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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Bolton Nomination Again on Hold; Michael Jackson Trial Update; Hezbollah Armed and Ready; Escaping a Vehicle in Water

Aired May 26, 2005 - 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.


ANDERSON COOPER, HOST "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Good evening, everyone.
Breaking news tonight -- Republicans failed to cut off debate on President Bush's controversial nominee. 360 starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): A Senate showdown over the president's pick for U.N. ambassador.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's a lousy leader.

COOPER: Are allegations Bolton abused staffers and trumped up intelligence just politics as usual, or is this guy simply the wrong man for the job?

Dead or alive? Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al Zarqawi -- terror websites say he's shot, wounded, maybe even dead. Tonight, if Zarqawi is gone, does the violence lessen in Iraq?

Does your child want to be a cheerleader? First, you better know the risks. Tonight, why cheerleading has become the most dangerous sport for q young women.

Soldiers off to war, leaving thousands of cats and dogs homeless. Tonight, what can be done to save the cats and dogs left behind by soldiers going off to war?

And, your car plunges into a lake or river. Would you know how to get out alive? Tonight, how to survive a sinking car -- the basics that could save your life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

COOPER: Good evening again.

We begin tonight with breaking news, a dramatic vote in the Senate, a vote which finished moments ago. Republicans wanted to end debate on the nomination of John Bolton to the post of United States ambassador to the United Nations. They wanted the Senate to finally be able to vote on Bolton. Now, it takes three-fifths of the Senate, 60 votes, to cut off debate. Cloture, that's what it's called. The final vote to cut off debate today was only 56 votes, so the debate goes on and Mr. Bolton's future hangs in the balance at least until next week.

More speeches are still being made in the Senate, but the vote is done. More now from CNN's Andrea Koppel who is standing by live in Washington.

ANDREA KOPPEL, STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: You know, Anderson, I'm sure for some of our viewers it's going feel like "Groundhog Day," the movie, because, when is this thing going to end? And, the answer is, the debate is going continue some time after the Memorial Day holiday. Senators are going to be on vacation all next week, so we're talking sometime early next month.

The expectation had been that, if Republicans had gotten those 60 votes, they would've been able to cut off debate and they would've been able to move immediately to an up or down vote for John Bolton. This is a clear victory for Democrats, however short-lived. We know that Senator Biden of Delaware and Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut had really felt that the State Department was stonewalling. We know from a senior leadership source that spoke with our Dana Bash that both of those senators had been working their sources, working their colleagues, trying to win them over to say, look, the State Department needs to turn over more documents on Syria, more documents on NSA intercepts that Bolton wanted, and, you know, they actually won.

But, as things stand right now, you know, we know -- for the last number of months, we've been talking about John Bolton the bully, John Bolton the professional, but we wanted to find out, Anderson, who is this guy? What makes tick? And to find out, we went back to his hometown of Baltimore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): John Bolton has been downright demonized by Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think Mr. Bolton needs anger management.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bolton has a reputation for being abusive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm concerned it will be more like sending a bull into a china shop.

KOPPEL: But just who is the man behind the mustache?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was pleasant. He was always laughing. John was a very energetic, very active, very intelligent, very participatory person in the class.

KOPPEL: Joe Cobal (ph) knew Bolton before the mustache, before peach fuzz even, when they were enrolled in Maryland's prestigious McDonough School in the mid-1960s, then an all-boys military academy.

For the brilliant son of a Baltimore city firefighter, who devoured books at the public library, a full scholarship to McDonough was Bolton's ticket to a white collar job. His senior yearbook said it all, "Future: Foreign Service Officer."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the first week I met him, he was talking about national issues and public policy issues and -- it was his milk. It's what he did.

KOPPEL: Bolton led the Students for Barry Goldwater campaign for president in 1964 as a high school sophomore, his passion for Republican politics influenced by his parents. As associate editor the school's newspaper, he took on the hottest issues of his time. By his senior year, one editor at the paper wrote that Bolton had "attacked his duties with the fervor of a political fanatic."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of us had political interests. I mean, everybody in the class would talk about it, but what made John unique was that he was very deeply involved in the Republican way of thinking.

KOPPEL: A core belief which seemed to grow more profound during the tumultuous years of the Vietnam War when Bolton was enrolled at Yale University and Yale Law School.

THOMAS BOYD, BOLTON'S FORMER DEPUTY: He's a perfect example of an individual who started with modest means and became a successful lawyer, a very talented lawyer.

KOPPEL: Thomas Boyd served as Bolton's deputy at the Justice Department during the Reagan years, and considers Bolton a friend.

BOYD: The Republican party, at least, is, in his view, I suspect, is a party that encourages individual mobility and rewards it, and I think he identifies with that.

KOPPEL: Boyd says the Bolton he knew set high standards, but was never a bully.

BOYD: You had to have your argument together. And, if you didn't, he wouldn't lose his temper, at least I never saw any of that, but rather, you wouldn't be invited back to engage in another discussion.

KOPPEL: A workaholic known to send e-mails at 4:00 a.m., Bolton's blue-color roots and hard-working parents taught him to strive for perfection.

His nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations should have been the icing on the cake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (on camera): Should have been, because that vote now has been postponed until at least early next month, and right now, Anderson, Republicans say, once they get it to the floor, they'll only need a simple majority of 51 votes and they believe they have it, but they're going to have to wait. Anderson? COOPER: Andrea, you know, Republicans say, look, this is simply politics. I mean, this vote basically went down along political lines, 5 to 42. John McCain said, Bolton's already been nomin -- already been confirmed four times by the Senate for other diplomatic posts. Why is this time different? Why should this time be different according to Democrats?

KOPPEL: Well, because Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut say, look, this is not a process where we're a rubber stamp parliament for the Bush administration. We need certain documents, and they've been very specific on Syria, a speech that he was supposed to give -- that Bolton was supposed to be giving to Congress back in 2003 and then some NSA intercepts, 10 of them, that he requested on a couple dozen U.S. officials. And they say, we need to see those documents. They're important to our decision-making process, and the State Department has basically said, it's not relevant to what you're doing, and they're saying, hold on a second, it's not relevant to what we're doing? We see classified information all the time.

So they feel -- the Democrats feel -- that the State Department has been stonewalling and they're calling their bluff.

COOPER: But, at some point, a vote has to come about. I mean, even once they get these documents, it will then go to a vote theoretically.

KOPPEL: Absolutely, and in fact, that's why Democrats are saying, this is not a filibuster even though effectively it is. They're saying, we're not saying we will not vote on John Bolton. We're saying, we won't vote on John Bolton until we get the documents we've requested. As soon as they get the documents, they say they'll go immediately to a floor vote.

COOPER: All right, Andrea Koppel, appreciate it. We continue with this breaking story. For reaction from the White House, now, we go to CNN's Dana Bash. Dana, the White House cannot be happy about this latest development.

DANA BASH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm sorry, Anderson, somebody was talking to me in my ear, but I can tell...

COOPER: That's all right, Dana. I was just...

BASH: I can just...

COOPER: I was just saying, the White House can't be happy about this latest development.

BASH: They're not and actually, they are stunned here at White House about this, Anderson, because, talking to officials right up until this morning, they felt confident that they would be able to get this past this procedural hurdle, if you will, and get this final vote very soon. I talked to a senior administration official who has been involved in the negotiations involving the procedure on Capitol Hill who was saying, essentially, that they thought there was, as Andrea was talking about, perhaps some kind of gentlemen's agreement to get this through and that what happened earlier today is two Democratic senators, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, went to their caucus, went to the Democrats and said, look we don't want to go forward with this vote unless we get the documents we've been looking for.

So, obviously, Anderson, the question here is whether they are going to give those documents up. That is still a big question, but certainly, they are quite surprised and not happy at all here at the White House.

COOPER: And, just to reconfirm for our viewers just joining us, this is a debate about the debate basically. This is not a vote on whether or not John Bolton should be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Dana, the White House is pretty confident though, when and if it actually does get to a vote, an up or down vote on whether or not he should be the ambassador, White House is confident they have enough Republicans on board to make him the ambassador, yes?

BASH: That's correct, they are. They are confident that, as you said, once they get past this procedural hurdle, that they have a simple majority. But getting past that hurdle is obviously now the open question.

You know, we've obviously have been talking about the whole question of filibusters with regard to judges for weeks, but this is essentially, as Andrea was saying, a filibuster on a very important nomination for the president.

So White House officials are saying they're going to go back at it, see how the votes are, see what they have to do to negotiate, but they do hope that perhaps when Congress comes back in early June, they can get this fixed.

COOPER: A lot of arm-twisting, a lot of negotiations to be done. Dana Bash, appreciate it. Thanks very much.

Coming up next on 360, Michael Jackson's accuser. Find out why the defense may call him back to the stand. Remember, the defense rested yesterday before the jury decides the case.

Also ahead tonight -- abandoned pets. A fascinating story. A county shelter flooded with the animals of soldiers sent off to war. Find out what you can do to save them. We're talking about thousands of dogs and cats left homeless by soldiers who quickly had to go off to fight.

And a little bit later, surviving a flooded car. Find out what to do if you find yourself going under, head first, and you're trapped in a car.

First, let's take a look at your picks, the most popular stories on cnn.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And there he is, Michael Jackson entering court today. I have a bit of Jackson history for you: On this date in 1994 in Jackson history, he married Lisa Marie Presley. They divorced, of course, three years later.

Now, this morning the judge paved the way for potentially damaging evidence to be used against the singer during the prosecution's rebuttal case. It may lead to another courtroom confrontation between Jackson and his young accuser. CNN's senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin is following the trial and joins us now in "Justice Served."

The judge allowed a video to be shown of the police interview with the accuser.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Correct.

COOPER: Why is that significant?

TOOBIN: Well, because the defense has said the accuser's lying. Obviously, if the accuser's telling the truth, then Jackson's guilty, because he said Jackson abused him. His credibility is an issue.

The prosecution has said, OK, look at all the consistent statements he made previously in the interview with the police. He laid out his whole story to the police. It's the same as he told the jury. So we're entitled to show it to the jury, and the judge agreed.

COOPER: And you say it's a good move for the prosecution because no rebuttal?

TOOBIN: Well, because a tape can't be cross-examined. He gets to lay out his story in the friendly setting of questioning by the police at the time of the investigation. And, plus, it puts the focus in this case back on the accuser and his story, rather than all the peripheral stuff about his crazy family and his mother and her fraud and all her bad behavior. It puts the focus back on this very sympathetic kid, and that's where the defense doesn't want it.

COOPER: And the prosecution would like that to be the last thing that the jury hears going into before making a decision.

TOOBIN: Correct. And the defense now has the difficult choice of do they call the accuser himself as a surrebuttal witness? Do they call the accuser to cross-examine him about what was on the tape?

COOPER: And they can do that?

TOOBIN: They can. The question is, do they want to be perceived as beating this kid up again? Do they think they really have enough strong cross-examination material to make it worthwhile to put the accuser as a live witness back in front of this jury.

COOPER: But in this video, when it's shown, there's not anything really new in it. It's just that it corroborates what the kid has said on the stand already.

TOOBIN: Right. But that's very helpful to the prosecution. I mean, because his story is the whole case. For all that this trial has gone on for months, the only witness who matters on the child molestation count is the accuser, and if his credibility is bolstered by this tape, it's very helpful.

COOPER: Do you think it's still going to go to the jury next week?

TOOBIN: As usual, these things are slowing down. End of the week now more likely than the beginning, but probably the end of the week.

COOPER: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, thanks. We appreciate it.

We are following several other stories right now. Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us about 16 past the hour. Good evening, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: And good evening to you, Anderson.

We start off with more updates now from Guantanamo Bay. A commander from there says an inquiry has determined there are five substantiated cases in which the base's guards or interrogators mishandled the Koran, but he says there's no credible evidence the Muslim holy book was ever flushed down a toilet, as was reported and then retracted by "Newsweek" magazine earlier this month.

In Atlanta, Georgia, police still trying to talk down a Florida man who climbed up an 18-story construction crane. You're looking at live pictures here of the man. He'd recently just climbed to the end of the crane. Looks like he's climbed back a little bit now. He's been up there at this point more than 27 hours. Police a say the man is wanted in Florida for killing a former girlfriend, whose body was found on Tuesday.

Nationwide, visits to the ER reached an all-time high. The CDC says nearly 114 million people sought emergency treatment in 2003. That's up 26 percent from 1993. The CDC is calling it a crisis. It points out a majority of the patients are poor and uninsured, and they said they look at emergency departments as the first resort for health care.

Also from the CDC, the number of women smokers in the U.S. dropped now to one in five. That's the lowest level in nearly 30 years. The survey also found overall 21.6 percent of adults were smokers in 2003; that is down slightly from the year before. The goal, just 12 percent of adult smokers by 2010.

And that's the latest from HEADLINE NEWS -- Anderson.

COOPER: A worthy goal, that. Erica Hill, thanks very much. Appreciate it. See you again in about 30 minutes. Coming up next, though, on 360 -- training for death. Hezbollah recruits suicide bombers using violent videos set to new age music. I don't think Yanni would be pleased. Will these extremists derail the plan for Mideast peace? We're covering all the angles, and we'll show you part of this video.

Also ahead tonight, abandoned military pets. A county shelter filling up as soldiers head off to war. Why do so many of these dogs and these cats end up being put to death?

Plus, the dangers of cheerleading. That's right. It's not all fun and games. In fact, it is responsible for the majority of injuries to female college athletes. I didn't know that. Tonight, we're going to meet one woman whose life was changed forever after a single stunt in the air. If your kid wants to be a cheerleader, better see this report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It's remarkable when you see something like this. It just spells it all out for you.

What you just saw was a weapon aimed at ending any chance of peace in the Middle East. It's part of a training video for would-be suicide bombers and Israel says it was made by the militant group Hezbollah.

Now militants are trying to stop the thing that happened today in Washington. President Bush meeting with Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas, pledging $50 million to help Palestinians ensure peace -- and the president urged Abbas to curve bombings and violence in the region. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe the interest of the Israeli people would be served by a peaceful Palestinian state. And I believe that now is the time for all parties of this conflict to move beyond old grievances and act forcefully in the cause of peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: While political leaders in the Middle East may be willing to move on and at least talk peace, it's apparent that militant groups and terrorist groups like Hezbollah are not.

Beyond the headlines now from CNN's John Vause.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was an extraordinary claim, part of a fiery speech to mark the fifth anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. The leader of Hezbollah publicly boasting that the militant group has thousands of rockets all pointed at Israel. SHEIKH HASSAN NASRALLAH, HEZBOLLAH LEADER: More than 12,000 rockets capable of hitting Northern Israel.

VAUSE: Senior Israeli intelligence officers say the Lebanese- based militant group backed by Iran and Syria, is actively recruiting Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, financing and planning attacks on Israel.

Those same Israeli intelligent officers point to this training video. It show a suicide bomber where to stand on a bus. It's just one of hundreds of tapes the Israelis say they've intercepted over last few years sent from Hezbollah to Palestinian militants.

The video is slickly produced, showing the explosion from five different camera angles. The metal sheets around the mannequin represent seats and passengers.

"You will see the seats here," the voice-over explains. "The shrapnel penetrated them and was very effective." Two seats, though, were not hit, the ones on either side of the suicide bomber. But the blast, according to the voice-over, would be fatal to the passengers.

With guidance of experts, CNN has taken care to leave out critical portions of the video from this report. But the tape does show how to make explosives from chemicals which are easily available in pharmacies, hardware stores or farms all set to inspirational music.

Once the explosives are ready, there are detailed instructions on how to make a suicide belt.

"This is here for the explosive material," the tape explains. "This is for the shrapnel."

Israeli intelligence believes in last few years, Hezbollah has become increasingly active not only planning, but coordinating and financing attacks like this one, a double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv two years ago which left 23 dead, more than 100 wounded. And says last year, almost 100 Israelis died as a result of attacks ordered from Lebanon by Hezbollah.

Why is Hezbollah so active now? Since the death of Yasser Arafat, his replacement, Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas, has made renewed efforts to find a way to make peace with Israel, a goal Hezbollah opposes.

DAVID HAHAM, ISRAELI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE: They would like to prevent the Palestinians from renewing the peaceful talks, the peaceful dialogue with the state of Israel.

VAUSE: Palestinians, too, acknowledge Hezbollah is actively recruiting. The police chief in Tokaram (ph) recently told CNN, it's one of his biggest concerns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is likely you may have individuals or again very small groups which may be sympathetic to Hezbollah or even linked to Hezbollah.

VAUSE (on camera): But Israel says, it's much bigger than that. Israeli intelligence says it knows of 50 cells operating in the West Bank and Gaza all made up of disaffected Palestinian militants and believes last year at least $9 million were sent by courier, money exchanges and wire transfers from Hezbollah in Lebanon to finance those cells.

(voice-over): Israeli security and intelligence officials say Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah can stop the attacks with one word. But so far, they say, there's every indication he wants to be the spoiler, determined to wreck whatever fragile chance of peace now exists.

John Vause, CNN, the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Does your child want to be a cheerleader? First, you better know the risks. Tonight, why cheerleading has become the most dangerous sport for young women.

Soldiers off to war, leaving thousands of cats and dogs homeless. Tonight, what can be done to save the cats and dogs left behind by soldiers going off to war.

And your car plunges into a lake or river, would you know how to get out alive? Tonight, how to survive a sinking car, the basics that could save your life. 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: I wish I had good news to tell you about those animals. Sadly, I do not. They are among more than 1,000 abandoned cats and dogs that are found every year in and around Ft. Stewart in Georgia, animals abandoned by their owners, U.S. soldiers heading off to Iraq. Most soldiers care for their pets, but some don't plan well enough, and when they're deployed, the pets are left behind, homeless. And they end up in shelters. And you know what that means.

CNN's Gary Tuchman investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her name is Lady. And Lady is a mother, 15 times over. The collarless dog and her newborn pups were found abandoned in a field near the Army's Ft. Stewart. They're being treated with loving care at the Liberty County, Georgia animal shelter, blissfully ignorant of the fact they are on animal death row.

RANDY DURRENCE, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER: Dog comes in without a collar, no markings or anything, we give them 72 hours. Then if they come in with a collar, any markings, tattoos, anything like that, they are here for seven to 10 days.

TUCHMAN (on camera): That must be very difficult for you.

DURRENCE: It is very difficult.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The shelter is jammed over capacity. In large part because the human population is so under capacity in nearby Ft. Stewart. So many soldiers have gone to Iraq that many of their pets have ended up homeless.

Before the massive deployment to Iraq, the shelter averaged 1,200 animals a year.

(on camera): And what are you on pace for this year?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably closer to 1,500 to 1,600 animals.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The animal control officers have received a call from a woman that a stray dog is hiding under her house.

Officer Linda Cordry arrives at the scene.

LINDA CORDRY, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER: Come on, baby. Hello. Come out. It's all right. Come out. Hi. Hi. Come on. Hi. See? Come on. That's a good baby.

TUCHMAN: Officer Cordry gives the spaniel mix the name Scrappy Dappy Doo.

CORDRY: That's a good baby. Want to go with me?

We live in such a transient community that people come and go, and the last thing on their minds a lot of times is their animals.

CAPTAIN KAREN O'CONNOR, ARMY VETERINARIAN: Oh, good job.

TUCHMAN: To be sure, most of the soldiers at Ft. Stewart take good care and make proper arrangements for their pets.

Captain Karen O'Connor says her dog Taylor is like her child.

O'CONNOR: There we go. It's OK. If he flexes a little, I can see it.

TUCHMAN: Captain O'Connor is also an Army veterinarian, and as part of her duties, has to go into this room to put pets to sleep, dogs and cats who nobody has wanted to adopt from the Army shelter located inside Ft. Stewart.

O'CONNOR: It's awful. I hate doing it. You know, I spend a few minutes with each animal, try to apologize to them. I always sedate them ahead of time, so they're, you know, kind of woozy and out of it. And then we do it by injection, so they just drift off. So at least it's -- it's peaceful.

TUCHMAN (on camera): This yellow labrador retriever was scheduled to be euthanized a week and a half ago. But every week the fort newspaper has a feature called "Pet of the Week," and she was the pet of the week last week. Nevertheless, nobody has adopted her. And very sadly, these are the last few minutes of her life. She'll be put to sleep later today.

(voice-over): Dr. O'Connor does not name the pets who come in.

O'CONNOR: It's for the benefit of me and my staff emotionally.

TUCHMAN: But at the county shelter, they do. This dog was just brought in, along with her seven puppies. They were found in a dump. Three were taken by the County Humane Society and will be adopted, but the clock is ticking for the mother and her other four babies.

(on camera): Why don't we give her a name right now and let you decide?

CORDRY: Sounds good to me. How about Gigi? Gigi.

TUCHMAN: She answers to Gigi. How about that? She walks right over to you just seconds after you named her.

CORDRY: Hi, girl. Come on, Gigi.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Gigi's puppies, as well as Lady's, will be given a little extra time. Puppies and kittens are not put to sleep until they are at least six weeks old. But about 75 percent of these dogs and cats will not make it.

CORDRY: Had they cared for the animal properly, they would have had her spayed or neutered before this happened.

TUCHMAN: Nobody has asked to adopt the dog we found, Scrappy Dappy Doo. So he plays in his cage, his deadline approaching.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Hinesville, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Man, so sad. Six to 8 million cats and dogs enter shelters every year. Half of them are killed, that's 3 to 4 million. If you're interested in adopting any of the military pets from the shelter featured in Gary's report, you can e-mail the Liberty County animal control at animals@libertycountyga.com. That's animals@libertycountyga.com. Of course, if you'd like to help rescue a dog or a cat near you, you can always contact your local Humane Society or SPCA.

Coming up next on 360 -- trapped in a flooded car. It's a nightmare for a lot of people. We'll show you how you can survive step by step.

Also ahead tonight, the most dangerous sport for women in college isn't football or basketball; it's cheerleading. We're going to take a look at the risk and what is being done to prevent them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: This is a dramatic river rescue. It happened yesterday in New Mexico. As you see, the rising water swallowed an SUV, nearly claimed the lives of the two people in it. Thanks to firefighters, the couple made it out alive. But what if there was no one to help? What if you were trapped in your car with water rushing in and time running out? Would you know what to do to survive? We asked Rick Sanchez to find out exactly how to get out of a car that goes into a pile of water.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What you're looking at is a view from inside a car that has just gone below the surface of a canal. It is a terrifying image that each year for hundreds of motorists becomes their last.

911 OPERATOR: Miami-Dade County, what's your emergency?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: Hi, I just got into an accident. I just went through the railing and I'm sinking in the water.

911 OPERATOR: Are you out of your vehicle?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: No, not yet.

SANCHEZ: The 911 call you are hearing was dialed by a woman from inside this car as it was sinking. She was driving on the Florida turnpike. It was 2001.

KARLA GUTIERREZ: Oh, my God. My car's sinking.

911 OPERATOR: Can you get out of the vehicle, ma'am?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: No, I can't. If I do, all of the water's going to come in.

911 OPERATOR: OK, well, ma'am, can you open a window or door to get out of the vehicle? What is last exit?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: The water's going to come in...

SANCHEZ: The woman did not know it and the operator did not seem to be able to convey it, but experts say, opening the window is exactly what she should have done.

911 OPERATOR: OK, we're getting help out. OK, just stay on the line with me, Karla.

KARLA GUTIERREZ: But my car's sinking!

911 OPERATOR: Karla, you can't open a window or get out?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: No, I can't. I can't. My car is sinking.

911 OPERATOR: OK, I'm transferring you. SANCHEZ: Karla Gutierrez drowned. Her body was recovered the following morning. Tire tracks, visible only by the light of day, finally led police to her location.

At the time, 911 operators are did not have specific instructions to tell motorists how to get out of a sinking car. Today, in part because of Karla's story, Miami police and many other departments across the country, do.

SGT. JOSE ACUNA, MIAMI POLICE DEPT.: Officer Wiggins has the final call on whatever's going on.

SANCHEZ: It's a Saturday morning on the banks of one of the thousands of waterways that crisscross the state of Florida. Miami police who now do extensive training on submerged vehicle safety have agreed to demonstrate how to get out alive. It's a daunting lesson that I'm about to receive, but one these police officials are convinced can save lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or, if we need to extract Mr. Sanchez, and we'll take them -- we'll take him to fire rescue in the event he needs any medical attention.

SANCHEZ: This is one of those stories that really makes you fight your demons. My father always told me, if you're scared, just say you're scared. Guess what, folks? I'm a little scared, so the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to get together with some of these dive masters and understand exactly what I'm supposed to do, because once you're down there under water, it's going to be a little too late.

JULIUS WIGGINS, MIAMI POLICE DIVE MASTER: As soon as the car hits the water, you have seat belt on -- you want to get rid of that seat belt as soon as possible.

SANCHEZ: OK.

To say that Miami Police Officer Julius Wiggins, who's also a dive master, is passionate about teaching people how to get out of the sinking car would be an understatement. His goal, to reach as many people with what he calls the basics.

WIGGINS: Seat belt first.

SANCHEZ: OK.

WIGGINS: Then, unlock the car door.

SANCHEZ: Right.

WIGGINS: OK? Then roll down the window.

SANCHEZ: OK.

WIGGINS: And then start climbing out. Then, what you're going to do is you're going to work your way out here (INAUDIBLE) like this. Once you're sitting here, all you have to do is just push yourself off.

SANCHEZ: If ever there's been an appropriate use of the term "dry run," this is it.

WIGGINS: Car's gone in the water. Seat belt first, lock. Roll the window. Start climbing out.

SANCHEZ: Got it.

And now, the real thing. The car plunges into the canal, head first, then bobs back, allowing enough time to put the basic plan into action.

With me inside the car, photographer Rich Brooks, who is a certified diver. From his pictures, you can see I'm working fast to take advantage of what is a perfect scenario. The car has leveled out, give me time to open the window and get out before it sinks.

However, on my second attempt, the car turns slightly, forcing the water in faster, slowing my exit. With the seat belt off, the lock undone, the window rolled down, I take a final breath and climb out.

My third attempt takes a bit longer, but I'm realizing window exits seem most effective. Whether it's a roll down or electric, it doesn't matter as long as you don't remove the keys from the ignition. Remember, even under water, your battery will continue to operate the windows.

What happens, though, if the window is stuck or for some reason simply isn't working? This window is being shattered under water using a tool called a power punch that motorists are urged to buy and keep in their glove box.

Now, the last dive, an attempt to get out through the door. From inside the vehicle, you can see how it looks when I leave the window rolled up. The water is now seeping in from elsewhere and quickly filling the cabin. I try to push on the door, but it seems jammed.

Outside the car, divers are also trying to unjam the door to let me out, but are unable to do so. Admittedly, it's a chilling moment. I grab for the emergency air supply left in the front seat, rush it to my mouth and wait nervously for the car to be hoisted out of the water with me still inside, breathing, waiting, and with a much better understanding now of how important it is to know the basics, how to act fast and how to get out alive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ (on camera): What we try to do, as I'm sure you've probably noticed, is tell stories from the inside out. What we've done this week with three scenarios -- both the fire, being lost at sea and now this, a car in a canal or waterway -- is show these scenarios that oftentimes people have not been able to walk way from. In essence, we're trying to show what officials say you can do it. Here's what we learned. What we learned is that there's a common thread through all of these and that is simply this: if you practice, if you have a sense of what you might need to do in one of these scenarios, it's not going to guarantee that you're going to survive, but what it certainly will do is, it will increase your odds.

I'm Rick Sanchez. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Rick, I was interested to learn that if you -- your electric window will actually continue to operate in most cases.

SANCHEZ: Interesting story I heard from many of these divers who actually weekly go down and look for cars that have either been stolen or have ended up under water. They say they've gone down there days after the car went in and they've found the radio blaring and the lights still on.

COOPER: Wow.

SANCHEZ: Goes to show, that battery does stay on for quite a while.

COOPER: Good to know. Rick Sanchez, thanks very much.

You know, sometimes you -- when you're talking on television, you just find yourself in a sentence you can't get out of and it doesn't make any sense. I had that experience right -- introducing Rick's piece. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: We asked Rick Sanchez to find out exactly how to get out of a car that goes into a pile of water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Pile of water? What was I talking about? Sorry.

360 next, the dangers of cheerleading. Experts say the pressure to perform can lead to catastrophic injuries. We're going to introduce you to a former cheerleader who got hurt. She shares her story ahead.

We'll be right back.

Pile of...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: About 11 minutes to the hour, let's check in with Erica Hill for the latest on the headlines. Erica?

HILL: Hey, Anderson.

We start out with a developing story that broke less than an hour ago. John Bolton will have to wait some more to if he becomes the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. There will not be a final vote tonight because Republicans were unable to get enough support to end debate on Bolton's nomination. It's expected to continue next month when Senator's return from their Memorial Day holiday break.

Durham, North Carolina -- symbols of racial hatred. Three large crosses burned in separate spots around the city last night. Police say yellow flowers with Ku Klux Klan sayings were found at one location.

In Tennessee, lawmakers are allegedly breaking the law. Four lawmakers and three others were arrested and charged with taking bribes to influence legislation. One state senator was also charged with witness intimidation. They were arrested through a state and federal sting operation.

And if you've got plans to fly this summer, bring a book. The FAA says airlines plan to fly full loads over the summer months and they likely won't cancel flights. So, when bad weather strikes, maybe you get a pile of water on the runway, be patient and expect delays. Flight arrival delays by the way are already up this years. Normally, it's not a short wait. In the first quarter, the average delay approximately 52 minutes.

That's the latest -- Anderson.

COOPER: Did you say pile of water on the runway?

HILL: I did.

COOPER: I'm marking it all down.

HILL: I know. Payback's going to be bad. I know, I know.

COOPER: All right. Erica, thanks very much. See you in about 30 minutes.

Pile of water, I'm not going live that down.

Coming up next on 360, the dangers of cheerleading. I had no idea this was so dangerous. It is actually the leading cause of serious injury for high school and college female athletes of any sport. We're going to have the story of one woman's whose life changed forever after a toss in the air.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Cheerleading has become immensely popular in high schools and colleges. Competitions are broadcast on sports channels. I'm sure you've seen them. And the acrobatics have gotten more and more daring.

But rarely does anyone seem to talk about the dangers. Experts say cheerleading is related to more than half of all catastrophic injuries involving female athletes in high school and in college, more than half. CNN's Ed Lavandera talks with one woman tonight who was cheerleading star until an accident changed her life. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the moment Tracey Jensen stepped on the University of Nebraska campus, she knew cheering on the Huskers would be her passion.

TRACEY JENSEN, FORMER CHEERLEADER: I just thought it was amazing. I was impressed and blown away by these girls flying through the air.

LAVANDERA: She was living the dream her junior year, soaring and spinning in the air at football games. .

JENSEN: I got goose bumpts every time I walked on that field.

LAVANDERA: During a practice session near the end of the 1996 football season, Jensen launched into a difficult jump when something went wrong.

JENSEN: In the middle of the air it was like vertigo, I couldn't tell where I was. And when I hit the ground, I thought I just knocked the wind out of myself.

LAVANDERA: It was much worse.

JENSEN: I couldn't feel anything except for my face. There was no air. I wasn't breathing.

LAVANDERA: Friends kept her alive using CPR until the medics arrived.

JENSEN: Everything was going black. And I'm thinking, is this it?

LAVANDERA: Jensen had landed on her head and broke her neck in three places.

JENSEN: And I remember thinking, God if you want me take me now. And if you don't, leave me here. And when I opened my eyes, I was staring at the ceiling.

LAVANDERA: Jensen woke up a quadriplegic needing a ventilator to breathe. In that tragic instant, she became a statistic in a disturbing trend that's often overlooked.

(on camera): In the last 20 years, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research found that cheerleaders were involved in half of the serious injuries involving female high school athletes. Fast forward to college, and the number jumps to 65 percent.

(voice-over): Injuries range from torn ligaments to skull fractures and broken necks leaving many paralyzed. Experts say cheerleading should not be considered a cute after school activity.

DR. FRED MUELLER, UNIV. OF NORTH CAROLINA: And when you look at what's going on in cheer leading today, it is a gymnastic type activity. So, you need people who are qualified and you need to treat it as a sport. You need to have the -- all of the other requirements that are in place for other sports.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Let's lie down and do some of your neck and shoulder stretches.

LAVANDERA: Jensen's accident prompted the University of Nebraska to limit the stunts its cheerleaders could perform. Gone are the high-flying acrobatics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come up faster. That's it. Good. Knees up. Knees up. Heel to toe. Good. OK. Go, go, go, go! That's it. OK. Now, let it down slow.

JENSEN: I remember the feel of things. Just my body doesn't cooperate when I go to do them.

LAVANDERA: Tracey general once denied graft with ease. Today, she's relearning how to run and jump.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get a good, big big jump. There you go.

LAVANDERA: The last eight years have been filled with endless hours of physical therapy. But considering where Jensen has been, the fact she can do all of this is amazing. For her, though, it's not enough.

JENSEN: I want what I had. I want my life back. And I want my physical ability back. And I do have to remind myself sometimes how far I really have come.

LAVANDERA: A home aid helps Jensen get ready every morning. She's become more independent and is back in school. But life moves at a slower pace.

JENSEN: Showering, clothes, and hair and makeup probably take between two and two and-a-half hours.

LAVANDERA: She drives herself around town.

JENSEN: And it's zero effort steering wheel so it's very easy to turn.

LAVANDERA: And will never forget the first day she had the keys to this car, her symbol of liberation.

JENSEN: I got out on the open highway. I cranked my radio and I drove for miles. It was great!

LAVANDERA: Tracey Jensen will never leap into the air like she did as a cheerleader, but every step she takes these days makes her feel like she's flying again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. You're running, you're running!

LAVANDERA: Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Remarkable recovery.

We always want to hear from you. Log on to CNN.com/360 anytime day or night. Click on the instant feedback link. Send us an e-mail. Let us know what you think.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks very much for watching 360 this evening. CNN's prime-time coverage continues right now with Paula Zahn. Hey, Paula.

END

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Aired May 26, 2005 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Good evening, everyone.
Breaking news tonight -- Republicans failed to cut off debate on President Bush's controversial nominee. 360 starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): A Senate showdown over the president's pick for U.N. ambassador.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's a lousy leader.

COOPER: Are allegations Bolton abused staffers and trumped up intelligence just politics as usual, or is this guy simply the wrong man for the job?

Dead or alive? Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al Zarqawi -- terror websites say he's shot, wounded, maybe even dead. Tonight, if Zarqawi is gone, does the violence lessen in Iraq?

Does your child want to be a cheerleader? First, you better know the risks. Tonight, why cheerleading has become the most dangerous sport for q young women.

Soldiers off to war, leaving thousands of cats and dogs homeless. Tonight, what can be done to save the cats and dogs left behind by soldiers going off to war?

And, your car plunges into a lake or river. Would you know how to get out alive? Tonight, how to survive a sinking car -- the basics that could save your life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

COOPER: Good evening again.

We begin tonight with breaking news, a dramatic vote in the Senate, a vote which finished moments ago. Republicans wanted to end debate on the nomination of John Bolton to the post of United States ambassador to the United Nations. They wanted the Senate to finally be able to vote on Bolton. Now, it takes three-fifths of the Senate, 60 votes, to cut off debate. Cloture, that's what it's called. The final vote to cut off debate today was only 56 votes, so the debate goes on and Mr. Bolton's future hangs in the balance at least until next week.

More speeches are still being made in the Senate, but the vote is done. More now from CNN's Andrea Koppel who is standing by live in Washington.

ANDREA KOPPEL, STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: You know, Anderson, I'm sure for some of our viewers it's going feel like "Groundhog Day," the movie, because, when is this thing going to end? And, the answer is, the debate is going continue some time after the Memorial Day holiday. Senators are going to be on vacation all next week, so we're talking sometime early next month.

The expectation had been that, if Republicans had gotten those 60 votes, they would've been able to cut off debate and they would've been able to move immediately to an up or down vote for John Bolton. This is a clear victory for Democrats, however short-lived. We know that Senator Biden of Delaware and Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut had really felt that the State Department was stonewalling. We know from a senior leadership source that spoke with our Dana Bash that both of those senators had been working their sources, working their colleagues, trying to win them over to say, look, the State Department needs to turn over more documents on Syria, more documents on NSA intercepts that Bolton wanted, and, you know, they actually won.

But, as things stand right now, you know, we know -- for the last number of months, we've been talking about John Bolton the bully, John Bolton the professional, but we wanted to find out, Anderson, who is this guy? What makes tick? And to find out, we went back to his hometown of Baltimore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): John Bolton has been downright demonized by Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think Mr. Bolton needs anger management.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bolton has a reputation for being abusive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm concerned it will be more like sending a bull into a china shop.

KOPPEL: But just who is the man behind the mustache?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was pleasant. He was always laughing. John was a very energetic, very active, very intelligent, very participatory person in the class.

KOPPEL: Joe Cobal (ph) knew Bolton before the mustache, before peach fuzz even, when they were enrolled in Maryland's prestigious McDonough School in the mid-1960s, then an all-boys military academy.

For the brilliant son of a Baltimore city firefighter, who devoured books at the public library, a full scholarship to McDonough was Bolton's ticket to a white collar job. His senior yearbook said it all, "Future: Foreign Service Officer."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the first week I met him, he was talking about national issues and public policy issues and -- it was his milk. It's what he did.

KOPPEL: Bolton led the Students for Barry Goldwater campaign for president in 1964 as a high school sophomore, his passion for Republican politics influenced by his parents. As associate editor the school's newspaper, he took on the hottest issues of his time. By his senior year, one editor at the paper wrote that Bolton had "attacked his duties with the fervor of a political fanatic."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of us had political interests. I mean, everybody in the class would talk about it, but what made John unique was that he was very deeply involved in the Republican way of thinking.

KOPPEL: A core belief which seemed to grow more profound during the tumultuous years of the Vietnam War when Bolton was enrolled at Yale University and Yale Law School.

THOMAS BOYD, BOLTON'S FORMER DEPUTY: He's a perfect example of an individual who started with modest means and became a successful lawyer, a very talented lawyer.

KOPPEL: Thomas Boyd served as Bolton's deputy at the Justice Department during the Reagan years, and considers Bolton a friend.

BOYD: The Republican party, at least, is, in his view, I suspect, is a party that encourages individual mobility and rewards it, and I think he identifies with that.

KOPPEL: Boyd says the Bolton he knew set high standards, but was never a bully.

BOYD: You had to have your argument together. And, if you didn't, he wouldn't lose his temper, at least I never saw any of that, but rather, you wouldn't be invited back to engage in another discussion.

KOPPEL: A workaholic known to send e-mails at 4:00 a.m., Bolton's blue-color roots and hard-working parents taught him to strive for perfection.

His nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations should have been the icing on the cake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (on camera): Should have been, because that vote now has been postponed until at least early next month, and right now, Anderson, Republicans say, once they get it to the floor, they'll only need a simple majority of 51 votes and they believe they have it, but they're going to have to wait. Anderson? COOPER: Andrea, you know, Republicans say, look, this is simply politics. I mean, this vote basically went down along political lines, 5 to 42. John McCain said, Bolton's already been nomin -- already been confirmed four times by the Senate for other diplomatic posts. Why is this time different? Why should this time be different according to Democrats?

KOPPEL: Well, because Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut say, look, this is not a process where we're a rubber stamp parliament for the Bush administration. We need certain documents, and they've been very specific on Syria, a speech that he was supposed to give -- that Bolton was supposed to be giving to Congress back in 2003 and then some NSA intercepts, 10 of them, that he requested on a couple dozen U.S. officials. And they say, we need to see those documents. They're important to our decision-making process, and the State Department has basically said, it's not relevant to what you're doing, and they're saying, hold on a second, it's not relevant to what we're doing? We see classified information all the time.

So they feel -- the Democrats feel -- that the State Department has been stonewalling and they're calling their bluff.

COOPER: But, at some point, a vote has to come about. I mean, even once they get these documents, it will then go to a vote theoretically.

KOPPEL: Absolutely, and in fact, that's why Democrats are saying, this is not a filibuster even though effectively it is. They're saying, we're not saying we will not vote on John Bolton. We're saying, we won't vote on John Bolton until we get the documents we've requested. As soon as they get the documents, they say they'll go immediately to a floor vote.

COOPER: All right, Andrea Koppel, appreciate it. We continue with this breaking story. For reaction from the White House, now, we go to CNN's Dana Bash. Dana, the White House cannot be happy about this latest development.

DANA BASH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm sorry, Anderson, somebody was talking to me in my ear, but I can tell...

COOPER: That's all right, Dana. I was just...

BASH: I can just...

COOPER: I was just saying, the White House can't be happy about this latest development.

BASH: They're not and actually, they are stunned here at White House about this, Anderson, because, talking to officials right up until this morning, they felt confident that they would be able to get this past this procedural hurdle, if you will, and get this final vote very soon. I talked to a senior administration official who has been involved in the negotiations involving the procedure on Capitol Hill who was saying, essentially, that they thought there was, as Andrea was talking about, perhaps some kind of gentlemen's agreement to get this through and that what happened earlier today is two Democratic senators, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, went to their caucus, went to the Democrats and said, look we don't want to go forward with this vote unless we get the documents we've been looking for.

So, obviously, Anderson, the question here is whether they are going to give those documents up. That is still a big question, but certainly, they are quite surprised and not happy at all here at the White House.

COOPER: And, just to reconfirm for our viewers just joining us, this is a debate about the debate basically. This is not a vote on whether or not John Bolton should be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Dana, the White House is pretty confident though, when and if it actually does get to a vote, an up or down vote on whether or not he should be the ambassador, White House is confident they have enough Republicans on board to make him the ambassador, yes?

BASH: That's correct, they are. They are confident that, as you said, once they get past this procedural hurdle, that they have a simple majority. But getting past that hurdle is obviously now the open question.

You know, we've obviously have been talking about the whole question of filibusters with regard to judges for weeks, but this is essentially, as Andrea was saying, a filibuster on a very important nomination for the president.

So White House officials are saying they're going to go back at it, see how the votes are, see what they have to do to negotiate, but they do hope that perhaps when Congress comes back in early June, they can get this fixed.

COOPER: A lot of arm-twisting, a lot of negotiations to be done. Dana Bash, appreciate it. Thanks very much.

Coming up next on 360, Michael Jackson's accuser. Find out why the defense may call him back to the stand. Remember, the defense rested yesterday before the jury decides the case.

Also ahead tonight -- abandoned pets. A fascinating story. A county shelter flooded with the animals of soldiers sent off to war. Find out what you can do to save them. We're talking about thousands of dogs and cats left homeless by soldiers who quickly had to go off to fight.

And a little bit later, surviving a flooded car. Find out what to do if you find yourself going under, head first, and you're trapped in a car.

First, let's take a look at your picks, the most popular stories on cnn.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And there he is, Michael Jackson entering court today. I have a bit of Jackson history for you: On this date in 1994 in Jackson history, he married Lisa Marie Presley. They divorced, of course, three years later.

Now, this morning the judge paved the way for potentially damaging evidence to be used against the singer during the prosecution's rebuttal case. It may lead to another courtroom confrontation between Jackson and his young accuser. CNN's senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin is following the trial and joins us now in "Justice Served."

The judge allowed a video to be shown of the police interview with the accuser.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Correct.

COOPER: Why is that significant?

TOOBIN: Well, because the defense has said the accuser's lying. Obviously, if the accuser's telling the truth, then Jackson's guilty, because he said Jackson abused him. His credibility is an issue.

The prosecution has said, OK, look at all the consistent statements he made previously in the interview with the police. He laid out his whole story to the police. It's the same as he told the jury. So we're entitled to show it to the jury, and the judge agreed.

COOPER: And you say it's a good move for the prosecution because no rebuttal?

TOOBIN: Well, because a tape can't be cross-examined. He gets to lay out his story in the friendly setting of questioning by the police at the time of the investigation. And, plus, it puts the focus in this case back on the accuser and his story, rather than all the peripheral stuff about his crazy family and his mother and her fraud and all her bad behavior. It puts the focus back on this very sympathetic kid, and that's where the defense doesn't want it.

COOPER: And the prosecution would like that to be the last thing that the jury hears going into before making a decision.

TOOBIN: Correct. And the defense now has the difficult choice of do they call the accuser himself as a surrebuttal witness? Do they call the accuser to cross-examine him about what was on the tape?

COOPER: And they can do that?

TOOBIN: They can. The question is, do they want to be perceived as beating this kid up again? Do they think they really have enough strong cross-examination material to make it worthwhile to put the accuser as a live witness back in front of this jury.

COOPER: But in this video, when it's shown, there's not anything really new in it. It's just that it corroborates what the kid has said on the stand already.

TOOBIN: Right. But that's very helpful to the prosecution. I mean, because his story is the whole case. For all that this trial has gone on for months, the only witness who matters on the child molestation count is the accuser, and if his credibility is bolstered by this tape, it's very helpful.

COOPER: Do you think it's still going to go to the jury next week?

TOOBIN: As usual, these things are slowing down. End of the week now more likely than the beginning, but probably the end of the week.

COOPER: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, thanks. We appreciate it.

We are following several other stories right now. Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us about 16 past the hour. Good evening, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: And good evening to you, Anderson.

We start off with more updates now from Guantanamo Bay. A commander from there says an inquiry has determined there are five substantiated cases in which the base's guards or interrogators mishandled the Koran, but he says there's no credible evidence the Muslim holy book was ever flushed down a toilet, as was reported and then retracted by "Newsweek" magazine earlier this month.

In Atlanta, Georgia, police still trying to talk down a Florida man who climbed up an 18-story construction crane. You're looking at live pictures here of the man. He'd recently just climbed to the end of the crane. Looks like he's climbed back a little bit now. He's been up there at this point more than 27 hours. Police a say the man is wanted in Florida for killing a former girlfriend, whose body was found on Tuesday.

Nationwide, visits to the ER reached an all-time high. The CDC says nearly 114 million people sought emergency treatment in 2003. That's up 26 percent from 1993. The CDC is calling it a crisis. It points out a majority of the patients are poor and uninsured, and they said they look at emergency departments as the first resort for health care.

Also from the CDC, the number of women smokers in the U.S. dropped now to one in five. That's the lowest level in nearly 30 years. The survey also found overall 21.6 percent of adults were smokers in 2003; that is down slightly from the year before. The goal, just 12 percent of adult smokers by 2010.

And that's the latest from HEADLINE NEWS -- Anderson.

COOPER: A worthy goal, that. Erica Hill, thanks very much. Appreciate it. See you again in about 30 minutes. Coming up next, though, on 360 -- training for death. Hezbollah recruits suicide bombers using violent videos set to new age music. I don't think Yanni would be pleased. Will these extremists derail the plan for Mideast peace? We're covering all the angles, and we'll show you part of this video.

Also ahead tonight, abandoned military pets. A county shelter filling up as soldiers head off to war. Why do so many of these dogs and these cats end up being put to death?

Plus, the dangers of cheerleading. That's right. It's not all fun and games. In fact, it is responsible for the majority of injuries to female college athletes. I didn't know that. Tonight, we're going to meet one woman whose life was changed forever after a single stunt in the air. If your kid wants to be a cheerleader, better see this report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It's remarkable when you see something like this. It just spells it all out for you.

What you just saw was a weapon aimed at ending any chance of peace in the Middle East. It's part of a training video for would-be suicide bombers and Israel says it was made by the militant group Hezbollah.

Now militants are trying to stop the thing that happened today in Washington. President Bush meeting with Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas, pledging $50 million to help Palestinians ensure peace -- and the president urged Abbas to curve bombings and violence in the region. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe the interest of the Israeli people would be served by a peaceful Palestinian state. And I believe that now is the time for all parties of this conflict to move beyond old grievances and act forcefully in the cause of peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: While political leaders in the Middle East may be willing to move on and at least talk peace, it's apparent that militant groups and terrorist groups like Hezbollah are not.

Beyond the headlines now from CNN's John Vause.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was an extraordinary claim, part of a fiery speech to mark the fifth anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. The leader of Hezbollah publicly boasting that the militant group has thousands of rockets all pointed at Israel. SHEIKH HASSAN NASRALLAH, HEZBOLLAH LEADER: More than 12,000 rockets capable of hitting Northern Israel.

VAUSE: Senior Israeli intelligence officers say the Lebanese- based militant group backed by Iran and Syria, is actively recruiting Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, financing and planning attacks on Israel.

Those same Israeli intelligent officers point to this training video. It show a suicide bomber where to stand on a bus. It's just one of hundreds of tapes the Israelis say they've intercepted over last few years sent from Hezbollah to Palestinian militants.

The video is slickly produced, showing the explosion from five different camera angles. The metal sheets around the mannequin represent seats and passengers.

"You will see the seats here," the voice-over explains. "The shrapnel penetrated them and was very effective." Two seats, though, were not hit, the ones on either side of the suicide bomber. But the blast, according to the voice-over, would be fatal to the passengers.

With guidance of experts, CNN has taken care to leave out critical portions of the video from this report. But the tape does show how to make explosives from chemicals which are easily available in pharmacies, hardware stores or farms all set to inspirational music.

Once the explosives are ready, there are detailed instructions on how to make a suicide belt.

"This is here for the explosive material," the tape explains. "This is for the shrapnel."

Israeli intelligence believes in last few years, Hezbollah has become increasingly active not only planning, but coordinating and financing attacks like this one, a double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv two years ago which left 23 dead, more than 100 wounded. And says last year, almost 100 Israelis died as a result of attacks ordered from Lebanon by Hezbollah.

Why is Hezbollah so active now? Since the death of Yasser Arafat, his replacement, Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas, has made renewed efforts to find a way to make peace with Israel, a goal Hezbollah opposes.

DAVID HAHAM, ISRAELI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE: They would like to prevent the Palestinians from renewing the peaceful talks, the peaceful dialogue with the state of Israel.

VAUSE: Palestinians, too, acknowledge Hezbollah is actively recruiting. The police chief in Tokaram (ph) recently told CNN, it's one of his biggest concerns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is likely you may have individuals or again very small groups which may be sympathetic to Hezbollah or even linked to Hezbollah.

VAUSE (on camera): But Israel says, it's much bigger than that. Israeli intelligence says it knows of 50 cells operating in the West Bank and Gaza all made up of disaffected Palestinian militants and believes last year at least $9 million were sent by courier, money exchanges and wire transfers from Hezbollah in Lebanon to finance those cells.

(voice-over): Israeli security and intelligence officials say Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah can stop the attacks with one word. But so far, they say, there's every indication he wants to be the spoiler, determined to wreck whatever fragile chance of peace now exists.

John Vause, CNN, the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Does your child want to be a cheerleader? First, you better know the risks. Tonight, why cheerleading has become the most dangerous sport for young women.

Soldiers off to war, leaving thousands of cats and dogs homeless. Tonight, what can be done to save the cats and dogs left behind by soldiers going off to war.

And your car plunges into a lake or river, would you know how to get out alive? Tonight, how to survive a sinking car, the basics that could save your life. 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: I wish I had good news to tell you about those animals. Sadly, I do not. They are among more than 1,000 abandoned cats and dogs that are found every year in and around Ft. Stewart in Georgia, animals abandoned by their owners, U.S. soldiers heading off to Iraq. Most soldiers care for their pets, but some don't plan well enough, and when they're deployed, the pets are left behind, homeless. And they end up in shelters. And you know what that means.

CNN's Gary Tuchman investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Her name is Lady. And Lady is a mother, 15 times over. The collarless dog and her newborn pups were found abandoned in a field near the Army's Ft. Stewart. They're being treated with loving care at the Liberty County, Georgia animal shelter, blissfully ignorant of the fact they are on animal death row.

RANDY DURRENCE, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER: Dog comes in without a collar, no markings or anything, we give them 72 hours. Then if they come in with a collar, any markings, tattoos, anything like that, they are here for seven to 10 days.

TUCHMAN (on camera): That must be very difficult for you.

DURRENCE: It is very difficult.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The shelter is jammed over capacity. In large part because the human population is so under capacity in nearby Ft. Stewart. So many soldiers have gone to Iraq that many of their pets have ended up homeless.

Before the massive deployment to Iraq, the shelter averaged 1,200 animals a year.

(on camera): And what are you on pace for this year?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably closer to 1,500 to 1,600 animals.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The animal control officers have received a call from a woman that a stray dog is hiding under her house.

Officer Linda Cordry arrives at the scene.

LINDA CORDRY, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER: Come on, baby. Hello. Come out. It's all right. Come out. Hi. Hi. Come on. Hi. See? Come on. That's a good baby.

TUCHMAN: Officer Cordry gives the spaniel mix the name Scrappy Dappy Doo.

CORDRY: That's a good baby. Want to go with me?

We live in such a transient community that people come and go, and the last thing on their minds a lot of times is their animals.

CAPTAIN KAREN O'CONNOR, ARMY VETERINARIAN: Oh, good job.

TUCHMAN: To be sure, most of the soldiers at Ft. Stewart take good care and make proper arrangements for their pets.

Captain Karen O'Connor says her dog Taylor is like her child.

O'CONNOR: There we go. It's OK. If he flexes a little, I can see it.

TUCHMAN: Captain O'Connor is also an Army veterinarian, and as part of her duties, has to go into this room to put pets to sleep, dogs and cats who nobody has wanted to adopt from the Army shelter located inside Ft. Stewart.

O'CONNOR: It's awful. I hate doing it. You know, I spend a few minutes with each animal, try to apologize to them. I always sedate them ahead of time, so they're, you know, kind of woozy and out of it. And then we do it by injection, so they just drift off. So at least it's -- it's peaceful.

TUCHMAN (on camera): This yellow labrador retriever was scheduled to be euthanized a week and a half ago. But every week the fort newspaper has a feature called "Pet of the Week," and she was the pet of the week last week. Nevertheless, nobody has adopted her. And very sadly, these are the last few minutes of her life. She'll be put to sleep later today.

(voice-over): Dr. O'Connor does not name the pets who come in.

O'CONNOR: It's for the benefit of me and my staff emotionally.

TUCHMAN: But at the county shelter, they do. This dog was just brought in, along with her seven puppies. They were found in a dump. Three were taken by the County Humane Society and will be adopted, but the clock is ticking for the mother and her other four babies.

(on camera): Why don't we give her a name right now and let you decide?

CORDRY: Sounds good to me. How about Gigi? Gigi.

TUCHMAN: She answers to Gigi. How about that? She walks right over to you just seconds after you named her.

CORDRY: Hi, girl. Come on, Gigi.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Gigi's puppies, as well as Lady's, will be given a little extra time. Puppies and kittens are not put to sleep until they are at least six weeks old. But about 75 percent of these dogs and cats will not make it.

CORDRY: Had they cared for the animal properly, they would have had her spayed or neutered before this happened.

TUCHMAN: Nobody has asked to adopt the dog we found, Scrappy Dappy Doo. So he plays in his cage, his deadline approaching.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Hinesville, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Man, so sad. Six to 8 million cats and dogs enter shelters every year. Half of them are killed, that's 3 to 4 million. If you're interested in adopting any of the military pets from the shelter featured in Gary's report, you can e-mail the Liberty County animal control at animals@libertycountyga.com. That's animals@libertycountyga.com. Of course, if you'd like to help rescue a dog or a cat near you, you can always contact your local Humane Society or SPCA.

Coming up next on 360 -- trapped in a flooded car. It's a nightmare for a lot of people. We'll show you how you can survive step by step.

Also ahead tonight, the most dangerous sport for women in college isn't football or basketball; it's cheerleading. We're going to take a look at the risk and what is being done to prevent them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: This is a dramatic river rescue. It happened yesterday in New Mexico. As you see, the rising water swallowed an SUV, nearly claimed the lives of the two people in it. Thanks to firefighters, the couple made it out alive. But what if there was no one to help? What if you were trapped in your car with water rushing in and time running out? Would you know what to do to survive? We asked Rick Sanchez to find out exactly how to get out of a car that goes into a pile of water.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What you're looking at is a view from inside a car that has just gone below the surface of a canal. It is a terrifying image that each year for hundreds of motorists becomes their last.

911 OPERATOR: Miami-Dade County, what's your emergency?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: Hi, I just got into an accident. I just went through the railing and I'm sinking in the water.

911 OPERATOR: Are you out of your vehicle?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: No, not yet.

SANCHEZ: The 911 call you are hearing was dialed by a woman from inside this car as it was sinking. She was driving on the Florida turnpike. It was 2001.

KARLA GUTIERREZ: Oh, my God. My car's sinking.

911 OPERATOR: Can you get out of the vehicle, ma'am?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: No, I can't. If I do, all of the water's going to come in.

911 OPERATOR: OK, well, ma'am, can you open a window or door to get out of the vehicle? What is last exit?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: The water's going to come in...

SANCHEZ: The woman did not know it and the operator did not seem to be able to convey it, but experts say, opening the window is exactly what she should have done.

911 OPERATOR: OK, we're getting help out. OK, just stay on the line with me, Karla.

KARLA GUTIERREZ: But my car's sinking!

911 OPERATOR: Karla, you can't open a window or get out?

KARLA GUTIERREZ: No, I can't. I can't. My car is sinking.

911 OPERATOR: OK, I'm transferring you. SANCHEZ: Karla Gutierrez drowned. Her body was recovered the following morning. Tire tracks, visible only by the light of day, finally led police to her location.

At the time, 911 operators are did not have specific instructions to tell motorists how to get out of a sinking car. Today, in part because of Karla's story, Miami police and many other departments across the country, do.

SGT. JOSE ACUNA, MIAMI POLICE DEPT.: Officer Wiggins has the final call on whatever's going on.

SANCHEZ: It's a Saturday morning on the banks of one of the thousands of waterways that crisscross the state of Florida. Miami police who now do extensive training on submerged vehicle safety have agreed to demonstrate how to get out alive. It's a daunting lesson that I'm about to receive, but one these police officials are convinced can save lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or, if we need to extract Mr. Sanchez, and we'll take them -- we'll take him to fire rescue in the event he needs any medical attention.

SANCHEZ: This is one of those stories that really makes you fight your demons. My father always told me, if you're scared, just say you're scared. Guess what, folks? I'm a little scared, so the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to get together with some of these dive masters and understand exactly what I'm supposed to do, because once you're down there under water, it's going to be a little too late.

JULIUS WIGGINS, MIAMI POLICE DIVE MASTER: As soon as the car hits the water, you have seat belt on -- you want to get rid of that seat belt as soon as possible.

SANCHEZ: OK.

To say that Miami Police Officer Julius Wiggins, who's also a dive master, is passionate about teaching people how to get out of the sinking car would be an understatement. His goal, to reach as many people with what he calls the basics.

WIGGINS: Seat belt first.

SANCHEZ: OK.

WIGGINS: Then, unlock the car door.

SANCHEZ: Right.

WIGGINS: OK? Then roll down the window.

SANCHEZ: OK.

WIGGINS: And then start climbing out. Then, what you're going to do is you're going to work your way out here (INAUDIBLE) like this. Once you're sitting here, all you have to do is just push yourself off.

SANCHEZ: If ever there's been an appropriate use of the term "dry run," this is it.

WIGGINS: Car's gone in the water. Seat belt first, lock. Roll the window. Start climbing out.

SANCHEZ: Got it.

And now, the real thing. The car plunges into the canal, head first, then bobs back, allowing enough time to put the basic plan into action.

With me inside the car, photographer Rich Brooks, who is a certified diver. From his pictures, you can see I'm working fast to take advantage of what is a perfect scenario. The car has leveled out, give me time to open the window and get out before it sinks.

However, on my second attempt, the car turns slightly, forcing the water in faster, slowing my exit. With the seat belt off, the lock undone, the window rolled down, I take a final breath and climb out.

My third attempt takes a bit longer, but I'm realizing window exits seem most effective. Whether it's a roll down or electric, it doesn't matter as long as you don't remove the keys from the ignition. Remember, even under water, your battery will continue to operate the windows.

What happens, though, if the window is stuck or for some reason simply isn't working? This window is being shattered under water using a tool called a power punch that motorists are urged to buy and keep in their glove box.

Now, the last dive, an attempt to get out through the door. From inside the vehicle, you can see how it looks when I leave the window rolled up. The water is now seeping in from elsewhere and quickly filling the cabin. I try to push on the door, but it seems jammed.

Outside the car, divers are also trying to unjam the door to let me out, but are unable to do so. Admittedly, it's a chilling moment. I grab for the emergency air supply left in the front seat, rush it to my mouth and wait nervously for the car to be hoisted out of the water with me still inside, breathing, waiting, and with a much better understanding now of how important it is to know the basics, how to act fast and how to get out alive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ (on camera): What we try to do, as I'm sure you've probably noticed, is tell stories from the inside out. What we've done this week with three scenarios -- both the fire, being lost at sea and now this, a car in a canal or waterway -- is show these scenarios that oftentimes people have not been able to walk way from. In essence, we're trying to show what officials say you can do it. Here's what we learned. What we learned is that there's a common thread through all of these and that is simply this: if you practice, if you have a sense of what you might need to do in one of these scenarios, it's not going to guarantee that you're going to survive, but what it certainly will do is, it will increase your odds.

I'm Rick Sanchez. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Rick, I was interested to learn that if you -- your electric window will actually continue to operate in most cases.

SANCHEZ: Interesting story I heard from many of these divers who actually weekly go down and look for cars that have either been stolen or have ended up under water. They say they've gone down there days after the car went in and they've found the radio blaring and the lights still on.

COOPER: Wow.

SANCHEZ: Goes to show, that battery does stay on for quite a while.

COOPER: Good to know. Rick Sanchez, thanks very much.

You know, sometimes you -- when you're talking on television, you just find yourself in a sentence you can't get out of and it doesn't make any sense. I had that experience right -- introducing Rick's piece. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: We asked Rick Sanchez to find out exactly how to get out of a car that goes into a pile of water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Pile of water? What was I talking about? Sorry.

360 next, the dangers of cheerleading. Experts say the pressure to perform can lead to catastrophic injuries. We're going to introduce you to a former cheerleader who got hurt. She shares her story ahead.

We'll be right back.

Pile of...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: About 11 minutes to the hour, let's check in with Erica Hill for the latest on the headlines. Erica?

HILL: Hey, Anderson.

We start out with a developing story that broke less than an hour ago. John Bolton will have to wait some more to if he becomes the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. There will not be a final vote tonight because Republicans were unable to get enough support to end debate on Bolton's nomination. It's expected to continue next month when Senator's return from their Memorial Day holiday break.

Durham, North Carolina -- symbols of racial hatred. Three large crosses burned in separate spots around the city last night. Police say yellow flowers with Ku Klux Klan sayings were found at one location.

In Tennessee, lawmakers are allegedly breaking the law. Four lawmakers and three others were arrested and charged with taking bribes to influence legislation. One state senator was also charged with witness intimidation. They were arrested through a state and federal sting operation.

And if you've got plans to fly this summer, bring a book. The FAA says airlines plan to fly full loads over the summer months and they likely won't cancel flights. So, when bad weather strikes, maybe you get a pile of water on the runway, be patient and expect delays. Flight arrival delays by the way are already up this years. Normally, it's not a short wait. In the first quarter, the average delay approximately 52 minutes.

That's the latest -- Anderson.

COOPER: Did you say pile of water on the runway?

HILL: I did.

COOPER: I'm marking it all down.

HILL: I know. Payback's going to be bad. I know, I know.

COOPER: All right. Erica, thanks very much. See you in about 30 minutes.

Pile of water, I'm not going live that down.

Coming up next on 360, the dangers of cheerleading. I had no idea this was so dangerous. It is actually the leading cause of serious injury for high school and college female athletes of any sport. We're going to have the story of one woman's whose life changed forever after a toss in the air.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Cheerleading has become immensely popular in high schools and colleges. Competitions are broadcast on sports channels. I'm sure you've seen them. And the acrobatics have gotten more and more daring.

But rarely does anyone seem to talk about the dangers. Experts say cheerleading is related to more than half of all catastrophic injuries involving female athletes in high school and in college, more than half. CNN's Ed Lavandera talks with one woman tonight who was cheerleading star until an accident changed her life. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the moment Tracey Jensen stepped on the University of Nebraska campus, she knew cheering on the Huskers would be her passion.

TRACEY JENSEN, FORMER CHEERLEADER: I just thought it was amazing. I was impressed and blown away by these girls flying through the air.

LAVANDERA: She was living the dream her junior year, soaring and spinning in the air at football games. .

JENSEN: I got goose bumpts every time I walked on that field.

LAVANDERA: During a practice session near the end of the 1996 football season, Jensen launched into a difficult jump when something went wrong.

JENSEN: In the middle of the air it was like vertigo, I couldn't tell where I was. And when I hit the ground, I thought I just knocked the wind out of myself.

LAVANDERA: It was much worse.

JENSEN: I couldn't feel anything except for my face. There was no air. I wasn't breathing.

LAVANDERA: Friends kept her alive using CPR until the medics arrived.

JENSEN: Everything was going black. And I'm thinking, is this it?

LAVANDERA: Jensen had landed on her head and broke her neck in three places.

JENSEN: And I remember thinking, God if you want me take me now. And if you don't, leave me here. And when I opened my eyes, I was staring at the ceiling.

LAVANDERA: Jensen woke up a quadriplegic needing a ventilator to breathe. In that tragic instant, she became a statistic in a disturbing trend that's often overlooked.

(on camera): In the last 20 years, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research found that cheerleaders were involved in half of the serious injuries involving female high school athletes. Fast forward to college, and the number jumps to 65 percent.

(voice-over): Injuries range from torn ligaments to skull fractures and broken necks leaving many paralyzed. Experts say cheerleading should not be considered a cute after school activity.

DR. FRED MUELLER, UNIV. OF NORTH CAROLINA: And when you look at what's going on in cheer leading today, it is a gymnastic type activity. So, you need people who are qualified and you need to treat it as a sport. You need to have the -- all of the other requirements that are in place for other sports.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Let's lie down and do some of your neck and shoulder stretches.

LAVANDERA: Jensen's accident prompted the University of Nebraska to limit the stunts its cheerleaders could perform. Gone are the high-flying acrobatics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come up faster. That's it. Good. Knees up. Knees up. Heel to toe. Good. OK. Go, go, go, go! That's it. OK. Now, let it down slow.

JENSEN: I remember the feel of things. Just my body doesn't cooperate when I go to do them.

LAVANDERA: Tracey general once denied graft with ease. Today, she's relearning how to run and jump.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get a good, big big jump. There you go.

LAVANDERA: The last eight years have been filled with endless hours of physical therapy. But considering where Jensen has been, the fact she can do all of this is amazing. For her, though, it's not enough.

JENSEN: I want what I had. I want my life back. And I want my physical ability back. And I do have to remind myself sometimes how far I really have come.

LAVANDERA: A home aid helps Jensen get ready every morning. She's become more independent and is back in school. But life moves at a slower pace.

JENSEN: Showering, clothes, and hair and makeup probably take between two and two and-a-half hours.

LAVANDERA: She drives herself around town.

JENSEN: And it's zero effort steering wheel so it's very easy to turn.

LAVANDERA: And will never forget the first day she had the keys to this car, her symbol of liberation.

JENSEN: I got out on the open highway. I cranked my radio and I drove for miles. It was great!

LAVANDERA: Tracey Jensen will never leap into the air like she did as a cheerleader, but every step she takes these days makes her feel like she's flying again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. You're running, you're running!

LAVANDERA: Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Remarkable recovery.

We always want to hear from you. Log on to CNN.com/360 anytime day or night. Click on the instant feedback link. Send us an e-mail. Let us know what you think.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks very much for watching 360 this evening. CNN's prime-time coverage continues right now with Paula Zahn. Hey, Paula.

END

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