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Divers Help Protect Miami's Port; More Insurgent Violence in Iraq; Michael Jackson Trial Update; Experienced Pilot in Washington Scare Loses License

Aired May 23, 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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: The Florida teenager accused of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl, then burying her alive and leaving her for dead, was to make his first court appearance this afternoon. Police say Milagro Cunningham fabricated a tale about her abduction but eventually confessed. Meanwhile, though, the girl told her family she knew they would find her under the rocks that covered her.
Michael Jackson's defense attorneys are expected to wrap up their case this week in the singer's child molestation trial. A former housekeeper was first today with testimony aimed at discrediting an account by the accuser's brother. Comedians Jay Leno and Chris Tucker are also on this week's witness list.

And the abortion issue is poised to go before the Supreme Court again. Justices will hear arguments in a New Hampshire case involving parental notification for minors seeking to terminate their pregnancies. The case will be heard after October.

The parents of Army Ranger Pat Tillman reportedly blame high- ranking army officers for outright lying about how their son died in Afghanistan. The former NFL star, who joined the rangers after 9/11, was killed by friendly fire last year. The military initially said he was killed in an enemy ambush. Tillman's parents tell "The Washington Post" they don't believe they will ever get the full story.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: And now we go to military matters.

A jury is seated at a court-martial in Fort Hood, Texas. Staff Sergeant Shane Werst is accused of killing an Iraqi man after a series of house raids. Today the judge said he would allow testimony that the company commander allegedly ordered troops to hunt down the insurgents. Werst faces up to life in prison if convicted of murder and obstruction of justice.

In Iraq, it appears everyone and everything is a target these days. The latest attack took place just a short time ago outside a Shiite mosque south of Baghdad -- witnesses say another car bomb. Two were killed, at least 22 others wounded -- most of them children.

A popular restaurant in Baghdad, the focus of yet another car bomb. This one exploded during lunchtime killing at least 10 -- 113 others in the hospital. U.S. and Iraqi forces are trying to curb all this violence by going after the insurgents together. They've launched what is dubbed Operation Squeeze Play. So far, nearly 300 suspected militants have been captured in Western Baghdad.

NGUYEN: Well, car bombings may be the most effective way for insurgents in Iraq to make their point, but it's far from their only tactic. CNN's Ryan Chilcote examines another that poses a problem for anyone on the streets of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Arshad (ph) was driving with his son when he got his brutal introduction tot he kidnaping industry.

ARSHAD: Eight men jumps from the two cars with their pistol. They hit me on the head and I become bloody.

CHILCOTE: His mistake, the abductors thought only wealthy men collaborating with Americans drive Peugeot 307s.

ARSHAD: They said, no, they are 200's of this car in Iraq. And there are just for people who is working with the Americans.

CHILCOTE: In the safety of a relative's home, it's too dangerous for him to be seen meeting me, an American, in his own. Arshad told me how the bargaining began.

ARSHAD: They began to hit me. They said that we want $250,000 U.S. dollar.

CHILCOTE: An estimated 250 non-Iraqis have been kidnaped in the last two years. Some killed, some set free, and some who may still be alive. In the same period, an estimated 5,000 Iraqis have been kidnaped. Police Colonel Faisal Ali from the Baghdad kidnaping unit agreed to talk to us but only like this. The vast majority of Iraqis and foreigners, he says, are kidnapings for ransom.

COL. FAISAL ALI, IRAQI POLICE, (through translator): The ringleaders formed offices like real estate agencies. When one of their gangs kidnaps a child or say a doctor, the victims' families come to him. He tells them he can find the perpetrators in two or three days for money.

CHILCOTE: The police show us photos of suspected abductors. Their unit claims to have arrested 35 kidnaping gang members last year. They say they've freed 38 hostages and they think that's less than 1 percent of them. Arshad's fate was negotiated, like the majority of cases, without the police. They beat him for information on his finances.

ARSHAD: They said, where do you live? How many house you have? How many stores? Please, tell us. We are in a hurry?

CHILCOTE: Threatened to kill him. ARSHAD: They put the pistol on my head. I told them just I want to ... to say I witness that there is no God, but Allan (ph) and Mohammed is his messenger. And then if you want to kill me, I'm ready.

CHILCOTE: $14,000, $6,000 under the average price the police quoted me, bought his freedom. Arshad, like many here, says kidnaping is as big a problem as the violence. Many Iraqis have fled. Many, like him, have stayed on to fight.

ARSHAD: All of Iraqi families, as you know, they are frightened from them. They cannot go to their job. They cannot do anything.

CHILCOTE: The kidnappers never took Arshad's son but Arshad still gets anxious when he drives.

ARSHAD: I'm following all of the persons behind me, all of the cars around me. I see their faces.

CHILCOTE: He downgraded to a less attractive car but gets nervous when he sees his old Pu Jo 307 on the road.

ARSHAD: This is like mine. When I see cars like mine, I remember all of the darkness of that night.

CHILCOTE: But he is no longer afraid of driving in the light of day, especially now that he carries a weapon.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: This just in to CNN.

We're following up that story of the Cessna 150 that caused that terrible commotion over the skies of Washington, D.C. just a little while ago. We have word now from the federal authorities on one of the actions that will be taken against one of the people inside that plane. The licensed pilot. For more of that, we turn it over to CNN's Kathleen Koch in Washington.

Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LIVE FROM: Miles, the FAA has announced that they have issued an emergency revocation of the pilot's license of Hayden Sheaffer. That he was not actually at the controls of the aircraft at the time but he was the senior pilot. A 69-year- old pilot with far more experience than the other pilot there onboard, Troy Martin, who himself had only logged 30 hours of flight time. So basically the FAA is punishing the senior pilot. They're taking away his license. He's had to turn it over to the FAA. He can appeal in a year. He can apply again for a new license. He could get it back. He'd have to take a written and a practical test. And, Miles, he can also appeal this now to the NTSB as well.

O'BRIEN: All right. So Hayden Jim Sheaffer, the only licensed pilot in that plane. Troy Martin had 30 hours but didn't have a license to revoke.

KOCH: Correct.

O'BRIEN: And thus there was no revocation, obviously, in that case. But clearly when it comes time for his check ride and his test, he will be scrutinized thoroughly.

Is this the final word, Kathleen?

KOCH: This is the final word. And they took this step because instead of just suspending his certificate or simply revoking his pilot's license because then he could have kept on flying. But when it's an emergency revocation, Miles, it means he had to turn it over immediately. He will not be in the air for at least a year.

O'BRIEN: All right, Kathleen Koch in Washington. Thank you very much.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Over on the other coast, comedians in the spotlight today. But it's no laughing matter. Jay Leno and Chris Tucker are expected to testify this week at the child molestation trial against Michael Jackson. Now today, one of the pop star's former housekeepers took the stand. CNN's Ted Rowlands is keeping track of who is saying what in Santa Maria, California, and he joins us now with an update.

Hi, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LIVE FROM: Hi, Betty.

Today we're hearing from an individual who worked for Los Angeles county in the welfare department. And the defense has brought this person on to document that the accuser's mother committed welfare fraud against the state of California and the federal government. Part of their argument that this woman would defraud anybody that she came in contact with. And her motivation was purely financial throughout. They're trying to convince this jury that the same holds true with the allegations of sexual molestation against Michael Jackson.

We expect that the defense case will wrap up at the end of the week. Still to come, as you mentioned, Jay Leno, who's scheduled to take the stand tomorrow, and then comedian Chris Tucker later this week. Tucker had intimate - or had interactions with the accuser's family on multiple occasions. And the defense is bringing him up for his observations as to what this family did and whether or not they asked him for money.

Jay Leno never met the family but had a phone conversation or a phone message was left for him by the accuser, the young boy, and Leno reported that to Santa Monica police because, this according to the defense, because he thought that something fishy was going on. So we'll hear from both of them. And then it appears as though the defense case will wrap up by the end of this week. There will be an expected day, or possibly two, of rebuttal from the prosecution. And then closing arguments. The jury's expected to get this case in about two weeks.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Ted Rowlands following the trial very closely.

Thank you, Ted.

O'BRIEN: Protecting our ports, the Coast Guard today taking new security steps. Why cargo ships from some countries could be turned away.

Plus, above and below one of the nation's busiest ports. We'll give you an up-close look at the extra steps that law enforcement agents take to keep it safe. That's ahead as well.

Also, singer Bobby Brown dealing with the police once again. Is that news? I don't know. This time after two people are stabbed outside an Atlanta restaurant.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Residents in a Chicago apartment building scramble for their lives as it collapsed. That tops our look at news across America right now. This apartment building partially collapsed this morning after a reported explosion. Seven people were taken to hospitals with injuries. Fire fighters are still investigating.

In Atlanta, a dangerous night out for R&B singer Bobby Brown. Two members of his entourage are in intensive care after they were stabbed. Police say Brown was performing when a fight broke out at a restaurant owned by rap mogul Sean P. Diddy Combs. They say Brown was not involved in the incident.

And this crash could have been much worse. Police in Miami say a stolen car hit this school bus, forcing it to strike a house and two cars. The bus was carrying special needs students but none were seriously hurt.

O'BRIEN: Security watch today. Safeguarding U.S. ports. As of right now, the U.S. Coast Guard is refusing to allow ships from certain countries to dock at U.S. ports. Those deemed with lax security precautions at their home ports. Our John Zarrella looks at the extra steps authorities are taking to keep one of the nation's busiest ports safe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): They wear wet suits, not space suits. Unassuming guys with the right stuff who defend America from below.

These Miami-Dade County police divers are helping to protect the Port of Miami, the largest container port in Florida and home to 18 cruise ships carrying 4 million passengers a year.

PAUL TOY, MIAMI-DADE POLICE DIVER: Since 9/11 it has become very critical. We've got the terrorists out there and they want to try and disrupt something. A cruise ship is a good target.

UNKNOWN MALE: Now, what we do is, I'll go in the water, Paul goes in the water. Paul goes down to the bottom.

ZARRELLA: Paul Toy has been diving since he was a teenager. He's been a police divers since the '80s. Today, Toy and nine others, search beneath the 881-foot cruise ship Majesty of the Seas. It is called a hull search. The team is not acting on any tips or information. It's just an unannounced peek beneath the waterline. That's the way they want it. No schedule for terrorists to track.

UNKNOWN MALE: We can be here two or three days in a row and not come for a week and then come back for two weeks in a row.

ZARRELLA: The divers line up along the entire length of the ship, eyeballing every inch. Because visibility is about five feet, flashlights look like light sabers in the green-tinted water. Paul Toy makes his way to the very bottom, at the centerline of the rope, 30 feet down.

TOY: We learn what's supposed to be on the ship. And when there's something that appears that it's not supposed to be there, we can recognize it.

ZARRELLA: The dive can be disconcerting. The ship's sounds. The whirring of generators and throbbing of pumps. Filling the water. Not every diver can hack it.

TOY: The sound just vibrates through the ship and comes through you. So you've got to be in the right frame of mind to be able to get down there and do things like that.

ZARRELLA: While the divers scour the hull, other police officers are in the engine room and on the bridge, making sure a propeller or one of these giant thrusters is not accidentally turned on. That would shred the divers in an instant. Diver Louis Sierra (ph) is literally inside the thruster housing. This kind of danger goes with the territory. In 1996, Paul Toy dove the murky crater in the everglades to bring up pieces of the crashed Valujet airliner.

TOY: There was no visibility at all. It was all by feel. We call it diving by braille.

ZARRELLA: Much of what they do goes unnoticed, but not unappreciated.

TOY: The people see you. The people on the ship. And they love you, you know, because it gives them a good feeling like, our ship's OK, you know, these guys are down there checking it out.

ZARRELLA: Cruise ships don't get all the attention. It could be a navy cruiser, like the USS Lacy (ph) Gulf just pulling out. Before she arrived a week ago, Toy and the other divers searched the seawall and bottom where the guided missile cruiser would dock. These divers believe in their work. They know that they are a deterrent and that they make a difference swimming in the shadows of the big ships. John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Wow, it's courageous doing what they do.

CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of your news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN 24/7 for the latest.

NGUYEN: Up next, a movie sequel that's a force to be reckoned with.

Plus, golf tips for one resident of a Wisteria Lane. You know where that is, right, Sibila?

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LIVE FROM: I sure do.

Tiger Woods makes time for a "Desperate Housewife."

And, of course, "Star Wars" fans make plenty of time to see "Revenge of the Sith."

I'll have all that and more when LIVE FROM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In entertainment, a "Desperate Housewife" has some fun on the green with Tiger Woods.

And moviegoers succumb to the dark side this weekend, setting box office records.

CNN's Entertainment Correspondent Sibila Vargas is live from L.A. with more on the "Star Wars" movie magic.

VARGAS: Absolutely, Betty.

There was only one king at the box office this weekend and it was Director George Lucas. And audiences chose "Star Wars Episode III" over and over and over again. Get this, "Revenge of the Sith" took in a whopping $158.5 million since opening last Wednesday, setting a new Thursday through Saturday record of $124.7 million. The last installment has also grossed $144.7 million overseas for a box office total of $303 million worldwide.

And while we're on the subject of "Star Wars," the original has been chosen as one of "Time" magazine's 100 greatest films of all time. Included in the roundup were classics like "Lawrence of Arabia" and, of course, "Citizen Kane." Who can forget, rose bud. Contemporary films like "Lord of the Rings," "Trilogy," and "Pulp Fiction" also made the cut. And the little fish that could, "Finding Nemo," finned his way on to the list, along with "E.T." and "Pinocchio." Noticeably absent from the list were such classics as "Annie Hall," "Apocalypse Now" and "Jaws." And definitely one of the greatest golfers of all time, super star Tiger Woods, swung into action this weekend, hosting Tiger Jam 8 in Las Vegas. Grammy Winner Stevie Wonder headlined the SBC event, which in the previous seven years has raised $7 million for a variety of children's charities, including VH1's Save the Music Foundation. Also on hand for the weekend long fund raiser were Conan O'Brien, The Counting Crows, Josh Stone, and one star who was desperate for a golf lesson. That's right, "Desperate Housewife" Teri Hatcher, who was also celebrating the season finale of her hit show got her own private golf lesson from Mr. Woods.

Some girls have all the luck.

When all was said and done, plenty of green was raised on the green. Tiger Jam 8 took in more than $1 million for the kids. Good one.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Sounds like a lot of fun for a very good cause, of course.

Sibila, thanks so much.

VARGAS: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Don't go away. Betty and I are here for another half hour of LIVE FROM.

NGUYEN: Among the stories that we're going to be telling you about, another security breach that puts your personal data at risk. Hundreds of thousands of accounts at major banks hacked. And the thieves, well they worked from the inside.

That's ahead as LIVE FROM rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: "Now in the News," a string of attacks and suicide bombings across Iraq today has left more than two dozen people dead. In this car bombing at a Baghdad restaurant, at least 10 people were killed. More than 110 were wounded.

The abortion issue returns to the Supreme Court. The high court says it will hear arguments in a New Hampshire case centering around parental notification for minors seeking the procedure. The justices plan to hear the case after October.

More defense witnesses today called to debunk testimony why Michael Jackson's accuser and his family. A forensic accountant says the singer paid several thousand dollars of the family's expenses while the family still received welfare payments. The defense could wrap up its case as soon as tomorrow.

The wayward pilot who's plane flew into D.C. restricted airspace nearly two weeks ago has been ground. The Federal Aviation Administration revoked his license but says he can reapply after one year. The polit and a student flew within three miles of the White House prompting a code red terror alert.

END

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Aired May 23, 2005 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: The Florida teenager accused of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl, then burying her alive and leaving her for dead, was to make his first court appearance this afternoon. Police say Milagro Cunningham fabricated a tale about her abduction but eventually confessed. Meanwhile, though, the girl told her family she knew they would find her under the rocks that covered her.
Michael Jackson's defense attorneys are expected to wrap up their case this week in the singer's child molestation trial. A former housekeeper was first today with testimony aimed at discrediting an account by the accuser's brother. Comedians Jay Leno and Chris Tucker are also on this week's witness list.

And the abortion issue is poised to go before the Supreme Court again. Justices will hear arguments in a New Hampshire case involving parental notification for minors seeking to terminate their pregnancies. The case will be heard after October.

The parents of Army Ranger Pat Tillman reportedly blame high- ranking army officers for outright lying about how their son died in Afghanistan. The former NFL star, who joined the rangers after 9/11, was killed by friendly fire last year. The military initially said he was killed in an enemy ambush. Tillman's parents tell "The Washington Post" they don't believe they will ever get the full story.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: And now we go to military matters.

A jury is seated at a court-martial in Fort Hood, Texas. Staff Sergeant Shane Werst is accused of killing an Iraqi man after a series of house raids. Today the judge said he would allow testimony that the company commander allegedly ordered troops to hunt down the insurgents. Werst faces up to life in prison if convicted of murder and obstruction of justice.

In Iraq, it appears everyone and everything is a target these days. The latest attack took place just a short time ago outside a Shiite mosque south of Baghdad -- witnesses say another car bomb. Two were killed, at least 22 others wounded -- most of them children.

A popular restaurant in Baghdad, the focus of yet another car bomb. This one exploded during lunchtime killing at least 10 -- 113 others in the hospital. U.S. and Iraqi forces are trying to curb all this violence by going after the insurgents together. They've launched what is dubbed Operation Squeeze Play. So far, nearly 300 suspected militants have been captured in Western Baghdad.

NGUYEN: Well, car bombings may be the most effective way for insurgents in Iraq to make their point, but it's far from their only tactic. CNN's Ryan Chilcote examines another that poses a problem for anyone on the streets of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Arshad (ph) was driving with his son when he got his brutal introduction tot he kidnaping industry.

ARSHAD: Eight men jumps from the two cars with their pistol. They hit me on the head and I become bloody.

CHILCOTE: His mistake, the abductors thought only wealthy men collaborating with Americans drive Peugeot 307s.

ARSHAD: They said, no, they are 200's of this car in Iraq. And there are just for people who is working with the Americans.

CHILCOTE: In the safety of a relative's home, it's too dangerous for him to be seen meeting me, an American, in his own. Arshad told me how the bargaining began.

ARSHAD: They began to hit me. They said that we want $250,000 U.S. dollar.

CHILCOTE: An estimated 250 non-Iraqis have been kidnaped in the last two years. Some killed, some set free, and some who may still be alive. In the same period, an estimated 5,000 Iraqis have been kidnaped. Police Colonel Faisal Ali from the Baghdad kidnaping unit agreed to talk to us but only like this. The vast majority of Iraqis and foreigners, he says, are kidnapings for ransom.

COL. FAISAL ALI, IRAQI POLICE, (through translator): The ringleaders formed offices like real estate agencies. When one of their gangs kidnaps a child or say a doctor, the victims' families come to him. He tells them he can find the perpetrators in two or three days for money.

CHILCOTE: The police show us photos of suspected abductors. Their unit claims to have arrested 35 kidnaping gang members last year. They say they've freed 38 hostages and they think that's less than 1 percent of them. Arshad's fate was negotiated, like the majority of cases, without the police. They beat him for information on his finances.

ARSHAD: They said, where do you live? How many house you have? How many stores? Please, tell us. We are in a hurry?

CHILCOTE: Threatened to kill him. ARSHAD: They put the pistol on my head. I told them just I want to ... to say I witness that there is no God, but Allan (ph) and Mohammed is his messenger. And then if you want to kill me, I'm ready.

CHILCOTE: $14,000, $6,000 under the average price the police quoted me, bought his freedom. Arshad, like many here, says kidnaping is as big a problem as the violence. Many Iraqis have fled. Many, like him, have stayed on to fight.

ARSHAD: All of Iraqi families, as you know, they are frightened from them. They cannot go to their job. They cannot do anything.

CHILCOTE: The kidnappers never took Arshad's son but Arshad still gets anxious when he drives.

ARSHAD: I'm following all of the persons behind me, all of the cars around me. I see their faces.

CHILCOTE: He downgraded to a less attractive car but gets nervous when he sees his old Pu Jo 307 on the road.

ARSHAD: This is like mine. When I see cars like mine, I remember all of the darkness of that night.

CHILCOTE: But he is no longer afraid of driving in the light of day, especially now that he carries a weapon.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: This just in to CNN.

We're following up that story of the Cessna 150 that caused that terrible commotion over the skies of Washington, D.C. just a little while ago. We have word now from the federal authorities on one of the actions that will be taken against one of the people inside that plane. The licensed pilot. For more of that, we turn it over to CNN's Kathleen Koch in Washington.

Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LIVE FROM: Miles, the FAA has announced that they have issued an emergency revocation of the pilot's license of Hayden Sheaffer. That he was not actually at the controls of the aircraft at the time but he was the senior pilot. A 69-year- old pilot with far more experience than the other pilot there onboard, Troy Martin, who himself had only logged 30 hours of flight time. So basically the FAA is punishing the senior pilot. They're taking away his license. He's had to turn it over to the FAA. He can appeal in a year. He can apply again for a new license. He could get it back. He'd have to take a written and a practical test. And, Miles, he can also appeal this now to the NTSB as well.

O'BRIEN: All right. So Hayden Jim Sheaffer, the only licensed pilot in that plane. Troy Martin had 30 hours but didn't have a license to revoke.

KOCH: Correct.

O'BRIEN: And thus there was no revocation, obviously, in that case. But clearly when it comes time for his check ride and his test, he will be scrutinized thoroughly.

Is this the final word, Kathleen?

KOCH: This is the final word. And they took this step because instead of just suspending his certificate or simply revoking his pilot's license because then he could have kept on flying. But when it's an emergency revocation, Miles, it means he had to turn it over immediately. He will not be in the air for at least a year.

O'BRIEN: All right, Kathleen Koch in Washington. Thank you very much.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Over on the other coast, comedians in the spotlight today. But it's no laughing matter. Jay Leno and Chris Tucker are expected to testify this week at the child molestation trial against Michael Jackson. Now today, one of the pop star's former housekeepers took the stand. CNN's Ted Rowlands is keeping track of who is saying what in Santa Maria, California, and he joins us now with an update.

Hi, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LIVE FROM: Hi, Betty.

Today we're hearing from an individual who worked for Los Angeles county in the welfare department. And the defense has brought this person on to document that the accuser's mother committed welfare fraud against the state of California and the federal government. Part of their argument that this woman would defraud anybody that she came in contact with. And her motivation was purely financial throughout. They're trying to convince this jury that the same holds true with the allegations of sexual molestation against Michael Jackson.

We expect that the defense case will wrap up at the end of the week. Still to come, as you mentioned, Jay Leno, who's scheduled to take the stand tomorrow, and then comedian Chris Tucker later this week. Tucker had intimate - or had interactions with the accuser's family on multiple occasions. And the defense is bringing him up for his observations as to what this family did and whether or not they asked him for money.

Jay Leno never met the family but had a phone conversation or a phone message was left for him by the accuser, the young boy, and Leno reported that to Santa Monica police because, this according to the defense, because he thought that something fishy was going on. So we'll hear from both of them. And then it appears as though the defense case will wrap up by the end of this week. There will be an expected day, or possibly two, of rebuttal from the prosecution. And then closing arguments. The jury's expected to get this case in about two weeks.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Ted Rowlands following the trial very closely.

Thank you, Ted.

O'BRIEN: Protecting our ports, the Coast Guard today taking new security steps. Why cargo ships from some countries could be turned away.

Plus, above and below one of the nation's busiest ports. We'll give you an up-close look at the extra steps that law enforcement agents take to keep it safe. That's ahead as well.

Also, singer Bobby Brown dealing with the police once again. Is that news? I don't know. This time after two people are stabbed outside an Atlanta restaurant.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Residents in a Chicago apartment building scramble for their lives as it collapsed. That tops our look at news across America right now. This apartment building partially collapsed this morning after a reported explosion. Seven people were taken to hospitals with injuries. Fire fighters are still investigating.

In Atlanta, a dangerous night out for R&B singer Bobby Brown. Two members of his entourage are in intensive care after they were stabbed. Police say Brown was performing when a fight broke out at a restaurant owned by rap mogul Sean P. Diddy Combs. They say Brown was not involved in the incident.

And this crash could have been much worse. Police in Miami say a stolen car hit this school bus, forcing it to strike a house and two cars. The bus was carrying special needs students but none were seriously hurt.

O'BRIEN: Security watch today. Safeguarding U.S. ports. As of right now, the U.S. Coast Guard is refusing to allow ships from certain countries to dock at U.S. ports. Those deemed with lax security precautions at their home ports. Our John Zarrella looks at the extra steps authorities are taking to keep one of the nation's busiest ports safe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): They wear wet suits, not space suits. Unassuming guys with the right stuff who defend America from below.

These Miami-Dade County police divers are helping to protect the Port of Miami, the largest container port in Florida and home to 18 cruise ships carrying 4 million passengers a year.

PAUL TOY, MIAMI-DADE POLICE DIVER: Since 9/11 it has become very critical. We've got the terrorists out there and they want to try and disrupt something. A cruise ship is a good target.

UNKNOWN MALE: Now, what we do is, I'll go in the water, Paul goes in the water. Paul goes down to the bottom.

ZARRELLA: Paul Toy has been diving since he was a teenager. He's been a police divers since the '80s. Today, Toy and nine others, search beneath the 881-foot cruise ship Majesty of the Seas. It is called a hull search. The team is not acting on any tips or information. It's just an unannounced peek beneath the waterline. That's the way they want it. No schedule for terrorists to track.

UNKNOWN MALE: We can be here two or three days in a row and not come for a week and then come back for two weeks in a row.

ZARRELLA: The divers line up along the entire length of the ship, eyeballing every inch. Because visibility is about five feet, flashlights look like light sabers in the green-tinted water. Paul Toy makes his way to the very bottom, at the centerline of the rope, 30 feet down.

TOY: We learn what's supposed to be on the ship. And when there's something that appears that it's not supposed to be there, we can recognize it.

ZARRELLA: The dive can be disconcerting. The ship's sounds. The whirring of generators and throbbing of pumps. Filling the water. Not every diver can hack it.

TOY: The sound just vibrates through the ship and comes through you. So you've got to be in the right frame of mind to be able to get down there and do things like that.

ZARRELLA: While the divers scour the hull, other police officers are in the engine room and on the bridge, making sure a propeller or one of these giant thrusters is not accidentally turned on. That would shred the divers in an instant. Diver Louis Sierra (ph) is literally inside the thruster housing. This kind of danger goes with the territory. In 1996, Paul Toy dove the murky crater in the everglades to bring up pieces of the crashed Valujet airliner.

TOY: There was no visibility at all. It was all by feel. We call it diving by braille.

ZARRELLA: Much of what they do goes unnoticed, but not unappreciated.

TOY: The people see you. The people on the ship. And they love you, you know, because it gives them a good feeling like, our ship's OK, you know, these guys are down there checking it out.

ZARRELLA: Cruise ships don't get all the attention. It could be a navy cruiser, like the USS Lacy (ph) Gulf just pulling out. Before she arrived a week ago, Toy and the other divers searched the seawall and bottom where the guided missile cruiser would dock. These divers believe in their work. They know that they are a deterrent and that they make a difference swimming in the shadows of the big ships. John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Wow, it's courageous doing what they do.

CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of your news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN 24/7 for the latest.

NGUYEN: Up next, a movie sequel that's a force to be reckoned with.

Plus, golf tips for one resident of a Wisteria Lane. You know where that is, right, Sibila?

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LIVE FROM: I sure do.

Tiger Woods makes time for a "Desperate Housewife."

And, of course, "Star Wars" fans make plenty of time to see "Revenge of the Sith."

I'll have all that and more when LIVE FROM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In entertainment, a "Desperate Housewife" has some fun on the green with Tiger Woods.

And moviegoers succumb to the dark side this weekend, setting box office records.

CNN's Entertainment Correspondent Sibila Vargas is live from L.A. with more on the "Star Wars" movie magic.

VARGAS: Absolutely, Betty.

There was only one king at the box office this weekend and it was Director George Lucas. And audiences chose "Star Wars Episode III" over and over and over again. Get this, "Revenge of the Sith" took in a whopping $158.5 million since opening last Wednesday, setting a new Thursday through Saturday record of $124.7 million. The last installment has also grossed $144.7 million overseas for a box office total of $303 million worldwide.

And while we're on the subject of "Star Wars," the original has been chosen as one of "Time" magazine's 100 greatest films of all time. Included in the roundup were classics like "Lawrence of Arabia" and, of course, "Citizen Kane." Who can forget, rose bud. Contemporary films like "Lord of the Rings," "Trilogy," and "Pulp Fiction" also made the cut. And the little fish that could, "Finding Nemo," finned his way on to the list, along with "E.T." and "Pinocchio." Noticeably absent from the list were such classics as "Annie Hall," "Apocalypse Now" and "Jaws." And definitely one of the greatest golfers of all time, super star Tiger Woods, swung into action this weekend, hosting Tiger Jam 8 in Las Vegas. Grammy Winner Stevie Wonder headlined the SBC event, which in the previous seven years has raised $7 million for a variety of children's charities, including VH1's Save the Music Foundation. Also on hand for the weekend long fund raiser were Conan O'Brien, The Counting Crows, Josh Stone, and one star who was desperate for a golf lesson. That's right, "Desperate Housewife" Teri Hatcher, who was also celebrating the season finale of her hit show got her own private golf lesson from Mr. Woods.

Some girls have all the luck.

When all was said and done, plenty of green was raised on the green. Tiger Jam 8 took in more than $1 million for the kids. Good one.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Sounds like a lot of fun for a very good cause, of course.

Sibila, thanks so much.

VARGAS: You're welcome.

O'BRIEN: Don't go away. Betty and I are here for another half hour of LIVE FROM.

NGUYEN: Among the stories that we're going to be telling you about, another security breach that puts your personal data at risk. Hundreds of thousands of accounts at major banks hacked. And the thieves, well they worked from the inside.

That's ahead as LIVE FROM rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: "Now in the News," a string of attacks and suicide bombings across Iraq today has left more than two dozen people dead. In this car bombing at a Baghdad restaurant, at least 10 people were killed. More than 110 were wounded.

The abortion issue returns to the Supreme Court. The high court says it will hear arguments in a New Hampshire case centering around parental notification for minors seeking the procedure. The justices plan to hear the case after October.

More defense witnesses today called to debunk testimony why Michael Jackson's accuser and his family. A forensic accountant says the singer paid several thousand dollars of the family's expenses while the family still received welfare payments. The defense could wrap up its case as soon as tomorrow.

The wayward pilot who's plane flew into D.C. restricted airspace nearly two weeks ago has been ground. The Federal Aviation Administration revoked his license but says he can reapply after one year. The polit and a student flew within three miles of the White House prompting a code red terror alert.

END

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