles to Las Vegas to get as many flights in as possible, no matter how low the risk so the percentage of flights covered would seem high.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a threat flying on Southwest Airlines to Las Vegas. GRIFFIN: The Federal Air Marshal Service tells CNN assignments are intelligence-driven and risk-based. This former air marshal says it was just a numbers game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were questioning how these flights could be intelligence-driven when we were flying from say San Diego to Phoenix on another leg and an hour later to Las Vegas back to Phoenix back to San Diego.
GRIFFIN: More than a dozen air marshals and pilots told CNN the same thing saying the Federal Air Marshal Service is protecting about one percent of the nation's 28,000 daily flights. The Federal Air Marshal Service disputes that figure.
This week in a congressional hearing, the head of the Transportation Security Administration, Kip Hawely, told members of the congress what CNN heard from the air marshals is flat-out wrong.
KIP HAWLEY, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: On the CNN report about air marshals covering one percent, that number is absolutely wrong by an order of magnitude and it was a guess by the folks there. I just have to say that number is completely false.
GRIFFIN: Hawley would not say what percentage of flights have air marshals. That is a national security secret. The Federal Air Marshal Service continues to refuse CNN's request for an interview. Air marshals tell us the agency hides behind national security to keep the public from knowing how thin the coverage is.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee this month began holding closed- door meetings with the air marshal service to determine whether congressional oversight committees are being flim-flamed.
REP. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE (D), TEXAS: The air marshals have suggested that not only to you, but they suggested that to members of congress and we are concerned. We, too, are not interested in having funny numbers.
GRIFFIN: Jackson Lee says she is convinced air travel is safe and terrorists should not have any thoughts of taking over another American aircraft. With few applicants, recruiting and training standards are being lowered, they tell us. In 2006 the air marshal service sent out this memo saying new hires would no longer face mandatory psychological testing unless the recruit admits being treated for a mental condition.
This former weapons instructor with the air marshals says when managers and recruits could not pass the tough federal tactical pistol course, called the TPC, it was replaced with a shooting test they could pass.
(on-camera): You are a firearms trainer and you say they absolutely lowered those standards?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. GRIFFIN (voice-over): TSA says the test was changed six years ago because marshals needed police type training not military. These current air marshals say it's so bad, the Department of Homeland Security is hiring airport screeners to fill the ranks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TSA internal orders, administrative staff has no college, no law enforcement, no military background.
GRIFFIN: Screeners?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.
GRIFFIN: Screeners are federal air marshals?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me it's more an embarrassment to be a member of that agency to allow that particular individual make it through that training program. I don't want him on my flight it. Don't want him as my partner.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Drew Griffin joins us now. They refused an interview with CNN.
Did they respond to this drop in service you are reporting?
GRIFFIN: In a written statement, the Air Marshal Service did respond saying new marshals do go through rigorous training and screeners who do qualify can become marshals.
As for the change of psychological testing, the TSA says those tests are no longer needed since every marshal, they say, is carefully interviewed.
LEMON: OK. They have their side. What is the truth? Is it somewhere in the middle here? What's going on?
GRIFFIN: We are trying to report what we are hearing from the air marshals themselves. The exact number of air marshals in the air is a national security secret. The air marshals themselves, supervisors we talked to can legally be held responsible if they tell us the actual number figure what they are telling us is less than one percent.
You heard Kip Hawley say it's much more than that, but we can't tell you what percentage that is. This is where congress comes in. Sheila Jackson Lee, Senator Kerry of Massachusetts is trying to find out exactly what the numbers are. They are starting hearings for that.
LEMON: It's not over for you yet, I'm sure, as well. Drew Griffin, thank you for that report.
PHILLIPS: A grim scene in the Democratic Republic of Congo as U.N. peace keepers and rescue workers dig through the smoldering wreckage of a jetliner for bodies. At least 40 people were reported killed when the plane went off a runway in the eastern city of Goma and crashed through a marketplace. Most of the passengers survived. Among them, a family of four from south eastern Minnesota.
Earlier today, the father talked to CNN about what they saw after fighting their way off that plane.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY MOSIER, CONGO PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: As we got off the plane we were focused on looking for our children. We had gotten separated a little bit. We could hear people screaming and wailing. We knew we saw people had been trapped when the plane landed on them. Some were dead.
As the police took us to the hospital, we saw stretcher after stretcher of people who came in and had been burned in the flames from the plane. Most of them that were in the market. By God's grace and thanks to answered prayers, most of the people were actually able to escape the plane itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Mosier's three-year-old son broke his leg while being pulled from that wreckage. He among the more than 100 people that are still hospitalized.
LEMON: A big drug company's practices are being called into question. How Merck controlled research studies on a controversial medication.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So the practice of ghost writing, it seems pretty common in some areas. Usually celebrity tell-alls and stuff like that, but apparently it's also used in medical research and the drug maker Merck is being called out on some studies on its pain pill called Vioxx which was pulled off the market back in 2004.
Our medical correspondent, Judy Fortin, joins us with more on the allegations.
Judy, I'm sitting here listening to you and I can't believe this story.
JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is some light nighttime reading if you have time, Don.
Here's what's happening. The study in today's issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, alleges that employees for the drug maker Merck frequently drafted research articles on the one-time best-selling pain reliever Vioxx, and then paid doctors and scientists to take credit in the article bylines, even if they had little to do with the study. What's more, "The Journal" says, there wasn't always disclosure of financial support from Merck.
The accusations came to light after hundreds of internal company documents and reports were examined as a part of lawsuits that have been filed over Vioxx. The pain relieving drug was taken off the market in 2004 because of evidence linking it to heart attacks.
The lead author of the study in JAMA told me a short time ago that he and his colleagues discovered what was going on when they were hired by the plaintiffs who brought lawsuits to review the safety of Vioxx. He says they were completely surprised by what they found.
Merck disputes the article's conclusions, telling CNN a short while ago the statements are "false, misleading or lacking context. And the allegations are just plain wrong." The company says it's now considering its options.
Another issue we want to tell but that's been raised in "The Journal" involves the study of Vioxx in Alzheimer's patients. The study's author says that Merck held back at least temporarily results that showed an increased death rate among patients. Merck strongly disputes that claim, as well.
LEMON: This gets more and more frightening. There are levels and levels. This may not have been found out unless, if not for the lawsuits. I've got to ask you. Is this practice common? If it is --
FORTIN: It may be. Let me tell you what the lead author of the JAMA article told me. He says the concept of ghost writing is not uncommon in the medical research field. He says this is a much broader and bigger issue. He has reason to believe this is happening all over.
Now, I had another conversation with a medical ethicist who put it this way. He said most doctors are busy and don't have time to focus on long, in-depth studies. He called ghost writing dishonest, but not legal.
LEMON: OK. You have to take matters into your own hands. What as a patient what can anyone watching do?
FORTIN: I asked that same question, too. It leaves you feeling so exposed. The answer isn't much patients can do right now.
Doctors get the latest information on treatments and drugs from many sources, including medical journals like JAMA. We're told that you should quiz your doctor about any medication or treatment that you are going to receive.
The ethicist says he hopes something good comes out of the journal reports and he suggests three things. First he says journal editors are now on alert and will hopefully do a better job of policing the research articles that are published.
He also says there is a need for independent group to test drug data. Some are questioning whether the FDA should or could play a bigger role. For its part, the FDA told me it will review all the issues raised in "the journal of the American medical association."
Finally, the ethicist says more money is need for the National Institutes of Health to sponsor clinical research in addition to other research it's already doing. No simple answer here, Do but something to be aware of.
LEMON: Stay on top this. I'm sure you will. This will change the way we think about those medical journals and what is in there.
FORTIN: Absolutely.
LEMON: Thank you very much.
PHILLIPS: Straight from the green to a gurney. Two days after finishing second at the Masters, golfer Tiger Woods had surgery on his left knee.
Let's check in with our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the third operation he had on his left knee. In 1994, he had a benign tumor removed. In 2002, he had arthroscopic surgery to have fluid removed and a cyst drained, as well. This most recent operation was arthroscopic knee surgery to remove some of the cartilage that develops sometimes in the knee and apparently that was causing him pain.
I want to show you something here. Take a look at some of this video of his swing. Specifically he is a right handed golfer. And as a right handed golfer, he places a lot of strain on that left knee. He has a particularly aggressive move as he follows through with his swing. A lot of that pressure being placed on his left knee. Orthopedic surgeons were concerned that was causing him pain.
The operation itself involves putting probes into the knee, a camera, a couple of instruments and removing a lot of that cartilage. Unlike a ligament repair where they actually replace or repair a ligament, this is different to remove some of the arthritic changes that build up in someone who's had so much strain on their knee. As far as how much relief it will give him, it is a little bit hard to say.
Interestingly, there was a study done that shows arthroscopic surgery for arthritis is not as effective as arthroscopic surgery for a torn ligament or something like that. He will need rehabilitation for four to six weeks which will take him off the course for some time. After that, as long as his knee is in good shape and able to tolerate those strains, he should be doing well. Back to you for now.
LEMON: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much for that.
His show is called "Busted Halo." His audience, American Catholics, a priest whose pulpit is in a studio as we continue our coverage of the pope's visit to America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: The pope will see lots of Americans between now and Sunday night, but one-on-one interactions with ordinary Catholics? Not so much. Catholics or former Catholics or perspective Catholics can take their questions or problems to parish priests or they can call Father Dave on "Busted Halo" radio show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FATHER DAVE DWYER, "THE BUSTED HALO SHOW": There are plenty of people that aren't even coming in the door of church. What we try to do is through Internet and radio catch the people maybe tuning around, haven't been considering themselves Catholics for years maybe, and just kind of hearing the conversations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Busted Halo Show" with Father Dave Dwyer. If you have spiritual questions, you are in the right place.
DWYER: I think it might work with young adults. The word relevant is key. It's not a matter of gee, how do we make the church relevant showing hey, here is how the church really is relevant to your life. This generation in many ways has just got a lot of questions. They don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's he going to talk about? Does he have a specific or what can we expect him to say or discuss with you here?
DWYER: So I think we can expect him to talk about one of his favorite phrases is the dictatorship of relativism. Certainly there are things the Catholic Church would be very firm and unwavering on, yet we know we can't -- doesn't work to have just robots and say do this just because we said to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've always been a Catholic, but not a practicing Catholic.
DWYER: Maybe there are other people out there in that same place. I'm not sure if I want to get back involved in the church again. Sounds like you are on the right track. We'll keep you in our prayers for sure. Thanks for your call.
I probably never would have imagined when I was 29 in my life working in television and radio, I never would have imagined being a priest. About five or six years into that I thought I completely turned in a different direction and never imagined I would be working in radio and TV again. God manages to put the puzzle pieces better than I do, I guess.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would I address him as? Is there a proper way, if you are in church do you call him father?
DWYER: There is, Jim. First of all, do you have a backstage pass I don't know about?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to screw it up.
DWYER: Good. Even if you were driving by -- nice language on the Catholic channel, Jim. Even if you are driving by you pay wave at him, the proper verbal address would be Holy Father or your holiness.
If there is anything Pope Benedict XVI can do while here is make the church, the Catholic church appear to be an important choice, a relevant choice because it needs to be a choice in this day and age.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Father Dave says if St. Paul were around today that he would have a Web site, a blog, a podcast and a channel on satellite radio.
John Allen, with all these ways to get one's message to the masses. First of all, Father Dave, he used to be a stand-up comedian then became a priest?
ALLEN: Right. He does marvelous work reaching out to Catholics on the margin. Father Dave is a friend of mine. We all recycle material. I want to point out that bit about St. Paul having a blog, he stole from John Paul II who said that if St. Paul were alive today he would be a media person.
PHILLIPS: It's interesting because you and Delhia have both said Pope Benedict is the Internet pope. He doesn't have a cell phone, right?
ALLEN: That's right. That is Dehlia's line. I am recycling from her. Benedict is not a guy who speaks typically in pictures. He doesn't speak in sound bytes. He speaks in fully-formed paragraphs. When you read him you find extraordinarily rich, deep and thoughtful. He is the kind of guy you want to sit with the text and let it think in.
PHILLIPS: Rich and deep and thoughtful, this is what he said when talking about the sex abuse scandal. "It is difficult for me to understand how it is possible police preyed in this way. Their mission was to give healing, to give the love of god to these children. We are deeply ashamed and will do what is possible so this cannot happen in the future." Then he goes on says he would not speak about homosexuals, but that he would exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry."
There's been a lot of criticism that's what people have been doing.
ALLEN: There are some people who want to say the sex abuse crisis is a gay problem. The problem is we have too many gays in the priesthood. Benedict early issued a document saying homosexuals should not be admitted to seminaries. He does have a clear position. He says these are separate questions and is not saying, clearly signaling yesterday, that not every homosexual is a potential abuser of children.
PHILLIPS: That is a very important point to make and he did. He said we are deeply ashamed. He didn't say those that committed these crimes should be ashamed. He is taking full responsibility for this. ALLEN: Yes. I think the big question mark coming into this trip on the sex abuse questions many Americans have was does the pope get it? I think repeatedly, even in the early days of this trip he is trying to signal he gets it. He understands that the church failed in important ways and it has cleanup to do, some repairing to do.
PHILLIPS: John Allen, great talking to you. Thank you.
ALLEN: You bet, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, politics, prayer and passion tonight at 8:00 eastern. Former presidential candidate and Baptist Minister Mike Huckabee joins Campbell Brown for a special edition of "ELECTION CENTER." Get a closer look at the pope's political message, how the candidates are courting the religious vote and the increasing cloud of Catholic voters. Politics, prayer and passion because tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.
We'll follow the pontiff throughout the week. You might want to mark this down. We'll bring you live coverage of the papal mass at Yankee Stadium at Sunday, 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
LEMON: Some people say rape is a crime worse than murder, especially when the victim is a child. Should child rapists be executed? We'll tell you what happened today when that question went to the Supreme Court.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
Hi, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Hello, Don.
I'm Kyra Phillips live in Washington with coverage of the pope's first trip to America.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
