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Hybrid Cars Attract Consumers; Contentious Day in Jackson Trial

Aired April 15, 2005 - 14:30   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Checking stories "Now in the News," a garbage collector arrested in the killing of a single mother on Cape Cod three years ago. 33-year-old Christopher McCowen pleads not guilty to rape and murder charges. Christa Worthington, a former fashion writer, was found stabbed to death with her 2-year-old daughter clinging to her body. The child was unharmed.
The latest on the California baseball bat killing. A juvenile court appearance today for a 13-year-old boy. He allegedly killed a 15-year-old with a baseball bat after a youth league game in Palmdale. He'll be tried as a juvenile. If convicted, the boy could face a sentence ranging from probation to confinement he turns 25.

A new prime minister named in Lebanon. President Emil Lahoud has named moderate pro-Syrian former minister Najib Mikati as the new prime minister. Mikati won the support of at least 58 members of parliament, including the minority opposition.

NASA launches the DART, the robotic spacecraft, short for Demonstration of Autonomous Rendevous Technology, which was...

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well done! That was gone.

PHILLIPS: ... sent into space to rendezvous with a Pentagon satellite. Sounds like I know what I'm talking about, doesn't it, Miles? It will be the first time that happens without the help of astronauts or Miles or human controllers. If successful, it could lead to the robotic delivery of cargo to space shuttles. Whoo.

O'BRIEN: You are so thrilled, aren't you?

The war drums are beating there. All right. There may be a critical shortage at your local gas station, but don't worry, it's not fuel. It's the number two on signs, advertising those high prices. Now that a gallon of regular costs an average of $2.26, the twos are a hot commodity for gas station owners everywhere.

Want to make a few bucks? Start cranking out twos. Some are even improvising and using homemade twos, while waiting for additional shipments to arrive. An upside down five would work, probably, kind of.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ken Ruck, proud owner of a brand new Toyota Prius. Fully loaded and with a hybrid engine, gas and electric, it gets 55 miles per gallon.

KEN RUCK, PRIUS OWNER: I love this car because, not only is it saving money on gas, but it also is pretty cool.

CHERNOFF: What he'd love even more would be to sell the Prius at a profit of $10,000. Ken, an employee of Virgin Mobil, is advertising on the web to sell for $37,000.

RUCK: I posted the car on Craig's List Web site for $10,000 more than I paid for it, and pretty much every day since then, I've had three to four e-mails offering me not as much as what I'm asking for, but more than what I paid for it.

CHERNOFF: Yes, the Prius is popular. Toyota says the average wait for the car is two months.

(on camera): With gasoline prices near record levels, some people don't want to wait. They want their Prius now. Kelly Blue Book, the authority on car prices, says used Priuses are selling for $1,000 to $3,000 above sticker price. You can find them at cars.com or eBay Motors, but $10,000 above list?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're either crazy, or it's a great car. One or the other.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, maybe he's a better businessman than I am.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): This Toyota dealer says his customers need wait only a month for a Prius, but in New York, he says, anything is possible.

BRUCE EDLEMAN, QUEENSBORO TOYOTA: We're not paying $10,000 more for a car, no matter how great the car is. But there are some individuals who really want the car, and they're like on a quest that they want to get that car, and they'll pay. They'll pay a high, high premium over the sticker price of what the customer paid for it. Probably he will get it.

CHERNOFF: If Ken Ruck gets his price, he says he'll buy another Prius to turn a quick buck, but perhaps only he sees green when looking at his silver car. At the very least, he'll save money on gas as he shows off his Prius.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right. As the demand for hybrids grows, Japanese carmakers are answering the call. They're offering several models that are being snapped up in the U.S., not just the Prius. Well, how does Detroit measure up, meanwhile?

Let's talk about that with Csaba Csere. He is the editor-in chief of "Car and Driver" magazine, a man with 25 brand new shiny new cars at his disposal at any moment. Today drove in what -- which car did you drive in?

CSABA CSERE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "CAR AND DRIVER": A Chevy Cobalt SS.

O'BRIEN: Thumbs up yet? Don't know?

CSERE: Pretty quick, but I've only lived with it for a couple of hours at this point.

O'BRIEN: All right. So you'll have a fun weekend with that one. Let's get down to business, shall we? Hybrids. A lot of people will tell you that this is -- could be leading to Detroit's undoing right now. Is that an overstatement?

CSERE: I think it's an overstatement. At the same time, Detroit would be a lot happier with a few more hybrids out there. Clearly, when gas prices are expensive, people want some fuel economy and they want fuel economy without giving much up in the way of size and comfort and convenience. You know, you could always get a more fuel efficient machine by just going out and buying a small car. There's plenty of Focuses or Honda Civics and everything else out there.

O'BRIEN: That's so un-American of you. That's un-American of you, Csaba. Big cars are what we're all about, right?

CSERE: I understand, but if you're really concerned about fuel economy, that's the number one thing you could do. And what a hybrid does is it lets you have your cake and eat it, too. You get the fuel economy without giving much up and that's why they're so popular right now.

O'BRIEN: And that is American, having your cake and eating it, too. It seems as if -- you look at all these Hybrids out there -- there is a dearth of Detroit-made hybrids, isn't there?

CSERE: Well, really the only Detroit-made hybrids now are the Ford Escape. That was the first hybrid SUV. But it only went on sale a few months ago. Ford's doing very, very well with it and there's quite a long waiting list for those, as well. But that's about it. There's also the Chevy Silverado hybrid pickup. That's a very mild hybrid.

O'BRIEN: That's a gimmick. Don't you think that's a gimmick?

CSERE: Well, it's a little bit of a gimmick. It's more of a setup design for a carpenter, because it's got has 120 volt electrical outlets in the bed, so you can hook up your circular saw and do some work on it.

O'BRIEN: I like that. I like that. Let's talk about another front where Detroit is vulnerable, and this is really hitting them in their sweet spot. This is going for the real gold in Detroit, which are big trucks and SUVs. And the Japanese are really coming at them in that front. Nissan, Toyota. They're all coming up with these big trucks. How much of a dent are they really going to make when you consider a lot of these folks who buy the pickup trucks have very strong allegiances to either Ford or Chevy primarily and buy them year after year?

CSERE: Well, the pickup truck buyer certainly is very loyal, but that used to be said about the American car buyer, too, 25 years ago. And ultimately, I think American customers are loyal to good product and whoever has the best product at the best value is going to win. And at this point, that's still Detroit, but the Japanese are making strong moves.

We saw the Nissan Titan full-size pickup, that hit the market about a year ago. It's only making modest in-roads, but it's selling better this year than it did last year. And we're going to have an all-new full-size Toyota pickup in about a year's time and that's going to be a serious piece of business, so Detroit really has to look out for these machines.

O'BRIEN: Yes, consumers are kind of Darwinian about it all. Meanwhile, quick question for you, before we get away. G.M. and Ford, really in trouble over this. Daimler Chrysler seems to have, partially at least, solved the riddle. They're doing better. Why?

CSERE: Well, a lot of it is on the back of one vehicle, the Chrysler 300 and the various versions of that that exist.

O'BRIEN: It's a nice looking car. It's one of those gotta-have- its, right?

CSERE: Well, that's it. And the thing is, people say it's a nice looking car. And it is a cool looking car. But you can also get a hemi-motor, so it's a fast car. It's also a roomy car. When you drive it, feels really solid and it's got a good price. So, you know, you look at it from every basis on which you want to judge a car and it's superior. And that's what really takes achieving a homerun in the car business these days.

O'BRIEN: Well, that should be simple, shouldn't it? But deceptively complex. All right, Csaba Csere, who is the editor-in- chief of "Car and Driver," a man with 25 cars at his disposal driving the -- which one? The Cobalt SS right now?

CSERE: Cobalt SS.

O'BRIEN: All right. Let us know next time you come back what you think of that one, OK?

CSERE: Will do.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, the mother of Michael Jackson's teenage accuser is back on the stand. This time, she's being questioned by the defense. The cross-examination began with some verbal sparring.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is in Santa Maria, California, probably getting grilled by the defense -- Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, boy, this was billed as a showdown and it is not disappointing thus far. The mother of the accuser took the stand today for the third day, the first opportunity, though, for Jackon's attorney Thomas Mesereau to cross-examine her. And they have set her up as being the reason that these charges of molestation were filed. They've told the jury that it's all about the mother, that it is all about her conniving and today it's their opportunity to try and expose her.

And her -- from their point of view, they have gone back and forth and sparred openly in court. The judge has had to intercede a few times. At one point, when she was talking about being manipulated by Jackson's people and going along with the script, she says, I guess I'm a poor actress. Tom Mesereau said, oh, I think you're a very good actress. The judge jumped in and said told both of them to stop it. Later she said, looking at Tom Mesereau, I have a lot of thoughts in my heart about you.

And then she blurted out during an answer, Neverland is all about booze, pornography and sex with boys. Obviously those comments were all stricken by the judge. Contentious is a way I would describe the proceedings thus far. And it's just beginning here. It's expected that this woman will be on the stand for the rest of the day and most likely into Monday -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Ted Rowlands. We'll stay in touch with you. Thanks.

O'BRIEN: All right. If I want to drive your Prius or your SUV or whatever it is over to McDonald's today, it's golden moment for the golden arches.

PHILLIPS: And the parrot that cried wolf. Ahead on LIVE FROM, that's right, the parrot that set off a neighborhood panic when he cried help me, help me, help me.

O'BRIEN: That's a terrible parrot.

PHILLIPS: Sorry. Sibila, help me out. Hi.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of love in the air. That's right, for the actor Bruce Willis, but there's no love for rapper for Snoop Dogg at an Ivy League University. I'll explain when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: Can you imagine life without the remote control? The Internet? How about cell phones? At cnn.com, a look at the look at the top 25 innovations over the past quarter century. We've come a long way since the '80s, when telephones were stuck to walls and facts were found on your bookshelves. According to a panel of experts, it's the advent of the wireless world that has done the most to revolutionize life as we know it. This interactive gallery highlights the top ten technological innovations, from digital storage, which gives us the ability to store tons of information in cell phones or digital cameras, to the wireless world, and the proliferation of personal digital assistants and wi-fi.

How much do you know about technological innovations? You can find out in this interactive quiz. For example, in which decade did the Zenith company develop the first remote control for television? Was it the '40s, '50s, '60s or '70s? You can log on for the answer.

For a complete list of the top 25 innovations, go to cnn.com/cnn25. You can also join CNN's Daniel Sieberg as he counts down the top 25 breakthroughs in technology from the last 25 years. That's this Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

From the dotcom newsdesk in Atlanta, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: The golden arches turns 50. Fast food giant McDonald's celebrates its 50th birthday today, which means it's time to change the oil in the fry-o-lator. Founder Ray Kroc opened the chains' first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955. He was selling milkshakes, mixers, before starting the famous franchise. The Des Plaines restaurant where it all began is, of course, now a McDonald's museum, containing memorabilia and artifacts.

Today there are more than 30,000 restaurants in the McDonald's chain. 119 countries. The chain opened a new restaurant in downtown Chicago to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Kind of has a retro feel to it. Back with more in just a moment here on CNN, where billions and billions are served.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, a country renowned for its fashion, cuisine and style is apparently a die-hard fan of American actor Bruce Willis. Our Sibila Vargas joins us live from L.A. with more entertainment news. Hi, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hey, Kyra. That's right. It looks like Bruce Willis is the creme de la creme in France. The actor has been made an officer in the Order of Arts and Letters. It's one of the country's top awards for cultural achievement. The award is given to those who have distinguished themselves in the artistic or literary field. After accepting his award, the "Sin City" actor said, "It's a great, great honor" and concluded by exclaiming, "Vive La France!"

One person who isn't getting such a warm reception, though, is Snoop Dogg. The rapper was supposed to perform at Harvard University.

(MUSIC)

VARGAS: But after some protest about what some call misogynous lyrics, it has been called off. According to reports, the rapper was supposed to take the stage at the college in May, but some women's groups were not too pleased with the idea. They said Snopp's lyrics condoned abuse against women. But Harvard's undergraduate council president said the performance was canceled due to unavoidable obstacles and financial considerations.

And it's called the "Simple Life" but apparently things are not so simple on the FOX reality show. If you're keeping score, Paris Hilton is in and it appears Nicole Ritchie may be out. The duo seemed to take the genre by storm with their off the wall show, but an apparent rift between the ladies is jeopardizing the future of the show. Now word is that Rod Stewart's daughter, Kimberly may be replacing Ritchie. There she is right there with a brunette Paris Hilton.

FOX released a statement about the speculation saying we are currently discussing internally the creative direction of the next season of the "Simple Life." We are huge fans of both Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie and look forward to solidifying our plans for the next installment of this fantastic franchise in the very near future.

Well, I guess Kyra, that we'll have to stay tuned as the drama continues.

PHILLIPS: Drama is right. She's probably the ultimate drama queen. Why we care about her, I don't know, but we care about you, Sibila.

VARGAS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: See you next week.

O'BRIEN: Well, Starbucks is making another push to get greener.

PHILLIPS: Allan Chernoff live at the New York Stock Exchange to explain -- Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Krya, Miles, Starbucks says that the answer is blowing in the wind. 5 percent of the electricity used at the company's stores this year will come from renewable energy sources like wind power. This is the latest green move by the coffee chain.

Earlier this year, Starbucks began pouring its grande lattes into cups from cups made by recycled materials. And the energy change will cut store emissions by 2 percent overall. Starbucks says that move is like taking 3,200 cars off the road, not hybrids, though. And the energy conservation might help the company down the road. That's because climate changes brought about by pollution can affect coffee farming and production.

Let's turn our attention to the markets now. Stocks are deep in the red column for a third day in a row. Certainly in need of some caffeine lift. The Dow Jones Industrial average off by 115 points. And the NASDAQ composite now is lower by 1.3 percent, down for the third day in the row. The major averages are at their lowest level in five months.

That is the latest from Wall Street, Kyra, Miles, back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Allan, thank you.

O'BRIEN: Always a pleasure, Allan. Thanks for dropping by.

Police answered a cry for help from a parrot.

PHILLIPS: Well, that call turned out...

O'BRIEN: That's my parrot. Not bad. Not bad.

PHILLIPS: That's kind of a weak parrot.

O'BRIEN: It's lousy.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Well, we've called on the captain of the pet squad for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE; My friend Harry is characterized as big, beautiful and quite the showoff. Right, Harry?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: He's known as the pet-keeping guy and his feathered friend Harry joins us live to show you how to avoid the parrot trap.

O'BRIEN: The parrot trap. No. Not that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, when you think of discs for dogs what comes to mind? A frisbee, right? An exception to that rule, a CD, aimed at canine needs and desires. And they need so much, don't they? Or so it's creators say, anyhow. CNN's Jeanne Moos investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here boy! Come on, girl Call your dog over to the TV so we can see if the CD lives up to its title "Songs to Make Dogs Happy."

(MUSIC)

MOOS: The creators say these songs were tested on doggy focus groups.

We found getting dogs to focus on music wasn't easy. But the CD's creators used more controlled focus groups, not to mention an animal communicator channeling their thoughts.

DR. KIM OGDEN, ANIMAL COMMUNICATOR: I love this song, but I'd rather lick you.

MOOS: The result, a 12-song CD featuring numbers like "Squeaky- Deakey!"

Here at Biscuits & Bath doggy day care, we tested big dogs and little dogs.

SKIP HAYNES, PETCDS.COM: (INAUDIBLE) number one hit, yes.

MOOS: Skip Haynes created and performed "Songs to Make Dogs Happy."

HAYNES: We wrote a song that the entire lyrical content of the song is, "you're a good dog," and dogs like to hear that.

MOOS (on camera): See how you like this one?

Don't like that one.

(voice-over): I couldn't fathom what Rudy here really thought. Pet communicator Kim Ogden says she can, word for word.

OGDEN: It's pleasant, but it's not the best thing I ever heard.

I am hearing them speak to me just like I'm having a conversation with an old friend.

MOOS: In English no less. Nutty as this sounds, Kim's supporters cite deeds like diagnosing animal ailments that are later confirmed by vets. Musically speaking ...

OGDEN: Dogs love happy things. They love happy things.

MOOS: One adventurous dog seemed to want to turn down the volume. Sam the Beagle sent mixed signals -- wagging his tail, but later...

(on camera): Are you growling? Why go you growl? Why do you keep turning it off?

(voice-over): Sam even whacked the CD. You're a bad dog.

Was it the mushy music that inspired romance? But who needs all that fake panting, when you've got the real thing.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired April 15, 2005 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Checking stories "Now in the News," a garbage collector arrested in the killing of a single mother on Cape Cod three years ago. 33-year-old Christopher McCowen pleads not guilty to rape and murder charges. Christa Worthington, a former fashion writer, was found stabbed to death with her 2-year-old daughter clinging to her body. The child was unharmed.
The latest on the California baseball bat killing. A juvenile court appearance today for a 13-year-old boy. He allegedly killed a 15-year-old with a baseball bat after a youth league game in Palmdale. He'll be tried as a juvenile. If convicted, the boy could face a sentence ranging from probation to confinement he turns 25.

A new prime minister named in Lebanon. President Emil Lahoud has named moderate pro-Syrian former minister Najib Mikati as the new prime minister. Mikati won the support of at least 58 members of parliament, including the minority opposition.

NASA launches the DART, the robotic spacecraft, short for Demonstration of Autonomous Rendevous Technology, which was...

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well done! That was gone.

PHILLIPS: ... sent into space to rendezvous with a Pentagon satellite. Sounds like I know what I'm talking about, doesn't it, Miles? It will be the first time that happens without the help of astronauts or Miles or human controllers. If successful, it could lead to the robotic delivery of cargo to space shuttles. Whoo.

O'BRIEN: You are so thrilled, aren't you?

The war drums are beating there. All right. There may be a critical shortage at your local gas station, but don't worry, it's not fuel. It's the number two on signs, advertising those high prices. Now that a gallon of regular costs an average of $2.26, the twos are a hot commodity for gas station owners everywhere.

Want to make a few bucks? Start cranking out twos. Some are even improvising and using homemade twos, while waiting for additional shipments to arrive. An upside down five would work, probably, kind of.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ken Ruck, proud owner of a brand new Toyota Prius. Fully loaded and with a hybrid engine, gas and electric, it gets 55 miles per gallon.

KEN RUCK, PRIUS OWNER: I love this car because, not only is it saving money on gas, but it also is pretty cool.

CHERNOFF: What he'd love even more would be to sell the Prius at a profit of $10,000. Ken, an employee of Virgin Mobil, is advertising on the web to sell for $37,000.

RUCK: I posted the car on Craig's List Web site for $10,000 more than I paid for it, and pretty much every day since then, I've had three to four e-mails offering me not as much as what I'm asking for, but more than what I paid for it.

CHERNOFF: Yes, the Prius is popular. Toyota says the average wait for the car is two months.

(on camera): With gasoline prices near record levels, some people don't want to wait. They want their Prius now. Kelly Blue Book, the authority on car prices, says used Priuses are selling for $1,000 to $3,000 above sticker price. You can find them at cars.com or eBay Motors, but $10,000 above list?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're either crazy, or it's a great car. One or the other.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, maybe he's a better businessman than I am.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): This Toyota dealer says his customers need wait only a month for a Prius, but in New York, he says, anything is possible.

BRUCE EDLEMAN, QUEENSBORO TOYOTA: We're not paying $10,000 more for a car, no matter how great the car is. But there are some individuals who really want the car, and they're like on a quest that they want to get that car, and they'll pay. They'll pay a high, high premium over the sticker price of what the customer paid for it. Probably he will get it.

CHERNOFF: If Ken Ruck gets his price, he says he'll buy another Prius to turn a quick buck, but perhaps only he sees green when looking at his silver car. At the very least, he'll save money on gas as he shows off his Prius.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right. As the demand for hybrids grows, Japanese carmakers are answering the call. They're offering several models that are being snapped up in the U.S., not just the Prius. Well, how does Detroit measure up, meanwhile?

Let's talk about that with Csaba Csere. He is the editor-in chief of "Car and Driver" magazine, a man with 25 brand new shiny new cars at his disposal at any moment. Today drove in what -- which car did you drive in?

CSABA CSERE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "CAR AND DRIVER": A Chevy Cobalt SS.

O'BRIEN: Thumbs up yet? Don't know?

CSERE: Pretty quick, but I've only lived with it for a couple of hours at this point.

O'BRIEN: All right. So you'll have a fun weekend with that one. Let's get down to business, shall we? Hybrids. A lot of people will tell you that this is -- could be leading to Detroit's undoing right now. Is that an overstatement?

CSERE: I think it's an overstatement. At the same time, Detroit would be a lot happier with a few more hybrids out there. Clearly, when gas prices are expensive, people want some fuel economy and they want fuel economy without giving much up in the way of size and comfort and convenience. You know, you could always get a more fuel efficient machine by just going out and buying a small car. There's plenty of Focuses or Honda Civics and everything else out there.

O'BRIEN: That's so un-American of you. That's un-American of you, Csaba. Big cars are what we're all about, right?

CSERE: I understand, but if you're really concerned about fuel economy, that's the number one thing you could do. And what a hybrid does is it lets you have your cake and eat it, too. You get the fuel economy without giving much up and that's why they're so popular right now.

O'BRIEN: And that is American, having your cake and eating it, too. It seems as if -- you look at all these Hybrids out there -- there is a dearth of Detroit-made hybrids, isn't there?

CSERE: Well, really the only Detroit-made hybrids now are the Ford Escape. That was the first hybrid SUV. But it only went on sale a few months ago. Ford's doing very, very well with it and there's quite a long waiting list for those, as well. But that's about it. There's also the Chevy Silverado hybrid pickup. That's a very mild hybrid.

O'BRIEN: That's a gimmick. Don't you think that's a gimmick?

CSERE: Well, it's a little bit of a gimmick. It's more of a setup design for a carpenter, because it's got has 120 volt electrical outlets in the bed, so you can hook up your circular saw and do some work on it.

O'BRIEN: I like that. I like that. Let's talk about another front where Detroit is vulnerable, and this is really hitting them in their sweet spot. This is going for the real gold in Detroit, which are big trucks and SUVs. And the Japanese are really coming at them in that front. Nissan, Toyota. They're all coming up with these big trucks. How much of a dent are they really going to make when you consider a lot of these folks who buy the pickup trucks have very strong allegiances to either Ford or Chevy primarily and buy them year after year?

CSERE: Well, the pickup truck buyer certainly is very loyal, but that used to be said about the American car buyer, too, 25 years ago. And ultimately, I think American customers are loyal to good product and whoever has the best product at the best value is going to win. And at this point, that's still Detroit, but the Japanese are making strong moves.

We saw the Nissan Titan full-size pickup, that hit the market about a year ago. It's only making modest in-roads, but it's selling better this year than it did last year. And we're going to have an all-new full-size Toyota pickup in about a year's time and that's going to be a serious piece of business, so Detroit really has to look out for these machines.

O'BRIEN: Yes, consumers are kind of Darwinian about it all. Meanwhile, quick question for you, before we get away. G.M. and Ford, really in trouble over this. Daimler Chrysler seems to have, partially at least, solved the riddle. They're doing better. Why?

CSERE: Well, a lot of it is on the back of one vehicle, the Chrysler 300 and the various versions of that that exist.

O'BRIEN: It's a nice looking car. It's one of those gotta-have- its, right?

CSERE: Well, that's it. And the thing is, people say it's a nice looking car. And it is a cool looking car. But you can also get a hemi-motor, so it's a fast car. It's also a roomy car. When you drive it, feels really solid and it's got a good price. So, you know, you look at it from every basis on which you want to judge a car and it's superior. And that's what really takes achieving a homerun in the car business these days.

O'BRIEN: Well, that should be simple, shouldn't it? But deceptively complex. All right, Csaba Csere, who is the editor-in- chief of "Car and Driver," a man with 25 cars at his disposal driving the -- which one? The Cobalt SS right now?

CSERE: Cobalt SS.

O'BRIEN: All right. Let us know next time you come back what you think of that one, OK?

CSERE: Will do.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, the mother of Michael Jackson's teenage accuser is back on the stand. This time, she's being questioned by the defense. The cross-examination began with some verbal sparring.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is in Santa Maria, California, probably getting grilled by the defense -- Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, boy, this was billed as a showdown and it is not disappointing thus far. The mother of the accuser took the stand today for the third day, the first opportunity, though, for Jackon's attorney Thomas Mesereau to cross-examine her. And they have set her up as being the reason that these charges of molestation were filed. They've told the jury that it's all about the mother, that it is all about her conniving and today it's their opportunity to try and expose her.

And her -- from their point of view, they have gone back and forth and sparred openly in court. The judge has had to intercede a few times. At one point, when she was talking about being manipulated by Jackson's people and going along with the script, she says, I guess I'm a poor actress. Tom Mesereau said, oh, I think you're a very good actress. The judge jumped in and said told both of them to stop it. Later she said, looking at Tom Mesereau, I have a lot of thoughts in my heart about you.

And then she blurted out during an answer, Neverland is all about booze, pornography and sex with boys. Obviously those comments were all stricken by the judge. Contentious is a way I would describe the proceedings thus far. And it's just beginning here. It's expected that this woman will be on the stand for the rest of the day and most likely into Monday -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Ted Rowlands. We'll stay in touch with you. Thanks.

O'BRIEN: All right. If I want to drive your Prius or your SUV or whatever it is over to McDonald's today, it's golden moment for the golden arches.

PHILLIPS: And the parrot that cried wolf. Ahead on LIVE FROM, that's right, the parrot that set off a neighborhood panic when he cried help me, help me, help me.

O'BRIEN: That's a terrible parrot.

PHILLIPS: Sorry. Sibila, help me out. Hi.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of love in the air. That's right, for the actor Bruce Willis, but there's no love for rapper for Snoop Dogg at an Ivy League University. I'll explain when LIVE FROM continues.

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VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: Can you imagine life without the remote control? The Internet? How about cell phones? At cnn.com, a look at the look at the top 25 innovations over the past quarter century. We've come a long way since the '80s, when telephones were stuck to walls and facts were found on your bookshelves. According to a panel of experts, it's the advent of the wireless world that has done the most to revolutionize life as we know it. This interactive gallery highlights the top ten technological innovations, from digital storage, which gives us the ability to store tons of information in cell phones or digital cameras, to the wireless world, and the proliferation of personal digital assistants and wi-fi.

How much do you know about technological innovations? You can find out in this interactive quiz. For example, in which decade did the Zenith company develop the first remote control for television? Was it the '40s, '50s, '60s or '70s? You can log on for the answer.

For a complete list of the top 25 innovations, go to cnn.com/cnn25. You can also join CNN's Daniel Sieberg as he counts down the top 25 breakthroughs in technology from the last 25 years. That's this Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

From the dotcom newsdesk in Atlanta, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

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O'BRIEN: The golden arches turns 50. Fast food giant McDonald's celebrates its 50th birthday today, which means it's time to change the oil in the fry-o-lator. Founder Ray Kroc opened the chains' first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955. He was selling milkshakes, mixers, before starting the famous franchise. The Des Plaines restaurant where it all began is, of course, now a McDonald's museum, containing memorabilia and artifacts.

Today there are more than 30,000 restaurants in the McDonald's chain. 119 countries. The chain opened a new restaurant in downtown Chicago to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Kind of has a retro feel to it. Back with more in just a moment here on CNN, where billions and billions are served.

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PHILLIPS: Well, a country renowned for its fashion, cuisine and style is apparently a die-hard fan of American actor Bruce Willis. Our Sibila Vargas joins us live from L.A. with more entertainment news. Hi, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hey, Kyra. That's right. It looks like Bruce Willis is the creme de la creme in France. The actor has been made an officer in the Order of Arts and Letters. It's one of the country's top awards for cultural achievement. The award is given to those who have distinguished themselves in the artistic or literary field. After accepting his award, the "Sin City" actor said, "It's a great, great honor" and concluded by exclaiming, "Vive La France!"

One person who isn't getting such a warm reception, though, is Snoop Dogg. The rapper was supposed to perform at Harvard University.

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VARGAS: But after some protest about what some call misogynous lyrics, it has been called off. According to reports, the rapper was supposed to take the stage at the college in May, but some women's groups were not too pleased with the idea. They said Snopp's lyrics condoned abuse against women. But Harvard's undergraduate council president said the performance was canceled due to unavoidable obstacles and financial considerations.

And it's called the "Simple Life" but apparently things are not so simple on the FOX reality show. If you're keeping score, Paris Hilton is in and it appears Nicole Ritchie may be out. The duo seemed to take the genre by storm with their off the wall show, but an apparent rift between the ladies is jeopardizing the future of the show. Now word is that Rod Stewart's daughter, Kimberly may be replacing Ritchie. There she is right there with a brunette Paris Hilton.

FOX released a statement about the speculation saying we are currently discussing internally the creative direction of the next season of the "Simple Life." We are huge fans of both Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie and look forward to solidifying our plans for the next installment of this fantastic franchise in the very near future.

Well, I guess Kyra, that we'll have to stay tuned as the drama continues.

PHILLIPS: Drama is right. She's probably the ultimate drama queen. Why we care about her, I don't know, but we care about you, Sibila.

VARGAS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: See you next week.

O'BRIEN: Well, Starbucks is making another push to get greener.

PHILLIPS: Allan Chernoff live at the New York Stock Exchange to explain -- Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Krya, Miles, Starbucks says that the answer is blowing in the wind. 5 percent of the electricity used at the company's stores this year will come from renewable energy sources like wind power. This is the latest green move by the coffee chain.

Earlier this year, Starbucks began pouring its grande lattes into cups from cups made by recycled materials. And the energy change will cut store emissions by 2 percent overall. Starbucks says that move is like taking 3,200 cars off the road, not hybrids, though. And the energy conservation might help the company down the road. That's because climate changes brought about by pollution can affect coffee farming and production.

Let's turn our attention to the markets now. Stocks are deep in the red column for a third day in a row. Certainly in need of some caffeine lift. The Dow Jones Industrial average off by 115 points. And the NASDAQ composite now is lower by 1.3 percent, down for the third day in the row. The major averages are at their lowest level in five months.

That is the latest from Wall Street, Kyra, Miles, back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Allan, thank you.

O'BRIEN: Always a pleasure, Allan. Thanks for dropping by.

Police answered a cry for help from a parrot.

PHILLIPS: Well, that call turned out...

O'BRIEN: That's my parrot. Not bad. Not bad.

PHILLIPS: That's kind of a weak parrot.

O'BRIEN: It's lousy.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Well, we've called on the captain of the pet squad for help.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE; My friend Harry is characterized as big, beautiful and quite the showoff. Right, Harry?

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PHILLIPS: He's known as the pet-keeping guy and his feathered friend Harry joins us live to show you how to avoid the parrot trap.

O'BRIEN: The parrot trap. No. Not that.

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O'BRIEN: Well, when you think of discs for dogs what comes to mind? A frisbee, right? An exception to that rule, a CD, aimed at canine needs and desires. And they need so much, don't they? Or so it's creators say, anyhow. CNN's Jeanne Moos investigates.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here boy! Come on, girl Call your dog over to the TV so we can see if the CD lives up to its title "Songs to Make Dogs Happy."

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MOOS: The creators say these songs were tested on doggy focus groups.

We found getting dogs to focus on music wasn't easy. But the CD's creators used more controlled focus groups, not to mention an animal communicator channeling their thoughts.

DR. KIM OGDEN, ANIMAL COMMUNICATOR: I love this song, but I'd rather lick you.

MOOS: The result, a 12-song CD featuring numbers like "Squeaky- Deakey!"

Here at Biscuits & Bath doggy day care, we tested big dogs and little dogs.

SKIP HAYNES, PETCDS.COM: (INAUDIBLE) number one hit, yes.

MOOS: Skip Haynes created and performed "Songs to Make Dogs Happy."

HAYNES: We wrote a song that the entire lyrical content of the song is, "you're a good dog," and dogs like to hear that.

MOOS (on camera): See how you like this one?

Don't like that one.

(voice-over): I couldn't fathom what Rudy here really thought. Pet communicator Kim Ogden says she can, word for word.

OGDEN: It's pleasant, but it's not the best thing I ever heard.

I am hearing them speak to me just like I'm having a conversation with an old friend.

MOOS: In English no less. Nutty as this sounds, Kim's supporters cite deeds like diagnosing animal ailments that are later confirmed by vets. Musically speaking ...

OGDEN: Dogs love happy things. They love happy things.

MOOS: One adventurous dog seemed to want to turn down the volume. Sam the Beagle sent mixed signals -- wagging his tail, but later...

(on camera): Are you growling? Why go you growl? Why do you keep turning it off?

(voice-over): Sam even whacked the CD. You're a bad dog.

Was it the mushy music that inspired romance? But who needs all that fake panting, when you've got the real thing.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

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