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Update on Terri Schiavo Case; The Thawing Arctic; Social Security
Aired March 23, 2005 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: When I close my eyes at night, all I can see is Terri's face in front of me dying, starving to death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A mother's anguish as the courts weigh the parents' latest effort in the Terri Schiavo case. New developments and what could be next this hour for you.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Helping the families of fallen heroes with golf. We're on tour with the player who's swinging for a good cause. Check out the camouflage.
O'BRIEN: It's awfully cold work trying to find out how warm the world is getting. A sneak preview of my new CNN documentary, "Melting Point."
PHILLIPS: "American Idol" fans may have reached a melting point of their own after last night's number mix-up. What happened and why.
O'BRIEN: I'm telling you, that was no accident. That was no accident. They were doing it to make a few extra bucks.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: The very non-opinionated Miles O'Brien. And I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
More appeals and more protests today in the Terri Schiavo case. Schiavo's parents go back to federal court, hoping to have their daughter's feeding tube reinserted.
They want the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to review a ruling by a three-judge panel overnight. Now, in declining to step in, the panel said, "There's no denying the absolute tragedy that has befallen Mrs. Schiavo." But the majority went on to say, "We are called upon to make a collective, objective decision concerning a question of law."
In Florida, meantime, a state senator is scrambling for votes on legislation aimed at keeping Schiavo alive.
President Bush is weighing in on the Schiavo case, calling the situation extraordinary and sad. Mr. Bush says he will await the court's decision.
For the details, let's go to our Dana Bash in Waco, Texas -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
The president saying he will await the decision, but a very important bit of news from the White House as it has been weighing what has been going on and its options, and its basic decision at this point, and that is that there really isn't anything more they can do beyond sending this issue to the federal courts. Scott McClellan, White House spokesman, tells CNN, "There really are not other legal options available to us." And that, he is saying, if and when the federal court system does not side with Terri Schiavo's family and allows the feeding tube to be put back in.
Now, the president's legal team, both at the Justice Department and in the White House Counsel's Office, have been going through any and all legal options over the past several days. Perhaps any executive branch options. And, again, what they've included is that there really aren't any.
And earlier today, just about an hour ago, the president did weigh in on this, and he actually tried to make clear that they don't have any options left. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have looked at all options prior to taking the action we took last weekend in concert with Congress. And we felt like the actions taken with Congress was the best course of action.
This is an extraordinary and sad case. And I believe that in a case such as this, the legislative branch, the executive branch ought to err on the side of life, which we have. And now we'll watch the courts make its decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, to be clear, the Justice Department, the Bush Justice Department, has filed a brief. They filed actually a few briefs, one with the federal district court and then again with the 11th circuit, saying that it is the Bush administration's opinion that they do side with the Schiavo family, that they do want the feeding tube to be reinserted. But the point that the White House is trying to make, once again, is that if and when this goes through, exhausts the federal court process, that at this point they do not think that there's anything more that the White House from the executive branch can do on this matter -- Miles -- excuse me -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: That's OK. So reading between the lines, Dana, could the president be saying to every political leader here, maybe every member of Congress, back off, we're finished?
BASH: Well, it's interesting that you say that because we saw a letter go from the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, to Florida Governor Jeb Bush yesterday, sort of, again, if you read between the lines, saying that, saying that he hopes that the Florida state government does take this up, that he can get the legislature to do this. Again, that, perhaps, was another hint that from the federal level, even perhaps from the perspective of Congress, that they think they've done all they could do in passing a bill, the president signing it into law to instruct the federal courts to deal with this matter -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Dana Bash in Waco, Texas. Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Schiavos family says the brain-damaged woman is fading fast. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken live now in Pinellas Park, Florida.
Another emotional day there, right, Bob?
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Another day where, in order to put pressure on the politicians, those who are fighting for the return of the feeding tube to Terri Schiavo ratcheted things up a little by having a little bit larger protest. Ten were arrested when they tried to get past policemen with water for Terri Schiavo.
Now, of course, all of this is symbolic. All of it was highly organized, highly choreographed, negotiated with the police.
The arrests included, as you can see, children. The three family members of one of the people who had come in, the children were arrested. They were put in handcuffs, and they were put in a separate squad car to be taken to the juvenile assessment center. The seven adults were taken off to a different direction.
The charge will be trespassing. There will be bond that is usually set at $250. All of this was done very peacefully with the help of the police.
And part of the public relations campaign, something that is very emotional, is the appearance each day of Terri Schiavo's mother. She, by the way, has just gone back into the hospice for a visit. But a while ago she made a plea to the politicians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHINDLER: When I close my eyes at night all I can see is Terri's face in front of me dying, starving to death. Please, someone out there, stop this cruelty. Stop the insanity. Please let my daughter live.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Most of that now directed toward the state capitol in Tallahassee, where the legislature is trying to sort out some sort of bill that would possibly result in the reinstatement of the feeding tube into Terri Schiavo. The family is known to become more increasingly frustrated about what is going on in the court system. They continue to push hard there in the federal level, with the entire appeals court in Atlanta, and then the Supreme Court next. But they're also focusing very hard on the state politicians -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Well, Bob, on the state, what precisely could the state do in this case? They've already weighed in on this one time.
FRANKEN: Well, they weighed on it a lot of times. And what they are considering is legislation that might challenge the way that somebody is a guardian and might come up with alternatives to just being the husband, who gets the preference. Another thing is to talk about living wills and have more stringent requirements for living wills.
There's a variety of possibilities there, and they are exploring all of them. And, quite frankly, what they're hoping to do is come up with something that at least quickly returns the feeding tube before all of this discussion becomes tragically moot.
O'BRIEN: All right. Bob Franken in Pinellas Park. Thank you very much.
The Justice Department is filing in support of the Schindlers as well. There's a lot to keep track of. A lot of legal tracks to consider here. Let's bring in an expert to help us sort it out, former federal prosecutor Kent Alexander, who's now the general counsel and vice president at Emory University here in Atlanta.
Kent, good to have you with us.
KENT ALEXANDER, FMR. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Good to be here.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk -- since we're just talking about the state legislature and the possibility it could get into the mix here, in one sense I'm sure there's a body of thought here that it doesn't matter what they pass is constitutional or not. The goal here is to get the feeding tube back in and cause a delay.
ALEXANDER: Right. And while I'm no expert on Florida law, any legislature could come up with a piece of legislation just to make something happen and then worry about the constitutionality later. I'm not sure whether the Florida legislature's going to jump in again or not at this point, though.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get back to your bailiwick, which is the federal court system, after all. A lot of people might be scratching their heads, wondering how a party could appeal to the very same court they had already appealed to in the first place.
On the one hand, you've got a three-judge panel. In this case, they're appealing to the entire 12-judge circuit court of appeals.
ALEXANDER: Right.
O'BRIEN: Is that allowed in every case?
ALEXANDER: It is allowed. And there was a three-judge panel, as you said, that made the ruling. They split 2-1. The next step is, you file this petition, which apparently has been done, though after the 10:00 deadline set by the court. So I don't know how that plays out. But the full court votes, and if the majority of the act of judges -- there are roughly a dozen of them -- say, yes, we'll rehear this, then you'll have a rehearing en banc it's called.
O'BRIEN: All right. And clearly time is of the essence here. And when you say a "rehearing," actual oral arguments, or would this be another series of paper motions?
ALEXANDER: They could be paper motions, but usually a rehearing en banc, there are actual oral arguments. And that would be here in Atlanta if it would happen.
O'BRIEN: All right.
ALEXANDER: But it would have to happen soon.
O'BRIEN: Happen pretty quickly. The other issue which keeps coming up time and again is the Supreme Court.
ALEXANDER: Right.
O'BRIEN: Now, the Supreme Court has weighed in on this I think at least three times, saying it's not going to entertain this case at all. Nevertheless, that would be another course of action here, would be to take the appeal up to Washington.
ALEXANDER: It would be. It's really a two-step process.
Once, you can go the full 11th Circuit, the en banc route. And then two, your next level would be to the Supreme Court. I'm not surprised that the attorneys for Terri Schiavo are doing both, but I suspect this will play out pretty quickly, as it did with the last round, when the ruling happened within a day.
O'BRIEN: All right. So for those that are just trying to keep track at home, there's the state legislature course, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and there's also a concurrent -- all of these concurrent, U.S. Supreme Court, all of these things kind of coalescing at the same time.
ALEXANDER: Right, with one exception. And that is the Supreme Court would wait for the 11th Circuit -- the full 11th Circuit to rule. But we don't even know if they're going to accept it or not to look at it. But eventually it will end up at the Supreme Court.
O'BRIEN: All right. Kent Alexander, thank you very much.
ALEXANDER: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Appreciate your insights.
Now, stay with CNN for continuing coverage of the Terri Schiavo case. We'll be live in Atlanta, Washington, and in -- there you are -- and in Atlanta, Washington, and in Florida to bring you all the latest developments as they happen.
PHILLIPS: Well, some here, we were hoping for something maybe a little more royal. But could this really be the room where the vows will be said between Prince Charles and his lady love, Camilla Parker Bowles? I guess we'll find out later on LIVE FROM.
O'BRIEN: It's a royal pain...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): The North Pole is 1,100 miles that way. The Arctic Circle about 500 miles that way. And we're just off Barrow, Alaska.
And it's kind of hard to imagine the concept of global warming here. It is below zero right now. But up here, the warming is more of a problem than it is elsewhere. As a matter of fact, the temperature is rising here about twice as fast as elsewhere. We're literally on thin ice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: All right. That's me and about $800 worth of gear that I put on my expense account walking on the Arctic Ocean.
PHILLIPS: And you'll never wear it again.
O'BRIEN: Well, I'm going skiing. Later on LIVE FROM, we'll get an exciting sneak peek at the new Miles O'Brien documentary, "Melting Point: Tracking the Global Warming Threat," which premieres this Sunday nationwide. Actually, globalwide.
PHILLIPS: Crazy (ph) busters.
O'BRIEN: All throughout the universe.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: I bet you awakened this morning with a list of worries, job, money, marriage, kids. But I bet very few of you have global warming on your top-10 concerns. Kyra says she does, but she's unusual. Well, maybe you should join Kyra.
Now, before your eyes glaze over, listen up. There is no longer any real scientific debate. The planet is warming. Humans are hastening the heating. Those are facts.
The proof is probably not in your backyard, however. Unless you live in a place like Kivalina, Alaska.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): The tiny village of Kivalina, Alaska, sits on a spit of land along the Arctic Circle. This is the edge of the edge.
Here houses are falling into the ocean as the coastline erodes. The autumn ice that protects the island from brutal winter storms is coming later each year. So Kivalina is disappearing, eroding into something less than a spit of land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The island is getting real, you know, real narrow mostly this fall.
O'BRIEN: The people here are considering leaving their homes to move to higher ground. This town may be in the vanguard of a global retreat inland over the coming warmer years.
(on camera): You've got to leave?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we've got to leave sooner or later.
O'BRIEN: I'm taking a walk right now on a little piece of the Arctic Ocean. The North Pole is 1,100 miles that way, the Arctic Circle about 500 miles that way, and we're just off Barrow, Alaska. And it's kind of hard to imagine the concept of global warming here. It is below zero right now.
But up here, the warming is more of a problem than it is elsewhere. As a matter of fact, the temperature is rising here about twice as fast as elsewhere. We're literally on thin ice. The question is, is the entire planet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Years back, when I was a kid, I used to see eight-foot-thick ice, 14-feet-thick ice. Forty years later, I'm now seeing ice at the most less than two feet thick.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): The ice that's disappearing literally sustains a people. It's where they hunt for food.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't grow stuff up here. We don't have the money. A lot of these people don't have the money to be able to go to the store.
We depend on the resources. Example, the polar bears and the seals, it's a matter of survival for our people. They're trying now to adapt to changes.
O'BRIEN: And experts say we should all be listening to what George Amawa (ph) is saying.
ROBERT CORELL, ARCTIC CLIMATE IMPACT ASSESSMENT: There is very consistent evidence that the Arctic is warming much more rapidly than the rest of the planet, and it has significance for the rest of the world.
O'BRIEN: And this is no longer the stuff of academic debate. From a variety of scientists we have heard the same conclusion. The jury is in, and the scientific verdict is clear: the earth is warming, and our addiction to burning fossil fuels is hastening the heating. Whatever debate remains focuses on how bad, how soon and what can be done about it.
GUS SPETH, YALE UNIVERSITY: We're changing the face of the planet and deeply committing the future to a situation which, frankly, as a new grandparent I am so concerned about. If we don't do something about it, we'll be handing to them a ruined world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: You can see our entire one-hour documentary on global warming Sunday. It may be an hour, but it will fly by. It will seem like 58 minutes. "CNN PRESENTS: "Melting Point: Tracking the Global Warming Threat." It is the first of four special reports that investigate critical issues confronting our world over the next 25 years in conjunction with our anniversary.
"Melting Point," Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Please set your TiVo. That is Easter Sunday. I know a lot of people are going to be traveling, but set the TiVo anyway.
PHILLIPS: All right. For the nonscientific type, you know -- when forced to read, I become an expert -- you know, I listen to this, I see the pictures, you talk about the debate. But then I think, OK, here at home what can I be doing? Can I be doing anything to make a bit of difference?
O'BRIEN: Well, you drive an SUV, right?
PHILLIPS: Not anymore.
O'BRIEN: OK. Well, that's good. So you've already -- you've taken a step.
PHILLIPS: So already I've done a good job.
O'BRIEN: That's a good first step. Sandy watched it.
PHILLIPS: Yes?
O'BRIEN: She said, "You know, we've got to get rid of that Yukon XL."
PHILLIPS: Yes, you do have a gas guzzler.
O'BRIEN: It's not a car, it's a zip code.
PHILLIPS: But it's more than that, though, right?
O'BRIEN: It's a zip code.
PHILLIPS: Yes, it is. I mean, you've got burning gas. What else?
O'BRIEN: Well, I mean, there are other things you can do. You can insulate your home better.
I mean, the first thing to do is look at the issue of conservation. Look at ways you can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases you put in the atmosphere. And each small step adds up.
You know, here we are, we have a very small percentage of the world's population, and we have, by far, the largest contribution of greenhouse gases. We're so affluent and so wasteful.
PHILLIPS: And we have so much.
O'BRIEN: And we have so much we don't think about it. And if we just sort of scale back from that a little bit, it would make a huge difference.
PHILLIPS: All right. I'm tuning in.
O'BRIEN: All right.
PHILLIPS: You can almost hear the clock ticking on Social Security.
O'BRIEN: But when will the fund go bankrupt? That's another long-range issue to worry about. A new official estimate could have you counting your pennies.
Do we have you all worried yet? I guess so.
PHILLIPS: But wait, what's this? How can we worry about the future when we're looking at goats dyed like big Easter eggs. What the -- we'll have more right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: News "Across America" now.
San Jose firefighters worked to put out remaining hotspots at a six-alarm apartment complex fire there. The flames forced more than 100 people out of their homes. Two injured.
Police haven't caught a Massachusetts burglar yet, but a guilty conscience may have caught up with the suspect. A box filled with stolen jewelry and electronics showed up at a church. A note inside asked god to forgive the burglar's sins. The investigation continues, nonetheless.
Take a look at these goats at a farm in Maine. Their owner returned from a business trip to find his formerly white herd transformed.
Do not adjust your set, folks. Someone dyed their coats Easter egg colors, green, pink, blue and yellow. The owner thinks the prank is funny, but says his buck seems embarrassed.
That's goat buck, you know. The goat buck is not like in the pink outfit. It's not becoming of a goat.
PHILLIPS: All right.
There are new official estimates as to when the Social Security trust fund will run out of money. More of a serious note now.
O'BRIEN: Yes, yes. And we call him a senior correspondent every day, not just when he's covering Social Security. Allan Chernoff is here with more.
PHILLIPS: He's not on Social Security yet.
O'BRIEN: No, he's not a senior -- he's a lower case senior correspondent joining us.
Hello, Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra, Miles.
The story of Social Security is really the story of the baby boomers, people like myself. Right now most baby boomers are still working. We're putting into the system, and the truth is, the system is getting more from the baby boomers than itself paying out right now.
So at the moment, Social Security is in pretty good financial health. And that's going to continue until 2017. That's the new estimate from the Social Security system.
At that point, the trust fund is going to begin to decline, and we're going to start eating into that trust fund as the baby boomers begin retiring. It's going to continue all the way to 2041. And at that point, the trust fund is going to be empty, bust.
At that point, Social Security, the estimate now, will be able to pay only 74 percent of benefits. Again, that's starting in 2041. Administration officials are using this latest report to push for Social Security reform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN SNOW, TREASURY SECRETARY: The numbers leave nothing to doubt about the fundamental financial condition of the Social Security system. It's on an unsustainable course. The report this year simply underscores that and confirms it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: So, how to fix the system? Well, of course the administration has been pushing to have private accounts established. That's the centerpiece of Social Security reform.
The trustees' report out today says alternatively what could be done -- and this would have to start right now to fix the system -- raise Social Security taxes by 15 percent, or cut benefits by 13 percent, or a combination of those two. But, of course, the administration is not pushing that plan -- Miles, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Allan.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Allan.
PHILLIPS: Well, speaking of money, why don't we take a quick look at the New York Stock Exchange and see how things are working on Wall Street. Dow industrials up 15 points.
O'BRIEN: "American Idol" producers -- as you digest those numbers, "American Idol" producers announce a do-over. If you voted last night, you'll have to do it again, which means you'll have to watch again, which means more commercials will be sold. LIVE FROM has the details coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired March 23, 2005 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: When I close my eyes at night, all I can see is Terri's face in front of me dying, starving to death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A mother's anguish as the courts weigh the parents' latest effort in the Terri Schiavo case. New developments and what could be next this hour for you.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Helping the families of fallen heroes with golf. We're on tour with the player who's swinging for a good cause. Check out the camouflage.
O'BRIEN: It's awfully cold work trying to find out how warm the world is getting. A sneak preview of my new CNN documentary, "Melting Point."
PHILLIPS: "American Idol" fans may have reached a melting point of their own after last night's number mix-up. What happened and why.
O'BRIEN: I'm telling you, that was no accident. That was no accident. They were doing it to make a few extra bucks.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: The very non-opinionated Miles O'Brien. And I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
More appeals and more protests today in the Terri Schiavo case. Schiavo's parents go back to federal court, hoping to have their daughter's feeding tube reinserted.
They want the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to review a ruling by a three-judge panel overnight. Now, in declining to step in, the panel said, "There's no denying the absolute tragedy that has befallen Mrs. Schiavo." But the majority went on to say, "We are called upon to make a collective, objective decision concerning a question of law."
In Florida, meantime, a state senator is scrambling for votes on legislation aimed at keeping Schiavo alive.
President Bush is weighing in on the Schiavo case, calling the situation extraordinary and sad. Mr. Bush says he will await the court's decision.
For the details, let's go to our Dana Bash in Waco, Texas -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
The president saying he will await the decision, but a very important bit of news from the White House as it has been weighing what has been going on and its options, and its basic decision at this point, and that is that there really isn't anything more they can do beyond sending this issue to the federal courts. Scott McClellan, White House spokesman, tells CNN, "There really are not other legal options available to us." And that, he is saying, if and when the federal court system does not side with Terri Schiavo's family and allows the feeding tube to be put back in.
Now, the president's legal team, both at the Justice Department and in the White House Counsel's Office, have been going through any and all legal options over the past several days. Perhaps any executive branch options. And, again, what they've included is that there really aren't any.
And earlier today, just about an hour ago, the president did weigh in on this, and he actually tried to make clear that they don't have any options left. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have looked at all options prior to taking the action we took last weekend in concert with Congress. And we felt like the actions taken with Congress was the best course of action.
This is an extraordinary and sad case. And I believe that in a case such as this, the legislative branch, the executive branch ought to err on the side of life, which we have. And now we'll watch the courts make its decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, to be clear, the Justice Department, the Bush Justice Department, has filed a brief. They filed actually a few briefs, one with the federal district court and then again with the 11th circuit, saying that it is the Bush administration's opinion that they do side with the Schiavo family, that they do want the feeding tube to be reinserted. But the point that the White House is trying to make, once again, is that if and when this goes through, exhausts the federal court process, that at this point they do not think that there's anything more that the White House from the executive branch can do on this matter -- Miles -- excuse me -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: That's OK. So reading between the lines, Dana, could the president be saying to every political leader here, maybe every member of Congress, back off, we're finished?
BASH: Well, it's interesting that you say that because we saw a letter go from the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, to Florida Governor Jeb Bush yesterday, sort of, again, if you read between the lines, saying that, saying that he hopes that the Florida state government does take this up, that he can get the legislature to do this. Again, that, perhaps, was another hint that from the federal level, even perhaps from the perspective of Congress, that they think they've done all they could do in passing a bill, the president signing it into law to instruct the federal courts to deal with this matter -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Dana Bash in Waco, Texas. Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Schiavos family says the brain-damaged woman is fading fast. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken live now in Pinellas Park, Florida.
Another emotional day there, right, Bob?
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Another day where, in order to put pressure on the politicians, those who are fighting for the return of the feeding tube to Terri Schiavo ratcheted things up a little by having a little bit larger protest. Ten were arrested when they tried to get past policemen with water for Terri Schiavo.
Now, of course, all of this is symbolic. All of it was highly organized, highly choreographed, negotiated with the police.
The arrests included, as you can see, children. The three family members of one of the people who had come in, the children were arrested. They were put in handcuffs, and they were put in a separate squad car to be taken to the juvenile assessment center. The seven adults were taken off to a different direction.
The charge will be trespassing. There will be bond that is usually set at $250. All of this was done very peacefully with the help of the police.
And part of the public relations campaign, something that is very emotional, is the appearance each day of Terri Schiavo's mother. She, by the way, has just gone back into the hospice for a visit. But a while ago she made a plea to the politicians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHINDLER: When I close my eyes at night all I can see is Terri's face in front of me dying, starving to death. Please, someone out there, stop this cruelty. Stop the insanity. Please let my daughter live.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Most of that now directed toward the state capitol in Tallahassee, where the legislature is trying to sort out some sort of bill that would possibly result in the reinstatement of the feeding tube into Terri Schiavo. The family is known to become more increasingly frustrated about what is going on in the court system. They continue to push hard there in the federal level, with the entire appeals court in Atlanta, and then the Supreme Court next. But they're also focusing very hard on the state politicians -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Well, Bob, on the state, what precisely could the state do in this case? They've already weighed in on this one time.
FRANKEN: Well, they weighed on it a lot of times. And what they are considering is legislation that might challenge the way that somebody is a guardian and might come up with alternatives to just being the husband, who gets the preference. Another thing is to talk about living wills and have more stringent requirements for living wills.
There's a variety of possibilities there, and they are exploring all of them. And, quite frankly, what they're hoping to do is come up with something that at least quickly returns the feeding tube before all of this discussion becomes tragically moot.
O'BRIEN: All right. Bob Franken in Pinellas Park. Thank you very much.
The Justice Department is filing in support of the Schindlers as well. There's a lot to keep track of. A lot of legal tracks to consider here. Let's bring in an expert to help us sort it out, former federal prosecutor Kent Alexander, who's now the general counsel and vice president at Emory University here in Atlanta.
Kent, good to have you with us.
KENT ALEXANDER, FMR. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Good to be here.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk -- since we're just talking about the state legislature and the possibility it could get into the mix here, in one sense I'm sure there's a body of thought here that it doesn't matter what they pass is constitutional or not. The goal here is to get the feeding tube back in and cause a delay.
ALEXANDER: Right. And while I'm no expert on Florida law, any legislature could come up with a piece of legislation just to make something happen and then worry about the constitutionality later. I'm not sure whether the Florida legislature's going to jump in again or not at this point, though.
O'BRIEN: All right. Let's get back to your bailiwick, which is the federal court system, after all. A lot of people might be scratching their heads, wondering how a party could appeal to the very same court they had already appealed to in the first place.
On the one hand, you've got a three-judge panel. In this case, they're appealing to the entire 12-judge circuit court of appeals.
ALEXANDER: Right.
O'BRIEN: Is that allowed in every case?
ALEXANDER: It is allowed. And there was a three-judge panel, as you said, that made the ruling. They split 2-1. The next step is, you file this petition, which apparently has been done, though after the 10:00 deadline set by the court. So I don't know how that plays out. But the full court votes, and if the majority of the act of judges -- there are roughly a dozen of them -- say, yes, we'll rehear this, then you'll have a rehearing en banc it's called.
O'BRIEN: All right. And clearly time is of the essence here. And when you say a "rehearing," actual oral arguments, or would this be another series of paper motions?
ALEXANDER: They could be paper motions, but usually a rehearing en banc, there are actual oral arguments. And that would be here in Atlanta if it would happen.
O'BRIEN: All right.
ALEXANDER: But it would have to happen soon.
O'BRIEN: Happen pretty quickly. The other issue which keeps coming up time and again is the Supreme Court.
ALEXANDER: Right.
O'BRIEN: Now, the Supreme Court has weighed in on this I think at least three times, saying it's not going to entertain this case at all. Nevertheless, that would be another course of action here, would be to take the appeal up to Washington.
ALEXANDER: It would be. It's really a two-step process.
Once, you can go the full 11th Circuit, the en banc route. And then two, your next level would be to the Supreme Court. I'm not surprised that the attorneys for Terri Schiavo are doing both, but I suspect this will play out pretty quickly, as it did with the last round, when the ruling happened within a day.
O'BRIEN: All right. So for those that are just trying to keep track at home, there's the state legislature course, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and there's also a concurrent -- all of these concurrent, U.S. Supreme Court, all of these things kind of coalescing at the same time.
ALEXANDER: Right, with one exception. And that is the Supreme Court would wait for the 11th Circuit -- the full 11th Circuit to rule. But we don't even know if they're going to accept it or not to look at it. But eventually it will end up at the Supreme Court.
O'BRIEN: All right. Kent Alexander, thank you very much.
ALEXANDER: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: Appreciate your insights.
Now, stay with CNN for continuing coverage of the Terri Schiavo case. We'll be live in Atlanta, Washington, and in -- there you are -- and in Atlanta, Washington, and in Florida to bring you all the latest developments as they happen.
PHILLIPS: Well, some here, we were hoping for something maybe a little more royal. But could this really be the room where the vows will be said between Prince Charles and his lady love, Camilla Parker Bowles? I guess we'll find out later on LIVE FROM.
O'BRIEN: It's a royal pain...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): The North Pole is 1,100 miles that way. The Arctic Circle about 500 miles that way. And we're just off Barrow, Alaska.
And it's kind of hard to imagine the concept of global warming here. It is below zero right now. But up here, the warming is more of a problem than it is elsewhere. As a matter of fact, the temperature is rising here about twice as fast as elsewhere. We're literally on thin ice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: All right. That's me and about $800 worth of gear that I put on my expense account walking on the Arctic Ocean.
PHILLIPS: And you'll never wear it again.
O'BRIEN: Well, I'm going skiing. Later on LIVE FROM, we'll get an exciting sneak peek at the new Miles O'Brien documentary, "Melting Point: Tracking the Global Warming Threat," which premieres this Sunday nationwide. Actually, globalwide.
PHILLIPS: Crazy (ph) busters.
O'BRIEN: All throughout the universe.
Stay with us.
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O'BRIEN: I bet you awakened this morning with a list of worries, job, money, marriage, kids. But I bet very few of you have global warming on your top-10 concerns. Kyra says she does, but she's unusual. Well, maybe you should join Kyra.
Now, before your eyes glaze over, listen up. There is no longer any real scientific debate. The planet is warming. Humans are hastening the heating. Those are facts.
The proof is probably not in your backyard, however. Unless you live in a place like Kivalina, Alaska.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): The tiny village of Kivalina, Alaska, sits on a spit of land along the Arctic Circle. This is the edge of the edge.
Here houses are falling into the ocean as the coastline erodes. The autumn ice that protects the island from brutal winter storms is coming later each year. So Kivalina is disappearing, eroding into something less than a spit of land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The island is getting real, you know, real narrow mostly this fall.
O'BRIEN: The people here are considering leaving their homes to move to higher ground. This town may be in the vanguard of a global retreat inland over the coming warmer years.
(on camera): You've got to leave?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we've got to leave sooner or later.
O'BRIEN: I'm taking a walk right now on a little piece of the Arctic Ocean. The North Pole is 1,100 miles that way, the Arctic Circle about 500 miles that way, and we're just off Barrow, Alaska. And it's kind of hard to imagine the concept of global warming here. It is below zero right now.
But up here, the warming is more of a problem than it is elsewhere. As a matter of fact, the temperature is rising here about twice as fast as elsewhere. We're literally on thin ice. The question is, is the entire planet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Years back, when I was a kid, I used to see eight-foot-thick ice, 14-feet-thick ice. Forty years later, I'm now seeing ice at the most less than two feet thick.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): The ice that's disappearing literally sustains a people. It's where they hunt for food.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't grow stuff up here. We don't have the money. A lot of these people don't have the money to be able to go to the store.
We depend on the resources. Example, the polar bears and the seals, it's a matter of survival for our people. They're trying now to adapt to changes.
O'BRIEN: And experts say we should all be listening to what George Amawa (ph) is saying.
ROBERT CORELL, ARCTIC CLIMATE IMPACT ASSESSMENT: There is very consistent evidence that the Arctic is warming much more rapidly than the rest of the planet, and it has significance for the rest of the world.
O'BRIEN: And this is no longer the stuff of academic debate. From a variety of scientists we have heard the same conclusion. The jury is in, and the scientific verdict is clear: the earth is warming, and our addiction to burning fossil fuels is hastening the heating. Whatever debate remains focuses on how bad, how soon and what can be done about it.
GUS SPETH, YALE UNIVERSITY: We're changing the face of the planet and deeply committing the future to a situation which, frankly, as a new grandparent I am so concerned about. If we don't do something about it, we'll be handing to them a ruined world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: You can see our entire one-hour documentary on global warming Sunday. It may be an hour, but it will fly by. It will seem like 58 minutes. "CNN PRESENTS: "Melting Point: Tracking the Global Warming Threat." It is the first of four special reports that investigate critical issues confronting our world over the next 25 years in conjunction with our anniversary.
"Melting Point," Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Please set your TiVo. That is Easter Sunday. I know a lot of people are going to be traveling, but set the TiVo anyway.
PHILLIPS: All right. For the nonscientific type, you know -- when forced to read, I become an expert -- you know, I listen to this, I see the pictures, you talk about the debate. But then I think, OK, here at home what can I be doing? Can I be doing anything to make a bit of difference?
O'BRIEN: Well, you drive an SUV, right?
PHILLIPS: Not anymore.
O'BRIEN: OK. Well, that's good. So you've already -- you've taken a step.
PHILLIPS: So already I've done a good job.
O'BRIEN: That's a good first step. Sandy watched it.
PHILLIPS: Yes?
O'BRIEN: She said, "You know, we've got to get rid of that Yukon XL."
PHILLIPS: Yes, you do have a gas guzzler.
O'BRIEN: It's not a car, it's a zip code.
PHILLIPS: But it's more than that, though, right?
O'BRIEN: It's a zip code.
PHILLIPS: Yes, it is. I mean, you've got burning gas. What else?
O'BRIEN: Well, I mean, there are other things you can do. You can insulate your home better.
I mean, the first thing to do is look at the issue of conservation. Look at ways you can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases you put in the atmosphere. And each small step adds up.
You know, here we are, we have a very small percentage of the world's population, and we have, by far, the largest contribution of greenhouse gases. We're so affluent and so wasteful.
PHILLIPS: And we have so much.
O'BRIEN: And we have so much we don't think about it. And if we just sort of scale back from that a little bit, it would make a huge difference.
PHILLIPS: All right. I'm tuning in.
O'BRIEN: All right.
PHILLIPS: You can almost hear the clock ticking on Social Security.
O'BRIEN: But when will the fund go bankrupt? That's another long-range issue to worry about. A new official estimate could have you counting your pennies.
Do we have you all worried yet? I guess so.
PHILLIPS: But wait, what's this? How can we worry about the future when we're looking at goats dyed like big Easter eggs. What the -- we'll have more right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: News "Across America" now.
San Jose firefighters worked to put out remaining hotspots at a six-alarm apartment complex fire there. The flames forced more than 100 people out of their homes. Two injured.
Police haven't caught a Massachusetts burglar yet, but a guilty conscience may have caught up with the suspect. A box filled with stolen jewelry and electronics showed up at a church. A note inside asked god to forgive the burglar's sins. The investigation continues, nonetheless.
Take a look at these goats at a farm in Maine. Their owner returned from a business trip to find his formerly white herd transformed.
Do not adjust your set, folks. Someone dyed their coats Easter egg colors, green, pink, blue and yellow. The owner thinks the prank is funny, but says his buck seems embarrassed.
That's goat buck, you know. The goat buck is not like in the pink outfit. It's not becoming of a goat.
PHILLIPS: All right.
There are new official estimates as to when the Social Security trust fund will run out of money. More of a serious note now.
O'BRIEN: Yes, yes. And we call him a senior correspondent every day, not just when he's covering Social Security. Allan Chernoff is here with more.
PHILLIPS: He's not on Social Security yet.
O'BRIEN: No, he's not a senior -- he's a lower case senior correspondent joining us.
Hello, Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra, Miles.
The story of Social Security is really the story of the baby boomers, people like myself. Right now most baby boomers are still working. We're putting into the system, and the truth is, the system is getting more from the baby boomers than itself paying out right now.
So at the moment, Social Security is in pretty good financial health. And that's going to continue until 2017. That's the new estimate from the Social Security system.
At that point, the trust fund is going to begin to decline, and we're going to start eating into that trust fund as the baby boomers begin retiring. It's going to continue all the way to 2041. And at that point, the trust fund is going to be empty, bust.
At that point, Social Security, the estimate now, will be able to pay only 74 percent of benefits. Again, that's starting in 2041. Administration officials are using this latest report to push for Social Security reform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN SNOW, TREASURY SECRETARY: The numbers leave nothing to doubt about the fundamental financial condition of the Social Security system. It's on an unsustainable course. The report this year simply underscores that and confirms it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: So, how to fix the system? Well, of course the administration has been pushing to have private accounts established. That's the centerpiece of Social Security reform.
The trustees' report out today says alternatively what could be done -- and this would have to start right now to fix the system -- raise Social Security taxes by 15 percent, or cut benefits by 13 percent, or a combination of those two. But, of course, the administration is not pushing that plan -- Miles, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Allan.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Allan.
PHILLIPS: Well, speaking of money, why don't we take a quick look at the New York Stock Exchange and see how things are working on Wall Street. Dow industrials up 15 points.
O'BRIEN: "American Idol" producers -- as you digest those numbers, "American Idol" producers announce a do-over. If you voted last night, you'll have to do it again, which means you'll have to watch again, which means more commercials will be sold. LIVE FROM has the details coming up.
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