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Bush Talks With Brown; What's In The Bottle?; Bodies Found In Maryland; Brokerage Fees; Soccer Celebrations
Aired July 30, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris is off today. Stay informed all day in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown.
Disturbing new developments right now in the case of a woman accused of killing her infant. Police finding more bodies.
The Michael Vick dogfighting case. One co-defendant now pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with federal prosecutors.
Plus, the president and prime minister, sitting down today for serious talks.
It's Monday, July 30th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Just coming in now, the Associated Press reporting investigators have found the bodies of three children in Ocean City, Maryland. They were searching the home of a woman charged last week with killing her infant child. The ages of the children found today not known at this time. The information is very sketchy at this point. It is not known if the children are those of Christy Freeman, who you see here. She is the woman accused of killing her infant child. Freeman, charged with murder, is set to appear at a bail review hearing later on today.
And just last hour, a major development in the government's case against NFL star Michael Vick. A guilty plea from one of Vick's co- defendants in the dogfighting case. Tony Taylor struck a deal with the prosecutors and has agreed to cooperate fully. That mean he could become a star witness against Vick. Taylor is due to be sentenced in December.
Meanwhile, Vick supporters are rallying in his defense. They picketed outside the Georgia Dome yesterday, accusing the Falcons, the public and the media of rushing to judgment. This hour, that message will be repeated by the NAACP. Vick has entered a not guilty plea.
Another news crew and another chopper down, happening just a little while ago near Dallas. You see these pictures. Now the chopper checking rush-hour traffic made an emergency landing, skidding to a stop on its side. No serious injuries. Aboard, the pilot and two traffic reporters for Dallas news stations. The chopper apparently lost power in Grand Prairie. That's northwest of Dallas. The incident comes after Friday's deadly collision of two TV news helicopters in Phoenix.
Shoring up a key alliance. President Bush and new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown meeting face-to-face this morning at Camp David. CNN's Ed Henry is with us now from the White House.
Ed, tell us, how concerned is the White House that Gordon Brown will sort of chart his own course in Iraq?
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi.
They won't admit it publicly, but privately the White House is, of course, looking very carefully at the statements from Gordon Brown. That's why the president is trying to get a measure of him. Last night they dined alone at Camp David. They were supposed to have breakfast one-on-one as well this morning. Then they're going to have key aides like Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice join them for some follow-up discussions.
The point here is Mr. Bush is trying to get a measure of Gordon Brown. Some of the early signs have suggested maybe he wants more distance. He appointed a minister official of his government who basically said that the U.S. and Britain will no longer be joined at the hip. There have also been leaked media reports, denied by Brown's camp, that perhaps British troop pull-outs will accelerate now from Iraq. And so what the White House really wants to do is get a measure of Gordon Brown and find out whether or not he's going to as key an ally as Tony Blair was to this president.
Heidi.
COLLINS: Right. Well, what is President Bush hoping to gain out of these two days, anyway, of talking with Gordon Brown?
HENRY: Well, they'll talk other issues. They'll talk trade, Darfur, Iran. Obviously there are a lot of other hot spots all around the world. But the key is to try to figure out what kind of chemistry they'll have.
You'll remember back in February of 2001 when Mr. Bush first invited Tony Blair to Camp David, there were a lot of people predicting there's no way they're going to have a bond. That Tony Blair had been so close to the former Democratic President Bill Clinton and that there was just no way that George W. Bush was going to make the same sort of gains and have a strong relationship.
Of course, they immediately hit it off at Camp David, calling each other George and Tony at their first news conference. And so that's why a lot of people will be watching very closely in the next hour today to see whether or not that same chemistry is there when they have their first joint news conference.
Heidi.
COLLINS: We're going to be listening for them to say George and Gordon, I guess, this time around.
HENRY: Yes, that's right.
COLLINS: Ed Henry, thanks so much, live from the White House this morning. And just a reminder, the president and the prime minister speaking out this morning about their talks at Camp David. We've got live coverage for you coming up, 11:25 Eastern.
In Iraq today, violence overshadows celebrations. This scene Sunday, jubilant Iraqis pouring into the streets, their national soccer team won the Asian Cup. The gunfire meant to celebrate the victories proved deadly. Bullets killed four people and wounded 17 others.
In central Baghdad this morning, a bomb aboard a mini bus rips through a market. At least six people killed, 28 wounded.
Also this morning, the U.S. military announcing the deaths of three more American soldiers. They were killed while fighting in Anbar Province last week. That pushes the U.S. death toll in July to 72.
A man is dead, his three-year-old granddaughter sent to the hospital after police in Phoenix respond to reports of an exorcism. Arriving at the home, police say they broke into a bedroom and found the grandfather choking the little girl. Relatives say he was trying to expel demons. A police spokesman says the child's naked mother was in the room chanting something religious in nature.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. JOEL TRANTER, PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT: The adult male was applying pressure on the child's neck, squeezing the child's neck, as well as a tight body hold. The child was screaming, gasping, momentarily quite. I would suspect because not getting -- not being able to breathe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Police used stun guns to subdue the grandfather. He stopped breathing shortly after that and officers were not able to revive him. The little girl and her mother are hospitalized. The child is expected to recover from her physical injuries.
Going on right now, a hearing before the FDA about the safety of popular drug for diabetics. That drug, Avandia. It's used by 8 percent of adults with type ii diabetes. Several studies say it increases the risk of heart attack. A panel of outside experts is testifying. The federal agency is considering whether to remove the drug from stores or require warning labels. Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline says there is no increase in heart risk compared with other diabetes drugs. About 1 million Americans use the drugs.
Awake now, aren't you? Gas prices are down. The Lundberg national survey shows a drop of more than 17 cents over the past two weeks. The average cost for a gallon of self-serve regular, $2.88 a gallon. A bigger supply, increased imports and refinery repairs all getting the credit.
Wall of controversy. A border commission ordering homeowners to tear down their retaining wall in the name of national security.
The battle over O.J. Simpson's controversial book rages on. Today in court it's the Browns versus the Goldmans.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And the bottled water industry is absolutely exploded over the past decade. I mean, look at some of these fancier bottles like this one. $6 in the grocery store. Do you actually know what's in your favorite brand? I'm Rob Marciano. I'll have a live report coming up in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: And an uproar on the streets of Baghdad. All of Iraq's ethnic groups coming together for a common cause, celebrating their national soccer team's success.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We want to give you more information on this story that we are following out of Ocean City, Maryland. And it is not a good one. Investigators have found the bodies of three children near the home of a mother who was charged last week for killing her small infant. This information coming in to us from the Associated Press and from Ocean City police. Apparently at this time the age of the children is not known, but police did obtain a search warrant for Christy Freeman's home after interviewing her and determining that they needed to check out the home. That's when they found a small infant wrapped in a blanket inside Freeman's home.
This woman is now charged with three new charges, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter. She is going to have a bail review hearing a little bit later today. We will continue to follow that story for you. Once again, the latest coming to us out of Ocean City, Maryland.
Satisfying a thirst for truth. Pepsico opens the tap and reveals the source of its bottled water.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A fight over O.J. Simpson's tell-all book, "If I Did It," back in court today. Today Fred Goldman, the father of slain Ron Goldman, will ask a federal bankruptcy judge in Miami to finalize the deal that would give him rights to the book. Goldman once opposed the book's publication and it was scrapped after a wave of protests.
But now Goldman says he's changed his mind. His lawyer says Goldman wants to publish the book and is considering retitling it "Confessions of a Double Murderer." Goldman wants to use the profits to help pay down the $30 million wrongful death judgment Simpson owes him.
Lawyers for Nicole Brown Simpson's estate have asked the judge to block Goldman from getting the rights to the book. The Brown family says the book should not be published. But if it is, they want some of the proceeds to cover money Simpson owes them.
So what's in your bottled water? That seems to be the question these days. Whatever it is, it's better than just plain tap water, right? Well, not so fast. One popular brand now coming clean. Our Rob Marciano has the story from Douglasville, Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Don't let that scenic logo fool you. This water is not bottled from a mountain stream. Now PepsiCo plans to spell it out for consumers, adding the words "public water source" to the label of its Aquafina brand. And in case you didn't know, Aquafina is actually just purified tap water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That would make me never want to buy Aquafina again, knowing that it was bottled, public water. It was just tap water in a bottle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. No, that's just not cool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What am I paying for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.
MARCIANO: How does that make you feel?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like I've been bamboozled and hoodwinked all this time.
MARCIANO: In a statement on Friday, PepsiCo said, "if this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it's a reasonable thing to do." Coca-Cola's Dasani does the same thing, purifies and bottles public drinking water. One environmental group found at least 25 percent of bottled water is actually just tap water. Sometimes purified, sometimes not.
MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM, SAN FRANCISCO: We are now exposing an underbelly truth, that is a big percentage of bottled water in this country is tap water.
MARCIANO: San Francisco's mayor banned city workers from buying bottled water, citing environmental concerns and saving the city half a million dollars a year. And let's face it, it's expensive. Brands like Fiji can cost $8 a bottle or more at high-end hotels. Ironic that droughts have led to water shortages on the island that exports it.
In total, Americans snapped up $11 billion worth of bottled water last year. All in a country that has some of the cleanest public water in the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Rob Marciano is joining us now live from Douglasville, Georgia.
Rob, everybody kind of feeling duped, as you heard from the woman in your piece. But are cities actually moving anywhere near a ban because of environment concerns? MARCIANO: Well, you saw the mayor of San Francisco, he's banned public workers from buying bottled water using public funds. For one thing, he says that the water is just as good out of the tap. And certainly that's been the case. We've got the cleanest -- some of the cleanest water in the world.
But also environmentally speaking. I mean it takes gallons of oil, millions of gallons of oil to produce these bottles. Your pumping that CO2 in the atmosphere by transporting these bottles. And what we found is that less than 20 percent of these bottles actually get recycled. The rest end up in landfills and it takes hundreds of years for one of these things to decompose. But that's certainly a concern.
Whether or not it would be a country-wide ban, I doubt that's going to happen. It has become part of our culture, Heidi. It's very convenient, let's face it, to grab a cold bottle of water out of the frig and running out the door. But the water in the tap is just as good. And, by the way, the cascading mushroom behind me has some public water being dropped from it.
Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, I bet. So you don't really see people changing their habits or anything. I mean it's just going to probably continue no matter what's inside?
MARCIANO: Well, I mean, this was considered a luxury 10, 20 years ago. You know, it would seem a little bit wacky to consider even trying to selling bottled water 20 years ago. But here we are and you can imagine just how large the profit margins are, especially when you're tapping the public faucet.
COLLINS: Yes, my dad did a really good job of selling rocks door to door when he was a little boy. Maybe he should have considered selling water in bottles. I don't know.
Rob Marciano, thanks so much for that, from Douglasville, Georgia, this morning.
MARCIANO: OK.
COLLINS: Well, it is the government versus Michael Vick now. A major development this morning in the dogfighting case. Have prosecutors landed a star witness?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis. Stocks you down. Your nest egg may be shrinking. How not to lose more money to your stockbroker. "Top Tips" is next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We want to get back to this awful story coming out of Ocean City, Maryland, this morning. Our Brianna Keilar is in Washington right now with more on this situation.
Brianna, we don't know that much except that the bodies of three children have been found I believe inside a home there.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Heidi, now actually the number is four. This is what we're hearing from Ocean City police. They say they found on Thursday and Friday the bodies of four pre-term babies. So babies that appear to not be full term. Police say that they believe all of these babies are from the body of Christy Freeman.
She's the woman who was charged last week with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and manslaughter. Currently we believe that she is undergoing a bail review hearing. And those three charges that I just mentioned are actually related to the death of just one of those four infants that were found.
Police found the first infant Thursday night. Now police say this happened after Freeman went to the hospital complaining of cramping and bleeding. They say that when a doctor examined her, they found a placenta with an umbilical cord. And at that point social services and then police got involved. So they found this -- they went tho the house at that point, found the first baby, which was wrapped in a blanket in a bathroom. It appeared to be a recent death.
And then they recovered the second and third bodies in a trunk in Freeman's bedroom. This according to police. And then on Friday, they got a search warrant for a Winnebago on her property and that's where they found the fourth body there in that motor home.
Heidi.
COLLINS: Wow. Geez, as I'm sitting here listening to this, it's unbelievable and understanding that all this information is coming to us now.
Brianna, any idea whether or not police are familiar with Christy Freeman? Does she have some type of record?
KEILAR: Well, they are familiar with her, they tell me, but she doesn't have a record. The reason they're familiar with her is because she's actually the owner of a local taxi cab company in the Ocean City area and they say that by law taxi cab companies have to register with the police department. So they had had some contact with her. But in terms of any other charges, none of that.
Heidi.
COLLINS: Wow. Brianna Keilar for us out of our Washington bureau.
Brianna, thanks for that.
Also, we want to show you some sound that we got in here from our affiliate in Washington, D.C., WUSA. This is apparently some information about Christy Freeman from a neighbor. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS PHELAN, WOMAN'S NEIGHBOR: I'm sure you've seen a backhoe there. I mean it's been there for a couple days. And that's the first thing I heard as far as multiple, you know, remains out there in the yard. And that's all rumor, but that's what everybody's been hearing. And yes that's kind of -- I'm not comfortable with that across the street, you know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Wow. Once again, as we just heard from Brianna Keilar, who's working this story for us out of our Washington bureau, we are now learning that the bodies of four babies have been found in a home in Ocean City, Maryland. That sound coming in to us from a neighbor of the suspected woman, Christy Freeman, who has been charged with several charges now, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter. There will be a bail hearing a little bit later on today. We will continue to follow this awful story for you out of Ocean City, Maryland.
For now, though, we want to take a check of the numbers. The Dow Jones Industrial average is up 49 points right now, resting at 13,312 or so. Yesterday -- or pardon me, Friday, we may all want to forget it, down another 200 points, resting at 13,265. So wondering what's going to happen with Wall Street today. We're learning that trading is probably going to be pretty volatile, but expect it to open flat, as we see there. Not a humongous change. We'll continue to watch those business story for you.
Playing the stock market, as you well know, not being played by high brokerage fees. That can sometimes be a little bit tricky. Here to uncover some of the hidden costs now, CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis.
Gerri, good morning to you.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Heidi. Good to see you.
COLLINS: You too.
So how do we go about uncovering some of these fees?
WILLIS: Well, I've got to tell you, first off, putting your money in a brokerage account can be a very smart move, but you've got to know what you're paying for. Some brokers will charge inactivity fees if you don't make a certain number of trades every quarter. Other brokers charge transfer fees that may amount to $50 to $100.
Now almost all have accounts of some kind of account maintenance fee. And, of course, watch out for minimum equity requirement fees. Now, Heidi, none of these are illegal, but this is exactly what you're going to be paying if you open a brokerage account. And you should know.
COLLINS: Yes, you should know. You've got to watch these things very carefully.
What about knowing the terms? I mean sometimes it can be confusing.
WILLIS: That's true. You know, look, not all brokers are what they call investment advisors. And there's a very big difference. Investment advisers are legally obligated to act in the best interest of the consumer in all aspects of the business relationship. On the other hand, brokers are obligated to sell investments that are suitable to the consumer. Make sure you ask about what services you're getting and what fees and commission are involved.
Heidi.
COLLINS: Better check the credibility of the people that you're working with, too, right?
WILLIS: Yes. You know, you have to find out if your broker is licensed or registered before signing on the dotted line. Brokers are regulated by something called a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
COLLINS: Yikes.
WILLIS: That's a mouthful.
COLLINS: Yes.
WILLIS: They used to be called the NASD. And the good thing about them is you can find out specific complaints against a broker and how those complaints were resolved. Just log on to their web site finra.org and click on "broker check." And you can look for other designations too, which is a great idea when you're hiring a broker, like CFP, which stands for certified financial planner. Now this insures that the broker must abide by certain ethical standards.
COLLINS: OK. And I like this one the best, I think. It's probably the least reliable but I like it the best, go with your gut.
WILLIS: Well, you know, when it comes right down to it, you should understand, stock brokers are really salespeople. And if you feel they're pressuring you to buy a certain product, or maybe you just feel uncertain about the advice you're getting, hey, it may be time to shop around for somebody else. If you feel you've been wronged, you can file a complaint with the branch manager. You can also take it up with FINRA or the SEC, the Securities & Exchange Commission. And, of course, keep track of your corresponds, as always, through a written record like an e-mail.
And, Heidi, I have to say, we want to reach out to all your smart viewers. Send us an e-mail to toptips@cnn.com. And remember, we're looking not just for your financial questions, but also your financial bloopers. Everybody makes financial mistakes. Let's all learn from them. We want to hear about them. Send us an e-mail to toptips@cnn.com.
COLLINS: Yes, I'm sure you're getting inundated with those. I'm looking forward to hearing what everybody says.
WILLIS: It will be fun.
COLLINS: Yes, no question.
All right. CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis.
Gerri, thank you.
WILLIS: Thank you.
COLLINS: Good morning, everybody. Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM.
The alliance between the United States and Great Britain, one of the world's oldest and strongest. Right now President Bush and Britain's new prime minister are meeting at Camp David. Gordon Brown arrived Sunday for two days of talks. It's his first visit to the United States since taking office just over a month ago. Among the key issue as the two men sat down together, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear threat, the fight against terror, and genocide in Sudan's Darfur region.
The president and the prime minister speaking out this morning about their talk at Camp David. We've got live coverage, 11:25 Eastern.
Just last hour, a major development in the government's case against NFL star Michael Vick. A guilty plea from one of Vick's co- defendants in the dogfighting case. Tony Taylor struck a deal with prosecutors and has agreed to cooperate fully. That means he could become a star witness against Vick. Taylor is due to be sentenced in December.
Meanwhile, Vick supporters are rallying in his defense. They picketed outside the Georgia Dome yesterday, accusing the Falcons, the public and the media of rushing to judgment. This hour, that message will be repeated by the NAACP. Vick has entered a not guilty plea.
Celebrations on the streets of Iraq. People reveling in the success of Iraq's national soccer team winning the Asian Cup championship. A victory for Iraqi unity. CNN's Arwa Damon has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The images speak for themselves. This the scene at Fave Justice (ph), a U.S. military base where Iraqi employees and American soldiers shared a momentous moment.
ANITA, IRAQI INTERPRETER: This is our victory. This is our life now. It's going to start again.
DAMON: Anita and her fellow Iraqis here all fear for their lives. Working with the American can be a death sentence. A missed goal, an uproar, the Americans just as into the match as the Iraqis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got my Iraqi flag, I got numbers.
DAMON: It was a win Iraq could not have wanted more.
ANITA: It means we're together again. Nobody can beat us. Nobody can thwart us. Nobody can kill us again.
DAMON: The U.S. military took us into the streets of Khadmiya (ph), where it felt much more like a Mardi Gras celebration than a war zone.
(on camera): It's absolutely electrifies. I have no idea what just happened, but everybody is out having a good time.
(voice-over): The elation -- utterly palpable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very happy today, because my Iraq has victory in Asia (ph)!
DAMON: Some Iraqis in strange costumes. Others grabbing anything just to make more noise. Uninhibited jubilation. And some bizarre sights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am woman. I am very happy woman.
DAMON: Euphoria everyone wishes Iraq could have forever.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Wall of controversy -- a border commission ordering homeowners to tear down their retaining walls in the name of national security.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We want to taking directly to a press conference here. You are looking at Atlanta's NAACP president, Dr. R.L. White discussing issues surrounding Michael Vick.
Let's listen in for a moment.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
R.L. WHITE, ATLANTA NAACP PRES.: .... legal process to take its course. Many of you remember, it has not been long that the Duke lacrosse team was seriously damaged by allegations. They were tried by public opinion, only to be cleared after all of the public scorn.
If Mr. Vick is guilty, he should pay for his crimes, but to treat him as he's become treated now is also a crime. He has not lost his rights as a citizen in this country to be considered innocent until proven guilty. For 98 years, the NAACP has been on guard for the civil rights of those whose rights have been trampled and/or disregarded. And today we've called this meeting to say to everybody who is involved to please be restrained in your premature judgment until the legal process has been completed.
There are other state representatives who will be here shortly, but this is essentially what we've called to say, and we will ask for questions now, if you have any.
COLLINS: Once again, this is Atlanta's NAACP president, Dr. R.L. White, making some comments there regarding the Michael Vick case, just asking everyone to remember he has not been to a court of law on this. He has pled not guilty, and trying to get everyone to reserve their judgment on the case and on Michael Vick until he goes through the court process.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(NEWSBREAK)
COLLINS: Picture this -- one man's unique solution to stopping speeders, with the help of some neighborhood kids.
The finish of the Tour De France. a Spaniard raises the championship trophy for a tour surrounded by scandal again.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
COLLINS: For the first time since 1998, an American rider did not win the Tour De France. Spain's Alberto Contador took the title, in what may be the last gasp for the venerable cycling championship.
CNN's Jim Bittermann has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like every race for more than a century, the Tour De France has a yellow jersey for its winner. But this year the tour itself was a big loser. Rarely, if ever, has the race been so tarnished by doping scandals, and the violation of rules meant to stop the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
HANS-MICHAEL-HOLCZER, TEAM GEROLSTEINER: It's very, very hard. It's very hard for cycling. It's very hard for the Tour De France, but I think it's not a disaster.
BITTERMANN: Perhaps, but whole teams were pulled from this year's race. Sponsorship and TV rights deals are at risk, and tour officials vow next year the tour will be drug-free. For those who are passionate about the sport, the doping has completely devalued the race.
Cycling expert Stand Abt has followed a quarter of the Tour De France races.
SAM ABT, CYCLING WRITER: As it stands now, I mean I hate to say this, but as it stands now, you really can't believe any result. BITTERMANN (on camera): Reporter: Where do you think we go from here?
ABT: Downhill, absolutely downhill.
BITTERMANN (voice-over): But for others, who cling to the hope the tour and cycling will clean up its act, the scandals this year seemed a painful, if necessary, step toward eliminating the cheating.
DR. GERARD GUILLAUME, TEAM FRANCAISE DES JEUX (through translator): Two years big names are caught. It means the tests are much better. It will be harder for people to escape. It is the eternal race between the cops and robbers.
BITTERMANN: This year's winner, like last year's, has not escaped doping suspicion. In the final days it was reported he was on a list found in a doctor implicated in a doping scandal in Spain.
Contador denied any involvement. The International Cycling Union cleared him, and he passed his medical tests during the tour, but the race has miles to go before it gets a clean bill of health.
(on camera): Long after that final lap down the Champs-Elysees, the question will remain whether this year's scandals mark the beginning of a real cleanup or the end of the race's integrity.
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Green waves of Mary Jane? Millions of dollars worth of marijuana. Police on patrol finding a treasure trove of pot farms.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You already know to catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 a.m. until noon Eastern, but did you know that's not all? You can take us anywhere you go on your iPod. The CNN NEWSROOM podcast available 24/7 right on your iPod.
Border-wall controversy -- homeowners accused of compromising security along the U.S./Canadian border.
CNN's Kara Finnstrom has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHIRLEY LEU, HOMEOWNER: Do you not have a legal right to defend your own property? .
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Shirley Ann and Herbert Leu had no idea building this concrete retaining wall at the end of their yard would set off an international incident.
LEU: We would lose all of our property and all of our dirt down into this ditch if we didn't have something holding it back. FINNSTROM: A joint U.S.-Canadian agency the Leus have never heard of ordered them to tear down their wall in the name of national security.
ELLIOT FELDMAN, ATTORNEY FOR INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY COMMISSION: The construction here creates a very dangerous precedent.
FINNSTROM: Elliot Feldman represents the International Boundary Commission, or IBC. Its job, to maintain the border and keep a 10- foot space on each side for patrols and surveillance cameras like the one on the Leus' block.
The Leus, who spent $15,000 on their wall, are suing to keep it, something the commission isn't used to dealing with.
FELDMAN: This is the first time in 100 years that anyone in the United States has challenged the authority of the commission.
FINNSTROM: An attorney for the Leus says that the commission doesn't have jurisdiction over property rights on the U.S. side of the border.
BRIAN HODGES, PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION: There's a Canadian law that allows the International boundary Commission to regulate property on the Canadian side of the border, but there's no similar law in the United States.
FINNSTROM: The Leus point to the fact that the clearance zone is inconsistent.
LEU: There's no clearance. There's no 20-foot clearance all the way up and down the border. It's got trees and bushes. Anybody can hide in those bushes.
FINNSTROM: A case in point -- neighbors say drug smugglers have been caught in their yards.
(on camera): Because you are living on the border, was there anything said to you when you bought your house?
LEU: No. No. I figured, OK, I've got the best of two countries.
FINNSTROM: Reporter: A room with a view of two countries, just may come with unexpected costs.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: He's not Tony Blair. The new British prime minister sitting down with President Bush. The White House wondering what message Gordon Brown will deliver.
Inside Iraq -- is Washington's new strategy making progress? One prominent critic says, yes. He'll tell you why. Relief for drivers. Gas prices taking a smaller bite out of your budget.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Putting the brakes on speeders. One man taking matters into his own hands with a picture-perfect idea. We get more from Brittany Morehouse of affiliate WKYC in West Salem, Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRITTANY MOREHOUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cars whiz by houses on Main Street.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they fly by 55, 60.
MOREHOUSE: Reporter: Until drivers see these smiling faces.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it slows them down.
MOREHOUSE: Then they call up Mike Wood yelling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At first they're mad, because they think why are these people leaving their kids out by the road.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then they're like, oh, those aren't real kids, and then it's funny.
MOREHOUSE: They're so realistic that Woods got a good laugh out of his first poster, which he placed in his neighbor's yard.
LAURA KELLING, NEIGHBOR: We called him and I said I you better come check on Katie. And he was like, why honey, I said, she's just standing out here. I think she's standing out here sleeping.
MOREHOUSE: The signs are made from real pictures, so you can change the expression from serious to friendly in just one flash.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We use a high-resolution printer. We use outdoor vinyl and outdoor ink so that they can be put out in the weather without a problem.
MOREHOUSE (voice-over): Woods now turned his idea into a business, and, boy, is it booming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's already been posted on some law enforcement sites around the country, and they're already calling and wanting to know they can get one like that.
MOREHOUSE: But he doesn't really care about the money; he just wants to make streets safer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it can help save some kids or protect some kinds that's one of the best things for me.
MOREHOUSE: Well, he won't have to worry about these vehicles, but my photographer asks...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is he getting overtime?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so.
MOREHOUSE: In West Salem, Brittany Morehouse, Channel 3 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: You're with CNN. I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris has the day off today.
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