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CNN Live Today

Expected Guilty Plea from Lynndie England; Checkpoint Shooting; Calling Off the Wedding

Aired May 02, 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: Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Within the last hour, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed a tough new sex offender law. The Jessica Lunsford Law requires a minimum 25- year sentence for those who prey on the youngest children. Lunsford was the 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her home and killed allegedly by a registered sex offender who was living nearby.

Live picture from here in Georgia. Vice President Dick Cheney is here to discuss Social Security issues. He's attending a town hall meeting right now at a high school in suburban Atlanta. He'll visit the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in south Georgia later today.

An enormous explosion at an ammunition dump killed at least 28 people in Afghanistan today. Seventy others were wounded in the explosion that devastated a village north of Kabul. Afghan officials say an arms cash hidden beneath a warlord's home exploded. It's not clear what triggered that blast.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's labor party is leading in the polls with three days left before elections in Britain. But Blair warned today that voter backlash over the Iraq war could hurt his party. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy says Blair's judgment on Iraq was fatally flawed and his credibility is on the line.

It's just a little bit past 11:00 a.m. and just past 8:00 a.m. for those of you on the West Coast.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

Up first this hour, an expected guilty plea from the woman who came to symbolize the Iraq prison abuse scandal. Private Lynndie England appeared in some of the most graphic photos showing abuse and humiliation of Iraqi detainees. She's expected to plead guilty at a hearing that began last hour.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is live from Fort Hood, Texas, with details.

Susan, good morning.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Yes, she's the young Army reservist from rural West Virginia, and an unwed mother whose child was conceived while she was serving in Iraq. Over the weekend, Lynndie England's attorneys worked out a plea deal with prosecutors. And when court started about an hour ago, she was expected to stand at attention before a judge and plead guilty.

But hold on. It hasn't been following the usual script.

As court god under way, England's military attorney told the judge that he was challenging him and suggesting that there was an appearance of impropriety, asking, in effect, for the judge to remove himself, or the legal term, to recuse himself, from the proceedings. He was talking about questioning why Lynndie England's case was transferred first from Iraq to Ft. Bragg in North Carolina, and then to Ft. Hood. Again, questioning why all that was done. And we have just learned a moment ago that the judge has now turned down the notion that he would remove himself, and now the proceeding will get under way.

Remember that Lynndie England faces seven counts now that include committing acts of -- indecent acts and conspiracy and mistreatment of prisoners. She faced a maximum of 16 years, but under this plea deal could be brought down to 11 years. Also, behind the scenes we have learned that that could bring her down to only serving a possibility of two years depending on what happens next.

You'll remember that Lynndie England is best known for the photographs that we've all seen time and again, her holding a prisoner by a leash, another one posing behind a pile of naked prisoners and pointing to others who were standing there naked as well.

Now, she does have the right, if here guilty plea is accepted by this judge, to ask for a jury to decide her sentence. If that happens, that part of the case would begin on Tuesday, tomorrow, after a jury would be selected and witnesses heard -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Susan, why...

CANDIOTTI: It's not the way we expected things to begin, but that's the way they're turning out.

KAGAN: Why was the judge being asked -- asked to be removed? On what basis?

CANDIOTTI: Well, as the military defense attorney was suggesting, he was saying that there was something unusual about how her case was handled, compared to the others. The others who have pleaded guilty before her, six of them, all of their cases were heard in front of this very same judge here at Ft. Hood. But in Lynndie England's case, because she was pregnant, she was transferred earlier than anybody else back to the United States, and originally her trial, the beginnings of it, began at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

And he thought there was something unusual about why it was then transferred before the same trial judge that heard all the others. He wanted it to stay in Ft. Bragg. And in addition to that, some of the charges against her changed from Ft. Bragg. Once the case got to Ft. Hood, the charges were re- filed. And actually, she faced fewer charges.

So the judge was, in effect, scratching his head, saying, well, she's facing fewer charges than originally she did, so why are you questioning that? In the end, the whole mater is dropped and now the proceeding will go on as we expected.

KAGAN: All right. And we'll check in with you for the latest developments from Ft. Hood. Susan Candiotti, thank you for that.

Australian authorities are sending an emergency team to Iraq trying to free one of their citizens held hostage by insurgents. Douglas Wood is a contractor who actually lives in California and is married to an American. Australian Prime Minister John Howard says his government is working to win Wood's release, but will not bow to kidnapper's demands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We can't have the foreign policy of this country dictated by terrorists. But we're going to do everything we can, nonetheless, to assist this poor man. It's a reminder of the brutality and the ruthlessness of the group we're dealing with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: In a videotape released yesterday, Wood is seen with a rifle pointed at his head. He pleads for Australia, the U.S. and Britain to withdraw their troops from Iraq.

Insurgents set off another round of deadly car bombings in Iraq today. Four bombs exploded at separate locations in Baghdad, killing at least 11 Iraqis and wounding 29 others. One blast in a busy shopping district left nine people dead. The explosion damaged stores in the area and set fire to a six-story apartment building.

The three other bomb ping target targeted police patrols and military convoys. The leader of Baghdad's commando forces was the apparent target of one attack. But officials say he managed to escape serious injury. Meanwhile, one person was killed in an attack in Mosul.

Well, Italy is going public in the next hour with its own findings on the checkpoint shooting in Iraq in early March. You can look for considerable differences from the American report.

Let's go to the Pentagon now. Our correspondent Barbara Starr standing by there.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, Italy is expect to release its own report of its investigation into this March shooting incident. That report could come as soon as today.

The U.S. report, of course, released over the weekend in Baghdad, found that U.S. soldiers obeyed the rules in this incident and that it was a case in which they simply did not realize that the Italians were in that car. They thought they were facing a threat.

But due to a computer error, a classified version of the U.S. military report is now on the Internet. CNN has seen a version off it. It's not reporting any of the details, of course, that would put the lives and security of U.S. soldiers at risk. But there are some very interesting details in this classified report.

It paints a very grim picture of the insurgency over the months. For example, from November 2004 to March 2005, the U.S. military says there were over 3,000 attacks in Baghdad, over 2,000 directed against U.S. forces. Not a statistic that has been made available in the past.

A lot of details about what U.S. forces were facing on that airport road where this incident took place, it's known as Route Irish, one of the most dangerous roads in the world. U.S. forces had been facing a lot of attacks there, including explosives set on timers, explosives placed along guard rails and median strips, hidden in bags, even hidden in animal carcasses -- Daryn.

KAGAN: What exactly is the report, the part we can talk about, saying about the U.S. troops involved in the shooting incident?

STARR: Well, there is a lot of detail about the troops from the 3rd Infantry Division that was there that night, that set up the checkpoint, how they operated. But there was also another U.S. Army captain who was assigned to the Italian contingent working as an aide to an Italian general.

That report says that U.S. Army captain suspected that night that something was happening, that the Italians were coming to the airport with Ms. Sgrena. He did not know for sure. But when he spoke to his Italian bosses, the Italian general said to him -- he said, "It is best if no one knows."

And the U.S. Army captain, of course, taking that as a direct order from his Italian superior officer, did not pursue the matter further. However, the report is emphatic that no U.S. military personnel directly involved were made aware that the Italians were on the road that night.

There are some very heartbreaking details about what happened. The U.S. forces tried to revive Nicola Calipari, the Italian security agent at the time when he was shot. But he died within a few minutes of being shot.

And the report also tells us that one young U.S. Army soldier apparently so distraught, he was the young man manning the gun, firing the shots, that he had to be given some time, the report says to "collect himself" after the incident -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you.

The Bush administration ponders its next move on North Korea. We're going to get a live report from the White House ahead this hour.

Also, she says the wedding is still on. But will legal problems for the runaway bride get in the way?

And the breakout blues. A new study on a popular acne drug linked to depression. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here with that ahead this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The case of cold feet could land a runaway bride in hot water. Prosecutors now considering whether to file charges against Jennifer Wilbanks, who made up a story about being kidnapped.

CNN's Charles Molineaux joins us from Duluth, Georgia, with more on the latest.

Charles, good morning again.

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

And we are standing by for word from the city of Duluth, which is promising to at least give us some kind of an update a little later on today, possibly some indication as to whether the next stop on the odyssey of this runaway bride could be in front of a judge facing criminal charges.

Now, on Saturday night, Jennifer Wilbanks left Albuquerque with an afghan over her head and flew back home to Georgia. She vanished last Tuesday, four days before her wedding, setting off a desperate search.

Police now say she jumped on a bus to Las Vegas, then Albuquerque, and made up an emotional story about being kidnapped. A source briefed on this case says this may have been more than a spur of the moment anxiety attack, and that Jennifer Wilbanks bought her bus ticket in advance, arranged in advance to get transportation to the bus station, and cut her hair to avoid being recognized.

Well, the district attorney here in Gwinnett County, Georgia, says he's looking into the circumstances and the law and whether Wilbanks can or should be held criminally responsible for what she put the community through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANNY PORTER, GWINNETT COUNTY D.A.: I think at this point, I want to -- I want to really take a good look at what was said in Albuquerque. I want to know what happened in Las Vegas. I want to know about the pre-arrangements before I can make that decision. I think at some point there has to be some consequence, but I just don't know what that is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOLINEAUX: And we are standing by for some decision from the district attorney.

Meanwhile, on the flight back to Georgia, Jennifer Wilbanks reportedly told a flight attendant that the wedding is not off, that it has just been postponed. Although her fiance, John Mason, has not been making any public comments -- Daryn.

KAGAN: We will be watching it. Charles Molineaux, thank you.

Julia Roberts did it in the movie, Jennifer Wilbanks did it for real. And they are not the only runaway brides. But how do you know if that stuff you're feeling is just the pre-wedding jitters or time to call the whole thing off?

Rachel Safier called off her wedding two weeks before the big day. She is the author of "There Goes the Bride, " and she joins us from New York.

Rachel, good morning.

RACHEL SAFIER, "THERE GOES THE BRIDE": Good morning.

KAGAN: Quickly tell us your story. How did you run away or call it off?

SAFIER: I didn't run away.

KAGAN: OK. For the record, didn't run away.

SAFIER: Didn't -- for the record, didn't hop that bus.

KAGAN: OK.

SAFIER: But it just didn't feel right, and two weeks before we called it off.

KAGAN: And was it the right -- the right...

SAFIER: Absolutely.

KAGAN: You didn't postpone it. I mean, that was it, he went his way...

SAFIER: No, didn't postpone. Thought about it. It was sort of a little dance back and forth, should we postpone, should we just live together.

KAGAN: Yes. SAFIER: That whole little cha cha. But, no, we called it off.

KAGAN: So, in talking to other people who have called it off, how do you know the difference between cold feet and, you know, you really need to listen to that inner voice?

SAFIER: Sure. First of all, I have the top 10 list of nonnegotiables in the book, "There Goes the Bride."

They are on the Web site, which I wish Jennifer had come to, ThereGoesTheBride.com. They run the gamut from emotional abuse, physical abuse, to certainly have to get out...

KAGAN: Sure.

SAFIER: ... to what happened with me, which was a guy who would never hurt me in a million years, wonderful guy, but the deep knowledge this was the wrong thing. In between, things like the mama's boy, where mom's always going to be number one, you're never going to be better than number two, and just this idea that things are going to change once it's official.

Nothing changes. It's all permanent after that.

KAGAN: And what was the number one deal breaker for you?

SAFIER: The number one deal breaker for me was this feeling in my gut that wouldn't go away. I never had that feeling of happiest time in my life. I just felt awful.

And I've literally talked to thousands of women who have that, this feeling of he's -- "He's great, it's all good, why do I feel this way?" And I tell them, if you know it's wrong, you don't have to be able to put it into three lines or fewer as to why it's wrong. If it's wrong, it's wrong.

KAGAN: OK. If it's wrong, is there a right way to call it off?

SAFIER: Yes.

KAGAN: Certainly this is not the way this poor woman handled it...

(CROSSTALK)

SAFIER: Exactly the opposite. Exactly. Exactly.

The A number one thing you have to do is sit down with your fiance as soon as possible. There is no best way to break someone's heart, as we all know from experience. But as soon as you can do it.

After that, you've got a whole crowd of people who were going to help you put on a wedding. They can help you put off a wedding in terms of returning the gifts and the ring and the dress and the vendors. Those things have to happen, certainly, but they don't have to happen in the next overwhelming 24 hours. KAGAN: Yes. What is the etiquette? Do the gifts go back? Do the rings go back?

SAFIER: The gifts go back, the rings go back. Everybody goes back to his or her neutral corner and you all go on.

KAGAN: You know, as a retired bridesmaid, you know what I'm fascinated about this whole story? I wondered what the bridesmaid dresses looked like. Because you know those girls spent like $250 for the dress that they were promised they would wear again.

SAFIER: Sure.

KAGAN: Well, now they haven't even worn it once.

SAFIER: Right. And you never wear them again. They didn't even wear it once this time.

KAGAN: That's a whole other segment.

SAFIER: A whole other story. But in my case, I had the bridle gown, and I made it into a little cocktail dress. So all was not lost.

KAGAN: All right. Cute. Now, how many -- how long was that for you?

SAFIER: That was 2001, June 2001.

KAGAN: OK, 2001. So here we are, what, four years later.

SAFIER: Here we are four years later, and I'm all in one piece. It's all OK.

KAGAN: And how is he?

SAFIER: He's great. He's great. I wish him the best. He's happily married. It all really worked out.

KAGAN: Very good. Rachel Safier, thank you...

SAFIER: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: ... for giving us some perspective from someone who has been there.

SAFIER: Absolutely.

KAGAN: Oh, tell us your Web site.

SAFIER: Sure.

KAGAN: Wait, quickly, what's your Web site? Because...

SAFIER: ThereGoesTheBride.com. There are forums 24 hours a day. It's free. If you've got cold feet, get on the forums. We can help you out.

KAGAN: Very good. We were here to help. Thank you, Rachel.

SAFIER: Thank you.

KAGAN: All right.

Well, you might not be getting married, but you might be thinking about getting away from it all. Ahead this hour, we have some ideas about where you can go. They're small, unique, they're motels.

The motel is back. Warmth and personality, maybe just a nice vacation.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And so the city slicker asked the old guy how to get to the nearest town.

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: Not that old joke. Not again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The first lady showing off her comedic style and gives us a glimpse inside the White House bedroom. That is ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A live picture of San Diego, California. I just called my brother in the commercial break. He's there. A report for my brother, beautiful, sunny, mild, perfect, 70 degrees.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Jill, thank you.

We're going to get reaction straight ahead from Washington following North Korea's test of a short range missile. That is coming up.

And Dr. Sanjay Gupta about an acne drug. Some people say it's a miracle, some say it has a huge risk you need to take into account.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A significant development in the Lynndie England case out of Ft. Hood, Texas. She has pleaded guilty. Let's go now live to Susan Candiotti for details -- Susan.

CANDIOTTI: Yes, Daryn, officially this happened just moments ago. Private 1st Class Lynndie England, the Army reservist from rural West Virginia, has now pleaded guilty to seven counts, including two counts of conspiracy, four counts of abusing prisoners, detainees, at the Abu Ghraib prison, and one act of committing an indecent act. She has pleaded not guilty to a count of dereliction of duty, as well as taking a photograph, committing what's being referred to as an indecent sexual act with her ex-boyfriend, Charles Graner.

The judge di question her about her guilty plea, asked her if it was voluntary. She said yes. However, technically, the guilty plea was entered on her behalf by her military defense attorney. Now, of course what we're talking about here are those now infamous photographs seen around the world of Lynndie England holding a detainee by a dog leash, another one where she is posing, smiling behind a pile of naked prisoners, and another one where she is mocking a row of naked prisoners who are committing a sexual act.

Now, what happens next, they're in a recess. And then Lynndie England does have the right in this plea deal agreement to ask the judge that the jury be seated to decide her penalty. If that's what happens, that's likely to begin tomorrow, on Tuesday.

And then that's like a mini-trial. Witnesses would be presented on both sides, including -- included on her witness list is her ex- boyfriend, Charles Graner, who is believed to have fathered her child, a baby boy, who was born last October. And of course, Lynndie England would also have the opportunity to testify in her own defense, appearing before the jury to throw herself at their mercy.

Now her maximum ceiling is 11 years for all of these counts. However, in a plea deal that has been worked out behind the scenes, she might get as little as two years. So, as we understand it, if a jury comes back and gives her more than that, then whatever they say could be ignored, would be ignored and it would revert back to a lower sentence -- Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Susan Candiotti, thanks for the latest from Ft. Hood, Texas.

The Bush administration considering its next move on North Korea today, what happens after the regime's apparent missile test this weekend.

Our White House correspondent Dana Bash joins me live now from the White House. Hi, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn.

And the White House this morning is saying that this is the just the latest in a series of provocative moves by North Korea that they say only serves to isolate that country. Now, they are very much trying to downplay the significance of the short-range missile aisle test over the Sea of Japan. White House chief of staff Andy Card yesterday called it a bullying tactic by North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW CARD, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: We're not surprised by this. The North Koreans have tested their missiles before. They've had some failures. And we have to work together with our allies around the world, especially the Japanese, the South Koreans, the Russians and the Chinese, to demonstrate that North Korea's actions are inappropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, this was a short-range missile test, which has happened before, but it comes just after -- last week, the head of the defense intelligence agency appeared to warn that North Korea has the ability, they believe, to mount a nuclear device on a long-range missile and hit the United States, perhaps. Now, those are comments that did shock Washington, even the Pentagon, apparently.

They tried to walk it back a little bit afterwards, but this is certainly an issue of North Korea that the White House has been dealing with, trying to deal with, for years. And the way they have been trying to do so is through so-called six party talks, working through North Korea's neighbors and only that way to pressure that country to stop its nuclear program. That is the way the president believes is the best to deal with North Korea, but Democrats say it is now time for one-on-one negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: This administration has got to do two things. Number one, engage in multilateral talks, which of course it wants to do, including our allies and the neighbors. But we also ought to do what our ally, the South Koreans, want us to do which is also, in addition to the multilateral talks, talk directly to the North Koreans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: But, Daryn, the White House has made clear for a long time that they do not intend to do that, because they history shows dealing one-on-one with North Korea does not have the result they want, which is to stop their nuclear program. That the Clinton administration tried that, they say, and it didn't work. So right now what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said, even the president reiterated last week, is that if, in fact, these six-party talks, which have been stalled for nearly a year, don't go forward, perhaps they will take the issue to the U.N., perhaps the Security Council, but there's no deadline on that right now -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Dana Bash, live from the White House. Dana, thank you.

BASH: Thank you.

KAGAN: Let's take a look at what's happening in news overseas this morning.

A shoot-out in the West Bank leaves a Palestinian fugitive and an Israeli soldier dead. Israeli security forces say the militant was on the run after escaping a Palestinian prison. He was a suspect in a bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub in February. U.S. and German war ships helped rescue dozens of people 25 miles off the coast of Somalia this weekend. Crewmembers were taking part in anti-terrorism exercises. They pulled 89 people to safety after their boat capsized. At least five people drowned.

And World War II remembrances. Veterans and dignitaries today mark the 60th anniversary of Germany's surrender in Italy. Around 20,000 American soldiers during the allied liberation of Italy in 1945. The war in Europe ended 60 years ago, on Sunday, V.E. Day.

OK. Onto medical news now. It is like so totally typical. A new study finding teenagers know the risks of skin cancer, but they ignore those warnings. Two-thirds of teenagers saying people look better with that bronzed beach glow. And a similar number say that they got sunburned last summer. Only half of teenage girls say they wear sunscreen. Only a third of boys do. Not good, when one in five Americans will get skin cancer at some point in their lives.

On to the drug Accutane. A miracle drug for some, it's used by hundreds of thousands of people to fight severe acne. But a new study shows that in some vulnerable patients, Accutane could cause depression. Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: My youngest son B.J., Bart Jr., died in May 14, 2000. He shot himself.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bart Jr. was 17. Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak blames Accutane for his son's suicide and he wants it off the market. But until now, no one could say just how the drug might lead to depression.

STUPAK: This was the first study that really show as biological link a physical evidence.

GUPTA: With this high-tech camera, psychiatrist Douglas Bremner looked at the brains of 13 young adults taking Accutane for acne and another 15 on antibiotics. In the so-called Accutane brain, activity in this front part of the brain was down 21 percent.

DR. J. DOUGLAS BREMNER, EMORY UNIVERSITY: This plays a critical role in emotion. If there's a decrease in function in that part of the brain, it makes sense that there would be changes in mood.

GUPTA: Accutane and generic versions already carry an imposing warning. Aside from cautions about birth defects there's this:

(on camera): Accutane may cause depression, psychosis, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and aggressive behavior.

(voice-over): But that warning only started in 2002, four years after the Food and Drug Administration warned physicians that the drug might have psychiatric side effects. There are several lawsuits pending, including one by the family of 15-year-old patient Charles Bishop, who killed himself flying a small plane into a Tampa office tower three years ago. Of course, teens are more prone to clinical depression and experts say the rate, as measured by suicide and the number of teens seeking treatment, is rising.

A spokeswoman for Roche the company that makes Accutane, told us she doesn't know enough to comment about the new study, but says that Roche has never found a link between its drug and suicide. An FDA advisory panel recommended creating a formal registry of all patients on the drug to make it easier to keep track of side effects.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And the pharmaceutical company, Roche, tells CNN it has been working with the generic manufacturers of Accutane and the FDA to put together a mandatory registry of all users of the drug. That registry is expected to be in place by July.

Your daily dose of health news is always just a click away. Log on to cnn.com/health for the latest medical news. You'll also find special reports and a health library.

Just ahead, Cedric the Entertainer was supposed to provide the laughs at the White House correspondents dinner over the weekend in Washington. Somebody else stole the show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: George always says he's delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Also ahead, warmth, personality. It is hard to find those qualities in the big hotels. The best of the best motels ahead in our getaway segment.

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KAGAN: Well, who knew the first lady could be so funny. Laura Bush stealing the show Saturday night at the White House Correspondents Dinner. She pushed her husband aside, lamenting his notoriously early bedtime has turned her into a desperate housewife. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: One night after George went to bed, Lynne Cheney, Condi Rice, Karen Hughes and I went to Chippendales.

(LAUGHTER)

I wouldn't even mention it, except Ruth Ginsberg and Sandra Day O'Connor saw us there.

(LAUGHTER)

I won't tell you what happened, but Lynn's secret service code name is now "Dollar Bill."

George always says he's delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney. He's usual in bed by now. I'm not kidding. I said to him the other day, George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you're going to have to stay up later.

(LAUGHTER)

The amazing thing, however, is that George and I were just meant to be. I was a librarian, who spent 12 hours a day in the library, yet somehow, I met George.

(LAUGHTER)

People often wonder what my mother-in-law is really like. People think she's a sweet, grandmotherly, Aunt Bea type. She's actually more like Don Corleone.

(LAUGHTER)

I'm proud of George. He's learned a lot about ranching since that first year when he tried to milk the horse.

(LAUGHTER)

What's worse, it was a male horse. George's answer to any problem at the ranch is to cut it down with a chainsaw. Which I think is why he, and Cheney and Rumsfeld get along so well.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Funny, funny stuff. Not just the material, but the delivery, perfect.

Wolf Blitzer was there Saturday night. Of course he's an a- lister. Was that funny in person, or even better?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It was great. I've been going to those dinners, Daryn, for many, many years, and it was the first time the first lady actually interrupted the president of the United States, took over, took charge, and she was simply very, very strong. Maybe after the White House, who knows, comedy. Could happen in the future.

KAGAN: Who knows? There is a future.

BLITZER: There is a future for all of us.

KAGAN: What's in your future at noon Eastern? BLITZER: I have an immediate future on NEWS FROM CNN. We had a lot of stories that we're covering, the nuclear stalemate with North Korea. The stakes just got a little bit higher after word Pyongyang test-fired one of its short-range missiles. Coming up, we'll take a closer look at North Korea's nuclear threat, and whether the United States is taking it seriously enough.

Also, what's going on right now in Los Angeles? Six shootings over the past several weeks on a busy freeway. Four people have died, lots of questions for investigators.

And, Daryn, we'll update our viewers on the story of Jennifer Wilbanks, the bride-to-be who got cold feet. We're going to take a look at whether her story is all that unusual. Watch all that coming up at the top of the hour on NEWS FROM CNN.

Daryn, in the meantime, back to you.

KAGAN: All right, Wolf, thanks for that. Look forward to it. See you in a few minutes. Thinking about taking a trip, the kind that you plan, not like the runaway bride? But you want to stay away from those cookie-cutter chain hotels? We're going to show you some very different type of motels. Kitschy, cute, fun. Stay with us.

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KAGAN: You know, motels got a bad name way back in "Pyscho" when Janet Leigh had that, well, you know, unfortunate shower mishap. But if you're brave enough, there are some fun, funky and cheap places to say in your getaway this summer. The grooviest motels in the U.S. are featured in "Budget Travel" magazine. The editor-in-chief Eric Torkells is here with me.

Eric, hi.

ERIC TORKELLS, "BUDGET TRAVEL" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

KAGAN: Let's pack our things, and get going and hit the road. First to Portland, Oregon.

TORKELLS: The Jupiter Motel in Portland is a great example of this trend of old motels being renovated as sort of quirky hipster hotspots. And there's a bar that's part of it, and it's so popular with locals, that the hotel started offering a "get a room" rate of $50 after 11:00 p.m.

KAGAN: Oh, hubba-hubba.

OK, Thunderbird in Martha, Texas. Where is Martha, Texas?

TORKELLS: That is in the Middle of west Texas, and it's sort of in the middle of nowhere, with no disrespect to the rest of Texas. But Martha's popular on the contemporary art circuit, and there was never anywhere really to stay that was short of chic, and then this motel popped up, and you know, it's beautiful. It's got all the contemporary style you'd expect of a hotel in the middle of a big city.

KAGAN: Super. Kate's Lazy Meadow in Mount Tremper, New York. What part of the state is that?

TORKELLS: That's in the Catskills. And the owner is Kate Pierson, one ever the singers of the B-52s. Yes, it's pretty great. She bought this as an investment and decided to do it up, buying all of the vintage stuff herself. The toiletries are actually taken from her years on the road on tour.

KAGAN: You're getting old shampoo.

Let's head west for the Desert Star in Palm Springs, California.

TORKELLS: Palm Springs is the epicenter of this entire trend, in that there are so many great old motels. The architecture of those is so great. And the Desert Star is one of the most affordable of the group. But you know, you just -- it's got all that mid-century modern design that's big in interior design right now, but that also happened to be the style back when the hotel was built.

KAGAN: Back to Texas for the Austin Motel in Austin, Texas.

TORKELLS: Austin's such a great city.

KAGAN: Great music town.

TORKELLS: Yes, no, this is right on the strip of fun stuff, and, you know, it's a classic. The daughter of the second owner decided to re-do all the rooms herself, one by one. And that's what you see is, these owners are putting a lot of love into these places. It's kind of like the B & B of the modern day.

KAGAN: Yes, that's what I was just thinking. B & B meets motel.

TORKELLS: Yes, people who wanted to sort of have -- live the life of an innkeeper, but found that a motel works just as well for it.

KAGAN: Yes. More privacy for the guests. The Roxbury Motel in Roxbury, New York.

TORKELLS: And again, two theater vets from New York opened it up, and you, did all the shopping at IKEA and the Container Store, and just gave a little bit of style. You know, these places are under $100 a night. So, you know, there are still budget lodgings, but you know, they've go -- they're not the cookie cutter thing you used to expect from a motel.

KAGAN: How about Miami Beach? The Aqua Hotel.

TORKELLS: I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you.

KAGAN: Miami Beach?

TORKELLS: Ah, the Aqua. Well, Miami also has all that great art deco architecture, which is just, you know. So this another great example of that. You know, the fabulous old building that you know, that doesn't cost a lot.

KAGAN: And finally, the Starlux in Wildwood, New Jersey.

TORKELLS: The Starlux in Wildwood, New Jersey. Wildwood has more of these old buildings probably than anybody else. I don't know if you've ever been to Wildwood, but it's just crazy with neon and family attractions and stuff. And the Wildwood actually built this three-story lobby in front of the motel that looks like it was part of the original thing, but it was actually a new addition.

KAGAN: Looks like stuff that is fun and different. And I'll let you go, because I can tell your thing is kind of popping out there. But's it more in "Budget Travel," in this month's addition. Thank you so much.

TORKELLS: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Eric Torkells.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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KAGAN: And that's going to do it for me. I'm Daryn Kagan. Hope your Monday is off to a great start. Wolf Blitzer will be with you after a short break the top of the hour, and I'll be right back here tomorrow morning. You have a great day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 2, 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: Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
Within the last hour, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed a tough new sex offender law. The Jessica Lunsford Law requires a minimum 25- year sentence for those who prey on the youngest children. Lunsford was the 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her home and killed allegedly by a registered sex offender who was living nearby.

Live picture from here in Georgia. Vice President Dick Cheney is here to discuss Social Security issues. He's attending a town hall meeting right now at a high school in suburban Atlanta. He'll visit the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in south Georgia later today.

An enormous explosion at an ammunition dump killed at least 28 people in Afghanistan today. Seventy others were wounded in the explosion that devastated a village north of Kabul. Afghan officials say an arms cash hidden beneath a warlord's home exploded. It's not clear what triggered that blast.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's labor party is leading in the polls with three days left before elections in Britain. But Blair warned today that voter backlash over the Iraq war could hurt his party. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy says Blair's judgment on Iraq was fatally flawed and his credibility is on the line.

It's just a little bit past 11:00 a.m. and just past 8:00 a.m. for those of you on the West Coast.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

Up first this hour, an expected guilty plea from the woman who came to symbolize the Iraq prison abuse scandal. Private Lynndie England appeared in some of the most graphic photos showing abuse and humiliation of Iraqi detainees. She's expected to plead guilty at a hearing that began last hour.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is live from Fort Hood, Texas, with details.

Susan, good morning.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Yes, she's the young Army reservist from rural West Virginia, and an unwed mother whose child was conceived while she was serving in Iraq. Over the weekend, Lynndie England's attorneys worked out a plea deal with prosecutors. And when court started about an hour ago, she was expected to stand at attention before a judge and plead guilty.

But hold on. It hasn't been following the usual script.

As court god under way, England's military attorney told the judge that he was challenging him and suggesting that there was an appearance of impropriety, asking, in effect, for the judge to remove himself, or the legal term, to recuse himself, from the proceedings. He was talking about questioning why Lynndie England's case was transferred first from Iraq to Ft. Bragg in North Carolina, and then to Ft. Hood. Again, questioning why all that was done. And we have just learned a moment ago that the judge has now turned down the notion that he would remove himself, and now the proceeding will get under way.

Remember that Lynndie England faces seven counts now that include committing acts of -- indecent acts and conspiracy and mistreatment of prisoners. She faced a maximum of 16 years, but under this plea deal could be brought down to 11 years. Also, behind the scenes we have learned that that could bring her down to only serving a possibility of two years depending on what happens next.

You'll remember that Lynndie England is best known for the photographs that we've all seen time and again, her holding a prisoner by a leash, another one posing behind a pile of naked prisoners and pointing to others who were standing there naked as well.

Now, she does have the right, if here guilty plea is accepted by this judge, to ask for a jury to decide her sentence. If that happens, that part of the case would begin on Tuesday, tomorrow, after a jury would be selected and witnesses heard -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Susan, why...

CANDIOTTI: It's not the way we expected things to begin, but that's the way they're turning out.

KAGAN: Why was the judge being asked -- asked to be removed? On what basis?

CANDIOTTI: Well, as the military defense attorney was suggesting, he was saying that there was something unusual about how her case was handled, compared to the others. The others who have pleaded guilty before her, six of them, all of their cases were heard in front of this very same judge here at Ft. Hood. But in Lynndie England's case, because she was pregnant, she was transferred earlier than anybody else back to the United States, and originally her trial, the beginnings of it, began at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

And he thought there was something unusual about why it was then transferred before the same trial judge that heard all the others. He wanted it to stay in Ft. Bragg. And in addition to that, some of the charges against her changed from Ft. Bragg. Once the case got to Ft. Hood, the charges were re- filed. And actually, she faced fewer charges.

So the judge was, in effect, scratching his head, saying, well, she's facing fewer charges than originally she did, so why are you questioning that? In the end, the whole mater is dropped and now the proceeding will go on as we expected.

KAGAN: All right. And we'll check in with you for the latest developments from Ft. Hood. Susan Candiotti, thank you for that.

Australian authorities are sending an emergency team to Iraq trying to free one of their citizens held hostage by insurgents. Douglas Wood is a contractor who actually lives in California and is married to an American. Australian Prime Minister John Howard says his government is working to win Wood's release, but will not bow to kidnapper's demands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We can't have the foreign policy of this country dictated by terrorists. But we're going to do everything we can, nonetheless, to assist this poor man. It's a reminder of the brutality and the ruthlessness of the group we're dealing with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: In a videotape released yesterday, Wood is seen with a rifle pointed at his head. He pleads for Australia, the U.S. and Britain to withdraw their troops from Iraq.

Insurgents set off another round of deadly car bombings in Iraq today. Four bombs exploded at separate locations in Baghdad, killing at least 11 Iraqis and wounding 29 others. One blast in a busy shopping district left nine people dead. The explosion damaged stores in the area and set fire to a six-story apartment building.

The three other bomb ping target targeted police patrols and military convoys. The leader of Baghdad's commando forces was the apparent target of one attack. But officials say he managed to escape serious injury. Meanwhile, one person was killed in an attack in Mosul.

Well, Italy is going public in the next hour with its own findings on the checkpoint shooting in Iraq in early March. You can look for considerable differences from the American report.

Let's go to the Pentagon now. Our correspondent Barbara Starr standing by there.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, Italy is expect to release its own report of its investigation into this March shooting incident. That report could come as soon as today.

The U.S. report, of course, released over the weekend in Baghdad, found that U.S. soldiers obeyed the rules in this incident and that it was a case in which they simply did not realize that the Italians were in that car. They thought they were facing a threat.

But due to a computer error, a classified version of the U.S. military report is now on the Internet. CNN has seen a version off it. It's not reporting any of the details, of course, that would put the lives and security of U.S. soldiers at risk. But there are some very interesting details in this classified report.

It paints a very grim picture of the insurgency over the months. For example, from November 2004 to March 2005, the U.S. military says there were over 3,000 attacks in Baghdad, over 2,000 directed against U.S. forces. Not a statistic that has been made available in the past.

A lot of details about what U.S. forces were facing on that airport road where this incident took place, it's known as Route Irish, one of the most dangerous roads in the world. U.S. forces had been facing a lot of attacks there, including explosives set on timers, explosives placed along guard rails and median strips, hidden in bags, even hidden in animal carcasses -- Daryn.

KAGAN: What exactly is the report, the part we can talk about, saying about the U.S. troops involved in the shooting incident?

STARR: Well, there is a lot of detail about the troops from the 3rd Infantry Division that was there that night, that set up the checkpoint, how they operated. But there was also another U.S. Army captain who was assigned to the Italian contingent working as an aide to an Italian general.

That report says that U.S. Army captain suspected that night that something was happening, that the Italians were coming to the airport with Ms. Sgrena. He did not know for sure. But when he spoke to his Italian bosses, the Italian general said to him -- he said, "It is best if no one knows."

And the U.S. Army captain, of course, taking that as a direct order from his Italian superior officer, did not pursue the matter further. However, the report is emphatic that no U.S. military personnel directly involved were made aware that the Italians were on the road that night.

There are some very heartbreaking details about what happened. The U.S. forces tried to revive Nicola Calipari, the Italian security agent at the time when he was shot. But he died within a few minutes of being shot.

And the report also tells us that one young U.S. Army soldier apparently so distraught, he was the young man manning the gun, firing the shots, that he had to be given some time, the report says to "collect himself" after the incident -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you.

The Bush administration ponders its next move on North Korea. We're going to get a live report from the White House ahead this hour.

Also, she says the wedding is still on. But will legal problems for the runaway bride get in the way?

And the breakout blues. A new study on a popular acne drug linked to depression. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here with that ahead this hour.

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(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The case of cold feet could land a runaway bride in hot water. Prosecutors now considering whether to file charges against Jennifer Wilbanks, who made up a story about being kidnapped.

CNN's Charles Molineaux joins us from Duluth, Georgia, with more on the latest.

Charles, good morning again.

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

And we are standing by for word from the city of Duluth, which is promising to at least give us some kind of an update a little later on today, possibly some indication as to whether the next stop on the odyssey of this runaway bride could be in front of a judge facing criminal charges.

Now, on Saturday night, Jennifer Wilbanks left Albuquerque with an afghan over her head and flew back home to Georgia. She vanished last Tuesday, four days before her wedding, setting off a desperate search.

Police now say she jumped on a bus to Las Vegas, then Albuquerque, and made up an emotional story about being kidnapped. A source briefed on this case says this may have been more than a spur of the moment anxiety attack, and that Jennifer Wilbanks bought her bus ticket in advance, arranged in advance to get transportation to the bus station, and cut her hair to avoid being recognized.

Well, the district attorney here in Gwinnett County, Georgia, says he's looking into the circumstances and the law and whether Wilbanks can or should be held criminally responsible for what she put the community through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANNY PORTER, GWINNETT COUNTY D.A.: I think at this point, I want to -- I want to really take a good look at what was said in Albuquerque. I want to know what happened in Las Vegas. I want to know about the pre-arrangements before I can make that decision. I think at some point there has to be some consequence, but I just don't know what that is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOLINEAUX: And we are standing by for some decision from the district attorney.

Meanwhile, on the flight back to Georgia, Jennifer Wilbanks reportedly told a flight attendant that the wedding is not off, that it has just been postponed. Although her fiance, John Mason, has not been making any public comments -- Daryn.

KAGAN: We will be watching it. Charles Molineaux, thank you.

Julia Roberts did it in the movie, Jennifer Wilbanks did it for real. And they are not the only runaway brides. But how do you know if that stuff you're feeling is just the pre-wedding jitters or time to call the whole thing off?

Rachel Safier called off her wedding two weeks before the big day. She is the author of "There Goes the Bride, " and she joins us from New York.

Rachel, good morning.

RACHEL SAFIER, "THERE GOES THE BRIDE": Good morning.

KAGAN: Quickly tell us your story. How did you run away or call it off?

SAFIER: I didn't run away.

KAGAN: OK. For the record, didn't run away.

SAFIER: Didn't -- for the record, didn't hop that bus.

KAGAN: OK.

SAFIER: But it just didn't feel right, and two weeks before we called it off.

KAGAN: And was it the right -- the right...

SAFIER: Absolutely.

KAGAN: You didn't postpone it. I mean, that was it, he went his way...

SAFIER: No, didn't postpone. Thought about it. It was sort of a little dance back and forth, should we postpone, should we just live together.

KAGAN: Yes. SAFIER: That whole little cha cha. But, no, we called it off.

KAGAN: So, in talking to other people who have called it off, how do you know the difference between cold feet and, you know, you really need to listen to that inner voice?

SAFIER: Sure. First of all, I have the top 10 list of nonnegotiables in the book, "There Goes the Bride."

They are on the Web site, which I wish Jennifer had come to, ThereGoesTheBride.com. They run the gamut from emotional abuse, physical abuse, to certainly have to get out...

KAGAN: Sure.

SAFIER: ... to what happened with me, which was a guy who would never hurt me in a million years, wonderful guy, but the deep knowledge this was the wrong thing. In between, things like the mama's boy, where mom's always going to be number one, you're never going to be better than number two, and just this idea that things are going to change once it's official.

Nothing changes. It's all permanent after that.

KAGAN: And what was the number one deal breaker for you?

SAFIER: The number one deal breaker for me was this feeling in my gut that wouldn't go away. I never had that feeling of happiest time in my life. I just felt awful.

And I've literally talked to thousands of women who have that, this feeling of he's -- "He's great, it's all good, why do I feel this way?" And I tell them, if you know it's wrong, you don't have to be able to put it into three lines or fewer as to why it's wrong. If it's wrong, it's wrong.

KAGAN: OK. If it's wrong, is there a right way to call it off?

SAFIER: Yes.

KAGAN: Certainly this is not the way this poor woman handled it...

(CROSSTALK)

SAFIER: Exactly the opposite. Exactly. Exactly.

The A number one thing you have to do is sit down with your fiance as soon as possible. There is no best way to break someone's heart, as we all know from experience. But as soon as you can do it.

After that, you've got a whole crowd of people who were going to help you put on a wedding. They can help you put off a wedding in terms of returning the gifts and the ring and the dress and the vendors. Those things have to happen, certainly, but they don't have to happen in the next overwhelming 24 hours. KAGAN: Yes. What is the etiquette? Do the gifts go back? Do the rings go back?

SAFIER: The gifts go back, the rings go back. Everybody goes back to his or her neutral corner and you all go on.

KAGAN: You know, as a retired bridesmaid, you know what I'm fascinated about this whole story? I wondered what the bridesmaid dresses looked like. Because you know those girls spent like $250 for the dress that they were promised they would wear again.

SAFIER: Sure.

KAGAN: Well, now they haven't even worn it once.

SAFIER: Right. And you never wear them again. They didn't even wear it once this time.

KAGAN: That's a whole other segment.

SAFIER: A whole other story. But in my case, I had the bridle gown, and I made it into a little cocktail dress. So all was not lost.

KAGAN: All right. Cute. Now, how many -- how long was that for you?

SAFIER: That was 2001, June 2001.

KAGAN: OK, 2001. So here we are, what, four years later.

SAFIER: Here we are four years later, and I'm all in one piece. It's all OK.

KAGAN: And how is he?

SAFIER: He's great. He's great. I wish him the best. He's happily married. It all really worked out.

KAGAN: Very good. Rachel Safier, thank you...

SAFIER: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: ... for giving us some perspective from someone who has been there.

SAFIER: Absolutely.

KAGAN: Oh, tell us your Web site.

SAFIER: Sure.

KAGAN: Wait, quickly, what's your Web site? Because...

SAFIER: ThereGoesTheBride.com. There are forums 24 hours a day. It's free. If you've got cold feet, get on the forums. We can help you out.

KAGAN: Very good. We were here to help. Thank you, Rachel.

SAFIER: Thank you.

KAGAN: All right.

Well, you might not be getting married, but you might be thinking about getting away from it all. Ahead this hour, we have some ideas about where you can go. They're small, unique, they're motels.

The motel is back. Warmth and personality, maybe just a nice vacation.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And so the city slicker asked the old guy how to get to the nearest town.

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: Not that old joke. Not again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The first lady showing off her comedic style and gives us a glimpse inside the White House bedroom. That is ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A live picture of San Diego, California. I just called my brother in the commercial break. He's there. A report for my brother, beautiful, sunny, mild, perfect, 70 degrees.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Jill, thank you.

We're going to get reaction straight ahead from Washington following North Korea's test of a short range missile. That is coming up.

And Dr. Sanjay Gupta about an acne drug. Some people say it's a miracle, some say it has a huge risk you need to take into account.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A significant development in the Lynndie England case out of Ft. Hood, Texas. She has pleaded guilty. Let's go now live to Susan Candiotti for details -- Susan.

CANDIOTTI: Yes, Daryn, officially this happened just moments ago. Private 1st Class Lynndie England, the Army reservist from rural West Virginia, has now pleaded guilty to seven counts, including two counts of conspiracy, four counts of abusing prisoners, detainees, at the Abu Ghraib prison, and one act of committing an indecent act. She has pleaded not guilty to a count of dereliction of duty, as well as taking a photograph, committing what's being referred to as an indecent sexual act with her ex-boyfriend, Charles Graner.

The judge di question her about her guilty plea, asked her if it was voluntary. She said yes. However, technically, the guilty plea was entered on her behalf by her military defense attorney. Now, of course what we're talking about here are those now infamous photographs seen around the world of Lynndie England holding a detainee by a dog leash, another one where she is posing, smiling behind a pile of naked prisoners, and another one where she is mocking a row of naked prisoners who are committing a sexual act.

Now, what happens next, they're in a recess. And then Lynndie England does have the right in this plea deal agreement to ask the judge that the jury be seated to decide her penalty. If that's what happens, that's likely to begin tomorrow, on Tuesday.

And then that's like a mini-trial. Witnesses would be presented on both sides, including -- included on her witness list is her ex- boyfriend, Charles Graner, who is believed to have fathered her child, a baby boy, who was born last October. And of course, Lynndie England would also have the opportunity to testify in her own defense, appearing before the jury to throw herself at their mercy.

Now her maximum ceiling is 11 years for all of these counts. However, in a plea deal that has been worked out behind the scenes, she might get as little as two years. So, as we understand it, if a jury comes back and gives her more than that, then whatever they say could be ignored, would be ignored and it would revert back to a lower sentence -- Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Susan Candiotti, thanks for the latest from Ft. Hood, Texas.

The Bush administration considering its next move on North Korea today, what happens after the regime's apparent missile test this weekend.

Our White House correspondent Dana Bash joins me live now from the White House. Hi, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn.

And the White House this morning is saying that this is the just the latest in a series of provocative moves by North Korea that they say only serves to isolate that country. Now, they are very much trying to downplay the significance of the short-range missile aisle test over the Sea of Japan. White House chief of staff Andy Card yesterday called it a bullying tactic by North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW CARD, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: We're not surprised by this. The North Koreans have tested their missiles before. They've had some failures. And we have to work together with our allies around the world, especially the Japanese, the South Koreans, the Russians and the Chinese, to demonstrate that North Korea's actions are inappropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, this was a short-range missile test, which has happened before, but it comes just after -- last week, the head of the defense intelligence agency appeared to warn that North Korea has the ability, they believe, to mount a nuclear device on a long-range missile and hit the United States, perhaps. Now, those are comments that did shock Washington, even the Pentagon, apparently.

They tried to walk it back a little bit afterwards, but this is certainly an issue of North Korea that the White House has been dealing with, trying to deal with, for years. And the way they have been trying to do so is through so-called six party talks, working through North Korea's neighbors and only that way to pressure that country to stop its nuclear program. That is the way the president believes is the best to deal with North Korea, but Democrats say it is now time for one-on-one negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: This administration has got to do two things. Number one, engage in multilateral talks, which of course it wants to do, including our allies and the neighbors. But we also ought to do what our ally, the South Koreans, want us to do which is also, in addition to the multilateral talks, talk directly to the North Koreans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: But, Daryn, the White House has made clear for a long time that they do not intend to do that, because they history shows dealing one-on-one with North Korea does not have the result they want, which is to stop their nuclear program. That the Clinton administration tried that, they say, and it didn't work. So right now what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said, even the president reiterated last week, is that if, in fact, these six-party talks, which have been stalled for nearly a year, don't go forward, perhaps they will take the issue to the U.N., perhaps the Security Council, but there's no deadline on that right now -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Dana Bash, live from the White House. Dana, thank you.

BASH: Thank you.

KAGAN: Let's take a look at what's happening in news overseas this morning.

A shoot-out in the West Bank leaves a Palestinian fugitive and an Israeli soldier dead. Israeli security forces say the militant was on the run after escaping a Palestinian prison. He was a suspect in a bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub in February. U.S. and German war ships helped rescue dozens of people 25 miles off the coast of Somalia this weekend. Crewmembers were taking part in anti-terrorism exercises. They pulled 89 people to safety after their boat capsized. At least five people drowned.

And World War II remembrances. Veterans and dignitaries today mark the 60th anniversary of Germany's surrender in Italy. Around 20,000 American soldiers during the allied liberation of Italy in 1945. The war in Europe ended 60 years ago, on Sunday, V.E. Day.

OK. Onto medical news now. It is like so totally typical. A new study finding teenagers know the risks of skin cancer, but they ignore those warnings. Two-thirds of teenagers saying people look better with that bronzed beach glow. And a similar number say that they got sunburned last summer. Only half of teenage girls say they wear sunscreen. Only a third of boys do. Not good, when one in five Americans will get skin cancer at some point in their lives.

On to the drug Accutane. A miracle drug for some, it's used by hundreds of thousands of people to fight severe acne. But a new study shows that in some vulnerable patients, Accutane could cause depression. Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: My youngest son B.J., Bart Jr., died in May 14, 2000. He shot himself.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bart Jr. was 17. Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak blames Accutane for his son's suicide and he wants it off the market. But until now, no one could say just how the drug might lead to depression.

STUPAK: This was the first study that really show as biological link a physical evidence.

GUPTA: With this high-tech camera, psychiatrist Douglas Bremner looked at the brains of 13 young adults taking Accutane for acne and another 15 on antibiotics. In the so-called Accutane brain, activity in this front part of the brain was down 21 percent.

DR. J. DOUGLAS BREMNER, EMORY UNIVERSITY: This plays a critical role in emotion. If there's a decrease in function in that part of the brain, it makes sense that there would be changes in mood.

GUPTA: Accutane and generic versions already carry an imposing warning. Aside from cautions about birth defects there's this:

(on camera): Accutane may cause depression, psychosis, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and aggressive behavior.

(voice-over): But that warning only started in 2002, four years after the Food and Drug Administration warned physicians that the drug might have psychiatric side effects. There are several lawsuits pending, including one by the family of 15-year-old patient Charles Bishop, who killed himself flying a small plane into a Tampa office tower three years ago. Of course, teens are more prone to clinical depression and experts say the rate, as measured by suicide and the number of teens seeking treatment, is rising.

A spokeswoman for Roche the company that makes Accutane, told us she doesn't know enough to comment about the new study, but says that Roche has never found a link between its drug and suicide. An FDA advisory panel recommended creating a formal registry of all patients on the drug to make it easier to keep track of side effects.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And the pharmaceutical company, Roche, tells CNN it has been working with the generic manufacturers of Accutane and the FDA to put together a mandatory registry of all users of the drug. That registry is expected to be in place by July.

Your daily dose of health news is always just a click away. Log on to cnn.com/health for the latest medical news. You'll also find special reports and a health library.

Just ahead, Cedric the Entertainer was supposed to provide the laughs at the White House correspondents dinner over the weekend in Washington. Somebody else stole the show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: George always says he's delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Also ahead, warmth, personality. It is hard to find those qualities in the big hotels. The best of the best motels ahead in our getaway segment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, who knew the first lady could be so funny. Laura Bush stealing the show Saturday night at the White House Correspondents Dinner. She pushed her husband aside, lamenting his notoriously early bedtime has turned her into a desperate housewife. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: One night after George went to bed, Lynne Cheney, Condi Rice, Karen Hughes and I went to Chippendales.

(LAUGHTER)

I wouldn't even mention it, except Ruth Ginsberg and Sandra Day O'Connor saw us there.

(LAUGHTER)

I won't tell you what happened, but Lynn's secret service code name is now "Dollar Bill."

George always says he's delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney. He's usual in bed by now. I'm not kidding. I said to him the other day, George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you're going to have to stay up later.

(LAUGHTER)

The amazing thing, however, is that George and I were just meant to be. I was a librarian, who spent 12 hours a day in the library, yet somehow, I met George.

(LAUGHTER)

People often wonder what my mother-in-law is really like. People think she's a sweet, grandmotherly, Aunt Bea type. She's actually more like Don Corleone.

(LAUGHTER)

I'm proud of George. He's learned a lot about ranching since that first year when he tried to milk the horse.

(LAUGHTER)

What's worse, it was a male horse. George's answer to any problem at the ranch is to cut it down with a chainsaw. Which I think is why he, and Cheney and Rumsfeld get along so well.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Funny, funny stuff. Not just the material, but the delivery, perfect.

Wolf Blitzer was there Saturday night. Of course he's an a- lister. Was that funny in person, or even better?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It was great. I've been going to those dinners, Daryn, for many, many years, and it was the first time the first lady actually interrupted the president of the United States, took over, took charge, and she was simply very, very strong. Maybe after the White House, who knows, comedy. Could happen in the future.

KAGAN: Who knows? There is a future.

BLITZER: There is a future for all of us.

KAGAN: What's in your future at noon Eastern? BLITZER: I have an immediate future on NEWS FROM CNN. We had a lot of stories that we're covering, the nuclear stalemate with North Korea. The stakes just got a little bit higher after word Pyongyang test-fired one of its short-range missiles. Coming up, we'll take a closer look at North Korea's nuclear threat, and whether the United States is taking it seriously enough.

Also, what's going on right now in Los Angeles? Six shootings over the past several weeks on a busy freeway. Four people have died, lots of questions for investigators.

And, Daryn, we'll update our viewers on the story of Jennifer Wilbanks, the bride-to-be who got cold feet. We're going to take a look at whether her story is all that unusual. Watch all that coming up at the top of the hour on NEWS FROM CNN.

Daryn, in the meantime, back to you.

KAGAN: All right, Wolf, thanks for that. Look forward to it. See you in a few minutes. Thinking about taking a trip, the kind that you plan, not like the runaway bride? But you want to stay away from those cookie-cutter chain hotels? We're going to show you some very different type of motels. Kitschy, cute, fun. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: You know, motels got a bad name way back in "Pyscho" when Janet Leigh had that, well, you know, unfortunate shower mishap. But if you're brave enough, there are some fun, funky and cheap places to say in your getaway this summer. The grooviest motels in the U.S. are featured in "Budget Travel" magazine. The editor-in-chief Eric Torkells is here with me.

Eric, hi.

ERIC TORKELLS, "BUDGET TRAVEL" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

KAGAN: Let's pack our things, and get going and hit the road. First to Portland, Oregon.

TORKELLS: The Jupiter Motel in Portland is a great example of this trend of old motels being renovated as sort of quirky hipster hotspots. And there's a bar that's part of it, and it's so popular with locals, that the hotel started offering a "get a room" rate of $50 after 11:00 p.m.

KAGAN: Oh, hubba-hubba.

OK, Thunderbird in Martha, Texas. Where is Martha, Texas?

TORKELLS: That is in the Middle of west Texas, and it's sort of in the middle of nowhere, with no disrespect to the rest of Texas. But Martha's popular on the contemporary art circuit, and there was never anywhere really to stay that was short of chic, and then this motel popped up, and you know, it's beautiful. It's got all the contemporary style you'd expect of a hotel in the middle of a big city.

KAGAN: Super. Kate's Lazy Meadow in Mount Tremper, New York. What part of the state is that?

TORKELLS: That's in the Catskills. And the owner is Kate Pierson, one ever the singers of the B-52s. Yes, it's pretty great. She bought this as an investment and decided to do it up, buying all of the vintage stuff herself. The toiletries are actually taken from her years on the road on tour.

KAGAN: You're getting old shampoo.

Let's head west for the Desert Star in Palm Springs, California.

TORKELLS: Palm Springs is the epicenter of this entire trend, in that there are so many great old motels. The architecture of those is so great. And the Desert Star is one of the most affordable of the group. But you know, you just -- it's got all that mid-century modern design that's big in interior design right now, but that also happened to be the style back when the hotel was built.

KAGAN: Back to Texas for the Austin Motel in Austin, Texas.

TORKELLS: Austin's such a great city.

KAGAN: Great music town.

TORKELLS: Yes, no, this is right on the strip of fun stuff, and, you know, it's a classic. The daughter of the second owner decided to re-do all the rooms herself, one by one. And that's what you see is, these owners are putting a lot of love into these places. It's kind of like the B & B of the modern day.

KAGAN: Yes, that's what I was just thinking. B & B meets motel.

TORKELLS: Yes, people who wanted to sort of have -- live the life of an innkeeper, but found that a motel works just as well for it.

KAGAN: Yes. More privacy for the guests. The Roxbury Motel in Roxbury, New York.

TORKELLS: And again, two theater vets from New York opened it up, and you, did all the shopping at IKEA and the Container Store, and just gave a little bit of style. You know, these places are under $100 a night. So, you know, there are still budget lodgings, but you know, they've go -- they're not the cookie cutter thing you used to expect from a motel.

KAGAN: How about Miami Beach? The Aqua Hotel.

TORKELLS: I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you.

KAGAN: Miami Beach?

TORKELLS: Ah, the Aqua. Well, Miami also has all that great art deco architecture, which is just, you know. So this another great example of that. You know, the fabulous old building that you know, that doesn't cost a lot.

KAGAN: And finally, the Starlux in Wildwood, New Jersey.

TORKELLS: The Starlux in Wildwood, New Jersey. Wildwood has more of these old buildings probably than anybody else. I don't know if you've ever been to Wildwood, but it's just crazy with neon and family attractions and stuff. And the Wildwood actually built this three-story lobby in front of the motel that looks like it was part of the original thing, but it was actually a new addition.

KAGAN: Looks like stuff that is fun and different. And I'll let you go, because I can tell your thing is kind of popping out there. But's it more in "Budget Travel," in this month's addition. Thank you so much.

TORKELLS: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Eric Torkells.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: And that's going to do it for me. I'm Daryn Kagan. Hope your Monday is off to a great start. Wolf Blitzer will be with you after a short break the top of the hour, and I'll be right back here tomorrow morning. You have a great day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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