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Detroit Mayor Locked Up; Deal Nearing on U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Iraq?

Aired August 07, 2008 - 15:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a deal is near. That's the word from a top Iraqi official, who says there could be an agreement soon on when U.S. troops will leave Iraq.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. And the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

We are going to talk about this one as well. Go jail. Go directly to jail. And we will tell you why Detroit's mayor has been locked up.

KAYE: And a devastating accident on a desert highway. An SUV carrying 19 people rolls over, at least nine people dead.

Hello. I'm Randi Kaye at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KAYE: We begin this hour with a developing story out of Iraq. It concerns a deal that would set a date for U.S. troops to be out of the country.

CNN's Arwa Damon is in Baghdad. And she joins us with an update.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi.

Well, that deal is not just about a date where U.S. troops would leave the country, but an even sooner date, according to the Iraqis, of June 30, 2009, whereby which U.S. troops would no longer be patrolling the streets but on their bases. They would be on their bases. According to the Iraqis, the deal is also that, by 2010, all U.S. combat forces would have left Iraq. And, then, by 2011, all other U.S. troops would have left this country as well.

However, according to the deputy foreign ministry, who is also the head of the delegation that is leading these talks, there is a caveat. And that is that the Iraqi government could still request some U.S. military contingents to continue to stay in this country.

Now, the U.S. is saying that these dates have not been specifically nailed down. They're saying that they're still negotiating them. But we did hear from one U.S. source that there were going to be dates in this deal, but that they would all be based on the security situation in Iraq.

The U.S. is saying that these negotiations are -- have seen significant improvements. But at the same time, there are a number of pretty important outstanding issues, one of them being the issue of contractor immunity. There are almost the same numbers of contractors here as there are U.S. forces. Their presence is very critical to the U.S. military mission in Iraq.

The Iraqi government, however, wants to be able to hold contractors accountable when they break Iraqi law. The other sticking point has been the issue of the authority to detain Iraqis. The U.S. military wants to continue to be able to carry out its missions and its raids, and have the authority to detain people. The Iraqis only want detentions to take place after a warrant has been issued by an Iraqi judge. And this is something of a red line for the U.S. military, especially when it comes to what they call black ops.

That is operations that are carried out by special groups, specifically counterterrorism operations. Oftentimes these raids take place based on what's called time-sensitive intelligence. And they have to move out, these special groups have to move out, at times within the hour.

And there's another very important point to come to as well. And that is that the Iraqi government still has to pass any sort of deal that is going to take place. And they have just gone on their summer break and are not due back until August 30.

KAYE: All right, Arwa Damon live for us in Baghdad, thank you for the update on that.

And you can expect much more on this top story at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer.

LEMON: Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is behind bars. A judge ordered him to jail today for violating the terms of his bond in his perjury case. Kilpatrick's lawyers are appealing the order. But that appeal won't be heard until tomorrow, meaning he will spend at least one night behind bars.

The ruling came after Kilpatrick made an unauthorized trip to Canada on city business.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE RONALD GILES, DETROIT DISTRICT COURT: Because you have violated your conditions of bond, the court is, one, revoking your bond. The court is going to order that you -- that all travel be suspected and, two, that you be remanded to the Wayne County Jail for processing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Judge, would you stay the order pending an appeal process?

GILES: Am I going to stay the order?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

GILES: No. No. You have the right to file an immediate appeal. But, like I said, if it was anyone else sitting in that chair, that's exactly what would have happened -- what will happen. And I believe that's how I have to proceed.

KWAME KILPATRICK (D), MAYOR OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN: I apologize to you. I apologize to this court. I have respect for this court. I have respect for the judges of this court, and I have respect for you.

It's been presented, as I close, that I don't -- I don't know where that comes from, Your Honor. But I don't believe that there is a person who can sit in this type of scrutiny, this type of pressure, or these type of issues where I have to deal with personally with my wife and children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: In a statement, the mayor's office says -- quote -- "Detroit's government will continue to operate as usual. As there is in any city, a deputy mayor is appointed to oversee city operations in the mayor's absence. Trash will continue to be collected. Recreation centers will remain open. Grass will be cut, and fires will be extinguished. Once again, residents can be assured government will continue to operate as usual."

Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, are charged with perjury, misconduct and obstruction of justice. They're accused of lying about having an intimate relationship and their roles in the firing of a police official. Both deny the charges.

A developing story out to tell you about this hour. It's out of southern Arizona. An SUV carrying 19 people rolled over a rural highway near Florence. Officials are reported nine people dead and the other 10 occupants all injured. The SUV was apparently the only vehicle involved.

KAYE: They allegedly used the homeless as pawns and played the taxpayers for suckers. That's what prosecutors are saying in Los Angeles following the arrest of a hospital CEO and the operator of a homeless center. They're accused of recruiting relatively healthy homeless people, admitting them to the hospital, and sending the bills to the government.

We spoke with the L.A. city attorney just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROCKY DELGADILLO, LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY: And we allege that this was a grand conspiracy amongst the hospitals, the intermediary, Estill Mitts, well as the assessment center that he ran. And they -- they collected up all these individuals and simply ran them through the system, gave them treatment that they didn't need, unnecessary treatment.

In fact, if they received treatment that they might have needed, it was only by accident. And in some cases, they got treatment that actually made their condition worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The investigation continues. Officials believe at least three Southern California hospitals participated in the alleged scam, billing the government for millions of dollars for treating bogus patients. There is no comment so far from either of the men who were arrested.

We contacted the company that owns two of the hospitals implicated. Pacific Health Corporation, they issued a statement saying: "PHC plans to continue to cooperate with authorities and believes it will be cleared of any illegal actions."

The other hospital, City of Angels Hospital, released a statement saying it is cooperating with the investigation.

In Florida, dozens of government workers face charges connected to an alleged drug ring. They allegedly used their insurance cards to get prescriptions for OxyContin, then turned the drug over for sale on the treat. The street valley apparently was $400,000.

The 56 government workers include a police officer, a felony court clerk, and 27 school bus drivers. The doctor who allegedly wrote the prescriptions is also charged.

LEMON: OK. We want to tell you about this story. And there's no other way but describing it as riveting. It is a riveting case in suburban D.C.

Mayor Cheye Calvo of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, wants a federal probe of local law enforcement officials for sending a SWAT team into his home. He's accusing the team of executing his family's two dogs -- they were Labrador retrievers -- before handcuffing him and his mother-in-law in an apparent mixup over a marijuana delivery. The mayor spoke today, and so did his wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRINITY TOMSIC, WIFE OF MAYOR: A little girl came to our house after this happened the next day. I didn't know who she was. She didn't know us. But she saw us walking the dogs every day and waving at her. And she came in. She gave me a big hug.

And she said to me -- she said, if -- if the police shot your dogs dead and did this to you, how can I trust them?

And I don't want people to feel like that. I just want them to be proud of our police and proud to live in Prince George's County.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right, Mayor Cheye Calvo joins us now.

Thank you, sir, for joining us.

(CROSSTALK)

CHEYE CALVO, MAYOR OF BERWYN HEIGHTS, MARYLAND: Thank you, Don, for having us on.

LEMON: I looked at your face as you were listen to your wife there again. You were getting choked up. Tell us why.

CALVO: This has been a difficult week-and-a-half for us. We lost our family dogs. We did it at the hands of sheriff's deputies bursting through our front door rifles blazing.

LEMON: Rifles blazing. Take us back to those moments. As we understand, this was last week. And we see you there with a picture just moments ago. We had the picture up of those two dogs who died. And I think you said the dogs' names were Payton and Chase, right?

(CROSSTALK)

CALVO: Payton and Chase, yes.

LEMON: You're out walking them, your morning walk. And you actually see the unmarked car, right?

(CROSSTALK)

CALVO: It was in the evening. I came home from my day job to get to a community meeting that night.

LEMON: OK.

CALVO: And it was just hurried. It was a hurried walk. I just went out there.

But a package had been delivered to our doorstep that my mother- in-law told me about. So, I picked it up, brought it inside, put it on a table. It was addressed to my wife. Went upstairs to change, hurrying to get ready for my meeting. And then suddenly there was an explosion. The door just flew open. I heard gunfire shoot off.

There was a brief pause and more gunfire. I was in my boxer shorts literally when I was brought downstairs at gunpoint, bound and forced to kneel on the floor. My mother-in-law was bound laying in the kitchen. And then I noticed my two dead dogs lying in pools of their own blood.

LEMON: OK. And then how long did this go on? Because there are reports that you were held for two hours, you were held for four hours. Didn't you tell them, hey, I'm the mayor?

CALVO: I did. And they didn't actually believe me. They told a detective that I was crazy, until he told a local police.

We have county police here, but, in Berwyn Heights, we have our own local department, our municipal department. So, we are a very safe community inside the Capitol Beltway in Prince George's County, Maryland. It is an amazing town. So, it was county officials who didn't alert the municipal department of their interest in my home and this package.

And it was that lack of communication that really led to what has really been the great, most traumatic experience of our lives.

LEMON: OK, here's what I don't understand, because they soon after arrested a few people because of having drugs delivered to unsuspecting people's homes. And then they go to the doorstep actually and then pick it up.

CALVO: Exactly.

LEMON: So, weren't they aware that this investigation was going on at the time, and possibly maybe the homes that they were being delivered to weren't exactly the homes of the people who were trying to get these drugs delivered?

CALVO: Don, that's an excellent point.

They actually told us during a four-hour investigation that they had been looking into delivery men who were being approached by drug dealers to do this exact thing. And we just looked at them blankly after undergoing this torture to try to understand, well, why didn't they do some due diligence?

It's important to understand they didn't know who we were when they knocked down the door. They have even didn't know my name. All they had was a package, my wife's name. They matched that to a registration of her car. And then they blew down the door and started shooting my dogs.

LEMON: OK. So, again...

CALVO: So, we are now -- so, what we're asking for is we just don't -- And they have actually said that they have done nothing wrong. They have arrested the real criminals involved. And we're pleased to hear that. We're pleased to get our name back as well.

But really this doesn't excuse what they did. We need -- and if they really believe that they did nothing wrong, we don't think that they're capable of investigating themselves. So, what we did today was call for the federal civil rights division of Justice to come in and do an investigation, because we don't think there's any way that the sheriff's department or the county police department are capable of investigating themselves. We need outside people to step in.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I have got to ask you this, because there are reports, there are numerous reports of similar situations like this, maybe not over drugs or people who have been harassed by police, and they don't have the voice or the platform that you have.

And if this is indeed true, if it turns out that your -- what you say about this case is true, this means that the police department didn't follow procedure and that maybe there are other people out there as well whose stories are true and the same as yours. What do you have to say about that?

CALVO: Don, I think that point is well taken.

I mean, my family and me, in so many ways, we are blessed. But injustice happens in this society and it happens seemingly disproportionately in Prince George's County. But I think most of the people it happens to don't have the community support or the platform, the name to have people like you to talk to them after the event.

And so, I think what our goal is now -- I didn't sign up for this fight. But what I think we have to do now is make changes to how the Prince George's County Police and the Prince George's County Sheriff's Department operate, so that this really shouldn't ever happen to anyone ever again.

LEMON: How is your mother-in-law?

CALVO: It's tough. It's tough. But we're giving her support. We're giving her all our love. And we're going to get her through this. She got the worst of it.

LEMON: She lives with you?

CALVO: But we love her and we're going to -- she was downstairs. She was downstairs when they burst through the door and shot the dogs. She was just cooking dinner. She was literally in the kitchen cooking a lovely pasta dish. And they broke down the door and shot our dogs.

And she could have been caught in the crossfire. But we have a lot of healing to do. And that healing's going to continue. But now that the real culprits have been found and -- although they haven't technically cleared my family, I think everyone knows that we're innocent. We feel the need to speak out to make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else ever again.

LEMON: All right, the mayor of Berwyn Heights, Cheye Calvo, we appreciate your joining us today in the CNN NEWSROOM. We know it's a very, very tough time for you. Again, we thank you for joining us.

CALVO: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: OK.

Now we want to go to Sharon Taylor. She's a spokesperson for the Prince George's County Police Department. She joins us now by telephone.

OK. You have been listening to the mayor, Sharon. And he is saying that this was the exact wrong thing to do. He wants changes made. He's saying the police department still believes, the SWAT team, that they did the right thing. What do you say to that?

SHARON TAYLOR, SPOKESWOMAN, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: What I say to that is that we used -- we have used the sheriff's special operations team before.

And as the chief said yesterday, we're not going to second-guess the operation of the sheriff's people. What I can tell you is when we use our own people in these situations, there is always a post- operational assessment. We do them all the time. And I'm certain that the sheriff has own his post operational assessment that he will do to understand and ascertain the accuracy of what his people did.

LEMON: And, Sharon, if you can explain to us, because you are saying the sheriff's department and the police department. I know that one agency asked the other one to help because of manpower, what have you. Explain that to our viewers whose operation this was and who was asked to help in all of this.

TAYLOR: The Prince George's County Police Department Narcotics Enforcement Division, it was their operation as a county police department.

When we needed to follow through on this package delivery, our special operations division people were not available. And, so, we sought assistance. The sheriff's people, as I have said whom we have used before, were available. And so they assisted us in this regard.

LEMON: Do you think that where the breakdown was, one agency assisting the other one, the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing?

TAYLOR: I'm not sure I would say that.

In fact, law enforcement in this region are closely aligned, and we often support each other in various operations, whether they are local or regional. We have a very strong relationship with other jurisdictional deputies, as well as our own Maryland State Police and other federal law enforcement agencies.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: OK, Sharon, I got a couple more questions I want to ask you.

Did you know about this scam for people ordering drugs to other people's doors. Did you know that prior to raiding the mayor's house?

TAYLOR: Did we know about the scam?

LEMON: Yes.

TAYLOR: Our narcotics enforcement division people knew that this drug trafficking scheme was a part of the trafficking of drugs, not only in the county, but in the state and in the region.

LEMON: OK. So if you know that, and you're going to someone's home, regardless if it's the mayor or not, and you know that this scam or this scheme is going on, why then go in with guns a'blazing and shooting dogs and tying people up on the floor?

TAYLOR: The operational decision about how they entered is made by the special operational team at the point of -- on the ground at the time that they are at the location. That is the decision that's made by that special operations team based on the circumstances at that time.

LEMON: So you're saying that -- I don't know -- did these people feel their lives were in danger, these officers or SWAT team members, that they had to do that by two Labrador retrievers, which are not very aggressive dogs, usually?

TAYLOR: Well, I'm not sure I can speak to the dogs.

But I would say that the dogs presented a threat. I would imagine, in the special operations situation like that, if people are going into a drug trafficking situation, the warrant itself was based on information we had available at the time. And that's why the warrant was issued, which, again, was also in partnership with our state's attorney office for legal sufficiency.

LEMON: OK. I'm glad you brought up that warrant, because there has been a bit of confusion by news agencies and also people involved in this that there was a no-knock warrant. There was not a no-knock warrant. Can you explain and tell us which one is true? Was there a no-knock warrant?

TAYLOR: Let me speak to this as not -- as a layperson, not a police officer.

My understanding from our legal counsel is there is really -- there is no such thing in Maryland as a no-knock warrant. This warrant was for permission to search the premises. The special operations team that supported us made a decision about the necessity of entry at the point of being on the scene.

LEMON: So, no such thing as a no-knock warrant in Maryland. So, there was no warrant.

TAYLOR: No, there was a warrant. But there is no such thing as a no-knock warrant.

LEMON: OK. Regardless if you think...

(CROSSTALK)

TAYLOR: A regular search warrant.

LEMON: If you think you did the right thing or you think you did the wrong thing, do you think this family is owed some sort of apology?

TAYLOR: You know, I really -- yesterday, as the chief tried to really create a picture about this situation in context, said himself, what we wanted to get across was that the mayor and his family were not targeted, and this was not a failed operation, as part of our continuing investigation into drug trafficking.

The community is damaged by the continuous drug trafficking. But, of course, we understand the pain and suffering by the loss of beloved pets. We don't want any of our operations to result in the injury or loss of anybody and certainly not animals. The chief himself said he's a pet lover. So, of course, we understand and we wish that this situation would not have occurred, because we have done these similar kinds of operations over and over and over again to the tune of removing billions of dollars of drugs from the community and without people or animals being harmed. And that's the totality of most of what happened.

LEMON: All right, Sharon Taylor, spokesperson for the Prince George's County Police Department, we appreciate you joining us. Thank you.

KAYE: China counts down to its moment in the global spotlight with the Olympic Games in Beijing opening just hours from now. You're looking at a live picture of the Bird's Nest, where the Games will take place. President Bush gets a red carpet welcome in the Chinese capital after he angers some of the country's leaders.

You have a job and a life outside your workplace. So, how do you balance the two? Or is that even possible these days? We will look for some answers.

And a slimy situation in Northern California. We will tell you what's up with all those worms.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS: I will see you at the White House. Oh, and I might paint it pink.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Republicans supporting Paris and her so-called energy plan? When truth is stranger than fiction.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Isn't that a beautiful picture of that Bird's Nest? Very beautiful.

OK. President Bush got a red carpet welcome in Beijing today after he blasted Chinese human rights policies just a few hours earlier. The president criticized China for detaining dissidents. As if to show their indifference to the president's remarks, plainclothes police officers dragged Christian protesters out of Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Authorities used umbrellas in an unsuccessful bid to stop the media from getting pictures. The Chinese foreign minister responded to the president's criticism, saying, no one should interfere in China's internal affairs.

Want to take you a live look now at that beautiful picture. It's called the Bird's Nest. And I can't help but say it's just amazing to look at that and the Water Cube -- I keep wanting to call it the ice cube. They are exactly 12 hours ahead of us, 3:25 in the morning there. And those ceremonies get started about 17 hours away. So, there you go. You're looking at it. It doesn't look to be too foggy and hazy. At some points, we weren't even able to see it.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Not too much pollution there.

LEMON: Yes, well, we hope.

KAYE: Finding that healthy balance between your personal and professional endeavors is getting tougher every day. Don't we know that?

CNN's Veronica De La Cruz has a closer look at whether or not it's really even possible.

Hi, there, Veronica.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Randi. Is it possible? That is the question.

CNN.com has launched this special report. It's called "Having It All." And, again, that's really the question. Can you have it all? A new study by the Families and Work Institute says that at least one- third of Americans are overworked. And if that isn't the case, then they have been overworked in the past month.

So, Randi, we're going to play a little game here. CNN.com has this online quiz. And we are asking you a couple of questions to find out whether or not you are overworked.

Here's a sample question, Randi. Randi, which best describes you after you leave work, A, I don't think about work until I arrive the next morning, B, I usually check my e-mail before bed, or, C, I check my e-mail and make calls at least three or more times before bed -- Randi.

KAYE: I just never lately work really is what it feels like. But I'm constantly on the BlackBerry. You know that, mornings and night. I can't stop checking it.

(CROSSTALK)

DE LA CRUZ: I do. I know. I know. You know what? I'm right there with you. I'm tethered to the thing. And it makes perfect sense, because a journalist's life is definitely tough.

We want to share a couple stories from a few of our own. Let's take you to our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena. She has this to say about work-life balance. She has three kids and she tries to juggle both. She says: "I try my best. I occasionally bring my kids to work, like the time I anchored a weekend show and my younger daughter ran to the set curls flying, unicorn in hand."

Can you see it? Can you see it?

KAYE: Yes.

DE LA CRUZ: I love that.

And then our Soledad O'Brien has this to say: "It's the plight of the modern-day working mom. You can't do it all, especially if you have four kids. Some days, I feel like I'm doing a poor job on all fronts. Forget the gym. Forget eating well. The last three books I read for fun were the 'Boxcar Children" series. And the last movie was "Horton Hears a Who."

KAYE: Oh, boy. She needs a break.

LEMON: That wasn't bad, though. I saw "Horton Hears a Who." It was pretty soon.

KAYE: At least she's seen a movie. That's good. It's something.

DE LA CRUZ: I know.

(CROSSTALK)

DE LA CRUZ: There is some work-life balance.

So, anyway, Randi, you can read more online and figure out if you are balancing life and work by logging on to CNN.com/havingitall.

KAYE: Yes. Well, I know the answer to that already. So does my husband, unfortunately.

All right, thanks, Veronica.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: No, it's absolutely true. You never leave work. I see you everywhere. I'm like, how does she do that?

KAYE: I don't. And quietly I'm BlackBerrying in bed at night. It's terrible. He's asleep. I'm doing that. If he only knew. Now he's going to know. Oh, well. It's out. It's out.

LEMON: I think he probably knows. He just not saying anything.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Probably. He understands.

LEMON: He's being the gracious husband.

Well, politics can made strange bedfellows. Case in point, a Republican congressman making political hay and headlines by pushing Paris Hilton's so-called energy plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HILTON: Well, why don't we do a hybrid of both candidates' ideas? We can do a limited offshore drilling, with strict environmental oversight, while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Hilton made headlines earlier this week with her parody ad responding to Senator John McCain. Texas Congressman Michael Burgess brought up this so-called Hilton energy plan today as Republican lawmakers try to pressure Democrats into holding a vote on offshore oil drilling.

KAYE: I wonder if she's going to wear that when she comes to debate on the House floor there. I'm just curious.

LEMON: It would probably get some people interested.

KAYE: I think it would get some votes maybe.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: And we would be holding it live right here, because the ratings would go up, right?

KAYE: Oh, yes. I don't know. We will see.

LEMON: We will see.

KAYE: Maybe it will happen.

What automaker can you truly depend on? We will run down the newest list of reliable cars.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone.

I'm Don Lemon live here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye in for Kyra Phillips.

You are in THE CNN NEWSROOM.

It is just after 3:30 here in THE CNN NEWSROOM.

And here are some stories we're working on at this hour.

What could be a very significant development in Iraq and here in the United States -- U.S. and Iraqi negotiators are said to be close to an agreement pulling U.S. combat troops out of Iraqi cities by next June and out of the country by December 2010.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been thrown in jail. A judge says Kilpatrick, awaiting trial on perjury charges, violated the terms of his bond with a trip to Canada. And an SUV overturned on a rural highway in Arizona, killing nine suspected illegal immigrants, injuring 10 others.

LEMON: A woman accused of running off with another woman's five children reportedly plans to turn herself in today. Rhonda Tavey has told the "Houston Chronicle" she first wants to hire a criminal lawyer. Tavey has told reporters the children's mother, Erica Alphonse, threatened her and she disappeared with the children last month for their own safety. Alphonse denies those charges and the allegations.

She and her children came to Houston from New Orleans three years ago after Hurricane Katrina. She says she agreed to let Tavey care for the children while she tried to find work. She left them with Tavey two years ago to go back to New Orleans.

KAYE: A military jury of five men and one woman is deliberating how long Osama bin Laden's former driver will have to stay in prison. Prosecutors at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba asked that Salim Hamdan be given a minimum of 30 years. Defense attorneys want a sentence of 45 months or less. Hamdan was convicted just yesterday of providing material support to Al Qaeda, but cleared of terrorism conspiracy charges. Hamdan told the court today he was shocked when he learned al Qaeda was behind the 9/11 attacks and said his relationship with bin Laden was just that of an employer and employee.

New political pressures facing the president of Pakistan. The country's ruling coalition says it's going to try to impeach Pervez Musharraf. The Pakistani president has been a key U.S. ally since the 9/11 terror attacks. But he's seen his power decline since giving up control of the army last year.

Adding to the intrigue, Pakistan says the prime minister will represent Pakistan in tomorrow's Olympic opening ceremonies. The original plan called for Musharraf to travel to Beijing.

LEMON: All right, we have some new numbers to tell you about in the race for the White House. In our latest national poll of polls, 46 percent of registered voters support Barack Obama; 41 percent back John McCain; 13 percent haven't made up their minds. And Obama's 5- point lead is the same as Tuesday. The poll of polls is an average of three different surveys.

KAYE: Danger in the line of duty -- eight firefighters and a helicopter pilot are believed to be dead after their chopper went down in a wilderness area.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. We have some breaking news into the CNN NEWSROOM. Pardon me as I just get wires here. I want to print it for you.

But Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's former driver -- it was believed that they would reach a verdict today to talk about his sentencing and exactly what they wanted. They wanted up to 30 years to life for him. So a jury at Guantanamo Bay -- a military jury reaches a verdict on Osama bin Laden's driver. That is the latest we're getting from the Associated Press.

Again, they were seeking 30 years to life. And we're not exactly sure exactly what the sentencing was, but we wanted to let you know -- or, I should say, what the sentencing is. But we wanted to let you know that they have decided what that sentence is and as soon as we get information from our people who have been reporting on this story at Guantanamo Bay, we will bring it to you.

But, again, a jury has decided exactly how it's going to sentence Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's former driver. We'll bring you the latest just as soon as we get it.

KAYE: Don, emergency crews are having a tough time recovering the victims of a helicopter crash deep in a California forest. The chopper was shuttling firefighters from the Shasta-Trinity National Park to their base camp when it went down late Tuesday. Four people were pulled out of the fiery wreckage, nine others presumed dead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But that...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's taking a toll on everybody and their -- there's the pain in their eyes, the -- everything -- it's just -- it's too much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a huge sense of loss. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who lost family members.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Those fire crews were battling one of 11 major wildfires burning across Northern California. Crews also are manning fire lines in five other Western states, including Oregon, Washington, Montana and in Wyoming, where cooler temperatures and lighter winds are helping with a fire east of Yellowstone National Park.

Chad Myers joining us from the Severe Weather Center -- and, Chad, I guess the weather right now could actually make the situation in the Northwest worse.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: For the 14th year in a row, Lexus tops an influential ranking of dependable vehicles. Mercury comes in second on the annual JD Power list, followed by Cadillac. Toyota, which, by the way, owns the Lexus brand, is fourth, followed by Acura and Buick. Last year, Buick tied for the top spot with Lexus. Overall, JD Power says vehicle dependability has been steadily improving across the board and that reported problems tend more toward the aesthetic instead of the major technical defects.

I don't like the way my car looks, but it drives pretty well.

KAYE: It sure does.

LEMON: Yes.

KAYE: Well, talk about beating the odds -- an endangered centenarian finds fatherhood. Yes, that is him right there.

LEMON: Aw.

KAYE: Fatherhood even after cancer surgery.

LEMON: He's cute.

KAYE: Isn't he cute?

LEMON: Yes. Ouch (INAUDIBLE).

KAYE: Too cute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Well, breaking news now in THE CNN NEWSROOM.

We want to tell you that Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's driver, who was convicted yesterday, his sentence has come down. He has been sentenced to five years, six months. He was just convicted yesterday. Prosecutors had been seeking a sentence of at least 30 years. He was convicted of supporting terrorism, though acquitted of charges that he conspired in terrorist attacks. The defense had been asking for 45 months or less.

So, once again, Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's driver, sentenced to five years, six months. He had said that it was just simply an employee/employer relationship, that he didn't even know that Al Qaeda was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

But there you have it -- five years and six months for Salim Hamdan.

We, of course, will be following this. And you'll see much more on this story in "THE SITUATION ROOM," coming up with Wolf Blitzer.

LEMON: Absolutely. And the U.S. Navy now says the case of a leaky nuclear submarine was worse than initially reported. It says the USS Houston leaked trace amounts of radiation as far back as June of 2006 -- nearly two years longer than disclosed last week. The sub made at least three port calls in Japan. It also stopped in Malaysia, Singapore, Guam and Hawaii. And Navy officials say the radiation leak was extremely low level and the amount was negligible -- less than what it found in a 50 pound bag of fertilizer.

KAYE: Proton therapy is considered the most advanced form of radiation available. But the set up is massive and so is the cost. That could be changing, though.

CNN's Jacqui Jeras takes a look at this week's Next Big Thing in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Proton therapy is considered the most advanced form of radiation therapy available. But the setup is massive and so is the cost. That could be changing, though.

CNN's Jacqui Jeras takes a look at this week's Next Big Thing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACQUI JERAS, ATS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): The use of radiation therapy is a critical tool in the fight against cancer. But proton therapy -- a newer, more precise type of radiation therapy -- is limited. Because the machines are the size of basketball courts cost nearly $150 million each, only about a dozen of them exist throughout the world. Unlike the more common x-ray radiation treatment, proton therapy allows doctors to treat cancer with a maximum dose of radiation while minimizing effects on surrounding tissue.

RALPH DE VERE WHITE, DIRECTOR, U.C. DAVIS CANCER CENTER: Now, the great thing about the protons is that they go into the tumor and they drop all of their energy in the tumor so they're not coming out the other side.

JERAS: Just like the magnets that thrust this roller coaster into high speed, magnetic fields accelerate protons into a patient's body. Now researchers are close to shrinking the technology to the size of an MRI machine.

WILLIAM GOLDSTEIN, LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY: We could actually fit a proton therapy machine into a very small compartment that would allow proton therapy to basically be spread throughout the medical system in the United States.

JERAS: The medical technology company TomoTherapy expects to bring the new system to market within four years. And while not a cure, researchers hope it will be a powerful and accessible weapon in their fight against cancer.

WHITE: We'd like to eradicate cancer. We'd like to treat it safer and more effectively. And this machine is one great step along that way.

JERAS: Jacqui Jeras, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Oh, yes. Take a look at the slimy situation in Northern California.

What's up with all those worms?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It's time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. LEMON: That almost means it's time for us to...

KAYE: Check out.

LEMON: Pack it in.

He's standing by to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

We love your tie -- Wolf.

Very nice.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much.

Let's tell you what's going on at the top of the hour.

The United States and Iraq might be moving closer to a deal on withdrawing troops from the war zone. We're talking with officials in Baghdad, as well as here in Washington. We have the latest. That's coming up.

And will Hillary Clinton's name be put into the nomination process at the Democratic National Convention?

There could be a roll call vote. You're going to hear what Senator Clinton is now saying about that possibility.

Plus, a car, a laptop and a wireless connection -- federal officials say this is how hackers stole millions in the biggest identity theft case in American history. We're going to show you how they did it and what it means for you.

All that, guys, and a lot more coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

KAYE: All right, Wolf. We'll be there. Thank you.

LEMON: And we've got a creepy proposition for you -- millions of army worms lured to Fresno, California by a field full of alfalfa.

KAYE: That's just gross.

LEMON: So just get the alfalfa out of your house. Having feasted on that, they're looking for something else and are now invading the neighbors. One of the neighbors says she awakes late at night slapping imaginary critters off her legs. It's definitely gross and a little weird.

Can you imagine, in the middle of the night?

KAYE: No. Just don't grow alfalfa. That's the key right there.

Well, better news from New Zealand, where Henry, this rare 110- year-old lizard, is about to become a dad, believe it or not. Beyond age, Henry had to rebound from cancer surgery -- doctors removing a tumor from his private area. Henry then hooked up with Mildred -- it's a made in heaven here -- who, at 70 or 80 years old, is a relatively spring chicken compared to him.

LEMON: He robbed the cradle, didn't he?

KAYE: He sure did. The couple's brood now includes 11 fertilized eggs, considered healthy.

He looks like a pretty happy guy.

LEMON: Is that...

KAYE: He's kind of proud of himself.

LEMON: Is that May, December or is that like January...

KAYE: I don't even know what you'd call that in lizard land.

I'm not sure.

LEMON: All right. More tales now from the animal kingdom.

What's your money on, a bear up a tree in St. Augustine or an aging dog named Penny?

Well, don't be -- don't put your money on the bear. Penny's owner says the pooch took offense at the unannounced visit and held the intruder at bay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: When the bear come down the tree, Penny jumped on the bear's book and chewed it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, the bear is still on the loose. It's been spotted in the St. Augustine area nine times in the past two weeks. Agriculture officials say it's become dependent on human trash.

Don't mess with the doggie.

KAYE: No, don't.

LEMON: The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

KAYE: Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at the trading day -- Susan, how is it looking?

Not so good, huh?

LISOVICZ: No.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LEMON: Let's go now to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Mr. Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, guys.