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CNN Live Today

Landslide Damage; Jackson Trial; Cutting the Bridal Budget; Teens in High-Tech Era

Aired June 03, 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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Here's Daryn Kagan at the CNN Center.
Hey, Daryn. Good morning.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. You guys have a great weekend in New York City.

HEMMER: You do the same.

KAGAN: We'll go ahead and get started doing that by taking a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

To California. Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial could get the case today. The defense will conclude its closing arguments when court resumes next hour. Then prosecutors will offer a rebuttal. The eight women and four men who will decide Jackson's fate have heard 14 weeks of testimony.

One of two U.S. citizens who have been accused of terrorism appears in court in Florida this hour. The judge wants to make sure that Dr. Rafiq Sabir has an attorney before Monday's pre-trial detention hearing. Sabir and Tarik Shah have been charged for conspiring to aid al Qaeda. Neither man has entered a plea yet.

Israeli military officials say Syria test fired three scud missiles late last week and underlying fears of a chemical attack on Israeli citizens. Israel says one of those missiles broke up in flight over Turkey. And a Turkish official has said Syria later downplayed it as routine military training. Israeli security officials say this is Syria's first missile test since 2001.

A new Labor Department report out this morning shows that U.S. employers added far fewer jobs than expected. May saw a surprisingly weak job growth of only about 78,000 jobs. That's nearly 200,000 fewer than created in April's robust figure. Even so, the jobless rate dipped slightly to 5.1 percent.

And good morning to you on this Friday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We're going to start in California with the latest on the landslide there. Most of the Laguna Beach residents displaced this week have been allowed to return home but they're finding the neighborhood has been changed forever. Our Chris Lawrence is in Laguna Beach with the story.

Chris, good morning.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Right now, this morning, more than two dozen homes have still been red tagged, which means it's still too dangerous for those residents to go back in. But as you said, most of the people now are being allowed back into their homes. It's fairly quiet now with some of the work crews going. But take a look at what it looked like last night. You can see just a line of cars, people coming down the street when police opened up the neighborhoods for the first time. They handed out permits, allowing people to get back up into their homes, to take a look to see if there was any damage. A lot of people were very relieved to find out that their home had survived the landslide. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN THOMPSON, RETURNING EVACUEE: I'm totally relieved. I have two cats and they've been by themselves for two days. And I'm dying to see my house.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: Have you seen it yet? What do you expect to see when you get up there?

THOMPSON: Mine's OK because I'm on (INAUDIBLE). But I want to go out on the back porch and, you know, be relieved that my house is still there and everything's fine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Now, the landslide caused some of the homes to literally crack in half and collapse. Others appeared to remain intact as they slid down the hill. Laguna Beach received about twice as much rain as normal and geologists say that's probably what caused this landslide, that water just percolating under ground for the last month or two. But some of the residents here tell us they blame a glut of new construction. They say there have been huge homes going up on that hill and they think that some of the construction destabilized the soil.

Daryn.

KAGAN: I know there's also been requests, Chris, for state and federal aid. What has been the response to that?

LAWRENCE: Well, right now they have declared a local disaster. That's the first step. They're hoping that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will come in to declare the state a disaster area. What they're hoping is that President Bush has already earmarked federal aid for the original rain storm. What they're hoping to do is maybe to piggyback on that to say well, the initial rain soaked the ground, that then caused the mudslide. That would save them the trouble of having file an entirely new petition.

KAGAN: Chris Lawrence live from Laguna Beach, California.

Thank you. Further north in California, after 14 weeks of listening to testimony, the Michael Jackson jury could get the case today. CNN's Kareen Wynter is covering the trial in Santa Maria, California.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A coached con- artist or innocent cancer survivor abused by a famous entertainer? These conflicting views summed up the defense and prosecution cases Thursday in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. In closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen first went on the attack, calling the singer a predator who took advantage of his teenage accuser and lured him "into the world of the forbidden" for his own sexual pleasure.

RONALD RICHARDS, LEGAL ANALYST: I think this case is so close that none can walk out of court guessing what's in the minds of those jurors because they're just sitting there listening to the same stuff they've heard over and over again. At the end of the day, they're going to have to take a gut check and determine whether or not they've been convinced beyond a reasonable doubt.

WYNTER: The prosecution tried to soften the defense's claim the accuser's mother was the greedy force behind the sexual allegations. Zonen told jurors there was no evidence the mother ever asked for a penny from the pop star. The defense came back swinging. Jackson's lead attorney, Thomas Mesereau, told jurors the boy's family wants to cash in on the case. As he put it, ready to pounce with a conviction so they can pursue a civil suit.

JEAN ROSENBLUM, LEGAL ANALYST: Both of them are doing a very good job focusing on what they need the jury to focus on, to either get a conviction or an acquittal.

WYNTER: Mesereau also argued the state failed to present any physical evidence to back up the boy's claims that Jackson molested him.

When closing arguments continue later today, the defense will have less than two hours to wrap up its argument before the prosecution gets the last word. The case could be in the hands of jurors later today.

In Santa Maria, California, I'm Kareen Wynter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Now checking the latest news from Iraq. A car bomb went off in Western Baghdad today. A U.S. military convoy was in the area. No Americans were hurt. But at least four Iraqi civilians were wounded and there was damage to nearby stores.

U.S. military officials are hailing the success of Operation Lightning. The Iraqi-led U.S. supported mission to crush Baghdad's insurgency began at the start of the week. More than 700 terror suspects have been arrested. And U.N. weapons inspectors say tons of weapons-making equipment from the Saddam Hussein regime is missing in Iraq. Inspectors had been barred from Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion but the inspectors are still getting information from satellite photos.

More images of abuse from Abu Ghraib may soon be made public. A federal judge has given the Army a month to turn over 144 pictures and videos to the ACLU. The group says the material will show abuse amounted to more than the actions of a few rogue soldiers. The ACLU requested the pictures under the Freedom of Information Act.

A video documenting in horrific detail a Serbian massacre 10 years ago has led to the reported arrest of several former soldiers. As many as 8,000 Muslims were killed when Bosnian Serb troops over-ran the eastern Yugoslavian town of Srebrenica. On Wednesday, prosecutors at the U.N. War Crimes Court first released the gruesome home video showing troops taunting, then executing six Muslim men. Bosnian TV then aired the tape and there are reports that viewers identified the gunmen.

In other world news, Americans in Indonesia are being warned of a threat to bomb hotel lobbies. The U.S. embassy in Jakarta says the attacks were to occur midday on an unspecified date in the capitol. The embassy has no additional details. Tighter security has been in place in Jakarta hotels since the Day W Marriott (ph) was bombing in 2003. Authorities blame al Qaeda-linked terrorists in that attack.

And another warning for Americans overseas, this time in Uzbekistan. The State Department says there is a potential for terrorist attacks against U.S. targets. Families of embassy staff and nonessential workers are being urged to consider leaving the country.

Well, as you know, a "Vanity Fair" story this week revealed former FBI number two man, Mark Felt, as Deep Throat. That report now allows Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to talk about their source for stories on the Watergate coverup. They appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARL BERNSTEIN, FORMER "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER: The country was served because here was a man who told the truth while the president of the United States and the Justice Department and the apparatus of the government was engaged in massive corruption and would not tell the truth about the most serious constitutional crimes in our history.

BOB WOODWARD, "THE WASHINGTON POST": This is a man who is 91 now, cared for lovingly by his family, by his daughter Joan who I got to know some over the years, who is interested in his welfare. She believed he was Deep Throat but he is somebody who's all - I think this is a man during Watergate and during the years since Watergate was in turmoil. Profound ambivalence about what he'd done, whether he'd broken the code within the FBI or whether he had done something that was absolutely necessary to explain that there was this massive law breaking and obstruction of justice going on led by, as we now know from the tapes, the president himself. So he found his duty but never, I think, felt totally comfortable with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So with Deep Throat's identity revealed, Bob Woodward's book about him is being rushed to print. "U.S. Today" reports "The Secret Man" will be out next month. The book will describe how Felt became Woodward's source. Woodward reportedly has been working on the book for some time.

And a programing note for you. Larry King switching seats tonight. Get this, Larry is going to be the interviewee. Barbara Walters will be the one asking the questions. He's marking 20 years with CNN as the network celebrates its own 25th anniversary. CNN's "Larry King Live" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Maybe we should call it "Barbara Walters Live." We'll be watching there.

Police chasing a stolen car, nothing new there, but a pursuit after a stolen earth mover? You've got to see the pictures to believe it. We'll tell you who was behind the wheel.

Plus, she went to Aruba to celebrate graduation but she never made it home. The latest in the search for one missing teenager.

And it's Friday. Do you know where your teenagers are and what they're doing tonight? Coming up later, our cameras tag along to show teens during a night on the town.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Summer weekend. A lot of people looking to get out of town. Not so fast, Jill Brown tells us.

Hi, Jill.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: On the Caribbean island of Aruba, police say the disappearance of an Alabama teenager is increasingly looking like a crime. Eighteen-year-old Natalie Holloway has been missing since Monday, the last night of a high school graduation trip. Hundreds of local residents and tourists have joined Aruba authorities in search. And helicopters and all-terrain vehicles are also being deployed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETH HOLLOWAY, TWITTY'S MOTHER: She was seen leaving Carlos & Charlie at approximately 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. And her - she was here on a senior trip. And there were approximately - I don't know, there could have been 20 to 40 of her classmates in Carlos & Charlie's periodically. But at least 10 of them saw her leave in a small four- door car. Not sure of the make. Bluish gray color. And they were three locals in the car with her.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KAGAN: Police say they questioned and released the three men who said they dropped her off at her hotel. Natalie Holloway's family has posted a reward for her safe return.

Let's take a look now at stories making news "Coast to Coast."

First to Tucson, Arizona. Police shot and critically wounded a 14-year-old boy after he apparently stole an earth mover and led them on this wild chase. Police say officers opened fire when the construction vehicle sped toward them. It knocked over utility polls and damaged other property during a 15 mile chase.

Police in Richmond, Virginia, have made an arrest in that shooting spree we told you about yesterday. It was a 24-hour manhunt. A 26-year-old man is now charged with three murders. Police say he carried out three separate attacks, separated only by a few minutes and a few miles.

And police in Los Angeles are seeking leads in this apparent abduction captured by a surveillance camera. They're hoping someone can identify the woman or the man apparently taking her from a Hollywood apartment complex. Police believe it was a domestic dispute. Witnesses report seeing the woman struggling to get out of the man's car and hearing a child crying inside the vehicle as it left the scene.

Well, fasten your seat belts and get ready to rise. Some planned activities to spontaneously roaming. We are tagging along with teens on a Friday night. Are you ready for that? What they do and say just might surprise many parents. That story is still ahead.

Gerri Willis is ahead.

Gerri, you have got weddings on the brain this week.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn. You bet.

You know, if your wedding budget is getting you down, we've got some great ideas, places to go for some extra cash, when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check the numbers on Wall Street. The markets have been open about 51 minutes. Some job numbers out today not making investors too happy. The Dow is down 29 points. The Nasdaq also in negative territory. It is down 9 points.

June, that's where we are now. It's the busiest wedding month of the year. So much so that the ring of the cash register can almost be heard over all those wedding bells out there. So how can you cut your bridal budget? Our Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis has some "Top 5 Tips."

Gerri, good morning.

WILLIS: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you. You know how this is, that weddings are so expensive. $27,000 is the average now, which is a lot of money, right? Well, our idea today, get somebody else to pay. You're starting to see more and more people do this. You ask friends and family to pick up the tab for the thing like the deejay, the flowers, maybe the cake. And you can also have them help pick up the honeymoon costs. Check out honeyluna.com (ph) for ideas on that. They can sponsor a dinner or maybe a special outing for the couple.

KAGAN: Why would you go to eBay to plan your wedding?

WILLIS: Well, not to plan your wedding so much but maybe to buy the dress. I know you're going to think I'm insane but listen to this. We found a Vera Wang dress, roughly about $15,000 if you buy it in the store, $80.

KAGAN: Really? You know, I have a friend who did that.

WILLIS: Really?

KAGAN: She put her dress on eBay. Hasn't sold yet, so maybe more people need to go online and help her out.

WILLIS: Exactly.

KAGAN: Let's talk about saving money on food.

WILLIS: Eat Chinese. I'm telling you, Daryn, if you want to save money, Asian menus are less expensive than the traditional fare and it sets you apart. It makes your wedding different than other peoples. The cake is a great place to save money. Instead of these really fancy, shmancy cakes, you can do something much more simple or just have the flat cake available to people, you know beyond a smaller cake, a downsized cake that will save you some money.

KAGAN: What about the flowers? They can really kill you.

WILLIS: Yes, they're really expensive. Dahlias instead of roses are a great choice this time of year. And, of course, you want to shop in South America, believe it or not. If you order your flowers from overseas, you'll pay up to 20 percent less. A couple of Web sites to check out here, 50flowers.com, marisolblooms.com (ph), are great places to save. And keep in mind, local trade schools are a great resource for flowers. Students - they sell products to customers for the experience of running a florist shop. You can get great deals.

KAGAN: What about the idea of a destination wedding?

WILLIS: Cheaper.

KAGAN: Really?

WILLIS: Cheaper than having the conventional, old-fashioned wedding. Typically because you have fewer people there. There the reception is a lot less expensive. About 41 percent. So you save money there. What's more, you're beginning to see, you know, amazing specials from a lot of the airlines. The destinations themselves are really cutting prices on these. Air Jamaica, for example, right now has a destination wedding package, includes a honeymoon. It's $2,300 per couple who attend. That includes airfare both ways, five nights hotel and daytime activities. So it's not too bad and you'll probably find that your bill is lower overall because you have so fewer people attending the wedding to begin with.

KAGAN: You're going to a wedding tomorrow, right?

WILLIS: I am indeed.

KAGAN: All right. Well, you take notes.

WILLIS: I will take notes and I'll have a good time.

KAGAN: OK. Yes, absolutely.

Thank you, Gerri. Have a great weekend.

WILLIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: It is summer and they've got their friends in their cars, but what's a weekend without cell phones and two-ways? We're going to look at how teens communicate with each other and their parents on a Friday night.

And later, victory is sweet for one California eighth grader. You're going to meet the winner and the speller who took home the top prize at the spelling bee coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial could get the case today. The defense will conclude it's closing argument when court resumes next hour. Then prosecutors will offer a rebuttal. The eight women and four men who will decide Jackson's fate have heard 14 weeks of testimony.

An assassinated Lebanese journalist was mourned in Beirut today. About 200 journalists and politicians stood for one hour in silence. The crowd held pictures of Samir Qaseer. They also raised black pens to symbolize freedom of expression. Qaseer was killed Thursday by a car bomb. He had played a leading role in the campaign against Syrian control in Lebanon.

U.S. officials are hoping to raise awareness about the global problem of human trafficking. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is releasing the Fifth Annual Trafficking and Persons Report at noon Eastern. CNN will carry a portion of her remarks live. The report focuses on the efforts of 150 governments to crack down on modern day slavery. From the moment that doctor cut the umbilical cord, parents begin that life long process of seeing their control over their children slip away. And now with teenagers seemingly inseparable from their cell phones, the electronic umbilical cord is severed as well. Our Keith Oppenheim tags along for a Friday night in the high-tech age.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Glenn Bard West High School (ph) in Chicago's western suburbs. I came here looking for two young people who I hoped would show me how technology has shaped and changed their social world. I started with six kids in the high school library talking about being a teen in a high-tech time, how the latest gadgets give them one of the things they crave most, spontaneity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mom is, like, how do you not know at 7:30 in the night what you're doing? And I said because we're teenagers. We all kind of decide whatever. It's like...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's, like, the beauty of having your own car.

OPPENHEIM: From this group I picked two seniors.

NATE LARKIN, STUDENT: I've got to find something to do tonight.

OPPENHEIM: Nate Larkin, a track star who runs hurdles the same way he runs his personal life: fast. He is tied to his cell phone.

LARKIN: All my friends have Nextels. You can get on the walkie- talkie. You can get 30 of us in one spot in the span of two minutes.

OPPENHEIM: I also chose Laura Vassil...

LAURA VASSIL, STUDENT: I chose sociology.

OPPENHEIM: ... a leader in student organizations who manages much of her interpersonal world in cyberspace.

VASSIL: I'm going to, like, deal with my problems on the Internet, talking -- like, it's over with in my mind.

OPPENHEIM: Laura and Nate, by the way, are school acquaintances, not boyfriend and girlfriend. With the permission of their parents and school officials...

LARKIN: Dad, how do I look?

OPPENHEIM: Nate and Laura agreed to take me and our news crews on a journey that would start at school on a Friday afternoon and go late into the night.

At Glennbard West (ph), the rules are clear...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know it's not allowed out in school. OPPENHEIM: No cell phone use during school hours. But the policing doesn't stop kids from text messaging, a modern day form of passing notes. In study hall Nate and his friend Jesse make social plans by texting. That is until Nate tires of shorthand and makes a call.

LARKIN: Jess, Jess. Let's go out tonight and go camping. We can go to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

OPPENHEIM: They get busted, of course, but it's Jesse who has to give up her phone, at least, temporarily.

LARKIN: Take one for the team.

OPPENHEIM: Make no mistake, the loss of a cell phone is no minor thing. When school gets out, cell phones come out, in force.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're trading phone numbers.

OPPENHEIM: And it seems just about every kid uses one as a social lifeline. But it's not the only tool of the trade. When Laura Vassil gets home, she goes online. As soon as she does, three friends are sending instant messages.

VASSIL: They're actually all guys. A guy in Arizona, a guy in Iowa, and then a guy from Illinois that I go to school with.

OPPENHEIM: Laura insists she talks to girls just as much and only communicates with people she knows.

(on camera) Do your folks know the people who you're talking to online?

VASSIL: Out of the three that I'm talking to right now, they know one of them pretty well. They know the names, perhaps, but they don't really know the people very well.

OPPENHEIM: Laura says the Internet is a way for her to resolve conflicts with friends and most certainly to make plans for an evening.

VASSIL: It's way easier. It's way more, like, efficient because I can -- like, I'm talking to three people right now as opposed to, like, calling each person and talking individually with them on the phone.

LARKIN: Hey, Tom, what's up?

OPPENHEIM: In contrast, Nate takes and makes calls constantly.

LARKIN: Would you possibly want to go to, like, the softball game with me?

OPPENHEIM: And what he's setting up is by no means a traditional date. More like a spontaneous group roam with pals.

LARKIN: When my parents were younger they had -- they had one meeting spot and when they went from there they had to talk. If I want -- if want to talk to my friends, I can call them, have them come over, do something else. Call somebody else, go somewhere else. Like, you have unlimited options.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DARYN KAGAN, HOST: We're going to cut away from that Keith Oppenheim report because we have a story that looked at one point like it was a potential hijacking. Turns out we're getting word that it was a mechanical failure.

This deals with a Virgin Atlantic airlines flight going from London to JFK originally. It has been diverted into Canada. With more on this, let's bring in our Kathleen Koch, who is on the phone -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, the initial concern was that this aircraft, an Airbus aircraft with 271 passengers on board and some 17 crew, apparently at some point after it left London began squawking a code that indicated it had been hijacked.

Now what we're being told now by federal transportation officials is that the air traffic control dispatchers have, indeed, talked to the pilot, and every indication at this point is that it was simply some kind of an electronic or mechanical problem.

Still, nonetheless, Canadian authorities were taking no chances. As you said, it's been diverted to New Brunswick. We are told that Canadian aircraft are shadowing this Airbus plane full of passengers.

But again, all indications right now, is that it was a false alarm. And that's the word, in fact, from Virgin Atlantic airways. They say it was simply a false alarm -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And this, of course, getting a lot of attention here in this country because it was headed to JFK. So a lot of people, perhaps, going to the New York area on board this flight or making connections to go elsewhere within the U.S.

KOCH: Correct. So I'm sure a lot of worried relatives there at the airport. No word if it's actually going to now land in New Brunswick or if they are going to simply now turn it around in midair and send it on to JFK. But as soon as we get that information, we'll pass it on.

KAGAN: You know, this is interesting, Kathleen, because you know, recently we've been talking about planes that have taken a different path. They usually end up in Bangor, Maine. That's when the passenger list doesn't match up, or does match up to somebody that federal officials are concerned about. Why would this plane -- what do you know about Moncton, New Brunswick, about this Moncton International Airport? Why would it be sent there? KOCH: That's a good question, Daryn. And I was trying to get that from federal transportation officials. But they -- they are in the middle of, I think, dealing with this and other issues right now and couldn't give us more details. But we're going to do our best to find that out.

KAGAN: OK. So once again, what we know, this is a Virgin Atlantic Airlines Flight 45. It was originally supposed to go from Heathrow in London to JFK in New York City. Sometime after it took off from London, an alert was sounded sounding like there was a hijacking taking place.

Officials now saying that was a mechanical failure; there is no hijacking. Yet this plane still being diverted, not coming to JFK, being sent into Canada, into Moncton International Airport in New Brunswick, Ontario.

We'll continue to get more information on it and bring it to you as it's available. Right now, a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I want to get back to our breaking news story. We're tracking Virgin Atlantic Airlines Flight No. 45 taking off from Heathrow Airport in London, was supposed to land at JFK. And yet, soon after it took off from London, sounded an alert that it was being hijacked.

Officials now saying that was a mechanical error, a false alarm on a hijacking on board this flight. And yet the plane being diverted, not at this point being allowed to head towards JFK, instead heading into Canada and heading for Moncton International Airport. That's in New Brunswick, Ontario in Canada.

As we understand, it's also receiving an escort of some F-16s. With more on that angle of the story, let's bring in our Barbara Starr at Pentagon.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, we've just...

KAGAN: Go ahead.

STARR: ... just spoken -- Daryn, we have just spoken to some officials at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and what they tell us is now, actually, it is Canadian air force F-18 fighters that are in the air escorting this plane.

NORAD is involved. They are taking no chances. This is a standard procedure. And those Canadian F-18s, which are part of NORAD will escort the plane to its divert location, which is now said to be New Brunswick, Canada.

Everyone pretty much understands at this point that it appears to be a false alarm, some type of electronic signal that accidentally broadcast that hijack code. But the military and air defense officials do take no chances. So, Canadian fighters are in the air, we are told. They will escort that plane to its divert location. There's no particular reason at the moment to think it's been hijacked, but they are going to make sure and escort it to its Canadian location. It will not go on into New York at this point, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Barbara Starr, thanks for that extra bit of information there. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

We will continue to track Virgin Atlantic Flight number 45, originally going from Heathrow to JFK, now headed into Canada. Right now a break. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are continuing to get more information about Virgin -- Virgin Atlantic Flight No. 45, leaving London earlier today, 9:30 local time there, taking off. An alert went off saying the plane was being hijacked. Officials with the FBI and also with the airline now saying that is a false alarm.

In fact, the FBI telling CNN that this hijack signal went on on the plane. The air control tower at JFK, where the plane was headed was able to make verbal contact with the pilot. They say, no, they are not being hijacked, and yet they can't get the signal to go off.

So here's the latest on that flight. It originally was supposed to land at JFK this afternoon today local time. Instead it's being diverted, not into Ontario, Canada, as we originally told you. Now we're hearing it's being sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

When you go on the Virgin Atlantic web site it says that flight's been delayed and would be landing at JFK at 2:05 local time. Not sure if that's going to happen today, but right now it appears this is a false alarm. Not taking any chances. This plane does have military escort from the Canadian air force.

We are tracking the latest on the information on Virgin Atlantic 45. They are saying a false hijacking alert at this time. More information just ahead. Right now, another break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Well, once again we want you to know we're not getting away from this story. It is a story of a plane that apparently earlier today looked like it has been hijacked. Virgin Atlantic Flight No. 45 headed from London Heathrow Airport to New York's JFK airport.

The FBI and airline officials now saying this is a mechanical error. It's a false alarm. And even though they can't get the alarm to go off and the indicator to go off, they have had verbal communication with the pilot and they say it is a false alarm.

Still that flight if you have somebody on board being diverted from -- not coming into JFK. Instead it's going to go to Halifax, Nova Scotia, under Canadian air force escort, just to be completely sure.

So, we'll give you the latest on that story as it becomes available. Right now, that's all we have. So we're going to move on. And in fact, how about the movie on board the plane? And we're going to talk with Mr. Moviefone.

It might sound like kind of a strange transition there, but Russ Leatherman, you do know, as you know, because we'll cancel you in a second whenever there's breaking news. This happens to you.

RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEFONE": Yes. It does happen every now and again.

KAGAN: It does happen to you. So as soon as we get information on that we'll break away from Mr. Moviefone. Meanwhile...

LEATHERMAN: I'll just keep talking.

KAGAN: Everyone has to be somewhere, so we might as well be with you.

LEATHERMAN: Well, you know what? Thank you. Thank you, Daryn. Good morning to you. And you should be with me, because we've got a fantastic movie opening in theaters this weekend that I think everybody should go see.

Of course, we're talking about "Cinderella Man." There's been a lot of hype for this movie. Critics are loving it. Moviegoers are going to love it and rightfully so.

It stars Russell Crowe. He plays boxer Jim Braddock whose career is on the rise but really gets knocked out by the Great Depression, can't feed the kids, can't put bread on the table. Renee Zellweger plays his wife. Paul Giamatti plays his manager there, who's fantastic.

I have to tell you, this movie is beautifully done. It's gut- wrenching. You will certainly see Oscar nominations for Crowe, Giamatti. And really, one of the best sports movies ever made.

KAGAN: Really?

LEATHERMAN: Daryn, it's unbelievable.

KAGAN: I talked to people who saw it. They said there is a lot of boxing.

LEATHERMAN: There is a lot of boxing. But I thought the boxing is very well done, by the way, the boxing scenes. And nothing ruins a sports movie like bad sports. But really, the picture is much more than that. It's a triumph over adversity movie. Russell Crowe will break your heart. No matter what people think about him as a person, he's a brilliant actor. And if this movie doesn't get nominated, there will be something really wrong. If you have ten bucks in your pocket, and you want to go to the movies this weekend, make it "Cinderella Man."

KAGAN: OK. What if you're a girl, though? Like a pre-teen girl and you've read "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and it's one of your favorite books ever. Do you go see the movie?

LEATHERMAN: Well, I think you do. This is a pretty good movie. And obviously, a movie title with the word "sisterhood" in it, probably isn't made for me, Daryn.

KAGAN: Probably not.

LEATHERMAN: But this is a pretty good movie. It's about a group of friends, four friends who live their whole lives together, but they're going off for the summer each on their own individual way to different parts of the world.

But the thing that keeps them connected is this pair of magical pants that they send around to each other. Now Daryn, I have to tell you, I'm not convinced the pants are magical. You know, they fit the tallest girl, the smallest girl. I think they're maybe stretch denim. I'm not sure.

KAGAN: You never had to get in a pair of tight jeans. You don't know our pain.

LEATHERMAN: Believe me, I do know your pain.

But let me tell you, I think that for the demo, for teenage girls, older teenage girls, they're going to really like this movie. You see America Ferrera there. She was in "Real Women Have Curves."

KAGAN: Love that movie.

LEATHERMAN: A terrific movie. It was great. This is a perfectly good movie for the demo, for young girls or teenage girls. I don't think that it will go much beyond that, but it's a well- executed movie. I thought it was enjoyable, and hey, I'm a 28-year- old man.

KAGAN: Yes, right. That's a different story. Let's talk skateboarding. "Lords of Dogtown."

LEATHERMAN: This is another movie that I think is really demographic specific. I think that if you're a skater kid, you're going to love this movie. It's really a dramatization of the documentary "Dogtown and Z Boys" about the Venice, California, skating team, who took extreme sports, really, from the waves to the streets.

Heath Ledger stars in it, and he's really good in this movie as sort of the stoned out leader of the group. I thought this was a movie that was very well done. If you're into it, if you're into skating and that whole scene, you're going to love this movie; otherwise, you know, not so much.

So I would say again, the movie to see this weekend, no doubt about it. If you do have the ten bucks burning a hole in your pocket, go see "Cinderella Man." Could be the best movie you'll see all year.

KAGAN: And just real quickly on "Lords of Dogtown" I heard skateboarding. I thought great for my nephews, but then I heard a stoned out leader. I need an age gauge here.

LEATHERMAN: Well, that's the deal. This is not something you necessarily want your kids to become, right? Because there's drugs, women, sex, all that stuff. I would let a 16-, 17-, 18-year-old kid go. Nothing -- nothing below that. But that's sort of how they represent this world. And it was in the '70s when all that stuff was really popular. So, you know...

KAGAN: Not that would know.

LEATHERMAN: Not that I know. What are you saying, Daryn? I told you I'm 27.

KAGAN: That's exactly my point. And by the way, combing the hair, that's a good touch.

LEATHERMAN: Well, by the way, since CNN doesn't pay me, Mom said I've got to get a job, so I'm headed over to the Gap to apply as soon as we're done with this segment.

KAGAN: Well, I'll write you a reference. Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviefone, thank you.

LEATHERMAN: Bye, Daryn.

KAGAN: "Jaws" is back off the coast of Massachusetts. But swimmers don't need to panic. On the 30th anniversary of the blockbuster film, Martha's Vineyard is holding "Jaws" Fest '05. Some of the movie's cast and crew members will be back, and there will be a stand-in for the star. A replica of the 26-foot mechanical shark will be on display.

Checking the time, 10:54 here on the East Coast, 7:54 on the West Coast. That's where the jury could begin deliberations on the Michael Jackson case. Stay with us. We'll have the latest with that, a quick check of your morning forecast, also the latest on the false hijacking.

And how about a test? I'm not going to try to say the word they're going to try to make me say and spell. We have one eighth grader who can, though. And we'll have more about the winner of the National Spelling Bee just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANURAG KASHYAP, SPELLING BEE CHAMPION: Appoggiatura, language of origin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Latin to Italian.

KASHYAP: Appoggiatura. Appoggiatura. A-p-p-o-g-g-i-a-t-u-r-a.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: He said it was just like feeling sheer joy. Success to the letter. A California 8th grader capturing the 2005 National Spelling Bee championship. His name, he's 13 years old. He is Anurag Kashyap. He made his second trip to the National Spelling Bee this year, hoping for a better finish than last year's tie for 47th. Boy, did he do a lot better.

He appeared last hour on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASHYAP: I worked harder. I was more determined. I knew what to study because I saw all the stuff last year. I was more experienced with the stage and how it would really be. And I was more coordinated on the stage, you know. I was used to the conditions. So it was an experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So for winning first place the youngster rakes in $28,000 in cash, scholarships and savings bonds. Congratulations to him.

Seems this time each year Americans are abuzz over the National Spelling Bee and the mind boggling performance of those little brainiacs. Well, now on our web site you can see those highs and lows spelled out. Our Christina Park is at the dot com desk with our online feature.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN.COM: Some incredibly smart kids have got America spellbound at the 78th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. CNN.com takes you through the highs and lows of bee season.

We've got your round by round account of the competition as more than 270 of the country's best young spellers competed, taking on words like trichotillomania and cirrhosis.

We also explain how it's never been so cool to be smart. Hollywood has caught bee fever with new films like "Bee Season," starring Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche, due for release in September.

According to the Oscar nominated documentary "Spellbound" some nine million kids compete in spelling bees. Only the elite make it to the National Spelling Bee. Some of the top gun of spelling competitions for children, ages 9 to 14. Prizes, the biggest ever, $28,000 in cash plus prizes.

So think you have what it takes? Take our spelling quiz. We've collected the words that have decided champion spellers in recent years. But all you need to spell to get there is C-N-N. Click on over to CNN.com/education for your free lesson.

I'm Christina Park, reporting from the dot com desk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Missing in Aruba, a desperate search for an Alabama teenager missing after a student vacation. And the fate of Michael Jackson is nearly in the jury. We'll tell you what legal experts expect to happen behind closed doors as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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 June 3, 2005 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Here's Daryn Kagan at the CNN Center.
Hey, Daryn. Good morning.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. You guys have a great weekend in New York City.

HEMMER: You do the same.

KAGAN: We'll go ahead and get started doing that by taking a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

To California. Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial could get the case today. The defense will conclude its closing arguments when court resumes next hour. Then prosecutors will offer a rebuttal. The eight women and four men who will decide Jackson's fate have heard 14 weeks of testimony.

One of two U.S. citizens who have been accused of terrorism appears in court in Florida this hour. The judge wants to make sure that Dr. Rafiq Sabir has an attorney before Monday's pre-trial detention hearing. Sabir and Tarik Shah have been charged for conspiring to aid al Qaeda. Neither man has entered a plea yet.

Israeli military officials say Syria test fired three scud missiles late last week and underlying fears of a chemical attack on Israeli citizens. Israel says one of those missiles broke up in flight over Turkey. And a Turkish official has said Syria later downplayed it as routine military training. Israeli security officials say this is Syria's first missile test since 2001.

A new Labor Department report out this morning shows that U.S. employers added far fewer jobs than expected. May saw a surprisingly weak job growth of only about 78,000 jobs. That's nearly 200,000 fewer than created in April's robust figure. Even so, the jobless rate dipped slightly to 5.1 percent.

And good morning to you on this Friday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.

We're going to start in California with the latest on the landslide there. Most of the Laguna Beach residents displaced this week have been allowed to return home but they're finding the neighborhood has been changed forever. Our Chris Lawrence is in Laguna Beach with the story.

Chris, good morning.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Right now, this morning, more than two dozen homes have still been red tagged, which means it's still too dangerous for those residents to go back in. But as you said, most of the people now are being allowed back into their homes. It's fairly quiet now with some of the work crews going. But take a look at what it looked like last night. You can see just a line of cars, people coming down the street when police opened up the neighborhoods for the first time. They handed out permits, allowing people to get back up into their homes, to take a look to see if there was any damage. A lot of people were very relieved to find out that their home had survived the landslide. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN THOMPSON, RETURNING EVACUEE: I'm totally relieved. I have two cats and they've been by themselves for two days. And I'm dying to see my house.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: Have you seen it yet? What do you expect to see when you get up there?

THOMPSON: Mine's OK because I'm on (INAUDIBLE). But I want to go out on the back porch and, you know, be relieved that my house is still there and everything's fine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Now, the landslide caused some of the homes to literally crack in half and collapse. Others appeared to remain intact as they slid down the hill. Laguna Beach received about twice as much rain as normal and geologists say that's probably what caused this landslide, that water just percolating under ground for the last month or two. But some of the residents here tell us they blame a glut of new construction. They say there have been huge homes going up on that hill and they think that some of the construction destabilized the soil.

Daryn.

KAGAN: I know there's also been requests, Chris, for state and federal aid. What has been the response to that?

LAWRENCE: Well, right now they have declared a local disaster. That's the first step. They're hoping that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will come in to declare the state a disaster area. What they're hoping is that President Bush has already earmarked federal aid for the original rain storm. What they're hoping to do is maybe to piggyback on that to say well, the initial rain soaked the ground, that then caused the mudslide. That would save them the trouble of having file an entirely new petition.

KAGAN: Chris Lawrence live from Laguna Beach, California.

Thank you. Further north in California, after 14 weeks of listening to testimony, the Michael Jackson jury could get the case today. CNN's Kareen Wynter is covering the trial in Santa Maria, California.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A coached con- artist or innocent cancer survivor abused by a famous entertainer? These conflicting views summed up the defense and prosecution cases Thursday in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. In closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen first went on the attack, calling the singer a predator who took advantage of his teenage accuser and lured him "into the world of the forbidden" for his own sexual pleasure.

RONALD RICHARDS, LEGAL ANALYST: I think this case is so close that none can walk out of court guessing what's in the minds of those jurors because they're just sitting there listening to the same stuff they've heard over and over again. At the end of the day, they're going to have to take a gut check and determine whether or not they've been convinced beyond a reasonable doubt.

WYNTER: The prosecution tried to soften the defense's claim the accuser's mother was the greedy force behind the sexual allegations. Zonen told jurors there was no evidence the mother ever asked for a penny from the pop star. The defense came back swinging. Jackson's lead attorney, Thomas Mesereau, told jurors the boy's family wants to cash in on the case. As he put it, ready to pounce with a conviction so they can pursue a civil suit.

JEAN ROSENBLUM, LEGAL ANALYST: Both of them are doing a very good job focusing on what they need the jury to focus on, to either get a conviction or an acquittal.

WYNTER: Mesereau also argued the state failed to present any physical evidence to back up the boy's claims that Jackson molested him.

When closing arguments continue later today, the defense will have less than two hours to wrap up its argument before the prosecution gets the last word. The case could be in the hands of jurors later today.

In Santa Maria, California, I'm Kareen Wynter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Now checking the latest news from Iraq. A car bomb went off in Western Baghdad today. A U.S. military convoy was in the area. No Americans were hurt. But at least four Iraqi civilians were wounded and there was damage to nearby stores.

U.S. military officials are hailing the success of Operation Lightning. The Iraqi-led U.S. supported mission to crush Baghdad's insurgency began at the start of the week. More than 700 terror suspects have been arrested. And U.N. weapons inspectors say tons of weapons-making equipment from the Saddam Hussein regime is missing in Iraq. Inspectors had been barred from Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion but the inspectors are still getting information from satellite photos.

More images of abuse from Abu Ghraib may soon be made public. A federal judge has given the Army a month to turn over 144 pictures and videos to the ACLU. The group says the material will show abuse amounted to more than the actions of a few rogue soldiers. The ACLU requested the pictures under the Freedom of Information Act.

A video documenting in horrific detail a Serbian massacre 10 years ago has led to the reported arrest of several former soldiers. As many as 8,000 Muslims were killed when Bosnian Serb troops over-ran the eastern Yugoslavian town of Srebrenica. On Wednesday, prosecutors at the U.N. War Crimes Court first released the gruesome home video showing troops taunting, then executing six Muslim men. Bosnian TV then aired the tape and there are reports that viewers identified the gunmen.

In other world news, Americans in Indonesia are being warned of a threat to bomb hotel lobbies. The U.S. embassy in Jakarta says the attacks were to occur midday on an unspecified date in the capitol. The embassy has no additional details. Tighter security has been in place in Jakarta hotels since the Day W Marriott (ph) was bombing in 2003. Authorities blame al Qaeda-linked terrorists in that attack.

And another warning for Americans overseas, this time in Uzbekistan. The State Department says there is a potential for terrorist attacks against U.S. targets. Families of embassy staff and nonessential workers are being urged to consider leaving the country.

Well, as you know, a "Vanity Fair" story this week revealed former FBI number two man, Mark Felt, as Deep Throat. That report now allows Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to talk about their source for stories on the Watergate coverup. They appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARL BERNSTEIN, FORMER "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER: The country was served because here was a man who told the truth while the president of the United States and the Justice Department and the apparatus of the government was engaged in massive corruption and would not tell the truth about the most serious constitutional crimes in our history.

BOB WOODWARD, "THE WASHINGTON POST": This is a man who is 91 now, cared for lovingly by his family, by his daughter Joan who I got to know some over the years, who is interested in his welfare. She believed he was Deep Throat but he is somebody who's all - I think this is a man during Watergate and during the years since Watergate was in turmoil. Profound ambivalence about what he'd done, whether he'd broken the code within the FBI or whether he had done something that was absolutely necessary to explain that there was this massive law breaking and obstruction of justice going on led by, as we now know from the tapes, the president himself. So he found his duty but never, I think, felt totally comfortable with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So with Deep Throat's identity revealed, Bob Woodward's book about him is being rushed to print. "U.S. Today" reports "The Secret Man" will be out next month. The book will describe how Felt became Woodward's source. Woodward reportedly has been working on the book for some time.

And a programing note for you. Larry King switching seats tonight. Get this, Larry is going to be the interviewee. Barbara Walters will be the one asking the questions. He's marking 20 years with CNN as the network celebrates its own 25th anniversary. CNN's "Larry King Live" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Maybe we should call it "Barbara Walters Live." We'll be watching there.

Police chasing a stolen car, nothing new there, but a pursuit after a stolen earth mover? You've got to see the pictures to believe it. We'll tell you who was behind the wheel.

Plus, she went to Aruba to celebrate graduation but she never made it home. The latest in the search for one missing teenager.

And it's Friday. Do you know where your teenagers are and what they're doing tonight? Coming up later, our cameras tag along to show teens during a night on the town.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Summer weekend. A lot of people looking to get out of town. Not so fast, Jill Brown tells us.

Hi, Jill.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: On the Caribbean island of Aruba, police say the disappearance of an Alabama teenager is increasingly looking like a crime. Eighteen-year-old Natalie Holloway has been missing since Monday, the last night of a high school graduation trip. Hundreds of local residents and tourists have joined Aruba authorities in search. And helicopters and all-terrain vehicles are also being deployed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETH HOLLOWAY, TWITTY'S MOTHER: She was seen leaving Carlos & Charlie at approximately 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. And her - she was here on a senior trip. And there were approximately - I don't know, there could have been 20 to 40 of her classmates in Carlos & Charlie's periodically. But at least 10 of them saw her leave in a small four- door car. Not sure of the make. Bluish gray color. And they were three locals in the car with her.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KAGAN: Police say they questioned and released the three men who said they dropped her off at her hotel. Natalie Holloway's family has posted a reward for her safe return.

Let's take a look now at stories making news "Coast to Coast."

First to Tucson, Arizona. Police shot and critically wounded a 14-year-old boy after he apparently stole an earth mover and led them on this wild chase. Police say officers opened fire when the construction vehicle sped toward them. It knocked over utility polls and damaged other property during a 15 mile chase.

Police in Richmond, Virginia, have made an arrest in that shooting spree we told you about yesterday. It was a 24-hour manhunt. A 26-year-old man is now charged with three murders. Police say he carried out three separate attacks, separated only by a few minutes and a few miles.

And police in Los Angeles are seeking leads in this apparent abduction captured by a surveillance camera. They're hoping someone can identify the woman or the man apparently taking her from a Hollywood apartment complex. Police believe it was a domestic dispute. Witnesses report seeing the woman struggling to get out of the man's car and hearing a child crying inside the vehicle as it left the scene.

Well, fasten your seat belts and get ready to rise. Some planned activities to spontaneously roaming. We are tagging along with teens on a Friday night. Are you ready for that? What they do and say just might surprise many parents. That story is still ahead.

Gerri Willis is ahead.

Gerri, you have got weddings on the brain this week.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn. You bet.

You know, if your wedding budget is getting you down, we've got some great ideas, places to go for some extra cash, when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's check the numbers on Wall Street. The markets have been open about 51 minutes. Some job numbers out today not making investors too happy. The Dow is down 29 points. The Nasdaq also in negative territory. It is down 9 points.

June, that's where we are now. It's the busiest wedding month of the year. So much so that the ring of the cash register can almost be heard over all those wedding bells out there. So how can you cut your bridal budget? Our Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis has some "Top 5 Tips."

Gerri, good morning.

WILLIS: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you. You know how this is, that weddings are so expensive. $27,000 is the average now, which is a lot of money, right? Well, our idea today, get somebody else to pay. You're starting to see more and more people do this. You ask friends and family to pick up the tab for the thing like the deejay, the flowers, maybe the cake. And you can also have them help pick up the honeymoon costs. Check out honeyluna.com (ph) for ideas on that. They can sponsor a dinner or maybe a special outing for the couple.

KAGAN: Why would you go to eBay to plan your wedding?

WILLIS: Well, not to plan your wedding so much but maybe to buy the dress. I know you're going to think I'm insane but listen to this. We found a Vera Wang dress, roughly about $15,000 if you buy it in the store, $80.

KAGAN: Really? You know, I have a friend who did that.

WILLIS: Really?

KAGAN: She put her dress on eBay. Hasn't sold yet, so maybe more people need to go online and help her out.

WILLIS: Exactly.

KAGAN: Let's talk about saving money on food.

WILLIS: Eat Chinese. I'm telling you, Daryn, if you want to save money, Asian menus are less expensive than the traditional fare and it sets you apart. It makes your wedding different than other peoples. The cake is a great place to save money. Instead of these really fancy, shmancy cakes, you can do something much more simple or just have the flat cake available to people, you know beyond a smaller cake, a downsized cake that will save you some money.

KAGAN: What about the flowers? They can really kill you.

WILLIS: Yes, they're really expensive. Dahlias instead of roses are a great choice this time of year. And, of course, you want to shop in South America, believe it or not. If you order your flowers from overseas, you'll pay up to 20 percent less. A couple of Web sites to check out here, 50flowers.com, marisolblooms.com (ph), are great places to save. And keep in mind, local trade schools are a great resource for flowers. Students - they sell products to customers for the experience of running a florist shop. You can get great deals.

KAGAN: What about the idea of a destination wedding?

WILLIS: Cheaper.

KAGAN: Really?

WILLIS: Cheaper than having the conventional, old-fashioned wedding. Typically because you have fewer people there. There the reception is a lot less expensive. About 41 percent. So you save money there. What's more, you're beginning to see, you know, amazing specials from a lot of the airlines. The destinations themselves are really cutting prices on these. Air Jamaica, for example, right now has a destination wedding package, includes a honeymoon. It's $2,300 per couple who attend. That includes airfare both ways, five nights hotel and daytime activities. So it's not too bad and you'll probably find that your bill is lower overall because you have so fewer people attending the wedding to begin with.

KAGAN: You're going to a wedding tomorrow, right?

WILLIS: I am indeed.

KAGAN: All right. Well, you take notes.

WILLIS: I will take notes and I'll have a good time.

KAGAN: OK. Yes, absolutely.

Thank you, Gerri. Have a great weekend.

WILLIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: It is summer and they've got their friends in their cars, but what's a weekend without cell phones and two-ways? We're going to look at how teens communicate with each other and their parents on a Friday night.

And later, victory is sweet for one California eighth grader. You're going to meet the winner and the speller who took home the top prize at the spelling bee coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

Jurors in the Michael Jackson trial could get the case today. The defense will conclude it's closing argument when court resumes next hour. Then prosecutors will offer a rebuttal. The eight women and four men who will decide Jackson's fate have heard 14 weeks of testimony.

An assassinated Lebanese journalist was mourned in Beirut today. About 200 journalists and politicians stood for one hour in silence. The crowd held pictures of Samir Qaseer. They also raised black pens to symbolize freedom of expression. Qaseer was killed Thursday by a car bomb. He had played a leading role in the campaign against Syrian control in Lebanon.

U.S. officials are hoping to raise awareness about the global problem of human trafficking. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is releasing the Fifth Annual Trafficking and Persons Report at noon Eastern. CNN will carry a portion of her remarks live. The report focuses on the efforts of 150 governments to crack down on modern day slavery. From the moment that doctor cut the umbilical cord, parents begin that life long process of seeing their control over their children slip away. And now with teenagers seemingly inseparable from their cell phones, the electronic umbilical cord is severed as well. Our Keith Oppenheim tags along for a Friday night in the high-tech age.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Glenn Bard West High School (ph) in Chicago's western suburbs. I came here looking for two young people who I hoped would show me how technology has shaped and changed their social world. I started with six kids in the high school library talking about being a teen in a high-tech time, how the latest gadgets give them one of the things they crave most, spontaneity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mom is, like, how do you not know at 7:30 in the night what you're doing? And I said because we're teenagers. We all kind of decide whatever. It's like...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's, like, the beauty of having your own car.

OPPENHEIM: From this group I picked two seniors.

NATE LARKIN, STUDENT: I've got to find something to do tonight.

OPPENHEIM: Nate Larkin, a track star who runs hurdles the same way he runs his personal life: fast. He is tied to his cell phone.

LARKIN: All my friends have Nextels. You can get on the walkie- talkie. You can get 30 of us in one spot in the span of two minutes.

OPPENHEIM: I also chose Laura Vassil...

LAURA VASSIL, STUDENT: I chose sociology.

OPPENHEIM: ... a leader in student organizations who manages much of her interpersonal world in cyberspace.

VASSIL: I'm going to, like, deal with my problems on the Internet, talking -- like, it's over with in my mind.

OPPENHEIM: Laura and Nate, by the way, are school acquaintances, not boyfriend and girlfriend. With the permission of their parents and school officials...

LARKIN: Dad, how do I look?

OPPENHEIM: Nate and Laura agreed to take me and our news crews on a journey that would start at school on a Friday afternoon and go late into the night.

At Glennbard West (ph), the rules are clear...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know it's not allowed out in school. OPPENHEIM: No cell phone use during school hours. But the policing doesn't stop kids from text messaging, a modern day form of passing notes. In study hall Nate and his friend Jesse make social plans by texting. That is until Nate tires of shorthand and makes a call.

LARKIN: Jess, Jess. Let's go out tonight and go camping. We can go to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

OPPENHEIM: They get busted, of course, but it's Jesse who has to give up her phone, at least, temporarily.

LARKIN: Take one for the team.

OPPENHEIM: Make no mistake, the loss of a cell phone is no minor thing. When school gets out, cell phones come out, in force.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're trading phone numbers.

OPPENHEIM: And it seems just about every kid uses one as a social lifeline. But it's not the only tool of the trade. When Laura Vassil gets home, she goes online. As soon as she does, three friends are sending instant messages.

VASSIL: They're actually all guys. A guy in Arizona, a guy in Iowa, and then a guy from Illinois that I go to school with.

OPPENHEIM: Laura insists she talks to girls just as much and only communicates with people she knows.

(on camera) Do your folks know the people who you're talking to online?

VASSIL: Out of the three that I'm talking to right now, they know one of them pretty well. They know the names, perhaps, but they don't really know the people very well.

OPPENHEIM: Laura says the Internet is a way for her to resolve conflicts with friends and most certainly to make plans for an evening.

VASSIL: It's way easier. It's way more, like, efficient because I can -- like, I'm talking to three people right now as opposed to, like, calling each person and talking individually with them on the phone.

LARKIN: Hey, Tom, what's up?

OPPENHEIM: In contrast, Nate takes and makes calls constantly.

LARKIN: Would you possibly want to go to, like, the softball game with me?

OPPENHEIM: And what he's setting up is by no means a traditional date. More like a spontaneous group roam with pals.

LARKIN: When my parents were younger they had -- they had one meeting spot and when they went from there they had to talk. If I want -- if want to talk to my friends, I can call them, have them come over, do something else. Call somebody else, go somewhere else. Like, you have unlimited options.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DARYN KAGAN, HOST: We're going to cut away from that Keith Oppenheim report because we have a story that looked at one point like it was a potential hijacking. Turns out we're getting word that it was a mechanical failure.

This deals with a Virgin Atlantic airlines flight going from London to JFK originally. It has been diverted into Canada. With more on this, let's bring in our Kathleen Koch, who is on the phone -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, the initial concern was that this aircraft, an Airbus aircraft with 271 passengers on board and some 17 crew, apparently at some point after it left London began squawking a code that indicated it had been hijacked.

Now what we're being told now by federal transportation officials is that the air traffic control dispatchers have, indeed, talked to the pilot, and every indication at this point is that it was simply some kind of an electronic or mechanical problem.

Still, nonetheless, Canadian authorities were taking no chances. As you said, it's been diverted to New Brunswick. We are told that Canadian aircraft are shadowing this Airbus plane full of passengers.

But again, all indications right now, is that it was a false alarm. And that's the word, in fact, from Virgin Atlantic airways. They say it was simply a false alarm -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And this, of course, getting a lot of attention here in this country because it was headed to JFK. So a lot of people, perhaps, going to the New York area on board this flight or making connections to go elsewhere within the U.S.

KOCH: Correct. So I'm sure a lot of worried relatives there at the airport. No word if it's actually going to now land in New Brunswick or if they are going to simply now turn it around in midair and send it on to JFK. But as soon as we get that information, we'll pass it on.

KAGAN: You know, this is interesting, Kathleen, because you know, recently we've been talking about planes that have taken a different path. They usually end up in Bangor, Maine. That's when the passenger list doesn't match up, or does match up to somebody that federal officials are concerned about. Why would this plane -- what do you know about Moncton, New Brunswick, about this Moncton International Airport? Why would it be sent there? KOCH: That's a good question, Daryn. And I was trying to get that from federal transportation officials. But they -- they are in the middle of, I think, dealing with this and other issues right now and couldn't give us more details. But we're going to do our best to find that out.

KAGAN: OK. So once again, what we know, this is a Virgin Atlantic Airlines Flight 45. It was originally supposed to go from Heathrow in London to JFK in New York City. Sometime after it took off from London, an alert was sounded sounding like there was a hijacking taking place.

Officials now saying that was a mechanical failure; there is no hijacking. Yet this plane still being diverted, not coming to JFK, being sent into Canada, into Moncton International Airport in New Brunswick, Ontario.

We'll continue to get more information on it and bring it to you as it's available. Right now, a quick break.

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KAGAN: I want to get back to our breaking news story. We're tracking Virgin Atlantic Airlines Flight No. 45 taking off from Heathrow Airport in London, was supposed to land at JFK. And yet, soon after it took off from London, sounded an alert that it was being hijacked.

Officials now saying that was a mechanical error, a false alarm on a hijacking on board this flight. And yet the plane being diverted, not at this point being allowed to head towards JFK, instead heading into Canada and heading for Moncton International Airport. That's in New Brunswick, Ontario in Canada.

As we understand, it's also receiving an escort of some F-16s. With more on that angle of the story, let's bring in our Barbara Starr at Pentagon.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, we've just...

KAGAN: Go ahead.

STARR: ... just spoken -- Daryn, we have just spoken to some officials at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and what they tell us is now, actually, it is Canadian air force F-18 fighters that are in the air escorting this plane.

NORAD is involved. They are taking no chances. This is a standard procedure. And those Canadian F-18s, which are part of NORAD will escort the plane to its divert location, which is now said to be New Brunswick, Canada.

Everyone pretty much understands at this point that it appears to be a false alarm, some type of electronic signal that accidentally broadcast that hijack code. But the military and air defense officials do take no chances. So, Canadian fighters are in the air, we are told. They will escort that plane to its divert location. There's no particular reason at the moment to think it's been hijacked, but they are going to make sure and escort it to its Canadian location. It will not go on into New York at this point, Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Barbara Starr, thanks for that extra bit of information there. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

We will continue to track Virgin Atlantic Flight number 45, originally going from Heathrow to JFK, now headed into Canada. Right now a break. We're back after this.

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KAGAN: We are continuing to get more information about Virgin -- Virgin Atlantic Flight No. 45, leaving London earlier today, 9:30 local time there, taking off. An alert went off saying the plane was being hijacked. Officials with the FBI and also with the airline now saying that is a false alarm.

In fact, the FBI telling CNN that this hijack signal went on on the plane. The air control tower at JFK, where the plane was headed was able to make verbal contact with the pilot. They say, no, they are not being hijacked, and yet they can't get the signal to go off.

So here's the latest on that flight. It originally was supposed to land at JFK this afternoon today local time. Instead it's being diverted, not into Ontario, Canada, as we originally told you. Now we're hearing it's being sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

When you go on the Virgin Atlantic web site it says that flight's been delayed and would be landing at JFK at 2:05 local time. Not sure if that's going to happen today, but right now it appears this is a false alarm. Not taking any chances. This plane does have military escort from the Canadian air force.

We are tracking the latest on the information on Virgin Atlantic 45. They are saying a false hijacking alert at this time. More information just ahead. Right now, another break.

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KAGAN: Well, once again we want you to know we're not getting away from this story. It is a story of a plane that apparently earlier today looked like it has been hijacked. Virgin Atlantic Flight No. 45 headed from London Heathrow Airport to New York's JFK airport.

The FBI and airline officials now saying this is a mechanical error. It's a false alarm. And even though they can't get the alarm to go off and the indicator to go off, they have had verbal communication with the pilot and they say it is a false alarm.

Still that flight if you have somebody on board being diverted from -- not coming into JFK. Instead it's going to go to Halifax, Nova Scotia, under Canadian air force escort, just to be completely sure.

So, we'll give you the latest on that story as it becomes available. Right now, that's all we have. So we're going to move on. And in fact, how about the movie on board the plane? And we're going to talk with Mr. Moviefone.

It might sound like kind of a strange transition there, but Russ Leatherman, you do know, as you know, because we'll cancel you in a second whenever there's breaking news. This happens to you.

RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEFONE": Yes. It does happen every now and again.

KAGAN: It does happen to you. So as soon as we get information on that we'll break away from Mr. Moviefone. Meanwhile...

LEATHERMAN: I'll just keep talking.

KAGAN: Everyone has to be somewhere, so we might as well be with you.

LEATHERMAN: Well, you know what? Thank you. Thank you, Daryn. Good morning to you. And you should be with me, because we've got a fantastic movie opening in theaters this weekend that I think everybody should go see.

Of course, we're talking about "Cinderella Man." There's been a lot of hype for this movie. Critics are loving it. Moviegoers are going to love it and rightfully so.

It stars Russell Crowe. He plays boxer Jim Braddock whose career is on the rise but really gets knocked out by the Great Depression, can't feed the kids, can't put bread on the table. Renee Zellweger plays his wife. Paul Giamatti plays his manager there, who's fantastic.

I have to tell you, this movie is beautifully done. It's gut- wrenching. You will certainly see Oscar nominations for Crowe, Giamatti. And really, one of the best sports movies ever made.

KAGAN: Really?

LEATHERMAN: Daryn, it's unbelievable.

KAGAN: I talked to people who saw it. They said there is a lot of boxing.

LEATHERMAN: There is a lot of boxing. But I thought the boxing is very well done, by the way, the boxing scenes. And nothing ruins a sports movie like bad sports. But really, the picture is much more than that. It's a triumph over adversity movie. Russell Crowe will break your heart. No matter what people think about him as a person, he's a brilliant actor. And if this movie doesn't get nominated, there will be something really wrong. If you have ten bucks in your pocket, and you want to go to the movies this weekend, make it "Cinderella Man."

KAGAN: OK. What if you're a girl, though? Like a pre-teen girl and you've read "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and it's one of your favorite books ever. Do you go see the movie?

LEATHERMAN: Well, I think you do. This is a pretty good movie. And obviously, a movie title with the word "sisterhood" in it, probably isn't made for me, Daryn.

KAGAN: Probably not.

LEATHERMAN: But this is a pretty good movie. It's about a group of friends, four friends who live their whole lives together, but they're going off for the summer each on their own individual way to different parts of the world.

But the thing that keeps them connected is this pair of magical pants that they send around to each other. Now Daryn, I have to tell you, I'm not convinced the pants are magical. You know, they fit the tallest girl, the smallest girl. I think they're maybe stretch denim. I'm not sure.

KAGAN: You never had to get in a pair of tight jeans. You don't know our pain.

LEATHERMAN: Believe me, I do know your pain.

But let me tell you, I think that for the demo, for teenage girls, older teenage girls, they're going to really like this movie. You see America Ferrera there. She was in "Real Women Have Curves."

KAGAN: Love that movie.

LEATHERMAN: A terrific movie. It was great. This is a perfectly good movie for the demo, for young girls or teenage girls. I don't think that it will go much beyond that, but it's a well- executed movie. I thought it was enjoyable, and hey, I'm a 28-year- old man.

KAGAN: Yes, right. That's a different story. Let's talk skateboarding. "Lords of Dogtown."

LEATHERMAN: This is another movie that I think is really demographic specific. I think that if you're a skater kid, you're going to love this movie. It's really a dramatization of the documentary "Dogtown and Z Boys" about the Venice, California, skating team, who took extreme sports, really, from the waves to the streets.

Heath Ledger stars in it, and he's really good in this movie as sort of the stoned out leader of the group. I thought this was a movie that was very well done. If you're into it, if you're into skating and that whole scene, you're going to love this movie; otherwise, you know, not so much.

So I would say again, the movie to see this weekend, no doubt about it. If you do have the ten bucks burning a hole in your pocket, go see "Cinderella Man." Could be the best movie you'll see all year.

KAGAN: And just real quickly on "Lords of Dogtown" I heard skateboarding. I thought great for my nephews, but then I heard a stoned out leader. I need an age gauge here.

LEATHERMAN: Well, that's the deal. This is not something you necessarily want your kids to become, right? Because there's drugs, women, sex, all that stuff. I would let a 16-, 17-, 18-year-old kid go. Nothing -- nothing below that. But that's sort of how they represent this world. And it was in the '70s when all that stuff was really popular. So, you know...

KAGAN: Not that would know.

LEATHERMAN: Not that I know. What are you saying, Daryn? I told you I'm 27.

KAGAN: That's exactly my point. And by the way, combing the hair, that's a good touch.

LEATHERMAN: Well, by the way, since CNN doesn't pay me, Mom said I've got to get a job, so I'm headed over to the Gap to apply as soon as we're done with this segment.

KAGAN: Well, I'll write you a reference. Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviefone, thank you.

LEATHERMAN: Bye, Daryn.

KAGAN: "Jaws" is back off the coast of Massachusetts. But swimmers don't need to panic. On the 30th anniversary of the blockbuster film, Martha's Vineyard is holding "Jaws" Fest '05. Some of the movie's cast and crew members will be back, and there will be a stand-in for the star. A replica of the 26-foot mechanical shark will be on display.

Checking the time, 10:54 here on the East Coast, 7:54 on the West Coast. That's where the jury could begin deliberations on the Michael Jackson case. Stay with us. We'll have the latest with that, a quick check of your morning forecast, also the latest on the false hijacking.

And how about a test? I'm not going to try to say the word they're going to try to make me say and spell. We have one eighth grader who can, though. And we'll have more about the winner of the National Spelling Bee just ahead.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANURAG KASHYAP, SPELLING BEE CHAMPION: Appoggiatura, language of origin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Latin to Italian.

KASHYAP: Appoggiatura. Appoggiatura. A-p-p-o-g-g-i-a-t-u-r-a.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: He said it was just like feeling sheer joy. Success to the letter. A California 8th grader capturing the 2005 National Spelling Bee championship. His name, he's 13 years old. He is Anurag Kashyap. He made his second trip to the National Spelling Bee this year, hoping for a better finish than last year's tie for 47th. Boy, did he do a lot better.

He appeared last hour on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

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KASHYAP: I worked harder. I was more determined. I knew what to study because I saw all the stuff last year. I was more experienced with the stage and how it would really be. And I was more coordinated on the stage, you know. I was used to the conditions. So it was an experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: So for winning first place the youngster rakes in $28,000 in cash, scholarships and savings bonds. Congratulations to him.

Seems this time each year Americans are abuzz over the National Spelling Bee and the mind boggling performance of those little brainiacs. Well, now on our web site you can see those highs and lows spelled out. Our Christina Park is at the dot com desk with our online feature.

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CHRISTINA PARK, CNN.COM: Some incredibly smart kids have got America spellbound at the 78th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. CNN.com takes you through the highs and lows of bee season.

We've got your round by round account of the competition as more than 270 of the country's best young spellers competed, taking on words like trichotillomania and cirrhosis.

We also explain how it's never been so cool to be smart. Hollywood has caught bee fever with new films like "Bee Season," starring Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche, due for release in September.

According to the Oscar nominated documentary "Spellbound" some nine million kids compete in spelling bees. Only the elite make it to the National Spelling Bee. Some of the top gun of spelling competitions for children, ages 9 to 14. Prizes, the biggest ever, $28,000 in cash plus prizes.

So think you have what it takes? Take our spelling quiz. We've collected the words that have decided champion spellers in recent years. But all you need to spell to get there is C-N-N. Click on over to CNN.com/education for your free lesson.

I'm Christina Park, reporting from the dot com desk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Missing in Aruba, a desperate search for an Alabama teenager missing after a student vacation. And the fate of Michael Jackson is nearly in the jury. We'll tell you what legal experts expect to happen behind closed doors as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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