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CNN Live Today
Senate Votes On Confirmation of Judge Owen; Stem Cell Research Debate; Feds Allow Small Aircrafts at Reagan National
Aired May 25, 2005 - 10:00 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: A car bombing happened in the southern part of the city. Police say a parked car was packed with explosives, it appears to have been remotely detonated and was meant for a police patrol.
In Spain, chaos and calamity after a car bomb rips through a northeastern section of Madrid. At least three people were injured when a stolen truck packed with explosives detonated in the San Blas District. Officials call it an ETA terrorist attack and they a newspapers received a warning about 45 minutes before the attack.
Right now here in the U.S. on Capitol Hill, senators are debating Judge Priscilla Owen's qualifications for a federal judgeship. They're likely to vote yes or no in a few hours. Judge Owen is expected to be approved. A live report coming up from Capitol Hill with our Joe Johns in just a couple of minutes.
And in New York, ships ahoy. An armada of more than a dozen Navy and Coast Guard ships making its way into New York Harbor. This is the 18-Annual Fleet Week. The weeklong event will honor the U.S. military, including a Memorial Day tribute to those who died serving their country.
Good morning to you. We're halfway through the week. I'm a Daryn Kagan. We start on this Wednesday morning with life liberty and the law; they are inflaming the debate on Capitol Hill this morning. First, judgment day for embattled Bush nominee Priscilla Owen. After years of legislative limbo, the Senate will decide whether to confirm Owen as a federal judge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Over four years ago, I put Judge Owen's name up to the Senate for confirmation to the Fifth Court of Appeals. Thanks to the good work of the leader, his work cleared the way. Judge Owen is finally going to get an up-or- down vote on the Senate floor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Another embattled Bush nominee, John Bolton also faces scrutiny of the full Senate. Bolton has been dogged by accusations that he's unfit for the diplomatic position. And a test of presidential power as well, Mr. Bush says he'll use his first ever veto to slap down a measure loosening restrictions on stem cell research. The House yesterday passed a bill that would extend federal funding and some senators are also calling for quick action.
Let's get the latest on all three issues looming big on Capitol Hill this morning. Our congressional correspondent Joe Johns is there with the latest.
Joe, good morning.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. It started this morning with the leaders of the Republicans and Democrats in the Senate out on the floor today in anticipation of that up-or-down vote for Priscilla Owen. It will not be a unanimous vote. She has been harshly criticized by a number of Democrats as being an activist judge. Republicans say she's an exemplary candidate for the federal bench. They say that's the reason she was put first on the list on the filibuster fight. So we do expect that vote to come around noon Eastern Time -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's move to this other interesting showdown and House vote on increasing federal funding for stem cell research. This looks like it's going to be a showdown with President Bush.
JOHNS: It certainly has the potential to do that. Of course, this is a bill that the house passed, the president does not like. Some question still as to whether the Senate will take it up. This is the kind of issue that has been around for so long, Nancy Reagan weighing in, in favor of that measure, of course. It also pits conservatives against conservatives. For example, Orrin Hatch, a bonafide conservative certainly against Sam Brownback another conservative here on Capitol Hill. So that's an issue they have to work out before this ever even reaches the president's desk -- Daryn.
KAGAN: It did pass, this stem cell research bill. But are there the votes to override a potential presidential veto -- Joe?
JOHNS: Well, that's -- those are always the kinds of questions that are hard to work out on first pass. This is the type of thing that people on Capitol Hill have been kicking around a very long time. It's part of a larger debate. It's really, a proxy debate over some of the issues surrounding abortion. And you have to consider that when you think about the issue of stem cell research -- Daryn.
JOHNS: And finally, John Bolton, President Bush's pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, his nomination finally making it to the full Senate.
JOHNS: Right. Democrats saying this morning they really want to get to that nomination. Of course, that is a controversial nomination. In many ways, Democrats criticizing Bolton. Also, at least one Republican, a senator from Ohio, George Voinovich, because as a former governor he's concerned about the people skills of the nominee. And the assertions out there that Bolton, as a bureaucratic infighter hasn't always played nice.
We do expect that nomination to start a debate this afternoon sometime. And it's probably going to go on until tomorrow. As of last night, Democrats were telling us they did think Republicans in the end, would have the votes to push Bolton through.
KAGAN: Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. We'll be in touch throughout the morning. Thank you.
Coming up in just a few minutes, we're going to go live to the White House for more on that stem cell debate and the challenge it creates for President Bush's second term.
To Iraq now. A pair of bombings today in Baghdad, including a car bomb aimed at an Iraqi police patrol. One Iraqi civilian died and eight police commandos were wounded. In another incident, two U.S. soldiers were slightly wounded by a roadside bomb.
In western Iraq, about 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces today launched a new offensive against insurgents around the city of Haditha. Operation New Market is a follow-up to Operation Matador earlier this month. A Marine officer tells CNN that Operation New Market appears to have caught insurgents by total surprise.
And one of the most wanted men in Iraq reportedly has been wounded. We first told you about this yesterday. An Islamic Web site says that terror leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi is hurt. U.S. officials are skeptical of that claim however. Meanwhile, Iraqi officials today announced that one of Zarqawi's aides was arrested yesterday in Baquba.
Now, on to our CNN "Security Watch." For the first time since 9/11, since those attacks, small aircraft will be welcomed back at Reagan Washington National Airport. That decision expected to be announced later today. It comes two weeks after a stray plane triggered this massive evacuation from and around the White House.
Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us with more.
Jeanne, good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Good morning, Daryn. This airport is only about two miles away from the White House and the Capitol. And those security concerns are exactly why general aviation was suspended here after 9/11. But now according to congressional and aviation sources, limited, corporate, and charter air traffic will be allowed here again at Reagan National, but under some very stringent conditions.
First of all, only 48 operations a day are going to be allowed. This according to an aviation source who's familiar with the regulations expected to be announced. Forty-eight operations today, that's 24 landings, 24 takeoffs. All of the aircraft that fly into Reagan National have to go through one of 12 gateway airports where the passengers and the crew will be screened by TSA. And the aircraft swept with dogs.
The crew and passenger manifest must be provided to the TSA 24 hours ahead of time so they can be run against no-fly lists. And pilots and crew will have to have undergone prescreening. They will have to have undergone criminal background check. And an armed law enforcement officer will be on board every single one of the general aviation aircraft permitted to land here.
Now there are some, like delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton who represents the District of Columbia in Congress, who regards these restrictions as being onerous. But everybody is glad to see some resumption of general aviation here, something that local officials and business have been fighting very hard for. They're hopeful that if this goes well it will be expanded in the future. And they tell me that this could all begin in 90 days.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: I imagine these guidelines were being developed separately and before the restrictive airspace incursion happened a couple weeks ago?
MESERVE: That's correct. This is on a totally different path. This is something that, as I say, has been worked on from the local official and congressional end several months. In fact, there was recent legislation that passed in the House that mandated that the DHS begin to set up guidelines for how this airport would re-open to general aviation. In this instance, DHS and TSA apparently anticipated that, working a little bit ahead of the curve in preparing to announce this today we're told.
KAGAN: It certainly is convenient to Washington D.C. that's for sure. Jeanne Meserve, thank you.
MESERVE: You bet.
KAGAN: You want to be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Will your holiday travels take you to the airport this weekend? It's a good question. Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, a look at what you can expect in the air and on the ground.
Plus, just in time for a Memorial Day. We're going to take a look at the top rated beaches.
And from a frozen embryo, a chance at life. Now snowflake babies are putting a new face on the stem cell debate.
And later, it's decision day. Will criminal charges be in the future for the Georgia runaway bride? These stories and more as CNN LIVE TODAY rolls on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well, she ran away from her wedding, she might not though be able to escape the law. Jennifer Wilbanks, the so-called runaway bride could face charges for faking her own kidnapping days before her Georgia wedding.
CNN's Sara Dorsey is in Lawrenceville with that story. Sara, good morning.
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. The last time we saw Jennifer Wilbanks she had her head covered by a blanket. And today in only 45 minutes, we should know if indeed she will face any criminal charges at all. Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter had several options in this case. He can either choose not to charge Jennifer Wilbanks with anything at all. Or he can go with a misdemeanor charge for filing a false report. His third and final option is to go with a felony charge of making a false statement.
You know, there have been some questions of the jurisdiction of this case because Wilbanks was found in New Mexico. It was there that she made her 911 call and told law enforcement agents that story about being abducted and sexually assaulted. That lie it turned out to be. The district attorney here in Gwinnett County said because Wilbanks furthered that lie by telling it to law enforcement agents in this county, that they indeed can file charges here if they so choose.
Wilbanks' attorneys, of course, say they don't believe their client did anything wrong, that she should be charged with any sort of crime. But I can tell you the people Gwinnett County don't exactly feel that way. Whenever it was discovered that Wilbanks actually did run away and stage her own abduction, the district attorney got many, many e-mails about this case. Many people here are asking for her to be prosecuted for everything she put the community through.
You know, whether or not that's going to happen is still up in the air. We will learn that shortly. But there is some talk about Wilbanks having to pay a restitution to the county, that for the money spent in looking for her, even though she wasn't truly missing, as we all believed.
She issued a statement through her attorneys apologizing for the event. And we know earlier in the month, Wilbanks did check herself in to an institution for both mental and physical issues to be looked at. She said those issues led to her running away. And that, of course, all came through in a statement issued by her attorneys -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Sara Dorsey. Sara, thank you. We'll be checking back at the top of the hour when that news conference begins.
Let's meanwhile check other stories making news "Coast to Coast."
Indiana executed Gregory Johnson early this morning for killing an elderly woman 20 years ago. Johnson had sought a reprieve to donate part of his liver to his sister. That request was denied in part because medical experts said that Johnson's liver was probably not suitable as a donor organ.
In Florida, a judge this morning denied bond for Lionel Tate. He's charged with robbing a pizza deliveryman earlier this week. The young man's attorney says it's a case of mistaken identity. Tate is now 18. He's on probation for the 1999 death of a 6-year-old girl. He accepted a plea deal in 2004 after his murder conviction and life sentence were overturned.
To Dallas, authorities believe this fiery wreck may have been caused -- wow, by a truck driver falling asleep. He was seriously hurt. The exploding wreckage tied up traffic along two major interstates for most of the day.
Also in Dallas, authorities say a teenage driver is facing charges after smash a car into dare center and injuring eight children. Seven of those children have since been released from the hospital. According to police, the 14-year-old girl lost control of the car after hitting a curb.
Well, we're going to show you some live pictures here. These live -- tape, tape. Oh, no. Live. There we go. It is live. Boston, Massachusetts. Now, that's not going to surprise you. But folks, look at the calendar. End of May. Blustery in Beantown. A nor'easter running into Boston overnight, whipping up driving rains, powerful winds gusts. Over all though, those problems being described as pretty minor. Only scattered power outages, downed trees and probably a lot of down people.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Well, if heading to the beach is your choice for relaxing this summer, you're going to you want to stick around. Coming up, a look at the top 10 rated beaches.
Plus, Gerri Willis joins us live.
Hi, Ger.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you. Guess what? That real estate market is hot, hot, hot. But is the bubble about to burst? We'll tell you when LIVE TODAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's go from stocks to real estate. The market has been gaining steam. Existing home sales have hit a record high. So what is there to worry about? Well, some economists are worrying about a possible housing bubble; meaning that demand will go down and property values could slide. What do you need to know?
Joining with us her top tips on that, CNN personal finance manager, Gerri Willis.
Gerri, what is this housing bubble?
WILLIS: Well, I'm telling you, Daryn, it's looking a little bit scary out there. Let's look at some numbers. First of all, this April over last April, home prices went up over 15 percent. And Daryn, you have to go all the way back to 1980, 25 years ago to find a similar spike year-over-year. This is a lot of money we're talking about. Back then home prices, median was $62,000. Can you believe that? KAGAN: Uh! No.
WILLIS: Today, it just went through the 200,000 mark. Now we're showing you information on red-hot markets. Look at this. Bradenton, Florida, 45.6 percent up year-over-year. These are mostly coastal cities so popular with baby boomers. They're looking for places to retire to. They're pushing up prices everywhere. So bottom line, we are seeing many markets where prices are going up. And going up dramatically. And people are really going to have to watch, be careful and be sure they're not overpaying if they're in the market -- Daryn.
KAGAN: OK. So that is existing home sales. What about housing starts?
WILLIS: Housing starts out today, up today, up 11 percent. That's good news. It's a reverse of the previous month where the housing starts went down 17.6 percent. The good news there, housing starts are a forward-looking indicator. So it means good news for the housing market. But the big question again, Daryn, is how long can this go on? And is the market too hot at this point?
KAGAN: So let's break it down to people watching out there. If you're a buyer, what do you need to do? If you're a seller, what do you need to do?
WILLIS: All right. Let's start with if you're a buyer in this marketplace right now. You have got to be careful not to overpay on a lot of people. That's exactly what's happening what's happening to them, because they are just pushed to the limit trying to just get into the market. So don't overpay. Watch out for some of the fancy mortgages out there that could be a problem, like interest only mortgages becoming very popular. But Daryn, I've got to tell you they're not the best instruments for many people, because you could end up owing more than the house is worth, particularly if it were to crumble.
Now, if you're a buyer out there, good news. The value of your home is going up. You can top more of it with an equity loan or a line of credit.
I just wanted to give a little sound here from David Lereah, the chief economist at the National Association of Realtor's president, we talked to him yesterday about this very issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LERAH, NAT'L. ASSN. OF REALTORS: No one can time it. Real estate will begin to slow down. We will see air come out of a lot of these balloons. We may experience some of these local balloons popping.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: So as you can see, David Lereah, right in the center of the frenzy. He's saying some markets are overheated and could pop. But I've got to tell you, Daryn, if you're really worried, what will happen through most of the country? Is that if anything, the worst that can happen is prices will flatten and not continue going up at the rate they have.
So if you live in one of those coastal cities where the markets have been red hot, keep an eye out, watch, make sure you make all the right moves like we just suggested. But for most of the country, not a big deal to worry about.
KAGAN: Yes. Like here in Atlanta, I mean prices have gone up. But there's a number of houses in my neighborhood that have been for sale, that stay for sale. It doesn't have that same desperate mentality
WILLIS: Real estate is a local, local, local market. So you have got to pay attention to the tea leaves in your town.
KAGAN: Will do. Gerri, thank you.
WILLIS: You're welcome
KAGAN: Still up on CNN LIVE TODAY, the House says, yes, Bush says no. It's still up for debate in the Senate. We'll go live to the White House where President Bush promises his first veto of the controversial stem cell bill.
Plus, they're called snowflake babies and they're putting a face on the stem cell debate. Their stories are straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 25, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A car bombing happened in the southern part of the city. Police say a parked car was packed with explosives, it appears to have been remotely detonated and was meant for a police patrol.
In Spain, chaos and calamity after a car bomb rips through a northeastern section of Madrid. At least three people were injured when a stolen truck packed with explosives detonated in the San Blas District. Officials call it an ETA terrorist attack and they a newspapers received a warning about 45 minutes before the attack.
Right now here in the U.S. on Capitol Hill, senators are debating Judge Priscilla Owen's qualifications for a federal judgeship. They're likely to vote yes or no in a few hours. Judge Owen is expected to be approved. A live report coming up from Capitol Hill with our Joe Johns in just a couple of minutes.
And in New York, ships ahoy. An armada of more than a dozen Navy and Coast Guard ships making its way into New York Harbor. This is the 18-Annual Fleet Week. The weeklong event will honor the U.S. military, including a Memorial Day tribute to those who died serving their country.
Good morning to you. We're halfway through the week. I'm a Daryn Kagan. We start on this Wednesday morning with life liberty and the law; they are inflaming the debate on Capitol Hill this morning. First, judgment day for embattled Bush nominee Priscilla Owen. After years of legislative limbo, the Senate will decide whether to confirm Owen as a federal judge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Over four years ago, I put Judge Owen's name up to the Senate for confirmation to the Fifth Court of Appeals. Thanks to the good work of the leader, his work cleared the way. Judge Owen is finally going to get an up-or- down vote on the Senate floor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Another embattled Bush nominee, John Bolton also faces scrutiny of the full Senate. Bolton has been dogged by accusations that he's unfit for the diplomatic position. And a test of presidential power as well, Mr. Bush says he'll use his first ever veto to slap down a measure loosening restrictions on stem cell research. The House yesterday passed a bill that would extend federal funding and some senators are also calling for quick action.
Let's get the latest on all three issues looming big on Capitol Hill this morning. Our congressional correspondent Joe Johns is there with the latest.
Joe, good morning.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. It started this morning with the leaders of the Republicans and Democrats in the Senate out on the floor today in anticipation of that up-or-down vote for Priscilla Owen. It will not be a unanimous vote. She has been harshly criticized by a number of Democrats as being an activist judge. Republicans say she's an exemplary candidate for the federal bench. They say that's the reason she was put first on the list on the filibuster fight. So we do expect that vote to come around noon Eastern Time -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's move to this other interesting showdown and House vote on increasing federal funding for stem cell research. This looks like it's going to be a showdown with President Bush.
JOHNS: It certainly has the potential to do that. Of course, this is a bill that the house passed, the president does not like. Some question still as to whether the Senate will take it up. This is the kind of issue that has been around for so long, Nancy Reagan weighing in, in favor of that measure, of course. It also pits conservatives against conservatives. For example, Orrin Hatch, a bonafide conservative certainly against Sam Brownback another conservative here on Capitol Hill. So that's an issue they have to work out before this ever even reaches the president's desk -- Daryn.
KAGAN: It did pass, this stem cell research bill. But are there the votes to override a potential presidential veto -- Joe?
JOHNS: Well, that's -- those are always the kinds of questions that are hard to work out on first pass. This is the type of thing that people on Capitol Hill have been kicking around a very long time. It's part of a larger debate. It's really, a proxy debate over some of the issues surrounding abortion. And you have to consider that when you think about the issue of stem cell research -- Daryn.
JOHNS: And finally, John Bolton, President Bush's pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, his nomination finally making it to the full Senate.
JOHNS: Right. Democrats saying this morning they really want to get to that nomination. Of course, that is a controversial nomination. In many ways, Democrats criticizing Bolton. Also, at least one Republican, a senator from Ohio, George Voinovich, because as a former governor he's concerned about the people skills of the nominee. And the assertions out there that Bolton, as a bureaucratic infighter hasn't always played nice.
We do expect that nomination to start a debate this afternoon sometime. And it's probably going to go on until tomorrow. As of last night, Democrats were telling us they did think Republicans in the end, would have the votes to push Bolton through.
KAGAN: Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. We'll be in touch throughout the morning. Thank you.
Coming up in just a few minutes, we're going to go live to the White House for more on that stem cell debate and the challenge it creates for President Bush's second term.
To Iraq now. A pair of bombings today in Baghdad, including a car bomb aimed at an Iraqi police patrol. One Iraqi civilian died and eight police commandos were wounded. In another incident, two U.S. soldiers were slightly wounded by a roadside bomb.
In western Iraq, about 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces today launched a new offensive against insurgents around the city of Haditha. Operation New Market is a follow-up to Operation Matador earlier this month. A Marine officer tells CNN that Operation New Market appears to have caught insurgents by total surprise.
And one of the most wanted men in Iraq reportedly has been wounded. We first told you about this yesterday. An Islamic Web site says that terror leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi is hurt. U.S. officials are skeptical of that claim however. Meanwhile, Iraqi officials today announced that one of Zarqawi's aides was arrested yesterday in Baquba.
Now, on to our CNN "Security Watch." For the first time since 9/11, since those attacks, small aircraft will be welcomed back at Reagan Washington National Airport. That decision expected to be announced later today. It comes two weeks after a stray plane triggered this massive evacuation from and around the White House.
Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us with more.
Jeanne, good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Good morning, Daryn. This airport is only about two miles away from the White House and the Capitol. And those security concerns are exactly why general aviation was suspended here after 9/11. But now according to congressional and aviation sources, limited, corporate, and charter air traffic will be allowed here again at Reagan National, but under some very stringent conditions.
First of all, only 48 operations a day are going to be allowed. This according to an aviation source who's familiar with the regulations expected to be announced. Forty-eight operations today, that's 24 landings, 24 takeoffs. All of the aircraft that fly into Reagan National have to go through one of 12 gateway airports where the passengers and the crew will be screened by TSA. And the aircraft swept with dogs.
The crew and passenger manifest must be provided to the TSA 24 hours ahead of time so they can be run against no-fly lists. And pilots and crew will have to have undergone prescreening. They will have to have undergone criminal background check. And an armed law enforcement officer will be on board every single one of the general aviation aircraft permitted to land here.
Now there are some, like delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton who represents the District of Columbia in Congress, who regards these restrictions as being onerous. But everybody is glad to see some resumption of general aviation here, something that local officials and business have been fighting very hard for. They're hopeful that if this goes well it will be expanded in the future. And they tell me that this could all begin in 90 days.
Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: I imagine these guidelines were being developed separately and before the restrictive airspace incursion happened a couple weeks ago?
MESERVE: That's correct. This is on a totally different path. This is something that, as I say, has been worked on from the local official and congressional end several months. In fact, there was recent legislation that passed in the House that mandated that the DHS begin to set up guidelines for how this airport would re-open to general aviation. In this instance, DHS and TSA apparently anticipated that, working a little bit ahead of the curve in preparing to announce this today we're told.
KAGAN: It certainly is convenient to Washington D.C. that's for sure. Jeanne Meserve, thank you.
MESERVE: You bet.
KAGAN: You want to be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Will your holiday travels take you to the airport this weekend? It's a good question. Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, a look at what you can expect in the air and on the ground.
Plus, just in time for a Memorial Day. We're going to take a look at the top rated beaches.
And from a frozen embryo, a chance at life. Now snowflake babies are putting a new face on the stem cell debate.
And later, it's decision day. Will criminal charges be in the future for the Georgia runaway bride? These stories and more as CNN LIVE TODAY rolls on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well, she ran away from her wedding, she might not though be able to escape the law. Jennifer Wilbanks, the so-called runaway bride could face charges for faking her own kidnapping days before her Georgia wedding.
CNN's Sara Dorsey is in Lawrenceville with that story. Sara, good morning.
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. The last time we saw Jennifer Wilbanks she had her head covered by a blanket. And today in only 45 minutes, we should know if indeed she will face any criminal charges at all. Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter had several options in this case. He can either choose not to charge Jennifer Wilbanks with anything at all. Or he can go with a misdemeanor charge for filing a false report. His third and final option is to go with a felony charge of making a false statement.
You know, there have been some questions of the jurisdiction of this case because Wilbanks was found in New Mexico. It was there that she made her 911 call and told law enforcement agents that story about being abducted and sexually assaulted. That lie it turned out to be. The district attorney here in Gwinnett County said because Wilbanks furthered that lie by telling it to law enforcement agents in this county, that they indeed can file charges here if they so choose.
Wilbanks' attorneys, of course, say they don't believe their client did anything wrong, that she should be charged with any sort of crime. But I can tell you the people Gwinnett County don't exactly feel that way. Whenever it was discovered that Wilbanks actually did run away and stage her own abduction, the district attorney got many, many e-mails about this case. Many people here are asking for her to be prosecuted for everything she put the community through.
You know, whether or not that's going to happen is still up in the air. We will learn that shortly. But there is some talk about Wilbanks having to pay a restitution to the county, that for the money spent in looking for her, even though she wasn't truly missing, as we all believed.
She issued a statement through her attorneys apologizing for the event. And we know earlier in the month, Wilbanks did check herself in to an institution for both mental and physical issues to be looked at. She said those issues led to her running away. And that, of course, all came through in a statement issued by her attorneys -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Sara Dorsey. Sara, thank you. We'll be checking back at the top of the hour when that news conference begins.
Let's meanwhile check other stories making news "Coast to Coast."
Indiana executed Gregory Johnson early this morning for killing an elderly woman 20 years ago. Johnson had sought a reprieve to donate part of his liver to his sister. That request was denied in part because medical experts said that Johnson's liver was probably not suitable as a donor organ.
In Florida, a judge this morning denied bond for Lionel Tate. He's charged with robbing a pizza deliveryman earlier this week. The young man's attorney says it's a case of mistaken identity. Tate is now 18. He's on probation for the 1999 death of a 6-year-old girl. He accepted a plea deal in 2004 after his murder conviction and life sentence were overturned.
To Dallas, authorities believe this fiery wreck may have been caused -- wow, by a truck driver falling asleep. He was seriously hurt. The exploding wreckage tied up traffic along two major interstates for most of the day.
Also in Dallas, authorities say a teenage driver is facing charges after smash a car into dare center and injuring eight children. Seven of those children have since been released from the hospital. According to police, the 14-year-old girl lost control of the car after hitting a curb.
Well, we're going to show you some live pictures here. These live -- tape, tape. Oh, no. Live. There we go. It is live. Boston, Massachusetts. Now, that's not going to surprise you. But folks, look at the calendar. End of May. Blustery in Beantown. A nor'easter running into Boston overnight, whipping up driving rains, powerful winds gusts. Over all though, those problems being described as pretty minor. Only scattered power outages, downed trees and probably a lot of down people.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Well, if heading to the beach is your choice for relaxing this summer, you're going to you want to stick around. Coming up, a look at the top 10 rated beaches.
Plus, Gerri Willis joins us live.
Hi, Ger.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you. Guess what? That real estate market is hot, hot, hot. But is the bubble about to burst? We'll tell you when LIVE TODAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's go from stocks to real estate. The market has been gaining steam. Existing home sales have hit a record high. So what is there to worry about? Well, some economists are worrying about a possible housing bubble; meaning that demand will go down and property values could slide. What do you need to know?
Joining with us her top tips on that, CNN personal finance manager, Gerri Willis.
Gerri, what is this housing bubble?
WILLIS: Well, I'm telling you, Daryn, it's looking a little bit scary out there. Let's look at some numbers. First of all, this April over last April, home prices went up over 15 percent. And Daryn, you have to go all the way back to 1980, 25 years ago to find a similar spike year-over-year. This is a lot of money we're talking about. Back then home prices, median was $62,000. Can you believe that? KAGAN: Uh! No.
WILLIS: Today, it just went through the 200,000 mark. Now we're showing you information on red-hot markets. Look at this. Bradenton, Florida, 45.6 percent up year-over-year. These are mostly coastal cities so popular with baby boomers. They're looking for places to retire to. They're pushing up prices everywhere. So bottom line, we are seeing many markets where prices are going up. And going up dramatically. And people are really going to have to watch, be careful and be sure they're not overpaying if they're in the market -- Daryn.
KAGAN: OK. So that is existing home sales. What about housing starts?
WILLIS: Housing starts out today, up today, up 11 percent. That's good news. It's a reverse of the previous month where the housing starts went down 17.6 percent. The good news there, housing starts are a forward-looking indicator. So it means good news for the housing market. But the big question again, Daryn, is how long can this go on? And is the market too hot at this point?
KAGAN: So let's break it down to people watching out there. If you're a buyer, what do you need to do? If you're a seller, what do you need to do?
WILLIS: All right. Let's start with if you're a buyer in this marketplace right now. You have got to be careful not to overpay on a lot of people. That's exactly what's happening what's happening to them, because they are just pushed to the limit trying to just get into the market. So don't overpay. Watch out for some of the fancy mortgages out there that could be a problem, like interest only mortgages becoming very popular. But Daryn, I've got to tell you they're not the best instruments for many people, because you could end up owing more than the house is worth, particularly if it were to crumble.
Now, if you're a buyer out there, good news. The value of your home is going up. You can top more of it with an equity loan or a line of credit.
I just wanted to give a little sound here from David Lereah, the chief economist at the National Association of Realtor's president, we talked to him yesterday about this very issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LERAH, NAT'L. ASSN. OF REALTORS: No one can time it. Real estate will begin to slow down. We will see air come out of a lot of these balloons. We may experience some of these local balloons popping.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: So as you can see, David Lereah, right in the center of the frenzy. He's saying some markets are overheated and could pop. But I've got to tell you, Daryn, if you're really worried, what will happen through most of the country? Is that if anything, the worst that can happen is prices will flatten and not continue going up at the rate they have.
So if you live in one of those coastal cities where the markets have been red hot, keep an eye out, watch, make sure you make all the right moves like we just suggested. But for most of the country, not a big deal to worry about.
KAGAN: Yes. Like here in Atlanta, I mean prices have gone up. But there's a number of houses in my neighborhood that have been for sale, that stay for sale. It doesn't have that same desperate mentality
WILLIS: Real estate is a local, local, local market. So you have got to pay attention to the tea leaves in your town.
KAGAN: Will do. Gerri, thank you.
WILLIS: You're welcome
KAGAN: Still up on CNN LIVE TODAY, the House says, yes, Bush says no. It's still up for debate in the Senate. We'll go live to the White House where President Bush promises his first veto of the controversial stem cell bill.
Plus, they're called snowflake babies and they're putting a face on the stem cell debate. Their stories are straight ahead.
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