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CNN Live Saturday
Ricin Scare In Texas; A Mardi Gras To Remember; Curfew Extended In Iraq; Oil Under Siege; Supreme Court To Hear Abortion Case; Bluetooth-Enabled Devices For The Car; Manatee Rescue Program Gets Great Reviews
Aired February 25, 2006 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Making news right now, high alert at the University of Texas in Austin after early tests indicate the deadly poison ricin is found in a dorm. No one who is believed to have been exposed to the toxin is showing any symptoms. A live report coming up in a minute or so.
New Orleans gets ready for its final Mardi Gras celebrations. The annual festival is in full swing this weekend. Heavy storms are forecast, though, but businesses are hoping for a much need economic boost. We'll have reports from New Orleans and Biloxi, Mississippi, in a short while.
Empty streets in Baghdad. Iraqi officials are extending a daylight curfew banning nearly all vehicles until Monday morning. It's the latest effort to curb and upsurge of sectarian violence since the bombing this week of a revered Shiite mosque.
British police arrest two more suspects in connection with the robbery at a cash storage depot. The heist of at least $44 billion is thought to be Britain's biggest ever currency theft. Police earlier made three other arrests in the case.
And you're looking at live pictures right now of a fire, or at least efforts to put out a fire at a church in Philadelphia. The fire began about two and a half hours ago. And this is the result of now all the firefighters in town trying to salvage that burning church.
Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. It is February 25th.
Ahead this hour, have terrorists turned their sites on the world's oil production? We'll explain what it could mean for you.
And abortion rights under assault in South Dakota. Will the nation's most restrictive abortion ban pass the constitutional test?
First, a look at our top story.
Two students at the University of Texas are being treated for possible exposure to ricin. Neither is showing any symptoms, but one of them found what appears to be the deadly poison inside a roll of coins. And this took place in the dormitory on Thursday. Ricin is used as a biological weapon. More now from Connie Swinney, a reporter at our affiliate station KXAN. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CONNIE SWINNEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Authorities evacuated the Moore-Hill dormitory here on the UT campus for the second time last night after finding what they believed to be a small amount of the deadly poison ricin. Here's the dormitory right behind me. And you can see, it's one of the older dorms and several hundreds students live here. One of the residents this morning confirm that they have since been allowed in.
Now the substance was sent for testing and officials are trying to calm fears about exposure. A group of students initially discovered the substance Thursday. A brief evacuation followed. Officials launched an investigation and assess the risk. Those concerned watched from a distance as the terrorism task force worked to sanitize the area.
Ricin is made from castor beans and it can be made in several different forms. It can be deadly if ingested or inhaled. Officials briefed students about some of the symptom of ricin, such as shortness of breath. So far there have been no problems reported and the FBI is continuing their investigation.
Reporting on the UT campus, Connie Swinney, KXAN, Austin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Now let's bring in Tom Ruocco from the FBI. He is the assistant special agent in charge in Austin to give us a little bit more about where this investigation is going.
Mr. Ruocco, thanks so much for being with us.
TOM RUOCCO, FBI: It's my pleasure.
WHITFIELD: All right. It would seem the first step in this investigation is to determine was it indeed ricin. Preliminary tests have been taken. Are there others to follow to definitively say what it is?
RUOCCO: There are. If there are, the testing is going to be held at a government laboratory.
WHITFIELD: And how long before you hear a definitive word on the outcome?
RUOCCO: We would hope in the next day or so that we would hear something.
WHITFIELD: All right. In the meantime, while these tests are being conducted, how far can you go, what kind of police work or investigative work can you do to determine where this might have come from?
RUOCCO: Well, we will continue to work with our partners, in this case being the Texas Department of Public Safety, the UT police and the Austin Police Department, to handle all the preliminary investigations, to set up all our leads and, if we prove this to be positive for ricin, then we'll continue it from there.
WHITFIELD: And what kind of evidence do you look for to help determine what the origination point of this ricin, if it is indeed ricin, could have been?
RUOCCO: Well, it's like a paper trail and right now we'll start with interviews. We'll interview all the people. Find out where the, in this case, the roll of quarters was obtained from and then work backwards.
WHITFIELD: Do you know that answer yet, where the roll of quarters came from?
RUOCCO: We know where the roll came from as far as the student received them from her parents in order to do laundry a couple of months ago. But exactly where it came from I'm going to withhold at this time.
WHITFIELD: Does it appear to be -- can you at least tell me are we talking about across state lines or still within Texas?
RUOCCO: No, still within Texas. Again, but we're not -- at this time there appears to be no link to terrorism in this case. So it's being treated an isolated incident.
WHITFIELD: Who in general, based on your studies and your investigative work, would have access to ricin?
RUOCCO: That's a good question. And we're going to try to find that out in this case.
WHITFIELD: OK. Tom Ruocco from the FBI, thanks so much for being with us. And keep us posted on where the investigation goes.
RUOCCO: We will. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well, meantime, students, faculty and staff are all being monitored for possible signs of ricin poisoning. However, Austin's health director says weather conditions in the city might have protected anyone exposed to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALDOLFO VALADEZ, AUSTIN MEDICAL DIRECTOR: What we've determined is that the exposure seemed to be limited to a few individuals. And given the environmental conditions and it's humid and what-not, the powder appeared to be grainy or clumpy, and so the exposure risk, we feel, is low.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, back with us again this hour to help us understand ricin, a poison that comes from castor bean, Dr. Robert Geller. He's a toxicologist at Emory University here in Atlanta. Good to see you again, Dr. Geller.
DR. ROBERT GELLER, TOXICOLOGIST, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: How commonly do people come in contact with ricin?
GELLER: Ricin's a very rare poison. There are only three cases that have been observed worldwide that are thought to be related to ricin exposure, so this is a very rare event. Most of our information that we have now comes either from animal experiments, from animal information or from episodes in which people chewed whole castor beans.
WHITFIELD: So because it is such a rare event, people should not be suddenly alarmed because a preliminary test indicated a positive identification of ricin. There are consequential tests that have to be taken that could prove that it was not ricin, right?
GELLER: Exactly. Again, in the idea of being safe rather than sorry later, people would rather be safe and overreact to a possible ricin story rather than miss something and then have people get sick.
WHITFIELD: Of course, not everyone knows how to identify ricin. So if you were to come into contact with it, what might it look like? How would you know that this is a deadly poison that I've come into contact with?
GELLER: Ricin typically is embedded in powders, white powder, other discolored powders. So it could look like powdered sugar, it could look like a lot of other things. It's hard to tell. If you encounter white powders in places where there shouldn't be, such as the story in this case where there shouldn't be powder on a roll of quarters, it becomes suspicious. At that point, the best thing to do is put down the stuff. If you have something handy, put a wastebasket, put a bowl, put a box over it and get help from people who know how to investigate such circumstances.
WHITFIELD: And it sounds like, in this case, what little information we know about what's taking place at UT Austin, this young lady and her friend probably did a lot of the right things if the reports are right. That as soon as she got it, she called authorities. I don't know if the gut reaction for everybody would be that, hmm, here's a powder. It may be a toxin. Let me call the authorities.
GELLER: That's exactly a good point. From what we know, it sounds like the authorities were involved early and that sounds like the appropriate thing to do.
WHITFIELD: And as we await any kind of test results, one thing we do need to know, if someone is exposed and they are showing a lot of these symptoms, which sometimes can be confused with flu-like or cold-like symptoms, what kind of treatment is somebody going to be exposed to?
GELLER: Well, the first thing that people would do is try and make a diagnosis. The second thing that I would do meantime, or perhaps I shouldn't say in order, but at the same time I would think that people would get supportive care, make sure they don't get dehydrate, make sure that they have treatment as appropriate for the symptoms they develop. And I would expect a very positive outcome in most cases.
WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Robert Geller, thanks again, Emory University.
GELLER: Thank you very much.
WHITFIELD: And this reminder, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Well, in a city down on its luck, people have found reasons to celebrate. Mardi Gras parades and parties are in full swing this weekend in New Orleans. And while it's not the same as before Hurricane Katrina, there is hope that this year's Mardi Gras will help move the city forward. Our Gulf Coast Correspondent Susan Roesgen is watching it all today from the Big Easy -- Susan.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka.
I tried to slow down the parade for you. The last few floats just went by. We had two parades this morning. But the big one, the one that my co-partner in crime, Sean Callebs, is supposed to ride in tonight, Endymion, has been canceled because they think it's going to pour.
You see the cops are saying it right now. Endymion is canceled tonight. Even so, there are a lot of people lining St. Charles Avenue. This is the avenue of Grand Mansions. Today it's the avenue of ordinary folks who have come out to watch their neighbors in the parade.
We've got some local folks here.
Ma'am, tell us your name and why you're here today. Why you came out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, my name is Kate Fretcherking and I grew up here. And I came out because I have a 12-year-old daughter and her buddy and you can't not come out. And for New Orleaneans I think it's just part of trying to regain some type of normalcy after all this. So I think that's a big reason a lot of people have come out.
ROESGEN: I have to ask you the one question we all ask each other here in New Orleans. How's your house?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had a house on the coat that was swept away. But my home here had minimal damage, but some other property flooded and roofs off, but I still have a place to go.
ROESGEN: All right. Good luck to you. Happy Mardi Gras.
Ma'am, where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Araro (ph). I live on the west bank.
ROESGEN: How's your house?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My house is kaput. I had floodwater because Broussard closed the, you know, he's sent everybody away, which was a good thing, honestly, I think. But -- and then my oak tree came through the roof. So everything was lost.
ROESGEN: You know, some people in the rest of the country don't quite understand this, why are we here today in spite of what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because we have to go on. We have to. It's the human spirit. It's the human spirit to celebrate life, you know?
ROESGEN: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When someone die, you go out and you party, you know?
ROESGEN: Go on, we will.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.
ROESGEN: Eat, drink and be merry for Ash Wednesday, we collapse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If ever I cease to love.
ROESGEN: Good luck to you. Happy Mardi Gras.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nicely done, Freddy (ph). Nicely done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
ROESGEN: That does it for the parades this afternoon, Fredricka. Once again, the big one, Endymion, has been canceled. They'll move it to tomorrow night. And we'll have more live coverage throughout the days on CNN.
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll be looking forward to all of that. Thank you so much, Susan.
ROESGEN: Well, about an hour's drive east of New Orleans, Mardi Gras celebrations are also under way. Biloxi, Mississippi, was one of the city's in Katrina's bull's-eye. CNN's Kathleen Koch is there.
Kathleen, how's it look there?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, actually it's starting to rain now, but that hasn't put a damper on the Mardi Gras spirit here, though it has made life increasingly difficult here, is just the lack of really basic infrastructure. You see behind me the crumbled bridge over Biloxi Bay connecting Biloxi and Ocean Springs.
It looks just as it did six months ago. Just like the bridge at the western end of the Mississippi Gulf Coast connecting Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian. Construction on these vital infrastructure projects hasn't even begun. So it is making people's lives very tough.
But, you know, Despite all that, and the rubble and the destruction and the debris, people are celebrating Mardi Gras. A children's parade rolled down the streets of Biloxi this morning. Kids in costumes, some of them in wagons, throwing beads.
Everyone having a great time. And but as thrilled as they are down with this day of normalcy, it's still distressing to many that the homes and a lot of the businesses along the parade route do still look just as they did six months ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH (voice-over): This may look like a scene from August. It's not. This is how the Fastrac convenience store still looks today.
NORMAN BARRENTINE, FASTRAC CHAIN MANAGER: Yes. Time is standing still. But we're going forward.
KOCH: Norman Barrentine manages a chain of the stores in Mississippi. Two were flattened. This one in Gulfport, he insists, despite appearances, can be restored.
So this is the store that looks good.
BARRENTINE: It's the one that looks good. Yes.
KOCH: Whoa.
BARRENTINE: Relatively compared, this is the one that looks good.
KOCH: Barrentine says the reason this Fastrac is on such a slow road to recovery is simple -- not battles with the insurance company, getting somebody to do the work.
BARRENTINE: You know, all of your construction people are just swamped. Plumbing people, air conditioning people, electricians, everybody has just got more work than they can do.
KOCH: Barrentine hopes that in the next 30 days the rotting food and other goods strewn through the store will finally be removed, and that his 10 former employees will, by year's end, some 16 months after the hurricane, be able to return to their jobs.
BARRENTINE: It takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. The storm take you out overnight but it will take you a little while to come back. So we'll rebuild it. It will be a better store, a nicer store. More modern store.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: Now some of the greatest progress here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been at the casinos. They're really the financial engines that drive the economy here. And while a lot of them are still facing a long, long road ahead, still just complete piles of debris. There are several that have reopened and they're providing jobs and much need tax dollars for the cash strapped economies of the local cities -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kathleen, thanks so much. We know that Hurricane Katrina had an especially tough impact on you because you grew up in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, between Biloxi and New Orleans.
Well, coming up at the top of the hour, Kathleen returns to her home town to see how it's faring in the months since Katrina. And you won't want to miss this "CNN Presents" "Saving My Town: The Fight For Bay St. Louis." That's at 3:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
And you can get complete coverage of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the celebrations and the controversies right here on CNN. Tune in Monday beginning at 6:00 a.m. Eastern for "American Morning." Then in prime time, CNN's Anderson Cooper will look at inside fat Tuesday parade preparations. That's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
Bringing the World Wide Web with you on the road. We'll show you the latest gadgets you'll need to stay connected.
Also, could America's love affair with the road be this country's Achilles heel in the war on terror?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER BEUTEL, OIL ANALYST: Terrorists have declared open season on oil facilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: How recent violent attacks in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia could affect your financial bottom line.
And up next, the unrest in Iraq. What government officials are doing to try to stop the upswing in sectarian attacks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In Iraq, an upsurge of violence. More than 30 people are dead. Dozens of others wounded. Sectarian clashes have escalated since the bombing of a Shiite shrine. And a daylight curfew in Baghdad has been extended now until Monday morning. Our Aneesh Raman has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An extraordinary 34-hour curfew set to begin late Saturday through Monday morning in the Iraqi capital, all vehicles banned from the streets. That announcement coming at a press conference earlier today from the ministries of defense and interior.
At that press conference as well, the minister of defense said that the ministry of defense is ready to deploy tanks if needed given the situation at hand. Also saying that if civil war broke out in Iraq, it would be impossible to stop.
Meantime, despite a present daytime curfew that was in place today, the violence throughout the country does persist. In Baghdad, a funeral procession for the slain journalist Atwar Bahjat killed in Samarra after the attack on the mosque Wednesday morning.
The procession came under attack as they were leaving the burial site. Gunmen opened fire on the Iraqi police who were escorting the procession. At least two police officers were killed. Some five others were wounded.
In the city of Karbala today, the insurgency making its presence known. A car bomb detonating remotely, killing at least five, wounding some 31 other. And in Baqubah, a snapshot of the sectarian strife that has engulfed this country. Eleven members of a Shia family gunned down after armed men stormed into their house.
Meantime, the Iraqi government is still struggling to find a long-term strategy beyond these persisting curfews. Shia and Sunni leaders still not officially speaking to one another as the government tries to figure out what comes next, how to get a handle of this situations. They cannot have these curfews go on forever. They have to find a way for people to go about their business and for this violence not to return.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Is the world's oil supply becoming the newest front line in the war on terror? Up next, what recent attacks in the Middle East and Africa could mean to prices at the pump.
And still to come, abortion rights taking a big hit in South Dakota. State lawmakers pass the nation's most restrictive abortion ban. Our legal eagles debate whether it will ever actually become law.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Oil under siege. In Saudi Arabia, militants attack a vital oil installation in Nigeria. Activists kidnap oil workers and sabotage facilities. Is this evidence of a growing link between oil and terror? CNN's Ali Velshi reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A one-two punch for oil prices. Crude oil in New York posted its biggest jump in a month, more than $2, to nearly $63 a barrel. Grabbing headlines, a failed suicide attack on Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq processing center. It handles two-thirds of all Saudi output, making it perhaps the most important oil facility in the world.
PETER BEUTEL, OIL ANALYST: What is alarming about this is that it seems to be part of a pattern that we're seeing worldwide where terrorists have declared open season on oil facilities.
VELSHI: Another example, right now not as big but potentially even bigger. Nigerian militants released photographs of hostages they're holding. A self-proclaimed anti-government movement has been targeting western oil interests in that country, attacking production facilities and killing workers. Some workers have abandoned their stations and a fifth of all Nigerian oil production has already been knocked out.
Why does that matter? Here's why. Oil is in tight supply worldwide. Even small disruptions can trigger a shortage. Saudi Arabia has the largest supply of proven crude oil reserves in the world. And it's America's third largest supplier behind Canada and Mexico. Nigeria is the fifth largest supplier to the U.S.
BEUTEL: Today more than anything tells us that petro terrorism is now a new factor both in the market and the world. They may -- I think the terrorists may have decided it's easier to attack our lifeblood than it is to attack our homes.
VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Still driving while you're using your cell phone? Well, let's show you some new gadgets to help you negotiate a little bit on the road.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Is this Mardi Gras the economic boost that New Orleans need? Well, that depends who you ask. I'm Chris Lawrence live on Bourbon Street with the story.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your "Cold & Flu Report" for Saturday.
As we take a look at the map across the country, we'll show you outbreaks of the flu so far this season. Widespread activity across Texas, Florida, much of the southeast with regional outbreaks from Louisiana all the way north towards Minnesota. Some local activity out west, including California, Arizona and New Mexico.
That's a look at your "Cold & Flu Report" for Saturday. I'm Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider. Have a great weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: A look again at our top story. Two University of Texas students show no symptoms of ricin poisoning today. School officials say they could have been exposed when one of the students found a powder in a roll of coins. Preliminary tests indicate the substance is ricin. More tests are following.
Widespread violence across Iraq today killed several dozen people. The bloodshed follows this week's bombing at a Shiite shrine. President Bush phoned seven Iraqi leaders today to appeal for calm.
Two new arrests today in connection with this week's big heist in England. Thieves carted off $44 million, perhaps double that from a securities firm. Three other people have been questioned.
Police in the Philippines crack down today after a coup plot surfaced this week. They arrested three critics of President Gloria Arroyo and raided a newspaper officer. Ms. Arroyo declared a state of emergency on Friday.
It's a Mardi Gras to remember, for residents and visitors alike in the Big Easy. There are signs of recovery in New Orleans. Nearly six months after Hurricane Katrina. But still there's a lot of work to be done. Our Chris Lawrence is live from New Orleans -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, there was a lot of debate about whether New Orleans was ready to invite all these crowds back here to Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras. Some people said they shouldn't have held it. Others said it was vital to have Mardi Gras this year not only for the emotional effect of a healthy recovery but also the financial one.
I spent the past couple of days trying to find out exactly how much of an economic boost this Mardi Gras is giving here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): There are still good times on Bourbon Street, but walk one block over. Stores are empty.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's real bad. Every business is suffering.
LAWRENCE: Maria Nelson (ph) says sales have dropped 70 percent. Her gallery depends on older tourists who appreciate artwork.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we're not getting that at all. We're getting the younger generation.
LAWRENCE: Visitors could be confused by the different signals the city is sending: open and closed, hopeful, still hurting.
HAROLD PINKLEY, NEW ORLEANS VISITOR: Downtown, where I was, you know, it's -- superficially, it looks OK, but you can tell there's just not a lot of people down there.
STEPHEN PERRY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NEW ORLEANS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU: Well, New Orleans right now is a tale of two cities.
LAWRENCE: Steve Perry runs the Convention and Visitors Bureau. He says, the tourist industry is New Orleans' largest employer and generates one-third of the city's operating budget. Perry says, New Orleans has reopened 28,000 hotel rooms.
PERRY: We're almost sold out for Mardi Gras, which is great. We have got over 1,000 restaurants open, and almost 30,000 people back to work.
LAWRENCE: But take a closer look. That number of rooms is still 10,000 fewer than normal. It's sold out because some big hotels are still shut down, the Ritz-Carlton and Fairmont, just to name two. A lot of restaurants are still boarded up. And, for every person back to work, there are two jobs that haven't been filled.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After Katrina, everything changed. It won't be the same ever again.
LAWRENCE (on camera): Maybe not. But it's not all bad news. The Ritz, for example, hopes to reopen by the end of the year. And Southwest Airlines announced just this week that it's adding a new flight from Phoenix to New Orleans.
You know, a lot of people who have been here on Bourbon Street for 15 or 20 Mardi Gras say the crowds aren't nearly what they were in years past, but as someone who was here six months ago right after Katrina, it was hard to imagine all of this happening back then. Fredricka.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Good to see a few signs of progress there. Chris Lawrence, thank you so much from The Big Easy.
CNN's reporters are back on the story with a special look at covering the aftermath of Katrina. Don't miss a brand new addition tonight of "ON THE STORY" at 7:00 eastern only on CNN.
Ahead this afternoon, "CNN PRESENTS: Saving My Town, The Fight for Bay St. Louis." CNN's Kathleen Koch returns to her Mississippi hometown to chronicle the devastation and a community's determination to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. That's today at 3:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
In our "Legal Briefs" today, convicted killer Michael Morales wins an 11th hour reprieve in California after San Quentin Prison says it can't find a doctor or nurse willing to administer the lethal injection. A judge had ordered that a licensed medical professional had to carry out the process.
Morales was scheduled to die on Tuesday for the 1983 rape and murder of 17-year-old Terry Winchell. The next step in this drama will now be in Federal court. A hearing in May will focus on the constitutionality of California's lethal injection process. In South Dakota, state legislators have passed a bill banning nearly all abortions, including those involving rape and incest. The only exception would be to save a woman's life. Governor Mike Rounds has indicated he'll sign the bill into law. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a federal ban on a procedure critics call partial birth abortions. Here's CNN's Sumi Das.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A changed bench, a contentious issue, the Supreme Court has agreed to consider the constitutionality of a federal law banning a type of late-term abortion dubbed partial birth by anti-abortion groups.
JONATHAN SIEGAL, PROFESSOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.: The ultimate question of whether there's a Constitutional right to abortion at all will not be at stake, but nonetheless it will be an important test as to how hospitable the new justices will be towards regulation of abortion.
DAS (on camera): The issue isn't new. In 2000, a Nebraska state law banning the late-term procedure was struck down by the Supreme Court due to the lack of health exception for pregnant mothers.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Samuel Alito now replacing Sandra Day O'Connor, who was in the majority six years ago, is going to reconsider almost precisely the same case, in this case, a federal law, could be a major change in abortion law very quickly.
DAS (voice-over): The case could signal turning tides. Some legal experts suggest more cases which narrow abortion rights may follow.
SIEGAL: Until perhaps ten years from now, 15 years from now, the Supreme Court may say this right has been narrowed so far that it doesn't make Constitutional sense anymore. That's certainly possible.
DAS: In Washington, I'm Sumi Das.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: These are the cases we're putting before our own legal eagles, Richard Herman and Avery Friedman. Good to see you both. Let's first talk about the South Dakota banning of nearly all abortions. The governor said he's going to sign it into law. So we have a pretty good idea that it is going to become law. But almost assuredly it will head towards the Supreme Court, Richard?
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's going to head to the Supreme Court, Fred. The Supreme Court has said that abortions are legal in the United States. And states like South Dakota, which allows 30 percent interest rates on your credit cards, has now completely banned abortions for the only cause to save a woman's life, made it a felony, not for the person requesting the abortion but for the physician performing the abortion. It does not take into consideration any other health risks, like you said earlier, incest, rape, those are thrown out. Only save the person's life. It's extremely restrictive. It's absolutely going to be appealed.
WHITFIELD: Avery, what kind of lifespan do you see this law having?
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, I think assuming the governor signs it, and I think he will, this law actually is a travesty if a young woman is raped or a victim of incest, there is nothing she can do in South Dakota. The legislators said, too bad. In fact, they're flying in doctors from other states to help in those kind of situations but they'll be guilty of felonies, the doctor will be looking at five years.
The reality is it will be enjoined by a Federal District Court, no question. So the reality is that it will not be enforced until it finds its way if ever to the Supreme Court. That's not a sure thing.
WHITFIELD: Why do you suppose South Dakota is the trail blazer on this? We're talking about a state that has something like 800 abortions being performed each year mostly out of one clinic in a state of 770,000. Does it seem strange that South Dakota would become the test state for this?
FRIEDMAN: Not really it weren't South Dakota, it would be someplace else. What we're looking for here is a mentality on the part of males to say, you know what, let's say that women are victims of incest and rape, let's not give them any protections and hopefully from a policy perspective, the Supreme Court will take it. I think that's perverse. That's a travesty because after all, they're using women as the guinea pigs. And again, the idea is hopefully in their mind the Supreme Court will take it and there's a real question about that.
WHITFIELD: Interesting. Richard, let's turn to the partial birth question. It may not necessarily be a Constitutional issue, but instead the Supreme Court is now going to try to determine how far the federal government can go when it comes down to regulating abortion. Is that what is at issue here?
HERMAN: It's really not regulating abortions, it is regulating the method of the abortion, the procedure being utilized. And here, these types of procedures, these partial birth abortions, are used in late-term pregnancies when the person wants to terminate the pregnancy.
Doctors have testified, there's empirical data on this, that this is the safest way to do the procedure. It's a medical issue. I don't believe it's a legislative issue. Avery, you chime in on this, but that's my position on this.
FRIEDMAN: You know, I think you got it right. I mean, the fact is that the Supreme Court -- and this is important to understand. In all these cases of choice and reproductive rights, in questions of abortion, have generally deferred to the doctors. So Richard is right.
In this case, it was substantial amount of testimony by doctors that this process affected the health of a woman. It could be serious. And I think -- and maybe I'm optimistic, but I'm not really worried that the Supreme Court is going to do any damage to existing reproductive law precedent right now.
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's move on to the California case. You're talking about 36 states that are death penalty states, 35 of which actually use lethal injection.
So, Richard, now we've got this issue going on in California. Who usually administers lethal injection?
HERMAN: Well, in California, it's done by a special three mix cocktail. Once the needle is put in the arm, a machine or a computer releases the flow in. You know, the defense attorney caught the right judge on the right day, the moon, the stars aligned.
And he said, I want to be 100 percent certain that there's no pain and suffering caused to this person. I can't be certain. Therefore, I want anesthesiologists there to deaden any pain if he feels it. The anesthesiologist came in. They would not administer any anesthesia.
Then the judge said OK, any doctor could just administer the injections. They could not find a doctor in California. This will be two years out, but he will eventually find his death in that room.
FRIEDMAN: Let me answer the question. You said who does it. The answer is the warden and the people who work for him, non-medical personnel. So U.S. district Judge Jeremy Fogle (ph) is going to have that hearing a comprehensive one, maybe the most comprehensive in American jurisprudential history coming up in May, on whether this process is cruel and unusual or not. And it remains to be seen. We don't know the answer.
HERMAN: Hey, Fred, in the history of the United States Supreme Court, they have never ruled that any procedure has been unconstitutional. So we have that going.
FRIEDMAN: We'll see. We'll see.
WHITFIELD: All right, gentlemen, thank you so much. Avery Friedman, Richard Herman, always good to see you on a lovely Saturday.
FRIEDMAN: Nice to see you, Fredricka.
HERMAN: Bye, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Have a good weekend.
HERMAN: You too.
WHITFIELD: Their existence is threatened around the world. Now two manatees are getting the chance to give their species a fighting chance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN COOLEY, CNET.COM: A lot of folks know about bluetooth in the car, you can use a bluetooth enabled-phone like this Treo or many other models, and get the hands-free speakerphone function. But you still often have to dial the phone right on the little phone screen. That's distracting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So what's a driver to do? We'll show you how a new dashboard device that can do the searching for you might soon be available.
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WHITFIELD: Well, welcome back. Let's open our Saturday "Technofile." Just because you're on the road doesn't mean you have to be offline. CNN's Renay San Miguel shows us technology to take along for your drive.
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RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just because you're commuting doesn't mean you can't connect to the Internet, just because your hands are at 10 and 2 on the wheel doesn't mean you can't make a phone call. Brian Cooley with CNET is here to show us how to do that, starting with this computer in the car. And, obviously, you're not talking about actually surfing while you're driving.
COOLEY: No, what I'm doing right now is not what you should do in real life while you're moving. But when you're pulled over and you need to get onto the Internet, you can do it now without having to go hunt down a hot spot, which folks do now. You can use a wireless cellular data card. Here's one from Sprint, for example.
And it uses what's called a EBDO high-speed data network, which gives you about 400 to 700 kilobits. That's like an OK broadband connection at home. Now, that will work in an entire metro area, wherever you would have Spring connectivity, so it's big coverage.
And you can surf the web, go to a Web site. You can also go to even the iTunes music store and download new music for your drive. You can see right here I'm able to move, you know, large amounts of data on this connection, and that's a great way to go instead of hunting down hot spots.
MIGUEL: OK, let's talk about hands on connectivity for your phone.
COOLEY: Now, a lot of folks know about bluetooth in the car. You can use a bluetooth-enabled phone like this Treo or many other models, and get the hands-free speakerphone function. But you still often have to dial the phone right on the little phone screen. That's distracting. This Audi A6 is really state of the art. What they've done is integrated the phonebook of the phone into the dashboard. So when I go to the telephone mode, I can go down to my directory, my phonebook, and it's right here on the dash, controlled by these knobs here on the console. Again, I keep my eyes on the road and I use controls that are optimized for safe driving.
MIGUEL: We've moved to a car that doesn't have bluetooth capability to show that you can still make a hands-free phone call when you want to, right, Brian?
COOLEY: There are many devices like this on the market, Renay. This is the Motorola HF820, as an example. Under $100, it is a basic wireless speakerphone. So you would take this -- and it is all charged up with its own battery -- clip it to a sun visor, let's say. Speak toward that.
Then you have your bluetooth in this car like this Treo or any other bluetooth phone, and that becomes your wireless speakerphone link. So this is where the audio is. You're hands-free, you're driving. Everything is good. Now, it's a simple device. You don't dial from this and it has no display. That's the simple way.
More sophisticated from a company called Parrot would be this Model 3200. It gives you picture caller I.D. you Can load your directory and your phone entries into this like we saw in the Audi. This is also wired in its installation, so it can mute your stereo when have you a call. more sophisticated, but on the downside, you can't take it from car to car.
MIGUEL: OK, but it's hands free and you stay connected. With Brian Cooley of CNET, thanks so much for joining us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Hurricane Katrina, it destroyed her hometown. So CNN correspondent Kathleen Koch recently returned to see the devastation for herself. And at the top of the hour, see her emotional reunions and watch as her community searches for ways to deal with slow recovery efforts and frustrating insurance fights.
But first, in need of a little good news? Well, the story of two manatees on the move and why it's bringing smiles in the sunshine state.
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WHITFIELD: Let's look at what's happening across America this weekend. A South Carolina teacher faces sexual misconduct charges today. Wendie Schweikert is accused of having sex with an 11-year-old student. She resigned her teaching position yesterday. A judge set bond at $100,000. Prosecutors say more charges may be filed.
Hawaii may reopen a popular beach sometime today despite a possible shark attack. A body found just off Maui has bite marks that appear to be from a shark. The remains could be a San Jose, California, man who never returned from snorkeling on Thursday.
And Sheryl Crow's publicist says the singer's medical outlook is excellent. The Grammy Winner underwent surgery this week for breast cancer. Crow is expected to undergo radiation as a precaution. Her North American tour dates for March and April have been postponed.
And it wasn't a pretty sight to behold. Actor Richard Gere, gosh, can you recognize him there, in a blonde wig, a bra and did I mention the gold dancing pumps? That's part of the adventure when you accept Harvard's Hasty Pudding award for acting.
The outlandish costume was a spoof of Gere's role in "Chicago" and he has a good sense of humor about it all.
The manatee is under assault by good timing humans. Our pleasure boats and our trash intrude on their coastal habitat. Only 3,000 of the animals remain off the Southeastern shores. Now a program that nurses manatees to health so they can be returned to the sea is getting great reviews. Reporter Jessica Sanchez from our affiliate WKMG has a look in this edition of "Our Planet."
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JESSICA SANCHEZ, WKMG REPORTER (voice-over): It takes the muscle power of 12 men and women, but it takes the love of Sea World's entire rescue team to bring two manatees to this point.
MICHAEL WALSH, SEA WORLD VETERINARIAN: The odds are really with us on this. Because the history here of our orphans coming up here is good.
SANCHEZ: Three year old Turtle was an orphan. Eleven year old Stoneman (ph) was bred in captivity. There stories are different, but their outcome the same.
For the last two years Sea World veterinarians have been preparing to release them into a more natural habitat at the Blue Springs State Park to join nearly 200 other manatees that call this place home.
WALSH: We thought it was best at this stage to give them the best chance possible, which is freshwater, doesn't taste funny, lot of good plants around that you can eat to your heart's desire.
SANCHEZ (on camera): Tagging them to track them, both manatees are being fitted with this device that will stay with them for up to a year so scientists can monitor their condition.
(voice-over): Their first swim into the Blue Springs was a triumphant one, witnessed by dozens of people who experienced a side of the wildlife you can't even pay for at Sea World.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's on the other side of the glass. This the coolest thing ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes you feel like there's so much out there that we don't know. And we're such a little part of it.
SANCHEZ: As the colorful trackers bobbed and weaved along the top of the warm waters, the Sea World rescue team could tell the two manatees were already adopting nicely to their environment.
In Voulusa County, Jessica Sanchez, Local Six.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Always good to see that kind of encouragement.
A CNN correspondent's emotional homecoming is coming up. Hurricane Katrina destroyed Kathleen Koch's home town. Up next, on "CNN PRESENTS" watch her frustrating search for answers about why her community is still waiting for insurance payouts.
Then at 4:00 p.m. eastern how MTV wants to change the face of spring break for hundreds of American college students and help the Gulf Coast at the same time.
Be sure to tune in at 5:00 p.m. eastern to find out what it's like for Katrina evacuees to be spending their days in a Mississippi tent community.
A check of the day's headlines is coming up next, then "CNN PRESENTS."
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WHITFIELD: Hello again, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here's what's making news right now.
Fear at the University of Texas in Austin after early tests indicate a student found the deadly poison ricin in a dorm. So far, no one is showing any symptoms of ricin poisoning. An FBI-led investigation is under way.
Empty streets in Central Baghdad. Iraqi authorities are extending a daylight curfew in the capital until Monday morning. Most traffic is banned. It's the latest effort to curb sectarian clashes that have escalated since the bombing this week of a revered Shiite mosque in Samarra.
British police have two more suspects in custody in connection with the robbery at a cash storage depot. The heist on Wednesday of at least $44 million is thought to be Britain's biggest ever currency theft. Police earlier questioned three other suspects in the case.
As the Central Gulf Coast slowly recovers from Hurricane Katrina, the region is trying to put some of its cares behind this weekend's scaled down Mardi Gras celebrations are in full swing in New Orleans and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
An hour from now, on CNN, I'll look at an alternative spring break being put together by MTV and United Way. One hundred college student will skip the beach party this year and instead help rebuild the Gulf coast.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield. More news at the top of the hour. "CNN PRESENTS" begins right now.
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