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Schiavo Parents Appeal to Courts; Warning to Americans Overseas
Aired March 25, 2005 - 15:00 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, marking the death of Jesus without the pope. For the first time in his papacy, Pope John Paul II unable to preside over Holy Week services. He missed today's Good Friday observances at Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican saying he is still recovering from throat surgery late last month.
Registered sex offender Roger Paul Bentley now in police custody in Johnson County, Iowa, being questioned about the whereabouts of 10-year-old Jetseta Marrie Gage. An Amber Alert was issued late yesterday after police say Bentley abducted Jetseta from her Cedar Rapids home. The little girl is still missing.
And President Bush is offering condolences to members of the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. Mr. Bush phoned the reservation's tribal chairman today, promising more federal aid in the wake of Monday's high school shootings. Police say a 16-year-old shot and killed himself after a deadly rampage that left nine others dead.
The Army says U.S. forces have foiled a massive escape attempt by prisoners at Camp Bucca in Iraq. Prison guards discovered a tunnel at the prison which houses about 560 detainees. The Army spokesman says the prisoners got rid of the excess soil through prison latrines. The guards were alerted when the dirt jammed the filters.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Every hour without intervention, tensions rise and hopes fade.
There's no disputing that Terri Schiavo is weakening. Her father says she's, in his words, down to her last hours. Having gone seven days without food or water, outside the hospice that's caring for the severely brain-damaged woman, protesters continue their vigil and, for the most part, peacefully. All eyes on the federal courthouse here in Atlanta, where Terri Schiavo's parents have made yet another frantic appeal.
CNN's Sara Dorsey is there -- Sara.
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, I hold in my hand the 50-page appeal filed by Bob and Mary Schindler. That is Terri Schiavo's parents. This is, of course, not the first appeal they've filed in this court, but a new one coming in just earlier today.
There are really three arguments that the Schindlers are making here, and that is the first that Terri Schiavo's right to due process has been violated, saying that there are significant differences in the opinion on her present physical condition. That is their first argument. The second is that her religious right has been violated, saying that Terri is a Catholic, a practicing Catholic, and that the Catholic Church does not allow for a person's feeding tube to be taken out. They say that, if Terri could talk, she would go with the Catholic Church and would not agree to this.
Also, they're saying her rights under the Americans With Disability Act has been violated because, as an American with a disability, she was not included in this particular process to take out her feeding tube. And she was not allowed to weigh in on that. So, those are the three things that they're arguing this time. But we have to keep in mind that they argued a different appeal on Wednesday to this very same court.
And, basically, what came out of that, a three-judge panel took a look at it at first, and they ruled 2-1 against the family, saying they would not -- the appeal did not stand. From there, it went to all 12 judges in this court. They ruled 10-2 against the family. Today, basically, we're looking at the same process.
It could go to that three-judge panel first if they choose to hear it at all. And the court does have that choice. They could throw their hands up. But, if they decide to look at it, it will go first to the three-judge panel, like we have seen it on Wednesday. From there, if that panel turns it down, it could go to the 12-judge panel. If it makes it through this court again in that same process, really, the Schindlers' only hope is to take it to the Supreme Court from here.
We are told that Michael Schiavo -- that's Terri's husband -- that her husband and lawyers have until about 5:00, I believe, tonight to file a response with this court, so it will probably be a few hours after that 5:00 deadline before we hear anything from this court itself -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: It's a long trail of paperwork. Sara Dorsey, thank you so much -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: The Terri Schiavo story is one that is being played out in any number of homes across the country and around the globe. There are no easy answers, but we do have two other cases for you to consider, two families in the same situation, but who made radically different choices.
We begin in Louisville, Kentucky, with CNN's Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The story of Hugh Finn's controversy death begins on this road outside Louisville, where the popular local TV host was in a horrific accident on an icy morning. The wreck left Hugh Finn in a permanently vegetative state and his wife, Michele, in a terrible spot.
MICHELE FINN, WIFE OF HUGH FINN: And we had talked about the fact that we would not want, neither one of us would want to live in that type of condition. FOREMAN (on camera): So, you never had any doubt about what his wishes were?
M. FINN: No.
FOREMAN (voice-over): So, more than three years later, she decided to remove his feeding tube at his nursing home in Virginia. His parents challenged the decision in court, and they lost.
THOMAS FINN, FATHER OF HUGH FINN: When he was in that hospital, we could touch him. There was hope. Now that he's in the hole, there's no hope for him, none whatsoever.
FOREMAN: But with the tube removal only hours away, Michele could not believe what happened next. Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore went to the state courts to try to stop it.
M. FINN: I was just hysterical. I couldn't believe it. It never occurred to me that it would happen. I kept saying, how can he do this? How can he do this?
JAMES GILMORE (R), FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR: Well, I think that public officials have a duty to make sure that those who are disabled, those who are vulnerable, make sure that they are properly protected. That I think is a proper role of an elected official. And the law supported that type of intervention at the time.
FOREMAN: The governor lost, too. The feeding tube was removed and nine days later, Hugh Finn died.
T. FINN: It was a murder, because you put him to death.
FOREMAN (on camera): The rift between Michele Finn and her husband's family has never fully healed, despite efforts on both sides. And she points out, even her own mother disagreed with her decision.
(voice-over): Michele understands. She does not apologize.
M. FINN: I felt like I had one more commitment that I had made to him that I needed to fulfill.
FOREMAN (on camera): You didn't think you could walk away?
M. FINN: No, absolutely not. I could not walk away from that, because I knew...
FOREMAN: Even though the family wanted to say, we'll take care of him, just leave him alone?
M. FINN: That's right, but that's not what he wanted. And that's what I was afraid of, was I knew what he wanted and if I did not do it, nobody would. And he would not get what he wanted.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Like the rest of the nation, Michele Finn is following the saga of Terri Schiavo. But, unlike most, it is a road she has traveled.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Louisville, Kentucky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, it's a different story for a family in Jerusalem. There, the husband of an incapacitated woman is closely following the Schiavo case and empathizes with Terri Schiavo's parents.
CNN's Guy Raz has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marci Tabak is all dressed up to celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim. Her son, David, recites the megillah, commemorating the Jew's salvation in ancient Persia.
For seven years, the Tabak family has been celebrating holidays this way, ever since Marci's heart attack left her in a persistent vegetative state, or PVS, a condition just like Terri Schiavo's. Marci's husband, Ya'acov, has been fighting the medical establishment ever since.
(on camera): Marci's motor functions were affected, but you are convinced that her mental capacity remains unaffected?
YA'ACOV TABAK, HUSBAND OF MARCI: That is correct. You just hit the nail on the head. That's correct. Neurologists will hear me saying this, oh, that's nonsense. That's absurd. How can you say such a thing? We all know that.
But I contend that they don't all know that. I contend that there hasn't been any serious research on a broad scale of cognition of permanent vegetative state diagnoses.
RAZ (voice-over): And Ya'acov, a doctor of chemistry by training, has undertaken his own research. Seven years ago, he began experimenting with words and pictures.
TABAK: So, we took a tablet and wrote the letters blink -- B-L- I-N-K -- on a tablet, didn't say a word, and showed it to her and she started to blink.
RAZ: Soon, Marci was responding to colors and sounds. Now Marci's two caregivers communicate by reading her subtle facial expressions, something Marci's nurse Maria saw in Terri Schiavo when she saw the story on television.
MARIA FLORES, CAREGIVER: And I saw this reaction. And I told her Ya'acov that she's there. The eyes -- you can tell that the eyes, that she's there, the same thing that I saw with Marci. It's just that she needs a lot of stimulation to be able to express herself.
RAZ: Ya'acov immediately contacted a friend of Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler.
TABAK: I said, get this information to Bob and Mary Schindler. I'll do anything to help, that they should prevail.
RAZ: Ya'acov believes that Terri Schiavo, like his wife, retains cognitive abilities and would benefit from mental stimulation.
TABAK: The minute you label a human being a plant, a vegetable, you're condemning them to some horrible fate sooner or later, because nobody respects plants the way they respect human beings.
RAZ: Guy Raz, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, since the Terri Schiavo case has pretty much run the width and breadth of all state and federal legal systems, the parents of the woman lying at the center of the battle are appealing now to the man they call their only hope, the governor of the state of Florida.
Jeb Bush spoke last night to reporters in Tallahassee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: It is still my hope that we will have a chance to provide hydration for Terri Schiavo. But if there is an injunction by the courts in this case that prohibits that, that does not make it possible to do so. So, as of yesterday, there was no injunction. We made the -- the judge ruled. We appealed this morning.
And there was, you know, had he not created an injunction for staying this, we would have had the right to do it.
QUESTION: All day, people have been on CNN saying you've got some power you're not using.
BUSH: Yes. I'm sure they have.
I -- I have heard from al sorts of people. Mr. Keyes was outside today and he spoke to Wayne Large (ph) in my office and that, based on the Federalist Papers, somehow we have -- I have as a governor powers that the Constitution is silent on. And I have talked to a whole lot of people that I respect, not just now, but the first time that when Terri's law was passed, to make the determination of what my powers are.
And they are not as expansive as people would want them to be. I understand what they're -- they're acting on their heart. And I am -- I fully appreciate their sentiments and the emotions that go with this. But I cannot go -- and as I've been consistently saying, and I guess you guys haven't been listening and repeating it back. I've consistently said that I can't go beyond what my powers are, and I'm not going to do it, much as I -- I mean, you know, I mentioned this when we were talking, Brandon (ph), that there are 90,000 abortions that take place in this state every year.
That troubles me more than I could ever describe to you. But that doesn't mean that I have some, you know, secret powers to stop that. There are a lot of things that go on in society that trouble me. And this is certainly one of them. To have somebody starve to death troubles me greatly. And we have done everything that we can and we will continue to do so within the powers that I have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: We will, of course, continue to bring you the latest developments on the Terri Schiavo case as they happen.
PHILLIPS: Still ahead on LIVE FROM, growing concerns out of the Middle East. Could terrorist groups have dangerous plans for this holy Easter weekend?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, do you own a small business? Want to start one? CNN has a new show for you. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm Ali Velshi with today's "TURNAROUND" tip. One of the things that separates a successful business from a struggling one is a clear, concise business plan.
A builder wouldn't start construction without a blueprint, so eager business owners shouldn't rush into ventures without a business plan. Edward Rogoff, author of "Bankable Business Plans," says a business plan tests your dream.
EDWARD ROGOFF, AUTHOR, "BANKABLE BUSINESS PLANS": The dream can exist in a very vague way in your mind about how well your business is going to work, how people are going to want your product like crazy. But when you actually sit down and put it down on paper, you may find otherwise.
VELSHI: Rogoff says three pillars of a solid business plan are a definition of your company, a thorough budget analysis and a comprehensive marketing strategy. Rogoff says most plans are used to attract investors.
ROGOFF: Banks want to see that their loan is secure. They want to see that they will get their principal back. They see that there's collateral.
VELSHI (on camera): So, remember, a business plan helps you identify your goals. It defines your company and it helps you attract investors. Don't start a business without one.
I'm Ali Velshi with today's "TURNAROUND" tip.
(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: Ali Velshi, one of the greats of the business, with a program "THE TURNAROUND WITH ALI VELSHI." That's tomorrow, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. Stay with us for more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Our CNN "Security Watch" begins this hour in Salt Lake City, where officials say an airline passenger headed for Peru admit he tried to conceal box-cutters, razor blades and scissors in his carry-on luggage. The FBI says the man was arrested yesterday at a security checkpoint, but does not appear to be a terrorist. He has been charged with carrying a weapon on to an aircraft.
PHILLIPS: Americans in some parts of the Mideast could be at increased risk of a terrorist attack over the Easter weekend.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr explains what triggered the new warning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the peaceful Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, a theater popular with Westerners earlier this month was attacked by a suicide bomber. An Islamic-related Web site posted unverified claims of responsibility.
Now concern is rising across the region about the threat from fundamentals with ties to any number of organizations. As Easter approaches, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar is now warning, a number of reports have been circulating, particularly on the Internet, suggesting that American and other Western interests, such as churches, may be the targets of terrorist attacks.
Senior U.S. commanders this week warned again that al Qaeda and other groups are on the move across the Persian Gulf all the way to Eastern Africa, in part because other havens have been shut down.
MAJ. GEN. SAMUEL HELLAND, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: With the increase in stability and security in Afghanistan and Iraq, they have to move around.
STARR: Commanders say it may not matter if terrorists are al Qaeda members. The attackers' goal, frighten Westerners, chill the investment climate and unsettle local governments.
In Qatar, the suicide attack was the first of its kind. A close U.S. ally, Qatar hosts the desert headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, which led the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Government support for the U.S. appears unshaken.
In Saudi Arabia, a brazen military attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah in December ended with several assailants being killed, shockwaves through the kingdom. Crown Prince Abdullah has vowed a crackdown. In Kuwait, security forces had several shoot-outs with suspected militants in January. Security has been tightened at buildings and oil facilities across the country where Westerners work. Still, General Helland says al Qaeda is increases its ties to emerging terrorist organizations and is using them as front men.
HELLAND: Now, those operations could be something as simple as cutting a railroad line, blowing up a supply line, an oil line or whatever, so they can disrupt the control of the government that is in place.
STARR (on camera): U.S. military intelligence official fully expect more attacks, but they also say that governments in the region are responding strongly and are fully committed to defeating the terrorists.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
O'BRIEN: News across America now.
The FBI's ruling out terrorism as a cause of Wednesday's deadly explosion at the BP oil refinery in Texas City, Texas. But other investigators say it will take at least a month to figure out what sparked the explosion that killed 15, injured more than 100 workers. Meanwhile, several of the injured have already hired lawyers to take legal action against BP Amoco.
Another work site accident near Dallas, Texas, as four workers hurt at a Texas Instruments construction site. Luckily, the injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The fire chief says a second- floor rebar mat collapsed as concrete was being poured.
And, in Florida, authorities say two more children now stricken with life-threatening kidney infections after visiting petting zoos. That brings the number of children suffering from the rare infection in Central Florida to nine. In addition, two other children and an adult are under observation after showing symptoms of the disease.
PHILLIPS: Up next, why you shouldn't doubt a woman with a dream.
O'BRIEN: We'll introduce you to one teacher from Washington who's helped change the future for nearly 800 students. The story behind her hoop dreams next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: That's a limited-edition mug there. There's only two of those in existence.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Here's a story to restore your faith in humanity in the power of basketball. CNN's Kathleen Koch visits one of Washington, D.C.'s roughest neighborhoods, where one woman's vision has fulfilled hundreds of dreams.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kenny Allen and Sean McColl seem unlikely friends. A teenager from gritty southeast Washington and a Virginia marketing executive. But one is helping the other graduate from high school and go to college.
KENNY ALLEN, JR., HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: The thought of you going to college and just the thought of somebody helping you. That some people thought no, that -- that you wouldn't succeed in life.
SEAN MCCOLL, VICE PRESIDENT, PROMOCORP: He's very disciplined, very driven, knows what he wants. And I'm trying to help him out along the way to get to the places that he needs to go to.
KOCH: Since 1996, nearly 800 inner city students like Kenny have been paired with successful mentors and provided college scholarships by a group called Hoop Dreams. It was founded by Susie Kay, a teacher at H. D. Woodson High School, in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Washington, who saw so much promise in her students.
SUSIE KAY, HOOP DREAMS FOUNDER: But what I also saw was so much frustration, because they did not have necessarily the proper resources and opportunities that you do need.
KOCH: So she organized a small basketball tournament to raise money to send four young people to college. And it snowballed from there.
KAY: What we do as an organization, we build bridges. We build relationships. And I haven't really stopped working on this since that day.
KOCH: The basketball tournament now features star athletes. VIPs flock to the Hoop Dreams congressional reception. And the first graduates now work for Susie.
THEO BRANNUM, PROGRAM COORDINATOR: She really showed me the importance of giving back to my community.
KOCH: Or for local businesses, like the Washington Nationals, where Brandon Bradford handles season ticket sales.
BRANDON BRANFORD, WASHINGTON NATIONALS: They stay on top of you from beginning to end, making sure that you get the best education, a well-rounded education. That's in the books as well as in the real world.
JOE DEOUDES, WASHINGTON NATIONALS: Brandon was a great product of Hoop Dreams. I wish there were five of them.
KOCH: Students and mentors in Hoop Dreams marvel at Susie. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Susie Kay, I just see her and it's like, you never see her down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Makes you want to do more, she's so positive.
KOCH: But Susie Kay sees inspiration and pride elsewhere.
KAY: My pride is all in them and, you know, what they symbolize as far as what's possible when you believe in the power of hope.
KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, the faithful got a chance to cheer. Just moments ago, we got this video in of Pope John Paul II in his private chapel at the Vatican.
O'BRIEN: Yes, he wasn't able to actively participate in Good Friday services, the Stations of the Cross and so forth, which, of course, is the most important day on the Catholic calendar, Good Friday.
But what the Vatican has released is the pope participating, if you will, on his own, because of his health, in his private chapel in the Vatican. So, certainly, he is there with the faithful in spirit on this Good Friday.
PHILLIPS: As they gather there at the Coliseum. Evidently, they started cheering when he came up on the video screen.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Thank goodness for technology.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: That does it for us.
O'BRIEN: Thanks very much for being with us this week.
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 March 25, 2005 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, marking the death of Jesus without the pope. For the first time in his papacy, Pope John Paul II unable to preside over Holy Week services. He missed today's Good Friday observances at Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican saying he is still recovering from throat surgery late last month.
Registered sex offender Roger Paul Bentley now in police custody in Johnson County, Iowa, being questioned about the whereabouts of 10-year-old Jetseta Marrie Gage. An Amber Alert was issued late yesterday after police say Bentley abducted Jetseta from her Cedar Rapids home. The little girl is still missing.
And President Bush is offering condolences to members of the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. Mr. Bush phoned the reservation's tribal chairman today, promising more federal aid in the wake of Monday's high school shootings. Police say a 16-year-old shot and killed himself after a deadly rampage that left nine others dead.
The Army says U.S. forces have foiled a massive escape attempt by prisoners at Camp Bucca in Iraq. Prison guards discovered a tunnel at the prison which houses about 560 detainees. The Army spokesman says the prisoners got rid of the excess soil through prison latrines. The guards were alerted when the dirt jammed the filters.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Every hour without intervention, tensions rise and hopes fade.
There's no disputing that Terri Schiavo is weakening. Her father says she's, in his words, down to her last hours. Having gone seven days without food or water, outside the hospice that's caring for the severely brain-damaged woman, protesters continue their vigil and, for the most part, peacefully. All eyes on the federal courthouse here in Atlanta, where Terri Schiavo's parents have made yet another frantic appeal.
CNN's Sara Dorsey is there -- Sara.
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, I hold in my hand the 50-page appeal filed by Bob and Mary Schindler. That is Terri Schiavo's parents. This is, of course, not the first appeal they've filed in this court, but a new one coming in just earlier today.
There are really three arguments that the Schindlers are making here, and that is the first that Terri Schiavo's right to due process has been violated, saying that there are significant differences in the opinion on her present physical condition. That is their first argument. The second is that her religious right has been violated, saying that Terri is a Catholic, a practicing Catholic, and that the Catholic Church does not allow for a person's feeding tube to be taken out. They say that, if Terri could talk, she would go with the Catholic Church and would not agree to this.
Also, they're saying her rights under the Americans With Disability Act has been violated because, as an American with a disability, she was not included in this particular process to take out her feeding tube. And she was not allowed to weigh in on that. So, those are the three things that they're arguing this time. But we have to keep in mind that they argued a different appeal on Wednesday to this very same court.
And, basically, what came out of that, a three-judge panel took a look at it at first, and they ruled 2-1 against the family, saying they would not -- the appeal did not stand. From there, it went to all 12 judges in this court. They ruled 10-2 against the family. Today, basically, we're looking at the same process.
It could go to that three-judge panel first if they choose to hear it at all. And the court does have that choice. They could throw their hands up. But, if they decide to look at it, it will go first to the three-judge panel, like we have seen it on Wednesday. From there, if that panel turns it down, it could go to the 12-judge panel. If it makes it through this court again in that same process, really, the Schindlers' only hope is to take it to the Supreme Court from here.
We are told that Michael Schiavo -- that's Terri's husband -- that her husband and lawyers have until about 5:00, I believe, tonight to file a response with this court, so it will probably be a few hours after that 5:00 deadline before we hear anything from this court itself -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: It's a long trail of paperwork. Sara Dorsey, thank you so much -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: The Terri Schiavo story is one that is being played out in any number of homes across the country and around the globe. There are no easy answers, but we do have two other cases for you to consider, two families in the same situation, but who made radically different choices.
We begin in Louisville, Kentucky, with CNN's Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The story of Hugh Finn's controversy death begins on this road outside Louisville, where the popular local TV host was in a horrific accident on an icy morning. The wreck left Hugh Finn in a permanently vegetative state and his wife, Michele, in a terrible spot.
MICHELE FINN, WIFE OF HUGH FINN: And we had talked about the fact that we would not want, neither one of us would want to live in that type of condition. FOREMAN (on camera): So, you never had any doubt about what his wishes were?
M. FINN: No.
FOREMAN (voice-over): So, more than three years later, she decided to remove his feeding tube at his nursing home in Virginia. His parents challenged the decision in court, and they lost.
THOMAS FINN, FATHER OF HUGH FINN: When he was in that hospital, we could touch him. There was hope. Now that he's in the hole, there's no hope for him, none whatsoever.
FOREMAN: But with the tube removal only hours away, Michele could not believe what happened next. Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore went to the state courts to try to stop it.
M. FINN: I was just hysterical. I couldn't believe it. It never occurred to me that it would happen. I kept saying, how can he do this? How can he do this?
JAMES GILMORE (R), FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR: Well, I think that public officials have a duty to make sure that those who are disabled, those who are vulnerable, make sure that they are properly protected. That I think is a proper role of an elected official. And the law supported that type of intervention at the time.
FOREMAN: The governor lost, too. The feeding tube was removed and nine days later, Hugh Finn died.
T. FINN: It was a murder, because you put him to death.
FOREMAN (on camera): The rift between Michele Finn and her husband's family has never fully healed, despite efforts on both sides. And she points out, even her own mother disagreed with her decision.
(voice-over): Michele understands. She does not apologize.
M. FINN: I felt like I had one more commitment that I had made to him that I needed to fulfill.
FOREMAN (on camera): You didn't think you could walk away?
M. FINN: No, absolutely not. I could not walk away from that, because I knew...
FOREMAN: Even though the family wanted to say, we'll take care of him, just leave him alone?
M. FINN: That's right, but that's not what he wanted. And that's what I was afraid of, was I knew what he wanted and if I did not do it, nobody would. And he would not get what he wanted.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Like the rest of the nation, Michele Finn is following the saga of Terri Schiavo. But, unlike most, it is a road she has traveled.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Louisville, Kentucky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, it's a different story for a family in Jerusalem. There, the husband of an incapacitated woman is closely following the Schiavo case and empathizes with Terri Schiavo's parents.
CNN's Guy Raz has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marci Tabak is all dressed up to celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim. Her son, David, recites the megillah, commemorating the Jew's salvation in ancient Persia.
For seven years, the Tabak family has been celebrating holidays this way, ever since Marci's heart attack left her in a persistent vegetative state, or PVS, a condition just like Terri Schiavo's. Marci's husband, Ya'acov, has been fighting the medical establishment ever since.
(on camera): Marci's motor functions were affected, but you are convinced that her mental capacity remains unaffected?
YA'ACOV TABAK, HUSBAND OF MARCI: That is correct. You just hit the nail on the head. That's correct. Neurologists will hear me saying this, oh, that's nonsense. That's absurd. How can you say such a thing? We all know that.
But I contend that they don't all know that. I contend that there hasn't been any serious research on a broad scale of cognition of permanent vegetative state diagnoses.
RAZ (voice-over): And Ya'acov, a doctor of chemistry by training, has undertaken his own research. Seven years ago, he began experimenting with words and pictures.
TABAK: So, we took a tablet and wrote the letters blink -- B-L- I-N-K -- on a tablet, didn't say a word, and showed it to her and she started to blink.
RAZ: Soon, Marci was responding to colors and sounds. Now Marci's two caregivers communicate by reading her subtle facial expressions, something Marci's nurse Maria saw in Terri Schiavo when she saw the story on television.
MARIA FLORES, CAREGIVER: And I saw this reaction. And I told her Ya'acov that she's there. The eyes -- you can tell that the eyes, that she's there, the same thing that I saw with Marci. It's just that she needs a lot of stimulation to be able to express herself.
RAZ: Ya'acov immediately contacted a friend of Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler.
TABAK: I said, get this information to Bob and Mary Schindler. I'll do anything to help, that they should prevail.
RAZ: Ya'acov believes that Terri Schiavo, like his wife, retains cognitive abilities and would benefit from mental stimulation.
TABAK: The minute you label a human being a plant, a vegetable, you're condemning them to some horrible fate sooner or later, because nobody respects plants the way they respect human beings.
RAZ: Guy Raz, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, since the Terri Schiavo case has pretty much run the width and breadth of all state and federal legal systems, the parents of the woman lying at the center of the battle are appealing now to the man they call their only hope, the governor of the state of Florida.
Jeb Bush spoke last night to reporters in Tallahassee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: It is still my hope that we will have a chance to provide hydration for Terri Schiavo. But if there is an injunction by the courts in this case that prohibits that, that does not make it possible to do so. So, as of yesterday, there was no injunction. We made the -- the judge ruled. We appealed this morning.
And there was, you know, had he not created an injunction for staying this, we would have had the right to do it.
QUESTION: All day, people have been on CNN saying you've got some power you're not using.
BUSH: Yes. I'm sure they have.
I -- I have heard from al sorts of people. Mr. Keyes was outside today and he spoke to Wayne Large (ph) in my office and that, based on the Federalist Papers, somehow we have -- I have as a governor powers that the Constitution is silent on. And I have talked to a whole lot of people that I respect, not just now, but the first time that when Terri's law was passed, to make the determination of what my powers are.
And they are not as expansive as people would want them to be. I understand what they're -- they're acting on their heart. And I am -- I fully appreciate their sentiments and the emotions that go with this. But I cannot go -- and as I've been consistently saying, and I guess you guys haven't been listening and repeating it back. I've consistently said that I can't go beyond what my powers are, and I'm not going to do it, much as I -- I mean, you know, I mentioned this when we were talking, Brandon (ph), that there are 90,000 abortions that take place in this state every year.
That troubles me more than I could ever describe to you. But that doesn't mean that I have some, you know, secret powers to stop that. There are a lot of things that go on in society that trouble me. And this is certainly one of them. To have somebody starve to death troubles me greatly. And we have done everything that we can and we will continue to do so within the powers that I have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: We will, of course, continue to bring you the latest developments on the Terri Schiavo case as they happen.
PHILLIPS: Still ahead on LIVE FROM, growing concerns out of the Middle East. Could terrorist groups have dangerous plans for this holy Easter weekend?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well, do you own a small business? Want to start one? CNN has a new show for you. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm Ali Velshi with today's "TURNAROUND" tip. One of the things that separates a successful business from a struggling one is a clear, concise business plan.
A builder wouldn't start construction without a blueprint, so eager business owners shouldn't rush into ventures without a business plan. Edward Rogoff, author of "Bankable Business Plans," says a business plan tests your dream.
EDWARD ROGOFF, AUTHOR, "BANKABLE BUSINESS PLANS": The dream can exist in a very vague way in your mind about how well your business is going to work, how people are going to want your product like crazy. But when you actually sit down and put it down on paper, you may find otherwise.
VELSHI: Rogoff says three pillars of a solid business plan are a definition of your company, a thorough budget analysis and a comprehensive marketing strategy. Rogoff says most plans are used to attract investors.
ROGOFF: Banks want to see that their loan is secure. They want to see that they will get their principal back. They see that there's collateral.
VELSHI (on camera): So, remember, a business plan helps you identify your goals. It defines your company and it helps you attract investors. Don't start a business without one.
I'm Ali Velshi with today's "TURNAROUND" tip.
(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: Ali Velshi, one of the greats of the business, with a program "THE TURNAROUND WITH ALI VELSHI." That's tomorrow, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. Stay with us for more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Our CNN "Security Watch" begins this hour in Salt Lake City, where officials say an airline passenger headed for Peru admit he tried to conceal box-cutters, razor blades and scissors in his carry-on luggage. The FBI says the man was arrested yesterday at a security checkpoint, but does not appear to be a terrorist. He has been charged with carrying a weapon on to an aircraft.
PHILLIPS: Americans in some parts of the Mideast could be at increased risk of a terrorist attack over the Easter weekend.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr explains what triggered the new warning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the peaceful Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, a theater popular with Westerners earlier this month was attacked by a suicide bomber. An Islamic-related Web site posted unverified claims of responsibility.
Now concern is rising across the region about the threat from fundamentals with ties to any number of organizations. As Easter approaches, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar is now warning, a number of reports have been circulating, particularly on the Internet, suggesting that American and other Western interests, such as churches, may be the targets of terrorist attacks.
Senior U.S. commanders this week warned again that al Qaeda and other groups are on the move across the Persian Gulf all the way to Eastern Africa, in part because other havens have been shut down.
MAJ. GEN. SAMUEL HELLAND, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: With the increase in stability and security in Afghanistan and Iraq, they have to move around.
STARR: Commanders say it may not matter if terrorists are al Qaeda members. The attackers' goal, frighten Westerners, chill the investment climate and unsettle local governments.
In Qatar, the suicide attack was the first of its kind. A close U.S. ally, Qatar hosts the desert headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, which led the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Government support for the U.S. appears unshaken.
In Saudi Arabia, a brazen military attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah in December ended with several assailants being killed, shockwaves through the kingdom. Crown Prince Abdullah has vowed a crackdown. In Kuwait, security forces had several shoot-outs with suspected militants in January. Security has been tightened at buildings and oil facilities across the country where Westerners work. Still, General Helland says al Qaeda is increases its ties to emerging terrorist organizations and is using them as front men.
HELLAND: Now, those operations could be something as simple as cutting a railroad line, blowing up a supply line, an oil line or whatever, so they can disrupt the control of the government that is in place.
STARR (on camera): U.S. military intelligence official fully expect more attacks, but they also say that governments in the region are responding strongly and are fully committed to defeating the terrorists.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
O'BRIEN: News across America now.
The FBI's ruling out terrorism as a cause of Wednesday's deadly explosion at the BP oil refinery in Texas City, Texas. But other investigators say it will take at least a month to figure out what sparked the explosion that killed 15, injured more than 100 workers. Meanwhile, several of the injured have already hired lawyers to take legal action against BP Amoco.
Another work site accident near Dallas, Texas, as four workers hurt at a Texas Instruments construction site. Luckily, the injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The fire chief says a second- floor rebar mat collapsed as concrete was being poured.
And, in Florida, authorities say two more children now stricken with life-threatening kidney infections after visiting petting zoos. That brings the number of children suffering from the rare infection in Central Florida to nine. In addition, two other children and an adult are under observation after showing symptoms of the disease.
PHILLIPS: Up next, why you shouldn't doubt a woman with a dream.
O'BRIEN: We'll introduce you to one teacher from Washington who's helped change the future for nearly 800 students. The story behind her hoop dreams next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: That's a limited-edition mug there. There's only two of those in existence.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Here's a story to restore your faith in humanity in the power of basketball. CNN's Kathleen Koch visits one of Washington, D.C.'s roughest neighborhoods, where one woman's vision has fulfilled hundreds of dreams.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kenny Allen and Sean McColl seem unlikely friends. A teenager from gritty southeast Washington and a Virginia marketing executive. But one is helping the other graduate from high school and go to college.
KENNY ALLEN, JR., HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: The thought of you going to college and just the thought of somebody helping you. That some people thought no, that -- that you wouldn't succeed in life.
SEAN MCCOLL, VICE PRESIDENT, PROMOCORP: He's very disciplined, very driven, knows what he wants. And I'm trying to help him out along the way to get to the places that he needs to go to.
KOCH: Since 1996, nearly 800 inner city students like Kenny have been paired with successful mentors and provided college scholarships by a group called Hoop Dreams. It was founded by Susie Kay, a teacher at H. D. Woodson High School, in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Washington, who saw so much promise in her students.
SUSIE KAY, HOOP DREAMS FOUNDER: But what I also saw was so much frustration, because they did not have necessarily the proper resources and opportunities that you do need.
KOCH: So she organized a small basketball tournament to raise money to send four young people to college. And it snowballed from there.
KAY: What we do as an organization, we build bridges. We build relationships. And I haven't really stopped working on this since that day.
KOCH: The basketball tournament now features star athletes. VIPs flock to the Hoop Dreams congressional reception. And the first graduates now work for Susie.
THEO BRANNUM, PROGRAM COORDINATOR: She really showed me the importance of giving back to my community.
KOCH: Or for local businesses, like the Washington Nationals, where Brandon Bradford handles season ticket sales.
BRANDON BRANFORD, WASHINGTON NATIONALS: They stay on top of you from beginning to end, making sure that you get the best education, a well-rounded education. That's in the books as well as in the real world.
JOE DEOUDES, WASHINGTON NATIONALS: Brandon was a great product of Hoop Dreams. I wish there were five of them.
KOCH: Students and mentors in Hoop Dreams marvel at Susie. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Susie Kay, I just see her and it's like, you never see her down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Makes you want to do more, she's so positive.
KOCH: But Susie Kay sees inspiration and pride elsewhere.
KAY: My pride is all in them and, you know, what they symbolize as far as what's possible when you believe in the power of hope.
KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, the faithful got a chance to cheer. Just moments ago, we got this video in of Pope John Paul II in his private chapel at the Vatican.
O'BRIEN: Yes, he wasn't able to actively participate in Good Friday services, the Stations of the Cross and so forth, which, of course, is the most important day on the Catholic calendar, Good Friday.
But what the Vatican has released is the pope participating, if you will, on his own, because of his health, in his private chapel in the Vatican. So, certainly, he is there with the faithful in spirit on this Good Friday.
PHILLIPS: As they gather there at the Coliseum. Evidently, they started cheering when he came up on the video screen.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Thank goodness for technology.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: That does it for us.
O'BRIEN: Thanks very much for being with us this week.
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