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President Bush Issues Statement in Support of Donald Rumsfeld; President's, Vice President's Tax Returns; Amazing Grace; First Easter Season of a New Era

Aired April 14, 2006 - 14:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Rumsfeld resign? That's not an order, but the strong opinion, strong public opinions of six retired generals, Army and Marines. President Bush feels the opposite. A White House statement just an hour ago brims with praise and support.
CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joins me now with more reaction.

Boy, Barbara, we've never seen anything like this before.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly is extraordinary, Kyra.

Just a few moments ago, President Bush putting out a written statement of support for Secretary Rumsfeld from the White House, saying at the end of this statement that the secretary, "... has my full support and deepest appreciation." A very strong statement of support from President Bush for what clearly after a week of criticism is now becoming his still-embattled secretary of defense, Don Rumsfeld.

This week, six retired generals voicing their view that Secretary Rumsfeld should step down. They articulate a variety of reasons. Some of them, of course, having to do with the war in Iraq. Some of them having to do with their view that his management style is just simply too abrasive, that he rules by intimidation and does not listen to his generals.

The secretary gave an interview to the Arab television channel Al-Arabiya and spoke about this very matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I intend to serve the president at his pleasure. And the fact that two or three or four retired people have different views, I respect their views, but obviously, if out of thousands and thousands of admirals and generals, if every time two or three people disagree we changed the secretary of defense of the United States, it would be like a merry-go-round.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, Kyra, there is no question, of course, there are still literally hundreds of generals and admirals on active duty in the U.S. military in Iraq, Afghanistan, here in the Pentagon and around the world. And by all accounts, there are many who continue to support the secretary and continue, of course, to support the Bush administration.

When you're on active duty, you are not allowed to publicly voice your dissent. But clearly, one of the growing questions at the end of this long week is whether there will be more retired generals who come out in public and state their views.

Here in the hallways of the Pentagon it pretty much remains the topic of discussion -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So, Barbara, if six retired generals are coming forward and saying these things -- and if you look at the names, these are pretty well-respected generals for a number of reasons -- you tend to wonder, what are the generals on the ground saying? And could we reach a point where they may be asked to talk, forced to talk? I'm just -- I'm seeing some type of news conference coming around the corner just for the sake of quality control.

STARR: Let's try and walk -- walk through all of this for a minute. One of the things we are beginning to hear from many people in the military, both active duty and retired, is their concern about what they call the price to pay for all of this.

Retired generals, of course, have every right, as every other American citizen, to free speech, to state their views. But there is a feeling that the price to pay is some potential for mistrust between civilians and military leadership.

If Secretary Rumsfeld were to resign, and it were to be tied to this, would the next secretary of defense feel that he couldn't be as free-wheeling and as candid? Would he feel that retired generals are out there laying in wait for him?

A lot of questions about what the climate will be after this period of dissention. I think it is unlikely you would ever see an active-duty general or admiral in the United States military while on duty voice anything but complete support for the president, for U.S. policies, and the secretary of defense. If someone feels they cannot support it, the way it goes is this: you then really have a moral obligation to resign and leave military service -- you know, fall on your sword, so to speak.

No one has done that yet. That would be a remarkable crossing of a certain line, if we were in the weeks ahead to see an active-duty person in the United States military fall on that sword and resign their commission because they simply felt they could no longer follow President Bush, the administration, or Secretary Rumsfeld.

Important to understand, the people we are hearing from are retired. They have already left military service -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That's an interesting point. Barbara Starr, thanks so much,. We'll, of course, be watching for a number of weeks how this is all going to lay out.

Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Thanks so much.

STARR: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Let's get back to the White House. CNN's Ed Henry is there with some new information just in on the president's and vice president's -- the vice president's tax returns.

Boy, two totally different issues, Ed, happening there. Where do you want to begin?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president, obviously, is already at Camp David, getting ready for the Easter holiday weekend, where he will be celebrating with the first lady, various other family coming in for the weekend.

We were expecting to get the tax returns. As you say, we've got them. We were not expecting to get this statement on Secretary Rumsfeld. We did get that as well.

Here are the tax returns. Basically, the first couple reported taxable income in 2005 of just over $618,000. They paid nearly $188,000 in federal income taxes overall.

That's a slight drop in income from the tax year of 2004. When you look back, the first couple then had reported income of almost $785,000 and paid federal income taxes of $207,000. So, income down a bit.

The president's salary, of course, about $400,000 a year. The variance in income comes from the trust that the first couple has, that they've set up basically to deal with their various investments and other holdings.

Now, the vice president you mentioned as well. The vice president and his wife, Lynne, a lot more income. They have just released their tax returns.

Taxable income for 2005 was $1.96 million. They paid federal taxes of $529,000.

One other note on the first couple. They listed specifically on various charities, charitable giving, about just over $75,000 to various churches and charitable organizations, including the American Red Cross's 2005 hurricane relief fund. Also, the Salvation Army.

Obviously, Katrina the focus of a lot of Americans in terms of their charitable giving in 2005. The first couple as well did that -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Ed Henry at the White House.

Thanks, Ed.

HENRY: Thank you. PHILLIPS: Upgraded to stable, likely to make a good or even excellent recovery, that's the encouraging news from doctors who are treating the survivors of yesterday's horrific bear attack in the Cherokee National Forest. The woman who wrestled with the black bear to rescue her son is doing well despite wounds to her head, neck and elsewhere. Her 2-year-old son had surgery for a puncture wound to his skull. Today he's acting, well, exactly like you'd expect a 2 year old to act.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. GREG TALBOTT, ERLANGER HOSPITAL: I'm really happy to report that the little boy who was injured in the bear attack yesterday is doing quite well today. He's in stable condition.

When he arrived here, he had sustained numerous puncture wounds, and one of the those puncture wounds had entered the skull. He went into surgery last night for repair of that wound, and then was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit in the early hour of this morning. Today he is irritable and a little bit uncooperative, like you might expect a 2-year-old to be, but he is just in wonderful condition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The bear killed the boy's six-year-old sister, and efforts are still under way to trap it. We'll be talking to a wildlife expert involved in the hunt later on LIVE FROM.

Major religions all teach it, psychologists preach it, and Mark Twain puts it like this: "Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." But could you for give the person who put you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life?

Gail Huff of WCVB in Boston has quite a remarkable story on a remarkable young girl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAI LEIGH HARRIOTT, FORGIVES MAN WHO SHOT AND PARALYZED HER: I forgive Anthony Warren. What he has done to me was wrong, but I still forgive him.

GAIL HUFF, REPORTER, WCVB (voice over): Kai Leigh Harriott forgave the man who shot and paralyzed her nearly three years ago. She was sitting out on her family's third-story porch when she was struck by a bullet.

Twenty-nine-year-old Anthony Warren had fired several gunshots into the air during an outdoor argument with someone else. One of the bullets severed Kai Leigh's spine, leaving her paralyzed for his life.

TONYA DAVID, KAI LEIGH'S MOTHER: She never cries about being in this wheelchair. Not once. Not once. So for her to break out with such emotion right now, have compassion.

HUFF: Twenty-nine-year-old Warren apologized in court yesterday.

ANTHONY WARREN, SHOT KAI LEIGH HARRIOTT: I'm sorry. I take responsibility.

HUFF: Kai Leigh's mother reached out to the convict before he was escorted out.

DAVID: He said he was sorry for what he did, that when he looked at my daughter he had seen his daughter. I got the true victory today. He apologized to my daughter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Wow.

Well, there may not be much calm after last night's storm in Indiana and Iowa. Those brought intense lightning, heavy winds and hail. At least one house fire is blamed on a lightning strike. There were tornadoes and at least one death in Iowa.

Three counties are now under a state of emergency. The damage is so widespread in Iowa City that Homeland Security teams are on their way to assess it. So are National Guard troops to help provide security.

What areas are on alert now? Let's check in with CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf -- Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, right now, we're still watching portions of the Midwest, mainly areas south of Chicago at this time.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet.

PHILLIPS: Well, if you're holding a Delta ticket for this Easter weekend, you're good to go. The airline and its pilots union have made a deal, a tentative one, just the day before the deadline that could have triggered a strike. Details aren't being released yet. The agreement still has to be approved by the bankruptcy court and ratified by a majority of the airline's pilots.

For Catholics, this is the first Easter season of a new era. Good Friday at the Vatican when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A new pope, a timeless tradition. Benedict XVI is leading Good Friday observances for the first time as pope. He chanted in Latin to begin services at St. Peter's Basilica. Later, he'll lead the way of the cross around the ruins of Rome's Coliseum, commemorating this day.

Sorry, gang. I don't know where I'm going. OK.

Delia Gallagher, I apologize. We had no idea where to go from there.

Basically, I don't have any script and nothing was on the prompter. I knew I was going to you somewhere.

So let's talk -- you've actually been there in Rome for -- for this special service, right?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes. Absolutely.

This is really one of the times throughout the calendar year in Rome that's the most busy. There are sometimes two liturgies, masses and events going on per day. In fact, today is one of them.

You saw the Good Friday services, but then tonight, as you said, they'll be at the Coliseum for those stations of the cross. And I think many people have seen that over the years at -- in Rome at the Coliseum, they kind of go up and reenact the steps that Jesus took up to his crucifixion.

What you see there, of course, is the liturgy today, Good Friday, and the pope sort of lying prostrate in front of the altar. This is something that we haven't seen in a while, Kyra, because we haven't seen a pope who's been able to walk down the aisle of the church and lie prostrate.

It's something that they do in a sort of act of humiliation, an act of servitude in front of the cross. But, of course, John Paul II wasn't able to do that.

Interestingly, when I went back to Poland for the special on the last days of John Paul II, one of the things that his private secretary told me is that John Paul II used to close himself in his private chapel and do that very thing that you see Pope Benedict doing, which is lie prostrate on the ground and pray for hours in that position.

PHILLIPS: Give us a little more about why he does and just the -- not only the symbolism, but what it means to Catholics, and just getting into the mindset of what these three days are about.

GALLAGHER: Well, I think, first, you have to appreciate that not just for Catholics, but all Christians, Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year for them. It is the day in which they commemorate the death of Jesus, the death by crucifixion.

So that's why you don't see a mass -- this mass was silent when they were walking in and walking out. There's no singing.

It's a very solemn and quiet time. Then they bring up the crucifix, which is actually covered -- Jesus' body is covered -- and then the pope uncovers it slowly.

So there's a whole series of rituals.

Last night, Thursday, Holy Thursday, which started the kind of Holy Week tradition, is the washing of the feet. That is symbolic of Jesus watching his apostles' feet at the last supper, which, of course, was the last meal that they had together before Jesus was betrayed by Judas and then arrested and crucified.

PHILLIPS: You mention Judas. Pope Benedict weighed in on the debate over Judas and the release of the gospel of Judas, or these manuscripts that were discovered, right?

GALLAGHER: Yes, he did. During his homily yesterday at that Holy Thursday mass, he mentions Judas as part of this group of apostles at the last supper. And he defends the traditional view of Judas as the betrayer.

In fact, Pope Benedict called him a liar and a double-crosser. And he said that he betrayed Jesus for money.

So, he -- in defense, really, of a traditional view of Judas, brought that up in his homily, which I thought was interesting, because perhaps unintentionally, but still, he's aware of the greater conversations going on because of the discovery of the Gospel of Judas, which, of course, saw Judas as a good person that did something Jesus asked him to do in betraying him.

PHILLIPS: An incredible special that you had that aired, and it's going to air again, "The Last Days of Pope John Paul II." We're going to see that again this weekend, right?

GALLAGHER: Yes. You've got some great programming this weekend, in fact, starting with this special on "The Last Days of John Paul II," which, you know, it was this time last year that we were all watching those final moments of the pope. And we went back and talked to some of the people that were there with him and were able to explain to us exactly what was going on during that time.

And then you've got some other specials coming up that are wonderful, too, about Jesus and the two Marys. So you've got the whole historical figures of Christianity because this is the big weekend in the Christian religion.

PHILLIPS: Delia Gallagher, live from New York.

Thanks so much, Delia.

GALLAGHER: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, when you think of Easter and food, eggs, of course, and ham and chocolate all jump to mind. But what about crawfish? They're an Easter tradition, believe it or not, in Louisiana.

That's why CNN's Gulf Correspondent Susan Roesgen is spending Good Friday in a good seafood shop with some really good crawfish right there in New Orleans. Hey, Susan.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

You know, this is one of the busiest seafood shops in the city in uptown New Orleans, and the number one seller today and this weekend is crawfish. Even after all that New Orleans has been through, people want to maintain an Easter weekend tradition.

Come on inside with me. I want to give you a look around. It's really busy today. The line is going to be stretching out here on the sidewalk by the end of the day.

Now, I'm going to kind of slide past the counter here. You know, Kyra, people here are buying oysters and crabs and shrimps, of course, too. But the big seller is boiled crawfish.

I know that you've had crawfish before, but for people who have never had crawfish, you know, one of these things can look a little creepy. But I think if you just sort of think of them as a miniature lobster, that's kind of what they taste like. And if you're not too leery of doing a little bit of work to get at the meat, they're really pretty good.

This little shop is going to sell thousands of pounds of crawfish. I was in here just the other day, Kyra, with a friend of mine who bought $400 worth of crawfish and enough beer to go with it. This is the place to be to have a New Orleans tradition.

PHILLIPS: Four hundred dollars?

ROESGEN: It's very good.

PHILLIPS: Are you -- wait a minute. You just did it. Well, you didn't do it right.

ROESGEN: Oh, Kyra, listen...

PHILLIPS: All right. OK.

ROESGEN: ... there are many different ways to peel a crawfish.

PHILLIPS: That is true.

ROESGEN: But, you know, the crazy thing about this, Kyra, I think is -- take a look in the back where they're boiling the crawfish. The crawfish come in big sacks, live. They are harvested from the mud pits, the rice fields in southwestern Louisiana.

They come into this shop. They boil them here. They throw in some salt and some pepper and some garlic, and you've got a delicious Lenten meal.

PHILLIPS: Well, we've got to talk about everything else that's thrown in there, too. You know, when you go to these crawfish boils, they're in huge massive -- oh, my gosh, I've even seen people use canoes, Susan, to do these crawfish boils.

But we've got to talk about all the other good stuff that's in there with the crawfish, right?

ROESGEN: Oh, they throw in little pieces of corn, they throw in some potatoes. I've even seen whole mushrooms thrown in.

They make it really tasty, a lot of spices. This is something that people in Louisiana grow up eating. You should be here, Kyra, to smell this. I think I'm beginning to smell like a good Cajun girl.

Oh, sorry, ma'am.

PHILLIPS: That garlic doesn't go away.

ROESGEN: Yes, I know. They put them in the sacks, and then people take them -- take them home with them. You can see the line here -- spread them out on an oil cloth on the back porch and have a really good meal. It's simply a New Orleans tradition and Louisiana tradition -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Susan, let me ask you about the hurricane and how it affected the crawfish crop, because I remember during Katrina we were talking about the livelihood from the oysters to the crawfish. Have these guys seen a hit?

ROESGEN: Yes, they did take a hit. The -- not from Hurricane Katrina, but from Hurricane Rita, which, again, hit in the southwestern part of the state. It nearly ruined the rice fields. The rice crop is still in really bad shape. And just about killed the crawfish crop.

But I talked to the owner of the store, and he said the crawfish has come back, they're plentiful. They're a little bit more expensive than they were last year, about $2.99 a pound. But they've got a good crop now, Kyra, except that we're in a drought.

And, you know, mud bugs, as we call them, don't like a drought. And so they're seeing a little shortage in supply because of that. But Hurricane Rita was really tough on this industry in this part of the Louisiana.

PHILLIPS: Well, Susan, you overnighted me a king cake, but I don't think you can overnight me any hot crawfish, can you?

ROESGEN: You know, I can try. It's going to cost you, but I can try.

PHILLIPS: That's a deal.

Susan Roesgen, have fun. I'm jealous that I'm not with you. Thanks, Susan.

ROESGEN: You bet.

PHILLIPS: Well, whether you're scrambling to make the tax deadline or already paid the man, there are some shady characters glad to scam you out of whatever you've got left. They're called phishers, they're on the Internet, and they're getting smarter. Some handy tips to foil the phishers with our Daniel Sieberg when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, an Amber Alert for a red-haired Oklahoma girl. We're still inside those crucial first hours.

Jamie Rose Bolin is 10 years old, freckle-faced, last seen getting into an SUV with Texas plates on Wednesday. There's a witness, a description of a driver.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has more now from the town of Purcell.

Ed, go ahead and tell us what you know.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, here, investigators are continue -- continue working to try and find out where 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin might be. It's almost been 48 hours since she was last seen getting into this SUV which officials here describe as dark-colored blue Chevy Tahoe. I'll have more on the description of that car here in just a second.

But they have a suspect that they're looking for, and they have a composite sketch of that person. We can show that to you.

This person is described as being in their early 20s, a white male, very thin, clean cut, and has an earring in his left ear. Police believe that he might be driving this car described as a dark blue Chevy Tahoe, tinted windows. It has large leather seats with the letters KC in the seats.

And on the back window, though, a big logo, we're told, with the letters FOX on the plates -- on the back window. It is Texas plates. They do not have information on the license plate -- or credible information on the license plate.

But officials here in Purcell, Oklahoma, want to get that information out. And hopefully that will help them track down.

Right now, investigators are looking into another angle of this story, and that might be whether or not this 10-year-old girl might have known who this person -- who this suspect is. Right now, investigators are at a nearby library where Jamie Rose Bolin was last seen Wednesday afternoon.

They're going through the computers there. There is some suspicion that perhaps Jamie Rose Bolin might have been talking through e-mail over the computer with this person. So investigators are over there analyzing the computers and following up on those leads in this case.

Officials here say they've gotten hundreds of leads so far, but exactly what has happened and in what kind of danger this young girl is in is still not known -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ed Lavandera will continue to follow the story, of course, and replay that description throughout the next couple of hours. Ed, thanks.

LAVANDERA: Sure.

PHILLIPS: It's April 14th, which means if you haven't filed your taxes, it's almost time to panic. And if that's not enough to ruin your Friday, you're about learn about some Internet scammers angling to bait you into giving up what the IRS lets you keep.

CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg here with an online phishing report, where the catch of the day could be your cash. Not fun.

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: It's phishing season, you could say.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Very much so.

SIEBERG: It certainly. Well, with all due respect to Ben Franklin, there are probably three certainties: death, taxes and someone's out there trying to steal your money. We're going to give you a quick illustration of what it means to be phished and to try and stay away from these online criminals. And stay tuned, because we're going to quiz you after it's over.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIEBERG (voice-over): It's tax time, and that means deadlines, refunds and scams. And you may have already fallen victim.

ANDREW ERISTOFF, N.Y. STATE TAX COMMISSIONER: About a month ago, I was checking my e-mail at my desk at my government office. And I saw an e-mail from an outfit called taxrefunds@irs.gov.

SIEBERG: This is an example of the message Andrew Eristoff received, complete with right logos and language.

ERISTOFF: All I needed to do is give them my credit card information and my Social Security number so I'd verify my identity, and I'd get my refund.

SIEBERG: But, fortunately, Andrew knew enough not to click on it. That's because...

ERISTOFF: I'm commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Here there are targeting a tax administrator with a tax refund scam. Unbelievable.

SIEBERG: By now, you may have heard about phishing. It's an insidious online scam that starts with a cyber criminal sending bulk e-mails, some promising money, some demanding a response. The e-mails appear to be from places like the IRS, PayPal and eBay. They often contain a link to a site that also looks real, requesting personal information. At this time of year, those claiming to be from the IRS are in full swing.

MARK EVERSON, IRS COMMISSIONER: This phishing scheme, if you will, is exploding. All I can say is that we do not reach and communicate with taxpayers by e-mail.

SIEBERG: More than 17,000 unique phishing attacks were reported to the anti-phishing working group in February of this year, so perhaps you think your scam radar can filter out the bad stuff. Well, professors at Harvard and U.C. Berkeley recently conducted a study of why phishing scams work.

RACHNA DHAMIJA, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Some of the our most educated users and most cautious users were also very surprised at their inability to detect a legitimate versus phishing Web site.

SIEBERG: The 22 participants were wrong 40 percent of the time. This phishing site fooled 90 percent of its participants, nearly identical to the actual Bank of the West site but for one small detail.

DHAMIJA: It used "Bank of the Vest" dot-com in the URL, so the "W" was replaced by two "V"s. And that's really hard for users to spot. It's very trivial for phishers to create Web sites. For example, the Web site that fooled the most of our users took about ten minutes to make.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIEBERG: All right, tune in your scam radar, because we're about to quiz you and Kyra, as well. We have a couple of the sites that were used in that U.C. Berkeley and Harvard study, Kyra. You ready?

PHILLIPS: I like how you threw this on me.

SIEBERG: That's the way it goes, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And I'm already -- and already, when I saw that Web site, I did the same thing with my bank. It was one letter difference.

SIEBERG: You got to be careful with those typos, too. They bring on those. All right, the first one we've got is from a site that looks like it's PayPal, the online payment site PayPal. You can see here it looks like a legitimate site. You've got the Web address up there. It even says https, which means it's a secure site. You've got that right up there. What do you think, Kyra, fake or real site?

PHILLIPS: Well, I mean, you're pointing out all the things I would look for.

SIEBERG: It's got the right language and everything, its logos..

PHILLIPS: But then again, I've never logged onto this, so it would be hard for me to figure out. SIEBERG: That's true. That's true. Well, I'll tell you what. It is a fake site.

PHILLIPS: It is fake. Why? How do you know?

SIEBERG: Even though it look like it's real. I'll tell you why. Because this up here, you would think that because it says https that would be secure. But they were able to fake the coding and make it look like it's a real site. The "S" means a secure socket layer. That means it's a secure payment if you're paying something online.

PHILLIPS: Right. But how does it look different?

SIEBERG: In this case, they were able to do that. It would look different because if there wasn't that, it would just says "http colon." In this case, it says https. And that's one thing they tell you to look for if it's secure, that it has that "S." That means it's a secure site. In this case, they were able to fake it by adding that. It's not actually a secure site. They were able to make you think that it was a secure site.

PHILLIPS: So how did you find out it wasn't a secure site, though?

SIEBERG: Well, this was because it was part of the study. So we knew that in advance. But the average person would be hard-pressed to know that that was a fake site because of that particular feature. All right, the next one we've got is from what looks to be Bank of America.

PHILLIPS: OK, now this is what I did. This is the site that I got onto.

SIEBERG: You see here, it's got a place to enter your I.D. number, your pass code. It's got the site up here, bankofamerica.com. It even says "protect yourself against fraud" over here. So all right signs, right? Everything seems like it's in order?

PHILLIPS: OK, I'm going to say it's fake because this is the Web site that I log onto, and I'm not seeing what I usually see on the left-hand side.

SIEBERG: That's a good eye. You want to know why?

PHILLIPS: Why?

SIEBERG: If we can pull that up one more time, I can show you what Kyra is talking about. Right over here, see those two places where you would normally put in your pass code? This is actually a -- this is a pop-up. They call it a rouge pop-up. That is not the actual window. They have put that in front of where you put your information.

PHILLIPS: Right, it doesn't look like the window that you usually see. I log onto it almost every day. SIEBERG: Right, so if you put your information in there, it would go straight to the phisher, to the criminal. And you would have no idea that this happened. A lot of this is happening in the background. So the bottom line in all of this, in case you're wondering, not to click on a link that's in an e-mail message. If you're concerned about it or you're wondering about the message's authenticity, type it in from scratch in your Web address in the browser window itself. So you know that it's legitimate page. But these guys are so good at what they do. They make it very hard for people to find out it's a fake one.

PHILLIPS: Daniel Sieberg, thank you very much.

SIEBERG: Yes, you bet.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Well, a squawk erupts in Key West over chickens. Chicken lovers cry foul over a plan to cage the roaming bird. We'll pick a little when LIVE FROM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Another human has died of bird flu, this time in Egypt. The victim was an 18-year-old girl who reportedly had handled domestic birds infected with the H5N1 virus. She died despite Tamiflu treatment and being kept on a respirator. Egypt has so far reported 12 cases of human bird flu. Five of those people have recovered, three are hospitalized.

There are still no cases of bird flu in the U.S. in birds or people, but one Florida city is already embroiled in a bird related controversy. Along with its six-toed cat, Key West is famous for its flock of roaming chickens. But city commissioner Bill Verge wants them rounded and cooped up. His plan is ruffling plenty of local feathers.

Commissioner Verge joins me now from Key West to make his case.

All right, Commissioner, I'm reading these quotes from the locals and one woman says "Key West without its chickens is like New Orleans without jazz and San Francisco without cable cars."

BILL VERGE, KEY WEST CITY COMMISSIONER: Well, yes. That's a -- I read the same quote myself, and yes, we are famous for our chickens, but at the same time, we're interested in taking precautionary steps, not raising a red flag but raising a yellow flag. We have about 3,000 feral chickens running around the town, and we just want to make sure that if anything comes along in the future, we're prepared.

PHILLIPS: Now, you tried to do this in 2004, if I remember correctly, and the residents sabotaged your efforts and freed the chickens. As a matter of fact, we've seen paintings, we've seen pictures, we've seen stickers. I mean, it's a revolution for the chickens there in Key West. So what makes you think it's going to work this time? VERGE: Well, the difference this time is the health risk. Before we didn't have a health risk as far as the possibility of avian flu. Key West is on a flyway, and we get a lot of birds flying through here. And if your chickens are out running loose in the streets, there's a chance of contact. So the difference this time and last time is the avian flu.

PHILLIPS: All right. Now, be honest with me. Is this just sort of a paranoid type of feeling, or do you have proof? Have you done any studies? I mean, what's giving you some solid information that this is a good idea?

VERGE: Well, we've been through a lot of seminars, and we've studied the situation. I man, obviously, what's happening in Europe is a good example of what can happen here. And it's not a matter of if it happens here. It's when it happens here. And I think the CDC's predictions right now are somewhere between two months and six months avian flu will be making its appearance in the United States.

So all we're doing is taking early precautionary measures. It's not a panic situation. We've got plenty of time to do what we need to do, and we're not eradicating or eliminating the chickens. We're just putting them under control. That's all.

PHILLIPS: All right, Commissioner. Tell me how you are going to do it. How are you going to gather up all these chickens that roam all over the place and take control of them?

VERGE: Well, the first thing is, the city is going to remove them from city property in contact with the public. And then there are private citizens are going to bring them down. We have a place to put them down in an aviary, down in Indigenous Park.

And then from there they go to farms up in Broward County and so forth. So Key West is not the only city that's doing this right now. St. Augustine and -- as well as Miami are both starting to look at the feral chicken problem.

PHILLIPS: So I was reading another quote, and this is from someone there at Ricky's Blue Heaven. And, of course, if you've ever been to Key West, I'm sure you've been to this place, it's actually quite fun. One of the workers said, "Face it. They're pretty filthy, they're a nuisance, but there's something very islandy and third world and magical about having wildlife roaming, even if it's only a chicken."

How did this even become a phenomenon there in Key West?

VERGE: Well, the chickens originally came from the days of cock fighting and people had them, obviously, for food and eggs and so forth. But they have not been running like this in these large numbers. Back in the 70s, they were hardly visible.

It's just that because they've become more visible since in the last 30 years and tourists have seen them -- where they come from, they don't normally see them running around New York and they see it as a novelty here. But chicken feces in your schoolyards where your children are playing with balls and putting their hands in their mouths and their eyes and everything is not really a good idea at this point in time in history.

PHILLIPS: You know people are worried about barbecues for Easter brunch. Should they worry?

VERGE: No, I don't think anybody should panic about any of this. We're just taking, as I saw, precautionary steps. You know, you don't allow dogs to roam free through the city either, so it's a matter of animal control. And I think we're well ahead of the power curve on this, and that's what will prevent any kind of panic from ever happening down here.

PHILLIPS: Key West City Commissioner Bill Verge, you're pretty lucky to be city commissioner in Key West. That's a pretty fun place to be. You're a lucky man.

VERGE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Thanks for your time.

VERGE: Well, you're welcome to Key West on a beautiful spring day. Come on down and visit.

PHILLIPS: Minus the chickens. All right. Thanks, Bill.

VERGE: OK, thank you.

PHILLIPS: More ahead on LIVE FROM. We'll be right back.

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PHILLIPS: He took on "Frank the Tumor" and won. Today, he's going to Disneyland with a key to the whole place. 11-year-old David Dingman Grover has just been declared cancer-free, three years after learning he had a tumor the size of a grapefruit at the base of his brain. He nicknamed it "Frank," short for Frankenstein, and underwent surgery last year. Now doctors say his brain is, frankly, healthy.

We should all have friends like Kenny Milligan. He's a firefighter in Mobile, Alabama, and last year Hurricane Katrina took his home. At the same time, cancer almost took one of his sons. He's been off the job for seven months trying to handle it all. Now his friends have come to his rescue. This amazing story now from reporter Nikole Patrick of our affiliate, WPMI.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's going on, my brother?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's up, everyone?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, K.J.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, K.J. NIKOLE PATRICK, WPMI REPORTER (voice-over): After battling cancer for a year-and-a-half in Memphis, 14-year-old K.J. Milligan and his family returned to a tearful reception of family and friends.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't cry yet. You haven't went inside.

PATRICK: Inside, more than they can imagine. When Mobile firefighter Kenny Milligan and his family left for St. Jude's Hospital, they had a shell of a house. But his fellow firefighters worked tirelessly to turn it into a home.

LORI MILLIGAN, WIFE OF FIREFIGHTER: It's just -- it's more than what we ever expected. It's beautiful.

K.J. MILLIGAN, CANCER SURVIVOR: It just amazed me. I was just -- I was just shocked, just all the effort that these guys made just to do all this was unbelievable.

PATRICK: The Milligans experiencing awe after 18 months of tears.

DALE SHAW, FIREFIGHTER, FAMILY FRIEND: His son was stricken with cancer 18 months ago, and he fought the battle for about nine months, thought he had it beat, went for his last checkup, and they found another nine tumors in his lungs.

PATRICK: The Milligans also lost their house in Dog River to Katrina. They bought this house five weeks ago with no drywall, plumbing, painted walls or floor tiles. But mobile firefighters and friends sacrificed their precious time off to transform it.

(on-camera): The family spent a grueling year and a half in Memphis. Now they return to the comforts of Alabama. But things may get a bit rocky if the sons have to switch rooms and teams.

(voice-over): K.J. comes home to a room dedicated to his love for the Auburn Tigers. And his brother, well, let's just say, it's a room he doesn't plan on setting foot in.

MILLIGAN: His room is ugly. I am not hanging too much with Alabama.

PATRICK: K.J. says he will welcome punishments and household chores and more. After surviving cancer, his family can now tear down the painful walls and fill this house with more than new furniture but love.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Thanks to or affiliate WPMI and Nikole Patrick. She tells us that Milligan's fellow firefighters also donated more than 40,000 hours of their own vacation time so he could spend time with his son.

The red river rising and new predictions for the upcoming hurricane season. The news keep coming, we'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM next.

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PHILLIPS: The river is rising. People are poised to move out, and the National Guard has moved in with a sandbagging brigade. We're talking Grand Forks, North Dakota, where the Red River swollen by recent storms and melting snow is expected to crest this weekend.

From rescue to recovery in northern California, the body of a 73- year-old man is found under 14 feet of mud but it hasn't been removed because the mud is so thick and heavy. But Walter Guthrie was last seen early Wednesday morning, checking his backyard just moments before that hill gave way.

Another active season but not a record season. That's the latest hurricane prediction from those in the know. Normally three major hurricanes hit the United States every five years. Last year alone we saw four, and that just was a fraction of the 28 named storms that churned in the Atlantic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILIP J. KLOTZBACH, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY: Unfortunately, it looks like another pretty active year this year. We're calling for a total of 17 named storms, nine hurricanes and five major hurricanes, which are the category 3, 4, and 5 storms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1, just about seven weeks away.

For a man facing a possible death penalty, Zaccarias Moussaoui sure talks tough in court.

Our Kelli Arena joins me to talk about Moussaoui's painful, sometimes bizarre testimony, when LIVE FROM continues.

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