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Army Defends Actions Surrounding Tillman's Death; Bush Pushes for Renewal of Patriot Act

Aired June 09, 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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: This just in, an update on the investigation of the friendly fire incident in Afghanistan involving former NFL player Pat Tillman.
Let's go to Jamie McIntyre in the Pentagon.

JAMIE MCINTRYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, in response to continued criticism over the way it handled the investigation into the death of Corporal Pat Tillman, an army ranger killed in Afghanistan last year, the Army has issued a statement defending its actions, essentially saying it did not cover up any of facts involved here and blaming procedural misjudgments and mistakes for what it caused an air of suspicion around his death.

The Army, in the statement, admits that it's true that neither the family nor the public were notified immediately that friendly fire was suspected in the death of Tillman, but they say the reason for that was that the unit in Afghanistan didn't immediately identify -- didn't immediately notify the Army because it wanted to gather all the facts to avoid having an inaccurate or incomplete account of what happened.

The Army statement goes on to say that this was an application of judgment, not a willful violation of regulation. Nevertheless, the Army said it was procedurally wrong. The Army, however, stands by its investigation. It claims that as soon as a second investigation was completed, those results were released.

Now, one of the reasons this statement was released is that the Army has been under continued criticism from the Tillman family. In a letter to the editor to "The Washington Post" recently, Pat Tillman, Sr., his father, said: "With the respect to the Army's reference to mistakes in reporting the circumstances of my son's death, those mistakes were deliberate, calculated, ordered and disgraceful, conducted well beneath the standard which every soldier in the field is held."

And again, that letter in particular prompted this Army rebuttal, which insisted that there was quote, "no intention to deceive the Tillman family or the public about the cause of his death" -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Jamie, I understand the explanation that you're giving from sources there from the Pentagon there on why the family members weren't informed quicker. But is there ordinarily a timetable under which the military applies in which to inform family members of the cause of death?

MCINTYRE: Well, usually, it's as soon as they know. Now some cases, they didn't know the cause of death. But what -- and technically, they hadn't determined what had happened in this, but basically, everybody who was there pretty much knew that this was a friendly fire incident. And they didn't inform the family that they suspected that's what happened until essentially they completed a full investigation.

And the Army admits that that was wrong, but they say it was a judgment of the soldiers in the field who were trying to get all the facts together in this very tragic and unfortunate incident. That's their defense.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jamie McIntyre. Thanks so much. From the Pentagon.

A look at the top stories. Half day for the jury in the Michael Jackson trial. Jurors are taking a break so some of them can attend graduation ceremonies later on today. This is the fifth day of deliberations, which have now gone on for more than 20 hours. The pop star is facing 10 felony charges.

More arrests in the Natalee Holloway case. Aruba police arrested three more suspects, bringing the number to five men in custody. The 18-year-old Alabama student disappeared May 21 while on a school excursion to the Caribbean island.

Tighter safety standards on all-terrain vehicles could be down the road. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it's reviewing current safety measures. That's after a sharp increase in the number of children injured or killed while using these vehicles.

And brace for it. The first tropical storm of the season has formed in the northwestern Caribbean. The National Weather Service says tropical storm Arlene could threaten the Gulf Coast as early as this weekend. Warnings are already in effect in western Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Dry Tortuga.

Howard Dean heads to Capitol Hill. The Democratic national chairman is meeting with the party top brass. Officially, they're talking about reform, but this could also be an effort at damage control after some controversial comments Dean made recently.

CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, SR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's becoming a familiar pattern. Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean says something controversial, like this in January.

DEAN: I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for.

SCHNEIDER: Or this, in San Francisco this week. DEAN: The Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people. They're a pretty monolithic party. Pretty much -- they all behave the same, they all look the same, and they all -- you know, it's pretty much a white, Christian party.

SCHNEIDER: Democrats distance.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: I do not agree with the statement that was made by Governor Dean or Chairman Dean in relate -- in characterizing Republicans.

SCHNEIDER: Dean explains.

DEAN: I don't hate Republicans, but I sure hate what this Republican party is doing to America.

SCHNEIDER: And complains.

DEAN: They want to divert attention. They are trying to make me the issue.

SCHNEIDER: ...which he's helping them do. Dean's description of Republicans as a white Christian party may be technically accurate. Among all the self-described Republicans interviewed by the CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll this year, a whopping 82 percent are white Christians.

But it was politically foolish, because a majority of Democrats are also white Christians, including Dean himself. Two thirds of the American people are white Christians. It doesn't make much sense to insult them.

Dean's us versus them rhetoric does rally the Democratic party's core supporters.

PELOSI: He has energized the base of the party.

SCHNEIDER: That may be a good way to raise money from small donors over the Internet, but it may not work too well with high dollar donors who want to see a winning political strategy.

Last year, the Democratic National Committee raised more money than the Republican National Committee. Dean became chairman in February 2005. Over the next three months, the Republicans raised more than twice as much money as the Democrats.

(on camera): To be fair, Republicans regained the fundraising lead after President Bush was re-elected last year, before Dean took over the Democratic party. But the trend has not reversed.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, the Bush administration is launching a full court press to renew the Patriot Act. Today, the president was stumping in Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When Senator Diane Feinstein has worked with civil rights groups to monitor my administration's use of the Patriot Act. Here's what she said. We've scrubbed the area and I have no reported abuses. Remember that the next time you hear someone make an unfair criticism of this important, good law. The Patriot Act has not diminished American liberties. The Patriot Act has helped to defend American liberties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Portions of the controversial law are set to expire at the end of this year and there's already an effort in Congress not only to renew the Patriot Act, but to expand its powers.

CNN security analyst Richard Falkenrath joins us from Washington with more on that. Good to see you.

RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hello, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, unlike the attention the Patriot Act got at the onset and during the 2004 presidential election, why does it seem like this renewal or these renewals just may take place -- slip through without as much fanfare?

FALKENRATH: Well, we'll have to see. It's now out of an election season so it's taken a little bit of the heat off of the Patriot Act issue. But the clock is ticking and Congress needs to act by the end of this calendar year to reauthorize these 16 provisions that are going to expire. And if they fail to act, then the provisions will expire and important tools that the law enforcement agencies have today will go away.

WHITFIELD: Well, among them, which might make the greatest impact? Among those 16?

FALKENRATH: Well, the most controversial of the 16 is what's called the access to records provision. And this is the one -- the librarians are very exercised about this. And their claim is that the Patriot Act expanded the ability of the FBI to go and acquire their business records without getting proper judicial approval and with them without really even knowing why the records are being taken. And so that's the single most controversial provision in the entire law. And we'll have to see how Congress deals with that in the next six months.

WHITFIELD: And there's another, right? 218, which means that FBI investigators just might be able to write their own subpoenas without even going to a judge? Is that right?

FALKENRATH: Well, 218's a little bit different. And the president talked about it at some length today in Ohio. 218 is the provision that allowed the FBI to share information with the intelligence community much more freely. It's the issue -- what used to be called the wall between law enforcement and intelligence, what the 9/11 Commission talked about at some length, for example.

And what 218 did is it made it much easier for the FBI to collect information at home using intelligence leads and then to take the information they collect, share it with the CIA, but then still use it for criminal prosecution at a later date. And so it's very -- it's a very technical provision, but it turns out to be pretty important, and my expectation is Congress will certainly retain that one.

WHITFIELD: So, overall, what kind of support is being seen on Capitol Hill for these 16 provisions?

FALKENRATH: Well, it's mixed. There are certainly many on Capitol Hill who support them, but there are also some who have really -- who recognize all the criticism that the Patriot Act has generated and so they're reluctant to move aggressively. There are also those that just flat-out oppose it, and believe that it was an un-just encroachment on civil liberties.

What I hope will happen here is that some of the divisiveness of this debate that was evident in 2004 will go away and that the congressional leaders who chair the key committees will come together and really go through the 16 provisions carefully and take the appropriate actions so the president can keep -- sign a bill before the provisions expire.

WHITFIELD: And some critics on the Hill have been very specific, really saying that these provisions need fixing more than they need actual adopting, or renewing.

FALKENRATH: Yes, there are certainly those on the Hill that would like to change them, and they would also like to change...

WHITFIELD: Is there any room for that?

FALKENRATH: There may be. The administration wouldn't want to reveal that and the president showed no hint of being interested in amendments in his speech today. But that was the sort of message that they would send in private if they did want to send it.

There are also provisions, Fredricka, that are not expiring that have people really worried about, in the Patriot Act, too. The sneak- and-peek provision is one that people often refer to. It is not expiring, so there may be a move in Congress to modify it even though it will continue to operate unless Congress removes it.

WHITFIELD: All right, it sounds like it's going to be a very busy summer.

FALKENRATH: It will be.

WHITFIELD: Richard Falkenrath, thanks so much.

FALKENRATH: You're welcome, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. After Russell Crowe says, I'm sorry, will the public mea culpa get him off the hook for his phone tantrum?

The rich are getting richer. Find out which country is home tot he most millionaires in the world.

And, do you recognize this sound?

It's that crazy frog ring tone. We will introduce you to the guys responsible for its blockbuster success.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM DESK: As the first day of summer draws near, the warmer weather means buzzing mosquitoes and the threat of West Nile virus. CNN.com has all the information you need to stay safe this summer.

The virus was first discovered in Uganda in 1937 but wasn't documented in the U.S. until 1999. It spreads via mosquitoes that become carriers when they feed on infected birds. This gallery details how the virus originates and is transmitted from animals to humans, the probability that you will be infected, and how common it is compared to other illnesses.

This interactive shows how the virus spreads since it was first detected in New York six years ago. Also, see how your state has been affected. The most deadly outbreak of the virus in the U.S. was in 2002: 284 people died. Check out this gallery to find out what symptoms to look for, and how to distinguish between mild and severe cases. Also, get some prevention tips including the best insect repellents and gadgets to keep mosquitoes and the West Nile virus at bay.

And, you can find it all online at CNN.com/westnile. From the dot.com newsdesk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This just in, now a free woman after being held more than three weeks against her will. Aid worker Clementina Cantoni is released in Afghanistan. And here are the picture we're just now starting to get in.

The 32-year-old was abducted May 16 when her unmarked car was stopped while driving in Kabul. She is now the fourth Italian kidnapped and released in Afghanistan. Three others were freed in a coalition operation and two others Italians were killed by kidnappers. But once again, Clementina Cantoni, now a free woman. And those pictures we just received out of Kabul.

Now let's get some business news and check in with Susan Lisovicz.

(MARKET REPORT)

WHITFIELD: We're following developments out of Aruba this afternoon. Police have arrested three more men in connection with the disappearance of Natalie Holloway. We'll get an update from Aruba in our next hour of LIVE FROM...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Sometimes there's just no accounting for taste, whether or not your a fan of that crazy frog song that's sweeping through Europe, you just can't argue with the success or the increasing importance of ring tone revenue. CNN's Chris Burns has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hitching a ride from an old disco tune, Crazy Frog has ballooned to stardom. The German Internet services company Jamba found it on the Internet and thought ka-ching

(on camera): They turned it into a ring tone that has been downloaded by fans, estimated in the millions for at least 45 cents a pop. Created as joke by a couple of Swedish computer experts.

They must be kicking themselves now, because they're probably not making what your making.

MARKUS BERGER-DE-LEON, COO, JAMBA: I think they are making -- they are making a lot of it, so they are not kicking themselves.

BURNS (voice-over): Just how much? One report says Jamba raked in more than $18 million with the loony toad. Last year alone, Jamba pulled in 10 times that much in revenue for its U.S. parent Versign. Jamba's chief operating officer won't talk Crazy Frogs numbers. But he says after a 20 parent tax bite and about 30 percent to Internet operators, Jamba gets around 50 percent to divide up with the creators of the ring tone and video.

It's been plugged to death with TV ads. Jamba says that's vital.

BERGER-DE-LEON: These characters and tones have a very short life span. We're looking at something like four or six weeks. .

BURNS: Same thing for other successful ring tones like Sweety the Chick. Among Jamba's nearly 500 employees are computer whizzes cranking out new tones and characters. Nick Okoch (ph), a German-born American, has a 128 instruments in his computer to sharpen up tracks sent by musicians.

Meanwhile, Jamba animators toil away. Here's our Nessy was hatched. And here's the final product. No guarantee it will knock a band like Cold Play out of No. 1 as Crazy Frog did, but Jamba says it's all part of a trend, and reckons even some established artists are making more money from ring tones than CD sales.

(on camera): Isn't that depressing?

BERGER-DE-LEON: What is depressing about it?

BURNS: Because it's not the whole song. It's just a ring tone.

BERGER-DE-LEON: I mean, if you look at the quality of ring tones today, people can download 30 seconds or a minute or the full track.

BURNS (voice-over): Could the cell phone kill the CD thanks for a crazy amphibian? Stay tuned.

Chris Burns, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories now. Deliberations are done for today. Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial wrapped up early so some of them could keep their prior commitments. No indication how soon there might be a verdict. The jury has been deliberating for than 22 hours now.

No cover-up, no intent to deceive. That from the Pentagon in response to mounting criticism over the way it handled the death of Corporal Pat Tillman. First reports indicated that he was killed by insurgents during a fire fight in Afghanistan, later the military admitted he died by friendly fire.

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 June 9, 2005 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: This just in, an update on the investigation of the friendly fire incident in Afghanistan involving former NFL player Pat Tillman.
Let's go to Jamie McIntyre in the Pentagon.

JAMIE MCINTRYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, in response to continued criticism over the way it handled the investigation into the death of Corporal Pat Tillman, an army ranger killed in Afghanistan last year, the Army has issued a statement defending its actions, essentially saying it did not cover up any of facts involved here and blaming procedural misjudgments and mistakes for what it caused an air of suspicion around his death.

The Army, in the statement, admits that it's true that neither the family nor the public were notified immediately that friendly fire was suspected in the death of Tillman, but they say the reason for that was that the unit in Afghanistan didn't immediately identify -- didn't immediately notify the Army because it wanted to gather all the facts to avoid having an inaccurate or incomplete account of what happened.

The Army statement goes on to say that this was an application of judgment, not a willful violation of regulation. Nevertheless, the Army said it was procedurally wrong. The Army, however, stands by its investigation. It claims that as soon as a second investigation was completed, those results were released.

Now, one of the reasons this statement was released is that the Army has been under continued criticism from the Tillman family. In a letter to the editor to "The Washington Post" recently, Pat Tillman, Sr., his father, said: "With the respect to the Army's reference to mistakes in reporting the circumstances of my son's death, those mistakes were deliberate, calculated, ordered and disgraceful, conducted well beneath the standard which every soldier in the field is held."

And again, that letter in particular prompted this Army rebuttal, which insisted that there was quote, "no intention to deceive the Tillman family or the public about the cause of his death" -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Jamie, I understand the explanation that you're giving from sources there from the Pentagon there on why the family members weren't informed quicker. But is there ordinarily a timetable under which the military applies in which to inform family members of the cause of death?

MCINTYRE: Well, usually, it's as soon as they know. Now some cases, they didn't know the cause of death. But what -- and technically, they hadn't determined what had happened in this, but basically, everybody who was there pretty much knew that this was a friendly fire incident. And they didn't inform the family that they suspected that's what happened until essentially they completed a full investigation.

And the Army admits that that was wrong, but they say it was a judgment of the soldiers in the field who were trying to get all the facts together in this very tragic and unfortunate incident. That's their defense.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jamie McIntyre. Thanks so much. From the Pentagon.

A look at the top stories. Half day for the jury in the Michael Jackson trial. Jurors are taking a break so some of them can attend graduation ceremonies later on today. This is the fifth day of deliberations, which have now gone on for more than 20 hours. The pop star is facing 10 felony charges.

More arrests in the Natalee Holloway case. Aruba police arrested three more suspects, bringing the number to five men in custody. The 18-year-old Alabama student disappeared May 21 while on a school excursion to the Caribbean island.

Tighter safety standards on all-terrain vehicles could be down the road. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it's reviewing current safety measures. That's after a sharp increase in the number of children injured or killed while using these vehicles.

And brace for it. The first tropical storm of the season has formed in the northwestern Caribbean. The National Weather Service says tropical storm Arlene could threaten the Gulf Coast as early as this weekend. Warnings are already in effect in western Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Dry Tortuga.

Howard Dean heads to Capitol Hill. The Democratic national chairman is meeting with the party top brass. Officially, they're talking about reform, but this could also be an effort at damage control after some controversial comments Dean made recently.

CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, SR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's becoming a familiar pattern. Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean says something controversial, like this in January.

DEAN: I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for.

SCHNEIDER: Or this, in San Francisco this week. DEAN: The Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people. They're a pretty monolithic party. Pretty much -- they all behave the same, they all look the same, and they all -- you know, it's pretty much a white, Christian party.

SCHNEIDER: Democrats distance.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: I do not agree with the statement that was made by Governor Dean or Chairman Dean in relate -- in characterizing Republicans.

SCHNEIDER: Dean explains.

DEAN: I don't hate Republicans, but I sure hate what this Republican party is doing to America.

SCHNEIDER: And complains.

DEAN: They want to divert attention. They are trying to make me the issue.

SCHNEIDER: ...which he's helping them do. Dean's description of Republicans as a white Christian party may be technically accurate. Among all the self-described Republicans interviewed by the CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll this year, a whopping 82 percent are white Christians.

But it was politically foolish, because a majority of Democrats are also white Christians, including Dean himself. Two thirds of the American people are white Christians. It doesn't make much sense to insult them.

Dean's us versus them rhetoric does rally the Democratic party's core supporters.

PELOSI: He has energized the base of the party.

SCHNEIDER: That may be a good way to raise money from small donors over the Internet, but it may not work too well with high dollar donors who want to see a winning political strategy.

Last year, the Democratic National Committee raised more money than the Republican National Committee. Dean became chairman in February 2005. Over the next three months, the Republicans raised more than twice as much money as the Democrats.

(on camera): To be fair, Republicans regained the fundraising lead after President Bush was re-elected last year, before Dean took over the Democratic party. But the trend has not reversed.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, the Bush administration is launching a full court press to renew the Patriot Act. Today, the president was stumping in Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When Senator Diane Feinstein has worked with civil rights groups to monitor my administration's use of the Patriot Act. Here's what she said. We've scrubbed the area and I have no reported abuses. Remember that the next time you hear someone make an unfair criticism of this important, good law. The Patriot Act has not diminished American liberties. The Patriot Act has helped to defend American liberties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Portions of the controversial law are set to expire at the end of this year and there's already an effort in Congress not only to renew the Patriot Act, but to expand its powers.

CNN security analyst Richard Falkenrath joins us from Washington with more on that. Good to see you.

RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hello, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, unlike the attention the Patriot Act got at the onset and during the 2004 presidential election, why does it seem like this renewal or these renewals just may take place -- slip through without as much fanfare?

FALKENRATH: Well, we'll have to see. It's now out of an election season so it's taken a little bit of the heat off of the Patriot Act issue. But the clock is ticking and Congress needs to act by the end of this calendar year to reauthorize these 16 provisions that are going to expire. And if they fail to act, then the provisions will expire and important tools that the law enforcement agencies have today will go away.

WHITFIELD: Well, among them, which might make the greatest impact? Among those 16?

FALKENRATH: Well, the most controversial of the 16 is what's called the access to records provision. And this is the one -- the librarians are very exercised about this. And their claim is that the Patriot Act expanded the ability of the FBI to go and acquire their business records without getting proper judicial approval and with them without really even knowing why the records are being taken. And so that's the single most controversial provision in the entire law. And we'll have to see how Congress deals with that in the next six months.

WHITFIELD: And there's another, right? 218, which means that FBI investigators just might be able to write their own subpoenas without even going to a judge? Is that right?

FALKENRATH: Well, 218's a little bit different. And the president talked about it at some length today in Ohio. 218 is the provision that allowed the FBI to share information with the intelligence community much more freely. It's the issue -- what used to be called the wall between law enforcement and intelligence, what the 9/11 Commission talked about at some length, for example.

And what 218 did is it made it much easier for the FBI to collect information at home using intelligence leads and then to take the information they collect, share it with the CIA, but then still use it for criminal prosecution at a later date. And so it's very -- it's a very technical provision, but it turns out to be pretty important, and my expectation is Congress will certainly retain that one.

WHITFIELD: So, overall, what kind of support is being seen on Capitol Hill for these 16 provisions?

FALKENRATH: Well, it's mixed. There are certainly many on Capitol Hill who support them, but there are also some who have really -- who recognize all the criticism that the Patriot Act has generated and so they're reluctant to move aggressively. There are also those that just flat-out oppose it, and believe that it was an un-just encroachment on civil liberties.

What I hope will happen here is that some of the divisiveness of this debate that was evident in 2004 will go away and that the congressional leaders who chair the key committees will come together and really go through the 16 provisions carefully and take the appropriate actions so the president can keep -- sign a bill before the provisions expire.

WHITFIELD: And some critics on the Hill have been very specific, really saying that these provisions need fixing more than they need actual adopting, or renewing.

FALKENRATH: Yes, there are certainly those on the Hill that would like to change them, and they would also like to change...

WHITFIELD: Is there any room for that?

FALKENRATH: There may be. The administration wouldn't want to reveal that and the president showed no hint of being interested in amendments in his speech today. But that was the sort of message that they would send in private if they did want to send it.

There are also provisions, Fredricka, that are not expiring that have people really worried about, in the Patriot Act, too. The sneak- and-peek provision is one that people often refer to. It is not expiring, so there may be a move in Congress to modify it even though it will continue to operate unless Congress removes it.

WHITFIELD: All right, it sounds like it's going to be a very busy summer.

FALKENRATH: It will be.

WHITFIELD: Richard Falkenrath, thanks so much.

FALKENRATH: You're welcome, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. After Russell Crowe says, I'm sorry, will the public mea culpa get him off the hook for his phone tantrum?

The rich are getting richer. Find out which country is home tot he most millionaires in the world.

And, do you recognize this sound?

It's that crazy frog ring tone. We will introduce you to the guys responsible for its blockbuster success.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM DESK: As the first day of summer draws near, the warmer weather means buzzing mosquitoes and the threat of West Nile virus. CNN.com has all the information you need to stay safe this summer.

The virus was first discovered in Uganda in 1937 but wasn't documented in the U.S. until 1999. It spreads via mosquitoes that become carriers when they feed on infected birds. This gallery details how the virus originates and is transmitted from animals to humans, the probability that you will be infected, and how common it is compared to other illnesses.

This interactive shows how the virus spreads since it was first detected in New York six years ago. Also, see how your state has been affected. The most deadly outbreak of the virus in the U.S. was in 2002: 284 people died. Check out this gallery to find out what symptoms to look for, and how to distinguish between mild and severe cases. Also, get some prevention tips including the best insect repellents and gadgets to keep mosquitoes and the West Nile virus at bay.

And, you can find it all online at CNN.com/westnile. From the dot.com newsdesk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This just in, now a free woman after being held more than three weeks against her will. Aid worker Clementina Cantoni is released in Afghanistan. And here are the picture we're just now starting to get in.

The 32-year-old was abducted May 16 when her unmarked car was stopped while driving in Kabul. She is now the fourth Italian kidnapped and released in Afghanistan. Three others were freed in a coalition operation and two others Italians were killed by kidnappers. But once again, Clementina Cantoni, now a free woman. And those pictures we just received out of Kabul.

Now let's get some business news and check in with Susan Lisovicz.

(MARKET REPORT)

WHITFIELD: We're following developments out of Aruba this afternoon. Police have arrested three more men in connection with the disappearance of Natalie Holloway. We'll get an update from Aruba in our next hour of LIVE FROM...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Sometimes there's just no accounting for taste, whether or not your a fan of that crazy frog song that's sweeping through Europe, you just can't argue with the success or the increasing importance of ring tone revenue. CNN's Chris Burns has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hitching a ride from an old disco tune, Crazy Frog has ballooned to stardom. The German Internet services company Jamba found it on the Internet and thought ka-ching

(on camera): They turned it into a ring tone that has been downloaded by fans, estimated in the millions for at least 45 cents a pop. Created as joke by a couple of Swedish computer experts.

They must be kicking themselves now, because they're probably not making what your making.

MARKUS BERGER-DE-LEON, COO, JAMBA: I think they are making -- they are making a lot of it, so they are not kicking themselves.

BURNS (voice-over): Just how much? One report says Jamba raked in more than $18 million with the loony toad. Last year alone, Jamba pulled in 10 times that much in revenue for its U.S. parent Versign. Jamba's chief operating officer won't talk Crazy Frogs numbers. But he says after a 20 parent tax bite and about 30 percent to Internet operators, Jamba gets around 50 percent to divide up with the creators of the ring tone and video.

It's been plugged to death with TV ads. Jamba says that's vital.

BERGER-DE-LEON: These characters and tones have a very short life span. We're looking at something like four or six weeks. .

BURNS: Same thing for other successful ring tones like Sweety the Chick. Among Jamba's nearly 500 employees are computer whizzes cranking out new tones and characters. Nick Okoch (ph), a German-born American, has a 128 instruments in his computer to sharpen up tracks sent by musicians.

Meanwhile, Jamba animators toil away. Here's our Nessy was hatched. And here's the final product. No guarantee it will knock a band like Cold Play out of No. 1 as Crazy Frog did, but Jamba says it's all part of a trend, and reckons even some established artists are making more money from ring tones than CD sales.

(on camera): Isn't that depressing?

BERGER-DE-LEON: What is depressing about it?

BURNS: Because it's not the whole song. It's just a ring tone.

BERGER-DE-LEON: I mean, if you look at the quality of ring tones today, people can download 30 seconds or a minute or the full track.

BURNS (voice-over): Could the cell phone kill the CD thanks for a crazy amphibian? Stay tuned.

Chris Burns, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories now. Deliberations are done for today. Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial wrapped up early so some of them could keep their prior commitments. No indication how soon there might be a verdict. The jury has been deliberating for than 22 hours now.

No cover-up, no intent to deceive. That from the Pentagon in response to mounting criticism over the way it handled the death of Corporal Pat Tillman. First reports indicated that he was killed by insurgents during a fire fight in Afghanistan, later the military admitted he died by friendly fire.

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