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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Life on the Line: Euthanasia Controversy; Reporter Murdered, 9/11 Suspect Blamed

Aired October 21, 2003 - 19:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST (voice-over): A U.S. Marine back from Iraq with a Purple Heart is killed at his own welcome home party.

Why a man went over Niagara Falls wearing only the clothes on his back.

Our special series, "Conjoined Twins." Tonight, the little Marias.

Does the state have the right to decide in the Terri Schiavo case?

The day after shocking revelations Princess Diana feared for her life, now the fallout for Prince Charles.

And notorious Hollywood producer Robert Evans. He's done it all, but is he ready to be a cartoon?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Thanks for joining us on 360.

Dramatic developments in a bitter euthanasia controversy. Late today, Florida Governor Jeb Bush ordered doctors to reinsert the feeding tube removed last week from a brain damaged woman. He acted just an hour after the Florida legislature gave him that power. The goal: keeping 39-year-old Terri Schiavo alive. It is not what Schiavo's husband wanted, but as John Zarrella reports, her parents are overjoyed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Bob and Mary Schindler embraced and wept openly. They had just gotten the word, the Florida Senate had followed the State House, passing a bill aimed at restoring their daughter, Terri, to life support.

BILL SCHINDLER, TERRI'S FATHER: If anything, you endure your faith in god. Because I went the other way, and now I have to get back with it. Things like this just reinforce my faith. ZARRELLA: The crowd of supporters gave thanks with prayers and songs. The mood, far different from six days ago, when the feeding tube that had kept Terri Schiavo alive for 13 years was removed. There had been a decade of legal battles.

These are the latest pictures made public of Terri Schiavo. They were taken by the parents in 2001. Terri's husband, Michael, said his wife never wanted to live like this, in what doctors declared was a "persistent vegetative state." Her parents wanted her kept alive on life support and given rehabilitative therapy.

When they lost their last, final court appeals, the Schindlers appealed to Governor Jeb Bush. Bush, who has said for weeks that he wanted to help, finally did, signing Terri's bill.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: They respond the appropriately. They did the right thing, I think.

ZARRELLA: The bill orders Terri's feeding tube reinserted, and it calls for the appointment of a guardian who can look out for Terri's needs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: About 30 minutes ago, an ambulance left here from the hospice. We are told by the family Terri Schiavo is in that ambulance. She is being taken to a hospital in Clearwater where she can be more properly rehydrated because she's been down for so many days now without any nutrition or hydration.

At the same time, at this hour, Michael Schiavo's attorney is going to court, seeking an injunction to stop the governor from acting to keep Terri Schiavo on life support -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. John Zarrella, thanks for the update. We'll have more on this story a little bit later on.

A political story now involving another hot button issue, abortion. The Senate voted to ban a late-term abortion procedure that critics call partial birth abortion. The House already passed it, and the bill now goes to the president, who has vowed to make it law. It would be the first federal law banning a form of abortion since Roe v Wade. The vote was 64-34. Abortion rights groups say they'll sue to get the legislation declared unconstitutional.

There's a dramatic new report today about last year's murder of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl. Pearl, you'll remember, was investigating a story about Islamic radicals when he was kidnapped and killed. Now, U.S. officials say they are convinced he was murdered by the same man who allegedly organized the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. Justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Journalist Daniel Pearl was murdered in Pakistan, his throat slit with a knife. There is a videotape of the murder. But on it, the face of the killer cannot be seen. U.S. officials are now saying it was al Qaeda leader and September 11th mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who personally wielded the knife.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a committed terrorist, a senior al Qaeda commander who not only is not afraid to participate in attacks, but prefers to play very direct and hands-on role in his attacks.

ARENA: Authorities had previously discounted reports of Mohammed's role, but say there is new evidence he is the culprit. They're not saying what the evidence is, but sources indicate it's not a confession from Mohammed himself. In response to the latest revelation, Pearl's parents issued a statement.

It reads, in part, "We are thankful to the authorities for pursuing the identification of Danny's murderers, and we trust that all those involved in this heinous crime will soon be brought to justice." But officials say it's not likely Mohammed will be charged in any court anytime soon.

(on camera): He remains in U.S. custody at an undisclosed location, and officials say is still being interrogated.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Let's put the story in perspective for a moment. In 2003, the most dangerous place in the world for a journalist to work is Iraq. So far, 12 reporters have been killed there in the line of duty. Worldwide, 26 journalists have been killed this year alone, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The worst year was 1994, when 66 journalists were killed.

There have been stories of heroism and loss connected to the war in Iraq. This is certainly one of them. A Marine who survived a land mine explosion, won a Purple Heart, a Marine who also took part in the rescue of Jessica Lynch, well, he was killed, but not in Baghdad by a bomb but in his own hometown by a bullet.

Frank Buckley has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Corporal Sokak Ung (ph) was wounded in Iraq when a fellow Marine stepped on unexploded ordnance and it went off. He survived, only to be shot in front of his father's home in Long Beach, California and die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was willing to go over there and give the ultimate sacrifice, and we'd have never thought it would have been here, stateside.

BUCKLEY: Ung (ph) was enjoying a barbecue with friends and family at around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, when family members say a man in a blue hooded shirt suddenly popped over this fence and began firing. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After all that, I got up. I saw my brother just laying on the ground.

BUCKLEY: His father, a soldier in Cambodia, who escaped the killing fields, who sought a new life for his family in America, would hold his son as the young Marine fought to hold on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told my dad, like, "It's OK, dad. Everything's going to be OK."

BUCKLEY: Ung's (ph) unit participated in the rescue of Jessica Lynch, diverting Iraqi forces away from her. Corporal Ung (ph) returned to the U.S. this past summer, the recipient of the Purple Heart. As Buddhist monks chanted and prayed for Ung (ph), police investigators looked for a suspect and a motive to a shooting that occurred without warning. For his fellow Marines, who live by words like "honor," the ambush of one of their own was a painful reminder that some people don't live by the same code.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a cowardly act, you know, just reaching over a fence and randomly shooting an individual. It's a coward.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: Also killed in the gunfire, a friend of Ung (ph), 21- year-old Ru Ti To (ph). He was a college student. Ung (ph) was also looking forward to attending university starting in a few months. He was set to be discharged from the Marines in just 10 days -- Anderson.

COOPER: So sad. Frank Buckley, thank you tonight.

In London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has rejected a call for a full inquiry into the death of Princess Diana. Now, the call had come from Mohammed al Fayed, the owner of Harrod's department store in London, the father of the man killed with Diana back in 1997. Al Fayed contends that Diana's fears for her safety detailed in a letter to her one-time butler, a letter we talked about last night, confirms his belief her death wasn't an accident.

Walt Rodgers has the latest from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband, may have the most quixotic role in the latest royal revelations in Britain. In a letter to Diana, published in a London tabloid, Prince Philip said, "He, (Charles), would be mad to leave you for Camilla.

At the time, Camilla Parker Bowles was Charles' mistress. They still have a relationship, and they may have been done the most damage by Diana's latest letters from the grave contained in a new book by Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just think it makes Camilla Parker Bowles attempt to become the next princess of Wales almost impossible. RODGERS: But according to some published accounts, Diana believed it was Prince Philip himself who was allegedly working against her.

PIERS MORGAN, EDITOR, "DAILY MIRROR": Diana was a massive threat to the monarchy in the sense that she had almost replaced the monarchy in public affection.

RODGERS: The tabloid press feeding frenzy over the new Diana book has relaunched at least three conspiracy theories about Diana's death. One, that she could have been killed by British intelligence agencies because she was a threat to the monarchy itself. Two, that her death might have been faked so she could escape to freedom. Three, that her lover, Dodi Fayed, also killed in the crash, might have been the real target of any alleged plot.

Upon discovery of a new letter from Diana fearing a plot to kill her in a car accident, there are indications the French may be considering the reopening of their investigation. Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Here's a fast fact for you about British opinion regarding the death of Princess Diana. In a poll published last August, on the sixth anniversary of her death, 49 percent of Britains surveyed say they believe there had been a cover-up surrounding the circumstances of her death. Thirty-four percent believe there was not.

We're following a number of international stories for you. Let's check the "UpLink."

Tehran, Iran: giving ground. The U.S. offers a cautious welcome to Iran's latest statements regarding its nuclear program. Iran says it will suspend its nuclear enrichment program and says it will let the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency perform inspections.

Bangkok, Thailand: North Korea's nukes. International leaders say they back a plan by President Bush to resolve Korea's nuclear crisis. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum ended today with those leaders supporting a U.S. stand to provide some security guarantees for North Korea if it gives up its nuclear ambitions.

London, England: plane spotting. Crowds are lining up near Heathrow Airport trying to catch a glimpse of that, the supersonic Concorde. Well, they still have a chance. After 27 years, a fiery crash in Paris three years ago, the streamlined speedster retires from service this Friday.

And that is tonight's "UpLink."

Over the falls without a barrel or even protective gear. Find out what happened to a guy who took a plunge at Niagara Falls. He didn't get away unscathed. Also, two lives, one struggle. Our weeklong series on conjoined twins. You might be surprised to hear how the girls known as the two Marias are doing today.

And from "The Godfather" to a hot new cartoon, notorious Hollywood legend, Robert Evans -- he's the one on the floor. First, let's take a look inside the box to what the network newscast top stories were tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And he wasn't even wearing a barrel. We're talking about the luckiest man of the moment, Kirk Jones, who apparently survived a trip over Niagara Falls yesterday, wearing only the clothes on his back. Lucky, yes. Smart, no.

Now he may be facing some trouble with the law as well. The story from Lorey Schultz of CNN affiliate WIVB.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOREY SCHULTZ, WIVB (voice-over): On a rock at the base of Niagara Falls, 40-year-old Kirk Jones of Canton, Michigan, pulled himself to safety after surviving a plunge over the falls. Today, tourists to ask, "What was he thinking?"

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would think he's a bit of a nutball. Yes, we couldn't believe that someone would jump over and be able to survive.

SCHULTZ: Late this afternoon, Niagara Park's police concluded that based on their preliminary investigation, Jones intentionally climbed over a wrought iron barricade, stepped into the water and went over the falls. He wore no safety device, just the clothes on his back. Police are no longer treating this as a suicide attempt but rather, an intentional stunt-like act.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motive? We're basically investigating it as an intentional act, obviously, considering the charges. So it's an intentional act at this point. That's how we're investigating it.

SCHULTZ: Jones suffered no life-threatening injuries. He's only the second person to survive a plunge over the falls without a protective container. His mood today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to suggest that he was probably happy to be alive.

SCHULTZ: The incident happened during the lunchtime hour on Monday. Authorities located Jones at the bottom of the gorge, leading some to suggest this could be a hoax. However, Linda Sadlemeyer (ph) of Toronto, who doesn't know Jones, was among them who saw him enter the river.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He smiles at us, made eye contact, walked over to where we were, walked back, and then took a little jog, a little jaunt over to the escarpment, jumped below on his backside, slid down and jumped into the water.

SCHULTZ (on camera): If it was a stunt, this daredevil faces hefty fines for violating a Niagara Parks commission law forbidding stunting in the park.

(voice-over): Niagara Park's police plan to press charges. They're now in the process of reviewing a videotape shot by a friend who allegedly accompanied Jones to the falls. There's word he's been planning the jump for a while, an act police hope won't be glorified.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: I'm not sure I buy this one. A quick fast fact for you, however. The first person to make it over Niagara Falls, she did it in a barrel. That's right, she, and she lived to tell about it.

She was a 63-year-old teacher from Michigan, Annie Taylor (ph); 1901 was the year. In total, 14 people have tried, nine have lived, five have died.

Well, from over the falls to "Cross Country." Let's take a look at what else is going on.

Virginia Beach, Virginia: sniper trial. Suspect John Allen Muhammad's trial is in a second day. A police officer testified he saw and spoke to Muhammad near the scene of one of the shootings but failed to connect him to the investigation. Muhammad is representing himself in the trial. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Baltimore, Maryland: charges filed. A college student who admitted planting box cutters and other materials on at least two airliners has been formally charged. Nathaniel Heatwole is accused of carrying a concealed weapon aboard an aircraft.

New York City: ferry crash investigation. The captain of the crash of Staten Island ferry, this man, did not neat with NTSB investigators today, as it was believed he would. His lawyer says Michael Ganses (ph) will meet with the authorities eventually, but not until he has had more time to prepare.

He apparently won't get all the time he wants, though. The NTSB announced that it is issuing a subpoena that will force the captain's appearance tomorrow.

Boston, Mass: brawl game outcome. Two New York Yankees ball players will have to appear in court to find out if assault and battery charges will be filed against them following a brawl in the bullpen during the playoffs against the Red Sox. There it is.

Good news for Yanks fans, however. The court date, November 7th. So reliever Jeff Nelson and right fielder Karim Garcia (ph) will be available to the team for the rest of the World Series. Game three is tonight in Florida.

And that's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight. Conjoined twins given a second lease on life and then suffer a major setback. Find out what's gone right and wrong for the girls known as the two Marias one year after their surgery.

Also tonight, a prowler stalking a small town where a girl was once kidnapped from her home. Have you seen this man? A close look at a city on edge.

First, tonight's buzz. Should Governor Jeb Bush order Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted? Vote now at cnn.com/360. We'll have the results at the end of the program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: We continue now with our weeklong look at conjoined twins. The media pays a lot of attention to twins as they go through surgery. But what happens after they go home?

Last year, doctors successfully separated Guatemalan twins known as the two Marias. Today, Dr. Sanjay Gupta brings us new pictures of the girls and some mixed reports about their progress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Maria de Jesus, and this is her sister Maria Teresa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is she going to give you a big smile?

GUPTA: The dos Marias. Maria de Jesus is recovering better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she's doing really well. And at times, she even is starting to stand now, which is really exciting. I think she'll grow up to be fairly normal in a lot of ways.

Yes, she will have some limitations physically. She'll probably have a few bad hair days. But other than that, she's a pretty, with- it kid.

GUPTA: But Maria Teresa is lagging far behind. Before the separation, it was Maria Teresa who was more outgoing. After surgery, when she was back home in Guatemala, that's when she contracted ecoli meningitis, an infection of the brain lining. Now, she's deaf, brain damaged and vision impaired.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We lost all our gains, and that she's basically starting life over again. She will probably not have a normal life. But I know that children who do not "fit the normal profile" still have so much to give to us.

GUPTA: Because they require so much attention, the girls are cared for in Valencia, California in separate homes by volunteers. They haven't seen their parents since May. But the twins do see each other three or four times a week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's wonderful to see them when they are together. Maria de Jesus loves Teresa, and she's very, very responsive to her and will come in and touch her and stroke her. They are very, very much in tune with one another.

GUPTA: For the twins, it's a long road to recovery together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the starting point. This is not the finish line.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, earlier, I spoke with Dr. Henry Kawamoto of UCLA. He helped lead the team of more than 50 physicians, nurses and other staff who helped separate the two Marias. I began by asking him about his prognosis for Maria Teresa, the twin who contracted meningitis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. HENRY KAWAMOTO, UCLA: It's not life-threatening. She's going to live. And from that point of view -- but it's how much damage has there been to her brain that will determine her quality of life, the remaining quality of life she has.

COOPER: So in essence, you're saying this little girl is going to be in some way brain damaged for the rest of her life?

KAWAMOTO: Yes, she'll have some kind of brain damage. She has what you might think like mini strokes, because that's the way this particular bacteria acts.

COOPER: Is the condition in any way linked to the operation, or is this something that just happened when she was back in Guatemala?

KAWAMOTO: It's just something that happened in Guatemala. It has no reflection on the quality of care she had over there. It's just one of those unfortunately bad, bad accidents that have happened. It was a disastrous series of events.

COOPER: Psychologically, is there an adjustment that these kids have to make?

KAWAMOTO: Well, first, it's very interesting. Maria de Jesus, we found her out there swiping her head. And we were wondering what was going on. That was immediately after the operation.

The nurse said she was looking for her sister because of the separation. But they've adapted pretty well. And Maria de Jesus is like any other child that you would expect to see anywhere in the world, given her age.

COOPER: If they're conjoined at the head and share -- I mean, their brains are somehow conjoined, I mean, do they share thoughts in any way?

KAWAMOTO: No. They have totally different thought patterns. One could be crying, the other one could be laughing. One could be outgoing, and the other one be shy.

I think the same thing is true of the Egyptian twins. They've noticed they have two different personalities.

COOPER: As you look back on the surgery with the little Marias, how do you judge success?

KAWAMOTO: I it would define true success as having two normal infants. And actually, we thought we had two normal infants when we finished. And during the early part of their operation -- their recovery. It's not a success in that we didn't come out with two great, you know, normal kids, but we sure had a good shot at it.

COOPER: All right. Dr. Kawamoto, appreciate you joining us. It's always good to talk to you. Thank you very much.

KAWAMOTO: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, make sure you join us tomorrow as our series continues. We're going to talk to former conjoined twins, Shawna (ph) and Janelle Roderick (ph), and their parents who made the difficult decision to separate them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Who is lurking in the bedrooms of this suburban neighborhood?

And Jessica Simpson at Harvard? Only in the Nth degree. We'll be right back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Here's the "Reset," tonight's top stories.

Washington, D.C.: abortion vote. Congress completed work today on a bill that would ban the late-term medical procedure critics call partial birth abortion. Following today's 64-34 Senate approval, the measure now goes to President Bush, who says he will sign it. Opponents promise a court challenge.

Richmond, Virginia: bring a lawyer. Even though accused terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui has won the right to defend himself at his trial, he won't be able to represent himself before an appeals court. An appeals court today denied Moussaoui's request that he be allowed to serve as his own lawyer during the government's appeal of a pretrial decision that weakened its case.

Reykjavik, Iceland: airline cancer risk. Researchers at the University of Iceland say flight attendants who have worked at least five years are more likely to develop breast cancer. At the same time, a Swedish study suggests that airline crew members, male and female, are more likely to get malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Now some experts say cosmic radiation may be to blame. More study ahead.

Tallahassee, Florida: governor's order. Using a law passed just an hour earlier, Florida Governor Jeb Bush has ordered doctors to reinsert a feeding tube in order to keep a brain damaged woman alive. The tube was disconnected last week at the request of the woman's husband. Her parents opposed that decision.

We want to know what you think about this story. Should Governor Jeb Bush have ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted? Log on to cnn.com/360 and vote now. We'll have some of the answers, your opinions at the end of the program.

Joining us to discuss the case are two Florida radio talk show hosts.

Dave Elliott is in Ft. Myers. He's a co-host of "Gulf Coast Morning" at WCNZ morning radio.

And Chuck Baldwin is the host of the program "Chuck Baldwin Live." He is in Pensacola.

Gentlemen, appreciate both of you joining us.

Chuck, let me start off with you. Your thoughts. Did the legislature do the right thing, overruling the courts?

CHUCK BALDWIN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Oh, absolutely. I believe it is the responsibility of government to protect the fundamental rights that we are created with. And in this case, that is exactly what the Florida legislature and the governor have done.

COOPER: But opponents say, Look, this is a checks and balances at work. And this -- this messes the whole thing up.

BALDWIN: Just the opposite. This is the check and balance very much in operation.

The judiciary is not a dictatorship. We have three co-equal branches of government and they have acted in the accordance of the interests of this individual. And I think they've done the exact right thing.

COOPER: Dave, what do you think? Have the courts gone too far? Do they need to be reined in?

DAVID ELLIOTT, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: They actually have, Anderson. And Chuck, I think you ought to know better than this.

The fact of the matter is this is boutique law. Governor Bush was quoted this morning in "The Miami Herald" as saying they want me to break the law by intervening in this case. So we went out and had a new law made.

That's what this is about. This is a law that was passed to benefit one person, not the people of the state of Florida. One person. And I argue that in reality, we are sitting here right now wondering -- maybe with a constitutional crisis, because what happens to that separation of powers? How can one branch of the legislature, legislature or the executive branch, suddenly say , We don't like what the courts did so we're going to overrule that now. It's just not right.

COOPER: Chuck, Terri Schiavo's husband has been very out front, saying, Look, my wife would have never wanted to have lived like this. What about his opinion on all this? Should the courts have listened to him?

BALDWIN: I think that there is real suspicion about his motivations and interests in this case. I believe that there is room for perhaps, the executive branch of government here in Florida to do some serious investigation.

COOPER: What kind of suspicions are you talking about?

BALDWIN: Well, for example, the lawsuit that they obtained in -- what? -- a million dollars or so that was supposed to be spent to care for this lady, to give her the medical treatment, to see if she could progress. That hasn't been done to my understanding.

I think there's a lot of people that are wanting to know why is he so reticent to allow family members to come and speak with her and doctors who he does not approve to come and check on her condition? I think there's a lot of room for suspicion.

COOPER: Well, Dave, Chuck basically says he doesn't trust this woman's husband. What do you think?

ELLIOTT: Well, I don't -- whether the husband is to blame or whether there is suspicions about the husband isn't really the issue. The issue here is about the legislative branch of this government deciding that they didn't like what the courts have been saying all along and trying to change the court's mind.

This is the state, by the way, that has a constitutional amendment that was passed in 2002 allowing pregnant pigs to run free. It's in the constitution. This state is known for coming up with these boutique laws to try to just solve any little problem that they have. And I think it's incorrect.

It's not right. It is a violation of the state constitution. And I think everybody knows it.

COOPER: Chuck, final thought?

BALDWIN: No, it is the purpose of government to protect individuals. And he said that this law was written to protect this one person and I say, That's exactly right. What's wrong with that? It's the purpose of the legislative branches of government to protect life. He seems to think that the judiciary is a law unto themselves. And that is not what this country is all about.

COOPER: Well, we're going to have to...

ELLIOTT: But I think the governor believes that he thinks he can overrule the judiciary and have a law created for him when he needs one that benefits him. He admitted earlier today that he thought it was against the law for him to intervene in this case.

COOPER: All right. We're going to leave it there. David Elliott, Chuck Baldwin, appreciate it. Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

COOPER: All right, now a quick "Fast Fact" for you on this story. Lawyers say there are two things you can do to make sure your last wishes are carried out.

The first is to create a living will that contains written instructions about medical treatment in the event you're unable to communicate.

The other option is a durable power of attorney. It allows you to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you're unable to do so yourself.

The Schiavo case brings us to this week's "How Quickly We Forget," our chance to remind you about a story that once commanded a lot of attention and then slipped under the radar. Tonight, perhaps the best known fight over whether someone should be allowed to die, someone who couldn't make the decision herself, the case of Karen Ann Quinlan.

Dave Mattingly reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): April, 1975. The Vietnam War was grinding down. Disco was on the rise. And 21- year-old Karen Ann Quinlan was spending a night partying with friends. But too much alcohol mixed with tranquilizers sent the young lab technician into a coma and into a national controversy over what we now know as the right to die.

Unable to regain consciousness for months, Quinlan was listed in a persistent vegetative state. But when her parents requested that she be removed from a respirator, doctors refused. The Quinlans took the case to the New Jersey Supreme Court and won the right to allow Karen to die, as they described it, with grace and dignity.

JULIA QUINLAN, MOTHER: We just pray for the grace to be able to accept each day's heartache.

MATTINGLY: The case marked a sea change in how hospitals and courts dealt with death. States enacted laws allowing individuals to create a living will, dictating personal conditions of when to end medical treatment.

Surprisingly, Karen Ann Quinlan continued to live for nine more years, never emerging from her coma. She passed in 1985, a tragic, yet compelling figure, shaping how untold thousands would choose to die.

David Mattingly, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, the Quinlan case continues to resonate, even came up during the Schiavo case. A friend reportedly testified in the spring that Schiavo once lost her temper after hearing a joke about Quinlan and then, according to the friend, she said she disapproved of Quinlan's parents fighting to allow their daughter to die. The friend recalls Schiavo saying -- quote -- "how did they know she would want this?"

Well, turning now to California. Ten years after the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas shocked the town of Petaluma fear has been rekindled. Someone has been sneaking into homes, hovering over women and girls as people sleep.

Don Knapp of CNN affiliate KRON has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON KNAPP, KRON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Parents here call Petaluma a nice, safe place for families. That's why Suzie Jovic moved here from Daley City.

But now she's worried.

SUZIE JOVIC, PARENT: I've been hearing helicopters flying all over the place. A friend of ours,actually, it was just on her neighbor where the guy had just been and we were just talking about it yesterday.

KNAPP: Talking about the series of stranger intrusions into the bedrooms of their children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We actually very close to the place that that happened. It was one of my friends, actually, very close to that place. So -- and she got a little girl. So we're really aware.

KNAPP: The latest one -- police it's at least seven now -- occurred over the weekend.

LT. DAVID SEARS, PETALUMA POLICE: You know what? He's brazen. Either he's fighting some urges or he's a very bold individual.

KNAPP: In the town where the notorious kidnap-murder of Polly Klaas echoed around the world, police say they are taking the bedroom intrusions very seriously.

The intruder has been described as African-American or Latino. But now police are putting out this sketch of an apparent white man who may be the sole perpetrator, described by a woman who remembers a man walking into her kitchen back in September. He said he entered the wrong house by mistake.

SEARS: She was able to get a good look at him because her kitchen light was on and all the other instances, it was a dark bedroom where somebody was awakened out of a sleep.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Unbelievable. Ironically, the Polly Klaas Foundation had planned to begin a children's safety training program in January. Because of the prowler incidents, the foundation has started offering instruction earlier than they had planned.

Well, home alone. A struggling single mom leaves her kids to keep her job. Now the kids are dead and she is facing criminal charges. We'll take a closer look at this unbelievably tragic case.

Also, kid notorious. The legendary producer of "The Godfather" ready to break all the taboos with a hot new cartoon. We're going to talk to the notorious Robert Evans.

And a little bit later on, bad boy Dennis Rodman -- his latest run-in with the law and it was all caught on tape.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: In New York, a grand jury is hearing evidence deciding whether to indict a young mother with reckless endangerment after her kids died in a fire. They were left home alone, but not, it seems, through neglect but rather through necessity. CNN's Deborah Feyerick reports on the deadly consequences of the young mom's decision.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were buried together in a single casket, 9-year-old Justina and her 1 1/2 year old brother Justin. Their grieving mother haunted by a choice that turned tragic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a young woman trying to raise her children. The absence of the father or male figure in the home. She's attempting to work and better herself.

FEYERICK: Kim Brathwaite needed to get to work at McDonald's, to her job as assistant manager. The baby-sitter hadn't shown up, so she left her kids home alone. Before her shift ended, both children were dead. A fire tore through their basement apartment. Investigators ruled it arson, though Brathwaite is not a suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By no means am I saying that this mother didn't love her children. I have every belief that she loved her children, she cared for her children. But the choice that she made, that night, the children, Justin and Justina, paid the ultimate price.

FEYERICK (on camera): The nonprofit group Child Trends says more than three and quarter million kids between the ages of 6 to 12 take care of themselves at some point every day. Add on 13- and 14-year- olds and that figure nearly doubles to more than six million says the Census Bureau.

KRISTIN MOORE, PRESIDENT, CHILD TRENDS: There are a lot of jobs that are evenings, nights, weekends, and rotating shifts so that parents don't get their schedule until the week before.

FEYERICK (voice-over): For Kim Brathwaite and parents like her, that means making a choice she will live with the rest of her life.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Here's a fast fact for you about kids left home alone. According to the nonprofit group Child Trends, children between the ages of 6 and 9 from higher income families are more likely to be left unsupervised for several hours at a time than lower income kids of the same age.

So, how does the law deal with the fact that so many young kids are spending time by themselves because their parents have to earn a living? Lisa Bloom from Court TV is here to talk about it. Lisa, thanks for being with us.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Hi, Anderson.

COOPER: I mean, an impossible choice for a mother to make.

BLOOM: Oh, it really is. And you know, the prosecutors are stuck, because when children die, they have to return an indictment. The community wants that. The moms are stuck, they don't have adequate child care and they have got to get to work. And the kids are stuck worst than all, left in a dangerous situation with no adult to watch out for them.

COOPER: Prosecutors, you say, want to bring charges, but juries are often unwilling to bring forward convictions.

BLOOM: You're right. I'd say it's about 50/50 for a jury to convict a mother like this one of reckless endangerment. She's looking at 16 years, Anderson.

COOPER: Why is that?

BLOOM: Because a jury probably will feel that she has suffered enough. She's lost her two children. There's nothing they can do that's going to be worse than that.

Also, let's be honest, many of us who are parents leave our kids alone for some period of time, five minutes when they're young, maybe an hour when they're in middle school, more hours in high school. It's a judgment call. We're doing this parenting thing live, we're making it up as we go along. We hope our judgments are right. And I think most parents on a jury understand that.

COOPER: But it would be a different case if she'd left them to go out to a bar or hang out with friends. BLOOM: I think so. Absolutely, jurors are going to be tougher on a parent like that. And she was expecting a baby-sitter to come. But on the prosecution's side, both of these kids have sickle sell anemia, Anderson, they had medical problems. This was a community that had a lot of dangerous problems with crime. And so arguably, she should have had some adult around, at least to watch out for them.

COOPER: Also, the details of exactly how the kids died, I mean, that is still being investigated, the fire.

BLOOM: Right. There may have been an arson. Look, they could have died even if the mom was there. People do die from arson fires. But I think many people also think, a 1-year-old. That's just too young to leave alone, with a 9-year-old. But there are community standards, there are cultural standards. There's a lot of factors here. People are surprised the law doesn't give any clear guidance as to what age you can leave your kids alone. The law is going to look at all of these different factors.

COOPER: It's very much state by state, community by community.

BLOOM: State by state. But most states, it's just child endangerment. You can't leave your kids in a dangerous situation. What's a dangerous situation? We're going to look at the child's age, their maturity level, their health problems, whether there is another adult around.

COOPER: But is the law keeping it intentionally vague, just because they don't know how to deal with it, or just because this situation is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLOOM: Because every child is different. A 6-year-old could be very responsible child. There could be a 13-year-old that you would never leave alone. Parents understand that and the law reflects that.

COOPER: All right. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thank you.

Well, still to come this evening, Robert Evans, bad boy, Hollywood legend, and now "The Kid Notorious" of Comedy Central.

Also tonight, someone who likes a little notoriety too. The latest on Britney Spears, about to premiere her newest -- oh, please -- naughty video. We'll see.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time for a quick check of the pop culture current, beginning with a heart breaking question. There's the graphic. One heart breaking question. Liza, David, where did the love go? There's late word tonight from the AP and the program "Celebrity Justice" that David Gest is suing Liza Minelli for $10 million. He alleged that Liza abused alcohol and him to the point he once shouted out, Liza, stop it. Stop it. A spokeswomen says they haven't yet seen the lawsuit, but drag queens around the world seem taken happy to have new material.

More celebrity justice involving former NBA start Dennis Rodman. He was charged with driving under the influence in Las Vegas over the weekend. Police say he borrowed a bouncer's motorcycle and tried to pop wheelies when he hit a pole. A Rodman rep told "The New York Post" he wasn't intoxicated, he just "had a couple of drinks." Rodman has an upcoming ESPN reality show which is strange because we thought we'd been watching the Rodman reality train wreck for at least five years.

Nothing like the glitz of a red carpet movie premiere. The glittering paparazzi the flame movie stars and the U.N. Secretary general -- what? Yes, that's Kofi Annan at the premiere of Angelina Jolie's new movie. Not as strange as it sounds. Angelina (UNINTELLIGIBLE) point out she is a U.N. goodwill ambassador.

David Blaine is beginning very slowly to eat food again. Under 24-hour watch at a London hospital. But he's still suffering delusions that is 44 days of starving inside a box was a true human achievement rather than a money making stunt.

And MTV is premiering the newest Britney Spears video tonight, that's right. But not until 11:00 p.m. Eastern because it's guaranteed to shock at least six people. The video is boundary breaking taboo, shattering moment is this. Britney and Madonna apparently not kiss. In fact, Madonna may even stun the world by playing hard to get. That's a check of the current.

Could be said that Robert Evans is the original player, decades before the word even existed. He's the hard living actor, ladies man, and the famed Hollywood producer behind the "Godfather" and "Chinatown." He gave a rollicking account of his book and film "The Kid Stays in the Picture." Now he is back as Kid Notorious, a new cartoon comedy debuting on Comedy Central tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT EVANS, "KID NOTORIOUS": Ever since Charlie's Angels I've wanted to get a how do you do from Lucy Lui.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not Lucy Liu.

EVANS: but you're every bit as beautiful. (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Evans, you so sweet!

EVANS: Yes, sweet and sour, baby. Plus, I can say you take my breath away in 67 languages except Dutch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: I don't think Lucy Liu is going happy. Earlier, I spoke with Robert Evans and asked him if there was any topic off limits for the cartoon, "Kid Notorious."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVANS: I take on everybody from Martha Stewart to George Bush, to Sharon Stone, to Francis Coppola.

COOPER: Yes, the clip, the first episode really revolves around Sharon Stone. I don't want to go into too many details, because I'm not even sure we can say it at this hour of television.

What is it about you and Sharon Stone. Why do you to not get along?

EVANS: That's a long story, but the truth being, I think the show will do her good.

COOPER: You think the show will be good for Sharon Stone?

EVANS: Yes. It will bring her back into the forefront. By the way, she's a wonderful actress.

COOPER: That's not what you say in the cartoon, or at least you talk about one part of her not being a great actress.

EVANS: That's only one part.

COOPER: All right. Why a cartoon?

Why did you want to get involved this?

EVANS: I'll tell you why. I've done everything. I've been a radio actor, a television actor, a television producer, a head of a studio, made many pictures. And you know, the funny thing in life is, I never -- always believed, I love to break rules. I think rules are made to be broken. And to do the unexpected. What's more unexpected than doing a cartoon?

COOPER: Do you like the movies, though, that are being made today?

You don't see a movie like the "Godfather," you don't see a movie like "Chinatown."

EVANS: There's a good reason for it. I like to make pictures how it feels, not where it's at. I don't believe in mechanical pictures or aliens coming out of people's stomachs. I like to tell about emotion, about love, about staggering things that happen in people's lives, misfortunes. About making the impossible possible.

COOPER: What keeps you going? I mean, what keeps you getting out of bed in the morning or in bed in the morning, as the case may be?

EVANS: I almost died five years ago from a stroke, six years ago. And the man who saved me was Sumner Redstone (ph) he is there every morning, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) he didn't think I'd live. Not only did I live, but I came back stronger than ever.

COOPER: You keep getting back up and you're back up on top right now. Robert Evans, thanks very much for being with us.

EVANS: I've just started.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: He's just started.

Coming up, the "Nth Degree." Why we can't seem to get enough of one of the dimmer bulbs of reality television, Jessica Simpson.

Plus tomorrow, we take you inside the case of the millionaire charged with murder. Robert Durst as he takes the stand.

But first, today's "Buzz," should Governor Jeb Bush have ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted? Vote now, cnn.com/360. A couple seconds left for the vote. Results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Now, tonight's "Buzz." The question we've asked all day should Governor Jeb Bush have ordered Terry Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted? 28 percent say yes, 72 percent say no. I should point out this is not a scientific poll. Just your "Buzz."

Now to check some of you e-mails. Laura from Georgia writes, "I would like to state killing people by starvation is still murder! If we allow husbands to get rid of wives that are no longer meeting their needs, what is next?

But, Sonny from New Orleans had a different take. He wrote, "Ask one of these elected officials if they would want to spend 13 years of their life in a vegetative state."

Send your instant feedback at any time to cnn.com/360.

Tonight, the Simpson to the "Nth Degree." Later this evening, a TV classic goes off the air. The Simpsons. No, I'm not talking about Homer. I'm talking about the other Simpson, the seemingly simpler Simpson. That's right, Jessica. The reality show "Newlyweds" on MTV has become something of a cultural phenomenon. Cameras capture the comings and shortcomings of one-time teen singing sensation Jessica Simpson and her husband, one-time teen singing sensation Nick something or other. The show is devoid of drama, pathos or anything resembling a plot. Why do millions watch it? Because the couple are pretty, ridiculously rich and comprehensively clueless.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA SIMPSON, ENTERTAINER: Shouldn't I be thinking about that?

NICK LACHEY, ENTERTAINER: Yes, you should. But sense you aren't, I have to.

SIMPSON: You know, 23 is old, it's almost 25 which is almost mid-20s.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Watching the famous flounder is oddly fascinating. Jessica Simpson was clueless about why tuna is called chicken of the sea, unaware that buffaloes do not have wings and surprised that rigor mortis is not a person. The Simpsons is documentary as it is mockumentary. Why, then has Jessica Simpson already signed up for a second season? Because she knows in today's pop culture, it doesn't matter why you're famous, just that you are. Today, in fact, it was reported chicken of the sea may actually pay Simpson to become a spokesperson. And she is going to go to Harvard to give a speech. Viewers may be laughing at Jessica Simpson, but if she understands irony, she know doubt is laughing all the way to bank. That wraps up our program tonight. Coming up next "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Murdered, 9/11 Suspect Blamed>


Aired October 21, 2003 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST (voice-over): A U.S. Marine back from Iraq with a Purple Heart is killed at his own welcome home party.

Why a man went over Niagara Falls wearing only the clothes on his back.

Our special series, "Conjoined Twins." Tonight, the little Marias.

Does the state have the right to decide in the Terri Schiavo case?

The day after shocking revelations Princess Diana feared for her life, now the fallout for Prince Charles.

And notorious Hollywood producer Robert Evans. He's done it all, but is he ready to be a cartoon?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Thanks for joining us on 360.

Dramatic developments in a bitter euthanasia controversy. Late today, Florida Governor Jeb Bush ordered doctors to reinsert the feeding tube removed last week from a brain damaged woman. He acted just an hour after the Florida legislature gave him that power. The goal: keeping 39-year-old Terri Schiavo alive. It is not what Schiavo's husband wanted, but as John Zarrella reports, her parents are overjoyed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Bob and Mary Schindler embraced and wept openly. They had just gotten the word, the Florida Senate had followed the State House, passing a bill aimed at restoring their daughter, Terri, to life support.

BILL SCHINDLER, TERRI'S FATHER: If anything, you endure your faith in god. Because I went the other way, and now I have to get back with it. Things like this just reinforce my faith. ZARRELLA: The crowd of supporters gave thanks with prayers and songs. The mood, far different from six days ago, when the feeding tube that had kept Terri Schiavo alive for 13 years was removed. There had been a decade of legal battles.

These are the latest pictures made public of Terri Schiavo. They were taken by the parents in 2001. Terri's husband, Michael, said his wife never wanted to live like this, in what doctors declared was a "persistent vegetative state." Her parents wanted her kept alive on life support and given rehabilitative therapy.

When they lost their last, final court appeals, the Schindlers appealed to Governor Jeb Bush. Bush, who has said for weeks that he wanted to help, finally did, signing Terri's bill.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: They respond the appropriately. They did the right thing, I think.

ZARRELLA: The bill orders Terri's feeding tube reinserted, and it calls for the appointment of a guardian who can look out for Terri's needs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: About 30 minutes ago, an ambulance left here from the hospice. We are told by the family Terri Schiavo is in that ambulance. She is being taken to a hospital in Clearwater where she can be more properly rehydrated because she's been down for so many days now without any nutrition or hydration.

At the same time, at this hour, Michael Schiavo's attorney is going to court, seeking an injunction to stop the governor from acting to keep Terri Schiavo on life support -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. John Zarrella, thanks for the update. We'll have more on this story a little bit later on.

A political story now involving another hot button issue, abortion. The Senate voted to ban a late-term abortion procedure that critics call partial birth abortion. The House already passed it, and the bill now goes to the president, who has vowed to make it law. It would be the first federal law banning a form of abortion since Roe v Wade. The vote was 64-34. Abortion rights groups say they'll sue to get the legislation declared unconstitutional.

There's a dramatic new report today about last year's murder of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl. Pearl, you'll remember, was investigating a story about Islamic radicals when he was kidnapped and killed. Now, U.S. officials say they are convinced he was murdered by the same man who allegedly organized the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. Justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Journalist Daniel Pearl was murdered in Pakistan, his throat slit with a knife. There is a videotape of the murder. But on it, the face of the killer cannot be seen. U.S. officials are now saying it was al Qaeda leader and September 11th mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who personally wielded the knife.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a committed terrorist, a senior al Qaeda commander who not only is not afraid to participate in attacks, but prefers to play very direct and hands-on role in his attacks.

ARENA: Authorities had previously discounted reports of Mohammed's role, but say there is new evidence he is the culprit. They're not saying what the evidence is, but sources indicate it's not a confession from Mohammed himself. In response to the latest revelation, Pearl's parents issued a statement.

It reads, in part, "We are thankful to the authorities for pursuing the identification of Danny's murderers, and we trust that all those involved in this heinous crime will soon be brought to justice." But officials say it's not likely Mohammed will be charged in any court anytime soon.

(on camera): He remains in U.S. custody at an undisclosed location, and officials say is still being interrogated.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Let's put the story in perspective for a moment. In 2003, the most dangerous place in the world for a journalist to work is Iraq. So far, 12 reporters have been killed there in the line of duty. Worldwide, 26 journalists have been killed this year alone, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The worst year was 1994, when 66 journalists were killed.

There have been stories of heroism and loss connected to the war in Iraq. This is certainly one of them. A Marine who survived a land mine explosion, won a Purple Heart, a Marine who also took part in the rescue of Jessica Lynch, well, he was killed, but not in Baghdad by a bomb but in his own hometown by a bullet.

Frank Buckley has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Corporal Sokak Ung (ph) was wounded in Iraq when a fellow Marine stepped on unexploded ordnance and it went off. He survived, only to be shot in front of his father's home in Long Beach, California and die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was willing to go over there and give the ultimate sacrifice, and we'd have never thought it would have been here, stateside.

BUCKLEY: Ung (ph) was enjoying a barbecue with friends and family at around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, when family members say a man in a blue hooded shirt suddenly popped over this fence and began firing. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After all that, I got up. I saw my brother just laying on the ground.

BUCKLEY: His father, a soldier in Cambodia, who escaped the killing fields, who sought a new life for his family in America, would hold his son as the young Marine fought to hold on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told my dad, like, "It's OK, dad. Everything's going to be OK."

BUCKLEY: Ung's (ph) unit participated in the rescue of Jessica Lynch, diverting Iraqi forces away from her. Corporal Ung (ph) returned to the U.S. this past summer, the recipient of the Purple Heart. As Buddhist monks chanted and prayed for Ung (ph), police investigators looked for a suspect and a motive to a shooting that occurred without warning. For his fellow Marines, who live by words like "honor," the ambush of one of their own was a painful reminder that some people don't live by the same code.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a cowardly act, you know, just reaching over a fence and randomly shooting an individual. It's a coward.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: Also killed in the gunfire, a friend of Ung (ph), 21- year-old Ru Ti To (ph). He was a college student. Ung (ph) was also looking forward to attending university starting in a few months. He was set to be discharged from the Marines in just 10 days -- Anderson.

COOPER: So sad. Frank Buckley, thank you tonight.

In London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has rejected a call for a full inquiry into the death of Princess Diana. Now, the call had come from Mohammed al Fayed, the owner of Harrod's department store in London, the father of the man killed with Diana back in 1997. Al Fayed contends that Diana's fears for her safety detailed in a letter to her one-time butler, a letter we talked about last night, confirms his belief her death wasn't an accident.

Walt Rodgers has the latest from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband, may have the most quixotic role in the latest royal revelations in Britain. In a letter to Diana, published in a London tabloid, Prince Philip said, "He, (Charles), would be mad to leave you for Camilla.

At the time, Camilla Parker Bowles was Charles' mistress. They still have a relationship, and they may have been done the most damage by Diana's latest letters from the grave contained in a new book by Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just think it makes Camilla Parker Bowles attempt to become the next princess of Wales almost impossible. RODGERS: But according to some published accounts, Diana believed it was Prince Philip himself who was allegedly working against her.

PIERS MORGAN, EDITOR, "DAILY MIRROR": Diana was a massive threat to the monarchy in the sense that she had almost replaced the monarchy in public affection.

RODGERS: The tabloid press feeding frenzy over the new Diana book has relaunched at least three conspiracy theories about Diana's death. One, that she could have been killed by British intelligence agencies because she was a threat to the monarchy itself. Two, that her death might have been faked so she could escape to freedom. Three, that her lover, Dodi Fayed, also killed in the crash, might have been the real target of any alleged plot.

Upon discovery of a new letter from Diana fearing a plot to kill her in a car accident, there are indications the French may be considering the reopening of their investigation. Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Here's a fast fact for you about British opinion regarding the death of Princess Diana. In a poll published last August, on the sixth anniversary of her death, 49 percent of Britains surveyed say they believe there had been a cover-up surrounding the circumstances of her death. Thirty-four percent believe there was not.

We're following a number of international stories for you. Let's check the "UpLink."

Tehran, Iran: giving ground. The U.S. offers a cautious welcome to Iran's latest statements regarding its nuclear program. Iran says it will suspend its nuclear enrichment program and says it will let the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency perform inspections.

Bangkok, Thailand: North Korea's nukes. International leaders say they back a plan by President Bush to resolve Korea's nuclear crisis. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum ended today with those leaders supporting a U.S. stand to provide some security guarantees for North Korea if it gives up its nuclear ambitions.

London, England: plane spotting. Crowds are lining up near Heathrow Airport trying to catch a glimpse of that, the supersonic Concorde. Well, they still have a chance. After 27 years, a fiery crash in Paris three years ago, the streamlined speedster retires from service this Friday.

And that is tonight's "UpLink."

Over the falls without a barrel or even protective gear. Find out what happened to a guy who took a plunge at Niagara Falls. He didn't get away unscathed. Also, two lives, one struggle. Our weeklong series on conjoined twins. You might be surprised to hear how the girls known as the two Marias are doing today.

And from "The Godfather" to a hot new cartoon, notorious Hollywood legend, Robert Evans -- he's the one on the floor. First, let's take a look inside the box to what the network newscast top stories were tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And he wasn't even wearing a barrel. We're talking about the luckiest man of the moment, Kirk Jones, who apparently survived a trip over Niagara Falls yesterday, wearing only the clothes on his back. Lucky, yes. Smart, no.

Now he may be facing some trouble with the law as well. The story from Lorey Schultz of CNN affiliate WIVB.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LOREY SCHULTZ, WIVB (voice-over): On a rock at the base of Niagara Falls, 40-year-old Kirk Jones of Canton, Michigan, pulled himself to safety after surviving a plunge over the falls. Today, tourists to ask, "What was he thinking?"

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would think he's a bit of a nutball. Yes, we couldn't believe that someone would jump over and be able to survive.

SCHULTZ: Late this afternoon, Niagara Park's police concluded that based on their preliminary investigation, Jones intentionally climbed over a wrought iron barricade, stepped into the water and went over the falls. He wore no safety device, just the clothes on his back. Police are no longer treating this as a suicide attempt but rather, an intentional stunt-like act.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motive? We're basically investigating it as an intentional act, obviously, considering the charges. So it's an intentional act at this point. That's how we're investigating it.

SCHULTZ: Jones suffered no life-threatening injuries. He's only the second person to survive a plunge over the falls without a protective container. His mood today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to suggest that he was probably happy to be alive.

SCHULTZ: The incident happened during the lunchtime hour on Monday. Authorities located Jones at the bottom of the gorge, leading some to suggest this could be a hoax. However, Linda Sadlemeyer (ph) of Toronto, who doesn't know Jones, was among them who saw him enter the river.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He smiles at us, made eye contact, walked over to where we were, walked back, and then took a little jog, a little jaunt over to the escarpment, jumped below on his backside, slid down and jumped into the water.

SCHULTZ (on camera): If it was a stunt, this daredevil faces hefty fines for violating a Niagara Parks commission law forbidding stunting in the park.

(voice-over): Niagara Park's police plan to press charges. They're now in the process of reviewing a videotape shot by a friend who allegedly accompanied Jones to the falls. There's word he's been planning the jump for a while, an act police hope won't be glorified.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: I'm not sure I buy this one. A quick fast fact for you, however. The first person to make it over Niagara Falls, she did it in a barrel. That's right, she, and she lived to tell about it.

She was a 63-year-old teacher from Michigan, Annie Taylor (ph); 1901 was the year. In total, 14 people have tried, nine have lived, five have died.

Well, from over the falls to "Cross Country." Let's take a look at what else is going on.

Virginia Beach, Virginia: sniper trial. Suspect John Allen Muhammad's trial is in a second day. A police officer testified he saw and spoke to Muhammad near the scene of one of the shootings but failed to connect him to the investigation. Muhammad is representing himself in the trial. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Baltimore, Maryland: charges filed. A college student who admitted planting box cutters and other materials on at least two airliners has been formally charged. Nathaniel Heatwole is accused of carrying a concealed weapon aboard an aircraft.

New York City: ferry crash investigation. The captain of the crash of Staten Island ferry, this man, did not neat with NTSB investigators today, as it was believed he would. His lawyer says Michael Ganses (ph) will meet with the authorities eventually, but not until he has had more time to prepare.

He apparently won't get all the time he wants, though. The NTSB announced that it is issuing a subpoena that will force the captain's appearance tomorrow.

Boston, Mass: brawl game outcome. Two New York Yankees ball players will have to appear in court to find out if assault and battery charges will be filed against them following a brawl in the bullpen during the playoffs against the Red Sox. There it is.

Good news for Yanks fans, however. The court date, November 7th. So reliever Jeff Nelson and right fielder Karim Garcia (ph) will be available to the team for the rest of the World Series. Game three is tonight in Florida.

And that's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight. Conjoined twins given a second lease on life and then suffer a major setback. Find out what's gone right and wrong for the girls known as the two Marias one year after their surgery.

Also tonight, a prowler stalking a small town where a girl was once kidnapped from her home. Have you seen this man? A close look at a city on edge.

First, tonight's buzz. Should Governor Jeb Bush order Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted? Vote now at cnn.com/360. We'll have the results at the end of the program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: We continue now with our weeklong look at conjoined twins. The media pays a lot of attention to twins as they go through surgery. But what happens after they go home?

Last year, doctors successfully separated Guatemalan twins known as the two Marias. Today, Dr. Sanjay Gupta brings us new pictures of the girls and some mixed reports about their progress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Maria de Jesus, and this is her sister Maria Teresa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is she going to give you a big smile?

GUPTA: The dos Marias. Maria de Jesus is recovering better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she's doing really well. And at times, she even is starting to stand now, which is really exciting. I think she'll grow up to be fairly normal in a lot of ways.

Yes, she will have some limitations physically. She'll probably have a few bad hair days. But other than that, she's a pretty, with- it kid.

GUPTA: But Maria Teresa is lagging far behind. Before the separation, it was Maria Teresa who was more outgoing. After surgery, when she was back home in Guatemala, that's when she contracted ecoli meningitis, an infection of the brain lining. Now, she's deaf, brain damaged and vision impaired.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We lost all our gains, and that she's basically starting life over again. She will probably not have a normal life. But I know that children who do not "fit the normal profile" still have so much to give to us.

GUPTA: Because they require so much attention, the girls are cared for in Valencia, California in separate homes by volunteers. They haven't seen their parents since May. But the twins do see each other three or four times a week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's wonderful to see them when they are together. Maria de Jesus loves Teresa, and she's very, very responsive to her and will come in and touch her and stroke her. They are very, very much in tune with one another.

GUPTA: For the twins, it's a long road to recovery together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the starting point. This is not the finish line.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, earlier, I spoke with Dr. Henry Kawamoto of UCLA. He helped lead the team of more than 50 physicians, nurses and other staff who helped separate the two Marias. I began by asking him about his prognosis for Maria Teresa, the twin who contracted meningitis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. HENRY KAWAMOTO, UCLA: It's not life-threatening. She's going to live. And from that point of view -- but it's how much damage has there been to her brain that will determine her quality of life, the remaining quality of life she has.

COOPER: So in essence, you're saying this little girl is going to be in some way brain damaged for the rest of her life?

KAWAMOTO: Yes, she'll have some kind of brain damage. She has what you might think like mini strokes, because that's the way this particular bacteria acts.

COOPER: Is the condition in any way linked to the operation, or is this something that just happened when she was back in Guatemala?

KAWAMOTO: It's just something that happened in Guatemala. It has no reflection on the quality of care she had over there. It's just one of those unfortunately bad, bad accidents that have happened. It was a disastrous series of events.

COOPER: Psychologically, is there an adjustment that these kids have to make?

KAWAMOTO: Well, first, it's very interesting. Maria de Jesus, we found her out there swiping her head. And we were wondering what was going on. That was immediately after the operation.

The nurse said she was looking for her sister because of the separation. But they've adapted pretty well. And Maria de Jesus is like any other child that you would expect to see anywhere in the world, given her age.

COOPER: If they're conjoined at the head and share -- I mean, their brains are somehow conjoined, I mean, do they share thoughts in any way?

KAWAMOTO: No. They have totally different thought patterns. One could be crying, the other one could be laughing. One could be outgoing, and the other one be shy.

I think the same thing is true of the Egyptian twins. They've noticed they have two different personalities.

COOPER: As you look back on the surgery with the little Marias, how do you judge success?

KAWAMOTO: I it would define true success as having two normal infants. And actually, we thought we had two normal infants when we finished. And during the early part of their operation -- their recovery. It's not a success in that we didn't come out with two great, you know, normal kids, but we sure had a good shot at it.

COOPER: All right. Dr. Kawamoto, appreciate you joining us. It's always good to talk to you. Thank you very much.

KAWAMOTO: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, make sure you join us tomorrow as our series continues. We're going to talk to former conjoined twins, Shawna (ph) and Janelle Roderick (ph), and their parents who made the difficult decision to separate them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Who is lurking in the bedrooms of this suburban neighborhood?

And Jessica Simpson at Harvard? Only in the Nth degree. We'll be right back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Here's the "Reset," tonight's top stories.

Washington, D.C.: abortion vote. Congress completed work today on a bill that would ban the late-term medical procedure critics call partial birth abortion. Following today's 64-34 Senate approval, the measure now goes to President Bush, who says he will sign it. Opponents promise a court challenge.

Richmond, Virginia: bring a lawyer. Even though accused terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui has won the right to defend himself at his trial, he won't be able to represent himself before an appeals court. An appeals court today denied Moussaoui's request that he be allowed to serve as his own lawyer during the government's appeal of a pretrial decision that weakened its case.

Reykjavik, Iceland: airline cancer risk. Researchers at the University of Iceland say flight attendants who have worked at least five years are more likely to develop breast cancer. At the same time, a Swedish study suggests that airline crew members, male and female, are more likely to get malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Now some experts say cosmic radiation may be to blame. More study ahead.

Tallahassee, Florida: governor's order. Using a law passed just an hour earlier, Florida Governor Jeb Bush has ordered doctors to reinsert a feeding tube in order to keep a brain damaged woman alive. The tube was disconnected last week at the request of the woman's husband. Her parents opposed that decision.

We want to know what you think about this story. Should Governor Jeb Bush have ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted? Log on to cnn.com/360 and vote now. We'll have some of the answers, your opinions at the end of the program.

Joining us to discuss the case are two Florida radio talk show hosts.

Dave Elliott is in Ft. Myers. He's a co-host of "Gulf Coast Morning" at WCNZ morning radio.

And Chuck Baldwin is the host of the program "Chuck Baldwin Live." He is in Pensacola.

Gentlemen, appreciate both of you joining us.

Chuck, let me start off with you. Your thoughts. Did the legislature do the right thing, overruling the courts?

CHUCK BALDWIN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Oh, absolutely. I believe it is the responsibility of government to protect the fundamental rights that we are created with. And in this case, that is exactly what the Florida legislature and the governor have done.

COOPER: But opponents say, Look, this is a checks and balances at work. And this -- this messes the whole thing up.

BALDWIN: Just the opposite. This is the check and balance very much in operation.

The judiciary is not a dictatorship. We have three co-equal branches of government and they have acted in the accordance of the interests of this individual. And I think they've done the exact right thing.

COOPER: Dave, what do you think? Have the courts gone too far? Do they need to be reined in?

DAVID ELLIOTT, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: They actually have, Anderson. And Chuck, I think you ought to know better than this.

The fact of the matter is this is boutique law. Governor Bush was quoted this morning in "The Miami Herald" as saying they want me to break the law by intervening in this case. So we went out and had a new law made.

That's what this is about. This is a law that was passed to benefit one person, not the people of the state of Florida. One person. And I argue that in reality, we are sitting here right now wondering -- maybe with a constitutional crisis, because what happens to that separation of powers? How can one branch of the legislature, legislature or the executive branch, suddenly say , We don't like what the courts did so we're going to overrule that now. It's just not right.

COOPER: Chuck, Terri Schiavo's husband has been very out front, saying, Look, my wife would have never wanted to have lived like this. What about his opinion on all this? Should the courts have listened to him?

BALDWIN: I think that there is real suspicion about his motivations and interests in this case. I believe that there is room for perhaps, the executive branch of government here in Florida to do some serious investigation.

COOPER: What kind of suspicions are you talking about?

BALDWIN: Well, for example, the lawsuit that they obtained in -- what? -- a million dollars or so that was supposed to be spent to care for this lady, to give her the medical treatment, to see if she could progress. That hasn't been done to my understanding.

I think there's a lot of people that are wanting to know why is he so reticent to allow family members to come and speak with her and doctors who he does not approve to come and check on her condition? I think there's a lot of room for suspicion.

COOPER: Well, Dave, Chuck basically says he doesn't trust this woman's husband. What do you think?

ELLIOTT: Well, I don't -- whether the husband is to blame or whether there is suspicions about the husband isn't really the issue. The issue here is about the legislative branch of this government deciding that they didn't like what the courts have been saying all along and trying to change the court's mind.

This is the state, by the way, that has a constitutional amendment that was passed in 2002 allowing pregnant pigs to run free. It's in the constitution. This state is known for coming up with these boutique laws to try to just solve any little problem that they have. And I think it's incorrect.

It's not right. It is a violation of the state constitution. And I think everybody knows it.

COOPER: Chuck, final thought?

BALDWIN: No, it is the purpose of government to protect individuals. And he said that this law was written to protect this one person and I say, That's exactly right. What's wrong with that? It's the purpose of the legislative branches of government to protect life. He seems to think that the judiciary is a law unto themselves. And that is not what this country is all about.

COOPER: Well, we're going to have to...

ELLIOTT: But I think the governor believes that he thinks he can overrule the judiciary and have a law created for him when he needs one that benefits him. He admitted earlier today that he thought it was against the law for him to intervene in this case.

COOPER: All right. We're going to leave it there. David Elliott, Chuck Baldwin, appreciate it. Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

COOPER: All right, now a quick "Fast Fact" for you on this story. Lawyers say there are two things you can do to make sure your last wishes are carried out.

The first is to create a living will that contains written instructions about medical treatment in the event you're unable to communicate.

The other option is a durable power of attorney. It allows you to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you're unable to do so yourself.

The Schiavo case brings us to this week's "How Quickly We Forget," our chance to remind you about a story that once commanded a lot of attention and then slipped under the radar. Tonight, perhaps the best known fight over whether someone should be allowed to die, someone who couldn't make the decision herself, the case of Karen Ann Quinlan.

Dave Mattingly reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): April, 1975. The Vietnam War was grinding down. Disco was on the rise. And 21- year-old Karen Ann Quinlan was spending a night partying with friends. But too much alcohol mixed with tranquilizers sent the young lab technician into a coma and into a national controversy over what we now know as the right to die.

Unable to regain consciousness for months, Quinlan was listed in a persistent vegetative state. But when her parents requested that she be removed from a respirator, doctors refused. The Quinlans took the case to the New Jersey Supreme Court and won the right to allow Karen to die, as they described it, with grace and dignity.

JULIA QUINLAN, MOTHER: We just pray for the grace to be able to accept each day's heartache.

MATTINGLY: The case marked a sea change in how hospitals and courts dealt with death. States enacted laws allowing individuals to create a living will, dictating personal conditions of when to end medical treatment.

Surprisingly, Karen Ann Quinlan continued to live for nine more years, never emerging from her coma. She passed in 1985, a tragic, yet compelling figure, shaping how untold thousands would choose to die.

David Mattingly, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, the Quinlan case continues to resonate, even came up during the Schiavo case. A friend reportedly testified in the spring that Schiavo once lost her temper after hearing a joke about Quinlan and then, according to the friend, she said she disapproved of Quinlan's parents fighting to allow their daughter to die. The friend recalls Schiavo saying -- quote -- "how did they know she would want this?"

Well, turning now to California. Ten years after the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas shocked the town of Petaluma fear has been rekindled. Someone has been sneaking into homes, hovering over women and girls as people sleep.

Don Knapp of CNN affiliate KRON has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON KNAPP, KRON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Parents here call Petaluma a nice, safe place for families. That's why Suzie Jovic moved here from Daley City.

But now she's worried.

SUZIE JOVIC, PARENT: I've been hearing helicopters flying all over the place. A friend of ours,actually, it was just on her neighbor where the guy had just been and we were just talking about it yesterday.

KNAPP: Talking about the series of stranger intrusions into the bedrooms of their children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We actually very close to the place that that happened. It was one of my friends, actually, very close to that place. So -- and she got a little girl. So we're really aware.

KNAPP: The latest one -- police it's at least seven now -- occurred over the weekend.

LT. DAVID SEARS, PETALUMA POLICE: You know what? He's brazen. Either he's fighting some urges or he's a very bold individual.

KNAPP: In the town where the notorious kidnap-murder of Polly Klaas echoed around the world, police say they are taking the bedroom intrusions very seriously.

The intruder has been described as African-American or Latino. But now police are putting out this sketch of an apparent white man who may be the sole perpetrator, described by a woman who remembers a man walking into her kitchen back in September. He said he entered the wrong house by mistake.

SEARS: She was able to get a good look at him because her kitchen light was on and all the other instances, it was a dark bedroom where somebody was awakened out of a sleep.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Unbelievable. Ironically, the Polly Klaas Foundation had planned to begin a children's safety training program in January. Because of the prowler incidents, the foundation has started offering instruction earlier than they had planned.

Well, home alone. A struggling single mom leaves her kids to keep her job. Now the kids are dead and she is facing criminal charges. We'll take a closer look at this unbelievably tragic case.

Also, kid notorious. The legendary producer of "The Godfather" ready to break all the taboos with a hot new cartoon. We're going to talk to the notorious Robert Evans.

And a little bit later on, bad boy Dennis Rodman -- his latest run-in with the law and it was all caught on tape.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: In New York, a grand jury is hearing evidence deciding whether to indict a young mother with reckless endangerment after her kids died in a fire. They were left home alone, but not, it seems, through neglect but rather through necessity. CNN's Deborah Feyerick reports on the deadly consequences of the young mom's decision.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were buried together in a single casket, 9-year-old Justina and her 1 1/2 year old brother Justin. Their grieving mother haunted by a choice that turned tragic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a young woman trying to raise her children. The absence of the father or male figure in the home. She's attempting to work and better herself.

FEYERICK: Kim Brathwaite needed to get to work at McDonald's, to her job as assistant manager. The baby-sitter hadn't shown up, so she left her kids home alone. Before her shift ended, both children were dead. A fire tore through their basement apartment. Investigators ruled it arson, though Brathwaite is not a suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By no means am I saying that this mother didn't love her children. I have every belief that she loved her children, she cared for her children. But the choice that she made, that night, the children, Justin and Justina, paid the ultimate price.

FEYERICK (on camera): The nonprofit group Child Trends says more than three and quarter million kids between the ages of 6 to 12 take care of themselves at some point every day. Add on 13- and 14-year- olds and that figure nearly doubles to more than six million says the Census Bureau.

KRISTIN MOORE, PRESIDENT, CHILD TRENDS: There are a lot of jobs that are evenings, nights, weekends, and rotating shifts so that parents don't get their schedule until the week before.

FEYERICK (voice-over): For Kim Brathwaite and parents like her, that means making a choice she will live with the rest of her life.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Here's a fast fact for you about kids left home alone. According to the nonprofit group Child Trends, children between the ages of 6 and 9 from higher income families are more likely to be left unsupervised for several hours at a time than lower income kids of the same age.

So, how does the law deal with the fact that so many young kids are spending time by themselves because their parents have to earn a living? Lisa Bloom from Court TV is here to talk about it. Lisa, thanks for being with us.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Hi, Anderson.

COOPER: I mean, an impossible choice for a mother to make.

BLOOM: Oh, it really is. And you know, the prosecutors are stuck, because when children die, they have to return an indictment. The community wants that. The moms are stuck, they don't have adequate child care and they have got to get to work. And the kids are stuck worst than all, left in a dangerous situation with no adult to watch out for them.

COOPER: Prosecutors, you say, want to bring charges, but juries are often unwilling to bring forward convictions.

BLOOM: You're right. I'd say it's about 50/50 for a jury to convict a mother like this one of reckless endangerment. She's looking at 16 years, Anderson.

COOPER: Why is that?

BLOOM: Because a jury probably will feel that she has suffered enough. She's lost her two children. There's nothing they can do that's going to be worse than that.

Also, let's be honest, many of us who are parents leave our kids alone for some period of time, five minutes when they're young, maybe an hour when they're in middle school, more hours in high school. It's a judgment call. We're doing this parenting thing live, we're making it up as we go along. We hope our judgments are right. And I think most parents on a jury understand that.

COOPER: But it would be a different case if she'd left them to go out to a bar or hang out with friends. BLOOM: I think so. Absolutely, jurors are going to be tougher on a parent like that. And she was expecting a baby-sitter to come. But on the prosecution's side, both of these kids have sickle sell anemia, Anderson, they had medical problems. This was a community that had a lot of dangerous problems with crime. And so arguably, she should have had some adult around, at least to watch out for them.

COOPER: Also, the details of exactly how the kids died, I mean, that is still being investigated, the fire.

BLOOM: Right. There may have been an arson. Look, they could have died even if the mom was there. People do die from arson fires. But I think many people also think, a 1-year-old. That's just too young to leave alone, with a 9-year-old. But there are community standards, there are cultural standards. There's a lot of factors here. People are surprised the law doesn't give any clear guidance as to what age you can leave your kids alone. The law is going to look at all of these different factors.

COOPER: It's very much state by state, community by community.

BLOOM: State by state. But most states, it's just child endangerment. You can't leave your kids in a dangerous situation. What's a dangerous situation? We're going to look at the child's age, their maturity level, their health problems, whether there is another adult around.

COOPER: But is the law keeping it intentionally vague, just because they don't know how to deal with it, or just because this situation is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLOOM: Because every child is different. A 6-year-old could be very responsible child. There could be a 13-year-old that you would never leave alone. Parents understand that and the law reflects that.

COOPER: All right. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thank you.

Well, still to come this evening, Robert Evans, bad boy, Hollywood legend, and now "The Kid Notorious" of Comedy Central.

Also tonight, someone who likes a little notoriety too. The latest on Britney Spears, about to premiere her newest -- oh, please -- naughty video. We'll see.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time for a quick check of the pop culture current, beginning with a heart breaking question. There's the graphic. One heart breaking question. Liza, David, where did the love go? There's late word tonight from the AP and the program "Celebrity Justice" that David Gest is suing Liza Minelli for $10 million. He alleged that Liza abused alcohol and him to the point he once shouted out, Liza, stop it. Stop it. A spokeswomen says they haven't yet seen the lawsuit, but drag queens around the world seem taken happy to have new material.

More celebrity justice involving former NBA start Dennis Rodman. He was charged with driving under the influence in Las Vegas over the weekend. Police say he borrowed a bouncer's motorcycle and tried to pop wheelies when he hit a pole. A Rodman rep told "The New York Post" he wasn't intoxicated, he just "had a couple of drinks." Rodman has an upcoming ESPN reality show which is strange because we thought we'd been watching the Rodman reality train wreck for at least five years.

Nothing like the glitz of a red carpet movie premiere. The glittering paparazzi the flame movie stars and the U.N. Secretary general -- what? Yes, that's Kofi Annan at the premiere of Angelina Jolie's new movie. Not as strange as it sounds. Angelina (UNINTELLIGIBLE) point out she is a U.N. goodwill ambassador.

David Blaine is beginning very slowly to eat food again. Under 24-hour watch at a London hospital. But he's still suffering delusions that is 44 days of starving inside a box was a true human achievement rather than a money making stunt.

And MTV is premiering the newest Britney Spears video tonight, that's right. But not until 11:00 p.m. Eastern because it's guaranteed to shock at least six people. The video is boundary breaking taboo, shattering moment is this. Britney and Madonna apparently not kiss. In fact, Madonna may even stun the world by playing hard to get. That's a check of the current.

Could be said that Robert Evans is the original player, decades before the word even existed. He's the hard living actor, ladies man, and the famed Hollywood producer behind the "Godfather" and "Chinatown." He gave a rollicking account of his book and film "The Kid Stays in the Picture." Now he is back as Kid Notorious, a new cartoon comedy debuting on Comedy Central tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT EVANS, "KID NOTORIOUS": Ever since Charlie's Angels I've wanted to get a how do you do from Lucy Lui.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not Lucy Liu.

EVANS: but you're every bit as beautiful. (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Evans, you so sweet!

EVANS: Yes, sweet and sour, baby. Plus, I can say you take my breath away in 67 languages except Dutch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: I don't think Lucy Liu is going happy. Earlier, I spoke with Robert Evans and asked him if there was any topic off limits for the cartoon, "Kid Notorious."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVANS: I take on everybody from Martha Stewart to George Bush, to Sharon Stone, to Francis Coppola.

COOPER: Yes, the clip, the first episode really revolves around Sharon Stone. I don't want to go into too many details, because I'm not even sure we can say it at this hour of television.

What is it about you and Sharon Stone. Why do you to not get along?

EVANS: That's a long story, but the truth being, I think the show will do her good.

COOPER: You think the show will be good for Sharon Stone?

EVANS: Yes. It will bring her back into the forefront. By the way, she's a wonderful actress.

COOPER: That's not what you say in the cartoon, or at least you talk about one part of her not being a great actress.

EVANS: That's only one part.

COOPER: All right. Why a cartoon?

Why did you want to get involved this?

EVANS: I'll tell you why. I've done everything. I've been a radio actor, a television actor, a television producer, a head of a studio, made many pictures. And you know, the funny thing in life is, I never -- always believed, I love to break rules. I think rules are made to be broken. And to do the unexpected. What's more unexpected than doing a cartoon?

COOPER: Do you like the movies, though, that are being made today?

You don't see a movie like the "Godfather," you don't see a movie like "Chinatown."

EVANS: There's a good reason for it. I like to make pictures how it feels, not where it's at. I don't believe in mechanical pictures or aliens coming out of people's stomachs. I like to tell about emotion, about love, about staggering things that happen in people's lives, misfortunes. About making the impossible possible.

COOPER: What keeps you going? I mean, what keeps you getting out of bed in the morning or in bed in the morning, as the case may be?

EVANS: I almost died five years ago from a stroke, six years ago. And the man who saved me was Sumner Redstone (ph) he is there every morning, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) he didn't think I'd live. Not only did I live, but I came back stronger than ever.

COOPER: You keep getting back up and you're back up on top right now. Robert Evans, thanks very much for being with us.

EVANS: I've just started.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: He's just started.

Coming up, the "Nth Degree." Why we can't seem to get enough of one of the dimmer bulbs of reality television, Jessica Simpson.

Plus tomorrow, we take you inside the case of the millionaire charged with murder. Robert Durst as he takes the stand.

But first, today's "Buzz," should Governor Jeb Bush have ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted? Vote now, cnn.com/360. A couple seconds left for the vote. Results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Now, tonight's "Buzz." The question we've asked all day should Governor Jeb Bush have ordered Terry Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted? 28 percent say yes, 72 percent say no. I should point out this is not a scientific poll. Just your "Buzz."

Now to check some of you e-mails. Laura from Georgia writes, "I would like to state killing people by starvation is still murder! If we allow husbands to get rid of wives that are no longer meeting their needs, what is next?

But, Sonny from New Orleans had a different take. He wrote, "Ask one of these elected officials if they would want to spend 13 years of their life in a vegetative state."

Send your instant feedback at any time to cnn.com/360.

Tonight, the Simpson to the "Nth Degree." Later this evening, a TV classic goes off the air. The Simpsons. No, I'm not talking about Homer. I'm talking about the other Simpson, the seemingly simpler Simpson. That's right, Jessica. The reality show "Newlyweds" on MTV has become something of a cultural phenomenon. Cameras capture the comings and shortcomings of one-time teen singing sensation Jessica Simpson and her husband, one-time teen singing sensation Nick something or other. The show is devoid of drama, pathos or anything resembling a plot. Why do millions watch it? Because the couple are pretty, ridiculously rich and comprehensively clueless.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA SIMPSON, ENTERTAINER: Shouldn't I be thinking about that?

NICK LACHEY, ENTERTAINER: Yes, you should. But sense you aren't, I have to.

SIMPSON: You know, 23 is old, it's almost 25 which is almost mid-20s.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Watching the famous flounder is oddly fascinating. Jessica Simpson was clueless about why tuna is called chicken of the sea, unaware that buffaloes do not have wings and surprised that rigor mortis is not a person. The Simpsons is documentary as it is mockumentary. Why, then has Jessica Simpson already signed up for a second season? Because she knows in today's pop culture, it doesn't matter why you're famous, just that you are. Today, in fact, it was reported chicken of the sea may actually pay Simpson to become a spokesperson. And she is going to go to Harvard to give a speech. Viewers may be laughing at Jessica Simpson, but if she understands irony, she know doubt is laughing all the way to bank. That wraps up our program tonight. Coming up next "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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