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CNN Live Saturday
Search Continues in Florida; "Choose to Host, Lost the Most" Campaign to Prevent Teen Drinking; IMF and World Bank Protests, Smaller Scale, Same Message; Misleading Pharmacuetical Ads Yanked by FDA; Picking the Pope in Rome; "Conde Nast" Hot List
Aired April 16, 2005 - 12:00 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.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: It is 12:00 p.m. in the East coast, 9:00 a.m. in the West. Good afternoon, I'm Zain Verjee at CNN's Global Headquarters.
Ahead this hour, the search continues for a missing Florida teenager. Volunteers will fan out across a state park looking for any sign of the 13-year-old girl.
Also, finding ways to fight the problem of teen drinking: One state looks at making parents more responsible for what happens at teenager's parties.
And where are the best places to go when you head out on holiday? We're going to take a look at some of America's hottest hotels.
But first, a look at the top stories in the news, right now.
The FDA doesn't want you to believe what you see on some TV commercials. The agency says advertisements for the allergy drug Zyrtec and the impotence pill Levitra are misleading. The Food and Drug Administration has sent letters to drug makers, Pfizer and Bayer AG telling them to stop the ads immediately.
Preparing for protesters: This is a live picture outside the International Monetary Fund building in Washington D.C. A number of people have gathered outside. Police in Washington are readying for demonstrations as the IMF and World Bank hold their spring meetings. An anti-globalization demonstrations is being planned for this hour in downtown Washington. Protestors want G-7 ministers to relieve the debts of developing nations.
The Vatican is making final preparations to select the next pope as the official mourning period ends for Pope John Paul II. The College of Cardinals, the men who will choose the next pope, met earlier today. The cardinal's staffers will also take an oath of secrecy, today. The cardinal's conclave begins on Monday.
We begin with a story that is unfortunately familiar: Another weekend search for another missing girl in Florida. Volunteers and authorities are looking for clues in the disappearance of Sarah Michelle Lunde. That search has now led them to an area park. CNN's Sara Dorsey joins us now live from Ruskin, Florida -- Sara.
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Zain, there's a $10,000 reward out for any information leading to the whereabouts of 13-year- old Sarah Lunde. Sarah went missing, technically reported on Monday, but the last time anyone saw her, her brother saw her late Saturday evening. After that, she just seemed to have disappeared.
Right now, police are saying they don't have a whole lot of leads and that is why searchers are so critical right now. There are 200 volunteer searchers out combing the wooded areas, the areas in the park that you mentioned. They're looking for any signs of this little girl at all. There are also 100 law enforcement agents joining them in that task. We are told they are searching on foot, on ATVs. There are helicopters up in the air looking for this little girl. They have search dogs out, people are on horseback looking, and there have also been divers out in area -- bodies of water, looking for anything that could possibly give investigators a clue as to where this little girl went. They are telling us at this point, though, that the tips are not coming in as quickly as expected. They had about 75, as of yesterday.
Now, the good news is the United States postal service is now getting involved. They will distribute 42,000 fliers in nine different zip codes in this immediate area, trying to trigger someone's memory with a picture of Sarah and also critical information about her, hoping that someone will step forward with that information that could possibly help authorities bring this little girl home today -- Zain.
VERJEE: So what can you tell us about the man in custody?
DORSEY: Well, there is a gentleman in custody not for this crime, we need to say, he is in custody for charges unrelated to this, and authorities have just been talking to him about this. He is 36- year-old David Onslott (SIC), and why he is at all significant he used to have a relationship, an on again/off again relationship, is how it's been described to us, with Sarah Lunde's mother. He is a convicted sex offender. He was in jail, actually charged in 1995 rather with sexual battery on a female acquaintance. He spent six years in jail and had a couple years on probation. That Saturday night into early Sunday morning, the last time Sarah was seen, he had actually stopped by the Lunde house asking for the mother, according to Sarah's brother. He spoke to David Alstott (SIC), and that's it. But authorities had decided to question him on this. They're telling us that he is cooperating. He is not, right now, a suspect or a person of interest, just merely one of the people that they're speaking to about this case.
VERJEE: Sarah Dorsey reporting.
A husband admits to brutally killing his wife last July. Mark Hacking pleaded guilty yesterday to killing his wife Lori. His admission came days before his trial was to begin. Police believe his motive was Lori Hacking finding out that he had not been accepted into medical school. Hacking will be sentenced in June and could face six years to life in prison.
Violence caught on tape inside a Detroit television station. A man shot a former employee visiting WDIV, yesterday. As you can see, here from these pictures, the suspect was standing inside the station's doors when the victim was shot. The suspected gunman fled, but was later caught. Authorities say the suspect had previously assaulted other workers at the station. Police are expected to file charges against the suspect, today. Meanwhile, the victim is in critical, but stable condition. He faces more surgery today.
Michael Jackson's trial molestation -- child molestation trial ended the week with high drama in Santa Maria, California. The singer's lead attorney grilled the mother of Jackson's accuser under cross-examination. He wants to show that she's a con artist. The boy's mother testified that she lied under oath in a previous lawsuit against JC Penney's department stores. The trial continues next week.
The government has spent billions of dollars working to improve U.S. airport security since the September 11 attacks. But after nearly four years of trying, are things really better? New reports evaluating the performance of TSA baggage screeners paint, what some consider, a shocking picture. CNN's Homeland Security analyst and former Homeland Security Department inspector general, Clark Kent Irvin, joins us now to talk specifics.
Thanks so much for joining us.
CLARK KENT IRVIN, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY ANALYST: Thank you.
VERJEE: Earlier this year, the acting inspector general, Richard Skinner, had this to say when he testified to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, "The ability of TSA screeners to stop prohibited items from being carried through sterile areas of the airports fared no better than the performance of screeners prior to September the 11th."
What's your assessment here? Are screeners at airports performing poorly?
IRVIN: The results of tests that the Office of Inspector General conducted in '03 and tests conducted by the government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, showed there was no measurable improvement since '01. And if the news reports are correct, the reports that will be released by both those bodies this week will show there's been no improvement since '03. So clear...
VERJEE: Billions of dollars have gone into this, though. Why no improvement? Why not the kind of progress that we'd like to see?
IRVIN: When my office did this round of testing two years ago, we made a number of recommendations, basically, more training, more equipment and technology, and better supervision. If, in fact, the reports show what we think they show, it appears as though those recommendations were not fully embraced and implemented.
VERJEE: Is it really more about the equipment and the technology, or is it just about the people? And that was essentially what some would argue was the original problem.
An organization was made to grow very, very fast, thousands of people were hired, some not with the right background or right qualification, and that really was the root cause, and you get what you hire.
IRVIN: It's really a multi-faceted issue, and each of these elements is important. Part of it, as I say, is training issue. The screeners need to be better trained, they need to be continually trained.
VERJEE: Why weren't they trained? Why? Isn't that the first and most obvious step?
IRVIN: It's very obvious, indeed, and I'm at a loss to explain why there hasn't been more and better training on a consistent basis at airports around the country? It's absolutely critical; it's an elementary thing, as you say. But also, as you also suggest, equipment and technology is part of it as well. There is equipment and technology, back scatter, for example, multi-image, x-ray machines, other systems that are available and need to be deployed at airport throughout the country to help the human process better detect these deadly weapons. And then finally, there should be better supervision so that whenever a supervisor notices a screener performing poorly, that supervisor works very intensively with that screener to make sure that it improves performance.
VERJEE: Right, should there also, do you think, be better supervision at the head of the TSA? Is part of the problem the leadership of the TSA? I mean, there have been so many heads over the past year or so. There's no continuity. People bring in their own guys, and that is part of the problem, and it shouldn't be, should it?
IRVIN: That's right, there's been lots of turnover at the very top of the TSA, recent announcement that the current leader will be leaving soon, in June, I believe. And clearly, the more turnover there is at top, the more turmoil there is in the agency. And indeed, to his credit, I think, the secretary is taking a top to bottom review of the whole of the department, including TSA, and so it's really unclear what the future of that agency will be. But attention must be paid urgently to this whole business of airport aviation security. We've spent more money, as you noted, in this area than any other. And, obviously, vulnerabilities remain.
VERJEE: The screeners have, though, in their defense, apparently been much more aggressive in seizing items, for example, each month they take about half a million things from passengers. 160,000 knives, 2,000 box cutters, 70 guns. Is there something there in their defense, but am I safer?
IRVIN: Well, I do think it's fair to say, and it's important to note this, that generally speaking, we are safer at least in this regard. Cockpits are hardened, some pilots are trained, the number of air marshals have been significantly increased, and for all the problems, generally speaking, screeners are better trained and they certainly have been detecting a lot of deadly weapons. On the other hand, when these government tests, these undercover tests have been conducted, three times now: '01 '03, and apparently in '05, next week, we'll find the performance of screeners has essentially not improved. So, more needs to be done, and it's an urgent matter of national security.
VERJEE: Clark Kent Ervin, a former inspector general of Homeland Security also a CNN analyst, joining us from Washington. Thank you.
IRVIN: Thank you, Zain.
VERJEE: The legal battle that lasted decades: And now speculation about the abuse in the Michael and Terri Schiavo marriage is put to rest. Straight ahead, what Florida officials found.
And kids and alcohol: We're going to take a look at a new law that holds parents responsible for underage drinking in their homes. Even if they say they didn't know it was happening.
And later, our Jeanne Moos will take a look and a smell of candles that are made to smell like Jesus. This is CNN Saturday.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, I'm Rob Marciano at CNN Weather Center. It's time to look at your allergy outlook or forecast. The red in the South indicating, well, it's very high. This is the time of year where the trees begin to blossom and the pollen actually looks like it's snowing out of the sky. Rain helps knock that down. No rain in the forecast, really, for the next several days across the Southeast, so we do expect it to be high to very high in these spots and also across parts of the Utah, very high allergy conditions expected.
We hope you're feeling well today and enjoy your weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: In "News Across America," today, two government investigations into security at U.S. airports are due out soon, but the chairman of the House Aviation subcommittee, who's seen the findings, says they are shocking. Congressman John Micah says, despite spending billions of dollars to improve the security screening system, it's no better now than it was before the September 11 attacks.
A state agency in Florida concludes that Terri Schiavo's husband did not abuse his late wife. An investigation was launched after Schiavo's parents claimed Michael Schiavo beat their daughter and tried to starve her. State investigators say there's absolutely no evidence to support those claims.
The Education Department is guilty of exercising poor judgment when it hired conservative talk show host Armstrong Williams to promote President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" plan. That's the conclusion of a report by the department's own inspector general. But the report also says that the agency did not violate any laws or regulations in hiring Armstrong.
And in Hawaii, this exotic creature is known as a wholphin. It's a cross between a whale and a dolphin. The animal belongs to the Sea Life Park in Honolulu. She is the only known whale whale-dolphin hybrid in captivity. In December she gave birth to a calf. He's accused of killing four people in a shooting rampage that terrorized an Atlanta courtroom and shocked a city. More than a month after the alleged attack, suspected killer Brian Nichols returned to the same courthouse where it all began, but under very different circumstances. David Mattingly reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any questions about that?
BRIAN NICHOLS, SUSPECTED MURDERER: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Thank you, sir.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One month and four days since the Atlanta rampage that left a judge, a court reporter, and two law officers dead, suspected killer Brian Nichols returned to the very courthouse where the violent spree began. His ankles bound by a chain, but wearing no handcuffs, Nichols appeared subdued, talking softly with his attorneys, only occasionally looking around the room.
JOHN MOORE, NICHOLS' DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And the question, I think, is going to be whether these jurors are going to be able to be fair.
MATTINGLY: Before the court, requests by the defense to be involved in the selection of a grand jury. These proceedings are so preliminary it is still not known when Nichols will be officially charged in the murders. Afterward, his mother told reporters of her unconditional support.
CLARITHA NICHOLS, DEFENDANT'S MOTHER: Any mother would be concerned about her son in a situation like this.
MATTINGLY: The mayhem of March 11 brought tragedy into the lives of thousands and plunged a city into chaos. On Monday, Fulton County sheriff, Myron Freeman, named a task force to investigate what went wrong with courthouse security, why warning signs were ignored, how one man could so effectively exploit possible weaknesses, do so much harm, and get away so easily. The task force follows a partially sealed internal report by the sheriff that reportedly contained no conclusions or recommendations.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, Deputy Cynthia Hall walked out of an Atlanta brain injury center with months of recovery still ahead of her. Police say Nichols attacked Hall and took her gun as she attempted to escort him to the courtroom. Hall has no memory of the attack and for a time was partially blind and unable to walk.
DR. GERALD BILSKY, CYNTHIA HALL'S DOCTOR: She could not see at all out of her right eye. She had some weakness more on the left side than she demonstrated today. She needed assistance in getting out of bed, assistance with how to do basic skills.
MATTINGLY: Nichols' high-profile hostage, however, has remained out of the spotlight. After accepting a $72,500 reward for turning Nichols in, a spokeswoman for Ashley Smith says the single mother is "spending a lot of time in prayer and reflection while also trying to have light-hearted moments with close friends and family."
David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: We are standing by for a press conference that's going to be held at about 12:30, in Ruskin Florida. It's about the missing 13-year-old girl, Sarah Michelle Lunde. We're going to bring it to you live as soon as it happens. Stand by for more news. We're going to be back after a short break. This is CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Welcome back to CNN. We are following a story out of Ruskin in Florida about a 13-year-old girl who has been missing. A press conference is scheduled to be held in about 10 minutes or so. We're going to bring it to you live when it happens. Stay with CNN.
A family feud over vacation photos and an abusive relationship help us focus on a question of ethics, today. Here to sort it all out is our syndicated columnist, Bruce Weinstein. He is the author of "Life Principles: Feeling Food by Doing Good." (SIC)
Nice to see you, Bruce, question No. 1 is from someone who is trying to get some family slides that were taken during a family vacation in 1957. He says this:
"My cousin asked my mother if he could let his daughter show the slides to her elementary school class. He took them and never returned them. Before my mother died, she reminded me that he had the slides, but he refuses to return them to me. We don't have a good relationship at all. These slides are very important to me, and I want them back. What should I do?"
BRUCE WEINSTEIN, AUTHOR: Zain, making good decisions begins with getting the facts. So I would wonder why the writer of the question has such a poor relationship with his or her cousin, and perhaps the writer has done something in the past for which he or she should apologize. So, that might be one way of solving the matter, simply saying I'm sorry. But, I also wonder if the cousin's daughter might play a pivotal role here since she seems to be the conduit. And if it's possible to get duplicate slides made so that the cousin and the writer of the question can end up with slides, that would be a win-win situation, and everyone would be better off. I mean, in the age of digital photography, it's quite easy to do this. That seems to be the best way before one engages an attorney or goes, you know, to the justice system to address the wrong.
VERJEE: Martha from Cleveland in Ohio, writes this, Bruce: "I am 28 and the youngest of four children. My mother is struggling to take the initial step to leave a 35-year abusive/controlling marriage. We're very close, and I've been trying to plan for her exit from the bad relationship. She has promised many times to leave him, but I find her making more excuses lately. Should I continue to push or leave it all to her?"
WEINSTEIN: Zain, Marta, who wrote the question, is a caring and compassionate daughter, but she cannot write her mother's script for her. Now, the ethical conflict in this case, it seems to me, is between respecting her mother's autonomy on the one hand, that is, her right to make a decision for herself, and the daughter's obligation to protect her mother from harm on the other. But we believe, in this society, at least, that adults with decision making capability have the right, the legal and moral right to make decisions for themselves, so ultimately, it is up to her mother to decide what's best for her.
Now, it is possible to get law enforcement involved if there is an imminent threat of harm or if a harm -- a serious harm has occurred. But short of that, it might be helpful for Marta's mother to listen to, perhaps, a counselor of domestic violence or to join a support group for abused women to hear other women's stories and to get solace and help from them. Ultimately, though, it is up to Marta's mother to make the decision.
VERJEE: Bruce Weinstein, thank you so much. Good to see you.
WEINSTEIN Thank you, Zain.
If you have a question of ethics that you're struggling with, e- mail your dilemma to ethics@CNN.com. We are standing by for a press conference at Ruskin in Florida. We're going to bring it to you live when it happens. This is the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department. The press conference should start in about five minutes or so. We hope to learn more details about a missing 13-year-old girl in Ruskin, Florida, Sarah Michelle Lunde. We'll bring it to you here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Topping the news, a press conference is expected to begin at any moment. We're wait to go hear from sheriff's deputies in Ruskin, Florida, where the search for Sarah Michelle Lunde is in its seventh day. CNN will take you there live as soon as it happens.
Pakistani authorities say they have opposition leader Asif Ali Zardari in protective custody at his home in Pakistan. Witnesses say government security forces stormed Zadari's plane as it arrived at the airport earlier today. Journalists onboard say troops took their cameras and beat them. The government calls it a "misunderstanding."
Tens of thousands of Chinese protestors massed in the streets of major cities today. Their anger is directed at Japan over new text -- history text book. You see here the throngs in Shanghai. They're demonstrating against a new history book they say downplays Japan's aggression in World War II and fails to admit Japanese atrocities.
The final mass is said and the nine-day papal mourning period draws to a close. Catholic cardinals are now preparing for Monday's secret conclave and the selection of a new pope. 115 cardinals are gathering at the Casa Santa Mata (ph) Hotel where they'll be housed during the selection process. With rising energy prices and the plunging U.S. stock market on their minds, the world's financial leaders are meeting this morning in Washington. They're expected to explore ways to defend the global economy against future climbs in gasoline and oil prices. So far, they say the effect is minimal. However, as one official explained, it's a drag.
As they usually are, protestors are on hand for the International Monetary Fund meeting this weekend, and they have their own agenda. CNN's economic correspondent Kathleen Hays is there. She joins us now. Kathleen.
KATHLEEN HAYS, CNN ECONOMIC CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Zain.
Yes, here I am in the midst of it. We're across the street from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank where their annual meetings are being held. We're here with probably 200 or so protestors trying to hold the feet to the fire. There really aren't the crowds that we used to see. Five years ago there were thousands of protestors.
That doesn't mean they're not serious about their cause. Behind me, a young poet rapper who was just referring to Paul Wolfowitz, Assistant Secretary of Defense, who has been made the Head of the World Bank. They're here to protest that. They think he helped to foment war, and he will not be good for the world's poor. More broadly, they're continuing to press the same things they've been pressing for years: The IMF should open its meetings...
VERJEE: Kathleen, we're going to have to stop you right there and go to Ruskin in Florida, where a news conference is under way about a 13-year-old missing girl, Sarah Michelle Lunde.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...will be the confirmed speaker, CNN.
VERJEE: OK. It seems as though the press conference is not -- hasn't started yet. So, we have a two-minute warning. We'll bring it to you live when it happens. Let's go back live to Washington and to Kathleen Hays. Kathleen?
HAYS: Hi, Zain.
Well, of course, a lot going on today, even if it is a Saturday. I was just saying that one of the big causes for this group is that the world's wealthiest nations -- you were just referring to the G7 -- that they should forgive the debt, that billions of dollars of debt are owed, and instead of putting money into health care, infrastructure, education, these poor countries are paying it back in terms of interest, money that could be better spent. We spoke to Tia Sweat (ph) a little bit earlier. She's with Mobilization for Global Justice, the group that put this together. Here's what she said about what the G7 is pushing in terms of debt relief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIA SWEAT, MOBILIZATION FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE: It's not a perfect proposal, but the fact that they're even considering that language, they wouldn't have been five years ago. We are making progress, and we have to keep that going. Also, the world's social forum this year was the biggest that it's been yet, and that's a really exciting thing. We're here to show that everyone around the world, in the United States, in Brazil, in South Africa, we're all together on this issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAYS: And, of course, it's really the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, the chancellor --
VERJEE: OK. OK, Kathleen, thank you very much for your report, and we want to take you know, live, to Ruskin in Florida for a news conference that's underway.
SHERIFF DAVID GEE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY: ...just to let your outlets know, that stems from the discovery shortly after the 10:00 briefing, actually, during the 10:00 briefing this morning, searchers just south of here discovered the body of a caucasian. I cannot tell you any more about it than that right now, other than a body was found approximately one-half mile south of our missing child's residence. It is in an abandoned fish farm. The body is partially submerged, apparently had been submerged until the day it was found by a search- and-rescue dog. We are actively working that scene right now.
There's not a lot of information I have for you. We'll speak later today as we are -- I can tell you this scene that we'll be working, it's going to be an all day, into the night, maybe into tomorrow, but hopefully have some more information later today. That's really all the information I have right now.
QUESTION: Have you seen the body?
GEE: Yes. I cannot tell you if it is a female or not because it is partially submerged, other than to say it is a human body, and no other comment on it at this time.
QUESTION: Did you contact the family?
GEE: Yes. Earlier this morning, right after our briefing, I did notify her family, her mother personally, and told her of what we had found. And, of course, we need now to make a positive identification. Certainly, I don't think there's that much coincidence, that we would have something that close, but cannot say that with any degree of certainty at this point.
QUESTION: What's happened with the search right now?
GEE: The teams that are still out there, we're having them finish their grids. Not going to put any other teams out today, right now. I'm going to suspend those. Right now, until we can find out exactly what we do have down there, and we'll make a decision on that later today, and we'll notify you.
QUESTION: I know that you've been very passionate about Sarah Lunde. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
GEE: Well, you know, it is very tough for all the people involved right now, and, of course, we still don't know, you know, if this is Sarah. There's no way for us to know it until we have some forensic examination assistance from the medical examiner, and so I'll, I'll -- you know, until I know a little more, I think all of us are just kind of standing by right now.
QUESTION: How did Sarah's family take the news? Who's there with her mother? Do you know?
GEE: She has family around her and some friends. It's a very difficult time. They're obviously very upset. They're worried, obviously, at this news. Of course, I cannot tell the mother anything conclusively at this time because I don't know. Maybe after we recover the body, we will be able to tell her more.
QUESTION: David Onstott is in custody right now. Are you going to charge him if this is the body of Sarah Lunde?
GEE: Same position I've taken earlier on him. We continue to investigate that lead, and I will leave it at that. Obviously, I'm going to -- we're going to -- if this is her and it is what we think it is, then certainly it is our intention to charge whoever's responsible.
QUESTION: It was a dog that found this, not coming from a confession or anything like that. Is that clear?
GEE: It was found in a search with one of the search and rescue teams. It was in an area that had been searched previously. Again, as I told you, we, throughout this thing, we were always concerned -- and a lot of this from our experts, from Team Adam who came down -- we were really looking at the probabilities of detection, and we really were looking at that three-quarter mile area, as I told you yesterday. Every day we had higher and higher confidence that we were excluding that area. We did, just like I told you, we were going to search from the river north this morning. That's what we did. And it was actually found by one of our search and rescue teams from another county that we had brought in, found it, and thank them.
QUESTION: What was the condition of the body?
GEE: I don't want to comment on the condition of the body right now. I want to have the medical examiner take a look at it before I start commenting about specifics. I'll have some more information. Anyone? I'll take one more question? Anything else?
QUESTION: Sheriff, any clothing on the body? You can't talk about that?
GEE: Not going to comment on that right now. Hopefully, be able to give you more details. It's very difficult at this point.
QUESTION: Will we have another briefing later? GEE: No, I'll come out when I have more information, may be 5:15, it may be later than 5:15. It's no point until we can remove the body, have the medical examiner come out, and I can tell you something. Otherwise, I'm not telling you anything new. OK? thank you.
QUESTION: You'll come back?
GEE: I will. Any development like that, I would certainly tell you that, and right now, I don't know either way. I'll just tell you that the probability and the fact that she was found in such close proximate location to her home is certainly very alarming. Thank you.
VERJEE: Sheriff David Gee at the Hillsborough County Police Department in Florida holding a press conference there, really saying that a body has been discovered, of a caucasian. It's been found about a half mile south of the missing child's residence; 13-year-old Sarah Michelle Lunde has been missing since Saturday evening.
Joining us now is Sara Dorsey. Sara, what were the other points that the sheriff said in that press conference?
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he said that a body has been found. They are not telling us a lot of details at this point as to whether it is a female, an age and condition of the body, any clothing that the person may have been found. Sara disappeared with a half cast, a green cast, on her arm. They're not giving us any details about that. As you said, the body was found a half mile south of where Sarah Lunde disappeared from, from her home. It was partially submerged in an old fish farm.
This was an area, according to the sheriff, that has been searched before. But they went back over that area again. They are honing in, according to some experts that were here on search patterns. They went back over that area. And according to the sheriff in this press conference, it was a search and rescue dog that alerted to this body.
Now, we're going to have to wait to hear more, of course. This is tragic news after a five day search. There were 200 searchers out today. They had expanded that search wider than it was yesterday. But it isn't looking good, according to the sheriff. We'll let you hear one more time what he had to say in that press conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEE: Searchers just south of here discovered the body of a caucasian. I cannot tell you any more about it than that right now other than the -- a body was found approximately one half mile south of our missing child's residence. It is in an abandoned fish farm; body's partially submerged. Apparently had been submerged until the day it was found by a search and rescue dog. We are actively working that scene right now, and there's not a lot of information I have for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP) DORSEY: Now, I can tell you some information. About a half hour ago, Mark Lunsford was here at the church where we all were -- this was a man I got to know when his daughter, Jessica Lunsford, disappeared in February, spent several weeks with him. As we were talking, Sarah Lunde's aunt ran over To mark, saying that there were police at her sister's house, Sarah Lunde's house. And that they were openly upset and that Mark needed to go there.
Of course, now we hear this announcement, so it's obvious what they were upset about, that they had been told that this body had been found, a body. Again, we don't want to jump the gun just yet. The sheriff is not confirming that this is Sarah Lunde, but he also said he does not believe that this is a coincidence, only a half mile away from the home that she disappeared from. So, we'll leave it there, that there has been a body found. Investigators will go back over that area. The medical examiner will be out. And, of course, we'll have to wait for an autopsy and further information, just so we don't overstep this and make any assumptions that aren't there right now. Zain?
VERJEE: The sheriff also said that the teams that are out there are continuing to search and finishing what he called their grids. Tell us a little bit more about that, how many people are out, how many people are still looking, where are they looking, and have other teams been suspended?
DORSEY: Well, there are 200 volunteers. There were 100 law enforcement agents. Now this announcement has been made, it's not clear if all of those law enforcement agents are still part of the search.
Whenever a child disappears, they come up with what they call a grid, and it's a search pattern. It usually starts at the place the person disappeared and works its way out. They were focusing on a three-quarter mile area around the house in the previous days. They decided to expand that search to Manatee Park, go throughout that to see if there was anything else out there that, maybe she was taken further away from the home. Not necessarily likely; they usually focus around the house, but they did decide to move further out.
The sheriff told us in the pres conference this morning they hadn't found anything yet that really was going to bring her home. Of course, things have changed. We see that now. I think it's a waiting game now to determine if this, in fact, is the body of Sarah Lunde, to try to get more information. This is just coming in right now. We need to give the sheriff's office a little time to collect the information they do have in front of them. And the minute we get anything out here, we'll be certain to get it on air and back to all to you.
VERJEE: And the family, Sara, where are they now? The sheriff, indicated that he had informed them that a body had been found?
DORSEY: Well, according to Mark Lunsford, when I was talking to him, and he was pulled away from the scene where we are, we were told he was going to the Lunde household. So where Sarah Lunde disappeared, that's where her mother was. Apparently, she was told by some detectives what had happened or the sheriff himself. Some law enforcement agents were out there, and she was openly upset. That's when she had called back here to her sister, and her sister alerted Mark Lunsford.
He's been through this before, unfortunately. He can probably add some insight and wisdom to this family now. He told me as he was leaving, they're openly upset, something's going on. And he left. This is a dad that's struggling with this himself and trying to get the laws changed right now. He is there with the family. For sure, we know with Sarah Lunde's mom is her sister, Sarah Lunde's aunt. She does have family around her. The sheriff confirmed that for us, and I think for them it's also a waiting game and probably a hard one because it sounds like maybe their worst fears are coming true at this point. The sheriff saying he doesn't think this is a coincidence. It's hitting too close to the place that this girl was missing from. We'll have to wait and see.
VERJEE: We'll wait and see. Sara Dorsey reporting. We'll take a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Partying and parents with prom and graduation season approaching, many parents will be hosting parties for their teens, and in Kansas, parents can be held legally responsible if there's any underage drinking in their homes.
CNN's Randi Kaye has more on what led to the law.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A Sunday night in November four years ago. 17-year-old Paul Riggs was at the wheel of his truck unconscious, pinned to a tree, just two blocks from his home.
DEBBIE RIGGS, PAUL'S MOTHER: We heard the sirens because it was only two blocks from our house.
KAYE: Paul had been drinking and speeding, no seat belt, no chance, no good-bye. Paul never regained consciousness. He died three weeks later.
Paul and his younger brother, who survived the crash, were returning from a party, a house party where the parents were home and alcohol was served. The parents told police and CNN they didn't know alcohol was being served. They said they were upstairs sleeping. The night of the crash, police charged the couple's 15-year-old daughter with furnishing alcohol to minors.
RIGGS: With that many kids in the house, they should have been aware what was going on.
KAYE: But at the time, if police couldn't prove parents provided the alcohol, they couldn't be charged. For two years following her son's death, Debbie Riggs lobbied the Kansas legislature, demanding stiffer penalties for parents, whether they or their teenager actually serves the alcohol to minors. This past summer, Debbie's crusade paid off with the passage of Paul's Law. Parents in Kansas can now be charged with a misdemeanor, jailed for six months, and fined hundreds of dollars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not hosting a party.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's kids here. They're intoxicated.
KAYE: The new law is aimed at parents like this man, Terrell Klein (ph). Police raided a party at his home two months after Paul's Law took effect. They couldn't touch him then. How did police learn about the party?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just take a deep breath and blow on that until I tell you to stop.
KAYE: This 16-year-old was stopped, suspected of driving drunk. She admitted to police she had been drinking and told them about the party at Klein's house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much have you had to drink tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been home all night long. Does that matter?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you've been home all night long, then you know what's going on here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been up in my room.
Reporter: Klein denied knowing anything about the girl who police thought was driving drunk or anything about this young man, apparently too drunk to hold himself up. Police nabbed him trying to sneak out the back door.
This is where Kansas meets Missouri, state line road. On this side in Kansas, parents can be arrested if teenagers are caught drinking in their home. Just across the border in Missouri, that's not the law, but it could be soon. Already here in Missouri, dozens of towns in one county have passed ordinances, putting pressure on the Missouri legislature. A statewide campaign, "Those Who Host, Lose The Most," appears to be catching on.
When you think about parents who think this is OK or adults who think it is OK to serve alcohol to minors in their home, what do you think they're thinking?
JAN ANTSEN, HOUSE PARTY LAW SUPPORTER: I think they're probably thinking that they're providing a safe environment, but I don't know that there's really a safe environment for illegal drinking.
KAYE: Jan and Elizabeth Antsen live in Lee's Summit, Missouri, which just passed an ordinance banning adults from serving alcohol to minors.
ELIZABETH ANTSEN, HOUSE PARTY LAW SUPPORTER: It's one more step to make parents aware that it's not right to host those parties.
KAYE: John Picerno also lives in Lee's Summit. He says he hasn't served alcohol to teenagers at his house, but wouldn't be opposed to his teen daughters going to a house party elsewhere. He trusts his daughters wouldn't drink and drive.
JOHN PICERNO, HOUSE PARTY LAW OPPONENT: You're criminalizing this behavior for parents, as I said earlier, who may never have done anything wrong other than this their entire lives.
KAYE: Do you think it's a parent's right to serve alcohol?
PICERNO: In my home, I think I can do what I want in my home. I don't want the government coming in and telling me what I can and cannot do.
KAYE: Adults aren't the only ones who can't agree on the issue.
How many of you have been to a party that alcohol was served that was hosted by parents? Listen to these students from Missouri's Smithville High.
BRAD FISHER, SMITHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I think that parents hosting parties sends a really mixed message to youth. They don't understand all the different things that can happen to them. It isn't just drinking. It's alcohol poisoning, it's assault, it's rape.
JONIE WEMERT, SMITHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: When you're at someone's house, you feel the security of, well, I don't have to drive back home because you can just stay there. When you're in the middle of a turnaround and you have to drive back home, it's like, well, am I going to wreck and die?
TREVOR SMITH, SMITHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: There's more of an element of control, though, when the parents are there because the kids aren't going to get completely out of hand.
KAYE: Parents were home the night of Paul Riggs' accident; still a young man got behind the wheel with an open vodka bottle in his lap and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit. Nobody, teenager or adult, stopped him.
Randi Kaye, CNN, on the Kansas/Missouri border.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Welcome back. The folks at "Conde Nast Traveler" certainly have it rough. Each year they fan out and cover the globe in search of the best new restaurants, the best new bars, hotels. The results make up the "Hot List." Dana Dickey is a senior editor for the magazine. She joins us now with a preview of this year's list. Thanks so much for joining us. I was going through the magazine. Before we go through some of the stuff, what makes a hotel list- worthy?
DANA DICKEY, CONDE NAST TRAVELER: The 116 hotels on this year's list spanned 38 countries in 6 continents, and these are rated on looks, location, and service.
VERJEE: OK, Hard Rock Cafe -- Hard Rock Hotel, excuse me, in Chicago, why is that on the list? Is that kind of surprising because it's a chain?
DICKEY: Well, let's start with location. It's right on Michigan Avenue, so it's convenient to shopping and to Lake Michigan. And, of course, it's got a great look. It's a sleek, glass, mirror. It has gray and black color scheme, and it's bringing new life to an old building. The art deco carbide and carbon building with a distinct champagne bottle shaped feature of the Chicago skyline. And also, you can choose your room based on whatever rock-and-roll artifact is right next to the elevator. Here, on the 19th floor, is the guitar Jimi Hendrix used to record "All Along the Watch Tower."
VERJEE: OK, this one is close to me, the Sanctuary on Kiwah (ph) Island in Georgia. Tell us a little about that and what you do on the island.
DICKEY: That's beautiful, actually: it's 255 rooms right on the beach that are designed to look like you're in a centuries old mansion, really. It's got an oak lined drive, and there's yoga classes, there's 30 miles of biking trails. But, as you say, what's really going to appeal is the duffers are going to like the five golf courses on the island.
VERJEE: 70 Park Avenue. What set this hotel apart? It's a New York landmark like the Plaza, for example?
DICKEY: It's hipper, in a word. It's on 38th Street and Park Avenue. 70 Park Avenue is basically a redesign of the old Doral Hotel, but this time the rooms are redone by Jeffrey Billhooper, the celebrity interior designer whose clients include David Bowie.
VERJEE: Spa holidays. Those are always good, I think. Estancia la Jolla is one here on the list. Tell us a little bit about that and why it stands where it does.
DICKEY: Well, Estancia la Jolla is in San Diego, very hot area of the country. This is located on bluffs north of La Jolla, and, of course, it's got a beautiful design. It's red tile roofs, faux adobe walls, all built around arcaded courtyards. And there's a beautiful apricot, avocado and pumpkin color scheme with reproduction Mexican antiques and Indonesian wicker. There's the adobe restaurant that has the fresh great San Diego seafood, and since it's great weather, a bar with outdoor fireplace and flamenco guitarists.
VERJEE: What about the spas themselves? Are they good? The mud wraps and all that.
DICKEY: Well, you know, it's southern California...
VERJEE: Kind of important.
DICKEY: ...so, of course, you can choose things like a citrus body scrub at the spa here. VERJEE: And do CNN people get discounts?
DICKEY: Well, you can always call up and ask for the moon.
VERJEE: OK. Dana, thank you so much. Appreciate that. Dana Dickey, the senior editor for the magazine. Thanks so much.
DICKEY: Thank you.
VERJEE: There's a lot more ahead on CNN SATURDAY. In just a few moments, "In the Money," at 2:00 Eastern CNN LIVE SATURDAY. In-depth from the lead-up of Republican convention to the protests to what's at stake for the president, at 3:00, next, at CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: A body has been found in the search for missing Florida girl Sarah Michelle Lunde. Authorities have not identified the body yet; they say a search and rescue dog discovered the body not far from Lunde's home. It was partially submerged in water at an abandoned fish farm. Authorities have notified Lunde's family. We're going to bring you a live report, coming up on CNN LIVE SATURDAY at 2:00 p.m. eastern.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 16, 2005 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: It is 12:00 p.m. in the East coast, 9:00 a.m. in the West. Good afternoon, I'm Zain Verjee at CNN's Global Headquarters.
Ahead this hour, the search continues for a missing Florida teenager. Volunteers will fan out across a state park looking for any sign of the 13-year-old girl.
Also, finding ways to fight the problem of teen drinking: One state looks at making parents more responsible for what happens at teenager's parties.
And where are the best places to go when you head out on holiday? We're going to take a look at some of America's hottest hotels.
But first, a look at the top stories in the news, right now.
The FDA doesn't want you to believe what you see on some TV commercials. The agency says advertisements for the allergy drug Zyrtec and the impotence pill Levitra are misleading. The Food and Drug Administration has sent letters to drug makers, Pfizer and Bayer AG telling them to stop the ads immediately.
Preparing for protesters: This is a live picture outside the International Monetary Fund building in Washington D.C. A number of people have gathered outside. Police in Washington are readying for demonstrations as the IMF and World Bank hold their spring meetings. An anti-globalization demonstrations is being planned for this hour in downtown Washington. Protestors want G-7 ministers to relieve the debts of developing nations.
The Vatican is making final preparations to select the next pope as the official mourning period ends for Pope John Paul II. The College of Cardinals, the men who will choose the next pope, met earlier today. The cardinal's staffers will also take an oath of secrecy, today. The cardinal's conclave begins on Monday.
We begin with a story that is unfortunately familiar: Another weekend search for another missing girl in Florida. Volunteers and authorities are looking for clues in the disappearance of Sarah Michelle Lunde. That search has now led them to an area park. CNN's Sara Dorsey joins us now live from Ruskin, Florida -- Sara.
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Zain, there's a $10,000 reward out for any information leading to the whereabouts of 13-year- old Sarah Lunde. Sarah went missing, technically reported on Monday, but the last time anyone saw her, her brother saw her late Saturday evening. After that, she just seemed to have disappeared.
Right now, police are saying they don't have a whole lot of leads and that is why searchers are so critical right now. There are 200 volunteer searchers out combing the wooded areas, the areas in the park that you mentioned. They're looking for any signs of this little girl at all. There are also 100 law enforcement agents joining them in that task. We are told they are searching on foot, on ATVs. There are helicopters up in the air looking for this little girl. They have search dogs out, people are on horseback looking, and there have also been divers out in area -- bodies of water, looking for anything that could possibly give investigators a clue as to where this little girl went. They are telling us at this point, though, that the tips are not coming in as quickly as expected. They had about 75, as of yesterday.
Now, the good news is the United States postal service is now getting involved. They will distribute 42,000 fliers in nine different zip codes in this immediate area, trying to trigger someone's memory with a picture of Sarah and also critical information about her, hoping that someone will step forward with that information that could possibly help authorities bring this little girl home today -- Zain.
VERJEE: So what can you tell us about the man in custody?
DORSEY: Well, there is a gentleman in custody not for this crime, we need to say, he is in custody for charges unrelated to this, and authorities have just been talking to him about this. He is 36- year-old David Onslott (SIC), and why he is at all significant he used to have a relationship, an on again/off again relationship, is how it's been described to us, with Sarah Lunde's mother. He is a convicted sex offender. He was in jail, actually charged in 1995 rather with sexual battery on a female acquaintance. He spent six years in jail and had a couple years on probation. That Saturday night into early Sunday morning, the last time Sarah was seen, he had actually stopped by the Lunde house asking for the mother, according to Sarah's brother. He spoke to David Alstott (SIC), and that's it. But authorities had decided to question him on this. They're telling us that he is cooperating. He is not, right now, a suspect or a person of interest, just merely one of the people that they're speaking to about this case.
VERJEE: Sarah Dorsey reporting.
A husband admits to brutally killing his wife last July. Mark Hacking pleaded guilty yesterday to killing his wife Lori. His admission came days before his trial was to begin. Police believe his motive was Lori Hacking finding out that he had not been accepted into medical school. Hacking will be sentenced in June and could face six years to life in prison.
Violence caught on tape inside a Detroit television station. A man shot a former employee visiting WDIV, yesterday. As you can see, here from these pictures, the suspect was standing inside the station's doors when the victim was shot. The suspected gunman fled, but was later caught. Authorities say the suspect had previously assaulted other workers at the station. Police are expected to file charges against the suspect, today. Meanwhile, the victim is in critical, but stable condition. He faces more surgery today.
Michael Jackson's trial molestation -- child molestation trial ended the week with high drama in Santa Maria, California. The singer's lead attorney grilled the mother of Jackson's accuser under cross-examination. He wants to show that she's a con artist. The boy's mother testified that she lied under oath in a previous lawsuit against JC Penney's department stores. The trial continues next week.
The government has spent billions of dollars working to improve U.S. airport security since the September 11 attacks. But after nearly four years of trying, are things really better? New reports evaluating the performance of TSA baggage screeners paint, what some consider, a shocking picture. CNN's Homeland Security analyst and former Homeland Security Department inspector general, Clark Kent Irvin, joins us now to talk specifics.
Thanks so much for joining us.
CLARK KENT IRVIN, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY ANALYST: Thank you.
VERJEE: Earlier this year, the acting inspector general, Richard Skinner, had this to say when he testified to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, "The ability of TSA screeners to stop prohibited items from being carried through sterile areas of the airports fared no better than the performance of screeners prior to September the 11th."
What's your assessment here? Are screeners at airports performing poorly?
IRVIN: The results of tests that the Office of Inspector General conducted in '03 and tests conducted by the government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, showed there was no measurable improvement since '01. And if the news reports are correct, the reports that will be released by both those bodies this week will show there's been no improvement since '03. So clear...
VERJEE: Billions of dollars have gone into this, though. Why no improvement? Why not the kind of progress that we'd like to see?
IRVIN: When my office did this round of testing two years ago, we made a number of recommendations, basically, more training, more equipment and technology, and better supervision. If, in fact, the reports show what we think they show, it appears as though those recommendations were not fully embraced and implemented.
VERJEE: Is it really more about the equipment and the technology, or is it just about the people? And that was essentially what some would argue was the original problem.
An organization was made to grow very, very fast, thousands of people were hired, some not with the right background or right qualification, and that really was the root cause, and you get what you hire.
IRVIN: It's really a multi-faceted issue, and each of these elements is important. Part of it, as I say, is training issue. The screeners need to be better trained, they need to be continually trained.
VERJEE: Why weren't they trained? Why? Isn't that the first and most obvious step?
IRVIN: It's very obvious, indeed, and I'm at a loss to explain why there hasn't been more and better training on a consistent basis at airports around the country? It's absolutely critical; it's an elementary thing, as you say. But also, as you also suggest, equipment and technology is part of it as well. There is equipment and technology, back scatter, for example, multi-image, x-ray machines, other systems that are available and need to be deployed at airport throughout the country to help the human process better detect these deadly weapons. And then finally, there should be better supervision so that whenever a supervisor notices a screener performing poorly, that supervisor works very intensively with that screener to make sure that it improves performance.
VERJEE: Right, should there also, do you think, be better supervision at the head of the TSA? Is part of the problem the leadership of the TSA? I mean, there have been so many heads over the past year or so. There's no continuity. People bring in their own guys, and that is part of the problem, and it shouldn't be, should it?
IRVIN: That's right, there's been lots of turnover at the very top of the TSA, recent announcement that the current leader will be leaving soon, in June, I believe. And clearly, the more turnover there is at top, the more turmoil there is in the agency. And indeed, to his credit, I think, the secretary is taking a top to bottom review of the whole of the department, including TSA, and so it's really unclear what the future of that agency will be. But attention must be paid urgently to this whole business of airport aviation security. We've spent more money, as you noted, in this area than any other. And, obviously, vulnerabilities remain.
VERJEE: The screeners have, though, in their defense, apparently been much more aggressive in seizing items, for example, each month they take about half a million things from passengers. 160,000 knives, 2,000 box cutters, 70 guns. Is there something there in their defense, but am I safer?
IRVIN: Well, I do think it's fair to say, and it's important to note this, that generally speaking, we are safer at least in this regard. Cockpits are hardened, some pilots are trained, the number of air marshals have been significantly increased, and for all the problems, generally speaking, screeners are better trained and they certainly have been detecting a lot of deadly weapons. On the other hand, when these government tests, these undercover tests have been conducted, three times now: '01 '03, and apparently in '05, next week, we'll find the performance of screeners has essentially not improved. So, more needs to be done, and it's an urgent matter of national security.
VERJEE: Clark Kent Ervin, a former inspector general of Homeland Security also a CNN analyst, joining us from Washington. Thank you.
IRVIN: Thank you, Zain.
VERJEE: The legal battle that lasted decades: And now speculation about the abuse in the Michael and Terri Schiavo marriage is put to rest. Straight ahead, what Florida officials found.
And kids and alcohol: We're going to take a look at a new law that holds parents responsible for underage drinking in their homes. Even if they say they didn't know it was happening.
And later, our Jeanne Moos will take a look and a smell of candles that are made to smell like Jesus. This is CNN Saturday.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, I'm Rob Marciano at CNN Weather Center. It's time to look at your allergy outlook or forecast. The red in the South indicating, well, it's very high. This is the time of year where the trees begin to blossom and the pollen actually looks like it's snowing out of the sky. Rain helps knock that down. No rain in the forecast, really, for the next several days across the Southeast, so we do expect it to be high to very high in these spots and also across parts of the Utah, very high allergy conditions expected.
We hope you're feeling well today and enjoy your weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: In "News Across America," today, two government investigations into security at U.S. airports are due out soon, but the chairman of the House Aviation subcommittee, who's seen the findings, says they are shocking. Congressman John Micah says, despite spending billions of dollars to improve the security screening system, it's no better now than it was before the September 11 attacks.
A state agency in Florida concludes that Terri Schiavo's husband did not abuse his late wife. An investigation was launched after Schiavo's parents claimed Michael Schiavo beat their daughter and tried to starve her. State investigators say there's absolutely no evidence to support those claims.
The Education Department is guilty of exercising poor judgment when it hired conservative talk show host Armstrong Williams to promote President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" plan. That's the conclusion of a report by the department's own inspector general. But the report also says that the agency did not violate any laws or regulations in hiring Armstrong.
And in Hawaii, this exotic creature is known as a wholphin. It's a cross between a whale and a dolphin. The animal belongs to the Sea Life Park in Honolulu. She is the only known whale whale-dolphin hybrid in captivity. In December she gave birth to a calf. He's accused of killing four people in a shooting rampage that terrorized an Atlanta courtroom and shocked a city. More than a month after the alleged attack, suspected killer Brian Nichols returned to the same courthouse where it all began, but under very different circumstances. David Mattingly reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any questions about that?
BRIAN NICHOLS, SUSPECTED MURDERER: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Thank you, sir.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One month and four days since the Atlanta rampage that left a judge, a court reporter, and two law officers dead, suspected killer Brian Nichols returned to the very courthouse where the violent spree began. His ankles bound by a chain, but wearing no handcuffs, Nichols appeared subdued, talking softly with his attorneys, only occasionally looking around the room.
JOHN MOORE, NICHOLS' DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And the question, I think, is going to be whether these jurors are going to be able to be fair.
MATTINGLY: Before the court, requests by the defense to be involved in the selection of a grand jury. These proceedings are so preliminary it is still not known when Nichols will be officially charged in the murders. Afterward, his mother told reporters of her unconditional support.
CLARITHA NICHOLS, DEFENDANT'S MOTHER: Any mother would be concerned about her son in a situation like this.
MATTINGLY: The mayhem of March 11 brought tragedy into the lives of thousands and plunged a city into chaos. On Monday, Fulton County sheriff, Myron Freeman, named a task force to investigate what went wrong with courthouse security, why warning signs were ignored, how one man could so effectively exploit possible weaknesses, do so much harm, and get away so easily. The task force follows a partially sealed internal report by the sheriff that reportedly contained no conclusions or recommendations.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, Deputy Cynthia Hall walked out of an Atlanta brain injury center with months of recovery still ahead of her. Police say Nichols attacked Hall and took her gun as she attempted to escort him to the courtroom. Hall has no memory of the attack and for a time was partially blind and unable to walk.
DR. GERALD BILSKY, CYNTHIA HALL'S DOCTOR: She could not see at all out of her right eye. She had some weakness more on the left side than she demonstrated today. She needed assistance in getting out of bed, assistance with how to do basic skills.
MATTINGLY: Nichols' high-profile hostage, however, has remained out of the spotlight. After accepting a $72,500 reward for turning Nichols in, a spokeswoman for Ashley Smith says the single mother is "spending a lot of time in prayer and reflection while also trying to have light-hearted moments with close friends and family."
David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: We are standing by for a press conference that's going to be held at about 12:30, in Ruskin Florida. It's about the missing 13-year-old girl, Sarah Michelle Lunde. We're going to bring it to you live as soon as it happens. Stand by for more news. We're going to be back after a short break. This is CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Welcome back to CNN. We are following a story out of Ruskin in Florida about a 13-year-old girl who has been missing. A press conference is scheduled to be held in about 10 minutes or so. We're going to bring it to you live when it happens. Stay with CNN.
A family feud over vacation photos and an abusive relationship help us focus on a question of ethics, today. Here to sort it all out is our syndicated columnist, Bruce Weinstein. He is the author of "Life Principles: Feeling Food by Doing Good." (SIC)
Nice to see you, Bruce, question No. 1 is from someone who is trying to get some family slides that were taken during a family vacation in 1957. He says this:
"My cousin asked my mother if he could let his daughter show the slides to her elementary school class. He took them and never returned them. Before my mother died, she reminded me that he had the slides, but he refuses to return them to me. We don't have a good relationship at all. These slides are very important to me, and I want them back. What should I do?"
BRUCE WEINSTEIN, AUTHOR: Zain, making good decisions begins with getting the facts. So I would wonder why the writer of the question has such a poor relationship with his or her cousin, and perhaps the writer has done something in the past for which he or she should apologize. So, that might be one way of solving the matter, simply saying I'm sorry. But, I also wonder if the cousin's daughter might play a pivotal role here since she seems to be the conduit. And if it's possible to get duplicate slides made so that the cousin and the writer of the question can end up with slides, that would be a win-win situation, and everyone would be better off. I mean, in the age of digital photography, it's quite easy to do this. That seems to be the best way before one engages an attorney or goes, you know, to the justice system to address the wrong.
VERJEE: Martha from Cleveland in Ohio, writes this, Bruce: "I am 28 and the youngest of four children. My mother is struggling to take the initial step to leave a 35-year abusive/controlling marriage. We're very close, and I've been trying to plan for her exit from the bad relationship. She has promised many times to leave him, but I find her making more excuses lately. Should I continue to push or leave it all to her?"
WEINSTEIN: Zain, Marta, who wrote the question, is a caring and compassionate daughter, but she cannot write her mother's script for her. Now, the ethical conflict in this case, it seems to me, is between respecting her mother's autonomy on the one hand, that is, her right to make a decision for herself, and the daughter's obligation to protect her mother from harm on the other. But we believe, in this society, at least, that adults with decision making capability have the right, the legal and moral right to make decisions for themselves, so ultimately, it is up to her mother to decide what's best for her.
Now, it is possible to get law enforcement involved if there is an imminent threat of harm or if a harm -- a serious harm has occurred. But short of that, it might be helpful for Marta's mother to listen to, perhaps, a counselor of domestic violence or to join a support group for abused women to hear other women's stories and to get solace and help from them. Ultimately, though, it is up to Marta's mother to make the decision.
VERJEE: Bruce Weinstein, thank you so much. Good to see you.
WEINSTEIN Thank you, Zain.
If you have a question of ethics that you're struggling with, e- mail your dilemma to ethics@CNN.com. We are standing by for a press conference at Ruskin in Florida. We're going to bring it to you live when it happens. This is the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department. The press conference should start in about five minutes or so. We hope to learn more details about a missing 13-year-old girl in Ruskin, Florida, Sarah Michelle Lunde. We'll bring it to you here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Topping the news, a press conference is expected to begin at any moment. We're wait to go hear from sheriff's deputies in Ruskin, Florida, where the search for Sarah Michelle Lunde is in its seventh day. CNN will take you there live as soon as it happens.
Pakistani authorities say they have opposition leader Asif Ali Zardari in protective custody at his home in Pakistan. Witnesses say government security forces stormed Zadari's plane as it arrived at the airport earlier today. Journalists onboard say troops took their cameras and beat them. The government calls it a "misunderstanding."
Tens of thousands of Chinese protestors massed in the streets of major cities today. Their anger is directed at Japan over new text -- history text book. You see here the throngs in Shanghai. They're demonstrating against a new history book they say downplays Japan's aggression in World War II and fails to admit Japanese atrocities.
The final mass is said and the nine-day papal mourning period draws to a close. Catholic cardinals are now preparing for Monday's secret conclave and the selection of a new pope. 115 cardinals are gathering at the Casa Santa Mata (ph) Hotel where they'll be housed during the selection process. With rising energy prices and the plunging U.S. stock market on their minds, the world's financial leaders are meeting this morning in Washington. They're expected to explore ways to defend the global economy against future climbs in gasoline and oil prices. So far, they say the effect is minimal. However, as one official explained, it's a drag.
As they usually are, protestors are on hand for the International Monetary Fund meeting this weekend, and they have their own agenda. CNN's economic correspondent Kathleen Hays is there. She joins us now. Kathleen.
KATHLEEN HAYS, CNN ECONOMIC CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Zain.
Yes, here I am in the midst of it. We're across the street from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank where their annual meetings are being held. We're here with probably 200 or so protestors trying to hold the feet to the fire. There really aren't the crowds that we used to see. Five years ago there were thousands of protestors.
That doesn't mean they're not serious about their cause. Behind me, a young poet rapper who was just referring to Paul Wolfowitz, Assistant Secretary of Defense, who has been made the Head of the World Bank. They're here to protest that. They think he helped to foment war, and he will not be good for the world's poor. More broadly, they're continuing to press the same things they've been pressing for years: The IMF should open its meetings...
VERJEE: Kathleen, we're going to have to stop you right there and go to Ruskin in Florida, where a news conference is under way about a 13-year-old missing girl, Sarah Michelle Lunde.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ...will be the confirmed speaker, CNN.
VERJEE: OK. It seems as though the press conference is not -- hasn't started yet. So, we have a two-minute warning. We'll bring it to you live when it happens. Let's go back live to Washington and to Kathleen Hays. Kathleen?
HAYS: Hi, Zain.
Well, of course, a lot going on today, even if it is a Saturday. I was just saying that one of the big causes for this group is that the world's wealthiest nations -- you were just referring to the G7 -- that they should forgive the debt, that billions of dollars of debt are owed, and instead of putting money into health care, infrastructure, education, these poor countries are paying it back in terms of interest, money that could be better spent. We spoke to Tia Sweat (ph) a little bit earlier. She's with Mobilization for Global Justice, the group that put this together. Here's what she said about what the G7 is pushing in terms of debt relief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIA SWEAT, MOBILIZATION FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE: It's not a perfect proposal, but the fact that they're even considering that language, they wouldn't have been five years ago. We are making progress, and we have to keep that going. Also, the world's social forum this year was the biggest that it's been yet, and that's a really exciting thing. We're here to show that everyone around the world, in the United States, in Brazil, in South Africa, we're all together on this issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAYS: And, of course, it's really the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, the chancellor --
VERJEE: OK. OK, Kathleen, thank you very much for your report, and we want to take you know, live, to Ruskin in Florida for a news conference that's underway.
SHERIFF DAVID GEE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY: ...just to let your outlets know, that stems from the discovery shortly after the 10:00 briefing, actually, during the 10:00 briefing this morning, searchers just south of here discovered the body of a caucasian. I cannot tell you any more about it than that right now, other than a body was found approximately one-half mile south of our missing child's residence. It is in an abandoned fish farm. The body is partially submerged, apparently had been submerged until the day it was found by a search- and-rescue dog. We are actively working that scene right now.
There's not a lot of information I have for you. We'll speak later today as we are -- I can tell you this scene that we'll be working, it's going to be an all day, into the night, maybe into tomorrow, but hopefully have some more information later today. That's really all the information I have right now.
QUESTION: Have you seen the body?
GEE: Yes. I cannot tell you if it is a female or not because it is partially submerged, other than to say it is a human body, and no other comment on it at this time.
QUESTION: Did you contact the family?
GEE: Yes. Earlier this morning, right after our briefing, I did notify her family, her mother personally, and told her of what we had found. And, of course, we need now to make a positive identification. Certainly, I don't think there's that much coincidence, that we would have something that close, but cannot say that with any degree of certainty at this point.
QUESTION: What's happened with the search right now?
GEE: The teams that are still out there, we're having them finish their grids. Not going to put any other teams out today, right now. I'm going to suspend those. Right now, until we can find out exactly what we do have down there, and we'll make a decision on that later today, and we'll notify you.
QUESTION: I know that you've been very passionate about Sarah Lunde. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
GEE: Well, you know, it is very tough for all the people involved right now, and, of course, we still don't know, you know, if this is Sarah. There's no way for us to know it until we have some forensic examination assistance from the medical examiner, and so I'll, I'll -- you know, until I know a little more, I think all of us are just kind of standing by right now.
QUESTION: How did Sarah's family take the news? Who's there with her mother? Do you know?
GEE: She has family around her and some friends. It's a very difficult time. They're obviously very upset. They're worried, obviously, at this news. Of course, I cannot tell the mother anything conclusively at this time because I don't know. Maybe after we recover the body, we will be able to tell her more.
QUESTION: David Onstott is in custody right now. Are you going to charge him if this is the body of Sarah Lunde?
GEE: Same position I've taken earlier on him. We continue to investigate that lead, and I will leave it at that. Obviously, I'm going to -- we're going to -- if this is her and it is what we think it is, then certainly it is our intention to charge whoever's responsible.
QUESTION: It was a dog that found this, not coming from a confession or anything like that. Is that clear?
GEE: It was found in a search with one of the search and rescue teams. It was in an area that had been searched previously. Again, as I told you, we, throughout this thing, we were always concerned -- and a lot of this from our experts, from Team Adam who came down -- we were really looking at the probabilities of detection, and we really were looking at that three-quarter mile area, as I told you yesterday. Every day we had higher and higher confidence that we were excluding that area. We did, just like I told you, we were going to search from the river north this morning. That's what we did. And it was actually found by one of our search and rescue teams from another county that we had brought in, found it, and thank them.
QUESTION: What was the condition of the body?
GEE: I don't want to comment on the condition of the body right now. I want to have the medical examiner take a look at it before I start commenting about specifics. I'll have some more information. Anyone? I'll take one more question? Anything else?
QUESTION: Sheriff, any clothing on the body? You can't talk about that?
GEE: Not going to comment on that right now. Hopefully, be able to give you more details. It's very difficult at this point.
QUESTION: Will we have another briefing later? GEE: No, I'll come out when I have more information, may be 5:15, it may be later than 5:15. It's no point until we can remove the body, have the medical examiner come out, and I can tell you something. Otherwise, I'm not telling you anything new. OK? thank you.
QUESTION: You'll come back?
GEE: I will. Any development like that, I would certainly tell you that, and right now, I don't know either way. I'll just tell you that the probability and the fact that she was found in such close proximate location to her home is certainly very alarming. Thank you.
VERJEE: Sheriff David Gee at the Hillsborough County Police Department in Florida holding a press conference there, really saying that a body has been discovered, of a caucasian. It's been found about a half mile south of the missing child's residence; 13-year-old Sarah Michelle Lunde has been missing since Saturday evening.
Joining us now is Sara Dorsey. Sara, what were the other points that the sheriff said in that press conference?
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he said that a body has been found. They are not telling us a lot of details at this point as to whether it is a female, an age and condition of the body, any clothing that the person may have been found. Sara disappeared with a half cast, a green cast, on her arm. They're not giving us any details about that. As you said, the body was found a half mile south of where Sarah Lunde disappeared from, from her home. It was partially submerged in an old fish farm.
This was an area, according to the sheriff, that has been searched before. But they went back over that area again. They are honing in, according to some experts that were here on search patterns. They went back over that area. And according to the sheriff in this press conference, it was a search and rescue dog that alerted to this body.
Now, we're going to have to wait to hear more, of course. This is tragic news after a five day search. There were 200 searchers out today. They had expanded that search wider than it was yesterday. But it isn't looking good, according to the sheriff. We'll let you hear one more time what he had to say in that press conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEE: Searchers just south of here discovered the body of a caucasian. I cannot tell you any more about it than that right now other than the -- a body was found approximately one half mile south of our missing child's residence. It is in an abandoned fish farm; body's partially submerged. Apparently had been submerged until the day it was found by a search and rescue dog. We are actively working that scene right now, and there's not a lot of information I have for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP) DORSEY: Now, I can tell you some information. About a half hour ago, Mark Lunsford was here at the church where we all were -- this was a man I got to know when his daughter, Jessica Lunsford, disappeared in February, spent several weeks with him. As we were talking, Sarah Lunde's aunt ran over To mark, saying that there were police at her sister's house, Sarah Lunde's house. And that they were openly upset and that Mark needed to go there.
Of course, now we hear this announcement, so it's obvious what they were upset about, that they had been told that this body had been found, a body. Again, we don't want to jump the gun just yet. The sheriff is not confirming that this is Sarah Lunde, but he also said he does not believe that this is a coincidence, only a half mile away from the home that she disappeared from. So, we'll leave it there, that there has been a body found. Investigators will go back over that area. The medical examiner will be out. And, of course, we'll have to wait for an autopsy and further information, just so we don't overstep this and make any assumptions that aren't there right now. Zain?
VERJEE: The sheriff also said that the teams that are out there are continuing to search and finishing what he called their grids. Tell us a little bit more about that, how many people are out, how many people are still looking, where are they looking, and have other teams been suspended?
DORSEY: Well, there are 200 volunteers. There were 100 law enforcement agents. Now this announcement has been made, it's not clear if all of those law enforcement agents are still part of the search.
Whenever a child disappears, they come up with what they call a grid, and it's a search pattern. It usually starts at the place the person disappeared and works its way out. They were focusing on a three-quarter mile area around the house in the previous days. They decided to expand that search to Manatee Park, go throughout that to see if there was anything else out there that, maybe she was taken further away from the home. Not necessarily likely; they usually focus around the house, but they did decide to move further out.
The sheriff told us in the pres conference this morning they hadn't found anything yet that really was going to bring her home. Of course, things have changed. We see that now. I think it's a waiting game now to determine if this, in fact, is the body of Sarah Lunde, to try to get more information. This is just coming in right now. We need to give the sheriff's office a little time to collect the information they do have in front of them. And the minute we get anything out here, we'll be certain to get it on air and back to all to you.
VERJEE: And the family, Sara, where are they now? The sheriff, indicated that he had informed them that a body had been found?
DORSEY: Well, according to Mark Lunsford, when I was talking to him, and he was pulled away from the scene where we are, we were told he was going to the Lunde household. So where Sarah Lunde disappeared, that's where her mother was. Apparently, she was told by some detectives what had happened or the sheriff himself. Some law enforcement agents were out there, and she was openly upset. That's when she had called back here to her sister, and her sister alerted Mark Lunsford.
He's been through this before, unfortunately. He can probably add some insight and wisdom to this family now. He told me as he was leaving, they're openly upset, something's going on. And he left. This is a dad that's struggling with this himself and trying to get the laws changed right now. He is there with the family. For sure, we know with Sarah Lunde's mom is her sister, Sarah Lunde's aunt. She does have family around her. The sheriff confirmed that for us, and I think for them it's also a waiting game and probably a hard one because it sounds like maybe their worst fears are coming true at this point. The sheriff saying he doesn't think this is a coincidence. It's hitting too close to the place that this girl was missing from. We'll have to wait and see.
VERJEE: We'll wait and see. Sara Dorsey reporting. We'll take a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Partying and parents with prom and graduation season approaching, many parents will be hosting parties for their teens, and in Kansas, parents can be held legally responsible if there's any underage drinking in their homes.
CNN's Randi Kaye has more on what led to the law.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A Sunday night in November four years ago. 17-year-old Paul Riggs was at the wheel of his truck unconscious, pinned to a tree, just two blocks from his home.
DEBBIE RIGGS, PAUL'S MOTHER: We heard the sirens because it was only two blocks from our house.
KAYE: Paul had been drinking and speeding, no seat belt, no chance, no good-bye. Paul never regained consciousness. He died three weeks later.
Paul and his younger brother, who survived the crash, were returning from a party, a house party where the parents were home and alcohol was served. The parents told police and CNN they didn't know alcohol was being served. They said they were upstairs sleeping. The night of the crash, police charged the couple's 15-year-old daughter with furnishing alcohol to minors.
RIGGS: With that many kids in the house, they should have been aware what was going on.
KAYE: But at the time, if police couldn't prove parents provided the alcohol, they couldn't be charged. For two years following her son's death, Debbie Riggs lobbied the Kansas legislature, demanding stiffer penalties for parents, whether they or their teenager actually serves the alcohol to minors. This past summer, Debbie's crusade paid off with the passage of Paul's Law. Parents in Kansas can now be charged with a misdemeanor, jailed for six months, and fined hundreds of dollars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not hosting a party.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's kids here. They're intoxicated.
KAYE: The new law is aimed at parents like this man, Terrell Klein (ph). Police raided a party at his home two months after Paul's Law took effect. They couldn't touch him then. How did police learn about the party?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just take a deep breath and blow on that until I tell you to stop.
KAYE: This 16-year-old was stopped, suspected of driving drunk. She admitted to police she had been drinking and told them about the party at Klein's house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much have you had to drink tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been home all night long. Does that matter?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you've been home all night long, then you know what's going on here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been up in my room.
Reporter: Klein denied knowing anything about the girl who police thought was driving drunk or anything about this young man, apparently too drunk to hold himself up. Police nabbed him trying to sneak out the back door.
This is where Kansas meets Missouri, state line road. On this side in Kansas, parents can be arrested if teenagers are caught drinking in their home. Just across the border in Missouri, that's not the law, but it could be soon. Already here in Missouri, dozens of towns in one county have passed ordinances, putting pressure on the Missouri legislature. A statewide campaign, "Those Who Host, Lose The Most," appears to be catching on.
When you think about parents who think this is OK or adults who think it is OK to serve alcohol to minors in their home, what do you think they're thinking?
JAN ANTSEN, HOUSE PARTY LAW SUPPORTER: I think they're probably thinking that they're providing a safe environment, but I don't know that there's really a safe environment for illegal drinking.
KAYE: Jan and Elizabeth Antsen live in Lee's Summit, Missouri, which just passed an ordinance banning adults from serving alcohol to minors.
ELIZABETH ANTSEN, HOUSE PARTY LAW SUPPORTER: It's one more step to make parents aware that it's not right to host those parties.
KAYE: John Picerno also lives in Lee's Summit. He says he hasn't served alcohol to teenagers at his house, but wouldn't be opposed to his teen daughters going to a house party elsewhere. He trusts his daughters wouldn't drink and drive.
JOHN PICERNO, HOUSE PARTY LAW OPPONENT: You're criminalizing this behavior for parents, as I said earlier, who may never have done anything wrong other than this their entire lives.
KAYE: Do you think it's a parent's right to serve alcohol?
PICERNO: In my home, I think I can do what I want in my home. I don't want the government coming in and telling me what I can and cannot do.
KAYE: Adults aren't the only ones who can't agree on the issue.
How many of you have been to a party that alcohol was served that was hosted by parents? Listen to these students from Missouri's Smithville High.
BRAD FISHER, SMITHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I think that parents hosting parties sends a really mixed message to youth. They don't understand all the different things that can happen to them. It isn't just drinking. It's alcohol poisoning, it's assault, it's rape.
JONIE WEMERT, SMITHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: When you're at someone's house, you feel the security of, well, I don't have to drive back home because you can just stay there. When you're in the middle of a turnaround and you have to drive back home, it's like, well, am I going to wreck and die?
TREVOR SMITH, SMITHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: There's more of an element of control, though, when the parents are there because the kids aren't going to get completely out of hand.
KAYE: Parents were home the night of Paul Riggs' accident; still a young man got behind the wheel with an open vodka bottle in his lap and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit. Nobody, teenager or adult, stopped him.
Randi Kaye, CNN, on the Kansas/Missouri border.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Welcome back. The folks at "Conde Nast Traveler" certainly have it rough. Each year they fan out and cover the globe in search of the best new restaurants, the best new bars, hotels. The results make up the "Hot List." Dana Dickey is a senior editor for the magazine. She joins us now with a preview of this year's list. Thanks so much for joining us. I was going through the magazine. Before we go through some of the stuff, what makes a hotel list- worthy?
DANA DICKEY, CONDE NAST TRAVELER: The 116 hotels on this year's list spanned 38 countries in 6 continents, and these are rated on looks, location, and service.
VERJEE: OK, Hard Rock Cafe -- Hard Rock Hotel, excuse me, in Chicago, why is that on the list? Is that kind of surprising because it's a chain?
DICKEY: Well, let's start with location. It's right on Michigan Avenue, so it's convenient to shopping and to Lake Michigan. And, of course, it's got a great look. It's a sleek, glass, mirror. It has gray and black color scheme, and it's bringing new life to an old building. The art deco carbide and carbon building with a distinct champagne bottle shaped feature of the Chicago skyline. And also, you can choose your room based on whatever rock-and-roll artifact is right next to the elevator. Here, on the 19th floor, is the guitar Jimi Hendrix used to record "All Along the Watch Tower."
VERJEE: OK, this one is close to me, the Sanctuary on Kiwah (ph) Island in Georgia. Tell us a little about that and what you do on the island.
DICKEY: That's beautiful, actually: it's 255 rooms right on the beach that are designed to look like you're in a centuries old mansion, really. It's got an oak lined drive, and there's yoga classes, there's 30 miles of biking trails. But, as you say, what's really going to appeal is the duffers are going to like the five golf courses on the island.
VERJEE: 70 Park Avenue. What set this hotel apart? It's a New York landmark like the Plaza, for example?
DICKEY: It's hipper, in a word. It's on 38th Street and Park Avenue. 70 Park Avenue is basically a redesign of the old Doral Hotel, but this time the rooms are redone by Jeffrey Billhooper, the celebrity interior designer whose clients include David Bowie.
VERJEE: Spa holidays. Those are always good, I think. Estancia la Jolla is one here on the list. Tell us a little bit about that and why it stands where it does.
DICKEY: Well, Estancia la Jolla is in San Diego, very hot area of the country. This is located on bluffs north of La Jolla, and, of course, it's got a beautiful design. It's red tile roofs, faux adobe walls, all built around arcaded courtyards. And there's a beautiful apricot, avocado and pumpkin color scheme with reproduction Mexican antiques and Indonesian wicker. There's the adobe restaurant that has the fresh great San Diego seafood, and since it's great weather, a bar with outdoor fireplace and flamenco guitarists.
VERJEE: What about the spas themselves? Are they good? The mud wraps and all that.
DICKEY: Well, you know, it's southern California...
VERJEE: Kind of important.
DICKEY: ...so, of course, you can choose things like a citrus body scrub at the spa here. VERJEE: And do CNN people get discounts?
DICKEY: Well, you can always call up and ask for the moon.
VERJEE: OK. Dana, thank you so much. Appreciate that. Dana Dickey, the senior editor for the magazine. Thanks so much.
DICKEY: Thank you.
VERJEE: There's a lot more ahead on CNN SATURDAY. In just a few moments, "In the Money," at 2:00 Eastern CNN LIVE SATURDAY. In-depth from the lead-up of Republican convention to the protests to what's at stake for the president, at 3:00, next, at CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: A body has been found in the search for missing Florida girl Sarah Michelle Lunde. Authorities have not identified the body yet; they say a search and rescue dog discovered the body not far from Lunde's home. It was partially submerged in water at an abandoned fish farm. Authorities have notified Lunde's family. We're going to bring you a live report, coming up on CNN LIVE SATURDAY at 2:00 p.m. eastern.
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