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CNN Live Today
Earthquake Aftermath; Terri Schiavo Enters 12th Day Without Feeding Tube; Bush Speaks About Freedom and Democracy in Iraq
Aired March 29, 2005 - 11:00 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.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: The president is scheduled to speak in the Rose Garden in just a couple of minutes. In fact, he's expected to talk about democracy in Iraq and what is next there. We're going to bring you that, as well as several other stories that we're going to be following here for you.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Let's top the hour by taking a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Aerial views you're looking at show the damage caused by the second major earthquake to hit Indonesia in three months. Officials put the death toll at 330. But the outcome was not nearly as devastating as the December quake that spawned the massive tsunami. A report from the region is just ahead.
Terri Schiavo's parents are getting support today from the Reverend Jesse Jackson. He arrived at her Florida hospice a short time ago at her parents' invitation. Jackson issued a statement in support of reinserting Schiavo's feeding tube. She's in her 12th day without that tube. We'll have a live report from Florida in just a moment.
Democracy and freedom will be the major themes of a speech by President Bush this morning. He's scheduled to begin speaking in about 10 minutes from the White House Rose Garden. We'll have that for you live.
First lady Laura Bush set off today on a quick trip to Afghanistan. She's wanted to visit the country for some time, but the trip was delayed mainly because of security concerns. The trip was kept secret until just before she took off from Andrews Air Force Base this morning.
We're just a minute past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast and just past 8:00 a.m. on the West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez.
We get started with this... Singapore sending doctors; Japan, tents and medical supplies. Already aid is headed for Indonesia, rocked by a second major earthquake in just 12 weeks. But unlike the December quake, this one did not kick up a tsunami. Still, more than 300 people, we're told, have been killed in collapsed buildings. Most of them in a place called Nias.
CNN's Hugh Riminton is joining us. He's in Ache Province in Indonesia.
Try and bring us up to date. You know, we get -- Hugh, we're getting so many different reports out of what's actually happened in Nias. Can you give us a sense of what you're learning now?
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, Rick. I mean, the confusion is, explicable, if you like.
It's nighttime now. It's approaching midnight. It's approaching 24 hours since this earthquake struck.
In that time, there has really been no effective assessment been made on the ground in Nias or the other neighboring islands, particularly one just to the north there, an island called Sumulu (ph), where there's also been loss of life. At least 100 people believed to be dead there.
The -- I'm sorry, the problems, I should say, are just numerous. Just for one thing, Nias has an airstrip, a concrete runway. The runway was cracked by the force of this earthquake, which must be brought to mind, it was only slightly less powerful than the one that triggered the tsunami in December.
It was 8.7. By any measure, that's a huge earthquake.
Buildings came down. Obviously there are people still staying out tonight in Indonesian time, frightened to go back down, or they simply have lost their homes.
So when it comes to the U.N., it comes to the Indonesian authorities, the Red Cross, who are in neighboring Aceh Province, they have done aerial reconnaissance. There's been some work on the ground, particularly the Indonesians, but there's still a great deal they don't know about the impact of this earthquake except that there was no tsunami.
SANCHEZ: Hugh Riminton reporting to us there, bringing us up to date on the very latest information. As you can hear from, a lot of this information still forthcoming.
Daryn, over to you.
KAGAN: Now let's go back to the U.S. and the latest on the Terri Schiavo case. She is entering her 12th day without her feeding tube. Just a short time ago, the Reverend Jesse Jackson arrived at Schiavo's hospice.
National Correspondent Bob Franken joins me now from Pinellas Park, Florida, with the latest -- Bob. BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And from that time on, Daryn, he has been inside with the family and on the telephone, we're told. He's trying to talk to state senators to somehow turn things around and get legislation passed of some sort which would result in the reconnection of Terri Schiavo's tube.
Now, he is supposed to, we're told, when he leaves here, try and enter the hospice to see Terri Schiavo with the family. We've been told he will not be allowed to enter. It's something we had said earlier.
Police sources tell me that his advance team has assured them that he's not planning to try and get arrested, not planning to trespass. And the strongest indication of that is he's going to be holding a news conference afterwards and making himself available to the media.
Now, of course all of this almost obscures the story here, which is the story of a woman who is dying, Terri Schiavo, who has been disconnected with her -- from her feeding tube for, what is it, almost the 12th day now. She is described by both sides of varying degrees of getting closer and closer to death, her condition deteriorating.
The family, however, is arguing that there is still time for some last-minute, what they would call miraculous conclusion to this. So they're keeping the pressure on.
They invited Reverend Jackson to come. And one of the reasons that was given to us is that they have become a bit concerned that the images of people on the religious right might have influenced people around the country to pull back some of their support for their efforts here to save their daughter -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Bob Franken in Pinellas Park. We'll go back live there once we start hearing from the reverend and the Schindler family. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: It has been a disappointing day for Iraq's transitional government. Members of the National Assembly have failed today again to pick a parliament speaker. They are expected to reconvene Sunday to try yet again.
Top coalitions want a prominent Sunni Arab in the role of speaker. Members of parliament have not formed a new government in the nearly two months since the January elections. And naming a speaker is supposed to be just the first step in this process.
In fact, a report on the corruption in Iraq's now defunct oil- for-food program is going to be released at the top of the hour. It's expected to sharply criticize U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's oversight of the program.
Senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth has a preview now of the findings.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kofi Annan conducted diplomatic business as usual Monday, giving little indication he's about to receive a report which could determine his very future as secretary-general. Paul Volcker, the man Annan selected to investigate the corruption-riddled oil-for-food program, will tell the world Annan did not seek to gain financially or influence it illegally.
But Volcker will say Annan made management mistakes, such as not detecting the apparent conflict of interest in his son Kojo working for a company, Cotecna, when it was awarded the contract to monitor humanitarian shipments into Iraq. Only after congressional and media critics took aim at the U.N. did Annan take note.
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I understand the perception problem for the U.N. or the perception of conflict of interests. I understand that.
ROTH: The Volcker report will say Annan should have spotted internal problems in the U.N. system and halted oil-for-food abuses that lined the pockets of Saddam Hussein. Last month, Volcker accused program director Benan Sevan of committing "grave acts of conflict of interest" in steering oil contracts to a friend's Mideast trading company.
SEN. NORM COLEMAN (R), MINNESOTA: The bottom line is that there was one man in charge of the United Nations during the period of time of the oil-for-food program. And that's Kofi Annan.
ROTH: The U.N. denies any improper actions.
FRED ECKHARD, U.N. SPOKESMAN: There was no link between Kojo Annan's employment in Cotecna and the awarding of a contract to Cotecna.
ROTH: Annan did have several encounters with Cotecna's chief executive. But the U.N. and Cotecna deny any quid pro quo.
EVELYN SUAREZ, COTECNA ATTORNEY: I can unequivocally state that Kojo Annan had nothing to do with Cotecna getting the contract.
ROTH: But is there a smoking gun lurking in Volcker's interim report that will damage Annan? The U.N. is confident the answer is no.
MARK MALLOCH BROWN, ANNAN CHIEF OF STAFF: We believe on Tuesday the secretary-general will be exonerated.
ROTH (on camera): The U.N. says Kofi Annan, the seventh secretary-general, is not contemplating resignation. It will be up to U.N. member countries and perhaps the U.N. staff itself to determine Annan's fate after Volcker reports.
Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: We expect to see President Bush in the Rose Garden any minute now. The topics today, among his favorites, freedom and democracy. CNN live coverage of the speech is just ahead.
Meanwhile, let's check in with Elaine Quijano at the White House -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Daryn.
That's right, a Bush administration official says that President Bush today will focus his remarks on what is happening in Iraq. Of course, it was about two months ago that Iraqis headed to the polls for elections in that country.
Now, earlier this morning, President Bush met with a group of Iraqis here at the White House, Iraqis who participated in those elections. They will be in the audience in the Rose Garden when President Bush delivers those remarks just a few minutes from now. We're also told that among them are Iraqi-Americans, and some visiting members, some visiting folks from Iraq, lawyers, people who are observing the system here.
We're told that President Bush will both be looking back on the elections, applauding the fact that they were carried out, but also looking forward. And this, of course, a prime opportunity to do that.
This was the day, the second time that the Transitional Assembly for Iraq was meeting. They are tasked, of course, with trying to constitute a new government. But, of course, there have been difficulties. This group met once before earlier this month, was not able to come up with an agreement.
President Bush today expected to say that democracy is built on compromise. And the Bush administration very much wanting to send the message that what they have seen in Iraq is progress, and that Iraqis they feel should continue down that road -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Elaine Quijano, live at the White House. Thank you. We'll go back live to the Rose Garden when the president begins to speak.
SANCHEZ: We're following a big story out of California, of course. Michael Jackson's defense team has suffered what most legal analysts would call a major setback. And that story is next.
KAGAN: Also coming up in the 1:00 hour, Eastern Time, Donald Rumsfeld will hold a news conference from the Pentagon. We'll bring that live to you when it happens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: The Michael Jackson child molestation trial is set to resume less than a half-hour from now. His defense team suffered a blow on Monday when a judge ruled that the trial will allow previous unproven allegations of molestation.
Our Ted Rowlands has more from Santa Maria.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson is now at the center of not one but six allegations of sexual abuse. In addition to the accuser he is facing in his current trial, the judge's ruling allows prosecutors to detail what they claim are examples of sexual abuse against five other boys ages 10 to 13.
One of the alleged victims is actor Macaulay Culkin, who Jackson befriended in the early 1990s. Culkin himself is not expected to testify. In fact, he has publicly stated that no abuse took place.
LARRY KING, "LARRY KING LIVE": What happened at the house? That's what all these people are concerned about.
MACAULAY CULKIN, ACTOR: You know, that's what's so weird.
KING: What did happen?
CULKIN: Nothing happened. I mean, nothing really. We played video games, you know. We, you know, played at the amusement park.
ROWLANDS: Prosecutors say in fact only one of the alleged victims will actually testify. Instead, the judge is allowing other witnesses, not the children, to detail the alleged cases of abuse.
Prosecutors say their witnesses will describe seeing Jackson in bed with four of the children and on some occasions allegedly they saw underwear, apparently the child's and Jackson's, on the floor beside the bed. Another witness is expected to testify that her son slept in the same bed with Jackson dozens of times. In 1993 that child was the subject of abuse allegations against Jackson, which resulted in a financial settlement. While the alleged victim is not expected to testify, the mother's testimony could be very damaging to Jackson.
RAYMOND CHANDLER, ALLEGED VICTIM'S RELATIVE: She is going to put him in that bedroom, which makes it more than just sort of, oh, let's have an impromptu sleepover. That's a relationship. Fifty, 60 nights, night after night, in about ten locations around the world.
ROWLANDS: Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, argued that allowing these allegations without direct testimony from the alleged victims is unfair. Mesereau told the judge that the prosecution has a, quote, "weak case" and this testimony could hurt Jackson's right to a fair trial. Michael Jackson, who was not in court when the ruling was made, did show up later, but had no comment.
(on camera): Prosecutors say it'll take at least two weeks before they start introducing evidence of prior sexual abuse allegations. One clear effect of this ruling is that the estimated five-month long trial will be extended.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SANCHEZ: And once again, we should let you know that we're waiting on the president, who should be arriving soon at the Rose Garden, where he's going to deliver some comments on Iraq and freedom and democracy. When that happens, we'll take you to it.
Meanwhile, here's some legal news that we're following on this day.
Authorities in Minnesota are saying that they have arrested a juvenile in connection with last week's school shooting in Red Lake. Local media reports says the teenager is the son of an Indian reservation tribal chairman. Police previously said the 16-year-old student had acted alone when he killed nine people before taking his own life.
The Colorado Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of convicted killer Robert Harlan. The reason, jurors in this case looked at the bible during deliberations.
Harlan admitted killing a 25-year-old woman and was convicted in 1994. A juror looked at bible passage that spokes of an eye for an eye. And the court says that could have influenced the jury to sentence Harlan to death.
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over who's ultimately responsible for illegally downloaded movies and music. Entertainment companies say makers of file-sharing software, like Grokster and Kazaa, allow people to steal and should be held responsible. But software makers say they're not to blame. The court could issue a decision before July.
Also, the Supreme Court has just ruled that the Title IX law protects some whistleblowers. The court says the landmark law shields those who accuse their academic institutions of sex discrimination. In a 5-4 opinion, the court said that coaches and teachers can sue if they're fired based on those complaints.
KAGAN: We're going to show you live pictures now from Santa Maria, California. Michael Jackson just arriving at the courthouse today. The traditional umbrella going up before we usually see Michael Jackson and some kind of entourage going out.
This is the day after a decision from Judge Rodney Melville on what many are considering to be a blow to the prosecution. The judge deciding that the jury will be able to hear from the prosecution about Michael Jackson's allegations of past child -- past sexual offenses, including five young boys.
That decision, once again, by Judge Rodney Melville. It means that jurors are going to hear about testimony from a 1993 case that Jackson settled out of court for about $23 million.
This is usually about the place where Michael Jackson turns around and waves to the fans.
SANCHEZ: Like clockwork. KAGAN: Right on cue. We're seeing this every day in the 11:00 a.m. Eastern hour, 8:00 a.m. in Santa Maria.
He appears to be feeling better. In recent mornings we've seen him show up and shuffle into court, sometimes appearing disheveled and barely unable to turn around. He is there with a bodyguard and his parents. And the camera will switch indoor to the courtroom. Much more ahead from Santa Maria later.
Right now, we'll take a break. More ahead after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Now we go to a live picture now from Pinellas Park, Florida. The Reverend Jesse Jackson walking up to the microphones. He has come to the hospice where Terri Schiavo is inside at the request and invitation of her parents, the Schindlers, who have been fighting a very uphill battle trying to get her feeding tube reinserted.
SANCHEZ: Yes. And we've been hearing a couple of different reports throughout the day.
First, we did confirm that the Reverend Jesse Jackson was meeting with Bob and Mary Schindler. But then anti-abortion activist Randall Terry stepped to the microphone and said that the Reverend Jesse Jackson was actually on the phone talking to some Florida senators, trying to see if he could somehow skirt or bypass the judge's decisions in this case.
So that's kind of where we are at this point. And I suppose the Reverend Jackson will fill in the rest when indeed he speaks.
KAGAN: It looks like he's about to step up to the microphones. Let's listen in.
QUESTION: Reverend Jackson, how can you...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to -- the Reverend Jackson is going to make a statement, and then take questions.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW COALITION: We've been in touch with the family lawyer for about the last week. Yesterday, Mrs. Schindler and Bobby called me and asked me would I come and pray with them and be with them. And I was anxious to do so, because this is one of the profound moral, ethical issues of our time, the saving of Terri's life.
And today we pray for a miracle. We ask god's intervention. And god has done it before.
We reach out to people of faith across lines that divide, across these lines and ideological lines that divide, and we look at Terri in a singular way. Also for what this crisis represents to America and to Americans, and to world health, as a matter of fact. I've been in situations as a minister, and people were in advanced stages of cancer. And they needed Demerol to help them fight the pain. And then they're sent into a coma. And even maybe as they struggle with pain, another Demerol shot.
And you could see on the monitor their pulse falling. It was time to pull the plug. And within minutes, they always died.
This is a different situation. Without food or water for 12 days, there are vital signs.
She is being starved to death. She has been dehydrated to death. And that's inhumane. It's immoral, and it is unnecessary. There's no rational reason for this to happen.
I've been on the phone today talking with members of the Senate, asking them to be creative enough to try to fashion some emergency legislation to stop the starving, to stop the dehydration. We called the governor's office. And he's to get back to us.
We did call Michael Schiavo and asked if we could go in and have prayer with Terri. He finally got back and said he thought not.
My interest is not in the politics of -- and the thing that's going on. We really do need family unity in ways that for Terri we never have had it before.
SANCHEZ: We're going to switch you now over to the Rose Garden, where the president is about to make some comments about freedom and democracy in Iraq. We take you to it.
(LIVE EVENT)
BUSH: Thank you. Good morning. Welcome to the White House. Please be seated.
Senator Warner, it's good to see you, sir. Thank you for coming.
Appreciate citizens from Iraq who have joined us. I appreciate my fellow citizens who have joined us. Thanks for coming.
Before I talk about Iraq, I do want to say that on behalf of the American people, Laura and I offer our condolences to the victims of yesterday's earthquake in Indonesia.
This earthquake has claimed lives and destroyed buildings in a part of Indonesia that is only now beginning to recover from the destruction caused by the tsunami three months ago.
Our officials have offered initial assistance, and are moving quickly to gather information to determine what additional relief is needed.
I appreciate Andrew Natsios of USAID being with us today. And I know he and his team are ready to respond, to help.
The people of Indonesia can know as well that they have our prayers and that our government is ready to assist.
A few minutes ago, I met with a group of people dedicated to building a new Iraq. Most of them were born in Iraq. They come from different backgrounds. They practice different religions. They have one thing in common: They all voted in the January elections.
(APPLAUSE)
We're also joined today by Iraqi law students visiting the United States for an international competition; by members of Iraq's religious communities in town to learn about democracy; and by others who helped to organize the Iraq's elections held in the United States.
I want to welcome you all. I want to thank you for your strong belief in democracy and freedom.
It's a belief that with their vote the Iraqi people signal to the world that they intend to claim their liberty and build a future of freedom for their country. And it was a powerful signal.
I commend the more than 8 million Iraqis who defied the car bombers and assassins to vote that day.
(APPLAUSE)
I appreciate the determination of the Iraqi electoral workers who withstood threats and intimidation to make a transparent election possible.
I salute the courageous Iraqi security forces who risked their lives to protect voters.
By electing 275 men and women to the Transitional National Assembly, the Iraqi people took another bold step toward self- government.
Today, Iraqis took another step on the road to a free society when the assembly held its second meeting. We expect a new government will be chosen soon, and that the assembly will vote to confirm it.
We look forward to working with the government that emerges from this process. We're confident that this new government will be inclusive, will respect human rights and will uphold fundamental freedoms for all Iraqis.
We have seen many encouraging signs in Iraq. The world has watched Iraqi women vote in enormous numbers.
(APPLAUSE)
The world has seen more than 80 women take their seats as elected representatives in the new assembly.
(APPLAUSE)
We've also seen the beginnings of a new national dialogue, as leaders who did well in the last election have reached out to Sunnis who did not participate.
In a democracy, the government must uphold the will of the majority while respecting the rights of minorities.
(APPLAUSE)
Iraq's new leaders have determined that the government of a free Iraq will be representative of their country's diverse population. The new Transitional National Assembly includes people and parties with differing visions for the future of their country.
In a democratic Iraq these differences will be resolved through debate and persuasion instead of force and intimidation.
In forming their new government the Iraqis have shown that the spirit of compromise has survived more than three decades of dictatorship. They will need that spirit in the weeks and months ahead as they continue the hard work of building their democracy.
After choosing the leaders of their new government, the next step will be the drafting of a new constitution for a free and democratic Iraq.
In October, that document is scheduled to be put before the Iraqi people in a national referendum. Once the new constitution is approved, Iraqis will return to the polls to elect a permanent constitutional government. This democracy will need defending.
And Iraqi security forces are taking on greater responsibility in the fight against the insurgents and terrorists.
Today, more than 145,000 Iraqis have been trained and are serving courageously across Iraq. In recent weeks they've taken the lead in offensive operations in places like Baghdad and Samarra and Mosul.
We will continue to train Iraqis so they can take responsibility for the security of their country, and then our forces will come home with the honor they've earned.
(APPLAUSE)
Iraqis have taken big steps on a long journey of freedom. A free society requires more than free elections, it also requires free institutions, a vibrant civil society, rule of law, anti-corruption and the habits of liberty built over generations.
By claiming their own freedom, the Iraqis are transforming the region, and they're doing it by example and inspiration rather than by conquest and domination.
(APPLAUSE)
The free people of Iraq are now doing what Saddam Hussein never could: making Iraq a positive example for the entire Middle East. (APPLAUSE)
Today, people in a long-troubled part of the world are standing up for their freedom.
In the last few months, we've witnessed successful elections in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Palestinian territories; peaceful demonstrations on the streets of Beirut; and steps toward democratic reform in places like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The trend is clear: Freedom is on the march.
Freedom is the birthright and deep desire of every human soul, and spreading freedom's blessings is the calling of our time. And when freedom and democracy take root in the Middle East, America and the world will be safer and more peaceful.
(APPLAUSE)
I want to thank you all for coming.
We ask for God's blessings on the brave souls of Iraq.
And, God, continue to bless the American people.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Aired March 29, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: The president is scheduled to speak in the Rose Garden in just a couple of minutes. In fact, he's expected to talk about democracy in Iraq and what is next there. We're going to bring you that, as well as several other stories that we're going to be following here for you.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
Let's top the hour by taking a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Aerial views you're looking at show the damage caused by the second major earthquake to hit Indonesia in three months. Officials put the death toll at 330. But the outcome was not nearly as devastating as the December quake that spawned the massive tsunami. A report from the region is just ahead.
Terri Schiavo's parents are getting support today from the Reverend Jesse Jackson. He arrived at her Florida hospice a short time ago at her parents' invitation. Jackson issued a statement in support of reinserting Schiavo's feeding tube. She's in her 12th day without that tube. We'll have a live report from Florida in just a moment.
Democracy and freedom will be the major themes of a speech by President Bush this morning. He's scheduled to begin speaking in about 10 minutes from the White House Rose Garden. We'll have that for you live.
First lady Laura Bush set off today on a quick trip to Afghanistan. She's wanted to visit the country for some time, but the trip was delayed mainly because of security concerns. The trip was kept secret until just before she took off from Andrews Air Force Base this morning.
We're just a minute past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast and just past 8:00 a.m. on the West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez.
We get started with this... Singapore sending doctors; Japan, tents and medical supplies. Already aid is headed for Indonesia, rocked by a second major earthquake in just 12 weeks. But unlike the December quake, this one did not kick up a tsunami. Still, more than 300 people, we're told, have been killed in collapsed buildings. Most of them in a place called Nias.
CNN's Hugh Riminton is joining us. He's in Ache Province in Indonesia.
Try and bring us up to date. You know, we get -- Hugh, we're getting so many different reports out of what's actually happened in Nias. Can you give us a sense of what you're learning now?
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, Rick. I mean, the confusion is, explicable, if you like.
It's nighttime now. It's approaching midnight. It's approaching 24 hours since this earthquake struck.
In that time, there has really been no effective assessment been made on the ground in Nias or the other neighboring islands, particularly one just to the north there, an island called Sumulu (ph), where there's also been loss of life. At least 100 people believed to be dead there.
The -- I'm sorry, the problems, I should say, are just numerous. Just for one thing, Nias has an airstrip, a concrete runway. The runway was cracked by the force of this earthquake, which must be brought to mind, it was only slightly less powerful than the one that triggered the tsunami in December.
It was 8.7. By any measure, that's a huge earthquake.
Buildings came down. Obviously there are people still staying out tonight in Indonesian time, frightened to go back down, or they simply have lost their homes.
So when it comes to the U.N., it comes to the Indonesian authorities, the Red Cross, who are in neighboring Aceh Province, they have done aerial reconnaissance. There's been some work on the ground, particularly the Indonesians, but there's still a great deal they don't know about the impact of this earthquake except that there was no tsunami.
SANCHEZ: Hugh Riminton reporting to us there, bringing us up to date on the very latest information. As you can hear from, a lot of this information still forthcoming.
Daryn, over to you.
KAGAN: Now let's go back to the U.S. and the latest on the Terri Schiavo case. She is entering her 12th day without her feeding tube. Just a short time ago, the Reverend Jesse Jackson arrived at Schiavo's hospice.
National Correspondent Bob Franken joins me now from Pinellas Park, Florida, with the latest -- Bob. BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And from that time on, Daryn, he has been inside with the family and on the telephone, we're told. He's trying to talk to state senators to somehow turn things around and get legislation passed of some sort which would result in the reconnection of Terri Schiavo's tube.
Now, he is supposed to, we're told, when he leaves here, try and enter the hospice to see Terri Schiavo with the family. We've been told he will not be allowed to enter. It's something we had said earlier.
Police sources tell me that his advance team has assured them that he's not planning to try and get arrested, not planning to trespass. And the strongest indication of that is he's going to be holding a news conference afterwards and making himself available to the media.
Now, of course all of this almost obscures the story here, which is the story of a woman who is dying, Terri Schiavo, who has been disconnected with her -- from her feeding tube for, what is it, almost the 12th day now. She is described by both sides of varying degrees of getting closer and closer to death, her condition deteriorating.
The family, however, is arguing that there is still time for some last-minute, what they would call miraculous conclusion to this. So they're keeping the pressure on.
They invited Reverend Jackson to come. And one of the reasons that was given to us is that they have become a bit concerned that the images of people on the religious right might have influenced people around the country to pull back some of their support for their efforts here to save their daughter -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Bob Franken in Pinellas Park. We'll go back live there once we start hearing from the reverend and the Schindler family. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: It has been a disappointing day for Iraq's transitional government. Members of the National Assembly have failed today again to pick a parliament speaker. They are expected to reconvene Sunday to try yet again.
Top coalitions want a prominent Sunni Arab in the role of speaker. Members of parliament have not formed a new government in the nearly two months since the January elections. And naming a speaker is supposed to be just the first step in this process.
In fact, a report on the corruption in Iraq's now defunct oil- for-food program is going to be released at the top of the hour. It's expected to sharply criticize U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's oversight of the program.
Senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth has a preview now of the findings.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kofi Annan conducted diplomatic business as usual Monday, giving little indication he's about to receive a report which could determine his very future as secretary-general. Paul Volcker, the man Annan selected to investigate the corruption-riddled oil-for-food program, will tell the world Annan did not seek to gain financially or influence it illegally.
But Volcker will say Annan made management mistakes, such as not detecting the apparent conflict of interest in his son Kojo working for a company, Cotecna, when it was awarded the contract to monitor humanitarian shipments into Iraq. Only after congressional and media critics took aim at the U.N. did Annan take note.
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I understand the perception problem for the U.N. or the perception of conflict of interests. I understand that.
ROTH: The Volcker report will say Annan should have spotted internal problems in the U.N. system and halted oil-for-food abuses that lined the pockets of Saddam Hussein. Last month, Volcker accused program director Benan Sevan of committing "grave acts of conflict of interest" in steering oil contracts to a friend's Mideast trading company.
SEN. NORM COLEMAN (R), MINNESOTA: The bottom line is that there was one man in charge of the United Nations during the period of time of the oil-for-food program. And that's Kofi Annan.
ROTH: The U.N. denies any improper actions.
FRED ECKHARD, U.N. SPOKESMAN: There was no link between Kojo Annan's employment in Cotecna and the awarding of a contract to Cotecna.
ROTH: Annan did have several encounters with Cotecna's chief executive. But the U.N. and Cotecna deny any quid pro quo.
EVELYN SUAREZ, COTECNA ATTORNEY: I can unequivocally state that Kojo Annan had nothing to do with Cotecna getting the contract.
ROTH: But is there a smoking gun lurking in Volcker's interim report that will damage Annan? The U.N. is confident the answer is no.
MARK MALLOCH BROWN, ANNAN CHIEF OF STAFF: We believe on Tuesday the secretary-general will be exonerated.
ROTH (on camera): The U.N. says Kofi Annan, the seventh secretary-general, is not contemplating resignation. It will be up to U.N. member countries and perhaps the U.N. staff itself to determine Annan's fate after Volcker reports.
Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: We expect to see President Bush in the Rose Garden any minute now. The topics today, among his favorites, freedom and democracy. CNN live coverage of the speech is just ahead.
Meanwhile, let's check in with Elaine Quijano at the White House -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Daryn.
That's right, a Bush administration official says that President Bush today will focus his remarks on what is happening in Iraq. Of course, it was about two months ago that Iraqis headed to the polls for elections in that country.
Now, earlier this morning, President Bush met with a group of Iraqis here at the White House, Iraqis who participated in those elections. They will be in the audience in the Rose Garden when President Bush delivers those remarks just a few minutes from now. We're also told that among them are Iraqi-Americans, and some visiting members, some visiting folks from Iraq, lawyers, people who are observing the system here.
We're told that President Bush will both be looking back on the elections, applauding the fact that they were carried out, but also looking forward. And this, of course, a prime opportunity to do that.
This was the day, the second time that the Transitional Assembly for Iraq was meeting. They are tasked, of course, with trying to constitute a new government. But, of course, there have been difficulties. This group met once before earlier this month, was not able to come up with an agreement.
President Bush today expected to say that democracy is built on compromise. And the Bush administration very much wanting to send the message that what they have seen in Iraq is progress, and that Iraqis they feel should continue down that road -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Elaine Quijano, live at the White House. Thank you. We'll go back live to the Rose Garden when the president begins to speak.
SANCHEZ: We're following a big story out of California, of course. Michael Jackson's defense team has suffered what most legal analysts would call a major setback. And that story is next.
KAGAN: Also coming up in the 1:00 hour, Eastern Time, Donald Rumsfeld will hold a news conference from the Pentagon. We'll bring that live to you when it happens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: The Michael Jackson child molestation trial is set to resume less than a half-hour from now. His defense team suffered a blow on Monday when a judge ruled that the trial will allow previous unproven allegations of molestation.
Our Ted Rowlands has more from Santa Maria.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson is now at the center of not one but six allegations of sexual abuse. In addition to the accuser he is facing in his current trial, the judge's ruling allows prosecutors to detail what they claim are examples of sexual abuse against five other boys ages 10 to 13.
One of the alleged victims is actor Macaulay Culkin, who Jackson befriended in the early 1990s. Culkin himself is not expected to testify. In fact, he has publicly stated that no abuse took place.
LARRY KING, "LARRY KING LIVE": What happened at the house? That's what all these people are concerned about.
MACAULAY CULKIN, ACTOR: You know, that's what's so weird.
KING: What did happen?
CULKIN: Nothing happened. I mean, nothing really. We played video games, you know. We, you know, played at the amusement park.
ROWLANDS: Prosecutors say in fact only one of the alleged victims will actually testify. Instead, the judge is allowing other witnesses, not the children, to detail the alleged cases of abuse.
Prosecutors say their witnesses will describe seeing Jackson in bed with four of the children and on some occasions allegedly they saw underwear, apparently the child's and Jackson's, on the floor beside the bed. Another witness is expected to testify that her son slept in the same bed with Jackson dozens of times. In 1993 that child was the subject of abuse allegations against Jackson, which resulted in a financial settlement. While the alleged victim is not expected to testify, the mother's testimony could be very damaging to Jackson.
RAYMOND CHANDLER, ALLEGED VICTIM'S RELATIVE: She is going to put him in that bedroom, which makes it more than just sort of, oh, let's have an impromptu sleepover. That's a relationship. Fifty, 60 nights, night after night, in about ten locations around the world.
ROWLANDS: Jackson's lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, argued that allowing these allegations without direct testimony from the alleged victims is unfair. Mesereau told the judge that the prosecution has a, quote, "weak case" and this testimony could hurt Jackson's right to a fair trial. Michael Jackson, who was not in court when the ruling was made, did show up later, but had no comment.
(on camera): Prosecutors say it'll take at least two weeks before they start introducing evidence of prior sexual abuse allegations. One clear effect of this ruling is that the estimated five-month long trial will be extended.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SANCHEZ: And once again, we should let you know that we're waiting on the president, who should be arriving soon at the Rose Garden, where he's going to deliver some comments on Iraq and freedom and democracy. When that happens, we'll take you to it.
Meanwhile, here's some legal news that we're following on this day.
Authorities in Minnesota are saying that they have arrested a juvenile in connection with last week's school shooting in Red Lake. Local media reports says the teenager is the son of an Indian reservation tribal chairman. Police previously said the 16-year-old student had acted alone when he killed nine people before taking his own life.
The Colorado Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of convicted killer Robert Harlan. The reason, jurors in this case looked at the bible during deliberations.
Harlan admitted killing a 25-year-old woman and was convicted in 1994. A juror looked at bible passage that spokes of an eye for an eye. And the court says that could have influenced the jury to sentence Harlan to death.
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over who's ultimately responsible for illegally downloaded movies and music. Entertainment companies say makers of file-sharing software, like Grokster and Kazaa, allow people to steal and should be held responsible. But software makers say they're not to blame. The court could issue a decision before July.
Also, the Supreme Court has just ruled that the Title IX law protects some whistleblowers. The court says the landmark law shields those who accuse their academic institutions of sex discrimination. In a 5-4 opinion, the court said that coaches and teachers can sue if they're fired based on those complaints.
KAGAN: We're going to show you live pictures now from Santa Maria, California. Michael Jackson just arriving at the courthouse today. The traditional umbrella going up before we usually see Michael Jackson and some kind of entourage going out.
This is the day after a decision from Judge Rodney Melville on what many are considering to be a blow to the prosecution. The judge deciding that the jury will be able to hear from the prosecution about Michael Jackson's allegations of past child -- past sexual offenses, including five young boys.
That decision, once again, by Judge Rodney Melville. It means that jurors are going to hear about testimony from a 1993 case that Jackson settled out of court for about $23 million.
This is usually about the place where Michael Jackson turns around and waves to the fans.
SANCHEZ: Like clockwork. KAGAN: Right on cue. We're seeing this every day in the 11:00 a.m. Eastern hour, 8:00 a.m. in Santa Maria.
He appears to be feeling better. In recent mornings we've seen him show up and shuffle into court, sometimes appearing disheveled and barely unable to turn around. He is there with a bodyguard and his parents. And the camera will switch indoor to the courtroom. Much more ahead from Santa Maria later.
Right now, we'll take a break. More ahead after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Now we go to a live picture now from Pinellas Park, Florida. The Reverend Jesse Jackson walking up to the microphones. He has come to the hospice where Terri Schiavo is inside at the request and invitation of her parents, the Schindlers, who have been fighting a very uphill battle trying to get her feeding tube reinserted.
SANCHEZ: Yes. And we've been hearing a couple of different reports throughout the day.
First, we did confirm that the Reverend Jesse Jackson was meeting with Bob and Mary Schindler. But then anti-abortion activist Randall Terry stepped to the microphone and said that the Reverend Jesse Jackson was actually on the phone talking to some Florida senators, trying to see if he could somehow skirt or bypass the judge's decisions in this case.
So that's kind of where we are at this point. And I suppose the Reverend Jackson will fill in the rest when indeed he speaks.
KAGAN: It looks like he's about to step up to the microphones. Let's listen in.
QUESTION: Reverend Jackson, how can you...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to -- the Reverend Jackson is going to make a statement, and then take questions.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW COALITION: We've been in touch with the family lawyer for about the last week. Yesterday, Mrs. Schindler and Bobby called me and asked me would I come and pray with them and be with them. And I was anxious to do so, because this is one of the profound moral, ethical issues of our time, the saving of Terri's life.
And today we pray for a miracle. We ask god's intervention. And god has done it before.
We reach out to people of faith across lines that divide, across these lines and ideological lines that divide, and we look at Terri in a singular way. Also for what this crisis represents to America and to Americans, and to world health, as a matter of fact. I've been in situations as a minister, and people were in advanced stages of cancer. And they needed Demerol to help them fight the pain. And then they're sent into a coma. And even maybe as they struggle with pain, another Demerol shot.
And you could see on the monitor their pulse falling. It was time to pull the plug. And within minutes, they always died.
This is a different situation. Without food or water for 12 days, there are vital signs.
She is being starved to death. She has been dehydrated to death. And that's inhumane. It's immoral, and it is unnecessary. There's no rational reason for this to happen.
I've been on the phone today talking with members of the Senate, asking them to be creative enough to try to fashion some emergency legislation to stop the starving, to stop the dehydration. We called the governor's office. And he's to get back to us.
We did call Michael Schiavo and asked if we could go in and have prayer with Terri. He finally got back and said he thought not.
My interest is not in the politics of -- and the thing that's going on. We really do need family unity in ways that for Terri we never have had it before.
SANCHEZ: We're going to switch you now over to the Rose Garden, where the president is about to make some comments about freedom and democracy in Iraq. We take you to it.
(LIVE EVENT)
BUSH: Thank you. Good morning. Welcome to the White House. Please be seated.
Senator Warner, it's good to see you, sir. Thank you for coming.
Appreciate citizens from Iraq who have joined us. I appreciate my fellow citizens who have joined us. Thanks for coming.
Before I talk about Iraq, I do want to say that on behalf of the American people, Laura and I offer our condolences to the victims of yesterday's earthquake in Indonesia.
This earthquake has claimed lives and destroyed buildings in a part of Indonesia that is only now beginning to recover from the destruction caused by the tsunami three months ago.
Our officials have offered initial assistance, and are moving quickly to gather information to determine what additional relief is needed.
I appreciate Andrew Natsios of USAID being with us today. And I know he and his team are ready to respond, to help.
The people of Indonesia can know as well that they have our prayers and that our government is ready to assist.
A few minutes ago, I met with a group of people dedicated to building a new Iraq. Most of them were born in Iraq. They come from different backgrounds. They practice different religions. They have one thing in common: They all voted in the January elections.
(APPLAUSE)
We're also joined today by Iraqi law students visiting the United States for an international competition; by members of Iraq's religious communities in town to learn about democracy; and by others who helped to organize the Iraq's elections held in the United States.
I want to welcome you all. I want to thank you for your strong belief in democracy and freedom.
It's a belief that with their vote the Iraqi people signal to the world that they intend to claim their liberty and build a future of freedom for their country. And it was a powerful signal.
I commend the more than 8 million Iraqis who defied the car bombers and assassins to vote that day.
(APPLAUSE)
I appreciate the determination of the Iraqi electoral workers who withstood threats and intimidation to make a transparent election possible.
I salute the courageous Iraqi security forces who risked their lives to protect voters.
By electing 275 men and women to the Transitional National Assembly, the Iraqi people took another bold step toward self- government.
Today, Iraqis took another step on the road to a free society when the assembly held its second meeting. We expect a new government will be chosen soon, and that the assembly will vote to confirm it.
We look forward to working with the government that emerges from this process. We're confident that this new government will be inclusive, will respect human rights and will uphold fundamental freedoms for all Iraqis.
We have seen many encouraging signs in Iraq. The world has watched Iraqi women vote in enormous numbers.
(APPLAUSE)
The world has seen more than 80 women take their seats as elected representatives in the new assembly.
(APPLAUSE)
We've also seen the beginnings of a new national dialogue, as leaders who did well in the last election have reached out to Sunnis who did not participate.
In a democracy, the government must uphold the will of the majority while respecting the rights of minorities.
(APPLAUSE)
Iraq's new leaders have determined that the government of a free Iraq will be representative of their country's diverse population. The new Transitional National Assembly includes people and parties with differing visions for the future of their country.
In a democratic Iraq these differences will be resolved through debate and persuasion instead of force and intimidation.
In forming their new government the Iraqis have shown that the spirit of compromise has survived more than three decades of dictatorship. They will need that spirit in the weeks and months ahead as they continue the hard work of building their democracy.
After choosing the leaders of their new government, the next step will be the drafting of a new constitution for a free and democratic Iraq.
In October, that document is scheduled to be put before the Iraqi people in a national referendum. Once the new constitution is approved, Iraqis will return to the polls to elect a permanent constitutional government. This democracy will need defending.
And Iraqi security forces are taking on greater responsibility in the fight against the insurgents and terrorists.
Today, more than 145,000 Iraqis have been trained and are serving courageously across Iraq. In recent weeks they've taken the lead in offensive operations in places like Baghdad and Samarra and Mosul.
We will continue to train Iraqis so they can take responsibility for the security of their country, and then our forces will come home with the honor they've earned.
(APPLAUSE)
Iraqis have taken big steps on a long journey of freedom. A free society requires more than free elections, it also requires free institutions, a vibrant civil society, rule of law, anti-corruption and the habits of liberty built over generations.
By claiming their own freedom, the Iraqis are transforming the region, and they're doing it by example and inspiration rather than by conquest and domination.
(APPLAUSE)
The free people of Iraq are now doing what Saddam Hussein never could: making Iraq a positive example for the entire Middle East. (APPLAUSE)
Today, people in a long-troubled part of the world are standing up for their freedom.
In the last few months, we've witnessed successful elections in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Palestinian territories; peaceful demonstrations on the streets of Beirut; and steps toward democratic reform in places like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The trend is clear: Freedom is on the march.
Freedom is the birthright and deep desire of every human soul, and spreading freedom's blessings is the calling of our time. And when freedom and democracy take root in the Middle East, America and the world will be safer and more peaceful.
(APPLAUSE)
I want to thank you all for coming.
We ask for God's blessings on the brave souls of Iraq.
And, God, continue to bless the American people.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
