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Police Search Home of Suspect in Aruba Disappearance; Gunmen Kill Child in Cambodian School; Civil Rights Murder Trial Postponed for Health Reasons
Aired June 16, 2005 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: Shots ring out as a hostage situation ends. Dozens of kids held at gunpoint. We're on the story this hour.
When will American troops get out of Iraq? A new push to bring them home.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The first full day of testimony in the murder trial of reputed Klansman Edgar Ray Killen comes to a sudden halt as Killen is wheeled out of the courthouse on a stretcher. We'll have the details coming up.
PHILLIPS: Past due. A New York Indian tribe says it's owed more than 150 years worth of back rent.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, hello everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
Putting on the pressure to bring home the troops. For the first time since Congress voted to send U.S. troops to Iraq in 2002, four House law makers introduced a resolution calling for withdrawal starting October 1, 2006.
The Bush administration has repeatedly insisted troop withdrawal can't be considered until Iraqi security forces are strong enough to police their country against insurgents. But the team of two Democrats and two Republicans say it's time.
The proponents include North Carolina Republican Walter Jones, who was a staunch advocate of the war and even led the effort to rename French fries "Freedom Fries" after France opposed getting involved.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. WALTER JONES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: After 1,700 deaths, over 12,000 wounded, and $200 billion spent, we believe it is time to have this debate and this discussion on this resolution.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: For the first time, a bipartisan group of members of Congress worked together to craft a binding resolution to bring the troops home. And our partnership reflects a shifting mood in Congress caused by daily reports of more American dead in a war with no end in sight. Now, our Bill says enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, the bloody work of routing insurgents continues in Iraq. In Mosul, a top judge and his driver were gunned down in a drive by shooting, but American forces believe a recent arrest will severely hamper insurgent action. Today they say the man in custody, Abu Talha, is Mosul's al Qaeda's leader. Coming up in the next hour of LIVE FROM, we'll talk with a U.S. commander about this key capture.
In financial news, a major national discounter gets called on the carpet. BJ's Wholesale Club has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission over charges it didn't properly secure customer credit information. The alleged lapses resulted in an estimated $13 million in claims of counterfeit purchases.
The FTC says BJ's failed to encrypt consumer information transmitted or stored on store computers. The settlement requires BJ's Wholesale Clubs to implement a security program and be audited by a third party security professional every other year for 20 years.
More on that story and hearings on the Hill today about identity theft. That's coming up next hour right here on LIVE FROM.
In Aruba, investigators hunt for more clues in the disappearance of Alabama student Natalee Holloway. Meanwhile, the father of one suspect is asking a judge if he can see his jailed son.
CNN's John Zarrella has more now from Palm Beach, Aruba.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search for Natalee Holloway continues here on the island with no new developments on that front. As far as the investigation goes, it appears that it has focused clearly now on the three young men being held.
(voice-over) Police investigators spent several hours at the home of 17-year-old Joran Van Der Sloot. He is one of the young men being held in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Investigators taped off portions of the property and searched around and in the house, but have not said what they were looking for.
The search came after the three men appeared in court but was not tied to that proceeding. At the hearing, the attorney for Deepak Kalpoe, one of the two Surinamese brothers being held, asked the court to release documents and evidence.
RUDY OOMEN, DEEPAK KALPOE'S ATTORNEY: We have a brief hearing here about the withholding of certain documents regarding my clients. Documents related to the case. If I knew, I would tell you. I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're requesting documents from the prosecution. Is that what's happening?
OOMEN: Exactly. That's what's happening.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what do you say to the security guards who are out or telling stories about your client?
OOMEN: I'm not saying anything else. I'm just saying that my client maintains his innocence to any crime.
No comment. No comment.
ZARRELLA: The attorney representing Van Der Sloot, the son of an Aruban judge, asked the court to allow his client's father to visit him. A decision on that request is also expected today.
Van Der Sloot, Deepak Kalpoe, and his brother, Satish, are believed to be the last three people with Natalee Holloway on the night she disappeared. The brothers initially told police all three of them went to the lighthouse with Holloway and Van Der Sloot was kissing her in the car.
(on camera) The three young men are not expected to be in court for the judge's ruling today. He will probably rule from the bench. But it is expected that they will have to appear in court by some time this weekend if prosecutors want to hold them any longer.
John Zarrella, reporting from Palm Beach, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Now to Cambodia. Compelling new video as police move in and end a hostage drama that played out at an elementary school after armed gunmen made good on threats to start shooting their tiny hostages.
CNN's Aneesh Raman has more now from the town of Siam Reap.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The six-hour-long hostage standoff began as four masked militants seized control of an international elementary school in the tourist town of Siam Reap.
Dozens of children between the ages of 2 and 6 held captives for hours, among them, various nationalities. Siam Reap, of course, home to a number of expatriates because of the tourism industry there.
Negotiations throughout the day focused on three demands by the hostage takers. First, money. They asked for about $1,000 U.S. Second was transport and safe passage to the Thai border. And the third was additional arms. They had arrived in the school with AK-47s and shotguns. They wanted also RPG launchers. The government willing to give them the first two, refusing the third.
After some hours of discussions, gun fire erupted from the scene. A tense situation on the ground. Tanks surrounded the school. Also, parents standing by, waiting anxiously for the fate of their children.
At that point, officials say, the masked gunmen killed a Canadian boy before attempting to leave in a van, when they were then taken into custody. A member of Doctors Without Borders saw the scene unfold.
DR. GEORGES DALIMAGNE, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: I tried to crawl under the ground, and so I try -- because there was heavy shooting. So everybody tried to hide.
RAMAN: Speculation throughout the day as to the motive of this act. Initial suggestions were that it was politically motivated, sought to cripple the economy of Cambodia, which is hugely dependent on tourism in Siam Reap.
Cambodia's prime minister, Hun Sen, quickly putting out a statement that this was not a politically motivated act, that these were essentially small time criminals looking to gain some money.
But the intended effect aside, the consequence is such that throughout this region international schools will be evaluating their security. And for those families, those expatriate families living in Siam Reap tonight, anxious moments as they rethink whether to remain.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bangkok.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM: tantrums, fights, enough to get a kid expelled from preschool, a growing trend leading to growing pangs.
Later on live from...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're armed. We are ready for business.
PHILLIPS: One is a grocery clerk. One is a bartender. One works at Wal-Mart. One is a missionary. They're all fighting in Iraq, and they're all brothers.
Also ahead...
STEVE MARTIN, COMEDIAN (singing): King Tut. Buried with a donkey.
PHILLIPS: The boy king on his comeback tour of the U.S. We'll take you live to the exhibit rekindling Tut mania.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How you feeling, Edgar?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Edgar Ray Killen, former Klansmen, his trial in a civil rights murder case is in recess now after he fell ill this morning and was taken from the courthouse on a stretcher. His attorney says there's concern about his blood pressure and has long maintained that Killen is too sick to stand trial.
Ed Lavandera following the trial in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Ed, what do you know?
LAVANDERA: Well, Kyra, it was quite a surprise this morning. Testimony had just gotten underway. The court had been hearing from Rita Bender, who is the widow of one of the civil rights workers, Michael Schwerner. She had been testifying.
And just before she went on the witness stand, her attorney had asked the judge to stop everything, and Mr. Killen stepped out of the courtroom. Great precautions have been taken for Mr. Killen in making sure that he is comfortable throughout this court process.
There was supposed to have been breaks every two hours. There's a room with a hospital bed, a nurse and physical therapist that could help him through this, but this was definitely something apparently much more serious that required Mr. Killen to be taken out of the courthouse. Just a few hours ago, he was taken out on a stretcher.
Every morning, incidentally, he is wheeled in by his family on a wheelchair. So he's not walking in on his own to begin with. He was taken to a local hospital, where he is being checked out. His attorney said that he would be admitted.
As you mentioned, he was complaining -- we noticed that his blood pressure had shot up, and his defense attorneys were on their way just a little while ago to check up on him at the hospital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did he say when you realized something was wrong?
JAMES MCINTYRE, KILLEN'S ATTORNEY: He had a smothering sensation. That's when he first went into -- with his nurse for observation and treatment. And then they called in some oxygen for him. And then they called the paramedic, and the paramedic suggested they take him to the emergency room. And from then, it's my understanding that the doctors want to admit him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Well, testimony is supposed to resume at 1 Central Time, but it's difficult to say if this case can even move on today without Mr. Killen. It is up to his attorneys to determine whether or not the testimony can continue without him physically being in the courtroom.
So hopefully, as those attorneys return from the hospital here in the next short while, we'll be able to get further updates as to his conditions -- his condition and what will happen and if testimony will be able to continue today.
We asked that about -- to the prosecutors a short while ago as they walked out of the courthouse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK DUNCAN, PROSECUTOR: The judge and everybody else wants to proceed, so maybe we can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't proceed without him can you?
DUNCAN: Well, we can, if he waives his presence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think he will?
DUNCAN: Well, I don't know. That will be up to him and his lawyers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: Well, as you mentioned, Mr. Killen had been battling a series of health problems. Back in March, he had been -- had both of his legs broken in a tree chopping incident. He'd been recovering from that.
And leading up to the trial, his own attorneys had been saying that this 80-year-old man has just been too frail to be able to go through something like this, to what we've seen unfold here, just as this trial was kicking off -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much.
LAVANDERA: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Pictures coming in to us right now via our affiliate here actually in Atlanta, Georgia, WXIA. We are being told, according to various reports, that two people have reportedly been killed in this small plane crash. It crashed just after takeoff in Pike County.
WSB-TV, another affiliate here in Atlanta, Georgia, is reporting that the fire chief in Pike County said the plane had just taken off from Beach State Field -- Peach State Field, rather, when it went down in this wooded area here.
The plane crashed near the town of Williamson, Georgia. The identities of the victims have not been immediately made available.
We are working this story. We'll bring you as much information as we can as soon as we get it.
Once again, a small plane crash here via our affiliate, WXIA, in a wooded area in Williamson, Georgia. Two people reportedly dead. We'll continue. You can see there, as the crews searching for possible remains. We'll continue to follow this for you and let you know what we find out.
Other news across America today.
Hurricane shelters off limits to sex criminals in one Florida county. Commissioners in Hillsborough County -- that's Tampa -- voted unanimously today to formally bar registered sex offenders from emergency shelters. According to the sheriff, they should fend for themselves.
Runaway bride. You knew this was coming folks, so brace yourself. Book deal, movie deal, TV deal, give me a break. A New York multimedia company now owns the rights to Jennifer Wilbanks' life story. No word on how much money is changing hands.
And majestic Mt. McKinley, America's highest peak. We're told that the great Denali is suffering from a problem that's delicate to discuss. Park rangers say hikers are relieving themselves on mountain trails and unknowingly making other visitors sick. The solution: smarter hygiene and watch your step.
Well, hyperventilating in the Hamptons, the high priced, Long Island "it" spot has been targeted in a multibillion dollar land claim lawsuit filed by Shinnecock Indians.
Jeff Rosen from New York affiliate WABC has more on a dispute that could have major implications.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ROSEN, WABC REPORTER (voice-over): On the steps of federal court, the Shinnecock Indians fight back. The tribe filed a lawsuit against New York state, Suffolk County, and the town of Southampton. The Indians want their land back, 3,600 acres on eastern Long Island.
RANDY KING, SHINNECOCK TRIBAL CHAIRMAN: We have been good neighbors to the same people who have broken promises and stolen our land. We seek vindication of those rights.
ROSEN: The Shinnecock Indians say New York state stole their land in 1859 with a fraudulent agreement. Now the tribe wants to build a casino in Southampton, but they need government approval. And this lawsuit can be used as leverage to get it.
LANETTE WEEKS, SHINNECOCK TRIBE: Something given back to us, you know, whether it be monetary or land. But I think we're entitled to it.
ROSEN: If they win in court, the tribe says homeowners can stay, but some businesses would have to go, including Long Island University and two golf courses, one of them the world famous Shinnecock Hills course.
LARRY HELFAND, SMALL BUSINESS MANAGER: Not good. Not good. Not good for business. Not good for people out here. It's just going to stir up a whole bunch of controversy again. ROSEN: In its lawsuit, the tribe demands 3,600 acres of land, $1.7 billion, 150 years of past rent, and compensatory damages. Governor Pataki responded.
GOV. GEORGE PATAKI, NEW YORK: We are going to make sure we do everything in our power to make sure that not one land owner, not one property owner is put in jeopardy. They have done nothing wrong. But we will make sure we look at the legalities of the case and see what the next step is.
ROSEN (on camera): The Shinnecock Indians say this is only the beginning. In the coming weeks, they'll file another lawsuit, demanding even more land, land they say was stolen more than a century ago.
In Southampton, Jeff Rosen, Channel 7, Eyewitness News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Remember what it took to get expelled from school? Spit wads, chewing gum, a few cuss words. Well, those were the older kids. Oh, how things have changed.
A new Yale study finds preschoolers are being expelled at an alarming rate. We're talking about 3- and 4-year-olds.
Our Alina Cho has the case of one little boy who had it happen to him twice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 10:30 in the morning, and already Timmy Anderson is acting up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No! No!
CHO: A fight over a spoon is quickly resolved. But a few minutes later, there's another problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In about five minutes, I'm going to call clean-up time, and we're going to go to circle before we go back outside.
CHO: Timmy doesn't want to go to circle time. He and his buddy Josh are busy making something they call goop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's definitely goop. That's goopy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Goopy!
CHO: The other kids are already in the circle. Timmy and Josh are still on their own and break into another fight, this time over pink paint. This is a good day for Timmy. He's what they call a two-time offender, expelled from two preschools, on to his third. The 5-year- old has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. He's hyperactive, and his record shows...
(on camera) Whoa!
(voice-over) ... he has a wicked throwing arm.
Venus French is his mom.
VENUS FRENCH, TIMMY'S MOTHER: A little girl had gotten her -- hit her in the back of a head with a wooden toy. So he was suspended. And they just kind of avoided having him come back. And we found another day care. He had issues there, too.
CHO: Timmy isn't alone.
DR. WALTER GILLIAM, YALE UNIVERSITY CHILD STUDIES CENTER: Expulsion is the most extreme reaction.
CHO: Dr. Walter Gilliam spearheaded the Yale study, which finds preschoolers are three times as likely to be expelled as students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
GILLIAM: When you're talking about K through 12 grades, you're talking about children who are largely required to be in school. They're of compulsory attendance school age; they have to be in school. And so expelling a child is a very legalized process. Because when you expel a child, it creates a legal problem for the parents.
There is no legal responsibility for preschoolers.
CHO: The study shows that most preschools do not have the support staff to handle kids with behavioral problems. That's especially true in private and faith-based schools, which, according to the study, are quickest to expel.
Boys are more likely to be kicked out than girls, African- Americans more likely than children of other races.
FRENCH: Put this up in the house. You're going to lose it.
CHO: French says she can't even count how many months she's spent working on Timmy's troubles and trying to place him in new schools.
FRENCH: I was so frustrated. I called every day care in the yellow pages, and the more no's you got, it was like what am I going to do?
CHO: Three months ago a relative suggested Kangaroo's Korner, a preschool that gives kids like Timmy a second chance.
CATHERINE RISIGO-WICKLINE, DIRECTOR, KANGAROO'S KORNER: They come here thinking that they're bad kids, and they're not bad kids.
CHO: Cathy Risigo-Wickline is the director.
RISIGO-WICKLINE: What we do here is prepare them for school, preschool. So we teach them the foundation skills. We give them opportunities to develop all of their skills they need to be able to be ready to learn once they get to school.
CHO: Which, by definition, is what preschool is supposed to be about, isn't it?
GILLIAM: You need to learn how to love school before you're going to learn much at it.
CHO: Which brings us back to circle time. Timmy's new teachers say he's more well behaved these days, but he still needs some encouraging.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's great, Timmy.
CHO: After washing his hands and playing with a puzzle, Timmy is finally ready to join his friends. No tantrum today. Timmy is making progress.
FRENCH: I believe a lot of love and support is going to pull everything through for him.
CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, Litchfield, Connecticut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: So what do you think about your medical records going paperless? Well, a political odd couple on Capitol Hill is promoting big changes in the way your medical records are kept. Republican Senator Bill Frist joining Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton in an effort to make electronic medical records electronic and more widely accessible. They say a bill they are pushing would save lives in emergencies. Privacy advocates are not impressed.
Straight ahead, a voice from the past. Two men, friends in the Vietnam War zone, reunite at a grocery store. A story that will have you believing in fate. Believe me. It's right ahead on LIVE FROM.
And will Tiger tear it up at the U.S. Open? We're going to tee it up live from Pinehurst right after a break.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. Beautiful day in Pinehurst, North Carolina. I sure wish I were there. The No. 2 course, Phil Mickelson, the left- hander, getting in some practice shots here.
Pinehurst, as you know, is a difficult course with its turtle back greens and false fronts. Conditions certainly on the mind of the pros today as the U.S. Open gets started.
Cameron Morfit, senior writer with "Golf" magazine, covering the Open, fairway side. Cameron, great to see you.
CAMERON MORFIT, SENIOR WRITER, "GOLF" MAGAZINE: Good to see you. Thanks a lot, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about -- let's reminisce for a bit here. We've got to talk about Payne Stewart. You even wrote an article today at -- on GolfOnline.com.
But you know, he was the 1999 champ. We'll never forget that picture of his caddie in his arms, his best friend Lee Janzen, playing in the tournament this year. That same caddie going to be with him. I bet you they're going to be talking about a lot of special memories.
MORFIT: Yes, I spoke with Mike Hicks, the caddie, earlier this season about Payne. And there's just so many funny memories. I mean, it sort of risks getting a little bit maudlin when you talk about it.
But most of the stories that I was hearing were really funny stories about Payne just tearing it up in various bars and playing his harmonica and just having a real ball. And Lee Janzen said he'd gotten paired with Payne more than anybody, and he felt like -- he and Mike Hicks felt like, "Hey, maybe we can, you know, get together and do it again for Payne."
PHILLIPS: Well, speaking of special pairings, Lee Janzen also playing with Payne's son, Aaron, in the father-son tournament. That was pretty special this year.
MORFIT: Yes, it really was. And you know, Lee's a great guy. And, Lee, of course, has won a couple of U.S. Opens. So it would not be terribly surprising if he were to do well this week.
PHILLIPS: Well, my guess is Payne will be playing right through him and right with him during this tournament. Let's talk about the defending champ, Retief Goosen, the famous golfer that got struck by lightning as a teenager. We don't hear a lot about him, Cameron. You know, he's a great player, but he really stays out of the limelight.
MORFIT: Yes. You know, Retief is an under-the-radar guy, and he likes it that way, he really does. You know, he's just quiet, unassuming, gets his job done. And, you know, that's actually a perfect type of player for the U.S. open. You look at this guy's swing, and it's, like, so perfect you can't understand how he ever hits a bad shot. It's so on plane, as they say in golf. You know, it's starting to look like he's not really human; he's some sort of USGA experiment that they cooked up in their labs in Fire Hills (ph), New Jersey, just to play U.S. Opens and win U.S. Opens. So he's playing great again. He didn't play that well coming into this, but he's playing great again this week.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk about two players that we don't hear a lot about, but you're keeping your eye on them. Steve Jones -- why are you watching him? MORFIT: Yes. I'm sorry. I couldn't hear that last question.
PHILLIPS: Steve Jones. A lot of players we haven't heard a lot about. We've heard of the Mickelsons, and the Jansens and the Goosens, but Steve Jones -- why are you watching him?
MORFIT: Steve Jones is a guy who it's always been about the practice for him. If he's motivated to practice, he plays quite well. He's also been injured the last 10 years or so. He's had all kinds of crazy injuries, from falling from a dirt bike injury to an injury picking up some carpet with his hand. His latest one was an elbow surgery that he had last year. He was a house painter in Montana last year, this guy. And he's come all the way back. He's a great comeback story. It would be really neat if he could keep it going into the weekend. He played well at the start of the Players Championship. He shot a 64 in the first round of the Players Championship.
And what he was saying today -- I was at his little press conference after his round, he was saying the big difference for him is his coach is here, Todd Sones (ph). He was here at the Players Championship as well, so they did good work over the last three days.
PHILLIPS: I'm watching every move, like you'll be doing.
Cameron Morfit with "Golf" magazine. Check out your column on golfonline.com. Appreciate you checking in with us. We'll talk to you again.
MORFIT: OK, Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Cameron.
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 16, 2005 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: Shots ring out as a hostage situation ends. Dozens of kids held at gunpoint. We're on the story this hour.
When will American troops get out of Iraq? A new push to bring them home.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The first full day of testimony in the murder trial of reputed Klansman Edgar Ray Killen comes to a sudden halt as Killen is wheeled out of the courthouse on a stretcher. We'll have the details coming up.
PHILLIPS: Past due. A New York Indian tribe says it's owed more than 150 years worth of back rent.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, hello everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
Putting on the pressure to bring home the troops. For the first time since Congress voted to send U.S. troops to Iraq in 2002, four House law makers introduced a resolution calling for withdrawal starting October 1, 2006.
The Bush administration has repeatedly insisted troop withdrawal can't be considered until Iraqi security forces are strong enough to police their country against insurgents. But the team of two Democrats and two Republicans say it's time.
The proponents include North Carolina Republican Walter Jones, who was a staunch advocate of the war and even led the effort to rename French fries "Freedom Fries" after France opposed getting involved.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. WALTER JONES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: After 1,700 deaths, over 12,000 wounded, and $200 billion spent, we believe it is time to have this debate and this discussion on this resolution.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: For the first time, a bipartisan group of members of Congress worked together to craft a binding resolution to bring the troops home. And our partnership reflects a shifting mood in Congress caused by daily reports of more American dead in a war with no end in sight. Now, our Bill says enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, the bloody work of routing insurgents continues in Iraq. In Mosul, a top judge and his driver were gunned down in a drive by shooting, but American forces believe a recent arrest will severely hamper insurgent action. Today they say the man in custody, Abu Talha, is Mosul's al Qaeda's leader. Coming up in the next hour of LIVE FROM, we'll talk with a U.S. commander about this key capture.
In financial news, a major national discounter gets called on the carpet. BJ's Wholesale Club has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission over charges it didn't properly secure customer credit information. The alleged lapses resulted in an estimated $13 million in claims of counterfeit purchases.
The FTC says BJ's failed to encrypt consumer information transmitted or stored on store computers. The settlement requires BJ's Wholesale Clubs to implement a security program and be audited by a third party security professional every other year for 20 years.
More on that story and hearings on the Hill today about identity theft. That's coming up next hour right here on LIVE FROM.
In Aruba, investigators hunt for more clues in the disappearance of Alabama student Natalee Holloway. Meanwhile, the father of one suspect is asking a judge if he can see his jailed son.
CNN's John Zarrella has more now from Palm Beach, Aruba.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search for Natalee Holloway continues here on the island with no new developments on that front. As far as the investigation goes, it appears that it has focused clearly now on the three young men being held.
(voice-over) Police investigators spent several hours at the home of 17-year-old Joran Van Der Sloot. He is one of the young men being held in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Investigators taped off portions of the property and searched around and in the house, but have not said what they were looking for.
The search came after the three men appeared in court but was not tied to that proceeding. At the hearing, the attorney for Deepak Kalpoe, one of the two Surinamese brothers being held, asked the court to release documents and evidence.
RUDY OOMEN, DEEPAK KALPOE'S ATTORNEY: We have a brief hearing here about the withholding of certain documents regarding my clients. Documents related to the case. If I knew, I would tell you. I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're requesting documents from the prosecution. Is that what's happening?
OOMEN: Exactly. That's what's happening.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what do you say to the security guards who are out or telling stories about your client?
OOMEN: I'm not saying anything else. I'm just saying that my client maintains his innocence to any crime.
No comment. No comment.
ZARRELLA: The attorney representing Van Der Sloot, the son of an Aruban judge, asked the court to allow his client's father to visit him. A decision on that request is also expected today.
Van Der Sloot, Deepak Kalpoe, and his brother, Satish, are believed to be the last three people with Natalee Holloway on the night she disappeared. The brothers initially told police all three of them went to the lighthouse with Holloway and Van Der Sloot was kissing her in the car.
(on camera) The three young men are not expected to be in court for the judge's ruling today. He will probably rule from the bench. But it is expected that they will have to appear in court by some time this weekend if prosecutors want to hold them any longer.
John Zarrella, reporting from Palm Beach, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Now to Cambodia. Compelling new video as police move in and end a hostage drama that played out at an elementary school after armed gunmen made good on threats to start shooting their tiny hostages.
CNN's Aneesh Raman has more now from the town of Siam Reap.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The six-hour-long hostage standoff began as four masked militants seized control of an international elementary school in the tourist town of Siam Reap.
Dozens of children between the ages of 2 and 6 held captives for hours, among them, various nationalities. Siam Reap, of course, home to a number of expatriates because of the tourism industry there.
Negotiations throughout the day focused on three demands by the hostage takers. First, money. They asked for about $1,000 U.S. Second was transport and safe passage to the Thai border. And the third was additional arms. They had arrived in the school with AK-47s and shotguns. They wanted also RPG launchers. The government willing to give them the first two, refusing the third.
After some hours of discussions, gun fire erupted from the scene. A tense situation on the ground. Tanks surrounded the school. Also, parents standing by, waiting anxiously for the fate of their children.
At that point, officials say, the masked gunmen killed a Canadian boy before attempting to leave in a van, when they were then taken into custody. A member of Doctors Without Borders saw the scene unfold.
DR. GEORGES DALIMAGNE, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: I tried to crawl under the ground, and so I try -- because there was heavy shooting. So everybody tried to hide.
RAMAN: Speculation throughout the day as to the motive of this act. Initial suggestions were that it was politically motivated, sought to cripple the economy of Cambodia, which is hugely dependent on tourism in Siam Reap.
Cambodia's prime minister, Hun Sen, quickly putting out a statement that this was not a politically motivated act, that these were essentially small time criminals looking to gain some money.
But the intended effect aside, the consequence is such that throughout this region international schools will be evaluating their security. And for those families, those expatriate families living in Siam Reap tonight, anxious moments as they rethink whether to remain.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bangkok.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM: tantrums, fights, enough to get a kid expelled from preschool, a growing trend leading to growing pangs.
Later on live from...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're armed. We are ready for business.
PHILLIPS: One is a grocery clerk. One is a bartender. One works at Wal-Mart. One is a missionary. They're all fighting in Iraq, and they're all brothers.
Also ahead...
STEVE MARTIN, COMEDIAN (singing): King Tut. Buried with a donkey.
PHILLIPS: The boy king on his comeback tour of the U.S. We'll take you live to the exhibit rekindling Tut mania.
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ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How you feeling, Edgar?
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PHILLIPS: Edgar Ray Killen, former Klansmen, his trial in a civil rights murder case is in recess now after he fell ill this morning and was taken from the courthouse on a stretcher. His attorney says there's concern about his blood pressure and has long maintained that Killen is too sick to stand trial.
Ed Lavandera following the trial in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Ed, what do you know?
LAVANDERA: Well, Kyra, it was quite a surprise this morning. Testimony had just gotten underway. The court had been hearing from Rita Bender, who is the widow of one of the civil rights workers, Michael Schwerner. She had been testifying.
And just before she went on the witness stand, her attorney had asked the judge to stop everything, and Mr. Killen stepped out of the courtroom. Great precautions have been taken for Mr. Killen in making sure that he is comfortable throughout this court process.
There was supposed to have been breaks every two hours. There's a room with a hospital bed, a nurse and physical therapist that could help him through this, but this was definitely something apparently much more serious that required Mr. Killen to be taken out of the courthouse. Just a few hours ago, he was taken out on a stretcher.
Every morning, incidentally, he is wheeled in by his family on a wheelchair. So he's not walking in on his own to begin with. He was taken to a local hospital, where he is being checked out. His attorney said that he would be admitted.
As you mentioned, he was complaining -- we noticed that his blood pressure had shot up, and his defense attorneys were on their way just a little while ago to check up on him at the hospital.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did he say when you realized something was wrong?
JAMES MCINTYRE, KILLEN'S ATTORNEY: He had a smothering sensation. That's when he first went into -- with his nurse for observation and treatment. And then they called in some oxygen for him. And then they called the paramedic, and the paramedic suggested they take him to the emergency room. And from then, it's my understanding that the doctors want to admit him.
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LAVANDERA: Well, testimony is supposed to resume at 1 Central Time, but it's difficult to say if this case can even move on today without Mr. Killen. It is up to his attorneys to determine whether or not the testimony can continue without him physically being in the courtroom.
So hopefully, as those attorneys return from the hospital here in the next short while, we'll be able to get further updates as to his conditions -- his condition and what will happen and if testimony will be able to continue today.
We asked that about -- to the prosecutors a short while ago as they walked out of the courthouse.
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MARK DUNCAN, PROSECUTOR: The judge and everybody else wants to proceed, so maybe we can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't proceed without him can you?
DUNCAN: Well, we can, if he waives his presence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think he will?
DUNCAN: Well, I don't know. That will be up to him and his lawyers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: Well, as you mentioned, Mr. Killen had been battling a series of health problems. Back in March, he had been -- had both of his legs broken in a tree chopping incident. He'd been recovering from that.
And leading up to the trial, his own attorneys had been saying that this 80-year-old man has just been too frail to be able to go through something like this, to what we've seen unfold here, just as this trial was kicking off -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much.
LAVANDERA: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Pictures coming in to us right now via our affiliate here actually in Atlanta, Georgia, WXIA. We are being told, according to various reports, that two people have reportedly been killed in this small plane crash. It crashed just after takeoff in Pike County.
WSB-TV, another affiliate here in Atlanta, Georgia, is reporting that the fire chief in Pike County said the plane had just taken off from Beach State Field -- Peach State Field, rather, when it went down in this wooded area here.
The plane crashed near the town of Williamson, Georgia. The identities of the victims have not been immediately made available.
We are working this story. We'll bring you as much information as we can as soon as we get it.
Once again, a small plane crash here via our affiliate, WXIA, in a wooded area in Williamson, Georgia. Two people reportedly dead. We'll continue. You can see there, as the crews searching for possible remains. We'll continue to follow this for you and let you know what we find out.
Other news across America today.
Hurricane shelters off limits to sex criminals in one Florida county. Commissioners in Hillsborough County -- that's Tampa -- voted unanimously today to formally bar registered sex offenders from emergency shelters. According to the sheriff, they should fend for themselves.
Runaway bride. You knew this was coming folks, so brace yourself. Book deal, movie deal, TV deal, give me a break. A New York multimedia company now owns the rights to Jennifer Wilbanks' life story. No word on how much money is changing hands.
And majestic Mt. McKinley, America's highest peak. We're told that the great Denali is suffering from a problem that's delicate to discuss. Park rangers say hikers are relieving themselves on mountain trails and unknowingly making other visitors sick. The solution: smarter hygiene and watch your step.
Well, hyperventilating in the Hamptons, the high priced, Long Island "it" spot has been targeted in a multibillion dollar land claim lawsuit filed by Shinnecock Indians.
Jeff Rosen from New York affiliate WABC has more on a dispute that could have major implications.
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JEFF ROSEN, WABC REPORTER (voice-over): On the steps of federal court, the Shinnecock Indians fight back. The tribe filed a lawsuit against New York state, Suffolk County, and the town of Southampton. The Indians want their land back, 3,600 acres on eastern Long Island.
RANDY KING, SHINNECOCK TRIBAL CHAIRMAN: We have been good neighbors to the same people who have broken promises and stolen our land. We seek vindication of those rights.
ROSEN: The Shinnecock Indians say New York state stole their land in 1859 with a fraudulent agreement. Now the tribe wants to build a casino in Southampton, but they need government approval. And this lawsuit can be used as leverage to get it.
LANETTE WEEKS, SHINNECOCK TRIBE: Something given back to us, you know, whether it be monetary or land. But I think we're entitled to it.
ROSEN: If they win in court, the tribe says homeowners can stay, but some businesses would have to go, including Long Island University and two golf courses, one of them the world famous Shinnecock Hills course.
LARRY HELFAND, SMALL BUSINESS MANAGER: Not good. Not good. Not good for business. Not good for people out here. It's just going to stir up a whole bunch of controversy again. ROSEN: In its lawsuit, the tribe demands 3,600 acres of land, $1.7 billion, 150 years of past rent, and compensatory damages. Governor Pataki responded.
GOV. GEORGE PATAKI, NEW YORK: We are going to make sure we do everything in our power to make sure that not one land owner, not one property owner is put in jeopardy. They have done nothing wrong. But we will make sure we look at the legalities of the case and see what the next step is.
ROSEN (on camera): The Shinnecock Indians say this is only the beginning. In the coming weeks, they'll file another lawsuit, demanding even more land, land they say was stolen more than a century ago.
In Southampton, Jeff Rosen, Channel 7, Eyewitness News.
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PHILLIPS: Remember what it took to get expelled from school? Spit wads, chewing gum, a few cuss words. Well, those were the older kids. Oh, how things have changed.
A new Yale study finds preschoolers are being expelled at an alarming rate. We're talking about 3- and 4-year-olds.
Our Alina Cho has the case of one little boy who had it happen to him twice.
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ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 10:30 in the morning, and already Timmy Anderson is acting up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No! No!
CHO: A fight over a spoon is quickly resolved. But a few minutes later, there's another problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In about five minutes, I'm going to call clean-up time, and we're going to go to circle before we go back outside.
CHO: Timmy doesn't want to go to circle time. He and his buddy Josh are busy making something they call goop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's definitely goop. That's goopy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Goopy!
CHO: The other kids are already in the circle. Timmy and Josh are still on their own and break into another fight, this time over pink paint. This is a good day for Timmy. He's what they call a two-time offender, expelled from two preschools, on to his third. The 5-year- old has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. He's hyperactive, and his record shows...
(on camera) Whoa!
(voice-over) ... he has a wicked throwing arm.
Venus French is his mom.
VENUS FRENCH, TIMMY'S MOTHER: A little girl had gotten her -- hit her in the back of a head with a wooden toy. So he was suspended. And they just kind of avoided having him come back. And we found another day care. He had issues there, too.
CHO: Timmy isn't alone.
DR. WALTER GILLIAM, YALE UNIVERSITY CHILD STUDIES CENTER: Expulsion is the most extreme reaction.
CHO: Dr. Walter Gilliam spearheaded the Yale study, which finds preschoolers are three times as likely to be expelled as students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
GILLIAM: When you're talking about K through 12 grades, you're talking about children who are largely required to be in school. They're of compulsory attendance school age; they have to be in school. And so expelling a child is a very legalized process. Because when you expel a child, it creates a legal problem for the parents.
There is no legal responsibility for preschoolers.
CHO: The study shows that most preschools do not have the support staff to handle kids with behavioral problems. That's especially true in private and faith-based schools, which, according to the study, are quickest to expel.
Boys are more likely to be kicked out than girls, African- Americans more likely than children of other races.
FRENCH: Put this up in the house. You're going to lose it.
CHO: French says she can't even count how many months she's spent working on Timmy's troubles and trying to place him in new schools.
FRENCH: I was so frustrated. I called every day care in the yellow pages, and the more no's you got, it was like what am I going to do?
CHO: Three months ago a relative suggested Kangaroo's Korner, a preschool that gives kids like Timmy a second chance.
CATHERINE RISIGO-WICKLINE, DIRECTOR, KANGAROO'S KORNER: They come here thinking that they're bad kids, and they're not bad kids.
CHO: Cathy Risigo-Wickline is the director.
RISIGO-WICKLINE: What we do here is prepare them for school, preschool. So we teach them the foundation skills. We give them opportunities to develop all of their skills they need to be able to be ready to learn once they get to school.
CHO: Which, by definition, is what preschool is supposed to be about, isn't it?
GILLIAM: You need to learn how to love school before you're going to learn much at it.
CHO: Which brings us back to circle time. Timmy's new teachers say he's more well behaved these days, but he still needs some encouraging.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's great, Timmy.
CHO: After washing his hands and playing with a puzzle, Timmy is finally ready to join his friends. No tantrum today. Timmy is making progress.
FRENCH: I believe a lot of love and support is going to pull everything through for him.
CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, Litchfield, Connecticut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: So what do you think about your medical records going paperless? Well, a political odd couple on Capitol Hill is promoting big changes in the way your medical records are kept. Republican Senator Bill Frist joining Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton in an effort to make electronic medical records electronic and more widely accessible. They say a bill they are pushing would save lives in emergencies. Privacy advocates are not impressed.
Straight ahead, a voice from the past. Two men, friends in the Vietnam War zone, reunite at a grocery store. A story that will have you believing in fate. Believe me. It's right ahead on LIVE FROM.
And will Tiger tear it up at the U.S. Open? We're going to tee it up live from Pinehurst right after a break.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. Beautiful day in Pinehurst, North Carolina. I sure wish I were there. The No. 2 course, Phil Mickelson, the left- hander, getting in some practice shots here.
Pinehurst, as you know, is a difficult course with its turtle back greens and false fronts. Conditions certainly on the mind of the pros today as the U.S. Open gets started.
Cameron Morfit, senior writer with "Golf" magazine, covering the Open, fairway side. Cameron, great to see you.
CAMERON MORFIT, SENIOR WRITER, "GOLF" MAGAZINE: Good to see you. Thanks a lot, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about -- let's reminisce for a bit here. We've got to talk about Payne Stewart. You even wrote an article today at -- on GolfOnline.com.
But you know, he was the 1999 champ. We'll never forget that picture of his caddie in his arms, his best friend Lee Janzen, playing in the tournament this year. That same caddie going to be with him. I bet you they're going to be talking about a lot of special memories.
MORFIT: Yes, I spoke with Mike Hicks, the caddie, earlier this season about Payne. And there's just so many funny memories. I mean, it sort of risks getting a little bit maudlin when you talk about it.
But most of the stories that I was hearing were really funny stories about Payne just tearing it up in various bars and playing his harmonica and just having a real ball. And Lee Janzen said he'd gotten paired with Payne more than anybody, and he felt like -- he and Mike Hicks felt like, "Hey, maybe we can, you know, get together and do it again for Payne."
PHILLIPS: Well, speaking of special pairings, Lee Janzen also playing with Payne's son, Aaron, in the father-son tournament. That was pretty special this year.
MORFIT: Yes, it really was. And you know, Lee's a great guy. And, Lee, of course, has won a couple of U.S. Opens. So it would not be terribly surprising if he were to do well this week.
PHILLIPS: Well, my guess is Payne will be playing right through him and right with him during this tournament. Let's talk about the defending champ, Retief Goosen, the famous golfer that got struck by lightning as a teenager. We don't hear a lot about him, Cameron. You know, he's a great player, but he really stays out of the limelight.
MORFIT: Yes. You know, Retief is an under-the-radar guy, and he likes it that way, he really does. You know, he's just quiet, unassuming, gets his job done. And, you know, that's actually a perfect type of player for the U.S. open. You look at this guy's swing, and it's, like, so perfect you can't understand how he ever hits a bad shot. It's so on plane, as they say in golf. You know, it's starting to look like he's not really human; he's some sort of USGA experiment that they cooked up in their labs in Fire Hills (ph), New Jersey, just to play U.S. Opens and win U.S. Opens. So he's playing great again. He didn't play that well coming into this, but he's playing great again this week.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk about two players that we don't hear a lot about, but you're keeping your eye on them. Steve Jones -- why are you watching him? MORFIT: Yes. I'm sorry. I couldn't hear that last question.
PHILLIPS: Steve Jones. A lot of players we haven't heard a lot about. We've heard of the Mickelsons, and the Jansens and the Goosens, but Steve Jones -- why are you watching him?
MORFIT: Steve Jones is a guy who it's always been about the practice for him. If he's motivated to practice, he plays quite well. He's also been injured the last 10 years or so. He's had all kinds of crazy injuries, from falling from a dirt bike injury to an injury picking up some carpet with his hand. His latest one was an elbow surgery that he had last year. He was a house painter in Montana last year, this guy. And he's come all the way back. He's a great comeback story. It would be really neat if he could keep it going into the weekend. He played well at the start of the Players Championship. He shot a 64 in the first round of the Players Championship.
And what he was saying today -- I was at his little press conference after his round, he was saying the big difference for him is his coach is here, Todd Sones (ph). He was here at the Players Championship as well, so they did good work over the last three days.
PHILLIPS: I'm watching every move, like you'll be doing.
Cameron Morfit with "Golf" magazine. Check out your column on golfonline.com. Appreciate you checking in with us. We'll talk to you again.
MORFIT: OK, Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Cameron.
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