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CNN Live Today

The British Ballot; Runaway Bride Retributions

Aired May 05, 2005 - 11:30   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: It is election day in Great Britain. Let's be blunt: not a lot of suspense about what's going to happen. Voters are widely expected to return Labor Party leader Tony Blair to Number 10 Downing Street. This would be his third straight term. That is a first for a Labor leader. Despite anger over Britain's role in the war in Iraq, the Tories never gained much traction in the month-long campaign.
Top of the morning to our senior political analyst Bill Schneider Tracked you down in London for a front row seat at the election. Bill, hello.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morn -- good afternoon.

KAGAN: Yes, good afternoon to you in London, as we zoom in. And good morning to us.

We're going to look at some polls and get some insight for you about what Brits are thinking about this election. First, we're going to put up numbers about asking British voters, was the war in Iraq wrong? And overwhelmingly, 53 percent say that it was wrong. And again, these are British voters. How has that played out in this election, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: Well, those numbers have been growing, the number of Britons who say that it was wrong to go to war in Iraq. And that is creating anger and discontent. People didn't think the war in Iraq would be an issue, but it has been. The only problem with the issue is, the conservative party, which is the main opposition party, also supported the war in Iraq.

So a lot of voters who are anti-war and don't want to vote for the Labor Party and Tony Blair don't exactly know what to do. There's concern that they may stay home or vote for a third party. But it is an issue.

KAGAN: Let's look at Tony Blair's popularity numbers. They are down -- when we put it up. Tony Blair, positive, 46 percent; negative, 50 percent. Back in 2001, he had a landslide victory, was very popular -- Bill.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, he's much less popular now. And the only real question, if he does win, is how big will his majority be? If he has a very small majority of seats, then there may be pressure on him to step aside in favor of an alternative Labor Party leader. Blair is getting it from all sides. The right hate Blair because they see him as another Bill Clinton figure, someone they think does not tell the truth, who's has been deceptive, who's been slick and who's stolen a lot of their issues when he moved Labor more to the center. The left doesn't like Tony Blair. They see him as a kind of George Bush because George Bush is his close friend and they both went to war together in Iraq. So he's getting it from the left and the right. He is hated by the Bush-haters and the Clinton-haters.

KAGAN: Equal opportunity. Yet somehow will probably manage to get reelected. Bill, give us insight. I mean, you're over there because you love politics, you love elections. How does it work differently over there than what you've seen over here?

SCHNEIDER: Well, in some ways, it's the same. If he gets re- elected, the reason will be the economy, stupid. We've heard that before in the United Sates. The economy in Britain is doing well. But a lot of people say what they really want to do in Britain is keep the Labor Party in, but get Blair out. In Britain, you can do that.

Because Tony Blair is so unpopular, he's been campaigning virtually hand-in-hand with the man who would be his successor as Labor Party leader and prime minister, a man named Gordon Brown, who is, in effect, the secretary of the treasury here and who's issue is the good economy. So a lot of voters are saying we want to keep the Labor Party in, but with a diminished majority, so there will be pressure on Blair to step aside in favor of Gordon Brown. That's an amazing statement because they can have it both ways. Keep the same party in power, but get rid of the leader.

KAGAN: All right. There you go. Bill Schneider, live from London. Enjoy your stay there.

SCHNEIDER: Thank you.

KAGAN: Let's take a look at other news from overseas this morning. Sirens wailing today as Israelis remember the Holocaust. People pause in the streets and traffic came to a standstill. Ceremonies were being held throughout the day in honor of the six million Jews killed by the Nazi genocide.

An Australian women is on trial in Indonesia, accused of drug smuggling. Custom officials found a nine-pound bag of marijuana in Schappelle Corby's luggage at the airport in Bali. But she says it was planted and she is appealing for leniency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHAPPELLE CORBY, DEFENDANT: I believe the seven months which I've already been imprisoned is severe enough punishment for not putting locks on my bag.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Many Australians, including actor Russell Crowe, have rallied behind Corby. If convicted, she could face life in prison or death by a firing squad.

Rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon cheered on their son Jack at a boxing match in Thailand. Jack Osborne scored a knockout of a fight that lasted just minutes. He spent weeks training for the bout. His parents say they are relieved that he got through it with no injuries.

Right now we want to go north of Atlanta to Gainesville, Georgia. An update on runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks. Our Carol Lin standing by. Carol, what do you have?

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, I just got off the phone with the mayor of Duluth. And what she told me, when I asked her about Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney stating that she was in some form of discussions about whether there would be restitution for the cost of searching for Jennifer Wilbanks -- what the mayor told me was, look, we're talking about $40,000 to $60,000. But that she would be willing to consider a deal with Jennifer Wilbanks, that she wouldn't have to pay the entire sum of money, that she would be willing to consider some form of financial restitution. But that she could see this young woman performing some community service to pay back the city of Duluth for some of their expenses.

This offer, we don't know yet if it has been formally offered to Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney. The attorney did leave a message for the mayor of Duluth to tell her that Jennifer Wilbanks wants to offer her apologies and that they should try to get into some kind of discussion as to how they could settle this.

Daryn, this still doesn't resolve the question of criminal charges. I did ask the mayor if in on a personal note whether the district attorney out there is concerned about this woman's mental state. Because Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney says that she is crying so much that she can't even complete her own sentences. Whether there is even concern whether this woman would ever even make it into a courtroom.

We will hear more at 4:00 this afternoon. We're expecting to hear from Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney. We have calls in to all the relevant parties to get their reactions to a possible civil deal on any of these civil penalties. But we just wanted to bring that news to you that at least the city of Duluth is willing to consider a compromise in some kind of restitution. Community service. Daryn, we'll see what happens.

KAGAN: Carol, you saying this is coming out of the mayor's office?

LIN: I spoke with the mayor herself.

KAGAN: Right, because -- it just seems strange for that to come out of the mayor's office. That wouldn't be appropriate there. It should be the district attorney that's handling whether -- what kind of charges or what kind of settlement would happen between Jennifer Wilbanks and the city. LIN: Right, right. Let me be perfectly clear. I'm not talking about the settlement of the criminal charges. I'm talking about a settlement of reimbursing the costs to the city of Duluth. They were talking about as much as $60,000 to get those volunteers and the police search teams out, that somebody had to absorb the cost. They were looking for Jennifer Wilbanks, herself or her family, to be writing a check to the city of Duluth. Pay us back for the search that -- we weren't looking for a woman who had actually been kidnapped. We were looking for a woman who voluntarily ran away. We need to get paid back.

That's what the mayor is talking about. Obviously, the mayor and the district attorney know each other personally. And I'm telling you that she is expressing some of -- all of their concerns about this woman's state of mind. There's still a question as to whether criminal prosecution can go forward.

The way Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney has described her emotional state of being, there's a question as to whether this woman would be prepared at this time to even make an appearance in court. She is -- the attorney has said that she is crying so much that can't even finish her own sentences right now. So we're going to have to see what happens, find out what deals are being made behind-the-scenes at 4:00 this afternoon at a news conference here at the Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville.

KAGAN: All right. Carol Lin, live from Gainesville, Georgia. Thank you. We will be carrying that statement live, whether Jennifer Wilbanks shows up or not. You'll see it live here on CNN. 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

We're going to get a break in and we're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A brain-damaged firefighter celebrates his 44th birthday on Saturday, just a week after uttering his first words in nearly a decade.

Senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines his sudden improvement that has amazed both doctors and his family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LINDA HERBERT, FIREFIGHTER'S WIFE: As you can imagine for us, to speak to and to be recognized by my husband, their father, after nine- and-a-half years was completely overwhelming.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Standing with her son at her side, Linda Herbert described her husband's awakening. It had been almost a decade since she heard a full sentence uttered from his lips. When he awoke, he thought it had only been three months.

HERBERT: He was very surprised to find out it was 9 1/2 years.

GUPTA: What was surprising to his family is baffling to the medical community.

DR. DANIEL BARROW, EMORY UNIV. CHIEF OF NEUROSURGERY: The environment within those brain cells that were dysfunctioning live must have changed in some way. They're living, but they are not functioning.

GUPTA: Revitalizing cells, making an injured brain function. What could possibly cause such a change? Dr. Jamil Ahmed, who has treated Herbert for more than two years, thinks he may have the answer.

DR. JAMIL AHMED, HERBERT'S PHYSICIAN; About three months ago, I changed his whole setup of the medications. And there were like different-types of the three medications we started, which work in a different way to the brain.

GUPTA: To be sure, the brain is a complex organ with different parts controlling speech, motor skills and memory. And there are neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, noraponefren (ph) and serotonin. All these help impulses get to neural receptors. Proper balances are essential to healthy functioning of the brain.

In recent years, doctors have learned to manipulate these neurotransmitters with medications, like SSRIs.

DR. EILEEN REILLY, HERBERT'S PHYSICIAN: It's new to me to see these medicines being used. I've, you know, use these kind of medicines for ADHD, and Parkinson's and depression. I've seen them used very commonly in those settings. I am in the medical field, and I understand how these medicines work, but I have just never seen anything like this.

GUPTA: She's not alone. There are been no long-term studies showing that this sort of treatment has worked in anyone besides Herbert.

Still, whether it was the medication or just his time to start speaking, his family is just thankful that he is talking. But they're also realistic.

HERBERT: Don has made some advances, but there's still a long way to go.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check in with Wolf Blitzer to see what's coming on CNN at the top of the hour. Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We've got lots coming up, Daryn. A very busy hour on news from CNN. A story our viewers watched unfold just a short time ago here on CNN. For years she was only known as "Precious Doe." A young girl found murdered, brutally murdered, in Kansas City, Missouri. Now police say they have a break in the case. We're live on this developing story.

And his name is Tom DeLay. He is one of the most powerful people here in Washington. But how did this former exterminator become such an influential and controversial lawmaker? Our Candy Crowley travels to Texas to find out. You'll want to see her report. Those stories, much more coming up on the top of the hour on "NEWS FROM CNN."

In the meantime, it's all Daryn, all the time -- Daryn.

KAGAN; At least for 10 more minutes. Wolf, thank you. We'll see you in a few minutes.

At least two inmates who escaped last night from a county jail in Georgia are still at large today. According to reports, two of the escapees have been captured. Authorities say the men apparently cut through a wire fence in an exercise yard. Their green jail uniforms were later found. So it's presumed the fugitives now have other clothing, or, I don't know, they're naked? Charges include assault, robbery and drug and weapons accounts. Authorities say they should be considered dangerous.

And now a story of the hunt and the hunted through eyes of a fugitive. Our Rick Sanchez takes us on the run as he shows us the inner workings of a police manhunt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good girl.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to Man Tracker 2005 in the woods of Coweta County, Georgia, where local police and state agencies brush up every year on the very techniques that could save lives, maybe their own. Among the techniques, tracking and finding a fugitive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We call it a traffic stop just like a normal traffic stop would be. At the point we get stopped, once I step out of the vehicle to make contact with the driver, you guys will bail out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USB-589, Kelly command post. (ph)

SANCHEZ: In Georgia law enforcement terms, what you are about to see is called a "bush bomb," a routine traffic stop that suddenly turns into a man hunt when the suspects bolt. Trooper Tony Hightower (ph) says it happens more often than we think.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know why they are running, number one. It may be a murder suspect. It may be they don't have driver's license. They may have beer in the car. It may be something as simple as that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wayne, could you -- get you about two or 300 feet above.

SANCHEZ: The exercise is going to be conducted just like the real thing. There will be two suspects. The first, Phil Kirksy (ph) who happens to be a real corrections officer and experienced tracker. The second, the next person they could find, me, a television correspondent with a bit of curiosity and a willingness to not take himself too seriously.

After getting pulled, over the troopers mounted camera catches us making a run for it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's haul ass.

SANCHEZ: My handycam recorded the get away. The dense Georgia woods would seem to any suspect, a perfect hiding place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two white males, bush bomb.

SANCHEZ: As we run through the woods, Trooper Hightower does not give chase. Experience and training tell him that would be the wrong thing to do. His job is to set up a perimeter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. 10-4. You got 10-77?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-4, 911 (INAUDIBLE) county unit in the area.

SANCHEZ: He calls for more units, a helicopter and, what may be the best weapon of all, a bloodhound.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And also need any K-9 units in the area.

SANCHEZ: Back in the woods, we're still running. The feeling of being hunted creates a sensation of both desperation and confusion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the things that comes to mind right away is, you figure they're looking at you, and they got a good look at you when you tried to get out of the car. So, if you could somehow change your appearance, you might be able to throw them off. One of the keys is to just take off whatever clothes you have, and just leave it behind, and take off.

SANCHEZ: After running through the woods and into a clearing, we hear the first sounds of the helicopter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hear the chopper. We want to stay out of this clearing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, girl.

SANCHEZ: While we're looking for another place to hide, the tracking team arrives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dog will find him within 20.

SANCHEZ: As we run, we're shedding millions of cells. Think of it as a constant trail of microscopic pieces of your own skin. It is undetectable to us, but for Lola -- she's the bloodhound -- it is easy pickings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right through there.

SANCHEZ: And she picks up our scent almost immediately. But it's a helicopter that still has us worried at this point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to find our way to an area over here that is covered. We think they won't be ale to see us here, because there's no way the helicopter can spot us. This looks open here, but the tree cover above us might possibly block out the helicopter. This would be the best bet right here.

SANCHEZ: So the idea then is to try to hunker down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hunker down and wait it out.

SANCHEZ: That's when Phil spots the tracking team on our heels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see the dogs coming. Get down. They are coming to us. We got nowhere to go.

SANCHEZ: What I'm going to do now is try and separate myself from the other suspect, figuring, by separating the scents, the dogs that are chasing us will get confused, and they won't be bale to find me.

Heading off on my own turns out to be the right move. Phil is immediately captured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me see your hands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I give up!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down. Good girl.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't shoot, I give up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get him, girl. You can get up, boy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, don't shoot. I'm getting up.

SANCHEZ: It's taken Lola just six minutes to find her first fugitive. And, now, she has picked up the next human scent: mine.

I'm figuring they already got the other suspect. I'm going to see how long I can stay on the run before they find me.

By continuing to run I seem to be able to stay ahead of the trackers, but what I can't do is run away from the sound of the helicopter blades.

They are in the woods. You know you are being hunted. You really don't know which direction to go in. You just -- your instincts will tell you, don't go in a clearing because they'll see you, and the best you can do is try and confuse the dogs so they can't pick up your scent.

Figuring if I can get away across this creek, I might be able to...

But it's probably me who is confused. I follow some railroad tracks hoping to find a way out. Instead, I spot what I think will be a decent hiding place.

I found a highway overpass. I figure if I can get a little slot underneath this thing, the helicopter won't be able to see me.

But Lola is relentless. I don't realize it but she is getting closer. Now I've hunkered down, hoping to wait them out.

Here's a little corner I'm tucked into. Nothing but concrete barriers and dirtdaubers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show your hands! Good girl.

SANCHEZ: You found my spot, huh? Well, I guess this is where guys would normally hide out, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, this and anywhere else they can. As long as we keep tracking you, and they keep you pinned down as a team effort, it's hard to get away.

SANCHEZ: My brief career as a fugitive is over. Fifteen to 20 minutes after finding Phil, Lola's nose and trainer Matt Gorely's (ph) experience proved unbeatable. Even my tricks didn't work, not even crossing the creek. I'm told it was neither deep enough nor wide enough to hide my scent.

SANCHEZ: So, no matter how many circles I did out there in the woods, eventually these bloodhounds are going to get my scent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. (INAUDIBLE) stay with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to stay out there with them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, they never give up. That's the thing about them. They run. They run until we get tired.

SANCHEZ: Lola goes back in her cage, and if I had been a real fugitive, I would be off to jail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Oh, Rick, you can run but you can not hide. We taught you that. Thank you, Rick Sanchez.

We're going to have a check of the business news when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: We're done shaking things up for this morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. We'll be right back here for Friday morning.

Meanwhile, Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington D.C.

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Aired May 5, 2005 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is election day in Great Britain. Let's be blunt: not a lot of suspense about what's going to happen. Voters are widely expected to return Labor Party leader Tony Blair to Number 10 Downing Street. This would be his third straight term. That is a first for a Labor leader. Despite anger over Britain's role in the war in Iraq, the Tories never gained much traction in the month-long campaign.
Top of the morning to our senior political analyst Bill Schneider Tracked you down in London for a front row seat at the election. Bill, hello.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morn -- good afternoon.

KAGAN: Yes, good afternoon to you in London, as we zoom in. And good morning to us.

We're going to look at some polls and get some insight for you about what Brits are thinking about this election. First, we're going to put up numbers about asking British voters, was the war in Iraq wrong? And overwhelmingly, 53 percent say that it was wrong. And again, these are British voters. How has that played out in this election, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: Well, those numbers have been growing, the number of Britons who say that it was wrong to go to war in Iraq. And that is creating anger and discontent. People didn't think the war in Iraq would be an issue, but it has been. The only problem with the issue is, the conservative party, which is the main opposition party, also supported the war in Iraq.

So a lot of voters who are anti-war and don't want to vote for the Labor Party and Tony Blair don't exactly know what to do. There's concern that they may stay home or vote for a third party. But it is an issue.

KAGAN: Let's look at Tony Blair's popularity numbers. They are down -- when we put it up. Tony Blair, positive, 46 percent; negative, 50 percent. Back in 2001, he had a landslide victory, was very popular -- Bill.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, he's much less popular now. And the only real question, if he does win, is how big will his majority be? If he has a very small majority of seats, then there may be pressure on him to step aside in favor of an alternative Labor Party leader. Blair is getting it from all sides. The right hate Blair because they see him as another Bill Clinton figure, someone they think does not tell the truth, who's has been deceptive, who's been slick and who's stolen a lot of their issues when he moved Labor more to the center. The left doesn't like Tony Blair. They see him as a kind of George Bush because George Bush is his close friend and they both went to war together in Iraq. So he's getting it from the left and the right. He is hated by the Bush-haters and the Clinton-haters.

KAGAN: Equal opportunity. Yet somehow will probably manage to get reelected. Bill, give us insight. I mean, you're over there because you love politics, you love elections. How does it work differently over there than what you've seen over here?

SCHNEIDER: Well, in some ways, it's the same. If he gets re- elected, the reason will be the economy, stupid. We've heard that before in the United Sates. The economy in Britain is doing well. But a lot of people say what they really want to do in Britain is keep the Labor Party in, but get Blair out. In Britain, you can do that.

Because Tony Blair is so unpopular, he's been campaigning virtually hand-in-hand with the man who would be his successor as Labor Party leader and prime minister, a man named Gordon Brown, who is, in effect, the secretary of the treasury here and who's issue is the good economy. So a lot of voters are saying we want to keep the Labor Party in, but with a diminished majority, so there will be pressure on Blair to step aside in favor of Gordon Brown. That's an amazing statement because they can have it both ways. Keep the same party in power, but get rid of the leader.

KAGAN: All right. There you go. Bill Schneider, live from London. Enjoy your stay there.

SCHNEIDER: Thank you.

KAGAN: Let's take a look at other news from overseas this morning. Sirens wailing today as Israelis remember the Holocaust. People pause in the streets and traffic came to a standstill. Ceremonies were being held throughout the day in honor of the six million Jews killed by the Nazi genocide.

An Australian women is on trial in Indonesia, accused of drug smuggling. Custom officials found a nine-pound bag of marijuana in Schappelle Corby's luggage at the airport in Bali. But she says it was planted and she is appealing for leniency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHAPPELLE CORBY, DEFENDANT: I believe the seven months which I've already been imprisoned is severe enough punishment for not putting locks on my bag.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Many Australians, including actor Russell Crowe, have rallied behind Corby. If convicted, she could face life in prison or death by a firing squad.

Rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon cheered on their son Jack at a boxing match in Thailand. Jack Osborne scored a knockout of a fight that lasted just minutes. He spent weeks training for the bout. His parents say they are relieved that he got through it with no injuries.

Right now we want to go north of Atlanta to Gainesville, Georgia. An update on runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks. Our Carol Lin standing by. Carol, what do you have?

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, I just got off the phone with the mayor of Duluth. And what she told me, when I asked her about Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney stating that she was in some form of discussions about whether there would be restitution for the cost of searching for Jennifer Wilbanks -- what the mayor told me was, look, we're talking about $40,000 to $60,000. But that she would be willing to consider a deal with Jennifer Wilbanks, that she wouldn't have to pay the entire sum of money, that she would be willing to consider some form of financial restitution. But that she could see this young woman performing some community service to pay back the city of Duluth for some of their expenses.

This offer, we don't know yet if it has been formally offered to Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney. The attorney did leave a message for the mayor of Duluth to tell her that Jennifer Wilbanks wants to offer her apologies and that they should try to get into some kind of discussion as to how they could settle this.

Daryn, this still doesn't resolve the question of criminal charges. I did ask the mayor if in on a personal note whether the district attorney out there is concerned about this woman's mental state. Because Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney says that she is crying so much that she can't even complete her own sentences. Whether there is even concern whether this woman would ever even make it into a courtroom.

We will hear more at 4:00 this afternoon. We're expecting to hear from Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney. We have calls in to all the relevant parties to get their reactions to a possible civil deal on any of these civil penalties. But we just wanted to bring that news to you that at least the city of Duluth is willing to consider a compromise in some kind of restitution. Community service. Daryn, we'll see what happens.

KAGAN: Carol, you saying this is coming out of the mayor's office?

LIN: I spoke with the mayor herself.

KAGAN: Right, because -- it just seems strange for that to come out of the mayor's office. That wouldn't be appropriate there. It should be the district attorney that's handling whether -- what kind of charges or what kind of settlement would happen between Jennifer Wilbanks and the city. LIN: Right, right. Let me be perfectly clear. I'm not talking about the settlement of the criminal charges. I'm talking about a settlement of reimbursing the costs to the city of Duluth. They were talking about as much as $60,000 to get those volunteers and the police search teams out, that somebody had to absorb the cost. They were looking for Jennifer Wilbanks, herself or her family, to be writing a check to the city of Duluth. Pay us back for the search that -- we weren't looking for a woman who had actually been kidnapped. We were looking for a woman who voluntarily ran away. We need to get paid back.

That's what the mayor is talking about. Obviously, the mayor and the district attorney know each other personally. And I'm telling you that she is expressing some of -- all of their concerns about this woman's state of mind. There's still a question as to whether criminal prosecution can go forward.

The way Jennifer Wilbanks' attorney has described her emotional state of being, there's a question as to whether this woman would be prepared at this time to even make an appearance in court. She is -- the attorney has said that she is crying so much that can't even finish her own sentences right now. So we're going to have to see what happens, find out what deals are being made behind-the-scenes at 4:00 this afternoon at a news conference here at the Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville.

KAGAN: All right. Carol Lin, live from Gainesville, Georgia. Thank you. We will be carrying that statement live, whether Jennifer Wilbanks shows up or not. You'll see it live here on CNN. 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

We're going to get a break in and we're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A brain-damaged firefighter celebrates his 44th birthday on Saturday, just a week after uttering his first words in nearly a decade.

Senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines his sudden improvement that has amazed both doctors and his family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LINDA HERBERT, FIREFIGHTER'S WIFE: As you can imagine for us, to speak to and to be recognized by my husband, their father, after nine- and-a-half years was completely overwhelming.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Standing with her son at her side, Linda Herbert described her husband's awakening. It had been almost a decade since she heard a full sentence uttered from his lips. When he awoke, he thought it had only been three months.

HERBERT: He was very surprised to find out it was 9 1/2 years.

GUPTA: What was surprising to his family is baffling to the medical community.

DR. DANIEL BARROW, EMORY UNIV. CHIEF OF NEUROSURGERY: The environment within those brain cells that were dysfunctioning live must have changed in some way. They're living, but they are not functioning.

GUPTA: Revitalizing cells, making an injured brain function. What could possibly cause such a change? Dr. Jamil Ahmed, who has treated Herbert for more than two years, thinks he may have the answer.

DR. JAMIL AHMED, HERBERT'S PHYSICIAN; About three months ago, I changed his whole setup of the medications. And there were like different-types of the three medications we started, which work in a different way to the brain.

GUPTA: To be sure, the brain is a complex organ with different parts controlling speech, motor skills and memory. And there are neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, noraponefren (ph) and serotonin. All these help impulses get to neural receptors. Proper balances are essential to healthy functioning of the brain.

In recent years, doctors have learned to manipulate these neurotransmitters with medications, like SSRIs.

DR. EILEEN REILLY, HERBERT'S PHYSICIAN: It's new to me to see these medicines being used. I've, you know, use these kind of medicines for ADHD, and Parkinson's and depression. I've seen them used very commonly in those settings. I am in the medical field, and I understand how these medicines work, but I have just never seen anything like this.

GUPTA: She's not alone. There are been no long-term studies showing that this sort of treatment has worked in anyone besides Herbert.

Still, whether it was the medication or just his time to start speaking, his family is just thankful that he is talking. But they're also realistic.

HERBERT: Don has made some advances, but there's still a long way to go.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check in with Wolf Blitzer to see what's coming on CNN at the top of the hour. Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We've got lots coming up, Daryn. A very busy hour on news from CNN. A story our viewers watched unfold just a short time ago here on CNN. For years she was only known as "Precious Doe." A young girl found murdered, brutally murdered, in Kansas City, Missouri. Now police say they have a break in the case. We're live on this developing story.

And his name is Tom DeLay. He is one of the most powerful people here in Washington. But how did this former exterminator become such an influential and controversial lawmaker? Our Candy Crowley travels to Texas to find out. You'll want to see her report. Those stories, much more coming up on the top of the hour on "NEWS FROM CNN."

In the meantime, it's all Daryn, all the time -- Daryn.

KAGAN; At least for 10 more minutes. Wolf, thank you. We'll see you in a few minutes.

At least two inmates who escaped last night from a county jail in Georgia are still at large today. According to reports, two of the escapees have been captured. Authorities say the men apparently cut through a wire fence in an exercise yard. Their green jail uniforms were later found. So it's presumed the fugitives now have other clothing, or, I don't know, they're naked? Charges include assault, robbery and drug and weapons accounts. Authorities say they should be considered dangerous.

And now a story of the hunt and the hunted through eyes of a fugitive. Our Rick Sanchez takes us on the run as he shows us the inner workings of a police manhunt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good girl.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to Man Tracker 2005 in the woods of Coweta County, Georgia, where local police and state agencies brush up every year on the very techniques that could save lives, maybe their own. Among the techniques, tracking and finding a fugitive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We call it a traffic stop just like a normal traffic stop would be. At the point we get stopped, once I step out of the vehicle to make contact with the driver, you guys will bail out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USB-589, Kelly command post. (ph)

SANCHEZ: In Georgia law enforcement terms, what you are about to see is called a "bush bomb," a routine traffic stop that suddenly turns into a man hunt when the suspects bolt. Trooper Tony Hightower (ph) says it happens more often than we think.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know why they are running, number one. It may be a murder suspect. It may be they don't have driver's license. They may have beer in the car. It may be something as simple as that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wayne, could you -- get you about two or 300 feet above.

SANCHEZ: The exercise is going to be conducted just like the real thing. There will be two suspects. The first, Phil Kirksy (ph) who happens to be a real corrections officer and experienced tracker. The second, the next person they could find, me, a television correspondent with a bit of curiosity and a willingness to not take himself too seriously.

After getting pulled, over the troopers mounted camera catches us making a run for it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's haul ass.

SANCHEZ: My handycam recorded the get away. The dense Georgia woods would seem to any suspect, a perfect hiding place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two white males, bush bomb.

SANCHEZ: As we run through the woods, Trooper Hightower does not give chase. Experience and training tell him that would be the wrong thing to do. His job is to set up a perimeter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. 10-4. You got 10-77?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-4, 911 (INAUDIBLE) county unit in the area.

SANCHEZ: He calls for more units, a helicopter and, what may be the best weapon of all, a bloodhound.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And also need any K-9 units in the area.

SANCHEZ: Back in the woods, we're still running. The feeling of being hunted creates a sensation of both desperation and confusion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the things that comes to mind right away is, you figure they're looking at you, and they got a good look at you when you tried to get out of the car. So, if you could somehow change your appearance, you might be able to throw them off. One of the keys is to just take off whatever clothes you have, and just leave it behind, and take off.

SANCHEZ: After running through the woods and into a clearing, we hear the first sounds of the helicopter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hear the chopper. We want to stay out of this clearing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, girl.

SANCHEZ: While we're looking for another place to hide, the tracking team arrives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dog will find him within 20.

SANCHEZ: As we run, we're shedding millions of cells. Think of it as a constant trail of microscopic pieces of your own skin. It is undetectable to us, but for Lola -- she's the bloodhound -- it is easy pickings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right through there.

SANCHEZ: And she picks up our scent almost immediately. But it's a helicopter that still has us worried at this point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to find our way to an area over here that is covered. We think they won't be ale to see us here, because there's no way the helicopter can spot us. This looks open here, but the tree cover above us might possibly block out the helicopter. This would be the best bet right here.

SANCHEZ: So the idea then is to try to hunker down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hunker down and wait it out.

SANCHEZ: That's when Phil spots the tracking team on our heels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see the dogs coming. Get down. They are coming to us. We got nowhere to go.

SANCHEZ: What I'm going to do now is try and separate myself from the other suspect, figuring, by separating the scents, the dogs that are chasing us will get confused, and they won't be bale to find me.

Heading off on my own turns out to be the right move. Phil is immediately captured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me see your hands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I give up!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down. Good girl.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't shoot, I give up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get him, girl. You can get up, boy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, don't shoot. I'm getting up.

SANCHEZ: It's taken Lola just six minutes to find her first fugitive. And, now, she has picked up the next human scent: mine.

I'm figuring they already got the other suspect. I'm going to see how long I can stay on the run before they find me.

By continuing to run I seem to be able to stay ahead of the trackers, but what I can't do is run away from the sound of the helicopter blades.

They are in the woods. You know you are being hunted. You really don't know which direction to go in. You just -- your instincts will tell you, don't go in a clearing because they'll see you, and the best you can do is try and confuse the dogs so they can't pick up your scent.

Figuring if I can get away across this creek, I might be able to...

But it's probably me who is confused. I follow some railroad tracks hoping to find a way out. Instead, I spot what I think will be a decent hiding place.

I found a highway overpass. I figure if I can get a little slot underneath this thing, the helicopter won't be able to see me.

But Lola is relentless. I don't realize it but she is getting closer. Now I've hunkered down, hoping to wait them out.

Here's a little corner I'm tucked into. Nothing but concrete barriers and dirtdaubers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show your hands! Good girl.

SANCHEZ: You found my spot, huh? Well, I guess this is where guys would normally hide out, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, this and anywhere else they can. As long as we keep tracking you, and they keep you pinned down as a team effort, it's hard to get away.

SANCHEZ: My brief career as a fugitive is over. Fifteen to 20 minutes after finding Phil, Lola's nose and trainer Matt Gorely's (ph) experience proved unbeatable. Even my tricks didn't work, not even crossing the creek. I'm told it was neither deep enough nor wide enough to hide my scent.

SANCHEZ: So, no matter how many circles I did out there in the woods, eventually these bloodhounds are going to get my scent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. (INAUDIBLE) stay with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to stay out there with them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, they never give up. That's the thing about them. They run. They run until we get tired.

SANCHEZ: Lola goes back in her cage, and if I had been a real fugitive, I would be off to jail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Oh, Rick, you can run but you can not hide. We taught you that. Thank you, Rick Sanchez.

We're going to have a check of the business news when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: We're done shaking things up for this morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. We'll be right back here for Friday morning.

Meanwhile, Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington D.C.

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