Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

ID Theft & Personal Data; Eric Rudolph Pleads Guilty; Silicone Breast Implants

Aired April 13, 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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Afghanistan says it wants a long-term security relationship with the U.S. And that could include a permanent U.S. troop presence in the country. President Hamid Karzai says he's preparing to submit a formal request to President Bush.

An fugitive ex-convict suspected of killing two people and raping a teenage girl was due in federal court today. Stephen Stanko was caught yesterday at a shopping center in Augusta, Georgia. A nationwide alert had been issued for Stanko by authorities in South Carolina.

Testimony is set to resume in about 30 minutes at the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. The mother of Jackson's accuser is expected to take the stand this week. But first, the judge will decide the scope of the questions she will be required to answer.

Embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay meets with reporters today. He's expected to answer questions about alleged ethical lapses in an off-camera meeting. DeLay denies any wrongdoing. He says the allegations are a personal political attack and part of the Democratic agenda.

Let's go ahead and take a look at the clock. It's just a minute past 11:00 on the East Coast. For those of you just joining us on the West Coast, just past 8:00 for you. Thanks for being with us.

Good morning from the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We are told that an Indiana man kidnapped two days ago from a Baghdad construction site is believed to be shown in the video provided to the Al-Jazeera network. And there's a picture from that video. A U.S. embassy official in Iraq says the video identifies the man as Jeffrey Ake, which is the name of the man abducted on Monday. We'll continue to monitor this developing story in a live report coming up from Baghdad.

Meanwhile, on to today's "Security Watch," selling secrets and protecting privacy. Recent security breaches at companies that collect and sell personal information set off alarms about identity theft. This morning, a Senate committee is delving into the issue -- looking at a live picture from Capitol Hill.

Our Allan Chernoff is listening in. He joins us from New York City.

Allan, good morning once again.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

And this is perfect timing for the Senate Judiciary Committee to be looking at the issue. Because right now, GM MasterCard is telling holders that they should be replacing their cards because of a security breach at a national retailer.

They're not revealing exactly which retailer. But they're saying that somebody or some group may have access to all the card numbers of GM MasterCard holders.

This comes after yesterday's announcement from LexisNexis that 310,000 Americans may have had their data taken. Data regarding Social Security numbers, addresses, the kind of information that a criminal can use to open up a credit card in somebody else's name or to take out a loan in somebody's name.

It's clearly a growing problem. And the head of the Federal Trade Commission this morning talked about how big the issue has become.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH PLATT MAJORAS, FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION CHAIRMAN: Our 2003 survey estimated that almost 10 million consumers discovered that they were victims of some form of identity theft in the preceding 12 months, costing consumers $5 billion in out-of-pocket losses and American business $48 billion in losses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: There is no federal legislation right now that oversees these data brokers, the companies that actually sell the information to financial institutions, even to law enforcement agencies. And the Senate is now considering a bill to maybe tighten up legislation here, to tighten up the regulation, to make sure that companies are doing everything they can to secure their databases and to notify victims when that information has, in fact, been stolen.

So, Daryn, this is certainly a very important issue, potentially affecting every single American.

KAGAN: Which just makes it incredible that there is no federal regulation up to this point. Do some states have regulations?

CHERNOFF: Yes, states do. Many states do.

California, in fact, has one of the toughest laws on the books. And Senator Dianne Feinstein is pushing one of the bills. And she's trying to take some of those rules from the California law and put it into federal legislation.

KAGAN: Allan Chernoff, live from New York City. Allan, thank you.

Buying and selling consumer information is big business, and so is ID theft. When your personal information falls into the wrong hands, it can simply reek havoc with your finances. That's not all, however.

Our Deborah Feyerick has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may never have heard about ChoicePoint, may not know about LexisNexis, but chances are they know about you. Not just your name, but where you live, what you buy, your driver's license and Social Security number. In short, they know just about everything.

MARK RASCH, SOLUTIONARY INC.: Every place you've ever lived, every address, everything you've ever owned in terms of real estate, every time you've been sued, all that information is collected.

FEYERICK: Databases are huge businesses, buying and selling your personal details to virtually anyone who wants to make sure your credit's good, like stores, credit rating agencies, even potential employers. And companies buy and sell your information not just in the United States but around the world, making identity theft a global problem.

(on camera): How serious of a problem is this?

KEVIN BARROWS, RENAISSANCE ASSOCIATES: It's a very serious problem. And it's growing every year. You know, the greater technology becomes, and the more advanced technology becomes, the greater the risk, of course. The greater the criminal element becomes.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Kevin Barrows cracked his first big computer hacking case as an FBI agent. He says, if you think this doesn't apply to you, think again. Because if you've ever had a job, owned a home, rented a car, gone to college, used a credit card or paid a bill, you're in a database. And once you're in, there's no way out. And it can be virtually impossible to stop others who want to know about you and hide behind your identity.

BARROWS: The realities are it's not just financial loss that you have to be concerned with identity theft. It's terrorism, it's the ability to get into this country by using someone else's identification. It's the ability to commit crimes under someone else's name. And there are hundreds of thousands of stories of people who have been victimized in this way.

FEYERICK: Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received over 635,000 complaints of consumer fraud and identity theft. And the thing about identity, once it's gone, it's up to you to get it back.

RASCH: It's really, really difficult for people to be able to prove to banks and insurance companies and other entities that, whoever it was who charged these accounts or created these false identities, wasn't you. And getting your own identity back is very, very difficult to do.

FEYERICK: LexisNexis says it's sending out letters to everyone affected. But except in California, there are no laws forcing companies to tell you if someone's accessed your identity. A subject so popular, we found "Wired News" reporter Kim Zetter at a yearly news conference on it.

KIM ZETTER, WIRED NEWS: There should be, perhaps, laws, that say that companies should be required to encrypt data, which would make it more a little more difficult if someone did get into a system to interpret what the data says. There definitely are things that legislators could do, but currently there isn't anything like that.

FEYERICK: In February, data broker ChoicePoint says it sold 145,000 personal profiles to identity thieves by mistake. The irony? It appears ChoicePoint never did a background check on the bogus company that bought its files.

Congress is now looking into that, fearful this is just the beginning.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So we're going to ask you this morning, how concerned are you personally about being one of those victims of identity theft? A new CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll finds a majority, that's 59 percent, are very concerned about identity theft, 31 percent are somewhat concerned, only 7 percent not worried about it at all.

CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up to date on your safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Eight minutes past the hour. We move on to the latest on Eric Robert Rudolph, in federal court today, pleading guilty to four bombings in the South. His first stop was Birmingham, Alabama, this morning. He will come here to Atlanta this afternoon.

Our David Mattingly joins us now from Birmingham -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Eric Robert Rudolph stepping into federal court here in Birmingham this morning, very clearly stating his guilt in the case of the bombing of the Birmingham Women's Clinic where abortions were performed back in 1998.

One very strong moment today that appeared to be of defiance. Rudolph was asked by the judge, "Do you believe that prosecutors would prove their case against you?" Rudolph replied, "Just barely, your honor. But that's sufficient."

The judge then followed up with this question: "Well, let me cut to the chase. Did you plant the bomb outside the medical clinic?" He told the judge, "Yes, I did." And then the judge said -- and this was the strongest moment of the day -- "Did you detonate that bomb?" And Eric Rudolph replied, "I certainly did, your honor."

This show of what some call defiance and others call arrogance did not sit well with many of his victims and victims' families in the courtroom today, who emerged just a few minutes later saying that they were hurt and angry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HAWTHORNE, BOMBING VICTIM'S HUSBAND: I was angry all over again. And even though I -- even though I would have eventually supported what was done, I probably would have not done so as willingly because this guy is -- well, I'll just -- I'll just leave it at I was very much disappointed in his demeanor and in his attitude, and the way he answered the questions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: The victims will have their say in court. Their ability to talk directly to Robert Rudolph to say what they think about him, what they think about his crime, that will happen on July 18 at the official sentencing in this case. But for now, Eric Robert Rudolph in a vehicle speeding out of here, heading toward Atlanta for the second part of his court appearances today -- Daryn.

KAGAN: David, do you know why they set it up this way. Since it was in federal court, why didn't they just do one plea bargain in one federal courtroom? Why go to two different states?

MATTINGLY: That's because the bombings were in different districts. Here, we are in the northern district of Alabama. It had to be handled by this court. The other bombings in Atlanta have to be handled by that court.

So three of them there, one of them here. That agreement taking place over those two jurisdictions. But, again, expecting the same result with him to come in and plead guilty.

KAGAN: All right. David Mattingly from Birmingham. Thank you.

And we do expect to hear from Justice Department officials on the Rudolph plea between 4:30 and 5:30 Eastern today. CNN will have live coverage.

The controversy over silicone breast implants, it isn't over yet. Another company makes its case on why it believes its implants should be approved. A live report on this story is coming up.

And the faithful in mourning. Thousands visit the tomb of Pope John Paul II for the first time since his death. Details just ahead.

And is it a soccer game or a battleground? Ooh. How hundreds of fans brought a soccer game to a violent end.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In health news today, scientists are scrambling to destroy samples of a killer flu strain sent to labs around the world by mistake. The virus is from a strain that triggered the 1957 flu pandemic. The World Health Organization is urging more than 3,700 labs in 18 countries to destroy the samples.

They were sent by a company that supplies kits used for quality control tests. Officials say there is little to no risk to the public.

Then there's the FDA panel that has rejected one company's request to lift a ban on silicone-gel breast implants. Today the panel will decide on a similar request from a rival company.

Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here with details on that.

Good morning.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

You know, Daryn, these -- you might remember when these were taken off the market 13 years ago, and that was big news. And many people hoped they would come back on the market, but it certainly doesn't look that way.

Yesterday, by a vote of 5-4, an FDA advisory panel said they just didn't feel secure about the safety data from Inamed, which is making this next generation of silicone breast implants. The company tried to argue that these were safer and wouldn't suffer from the same problems that the other ones did. But this advisory committee just didn't buy it.

Let's talk about some of the risks involved with silicone breast implants. The problems, according to the Institute of Medicine, ruptures and infections, and that they could make mammograms difficult to read. They could actually keep a radiologist from seeing a cancer in the breast.

But the Institute of Medicine also found that silicone breast implants are not likely to cause cancer, immune diseases or neurological problems. Those had been some of the complaints from women who had received these implants. But, even so, again, this group from the FDA said, just don't feel comfortable with the safety data.

KAGAN: So, it's interesting to see them do this on a company-by- company basis. Yesterday, one company goes before, they get turned down. Today, it's another company saying, well, no, we can do these kinds of implants better.

COHEN: Right. That's the way it works.

I mean, each company that wants to market a drug or wants to market a device, they get to have their day at the FDA to try to market what they want to market. Certainly, it doesn't look good for the second company. They say that they have better data and that they will get approval, but considering what happened yesterday, it certainly puts some of that in doubt.

KAGAN: There are other types of breast implants out there besides silicone?

COHEN: That's right. That's right. Women can get saline implants, which include -- which have saline water, if you will, in them rather than silicone. Some women complain about them and say they don't have the look and feel of a real breast.

KAGAN: But breast cancer patients can get silicone? I mean, are there some people who can't?

COHEN: That's right. If you -- if you're a breast cancer patient, or you're having some kind of reconstructive surgery, you can enter a clinical trial. And that way you can get silicone breast implants if you want to. But then you're being -- you're part of a study, and so you're being observed more closely.

KAGAN: OK. So you're kind of signing up for an extra deal there?

COHEN: That's right. And you realize you're signing up for risk -- for an extra possibly risky project when you do that.

KAGAN: Got it. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for that.

COHEN: Thanks.

KAGAN: For your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, special reports and a health library. The address is cnn.com/health.

Insurgents in Baghdad launch a series of bombing attacks in a span of only two hours. A live report from Baghdad is straight ahead.

Lines are forming again at the Vatican. This time as pilgrims mourn the pope. What they're waiting to see coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, we've been wondering why Orelon Sidney bothered coming to work today, because she doesn't really have a whole lot to talk about. And yet it's pleasant just to see her smiling face.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: We heard Orelon talking about this time of year. It is tornado season. It has arrive din the U.S. Severe storms pose a real and ominous threat almost daily in some parts of the country. That makes tornadoes a hot topic right now on CNN.com.

For more, here is CNN's Veronica De La Cruz at the dot-com desk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Tornadoes have long captured people's imaginations and spawned some of their worst fears. How common and how destructive are they? Where do they most often occur? At CNN.com, a special report.

Tornadoes start as offshoots of thunderstorms, but can be devastating forces in their own right, carving a path of destruction many miles long and in excess of a mile wide.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A tornado is basically a violently rotating column of air that extends from the clouds down to the ground. And when they touch down, depending on the size and strength, they can level virtually everything in its path.

DE LA CRUZ: And how much do you know when it comes to these violent natural occurrences? This interactive offers possible indicators of whether a tornado is approaching, details the difference between a tornado watch and more severe warnings, and gives tips on what you can do if a twister comes your way.

Residents of what's known as Tornado Alley shown here on this interactive map stretching across the central U.S. are more likely than most to face this dilemma. Those tornadoes that touch down, some with winds exceeding 250 miles per hour, can inflict significant damage. You can look at the 10 deadliest twisters in the U.S. in this gallery.

Since the 19th century, surveys have included reports of tornadoes moving houses completely unharmed, feet from their original location. Which stories are true and which ones are legends? Click through this interactive gallery for some answers.

For example, tornadoes seek out mobile homes, fact or faction? And tornadoes always rotate counterclockwise. You can log on and find out. You can also get your current forecast or sign up for severe weather alerts.

From the dot-com news desk in Atlanta, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Soccer fans around the world have been known to sometimes go, you know, a little over the top. When we come back, we're going to show you how one game player went totally out of control. "Player" being the key word here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half-hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's what's happening "Now in the News."

In the news right now, no sign yet of a 13-year-old Ruskin, Florida, girl seen late Saturday or early Sunday. An intense search is under way today by police and volunteers. The sheriff's department says a registered sex offender who has had contact with the girl's family is currently being questioned.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is moving on in his globetrotting tour of U.S. military operations. He's in Pakistan now after a stop in Afghanistan earlier today. When he was there, Rumsfeld met with U.S. commanders and troops fighting the terror war.

The secretary also held talks with the Afghan president. Hamid Karzai says he'll ask the U.S. for a long-term security arrangement with his country.

Former President Clinton is due to speak at the United Nations about an hour from now. He's expected to brief the international community on his recent trip to areas devastated by the December tsunamis and lay out the scope of ongoing relief needs.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired April 13, 2005 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Afghanistan says it wants a long-term security relationship with the U.S. And that could include a permanent U.S. troop presence in the country. President Hamid Karzai says he's preparing to submit a formal request to President Bush.

An fugitive ex-convict suspected of killing two people and raping a teenage girl was due in federal court today. Stephen Stanko was caught yesterday at a shopping center in Augusta, Georgia. A nationwide alert had been issued for Stanko by authorities in South Carolina.

Testimony is set to resume in about 30 minutes at the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. The mother of Jackson's accuser is expected to take the stand this week. But first, the judge will decide the scope of the questions she will be required to answer.

Embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay meets with reporters today. He's expected to answer questions about alleged ethical lapses in an off-camera meeting. DeLay denies any wrongdoing. He says the allegations are a personal political attack and part of the Democratic agenda.

Let's go ahead and take a look at the clock. It's just a minute past 11:00 on the East Coast. For those of you just joining us on the West Coast, just past 8:00 for you. Thanks for being with us.

Good morning from the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We are told that an Indiana man kidnapped two days ago from a Baghdad construction site is believed to be shown in the video provided to the Al-Jazeera network. And there's a picture from that video. A U.S. embassy official in Iraq says the video identifies the man as Jeffrey Ake, which is the name of the man abducted on Monday. We'll continue to monitor this developing story in a live report coming up from Baghdad.

Meanwhile, on to today's "Security Watch," selling secrets and protecting privacy. Recent security breaches at companies that collect and sell personal information set off alarms about identity theft. This morning, a Senate committee is delving into the issue -- looking at a live picture from Capitol Hill.

Our Allan Chernoff is listening in. He joins us from New York City.

Allan, good morning once again.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

And this is perfect timing for the Senate Judiciary Committee to be looking at the issue. Because right now, GM MasterCard is telling holders that they should be replacing their cards because of a security breach at a national retailer.

They're not revealing exactly which retailer. But they're saying that somebody or some group may have access to all the card numbers of GM MasterCard holders.

This comes after yesterday's announcement from LexisNexis that 310,000 Americans may have had their data taken. Data regarding Social Security numbers, addresses, the kind of information that a criminal can use to open up a credit card in somebody else's name or to take out a loan in somebody's name.

It's clearly a growing problem. And the head of the Federal Trade Commission this morning talked about how big the issue has become.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH PLATT MAJORAS, FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION CHAIRMAN: Our 2003 survey estimated that almost 10 million consumers discovered that they were victims of some form of identity theft in the preceding 12 months, costing consumers $5 billion in out-of-pocket losses and American business $48 billion in losses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: There is no federal legislation right now that oversees these data brokers, the companies that actually sell the information to financial institutions, even to law enforcement agencies. And the Senate is now considering a bill to maybe tighten up legislation here, to tighten up the regulation, to make sure that companies are doing everything they can to secure their databases and to notify victims when that information has, in fact, been stolen.

So, Daryn, this is certainly a very important issue, potentially affecting every single American.

KAGAN: Which just makes it incredible that there is no federal regulation up to this point. Do some states have regulations?

CHERNOFF: Yes, states do. Many states do.

California, in fact, has one of the toughest laws on the books. And Senator Dianne Feinstein is pushing one of the bills. And she's trying to take some of those rules from the California law and put it into federal legislation.

KAGAN: Allan Chernoff, live from New York City. Allan, thank you.

Buying and selling consumer information is big business, and so is ID theft. When your personal information falls into the wrong hands, it can simply reek havoc with your finances. That's not all, however.

Our Deborah Feyerick has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may never have heard about ChoicePoint, may not know about LexisNexis, but chances are they know about you. Not just your name, but where you live, what you buy, your driver's license and Social Security number. In short, they know just about everything.

MARK RASCH, SOLUTIONARY INC.: Every place you've ever lived, every address, everything you've ever owned in terms of real estate, every time you've been sued, all that information is collected.

FEYERICK: Databases are huge businesses, buying and selling your personal details to virtually anyone who wants to make sure your credit's good, like stores, credit rating agencies, even potential employers. And companies buy and sell your information not just in the United States but around the world, making identity theft a global problem.

(on camera): How serious of a problem is this?

KEVIN BARROWS, RENAISSANCE ASSOCIATES: It's a very serious problem. And it's growing every year. You know, the greater technology becomes, and the more advanced technology becomes, the greater the risk, of course. The greater the criminal element becomes.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Kevin Barrows cracked his first big computer hacking case as an FBI agent. He says, if you think this doesn't apply to you, think again. Because if you've ever had a job, owned a home, rented a car, gone to college, used a credit card or paid a bill, you're in a database. And once you're in, there's no way out. And it can be virtually impossible to stop others who want to know about you and hide behind your identity.

BARROWS: The realities are it's not just financial loss that you have to be concerned with identity theft. It's terrorism, it's the ability to get into this country by using someone else's identification. It's the ability to commit crimes under someone else's name. And there are hundreds of thousands of stories of people who have been victimized in this way.

FEYERICK: Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received over 635,000 complaints of consumer fraud and identity theft. And the thing about identity, once it's gone, it's up to you to get it back.

RASCH: It's really, really difficult for people to be able to prove to banks and insurance companies and other entities that, whoever it was who charged these accounts or created these false identities, wasn't you. And getting your own identity back is very, very difficult to do.

FEYERICK: LexisNexis says it's sending out letters to everyone affected. But except in California, there are no laws forcing companies to tell you if someone's accessed your identity. A subject so popular, we found "Wired News" reporter Kim Zetter at a yearly news conference on it.

KIM ZETTER, WIRED NEWS: There should be, perhaps, laws, that say that companies should be required to encrypt data, which would make it more a little more difficult if someone did get into a system to interpret what the data says. There definitely are things that legislators could do, but currently there isn't anything like that.

FEYERICK: In February, data broker ChoicePoint says it sold 145,000 personal profiles to identity thieves by mistake. The irony? It appears ChoicePoint never did a background check on the bogus company that bought its files.

Congress is now looking into that, fearful this is just the beginning.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So we're going to ask you this morning, how concerned are you personally about being one of those victims of identity theft? A new CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll finds a majority, that's 59 percent, are very concerned about identity theft, 31 percent are somewhat concerned, only 7 percent not worried about it at all.

CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up to date on your safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Eight minutes past the hour. We move on to the latest on Eric Robert Rudolph, in federal court today, pleading guilty to four bombings in the South. His first stop was Birmingham, Alabama, this morning. He will come here to Atlanta this afternoon.

Our David Mattingly joins us now from Birmingham -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Eric Robert Rudolph stepping into federal court here in Birmingham this morning, very clearly stating his guilt in the case of the bombing of the Birmingham Women's Clinic where abortions were performed back in 1998.

One very strong moment today that appeared to be of defiance. Rudolph was asked by the judge, "Do you believe that prosecutors would prove their case against you?" Rudolph replied, "Just barely, your honor. But that's sufficient."

The judge then followed up with this question: "Well, let me cut to the chase. Did you plant the bomb outside the medical clinic?" He told the judge, "Yes, I did." And then the judge said -- and this was the strongest moment of the day -- "Did you detonate that bomb?" And Eric Rudolph replied, "I certainly did, your honor."

This show of what some call defiance and others call arrogance did not sit well with many of his victims and victims' families in the courtroom today, who emerged just a few minutes later saying that they were hurt and angry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HAWTHORNE, BOMBING VICTIM'S HUSBAND: I was angry all over again. And even though I -- even though I would have eventually supported what was done, I probably would have not done so as willingly because this guy is -- well, I'll just -- I'll just leave it at I was very much disappointed in his demeanor and in his attitude, and the way he answered the questions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: The victims will have their say in court. Their ability to talk directly to Robert Rudolph to say what they think about him, what they think about his crime, that will happen on July 18 at the official sentencing in this case. But for now, Eric Robert Rudolph in a vehicle speeding out of here, heading toward Atlanta for the second part of his court appearances today -- Daryn.

KAGAN: David, do you know why they set it up this way. Since it was in federal court, why didn't they just do one plea bargain in one federal courtroom? Why go to two different states?

MATTINGLY: That's because the bombings were in different districts. Here, we are in the northern district of Alabama. It had to be handled by this court. The other bombings in Atlanta have to be handled by that court.

So three of them there, one of them here. That agreement taking place over those two jurisdictions. But, again, expecting the same result with him to come in and plead guilty.

KAGAN: All right. David Mattingly from Birmingham. Thank you.

And we do expect to hear from Justice Department officials on the Rudolph plea between 4:30 and 5:30 Eastern today. CNN will have live coverage.

The controversy over silicone breast implants, it isn't over yet. Another company makes its case on why it believes its implants should be approved. A live report on this story is coming up.

And the faithful in mourning. Thousands visit the tomb of Pope John Paul II for the first time since his death. Details just ahead.

And is it a soccer game or a battleground? Ooh. How hundreds of fans brought a soccer game to a violent end.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In health news today, scientists are scrambling to destroy samples of a killer flu strain sent to labs around the world by mistake. The virus is from a strain that triggered the 1957 flu pandemic. The World Health Organization is urging more than 3,700 labs in 18 countries to destroy the samples.

They were sent by a company that supplies kits used for quality control tests. Officials say there is little to no risk to the public.

Then there's the FDA panel that has rejected one company's request to lift a ban on silicone-gel breast implants. Today the panel will decide on a similar request from a rival company.

Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here with details on that.

Good morning.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

You know, Daryn, these -- you might remember when these were taken off the market 13 years ago, and that was big news. And many people hoped they would come back on the market, but it certainly doesn't look that way.

Yesterday, by a vote of 5-4, an FDA advisory panel said they just didn't feel secure about the safety data from Inamed, which is making this next generation of silicone breast implants. The company tried to argue that these were safer and wouldn't suffer from the same problems that the other ones did. But this advisory committee just didn't buy it.

Let's talk about some of the risks involved with silicone breast implants. The problems, according to the Institute of Medicine, ruptures and infections, and that they could make mammograms difficult to read. They could actually keep a radiologist from seeing a cancer in the breast.

But the Institute of Medicine also found that silicone breast implants are not likely to cause cancer, immune diseases or neurological problems. Those had been some of the complaints from women who had received these implants. But, even so, again, this group from the FDA said, just don't feel comfortable with the safety data.

KAGAN: So, it's interesting to see them do this on a company-by- company basis. Yesterday, one company goes before, they get turned down. Today, it's another company saying, well, no, we can do these kinds of implants better.

COHEN: Right. That's the way it works.

I mean, each company that wants to market a drug or wants to market a device, they get to have their day at the FDA to try to market what they want to market. Certainly, it doesn't look good for the second company. They say that they have better data and that they will get approval, but considering what happened yesterday, it certainly puts some of that in doubt.

KAGAN: There are other types of breast implants out there besides silicone?

COHEN: That's right. That's right. Women can get saline implants, which include -- which have saline water, if you will, in them rather than silicone. Some women complain about them and say they don't have the look and feel of a real breast.

KAGAN: But breast cancer patients can get silicone? I mean, are there some people who can't?

COHEN: That's right. If you -- if you're a breast cancer patient, or you're having some kind of reconstructive surgery, you can enter a clinical trial. And that way you can get silicone breast implants if you want to. But then you're being -- you're part of a study, and so you're being observed more closely.

KAGAN: OK. So you're kind of signing up for an extra deal there?

COHEN: That's right. And you realize you're signing up for risk -- for an extra possibly risky project when you do that.

KAGAN: Got it. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for that.

COHEN: Thanks.

KAGAN: For your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, special reports and a health library. The address is cnn.com/health.

Insurgents in Baghdad launch a series of bombing attacks in a span of only two hours. A live report from Baghdad is straight ahead.

Lines are forming again at the Vatican. This time as pilgrims mourn the pope. What they're waiting to see coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, we've been wondering why Orelon Sidney bothered coming to work today, because she doesn't really have a whole lot to talk about. And yet it's pleasant just to see her smiling face.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: We heard Orelon talking about this time of year. It is tornado season. It has arrive din the U.S. Severe storms pose a real and ominous threat almost daily in some parts of the country. That makes tornadoes a hot topic right now on CNN.com.

For more, here is CNN's Veronica De La Cruz at the dot-com desk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Tornadoes have long captured people's imaginations and spawned some of their worst fears. How common and how destructive are they? Where do they most often occur? At CNN.com, a special report.

Tornadoes start as offshoots of thunderstorms, but can be devastating forces in their own right, carving a path of destruction many miles long and in excess of a mile wide.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A tornado is basically a violently rotating column of air that extends from the clouds down to the ground. And when they touch down, depending on the size and strength, they can level virtually everything in its path.

DE LA CRUZ: And how much do you know when it comes to these violent natural occurrences? This interactive offers possible indicators of whether a tornado is approaching, details the difference between a tornado watch and more severe warnings, and gives tips on what you can do if a twister comes your way.

Residents of what's known as Tornado Alley shown here on this interactive map stretching across the central U.S. are more likely than most to face this dilemma. Those tornadoes that touch down, some with winds exceeding 250 miles per hour, can inflict significant damage. You can look at the 10 deadliest twisters in the U.S. in this gallery.

Since the 19th century, surveys have included reports of tornadoes moving houses completely unharmed, feet from their original location. Which stories are true and which ones are legends? Click through this interactive gallery for some answers.

For example, tornadoes seek out mobile homes, fact or faction? And tornadoes always rotate counterclockwise. You can log on and find out. You can also get your current forecast or sign up for severe weather alerts.

From the dot-com news desk in Atlanta, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Soccer fans around the world have been known to sometimes go, you know, a little over the top. When we come back, we're going to show you how one game player went totally out of control. "Player" being the key word here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half-hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's what's happening "Now in the News."

In the news right now, no sign yet of a 13-year-old Ruskin, Florida, girl seen late Saturday or early Sunday. An intense search is under way today by police and volunteers. The sheriff's department says a registered sex offender who has had contact with the girl's family is currently being questioned.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is moving on in his globetrotting tour of U.S. military operations. He's in Pakistan now after a stop in Afghanistan earlier today. When he was there, Rumsfeld met with U.S. commanders and troops fighting the terror war.

The secretary also held talks with the Afghan president. Hamid Karzai says he'll ask the U.S. for a long-term security arrangement with his country.

Former President Clinton is due to speak at the United Nations about an hour from now. He's expected to brief the international community on his recent trip to areas devastated by the December tsunamis and lay out the scope of ongoing relief needs.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com