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CNN Live Today

Ray of Hope for Schiavo's Parents; The Pope's Health; Red Lake School Shooting

Aired March 30, 2005 - 10:59   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: Here is a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."
Border Patrol agents in Arizona are getting some reinforcements. The Associated Press says the Department of Homeland Security is adding 500 more agents. The announcement is expected today. The move comes two days before hundreds of civilian Minutemen are set to begin patrolling that border.

The Pentagon says it is releasing 38 detainees from its Guantanamo Bay facility because their case files are thin. That means there's simply not enough information to classify them as enemy combatants. The Navy's secretary says authorities have reviewed the cases of all 558 detainees held at the camp.

The breakup between Disney and the founders of Miramax films is official. Miramax founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein are going to be part company -- will part company, I should say, with Disney September 30. Disney gets to keep the Miramax name and the film library. The Weinsteins are going to take the Dimension Films label and 15 to 20 film projects out the door with them.

It's going to cost you more to visit the nation's capital this year. The auto club AAA says it's now more expensive to visit Washington than New York or Boston. The price tag, $441 a day.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Wow.

SANCHEZ: That's for a family of four.

It is now 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. out West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

Up first this hour, a ray of hope, a little one, for Terri Schiavo's parents in their desperate effort to save her. A federal appeals court has given them a chance to file a new emergency petition. But time is against them. Schiavo is in her 13th day without nourishment.

We have live reports from Elizabeth Cohen at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, and Bob Franken at Schiavo's hospice in Florida.

Elizabeth, we start with you. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, here at the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta, Bob and Mary Schindler, the parents of Terri Schiavo, have filed this petition. Now, they have been in front of this court before. And what's happened before is that the court has rejected their request for a restraining order to put that tube back in.

However, the Schindlers say in this petition that this time they have different arguments. They say before the court has really looked at procedural questions, the procedural history of this case. They say now that the court should be looking at the facts of the case, at the evidence. And the parents say that the facts say that Terri Schiavo would want to live in the state that she's in.

However, courts in Florida have found repeatedly that she would not want to live in the state that she's in. That's according to testimony from family and friends. They managed to convince the Florida courts of that.

However, this court has not said exactly when they will rule. They haven't said anything. A clerk for the court, has, however, said that there is obviously some urgency in this case -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Elizabeth Cohen in downtown Atlanta. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well, doctors have been saying that Terri Schiavo is unlikely to live more than two weeks without her feeding tube. It was removed 13 days ago. For more on the race against the time and the reaction to the latest court decision, let's bring in Bob Franken. He's at Schiavo's hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida.

I guess for starters, just trying to put perspective on what they're doing in the courts, they're trying to do anything they can to try to get a TRO, right, a temporary restraining order?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's funny, the most important evidence about how precarious all this is, in the filing, when the lawyers say absent a TRO Terri Schiavo will surely die, which pretty much says it all. And most agree that she's going to die in the next day or so unless something remarkable happens or something remarkable in the courts, such as these judges deciding to grant that TRO, the one that they've rejected before.

Meanwhile, the feelings continue to run high here. We had an arrest this morning. There are some others, we're being told, that are being planned. But in this particular case, the person who was arrested went a little bit further and faces additional charges.

When he was stopped and told he would be arrested for trespassing if he crossed over with the symbolic water to give it to Terri Schiavo, he smacked the officer's arm. That is resulting now in a charge of assault on a police officer, which is a serious charge, of course.

And as I said, the feelings are running high. The family of Terri Schiavo, the blood relatives, turning on the husband, who is the one who is responsible for the feeding tube being withdrawn. They point out that he has a woman in his life and two children, and they made a very personal, special plea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: Michael and Jodi, you have your own children. Please, please give my child back to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: And, of course, that is a very, very personal, angry appeal reflecting the bitter dispute here. But we're talking about life or death -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Bob Franken following that story for us. We thank you, Bob.

KAGAN: First lady Laura Bush is defending the government's intervention in the Terri Schiavo case. Mrs. Bush commented as she flew to Afghanistan on a trip highlighting education for women.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: I don't know. I think you have to -- you know, I just feel like the federal government has to be involved. And that it's a life issue that really does require the government to be involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Mrs. Bush says that she's sorry Schiavo's family has to be involved in such a public ordeal during such a difficult time.

Both sides in the Terri Schiavo case have drawn the political battle lines. And they're trying to turn the emotional debate to their advantage. More on that now from our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): The Terri Schiavo issue has stirred plenty of outrage.

REV. PATRICK MAHONEY, CHRISTIAN DEFENSE COALITION: Are we to say that the entire federal government is powerless to help her?

SCHNEIDER: In politics, outrage can be marketed. It is already happening in the Schiavo case.

Last month, Bob Schindler, Terri Schiavo's father, sent out an e- mail plea to raise money for the legal fight to save his daughter. Those who responded are now on the Terri Schindler Schiavo Donation active donor lists. Response unlimited, a direct mail and telemarketing firm has advertised the lists for rent.

One has names of more than 6,000 donors available at the rate of $150 per thousand names. The other, for $500 per 1,000, lists more than 4,000 e-mail addresses.

The outrage industry works for both the right and the left. The American Progress Action Fund calls House Majority Leader Tom DeLay the very picture of political opportunism and hypocrisy. Click and donate. You need to target a devil, says an experienced liberal fund- raiser.

ROGER CRAVER, DIRECT MAIL CONSULTANT: The business of political causes and issues is a lot like professional wrestling. There is good and there is evil.

SCHNEIDER: Who's the devil in the Schiavo case, her husband?

MAHONEY: Why should a man who is in a 10-year relationship with another woman, fathered two children, has gone on with his life, by some archaic, arcane law now speak for a woman that he has no emotional connection to?

SCHNEIDER: It is hard to see a political payoff from attacking Michael Schiavo. Conservative activists see a bigger target.

RANDALL TERRY, SCHINDLER FAMILY SPOKESMAN: In the past year we have seen the pledge of allegiance come under attack because of "under god," we have seen the Ten Commandments removed from a state courthouse, we've seen homosexual marriage created out of thin air, and now we see an innocent woman being starved to death.

SCHNEIDER: So who is the devil?

TERRY: The mood of the country is ready for chief executives and for legislators to tell the judiciary no. No more. No.

SCHNEIDER: The outrage industry is at work, and judges are a target.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Well, sometimes lawmakers really get intense. Where and why these fighting politicians did some of their heavy smacking.

KAGAN: A former Boy Scout leader and allegations of distributing pornography. We'll have a live report from Fort Worth on the case.

SANCHEZ: And we're going to hear from some of Johnnie Cochran's colleagues about his life and his career.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: Now let's talk about the pope's health. The Vatican confirmed this morning that John Paul is now receiving nutrition through a feeding tube that's in his nose. Let's turn to CNN Vatican analyst John Allen in Rome.

You know, when we first heard this morning, John, the reaction was this sounds pretty serious. We've talked to some medical experts that say, well, it doesn't mean that this is a fatal situation.

What's the reaction from the Vatican this morning?

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Well, I think you're absolutely right. The natural inclination these days when you hear the phrase "feeding tube" is to think Terri Schiavo. But the Vatican has been at pains today to stress that's not the pope's situation. He remains fully conscious, fully lucid, aware of what's going on, and making his own medical decisions.

This is not a surgical procedure. It's a tube that is placed in the pope's nose when he needs to take nutrition and then removed. So he's not wearing it constantly. And they are saying this is not a life-threatening situation.

Basically, what's going on here is the same problems of the throat that render him unable to speak very much have also made it very difficult for him to swallow and, therefore, to receive nutrition. We've seen in recent days the pope is visibly thinner.

This is an attempt to sort of increase his caloric intake to make sure that his recovery progresses. So the bottom line is, it's another indication of the pope's weakness and the slowness of his recovery, but no indication that his life is at risk.

SANCHEZ: But still, to the faithful and to those of us who watch the pope to see how he's coming along and how he's able to do his job at the very top of this pyramid, he has a tough time swallowing, he has a tough time breathing, he's not able to keep enough food down. I mean, these things, John, they start to add up.

How much concern should there be from the Catholic community in this world?

ALLEN: Well, look, I mean, obviously, for faithful Catholics around the world -- and not just Catholics, I might add -- I mean, any time the pope is ill, obviously there's going to be concern. But I think the question is, to what extent is the pope really running the Church?

I think the answer to that is, look, he retains full lucidity, which means he's still able to say yes or no to decisions. If he wants to stop something or to start something, he can do it. But obviously his capacity to be involved in the details of framing decisions is terribly limited.

And I think the reality is that these days decisions about who is going to be a bishop in a particular place or what stance the Vatican's going to take on a given issue, that's all being worked out at lower levels. And the pope's role is really restricted to that final yes or no.

SANCHEZ: Let me quote a cardinal who stood in for the pope at a Holy Thursday ceremony at the Vatican. And these are the words he used. And you break this down for us if you can possibly can.

He said, "The pontiff was serenely abandoning himself to god's will." What does that mean?

ALLEN: Well, it was Cardinal John Batista Rey (ph), who was a longtime close aide of the pope. And I think what it means is that the pope is putting his fate in the hands of god, as he always has.

I mean, this is a pope with a very strong sense that the events of his pontificate, including today, his illness, are part of god's design. And so that if it's god's design for him to suffer, the pope is not going to fight that or bemoan his fate. He's going to accept it as he has the other events of his life as part of the grand strategy for his life and move forward.

I don't think, however, it means what some people took it to mean, which is the pope is giving up. Quite the contrary.

The bottom line is this guy is a fighter. He has been at every turn of his life. And what every doctor will tell you -- and I've, of course, spent a lot of time interviewing doctors in recent months -- is that basic will to live is a huge factor in determining the pathology of these kinds of ailments. And I think if there's one thing we can be certain of with John Paul II, he has a will to live.

SANCHEZ: I think most people would agree with you on that. CNN's analyst John Allen reporting from the Vatican. We thank you.

KAGAN: And this breaking news out of Dallas, Texas. A former high-ranking official with Boy Scouts of America has pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges. This happened after federal investigators found images of children involved in sex acts on the computer of Douglas S. Smith Jr. He appeared before a federal judge today.

Our Ed Lavandera inside the courthouse when that guilty plea took place. He'll be joining us in just a few minutes.

A flight attendant is due back on the stand today in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. Testimony is set to resume this hour.

Yesterday, the flight attendant testified that she did not see Jackson give alcohol to his accuser. That would contradict the claim by the prosecution.

And we're looking at live pictures right now from Santa Maria, California. Michael Jackson -- well, Joe Jackson, his father, getting out of the black SUV. The umbrella overhead. Jurors also heard testimony yesterday from a comedy club owner who introduced Jackson to the alleged victim. Michael Jackson also making comments yesterday about Johnnie Cochran, words to describe Johnnie Cochran.

And there's Michael Jackson. All right. More from Santa Maria and the Jackson trial in just a bit.

We move on now to Johnnie Cochran. His friends are using many words today, "flamboyant," "witty," "polished," "master of the courtroom." The famed defense attorney died at his Los Angeles home on Tuesday from a brain tumor. He was 67.

Cochran's death came 10 years after he won acquittal for his most famous client, O.J. Simpson. Both colleagues and adversaries in the Simpson trial respected his talent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARRY SCHECK, FMR. SIMPSON ATTORNEY: It was impossible not to pick up on that. And what was amazing is that one on one in real life, in every circumstance, he was even more charming and genuine and sincere.

And the process for me every time is that we would meet somebody, whether it was a United States attorney or, you know, just any kind of person that you would meet on the street or in a service capacity, and they got to talk with Johnnie, they were always disarmed. He always defied their expectations from the media because he really was a loving, decent, sincere guy that just charmed people because he was charming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS DARDEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: This guy had savvy. And a very efficient trial lawyer.

He had a tendency to do what all trial lawyers want to do, and that is command the courtroom. You know, to command a courtroom is to command the battlefield. And he did it time and time again. And I don't see another Johnnie Cochran on the horizon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Cochran had his share of celebrity clients, but he also won big verdicts for ordinary citizens. He liked to call them the no Js.

SANCHEZ: In Minnesota, the FBI is trying to figure out whether a teenage school shooter had some help in what he did. Already they've made an arrest. More, we understand, could be forthcoming.

CNN correspondent Keith Oppenheim has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLOYD JOURDAIN, RED LAKE TRIBAL LEADER: Our community is devastated by this event.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a tight-knit community, the connections could be uncomfortably close. A day after the shootings at the Red Lake Indian Reservation, the tribal leader, Floyd Jourdain Junior, led off a news conference.

JOURDAIN: We look forward to your continued support.

OPPENHEIM: Immediately followed by Michael Tabman, the FBI special agent in charge.

Tabman was asked about 16-year-old Jeffrey Weise, the troubled teen who allegedly shot and killed his grandfather, three other adults, five students and then himself.

UNIDENTIFIED FBI AGENT: At this time we believe he acted alone, but we certainly have to explore all possibilities.

OPPENHEIM: The twist in the tale is that now tribal leader Jourdain acknowledges that his son, Louis, has been arrested.

Louis Jourdain was escorted out of federal court in Duluth. The "Minneapolis Star Tribune" reports he has been charged with conspiracy, plotting with Weise to attack Red Lake High School.

HOWIE PADILLA, "MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE": They had been planning it for about a year and possibly Jeff had done it maybe at a different time than what was planned is what's being alleged out there.

OPPENHEIM: In a statement, Floyd Jourdain said, "My heart is heavy as a result of the tragic events that unfolded here at our nation, but it is with optimism that I state my son Louis' innocence. I know my son and he is incapable of committing such an act."

As for Jeff Weise, investigators are still trying to understand why. And now the question is, who else is involved? Was Weise a troubled loner plotting his attack by himself or did he share his ideas and plans with others?

LEE COOK, AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES, BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY: I know the FBI is investigating now with the understanding that there were other young people involved and that there are other young people that at least sort of knew that this kid was going to do something; that other homes had been searched and other computers had been taken with the notion of looking for the interconnect between Jeff and his friends.

OPPENHEIM: In the meantime, Red Lake High School remains closed.

The school's principal tells CNN the damage inside is so great the building may stay shut for the rest of the year.

More than a week after the shootings, the mourning goes on. Funerals for teacher Neva Rogers and security guard Derrick Brun.

FRANCIS BRUN, VICTIM'S FATHER: The tragedy is too great for many people to bear right now. We want to, you know, go put Derek at rest.

OPPENHEIM: In a close-knit population of just a bit more than 5,000 people, it may be difficult to come to terms with what happened.

Tribal members are now just learning the son of their leader, and possibly others, might have known something, might have been able to do something to stop the deadly shootings.

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Reverend Jerry Falwell is back in the news. Yesterday we reported that he returned to a hospital.

KAGAN: We're going to have the latest on his condition coming up after the break.

Also, an update for you on a quake-stricken region. A report from that area is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A shocker for the Boy Scouts. A former leader for the organization entered a guilty plea to a child pornography charge just a few minutes ago.

Our Ed Lavandera is at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth with more on that this morning.

Good morning, Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

Well, 61-one-year-old Douglas Smith Jr. has left the courthouse here. But before he did, he did enter a plea of guilty to possessing and distributing images of child pornography.

Also, we've learned more from prosecutors who have been working on this case and the details that led to this charge and this guilty plea today. They say that Douglas Smith Jr., who was a high ranking member of the Boy Scouts, had been working as the national director of programs at its national headquarters here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, that he had contained at his home computer more than 500 images of sexually explicit photos containing young boys.

Now, the prosecutors also go on to say that none of those images was taken by Douglas Smith Jr., and also that none of those images were found on his work computer. In fact, prosecutors here are saying that this -- whatever Douglas Smith was engaged in was completely separate from what he was doing with the Boy Scouts.

Of course, that will be good news to the organization, which has been quick to point out over the last 24 hours that, although Douglas Smith Jr. had a high-ranking position in the organization, that he -- in that position it was administrative, and that he did not work closely with young boys.

We also asked prosecutors, and they say that part of the investigation has included trying to figure out whether or not there might be any live victims, any young victims here in the area that might have been associated with Mr. Smith. And they say they have exhausted every possible avenue on that, and so far there's no indication that he might have had any victims, that this extended beyond just looking at images of child pornography on his home computer -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed, how did they catch him?

LAVANDERA: Well, it's actually a rather interesting way about how all this case came about. They said in November of 2003 -- this is according to a court document that's just been released here in Fort Worth -- German police officers in the town of Dusseldorf, Germany, had been investigating a man suspected in trafficking child pornography.

And as they executed a search warrant at that man's house, they looked through his computer, found various e-mails of people who had been sending and receiving e-mails of child pornography involving this. And that is where Douglas Smith's e mail came to be found.

That was in November of 2003. In February of this year, they went and served several search warrants, one at Douglas Smith's home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and also the one we told you about at his office. And that's where investigators found the more than 500 images that led to this charge.

KAGAN: Ed Lavandera in Fort Worth, Texas. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Hey, guys, what is the fight over? We're going to tell you where, why and who is doing the punching when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired March 30, 2005 - 10:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Here is a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."
Border Patrol agents in Arizona are getting some reinforcements. The Associated Press says the Department of Homeland Security is adding 500 more agents. The announcement is expected today. The move comes two days before hundreds of civilian Minutemen are set to begin patrolling that border.

The Pentagon says it is releasing 38 detainees from its Guantanamo Bay facility because their case files are thin. That means there's simply not enough information to classify them as enemy combatants. The Navy's secretary says authorities have reviewed the cases of all 558 detainees held at the camp.

The breakup between Disney and the founders of Miramax films is official. Miramax founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein are going to be part company -- will part company, I should say, with Disney September 30. Disney gets to keep the Miramax name and the film library. The Weinsteins are going to take the Dimension Films label and 15 to 20 film projects out the door with them.

It's going to cost you more to visit the nation's capital this year. The auto club AAA says it's now more expensive to visit Washington than New York or Boston. The price tag, $441 a day.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Wow.

SANCHEZ: That's for a family of four.

It is now 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. out West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

Up first this hour, a ray of hope, a little one, for Terri Schiavo's parents in their desperate effort to save her. A federal appeals court has given them a chance to file a new emergency petition. But time is against them. Schiavo is in her 13th day without nourishment.

We have live reports from Elizabeth Cohen at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, and Bob Franken at Schiavo's hospice in Florida.

Elizabeth, we start with you. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, here at the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta, Bob and Mary Schindler, the parents of Terri Schiavo, have filed this petition. Now, they have been in front of this court before. And what's happened before is that the court has rejected their request for a restraining order to put that tube back in.

However, the Schindlers say in this petition that this time they have different arguments. They say before the court has really looked at procedural questions, the procedural history of this case. They say now that the court should be looking at the facts of the case, at the evidence. And the parents say that the facts say that Terri Schiavo would want to live in the state that she's in.

However, courts in Florida have found repeatedly that she would not want to live in the state that she's in. That's according to testimony from family and friends. They managed to convince the Florida courts of that.

However, this court has not said exactly when they will rule. They haven't said anything. A clerk for the court, has, however, said that there is obviously some urgency in this case -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Elizabeth Cohen in downtown Atlanta. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well, doctors have been saying that Terri Schiavo is unlikely to live more than two weeks without her feeding tube. It was removed 13 days ago. For more on the race against the time and the reaction to the latest court decision, let's bring in Bob Franken. He's at Schiavo's hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida.

I guess for starters, just trying to put perspective on what they're doing in the courts, they're trying to do anything they can to try to get a TRO, right, a temporary restraining order?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's funny, the most important evidence about how precarious all this is, in the filing, when the lawyers say absent a TRO Terri Schiavo will surely die, which pretty much says it all. And most agree that she's going to die in the next day or so unless something remarkable happens or something remarkable in the courts, such as these judges deciding to grant that TRO, the one that they've rejected before.

Meanwhile, the feelings continue to run high here. We had an arrest this morning. There are some others, we're being told, that are being planned. But in this particular case, the person who was arrested went a little bit further and faces additional charges.

When he was stopped and told he would be arrested for trespassing if he crossed over with the symbolic water to give it to Terri Schiavo, he smacked the officer's arm. That is resulting now in a charge of assault on a police officer, which is a serious charge, of course.

And as I said, the feelings are running high. The family of Terri Schiavo, the blood relatives, turning on the husband, who is the one who is responsible for the feeding tube being withdrawn. They point out that he has a woman in his life and two children, and they made a very personal, special plea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: Michael and Jodi, you have your own children. Please, please give my child back to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: And, of course, that is a very, very personal, angry appeal reflecting the bitter dispute here. But we're talking about life or death -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Bob Franken following that story for us. We thank you, Bob.

KAGAN: First lady Laura Bush is defending the government's intervention in the Terri Schiavo case. Mrs. Bush commented as she flew to Afghanistan on a trip highlighting education for women.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: I don't know. I think you have to -- you know, I just feel like the federal government has to be involved. And that it's a life issue that really does require the government to be involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Mrs. Bush says that she's sorry Schiavo's family has to be involved in such a public ordeal during such a difficult time.

Both sides in the Terri Schiavo case have drawn the political battle lines. And they're trying to turn the emotional debate to their advantage. More on that now from our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): The Terri Schiavo issue has stirred plenty of outrage.

REV. PATRICK MAHONEY, CHRISTIAN DEFENSE COALITION: Are we to say that the entire federal government is powerless to help her?

SCHNEIDER: In politics, outrage can be marketed. It is already happening in the Schiavo case.

Last month, Bob Schindler, Terri Schiavo's father, sent out an e- mail plea to raise money for the legal fight to save his daughter. Those who responded are now on the Terri Schindler Schiavo Donation active donor lists. Response unlimited, a direct mail and telemarketing firm has advertised the lists for rent.

One has names of more than 6,000 donors available at the rate of $150 per thousand names. The other, for $500 per 1,000, lists more than 4,000 e-mail addresses.

The outrage industry works for both the right and the left. The American Progress Action Fund calls House Majority Leader Tom DeLay the very picture of political opportunism and hypocrisy. Click and donate. You need to target a devil, says an experienced liberal fund- raiser.

ROGER CRAVER, DIRECT MAIL CONSULTANT: The business of political causes and issues is a lot like professional wrestling. There is good and there is evil.

SCHNEIDER: Who's the devil in the Schiavo case, her husband?

MAHONEY: Why should a man who is in a 10-year relationship with another woman, fathered two children, has gone on with his life, by some archaic, arcane law now speak for a woman that he has no emotional connection to?

SCHNEIDER: It is hard to see a political payoff from attacking Michael Schiavo. Conservative activists see a bigger target.

RANDALL TERRY, SCHINDLER FAMILY SPOKESMAN: In the past year we have seen the pledge of allegiance come under attack because of "under god," we have seen the Ten Commandments removed from a state courthouse, we've seen homosexual marriage created out of thin air, and now we see an innocent woman being starved to death.

SCHNEIDER: So who is the devil?

TERRY: The mood of the country is ready for chief executives and for legislators to tell the judiciary no. No more. No.

SCHNEIDER: The outrage industry is at work, and judges are a target.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Well, sometimes lawmakers really get intense. Where and why these fighting politicians did some of their heavy smacking.

KAGAN: A former Boy Scout leader and allegations of distributing pornography. We'll have a live report from Fort Worth on the case.

SANCHEZ: And we're going to hear from some of Johnnie Cochran's colleagues about his life and his career.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: Now let's talk about the pope's health. The Vatican confirmed this morning that John Paul is now receiving nutrition through a feeding tube that's in his nose. Let's turn to CNN Vatican analyst John Allen in Rome.

You know, when we first heard this morning, John, the reaction was this sounds pretty serious. We've talked to some medical experts that say, well, it doesn't mean that this is a fatal situation.

What's the reaction from the Vatican this morning?

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Well, I think you're absolutely right. The natural inclination these days when you hear the phrase "feeding tube" is to think Terri Schiavo. But the Vatican has been at pains today to stress that's not the pope's situation. He remains fully conscious, fully lucid, aware of what's going on, and making his own medical decisions.

This is not a surgical procedure. It's a tube that is placed in the pope's nose when he needs to take nutrition and then removed. So he's not wearing it constantly. And they are saying this is not a life-threatening situation.

Basically, what's going on here is the same problems of the throat that render him unable to speak very much have also made it very difficult for him to swallow and, therefore, to receive nutrition. We've seen in recent days the pope is visibly thinner.

This is an attempt to sort of increase his caloric intake to make sure that his recovery progresses. So the bottom line is, it's another indication of the pope's weakness and the slowness of his recovery, but no indication that his life is at risk.

SANCHEZ: But still, to the faithful and to those of us who watch the pope to see how he's coming along and how he's able to do his job at the very top of this pyramid, he has a tough time swallowing, he has a tough time breathing, he's not able to keep enough food down. I mean, these things, John, they start to add up.

How much concern should there be from the Catholic community in this world?

ALLEN: Well, look, I mean, obviously, for faithful Catholics around the world -- and not just Catholics, I might add -- I mean, any time the pope is ill, obviously there's going to be concern. But I think the question is, to what extent is the pope really running the Church?

I think the answer to that is, look, he retains full lucidity, which means he's still able to say yes or no to decisions. If he wants to stop something or to start something, he can do it. But obviously his capacity to be involved in the details of framing decisions is terribly limited.

And I think the reality is that these days decisions about who is going to be a bishop in a particular place or what stance the Vatican's going to take on a given issue, that's all being worked out at lower levels. And the pope's role is really restricted to that final yes or no.

SANCHEZ: Let me quote a cardinal who stood in for the pope at a Holy Thursday ceremony at the Vatican. And these are the words he used. And you break this down for us if you can possibly can.

He said, "The pontiff was serenely abandoning himself to god's will." What does that mean?

ALLEN: Well, it was Cardinal John Batista Rey (ph), who was a longtime close aide of the pope. And I think what it means is that the pope is putting his fate in the hands of god, as he always has.

I mean, this is a pope with a very strong sense that the events of his pontificate, including today, his illness, are part of god's design. And so that if it's god's design for him to suffer, the pope is not going to fight that or bemoan his fate. He's going to accept it as he has the other events of his life as part of the grand strategy for his life and move forward.

I don't think, however, it means what some people took it to mean, which is the pope is giving up. Quite the contrary.

The bottom line is this guy is a fighter. He has been at every turn of his life. And what every doctor will tell you -- and I've, of course, spent a lot of time interviewing doctors in recent months -- is that basic will to live is a huge factor in determining the pathology of these kinds of ailments. And I think if there's one thing we can be certain of with John Paul II, he has a will to live.

SANCHEZ: I think most people would agree with you on that. CNN's analyst John Allen reporting from the Vatican. We thank you.

KAGAN: And this breaking news out of Dallas, Texas. A former high-ranking official with Boy Scouts of America has pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges. This happened after federal investigators found images of children involved in sex acts on the computer of Douglas S. Smith Jr. He appeared before a federal judge today.

Our Ed Lavandera inside the courthouse when that guilty plea took place. He'll be joining us in just a few minutes.

A flight attendant is due back on the stand today in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. Testimony is set to resume this hour.

Yesterday, the flight attendant testified that she did not see Jackson give alcohol to his accuser. That would contradict the claim by the prosecution.

And we're looking at live pictures right now from Santa Maria, California. Michael Jackson -- well, Joe Jackson, his father, getting out of the black SUV. The umbrella overhead. Jurors also heard testimony yesterday from a comedy club owner who introduced Jackson to the alleged victim. Michael Jackson also making comments yesterday about Johnnie Cochran, words to describe Johnnie Cochran.

And there's Michael Jackson. All right. More from Santa Maria and the Jackson trial in just a bit.

We move on now to Johnnie Cochran. His friends are using many words today, "flamboyant," "witty," "polished," "master of the courtroom." The famed defense attorney died at his Los Angeles home on Tuesday from a brain tumor. He was 67.

Cochran's death came 10 years after he won acquittal for his most famous client, O.J. Simpson. Both colleagues and adversaries in the Simpson trial respected his talent.

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BARRY SCHECK, FMR. SIMPSON ATTORNEY: It was impossible not to pick up on that. And what was amazing is that one on one in real life, in every circumstance, he was even more charming and genuine and sincere.

And the process for me every time is that we would meet somebody, whether it was a United States attorney or, you know, just any kind of person that you would meet on the street or in a service capacity, and they got to talk with Johnnie, they were always disarmed. He always defied their expectations from the media because he really was a loving, decent, sincere guy that just charmed people because he was charming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS DARDEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: This guy had savvy. And a very efficient trial lawyer.

He had a tendency to do what all trial lawyers want to do, and that is command the courtroom. You know, to command a courtroom is to command the battlefield. And he did it time and time again. And I don't see another Johnnie Cochran on the horizon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Cochran had his share of celebrity clients, but he also won big verdicts for ordinary citizens. He liked to call them the no Js.

SANCHEZ: In Minnesota, the FBI is trying to figure out whether a teenage school shooter had some help in what he did. Already they've made an arrest. More, we understand, could be forthcoming.

CNN correspondent Keith Oppenheim has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLOYD JOURDAIN, RED LAKE TRIBAL LEADER: Our community is devastated by this event.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a tight-knit community, the connections could be uncomfortably close. A day after the shootings at the Red Lake Indian Reservation, the tribal leader, Floyd Jourdain Junior, led off a news conference.

JOURDAIN: We look forward to your continued support.

OPPENHEIM: Immediately followed by Michael Tabman, the FBI special agent in charge.

Tabman was asked about 16-year-old Jeffrey Weise, the troubled teen who allegedly shot and killed his grandfather, three other adults, five students and then himself.

UNIDENTIFIED FBI AGENT: At this time we believe he acted alone, but we certainly have to explore all possibilities.

OPPENHEIM: The twist in the tale is that now tribal leader Jourdain acknowledges that his son, Louis, has been arrested.

Louis Jourdain was escorted out of federal court in Duluth. The "Minneapolis Star Tribune" reports he has been charged with conspiracy, plotting with Weise to attack Red Lake High School.

HOWIE PADILLA, "MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE": They had been planning it for about a year and possibly Jeff had done it maybe at a different time than what was planned is what's being alleged out there.

OPPENHEIM: In a statement, Floyd Jourdain said, "My heart is heavy as a result of the tragic events that unfolded here at our nation, but it is with optimism that I state my son Louis' innocence. I know my son and he is incapable of committing such an act."

As for Jeff Weise, investigators are still trying to understand why. And now the question is, who else is involved? Was Weise a troubled loner plotting his attack by himself or did he share his ideas and plans with others?

LEE COOK, AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES, BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY: I know the FBI is investigating now with the understanding that there were other young people involved and that there are other young people that at least sort of knew that this kid was going to do something; that other homes had been searched and other computers had been taken with the notion of looking for the interconnect between Jeff and his friends.

OPPENHEIM: In the meantime, Red Lake High School remains closed.

The school's principal tells CNN the damage inside is so great the building may stay shut for the rest of the year.

More than a week after the shootings, the mourning goes on. Funerals for teacher Neva Rogers and security guard Derrick Brun.

FRANCIS BRUN, VICTIM'S FATHER: The tragedy is too great for many people to bear right now. We want to, you know, go put Derek at rest.

OPPENHEIM: In a close-knit population of just a bit more than 5,000 people, it may be difficult to come to terms with what happened.

Tribal members are now just learning the son of their leader, and possibly others, might have known something, might have been able to do something to stop the deadly shootings.

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Reverend Jerry Falwell is back in the news. Yesterday we reported that he returned to a hospital.

KAGAN: We're going to have the latest on his condition coming up after the break.

Also, an update for you on a quake-stricken region. A report from that area is just ahead.

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KAGAN: A shocker for the Boy Scouts. A former leader for the organization entered a guilty plea to a child pornography charge just a few minutes ago.

Our Ed Lavandera is at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth with more on that this morning.

Good morning, Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

Well, 61-one-year-old Douglas Smith Jr. has left the courthouse here. But before he did, he did enter a plea of guilty to possessing and distributing images of child pornography.

Also, we've learned more from prosecutors who have been working on this case and the details that led to this charge and this guilty plea today. They say that Douglas Smith Jr., who was a high ranking member of the Boy Scouts, had been working as the national director of programs at its national headquarters here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, that he had contained at his home computer more than 500 images of sexually explicit photos containing young boys.

Now, the prosecutors also go on to say that none of those images was taken by Douglas Smith Jr., and also that none of those images were found on his work computer. In fact, prosecutors here are saying that this -- whatever Douglas Smith was engaged in was completely separate from what he was doing with the Boy Scouts.

Of course, that will be good news to the organization, which has been quick to point out over the last 24 hours that, although Douglas Smith Jr. had a high-ranking position in the organization, that he -- in that position it was administrative, and that he did not work closely with young boys.

We also asked prosecutors, and they say that part of the investigation has included trying to figure out whether or not there might be any live victims, any young victims here in the area that might have been associated with Mr. Smith. And they say they have exhausted every possible avenue on that, and so far there's no indication that he might have had any victims, that this extended beyond just looking at images of child pornography on his home computer -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed, how did they catch him?

LAVANDERA: Well, it's actually a rather interesting way about how all this case came about. They said in November of 2003 -- this is according to a court document that's just been released here in Fort Worth -- German police officers in the town of Dusseldorf, Germany, had been investigating a man suspected in trafficking child pornography.

And as they executed a search warrant at that man's house, they looked through his computer, found various e-mails of people who had been sending and receiving e-mails of child pornography involving this. And that is where Douglas Smith's e mail came to be found.

That was in November of 2003. In February of this year, they went and served several search warrants, one at Douglas Smith's home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and also the one we told you about at his office. And that's where investigators found the more than 500 images that led to this charge.

KAGAN: Ed Lavandera in Fort Worth, Texas. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Hey, guys, what is the fight over? We're going to tell you where, why and who is doing the punching when we come back.

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