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CNN Live Today
False Hijacking Alert; Closing Arguments; Deep Throat Details
Aired June 03, 2005 - 10:59 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: 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 hands of the jury. Hear what legal experts expect to happen behind closed doors as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
And as we take a look at what's happening "Now in the News," a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to New York has been diverted toward Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia, Canada. An airline spokeswoman says a distress signal from the flight turned out to be a false alarm. U.S. government officials said that Canadian fighter jets were sent to escort the plane to its diverted location, according to procedures, when such a signal is sounded.
In California, Michael Jackson is due back in court this hour, and the jury could get the child molestation case possibly as early as this afternoon. We have a live report from Santa Maria coming up in one minute.
The electricity is on, and later today residents of about 310 undamaged homes are scheduled to return to their devastated neighborhood in Laguna Beach, California. A massive landslide destroyed seven homes, damaged eight others, and left many more on the brink of destruction. At least 48 homes remain off-limits.
Dr. Rafiq Sabir, one of two U.S. citizens accused of terrorism, is due in a federal court today. Sabir and Tarik Shah of New York were arrested May 28. The FBI says they conspired to aid al Qaeda. Neither defendant has yet entered a plea.
New jobs numbers fall below Wall Street expectations. The Labor Department reports just 78,000 new jobs created in May. Forecasters have broadly estimated between 145,000 and 240,000. However, unemployment fell by a tenth of a point from April. Economists had expected it to remain steady at 5.2 percent.
Let's check the time. Just a little after 8:00 in Laguna Beach, California, 11:00 in Washington, D.C., and 5:00 in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
And from CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning, once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We want tog to get back to our developing story on this flight. Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 was making its way from London to New York City. It has been diverted to Halifax, Nova Scotia, because of what FBI officials and airline officials are calling a false hijacking alert.
With the latest, let's go to our Kathleen Koch -- Kathleen?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a scare, I believe, for the people obviously on the ground and at JFK waiting for their loved ones. Some 271 passengers and 17 crew aboard this Airbus Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow to JFK, and apparently what officials tell us occurred was that somewhere over the Atlantic, instead of squawking its normal flight number, this plane began squawking the code 7500, which indicates a hijacking is under way.
Now, immediately, obviously, airline officials and federal aviation, the air traffic control dispatchers, got in touch with the plane, and, first of all, were told by Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman Brook Lauer (ph), that this was simply a false alarm, that the transponder for some reason sent a false alert. She says, "We've been in communication with the captain, who said everything is under control."
Now, also, again, U.S. aviation officials in the tower have talked to the pilot, and every indication right now is that it was some sort of electronic or mechanical problem. British aviation authorities also checked with them and found out that they believe the signal was sent in a mechanical error.
But Daryn, they did not take any chances. Canadian authorities sent fighter jets to escort the plane to its divert location, and at that point, that's still where it is headed, and that's to Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia.
KAGAN: So we're hearing all this confirmation, Kathleen, that the hijack alert did not work correctly, but how is it supposed to work?
KOCH: Well, Daryn, there are a variety of ways that a pilot can indicate that his or her aircraft is being hijacked. One thing they can do is there's sort of a simple code word that can be used, that a pilot can use, that everyone, everyone in the tower, every pilot is aware of.
It's not the word "hijacking," but it can indicate that one is under way. Air traffic controllers use another word back to verify that that is instead what the pilot meant to say, and then he or she can indicate, oh, no, sorry, that was a mistake or not. But they can then also switch their transponder code to this 7500.
There are other emergency codes. Like 7700 indicates an emergency on board, or 7600 indicates they have lost communication. Say they're flying in and all of a sudden they're communication, you know, wiring, something goes on the fritz and they can't talk to the tower. That can tell the tower, you know, we are not a threat, we've just lost communication.
So that's the sort of thing that can happen and how it's normally handled.
KAGAN: All right. Kathleen Koch, thank you for the latest on that.
I don't know if we mentioned this, but this plane is being escorted by Canadian fighter jets just as a precaution. How that works and why that's taking place, let's go to the Pentagon and our Barbara Starr -- Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which is a joint command of the United States and Canada responsible for the air defense of the continental United States, is again confirming that Canadian F-18s will escort this Virgin Atlantic flight all the way into its divert location in Halifax, because they want to make sure, they are taking no chances, even though they do believe it is a false alarm.
But why are those military jets in the air so quickly? How does all of this work?
Well, what happens is, commercial aviation authorities in the United States and Canada monitor these signals from commercial aircraft flying -- approaching the United States or flying within the United States. When they see -- word coming in now that the plane may have landed, I believe, in Halifax -- it has landed. So we will get those pictures for you as quickly as we can. But let's get back to it.
What happens is commercial aviation authorities get those kinds of signals, they immediately are in contact with military authorities at NORAD. And as we understand it, a so-called domestic events phone call was initiated in this case. That is what brought the military into the picture when they were informed that there was a potential problem.
So those Canadian F-18s launched immediately. That is the procedure, especially after 9/11. They are in the air, and any airplane that appears to have some sort of problem like this, they will escort to its divert location just to make sure everything is OK -- Daryn?
KAGAN: All right. Michael -- we're moving on to Michael Jackson. Sorry, I have that on the brain. Barbara Starr, who clearly is not Michael Jackson, at the Pentagon. Thank you for that.
Once again, the most important part of that report, the plane -- we're getting word from the Pentagon that Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 has landed safely in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after that hijacking scare. Originally supposed to go into JFK, probably will regroup and make it back to New York City later today.
Now on to Michael Jackson. The entertainer is expected back in court this hour in Santa Maria, California. The jury in the child molestation trial could receive the case as early as this afternoon.
Our Ted Rowlands is following the trial, joins us from Santa Maria.
And Ted, I'm getting word that Michael Jackson went to the hospital yet again.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is a bit misleading, we believe, Daryn. What happened was, at some point yesterday, according to a hospital spokesperson, Jackson stopped by at some point after leaving court yesterday.
A spokesperson for Michael Jackson says that he went there possibly just to get some electrolytes because of dehydration, and that was on the recommendation of a friend. The bottom line, if he was there, he didn't spend very much time there, and we're not quite sure exactly the reason he went there, if indeed he did go to the hospital.
Clearly, his health is a concern among those around him. Those that are close to him say that, yes, he looks gaunt. And that is an issue that has come up over the last few weeks.
Today, it is expected that the jury will begin deciding Michael Jackson's fate. The eight women and four men on this jury are expected to get the case about noon or shortly after noon. Both sides will have an opportunity to address this jury this morning.
Jackson left his Neverland ranch within the hour. We expect him at the courthouse within minutes here. His court gets under way at 8:30.
Up first will be Thomas Mesereau, Jackson's attorney, finishing up his closing argument. Yesterday, during the beginning of his close, he called the family and the accuser con artists, actors and liars. And he contends that this family has fabricated this entire story for money and that they are trying to fleece Michael Jackson.
On the other hand, Ron Zonen, the assistant district attorney who delivered his closing before Mesereau started, he said that Jackson is a sexual predator. He said that he lured these boys to Neverland ranch, and he called it the world of the forbidden. He says they learned about human sexuality by someone who was only willing to be their teacher.
Very high drama yesterday. We expect it to be even higher today.
Outside the courthouse, hundreds of Jackson fans have returned, creating that carnival-like atmosphere as they wait for the eventual verdict which we expect at some point next week, most likely. They'll only have a few hours today to start their deliberation process, so the possibility of them coming up with a verdict today would be very, very slim -- Daryn?
KAGAN: And as you told us yesterday, this is not a sequestered jury.
ROWLANDS: No, it is not. And they'll have the weekend off and start at it again on Monday, assuming they don't come to a verdict this afternoon.
KAGAN: All right. Ted Rowlands in Santa Maria. Thank you. A little bit more on Michael Jackson now. Former U.S. attorney Kendall Coffey joining us from Miami with some analysis.
Kendall, good morning.
KENDALL COFFEY, FMR. U.S. ATTORNEY: Hey, good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: So far, from what you've heard about the closing arguments, who do you think is winning?
COFFEY: Well, I think the closing arguments are equally good, equally compelling. I think going into closing, though, prosecution had a slight lead, Daryn. Apparently, this videotape played Friday with the accuser during a videotaped interview back in 2003 with the police was very, very impressive, very believable. And let's face it, if the prosecutor wants to summarize its case in a single line, if you believe the accuser, you've got to convict the abuser.
KAGAN: Oh, trying to get cute there with a little rhyming. Got it.
Each side getting one more chance today. What does each side need to do?
COFFEY: Well, I think what the defense needs to do is not spend any more bullets than necessary on the mom. They beat her like a drum.
KAGAN: Boy, did they ever.
COFFEY: Boy, did they ever. And there was a good reason to do it, because the theory was she was orchestrating this thing, basically forcing her poor young son to have to present a pack of lies. But they do need to get back to the accuser.
There are at least three major events where this young man totally contradicted to other people what he is now saying in the courtroom. That's what they've got to end up with, because, again, it comes down to this isn't a case about motherly malpractice. This is a case about child abuse, and it doesn't really matter whether she's the mother of the year or not.
KAGAN: And, of course, there's a number of -- there's 10 counts here. They don't have to convict on any or all of them. What do you think is the strongest case for the prosecution at this point?
(CROSSTALK)
COFFEY: Well, I think for sure they're going to get convictions on the alcohol counts. There...
KAGAN: But the judge even said there could be a reduced misdemeanor count there, right.
COFFEY: Could be reduced to misdemeanors, but my expectation is probably felony counts. Just a lot, a lot of evidence about alcohol bouncing all around with kids at Neverland.
I think the conspiracy count, I still think it's weak. I was actually surprised that the prosecution spent as much time as it did yesterday trying to make that particular charge stick. And the giant question is, the molestation charges, right now, again, I think the prosecution may by slightly ahead, but still very, very close.
KAGAN: Bottom line, do you think Michael Jackson is going to prison?
COFFEY: Michael Jackson I think is going to go to prison.
KAGAN: Well, we will be watching it. Kendall Coffey, thanks for your insight from Florida.
COFFEY: Hey, thanks, Daryn.
KAGAN: "Washington Post" reporters Woodward and Bernstein got the scoop back in the '70s. This week, they were the ones to get scooped, and they talk about that and the whole Watergate issue after the break.
Also, health news. Are you confused about obesity? Is it OK to be overweight? We have the facts in our "Daily Dose" segment.
To fold or bluff, it's the 36th World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this week. Last year's winner is hoping to win big again. Today he's with us to share some secrets.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
KAGAN: Want to go to live pictures now from Santa Maria, California. The crowds increasing with each day as this trial getting closer and closer to an end. You are familiar, if you're with us this time of day, with the scene. The black Suburban is pulling up carrying Michael Jackson and his entourage. Pulling up to the courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
Closing arguments expected to wrap up today, and then the jury, eight women and four men, will get this case. Michael Jackson being tried on 10 felony counts, child molestation counts and -- we almost could play the tape from previous days.
An assistant will get out the front, and then probably open the door. And we've been seeing Michael Jackson and his parents -- three of his brothers were there with him yesterday -- get out of the back of the Suburban.
And we're just going to stay with the live pictures from Santa Maria, California. Once again, this is probably the last day -- that looks like one of his sisters as well. I think LaToya Jackson coming into the courthouse.
So these are the siblings coming in to show their support for Michael Jackson. There we go. And there is the pop star today, walking under the umbrella. He usually gets to this point and turns around waves to his fans. He is flanked by his bodyguards and his parents.
A wave for the crowds, the crowds that have grown. We haven't seen crowds this big pretty much since the beginning of the trial. They -- as it has gone on 13, 14 weeks, they have subsided a little bit. But Michael Jackson will walk into the courthouse, go through the metal detector and sit in the courtroom to hear the prosecution and the defense get one last shot at making their case. And then this goes to the jury.
We'll be back to Santa Maria as needed. Right now a quick break. We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Watergate reporters Woodward and Bernstein are revealing new details now on their legendary source Deep Throat. Our national correspondent Kelly Wallace reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In their first live primetime interview since Deep Throat's identity was revealed, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein talked with Larry King about getting scooped.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": How did "Vanity Fair" beat you?
BOB WOODWARD, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, they did some good reporting.
CARL BERNSTEIN, FMR. "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER: There's a great lesson, journalistic lesson, in the way the story broke, in that we didn't get it. And that is -- you know, reporters often think that they're in control of a story. The story controls the reporter.
WALLACE: Bernstein said he never actually met their legendary source, Mark Felt, and said Woodward met and talked with him fewer than a dozen times in two years during the Watergate scandal. Woodward told Larry King he hadn't spoken with Felt for a number of years.
WOODWARD: It was a number of years ago, I talked to him, and it was clear to me that -- and this was the reluctance we had that he has dementia, and his memory is often nonexistent on critical matters, and he is somebody 91 years old.
WALLACE: What about the critics who accuse felt of being disloyal, one calling him a snake?
BERNSTEIN: Sounds like what these people said about us 30 years ago, and the president of the United States said when they tried to make the conduct of the press the issue in Watergate. WALLACE: Asked if they thought Felt, who was number two at the FBI at the time, broke the law by sharing secrets with them.
WOODWARD: No, I don't think so. I think -- and again, and this is part of the additional story, that he was careful to give us guidance, he didn't give us direct information from FBI files or reports.
WALLACE: What about those who say Felt, passed over for the top job at the FBI, might have been seeking revenge?
BERNSTEIN: I think that's a much too simplistic way to interpret it. He obviously felt an obligation to the truth. He felt an obligation, I think, to the Constitution. He realized that there was a corrupt presidency, that the Constitution was being undermined.
WALLACE: And finally, how will history regard the man who helped uncover Watergate crimes, a scandal that brought down a president?
WOODWARD: He was a man conflicted, in turmoil, truly a man of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI, who saw all of these things going on. He's an important part, but you know, you don't know what history is going to say.
WALLACE (on camera): For three decades, they kept one of the biggest secrets in Washington. Now they can tell all, and plan to do that with a new book, which Woodward says could be on bookshelves soon.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And let's get more now on this latest information. Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 was making its way -- here we go to the graphic -- making its way from London to JFK, was the original plan. It was supposed to land at just around noon today local time.
Instead, a hijack alert went off on the plane. It was decided it was a false alarm. Instead, that plane diverted to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we get word within the last few minutes that the plane has landed safely.
In fact, with us on the phone right now, we have with us Gina Connell. She's with the Halifax International Airport.
Gina, good morning.
GINA CONNELL, HALIFAX INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Good morning.
KAGAN: Can you give us the latest on Flight 45, Virgin Atlantic Flight 45, please?
CONNELL: As of 12:00 noon, our local time, the aircraft landed at Halifax International Airport without incident. We have put the aircraft in isolation on our taxiway alpha, and the RCMP are handling the remainder of the investigation, and they'll be deciding how they're going to proceed from now.
KAGAN: And did it arrive with the Canadian Air Force escort, Canadian fighter jets?
CONNELL: Yes. As a standard precautionary procedure, when these things happen, when these types of alarms go off, those Canadian CF- 18s are called in immediately.
They did escort the aircraft to Halifax. They did not land here. They continued on to an air force base nearby called Greenwood (ph).
KAGAN: Gina, when did your airport first get notice to be on standby for this?
CONNELL: Probably about 45 minutes ago.
KAGAN: Really? So this is really breaking news for you as well.
CONNELL: Certainly is.
KAGAN: Because when we first were hearing this, the plane was supposed to go to New Brunswick.
CONNELL: Well, we were -- we were notified, I believe -- I'm just trying to confirm that time for you, but I believe it was about 45 minutes ago.
KAGAN: And is your airport specially equipped and set up for this because you are so far east?
CONNELL: Well, we certainly have our share of diversions. We have medical emergencies at times, there are other aircraft with mechanical issues that come here. And as you may recall, we handled about 40 diverted aircraft during September the 11th and landed all those 40 within a very short period of time, within an hour or so, at our airport. So we certainly are able to handle -- handle this incident.
KAGAN: I do remember that well, and the people of Nova Scotia very well thought of here in the states...
CONNELL: Oh, that's nice.
KAGAN: ... of how you treated so many Americans on that day and during that time.
Gina, we need to get a little break. I know it's a busy morning for you. If you can stay with us on the phone, we're going to come back to you in a moment.
For our viewers at home, a quick break. More information after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We continue to follow the story of Virgin Atlantic Flight 45. As the story develops, we were receiving word within the last hour it had landed safely in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
We had Gina Connell on the phone with us. She is a spokeswoman for the airport there, telling us that this Flight 45, Virgin Atlantic 45, landed.
It was escorted by Canadian fighter jets. They didn't land there.
This all after an apparent false alarm of a hijacking on board taking place after that flight left London. It was supposed to land in about a half-hour at JFK. That plane has now been sequestered. It's in a separate part of the airport, and the security there is dealing with that situation.
So that continues to develop. As it does, we want to welcome in Richard Falkenrath, our CNN security analyst, to talk about what happened and how this all played out.
What do you make of how this played out, Richard? Good morning, by the way.
RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn. Thank you.
This is unfortunate that these things happen these days, but every once in a while there will be pilot error or mechanical error that will send out some sort of signal like this and cause the air traffic controllers to take the response that they did. For the passengers, it's very unfortunate. I'm sure they're not very happy sitting there in Nova Scotia. But it's what the government has to do out of an abundance of caution that we operate under today in this post-9/11 era.
KAGAN: Yes. Now, people who haven't been with us over the last hour and a half, let's update them a little bit.
Apparently, the airline and the FBI saying this is a mechanical error, that something went off on the plane. They were able to make verbal contact with the pilot, who said, no, no, no, we are not being hijacked. And yet this still -- the system put in place, it looked like the system worked so far, Richard?
FALKENRATH: Well, yes, the squawk system worked. The pilots have a number of different ways to tell the ground if they are being hijacked. And one of them is to push a button on their radio which sends out a specific signal that the air traffic controllers recognize as a hijacking threat.
And once that happens, everything sort of kicks into gear. And it's sort of hard to determine conclusively that there is no hijacking threat, because it is possible that the pilots you're talking to on the other end of the radio are talking under duress. And so that's why they divert the plain.
KAGAN: Now, Gina Connell, the spokesman with the airport, she had to go. Understandably a little bit busy at her airport today. But before she did, she was talking about how the plane landed safely and they moved it off into a separate part of the airport so that it can be investigated and security people on the ground take over from there.
Are you familiar with what would take place, how they would actually make sure that there was no hijacking?
FALKENRATH: Well, it's a -- it's a relatively rural airport. And they move it off to a side of the tarmac where there isn't really any other activity. And they'll just keep everyone there under law enforcement personnel arrive on scene, and then they'll board the airplane, make sure everything is OK.
And then they'll have to make sure it's safe to fly on, that it has food and water and fuel. And then it will take off again from Halifax.
KAGAN: And so this is a very different situation from what we've been seeing over the last couple of months, where a name pops up on the passenger no-fly list and that plane diverted to Bangor, Maine.
FALKENRATH: That's right. It is a completely different cause of the problem.
But what you're seeing in both cases is the extreme caution with which our air traffic controllers and security officials deal with any incident in the air for inbound flights into the United States. And so whether it's a name that appears on a watch list or a squawking code that comes out of the airplane's radio, people don't take a lot of risk, and they decide to do the least risky thing, which in this case is to divert to Halifax.
KAGAN: And that's of some comfort for people who are flying overseas. Probably not much consolation to the folks who are stuck on the ground right now in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
FALKENRATH: No.
KAGAN: ... just at the time they thought they would be landing at JFK in about a half-hour. Richard Falkenrath, thank you for your expertise.
FALKENRATH: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Appreciate it.
And with that, we're getting very close to the half-hour, so we're going to go ahead and take a look at what's happening ""Now in the News."
And we'll begin with -- well, there we go. We were waiting for the music and the graphics.
Our top ""Now in the News," a Virgin Atlantic flight that we've been talking about, this plane once again going from London to New York. It was diverted for Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia.
An airline spokeswoman says a distress signal from the flight turned out to be a false alarm. U.S. government officials said Canadian fighter jets were sent to escort the plane to its diverted location. That is according to procedures when such a signal is found. That plane on the ground safely in Halifax.
To California. Court resuming about now in the Michael Jackson trial. Lawyers are expected to wrap up their closing arguments fairly quickly. The jury will then get the child molestation case.
Jackson is charged in a 10-count indictment. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
And an Arizona teenager is in critical condition this morning after he led police on a chase in an earthmover. Police say they opened fire when the 14-year-old boy turned the vehicle and drove downhill toward police. They say he apparently intended to run over police cruisers with the officers inside.
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 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: 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 hands of the jury. Hear what legal experts expect to happen behind closed doors as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
And as we take a look at what's happening "Now in the News," a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to New York has been diverted toward Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia, Canada. An airline spokeswoman says a distress signal from the flight turned out to be a false alarm. U.S. government officials said that Canadian fighter jets were sent to escort the plane to its diverted location, according to procedures, when such a signal is sounded.
In California, Michael Jackson is due back in court this hour, and the jury could get the child molestation case possibly as early as this afternoon. We have a live report from Santa Maria coming up in one minute.
The electricity is on, and later today residents of about 310 undamaged homes are scheduled to return to their devastated neighborhood in Laguna Beach, California. A massive landslide destroyed seven homes, damaged eight others, and left many more on the brink of destruction. At least 48 homes remain off-limits.
Dr. Rafiq Sabir, one of two U.S. citizens accused of terrorism, is due in a federal court today. Sabir and Tarik Shah of New York were arrested May 28. The FBI says they conspired to aid al Qaeda. Neither defendant has yet entered a plea.
New jobs numbers fall below Wall Street expectations. The Labor Department reports just 78,000 new jobs created in May. Forecasters have broadly estimated between 145,000 and 240,000. However, unemployment fell by a tenth of a point from April. Economists had expected it to remain steady at 5.2 percent.
Let's check the time. Just a little after 8:00 in Laguna Beach, California, 11:00 in Washington, D.C., and 5:00 in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
And from CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning, once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
We want tog to get back to our developing story on this flight. Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 was making its way from London to New York City. It has been diverted to Halifax, Nova Scotia, because of what FBI officials and airline officials are calling a false hijacking alert.
With the latest, let's go to our Kathleen Koch -- Kathleen?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a scare, I believe, for the people obviously on the ground and at JFK waiting for their loved ones. Some 271 passengers and 17 crew aboard this Airbus Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow to JFK, and apparently what officials tell us occurred was that somewhere over the Atlantic, instead of squawking its normal flight number, this plane began squawking the code 7500, which indicates a hijacking is under way.
Now, immediately, obviously, airline officials and federal aviation, the air traffic control dispatchers, got in touch with the plane, and, first of all, were told by Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman Brook Lauer (ph), that this was simply a false alarm, that the transponder for some reason sent a false alert. She says, "We've been in communication with the captain, who said everything is under control."
Now, also, again, U.S. aviation officials in the tower have talked to the pilot, and every indication right now is that it was some sort of electronic or mechanical problem. British aviation authorities also checked with them and found out that they believe the signal was sent in a mechanical error.
But Daryn, they did not take any chances. Canadian authorities sent fighter jets to escort the plane to its divert location, and at that point, that's still where it is headed, and that's to Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia.
KAGAN: So we're hearing all this confirmation, Kathleen, that the hijack alert did not work correctly, but how is it supposed to work?
KOCH: Well, Daryn, there are a variety of ways that a pilot can indicate that his or her aircraft is being hijacked. One thing they can do is there's sort of a simple code word that can be used, that a pilot can use, that everyone, everyone in the tower, every pilot is aware of.
It's not the word "hijacking," but it can indicate that one is under way. Air traffic controllers use another word back to verify that that is instead what the pilot meant to say, and then he or she can indicate, oh, no, sorry, that was a mistake or not. But they can then also switch their transponder code to this 7500.
There are other emergency codes. Like 7700 indicates an emergency on board, or 7600 indicates they have lost communication. Say they're flying in and all of a sudden they're communication, you know, wiring, something goes on the fritz and they can't talk to the tower. That can tell the tower, you know, we are not a threat, we've just lost communication.
So that's the sort of thing that can happen and how it's normally handled.
KAGAN: All right. Kathleen Koch, thank you for the latest on that.
I don't know if we mentioned this, but this plane is being escorted by Canadian fighter jets just as a precaution. How that works and why that's taking place, let's go to the Pentagon and our Barbara Starr -- Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which is a joint command of the United States and Canada responsible for the air defense of the continental United States, is again confirming that Canadian F-18s will escort this Virgin Atlantic flight all the way into its divert location in Halifax, because they want to make sure, they are taking no chances, even though they do believe it is a false alarm.
But why are those military jets in the air so quickly? How does all of this work?
Well, what happens is, commercial aviation authorities in the United States and Canada monitor these signals from commercial aircraft flying -- approaching the United States or flying within the United States. When they see -- word coming in now that the plane may have landed, I believe, in Halifax -- it has landed. So we will get those pictures for you as quickly as we can. But let's get back to it.
What happens is commercial aviation authorities get those kinds of signals, they immediately are in contact with military authorities at NORAD. And as we understand it, a so-called domestic events phone call was initiated in this case. That is what brought the military into the picture when they were informed that there was a potential problem.
So those Canadian F-18s launched immediately. That is the procedure, especially after 9/11. They are in the air, and any airplane that appears to have some sort of problem like this, they will escort to its divert location just to make sure everything is OK -- Daryn?
KAGAN: All right. Michael -- we're moving on to Michael Jackson. Sorry, I have that on the brain. Barbara Starr, who clearly is not Michael Jackson, at the Pentagon. Thank you for that.
Once again, the most important part of that report, the plane -- we're getting word from the Pentagon that Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 has landed safely in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after that hijacking scare. Originally supposed to go into JFK, probably will regroup and make it back to New York City later today.
Now on to Michael Jackson. The entertainer is expected back in court this hour in Santa Maria, California. The jury in the child molestation trial could receive the case as early as this afternoon.
Our Ted Rowlands is following the trial, joins us from Santa Maria.
And Ted, I'm getting word that Michael Jackson went to the hospital yet again.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is a bit misleading, we believe, Daryn. What happened was, at some point yesterday, according to a hospital spokesperson, Jackson stopped by at some point after leaving court yesterday.
A spokesperson for Michael Jackson says that he went there possibly just to get some electrolytes because of dehydration, and that was on the recommendation of a friend. The bottom line, if he was there, he didn't spend very much time there, and we're not quite sure exactly the reason he went there, if indeed he did go to the hospital.
Clearly, his health is a concern among those around him. Those that are close to him say that, yes, he looks gaunt. And that is an issue that has come up over the last few weeks.
Today, it is expected that the jury will begin deciding Michael Jackson's fate. The eight women and four men on this jury are expected to get the case about noon or shortly after noon. Both sides will have an opportunity to address this jury this morning.
Jackson left his Neverland ranch within the hour. We expect him at the courthouse within minutes here. His court gets under way at 8:30.
Up first will be Thomas Mesereau, Jackson's attorney, finishing up his closing argument. Yesterday, during the beginning of his close, he called the family and the accuser con artists, actors and liars. And he contends that this family has fabricated this entire story for money and that they are trying to fleece Michael Jackson.
On the other hand, Ron Zonen, the assistant district attorney who delivered his closing before Mesereau started, he said that Jackson is a sexual predator. He said that he lured these boys to Neverland ranch, and he called it the world of the forbidden. He says they learned about human sexuality by someone who was only willing to be their teacher.
Very high drama yesterday. We expect it to be even higher today.
Outside the courthouse, hundreds of Jackson fans have returned, creating that carnival-like atmosphere as they wait for the eventual verdict which we expect at some point next week, most likely. They'll only have a few hours today to start their deliberation process, so the possibility of them coming up with a verdict today would be very, very slim -- Daryn?
KAGAN: And as you told us yesterday, this is not a sequestered jury.
ROWLANDS: No, it is not. And they'll have the weekend off and start at it again on Monday, assuming they don't come to a verdict this afternoon.
KAGAN: All right. Ted Rowlands in Santa Maria. Thank you. A little bit more on Michael Jackson now. Former U.S. attorney Kendall Coffey joining us from Miami with some analysis.
Kendall, good morning.
KENDALL COFFEY, FMR. U.S. ATTORNEY: Hey, good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: So far, from what you've heard about the closing arguments, who do you think is winning?
COFFEY: Well, I think the closing arguments are equally good, equally compelling. I think going into closing, though, prosecution had a slight lead, Daryn. Apparently, this videotape played Friday with the accuser during a videotaped interview back in 2003 with the police was very, very impressive, very believable. And let's face it, if the prosecutor wants to summarize its case in a single line, if you believe the accuser, you've got to convict the abuser.
KAGAN: Oh, trying to get cute there with a little rhyming. Got it.
Each side getting one more chance today. What does each side need to do?
COFFEY: Well, I think what the defense needs to do is not spend any more bullets than necessary on the mom. They beat her like a drum.
KAGAN: Boy, did they ever.
COFFEY: Boy, did they ever. And there was a good reason to do it, because the theory was she was orchestrating this thing, basically forcing her poor young son to have to present a pack of lies. But they do need to get back to the accuser.
There are at least three major events where this young man totally contradicted to other people what he is now saying in the courtroom. That's what they've got to end up with, because, again, it comes down to this isn't a case about motherly malpractice. This is a case about child abuse, and it doesn't really matter whether she's the mother of the year or not.
KAGAN: And, of course, there's a number of -- there's 10 counts here. They don't have to convict on any or all of them. What do you think is the strongest case for the prosecution at this point?
(CROSSTALK)
COFFEY: Well, I think for sure they're going to get convictions on the alcohol counts. There...
KAGAN: But the judge even said there could be a reduced misdemeanor count there, right.
COFFEY: Could be reduced to misdemeanors, but my expectation is probably felony counts. Just a lot, a lot of evidence about alcohol bouncing all around with kids at Neverland.
I think the conspiracy count, I still think it's weak. I was actually surprised that the prosecution spent as much time as it did yesterday trying to make that particular charge stick. And the giant question is, the molestation charges, right now, again, I think the prosecution may by slightly ahead, but still very, very close.
KAGAN: Bottom line, do you think Michael Jackson is going to prison?
COFFEY: Michael Jackson I think is going to go to prison.
KAGAN: Well, we will be watching it. Kendall Coffey, thanks for your insight from Florida.
COFFEY: Hey, thanks, Daryn.
KAGAN: "Washington Post" reporters Woodward and Bernstein got the scoop back in the '70s. This week, they were the ones to get scooped, and they talk about that and the whole Watergate issue after the break.
Also, health news. Are you confused about obesity? Is it OK to be overweight? We have the facts in our "Daily Dose" segment.
To fold or bluff, it's the 36th World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this week. Last year's winner is hoping to win big again. Today he's with us to share some secrets.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
KAGAN: Want to go to live pictures now from Santa Maria, California. The crowds increasing with each day as this trial getting closer and closer to an end. You are familiar, if you're with us this time of day, with the scene. The black Suburban is pulling up carrying Michael Jackson and his entourage. Pulling up to the courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
Closing arguments expected to wrap up today, and then the jury, eight women and four men, will get this case. Michael Jackson being tried on 10 felony counts, child molestation counts and -- we almost could play the tape from previous days.
An assistant will get out the front, and then probably open the door. And we've been seeing Michael Jackson and his parents -- three of his brothers were there with him yesterday -- get out of the back of the Suburban.
And we're just going to stay with the live pictures from Santa Maria, California. Once again, this is probably the last day -- that looks like one of his sisters as well. I think LaToya Jackson coming into the courthouse.
So these are the siblings coming in to show their support for Michael Jackson. There we go. And there is the pop star today, walking under the umbrella. He usually gets to this point and turns around waves to his fans. He is flanked by his bodyguards and his parents.
A wave for the crowds, the crowds that have grown. We haven't seen crowds this big pretty much since the beginning of the trial. They -- as it has gone on 13, 14 weeks, they have subsided a little bit. But Michael Jackson will walk into the courthouse, go through the metal detector and sit in the courtroom to hear the prosecution and the defense get one last shot at making their case. And then this goes to the jury.
We'll be back to Santa Maria as needed. Right now a quick break. We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Watergate reporters Woodward and Bernstein are revealing new details now on their legendary source Deep Throat. Our national correspondent Kelly Wallace reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In their first live primetime interview since Deep Throat's identity was revealed, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein talked with Larry King about getting scooped.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": How did "Vanity Fair" beat you?
BOB WOODWARD, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, they did some good reporting.
CARL BERNSTEIN, FMR. "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER: There's a great lesson, journalistic lesson, in the way the story broke, in that we didn't get it. And that is -- you know, reporters often think that they're in control of a story. The story controls the reporter.
WALLACE: Bernstein said he never actually met their legendary source, Mark Felt, and said Woodward met and talked with him fewer than a dozen times in two years during the Watergate scandal. Woodward told Larry King he hadn't spoken with Felt for a number of years.
WOODWARD: It was a number of years ago, I talked to him, and it was clear to me that -- and this was the reluctance we had that he has dementia, and his memory is often nonexistent on critical matters, and he is somebody 91 years old.
WALLACE: What about the critics who accuse felt of being disloyal, one calling him a snake?
BERNSTEIN: Sounds like what these people said about us 30 years ago, and the president of the United States said when they tried to make the conduct of the press the issue in Watergate. WALLACE: Asked if they thought Felt, who was number two at the FBI at the time, broke the law by sharing secrets with them.
WOODWARD: No, I don't think so. I think -- and again, and this is part of the additional story, that he was careful to give us guidance, he didn't give us direct information from FBI files or reports.
WALLACE: What about those who say Felt, passed over for the top job at the FBI, might have been seeking revenge?
BERNSTEIN: I think that's a much too simplistic way to interpret it. He obviously felt an obligation to the truth. He felt an obligation, I think, to the Constitution. He realized that there was a corrupt presidency, that the Constitution was being undermined.
WALLACE: And finally, how will history regard the man who helped uncover Watergate crimes, a scandal that brought down a president?
WOODWARD: He was a man conflicted, in turmoil, truly a man of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI, who saw all of these things going on. He's an important part, but you know, you don't know what history is going to say.
WALLACE (on camera): For three decades, they kept one of the biggest secrets in Washington. Now they can tell all, and plan to do that with a new book, which Woodward says could be on bookshelves soon.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And let's get more now on this latest information. Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 was making its way -- here we go to the graphic -- making its way from London to JFK, was the original plan. It was supposed to land at just around noon today local time.
Instead, a hijack alert went off on the plane. It was decided it was a false alarm. Instead, that plane diverted to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we get word within the last few minutes that the plane has landed safely.
In fact, with us on the phone right now, we have with us Gina Connell. She's with the Halifax International Airport.
Gina, good morning.
GINA CONNELL, HALIFAX INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Good morning.
KAGAN: Can you give us the latest on Flight 45, Virgin Atlantic Flight 45, please?
CONNELL: As of 12:00 noon, our local time, the aircraft landed at Halifax International Airport without incident. We have put the aircraft in isolation on our taxiway alpha, and the RCMP are handling the remainder of the investigation, and they'll be deciding how they're going to proceed from now.
KAGAN: And did it arrive with the Canadian Air Force escort, Canadian fighter jets?
CONNELL: Yes. As a standard precautionary procedure, when these things happen, when these types of alarms go off, those Canadian CF- 18s are called in immediately.
They did escort the aircraft to Halifax. They did not land here. They continued on to an air force base nearby called Greenwood (ph).
KAGAN: Gina, when did your airport first get notice to be on standby for this?
CONNELL: Probably about 45 minutes ago.
KAGAN: Really? So this is really breaking news for you as well.
CONNELL: Certainly is.
KAGAN: Because when we first were hearing this, the plane was supposed to go to New Brunswick.
CONNELL: Well, we were -- we were notified, I believe -- I'm just trying to confirm that time for you, but I believe it was about 45 minutes ago.
KAGAN: And is your airport specially equipped and set up for this because you are so far east?
CONNELL: Well, we certainly have our share of diversions. We have medical emergencies at times, there are other aircraft with mechanical issues that come here. And as you may recall, we handled about 40 diverted aircraft during September the 11th and landed all those 40 within a very short period of time, within an hour or so, at our airport. So we certainly are able to handle -- handle this incident.
KAGAN: I do remember that well, and the people of Nova Scotia very well thought of here in the states...
CONNELL: Oh, that's nice.
KAGAN: ... of how you treated so many Americans on that day and during that time.
Gina, we need to get a little break. I know it's a busy morning for you. If you can stay with us on the phone, we're going to come back to you in a moment.
For our viewers at home, a quick break. More information after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We continue to follow the story of Virgin Atlantic Flight 45. As the story develops, we were receiving word within the last hour it had landed safely in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
We had Gina Connell on the phone with us. She is a spokeswoman for the airport there, telling us that this Flight 45, Virgin Atlantic 45, landed.
It was escorted by Canadian fighter jets. They didn't land there.
This all after an apparent false alarm of a hijacking on board taking place after that flight left London. It was supposed to land in about a half-hour at JFK. That plane has now been sequestered. It's in a separate part of the airport, and the security there is dealing with that situation.
So that continues to develop. As it does, we want to welcome in Richard Falkenrath, our CNN security analyst, to talk about what happened and how this all played out.
What do you make of how this played out, Richard? Good morning, by the way.
RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn. Thank you.
This is unfortunate that these things happen these days, but every once in a while there will be pilot error or mechanical error that will send out some sort of signal like this and cause the air traffic controllers to take the response that they did. For the passengers, it's very unfortunate. I'm sure they're not very happy sitting there in Nova Scotia. But it's what the government has to do out of an abundance of caution that we operate under today in this post-9/11 era.
KAGAN: Yes. Now, people who haven't been with us over the last hour and a half, let's update them a little bit.
Apparently, the airline and the FBI saying this is a mechanical error, that something went off on the plane. They were able to make verbal contact with the pilot, who said, no, no, no, we are not being hijacked. And yet this still -- the system put in place, it looked like the system worked so far, Richard?
FALKENRATH: Well, yes, the squawk system worked. The pilots have a number of different ways to tell the ground if they are being hijacked. And one of them is to push a button on their radio which sends out a specific signal that the air traffic controllers recognize as a hijacking threat.
And once that happens, everything sort of kicks into gear. And it's sort of hard to determine conclusively that there is no hijacking threat, because it is possible that the pilots you're talking to on the other end of the radio are talking under duress. And so that's why they divert the plain.
KAGAN: Now, Gina Connell, the spokesman with the airport, she had to go. Understandably a little bit busy at her airport today. But before she did, she was talking about how the plane landed safely and they moved it off into a separate part of the airport so that it can be investigated and security people on the ground take over from there.
Are you familiar with what would take place, how they would actually make sure that there was no hijacking?
FALKENRATH: Well, it's a -- it's a relatively rural airport. And they move it off to a side of the tarmac where there isn't really any other activity. And they'll just keep everyone there under law enforcement personnel arrive on scene, and then they'll board the airplane, make sure everything is OK.
And then they'll have to make sure it's safe to fly on, that it has food and water and fuel. And then it will take off again from Halifax.
KAGAN: And so this is a very different situation from what we've been seeing over the last couple of months, where a name pops up on the passenger no-fly list and that plane diverted to Bangor, Maine.
FALKENRATH: That's right. It is a completely different cause of the problem.
But what you're seeing in both cases is the extreme caution with which our air traffic controllers and security officials deal with any incident in the air for inbound flights into the United States. And so whether it's a name that appears on a watch list or a squawking code that comes out of the airplane's radio, people don't take a lot of risk, and they decide to do the least risky thing, which in this case is to divert to Halifax.
KAGAN: And that's of some comfort for people who are flying overseas. Probably not much consolation to the folks who are stuck on the ground right now in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
FALKENRATH: No.
KAGAN: ... just at the time they thought they would be landing at JFK in about a half-hour. Richard Falkenrath, thank you for your expertise.
FALKENRATH: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Appreciate it.
And with that, we're getting very close to the half-hour, so we're going to go ahead and take a look at what's happening ""Now in the News."
And we'll begin with -- well, there we go. We were waiting for the music and the graphics.
Our top ""Now in the News," a Virgin Atlantic flight that we've been talking about, this plane once again going from London to New York. It was diverted for Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia.
An airline spokeswoman says a distress signal from the flight turned out to be a false alarm. U.S. government officials said Canadian fighter jets were sent to escort the plane to its diverted location. That is according to procedures when such a signal is found. That plane on the ground safely in Halifax.
To California. Court resuming about now in the Michael Jackson trial. Lawyers are expected to wrap up their closing arguments fairly quickly. The jury will then get the child molestation case.
Jackson is charged in a 10-count indictment. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
And an Arizona teenager is in critical condition this morning after he led police on a chase in an earthmover. Police say they opened fire when the 14-year-old boy turned the vehicle and drove downhill toward police. They say he apparently intended to run over police cruisers with the officers inside.
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