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CNN Live Today
California Quake; Hostage Freed; Missing Student; Deadly Dilemma; Top Five Tips for Selling Your House
Aired June 15, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Of terror suspects has ignited international anger and prompted even some Republicans to call for its closure. The Bush administration, though, says the facility plays an important role in gaining intelligence and it will remain open.
Just within the past half hour, a Texas judge handed down sentencing for the former Baylor basketball player who killed his teammate. Twenty-three-year-old Carlton Dotson has been ordered to spend the next 35 years in prison for the shooting death of Patrick Dennehy. Dotson unexpectedly entered a guilty plea last week without striking a deal.
Later today, the New York Yankees will unveil detailed plans for an new $800 million ballpark. It would be built next to Yankees Stadium, arguably one of sports most storied ballparks, and could be ready to open within four years. The Yankees will pay for the stadium. New York would fund the infrastructures, such as commuter rail service.
And good morning to you. We are going to start off this morning looking at the West Coast. Kicking off the hour with an event that startled residents of Northern California's coast.
It was a magnitude seven earthquake triggering a warning for a tsunami. The quake struck last night about 90 miles off the coast. The center was just south of the California/Oregon line. There were evacuations in Crescent City, California. CNN's Rusty Dornin is there hopefully on solid ground this morning.
Rusty, good morning.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, things are very calm and peaceful here at the Crescent City Harbor. It was not that way last night when the earthquake struck at nine minutes to 8:00 local time. Fourteen minutes after the hour, the earthquake tsunami sirens began to ring in Crescent City. When that happened, the boats behind me, about 30 of them, fired up their engines and headed out to sea.
Now a lot of these fishermen here live aboard their boats. They were anxious to get these out to sea, far out to see should a tsunami hit. Now they figured it would be about a half hour before it would -- that any kind of wave would strike the city. So it was very critical that people evacuated very quickly.
Now here to talk to us a little bit about everything that happened last night is Sheriff Dean Wilson.
Sheriff Wilson, how quickly were people able to actually evacuate the area once the sirens went off?
SHERIFF DEAN WILSON, DEL NORTE CO., CALIFORNIA: Very quickly, actually. You know, we have a great tsunami plan -- evacuation plan in place here in Del Norte County and most of the people that live here know the plan very, very well. Of course, we have a lot of tourists in the area. But once the sirens were alerted and once the radio stations picked up on it, we had a great response from the people to our emergency personnel.
DORNIN: But the tsunami sirens wept off at 14 minutes after the hour. It was supposed to hit at 29 minutes after the hour. Were people really out of the way if a wave would have hit?
WILSON: Yes, we estimate that we had approximately 4,000 people that we actually moved out of the area -- of the impact area and had really good response. Of course, not everybody did get out but we made sure that our emergency personnel were pulled out so that in case the wave did happen, we could get back in quickly.
DORNIN: Now I understand also you had a little communication problem though, even finding out what was going on in the beginning. Is that right?
WILSON: That's correct. We had the actual earthquake and then the aftermath of having everybody impact the phone lines and even cell phone service was impacted dramatically in this area for about 15 minutes immediately after the event.
DORNIN: Any injuries? Anybody hurt?
WILSON: We had no report of any injuries. Of course, we had many fender benders, people moving quickly trying to get out of the area and so we had some accidents. But no injuries, thank God.
DORNIN: Now, you know, this was a run through. Things turned out well. Anything you'd like to see that you could improve on if it -- when it happens again? You know, it's likely it could happen, obviously, at some point in time here.
WILSON: Yes, the cascade affect that happens off our coast, you know, when we have this short of notice, you know, there's always things that we're going to look to improve. In fact, we'll be having a debriefing today with all the emergency staff to determine what we can do differently.
DORNIN: OK. Great. Thank you very much. Sheriff Dean Wilson, Del Norte County here in Crescent City. A happen ending to the story. Of course, this is the town where in 1964 11 people were killed after the Alaska earthquake caused a tsunami, causing one of the piers here to collapse and 11 people were killed. So, obviously, people here are very anxious. They are very aware of the dangers of tsunamis.
Daryn. KAGAN: And because of their experience in '64, didn't the U.S. government say this was the only town in America that really was ready for a tsunami after they went back and looked after the December tsunami hit other parts of the world?
DORNIN: That's right. People here have been so conscious of it because it's the only place in the continental United States that was hit by a tsunami. Of course, you know, there were a few towns in Alaska that were hit, but this is the only place in the continental U.S. and people here have been very aware of it.
I even started my broadcasting career here. I won't say what year, but anyway -- in radio and I remember people just talking about this a lot. There are pictures all over town. There's a museum. That sort of thing. So people are very aware of the dangers here of tsunamis because of the offshore, all of the plates and all of the earthquake zones that are here.
KAGAN: Oh, you were definitely the right one to send. You know that part of the world very well.
Rusty, thank you.
Rusty Dornin in Crescent City in Northern California.
We move on now to Iraq. It is five minutes past the hour. A hostage who was held in Iraq for six weeks is now a free man. Australian Douglas Wood was freed today during an Iraqi security sweep. The civilian contractor is from California. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston has more on the story from Baghdad.
Jennifer, hello.
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Well at this moment we are getting a debrief from a member of an emergency relief team that was sent to this country about six weeks ago to help secure the release of Douglas Wood. And, as you know, that happened today after taking the hostage six weeks ago in Iraq. He was freed from his captors by a military operation, an Iraqi military operation, during a routine search and cordon operation in the northwestern part of this city. According to a U.S. official that we spoke to earlier, during that raid, when they found Mr. Wood, they received light resistance from his captors. They also said they detained a number of men.
Now during this press conference, the head of that delegation from Australia said, of course, he is very happy. He is relieved. He is currently in the hands of Australian authorities here in the country. He is undergoing medical treatment and also psychological treatment because, as you can imagine, it was quite an ordeal being held captive for six weeks.
Of course, he's 63 years old. He's a contractor. He's been in this country for over a year as an engineer. He spent most of his time living in California. He's married to an American woman. We last saw him on May 1st when he appeared in an insurgent video pleading for his life and also asking the Australian government to remove its some 1,400 troops engaged in peacekeeping operations in Iraq. Of course, the Australian government did not give in to those kidnappers' demands but they did send in that emergency response team to help secure his release. And while that wasn't directly related to today's release of Mr. Wood, they are still, nonetheless, overjoyed.
Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, I can only imagine. In fact, when you're giving us that report, we actually took some sound from this member, Nick Warner, from the Australian Emergency Relief Team. He's making a statement for Douglas Wood. Let's go ahead and listen in to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK WARNER, AUSTRALIAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE: To be free again and deeply grateful to all those who worked to bring about my release. Some of these people I've already been able to thank personally, but I know there are many others I may never get the chance to meet. I'm also very grateful for the support of my family and looking forward to catching up with loved ones as soon as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Once again, that was a statement on behalf of Douglas Wood, the most recently released captive and hostage from Iraq.
Thank you.
So, we move on. The latest search for 18-year-old Natalee Holloway has apparently turned up nothing. Investigators combed an area near an Aruban beach front hotel on Tuesday. The area is known as lover's lane. CNN's John Zarrella has more now on the case from Palm Beach, Aruba.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing in an area that yesterday had been cordoned off by police. Local authorities and FBI agents were here in force. In fact, they had a Miami Metro Dade County dog here and its handler. Out in the water behind us there was a boat with a diver on it. This area, as you can see, is a mangrove swamp area. Water here, the mangroves.
Authorities were looking for any signs, anything that might have belonged to Natalee Holloway. They were acting, apparently, according to sources, on information that they got from at least one of the three young boys that they have in custody right now. And law enforcement sources are telling us that the three boys are, in fact, turning on each other. But one of those boys did, in fact, tell some people that, in fact, they had dropped Natalee off here with the Dutch boy who was with the other two. So, that may well have led to the search of this area.
Give you an idea of where we are in relation to the Marriott Hotel. Everyone was saying it's a good couple of hundred yards from the Marriott Hotel, which is down the beach there. And the hotel that -- the Holiday Inn that Natalee Holloway was staying at is about a mile and a half from where we are. But again, you can see that this area heavily mangroved. The water here. Police still out there in the distance looking through some things, although this area was opened up yesterday and, of course, had not been searched before it was searched yesterday.
John Zarrella reporting from Palm Beach, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Let's go ahead and take a look at other stories making news "Coast to Coast."
In New York, investigators are searching for the reason this helicopter crashed in the East River. The pilot and six tourists aboard were rescued. One passenger, though, is in critical condition. The 28-year-old helicopter had been in the air only seconds before it crashed.
As an actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger probably was used to critical audiences. But at a commencement ceremony? Boos and some heckles greeted the California governor at Santa Monica College and other stops throughout the state. Schwarzenegger has riled many with proposals to reform such issues as tenure for teacher and constitutional restrictions on spending.
Walt Disney World has reopened the spaceship ride on which a four-year-old boy collapsed. He later died. Authorities say it may take weeks to know what role, if any, the ride played in his death. Mission Space is one of Epcot's most popular features but it has been criticized for its intensity.
A check of your weather forecast is coming up in just a bit.
Plus, faced with the unthinkable. His wife slips into a coma with his unborn child inside. Now this man must make a decision no husband should ever have to make.
Also, supporters call it necessary. Critics call it an embarrassment. What will happen to Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp? Today, speculation heats up on The Hill.
And the cape crusader returns. Batman's back at the box office. But will his return wow audiences? Mr. Moveifone has your first review.
You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: This just in to CNN. We're getting news of a courthouse shooting in Middletown, Connecticut. There's a report of a fatal shooting, police believe, happened in the court's parking lot before the day was supposed to begin -- the business day was supposed to begin at the courthouse. A state police spokeswoman says it looks like there has been a fatality. No immediate details available on that.
So, once again, a shooting in the parking lot of the Superior Court in Middletown, Connecticut. We'll bring you more details as they become available.
Meanwhile, the space shuttle Discovery goes back on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center today. It takes about 10 hours to painstakingly move this behemoth a near four miles. They go very slowly. Discovery had been on the pad in early April but concerns over some routine tests prompted the replacement of the external tanks. So they got to get all the safety stuff going, then they've got to worry about the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: At the top of the hour, we also might learn more about the crisis that caused Terri Schiavo's severe brain damage. The medical examiner in Tampa plans to release her autopsy results. Her family hopes it will explain her 1990 heart failure. Medical experts have blamed it on an severe eating disorder and chemical imbalance. Her family has accused her husband of abusing her. You will remember Michael Schiavo and her parents fought bitterly over the removal of her feeding tube before her death. CNN will have live coverage of the medical examiner's news conference. It's now scheduled at the top of the hour, 11:00 Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
This next story further blurs the lines of life and death. A pregnant woman, ravaged by Cancer, she is clinically dead, her unborn child very much alive. But how long can doctors wait to deliver the baby as the Cancer threatens to spread. Reporter Alisa Parenti of CNN affiliate WJLA has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON TORRES, HUSBAND: As soon as he was born, his eyes were open.
ALISA PARENTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jason Torres is the proud father of 2-year-old Peter with another baby on the way. But this child will be born under the most extraordinary of circumstances. Susan Torres was 14 weeks pregnant with her second child when undiagnosed melanoma metastasized in her brain. The young mother, a microbiologist at the National Institutes of Health, slipped into a coma on May 7th. With his comatose wife showing no signs of brain activity and their unborn child at risk, doctors presented Jason with a difficult decision.
TORRES: You hate seeing her on those machines. But at the same time, the idea of turning off those machines and letting our child suffocate in the womb, you don't want to do either.
PARENTI: He did what he thinks Susan would want.
TORRES: I know that Susan would walk through hell and back just to give her child a chance.
PARENTI: Doctors here at Virginia Hospital Center are monitoring the baby's development very closely. This is the first case of its kind. And the timing of the delivery is critical.
TORRES: It's just sort of a race against the cancer.
PARENTI: Because melanoma can cross the placenta, doctors don't want to wait too long. But taking the baby too soon could also be deadly.
TORRES: There are no atheists in fox holes. Well, there are no atheists in ICUs either.
PARENTI: Right now, doctors are looking at delivering the baby in mid-July.
In Arlington, Alisa Parenti, ABC 7 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: What a story. That story coming to us from our Washington affiliate WJLA.
Up next, ready to sell your house but you're not really sure how to go about it. Gerri Willis is here with your answer.
Hi, Ger.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn.
We'll tell you how to take advantage of this red hot market if you're selling this summer.
We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's check the stock market. Looking kind of a lot like yesterday. Markets have been open 53 minutes. The Dow is up 13. Nasdaq also in positive territory. It is up just about a point.
So we're talking June. This month, not only the month for weddings, it's also the heart of home selling season. But what you know can have a large impact on what you pocket. From New York, Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis has her "Top Five Tips" for selling your home.
Hi, Ger.
WILLIS: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you.
Tip number one, increase the curb appeal. As a seller, you want to give the person who comes to visit your house the warm and fuzzies. Make them feel good about your house. You need to start with the outside. Make your front lawn -- the view from the curb as attractive as possible. So trim those hedges, paint that front door, put out some colorful flowers right around the entrance that will make your house look warm and fuzzy.
KAGAN: Also check out the market over the last six months to see what houses in your neighborhood have been doing.
WILLIS: Act like a pro, Daryn. There are a couple of numbers that you want to get. One is, days on market. Now this is just a statistic that the realtors look at. It simply means the number of days on average it takes a house to sell. You want to know that number for right now and also the number it is typically. Is it taking longer to sell a house or a shorter period of time. Then look at the -- oh, I'm sorry.
KAGAN: No, I thought you were done.
WILLIS: Oh. I was going to add in the costs. You want to know how much houses are selling for in your market, so you get a better idea of how you might want to price your home.
KAGAN: Now I'm seeing on this next tip it talks about home inspection. I think about that when I go to buy a home, no when I'm going to sell it.
WILLIS: I'm telling you, Daryn, if your house is older than 1990, if it was built before 1990, you really want to think about having an inspector come in before you sell. That person's going to alert you to any problems that the buyers might find, which is a great idea, and you can get a head start on those things so you don't have to negotiate them later.
KAGAN: Really tempting to try to sell your house yourself.
WILLIS: It is. And it's a good idea in some communities. Look, it's not every place where prices have been going up 50 percent every year or even 15 percent every year. So if you have a smaller margin of gain, your might want to pocket that 6 percent yourself and sell on your own. Now to do that, you're going to have to do a lot of marketing, you're going to have to be available to people who want to see your house. Make sure anybody who bids on your house is pre- approved for that loan. That will make the whole process a lot easier.
KAGAN: And if you are going to get an agent, go shopping.
WILLIS: Hey, Daryn, you know, the average commission right now is no longer 6 percent. It's under that. It's 5 and change. So you want to shop around for the best agent at the best price. It makes sense to interview these people, ask them a lot of questions and get references from people they've worked for before. Best case scenario, you want to find somebody who has a lot of experience in your neighborhood selling houses in the last year.
Daryn.
KAGAN: Good tips as always. Gerri Willis, thank you.
WILLIS: Thank you.
KAGAN: Guantanamo Bay taking center stage today on Capitol Hill. At issue, the treatment over prisoners. Some lawmakers are calling for it to be shut down. A live report straight ahead.
And the skies aren't always friendly for Fido. Soon, though, you'll be able to find out which airlines are the best bet for your beloved pet.
We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News".
Spanish police rounded up 16 suspected terrorists today. The interior ministry says 11 are linked to Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The 11 allegedly tried to recruit suicide bombers for Iraq. The other five suspects have been connected to last year's Madrid train bombing.
There's an Amber Alert out for this little girl. Authorities say two-year-old Trinity Nicole Casey was taken from her home in Lake Wylie, South Carolina. That is near the North Carolina line. Police are searching for a heavy-set middle-aged man with a long, dark beard. He was last seen driving a dark blue, older model car. If you have information, call the number on your screen, 803-628-3056.
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Aired June 15, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Of terror suspects has ignited international anger and prompted even some Republicans to call for its closure. The Bush administration, though, says the facility plays an important role in gaining intelligence and it will remain open.
Just within the past half hour, a Texas judge handed down sentencing for the former Baylor basketball player who killed his teammate. Twenty-three-year-old Carlton Dotson has been ordered to spend the next 35 years in prison for the shooting death of Patrick Dennehy. Dotson unexpectedly entered a guilty plea last week without striking a deal.
Later today, the New York Yankees will unveil detailed plans for an new $800 million ballpark. It would be built next to Yankees Stadium, arguably one of sports most storied ballparks, and could be ready to open within four years. The Yankees will pay for the stadium. New York would fund the infrastructures, such as commuter rail service.
And good morning to you. We are going to start off this morning looking at the West Coast. Kicking off the hour with an event that startled residents of Northern California's coast.
It was a magnitude seven earthquake triggering a warning for a tsunami. The quake struck last night about 90 miles off the coast. The center was just south of the California/Oregon line. There were evacuations in Crescent City, California. CNN's Rusty Dornin is there hopefully on solid ground this morning.
Rusty, good morning.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, things are very calm and peaceful here at the Crescent City Harbor. It was not that way last night when the earthquake struck at nine minutes to 8:00 local time. Fourteen minutes after the hour, the earthquake tsunami sirens began to ring in Crescent City. When that happened, the boats behind me, about 30 of them, fired up their engines and headed out to sea.
Now a lot of these fishermen here live aboard their boats. They were anxious to get these out to sea, far out to see should a tsunami hit. Now they figured it would be about a half hour before it would -- that any kind of wave would strike the city. So it was very critical that people evacuated very quickly.
Now here to talk to us a little bit about everything that happened last night is Sheriff Dean Wilson.
Sheriff Wilson, how quickly were people able to actually evacuate the area once the sirens went off?
SHERIFF DEAN WILSON, DEL NORTE CO., CALIFORNIA: Very quickly, actually. You know, we have a great tsunami plan -- evacuation plan in place here in Del Norte County and most of the people that live here know the plan very, very well. Of course, we have a lot of tourists in the area. But once the sirens were alerted and once the radio stations picked up on it, we had a great response from the people to our emergency personnel.
DORNIN: But the tsunami sirens wept off at 14 minutes after the hour. It was supposed to hit at 29 minutes after the hour. Were people really out of the way if a wave would have hit?
WILSON: Yes, we estimate that we had approximately 4,000 people that we actually moved out of the area -- of the impact area and had really good response. Of course, not everybody did get out but we made sure that our emergency personnel were pulled out so that in case the wave did happen, we could get back in quickly.
DORNIN: Now I understand also you had a little communication problem though, even finding out what was going on in the beginning. Is that right?
WILSON: That's correct. We had the actual earthquake and then the aftermath of having everybody impact the phone lines and even cell phone service was impacted dramatically in this area for about 15 minutes immediately after the event.
DORNIN: Any injuries? Anybody hurt?
WILSON: We had no report of any injuries. Of course, we had many fender benders, people moving quickly trying to get out of the area and so we had some accidents. But no injuries, thank God.
DORNIN: Now, you know, this was a run through. Things turned out well. Anything you'd like to see that you could improve on if it -- when it happens again? You know, it's likely it could happen, obviously, at some point in time here.
WILSON: Yes, the cascade affect that happens off our coast, you know, when we have this short of notice, you know, there's always things that we're going to look to improve. In fact, we'll be having a debriefing today with all the emergency staff to determine what we can do differently.
DORNIN: OK. Great. Thank you very much. Sheriff Dean Wilson, Del Norte County here in Crescent City. A happen ending to the story. Of course, this is the town where in 1964 11 people were killed after the Alaska earthquake caused a tsunami, causing one of the piers here to collapse and 11 people were killed. So, obviously, people here are very anxious. They are very aware of the dangers of tsunamis.
Daryn. KAGAN: And because of their experience in '64, didn't the U.S. government say this was the only town in America that really was ready for a tsunami after they went back and looked after the December tsunami hit other parts of the world?
DORNIN: That's right. People here have been so conscious of it because it's the only place in the continental United States that was hit by a tsunami. Of course, you know, there were a few towns in Alaska that were hit, but this is the only place in the continental U.S. and people here have been very aware of it.
I even started my broadcasting career here. I won't say what year, but anyway -- in radio and I remember people just talking about this a lot. There are pictures all over town. There's a museum. That sort of thing. So people are very aware of the dangers here of tsunamis because of the offshore, all of the plates and all of the earthquake zones that are here.
KAGAN: Oh, you were definitely the right one to send. You know that part of the world very well.
Rusty, thank you.
Rusty Dornin in Crescent City in Northern California.
We move on now to Iraq. It is five minutes past the hour. A hostage who was held in Iraq for six weeks is now a free man. Australian Douglas Wood was freed today during an Iraqi security sweep. The civilian contractor is from California. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston has more on the story from Baghdad.
Jennifer, hello.
JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Well at this moment we are getting a debrief from a member of an emergency relief team that was sent to this country about six weeks ago to help secure the release of Douglas Wood. And, as you know, that happened today after taking the hostage six weeks ago in Iraq. He was freed from his captors by a military operation, an Iraqi military operation, during a routine search and cordon operation in the northwestern part of this city. According to a U.S. official that we spoke to earlier, during that raid, when they found Mr. Wood, they received light resistance from his captors. They also said they detained a number of men.
Now during this press conference, the head of that delegation from Australia said, of course, he is very happy. He is relieved. He is currently in the hands of Australian authorities here in the country. He is undergoing medical treatment and also psychological treatment because, as you can imagine, it was quite an ordeal being held captive for six weeks.
Of course, he's 63 years old. He's a contractor. He's been in this country for over a year as an engineer. He spent most of his time living in California. He's married to an American woman. We last saw him on May 1st when he appeared in an insurgent video pleading for his life and also asking the Australian government to remove its some 1,400 troops engaged in peacekeeping operations in Iraq. Of course, the Australian government did not give in to those kidnappers' demands but they did send in that emergency response team to help secure his release. And while that wasn't directly related to today's release of Mr. Wood, they are still, nonetheless, overjoyed.
Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, I can only imagine. In fact, when you're giving us that report, we actually took some sound from this member, Nick Warner, from the Australian Emergency Relief Team. He's making a statement for Douglas Wood. Let's go ahead and listen in to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK WARNER, AUSTRALIAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE: To be free again and deeply grateful to all those who worked to bring about my release. Some of these people I've already been able to thank personally, but I know there are many others I may never get the chance to meet. I'm also very grateful for the support of my family and looking forward to catching up with loved ones as soon as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Once again, that was a statement on behalf of Douglas Wood, the most recently released captive and hostage from Iraq.
Thank you.
So, we move on. The latest search for 18-year-old Natalee Holloway has apparently turned up nothing. Investigators combed an area near an Aruban beach front hotel on Tuesday. The area is known as lover's lane. CNN's John Zarrella has more now on the case from Palm Beach, Aruba.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing in an area that yesterday had been cordoned off by police. Local authorities and FBI agents were here in force. In fact, they had a Miami Metro Dade County dog here and its handler. Out in the water behind us there was a boat with a diver on it. This area, as you can see, is a mangrove swamp area. Water here, the mangroves.
Authorities were looking for any signs, anything that might have belonged to Natalee Holloway. They were acting, apparently, according to sources, on information that they got from at least one of the three young boys that they have in custody right now. And law enforcement sources are telling us that the three boys are, in fact, turning on each other. But one of those boys did, in fact, tell some people that, in fact, they had dropped Natalee off here with the Dutch boy who was with the other two. So, that may well have led to the search of this area.
Give you an idea of where we are in relation to the Marriott Hotel. Everyone was saying it's a good couple of hundred yards from the Marriott Hotel, which is down the beach there. And the hotel that -- the Holiday Inn that Natalee Holloway was staying at is about a mile and a half from where we are. But again, you can see that this area heavily mangroved. The water here. Police still out there in the distance looking through some things, although this area was opened up yesterday and, of course, had not been searched before it was searched yesterday.
John Zarrella reporting from Palm Beach, Aruba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Let's go ahead and take a look at other stories making news "Coast to Coast."
In New York, investigators are searching for the reason this helicopter crashed in the East River. The pilot and six tourists aboard were rescued. One passenger, though, is in critical condition. The 28-year-old helicopter had been in the air only seconds before it crashed.
As an actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger probably was used to critical audiences. But at a commencement ceremony? Boos and some heckles greeted the California governor at Santa Monica College and other stops throughout the state. Schwarzenegger has riled many with proposals to reform such issues as tenure for teacher and constitutional restrictions on spending.
Walt Disney World has reopened the spaceship ride on which a four-year-old boy collapsed. He later died. Authorities say it may take weeks to know what role, if any, the ride played in his death. Mission Space is one of Epcot's most popular features but it has been criticized for its intensity.
A check of your weather forecast is coming up in just a bit.
Plus, faced with the unthinkable. His wife slips into a coma with his unborn child inside. Now this man must make a decision no husband should ever have to make.
Also, supporters call it necessary. Critics call it an embarrassment. What will happen to Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp? Today, speculation heats up on The Hill.
And the cape crusader returns. Batman's back at the box office. But will his return wow audiences? Mr. Moveifone has your first review.
You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: This just in to CNN. We're getting news of a courthouse shooting in Middletown, Connecticut. There's a report of a fatal shooting, police believe, happened in the court's parking lot before the day was supposed to begin -- the business day was supposed to begin at the courthouse. A state police spokeswoman says it looks like there has been a fatality. No immediate details available on that.
So, once again, a shooting in the parking lot of the Superior Court in Middletown, Connecticut. We'll bring you more details as they become available.
Meanwhile, the space shuttle Discovery goes back on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center today. It takes about 10 hours to painstakingly move this behemoth a near four miles. They go very slowly. Discovery had been on the pad in early April but concerns over some routine tests prompted the replacement of the external tanks. So they got to get all the safety stuff going, then they've got to worry about the weather.
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KAGAN: At the top of the hour, we also might learn more about the crisis that caused Terri Schiavo's severe brain damage. The medical examiner in Tampa plans to release her autopsy results. Her family hopes it will explain her 1990 heart failure. Medical experts have blamed it on an severe eating disorder and chemical imbalance. Her family has accused her husband of abusing her. You will remember Michael Schiavo and her parents fought bitterly over the removal of her feeding tube before her death. CNN will have live coverage of the medical examiner's news conference. It's now scheduled at the top of the hour, 11:00 Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
This next story further blurs the lines of life and death. A pregnant woman, ravaged by Cancer, she is clinically dead, her unborn child very much alive. But how long can doctors wait to deliver the baby as the Cancer threatens to spread. Reporter Alisa Parenti of CNN affiliate WJLA has the story.
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JASON TORRES, HUSBAND: As soon as he was born, his eyes were open.
ALISA PARENTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jason Torres is the proud father of 2-year-old Peter with another baby on the way. But this child will be born under the most extraordinary of circumstances. Susan Torres was 14 weeks pregnant with her second child when undiagnosed melanoma metastasized in her brain. The young mother, a microbiologist at the National Institutes of Health, slipped into a coma on May 7th. With his comatose wife showing no signs of brain activity and their unborn child at risk, doctors presented Jason with a difficult decision.
TORRES: You hate seeing her on those machines. But at the same time, the idea of turning off those machines and letting our child suffocate in the womb, you don't want to do either.
PARENTI: He did what he thinks Susan would want.
TORRES: I know that Susan would walk through hell and back just to give her child a chance.
PARENTI: Doctors here at Virginia Hospital Center are monitoring the baby's development very closely. This is the first case of its kind. And the timing of the delivery is critical.
TORRES: It's just sort of a race against the cancer.
PARENTI: Because melanoma can cross the placenta, doctors don't want to wait too long. But taking the baby too soon could also be deadly.
TORRES: There are no atheists in fox holes. Well, there are no atheists in ICUs either.
PARENTI: Right now, doctors are looking at delivering the baby in mid-July.
In Arlington, Alisa Parenti, ABC 7 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: What a story. That story coming to us from our Washington affiliate WJLA.
Up next, ready to sell your house but you're not really sure how to go about it. Gerri Willis is here with your answer.
Hi, Ger.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn.
We'll tell you how to take advantage of this red hot market if you're selling this summer.
We'll be back.
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KAGAN: Let's check the stock market. Looking kind of a lot like yesterday. Markets have been open 53 minutes. The Dow is up 13. Nasdaq also in positive territory. It is up just about a point.
So we're talking June. This month, not only the month for weddings, it's also the heart of home selling season. But what you know can have a large impact on what you pocket. From New York, Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis has her "Top Five Tips" for selling your home.
Hi, Ger.
WILLIS: Hey, Daryn. Good to see you.
Tip number one, increase the curb appeal. As a seller, you want to give the person who comes to visit your house the warm and fuzzies. Make them feel good about your house. You need to start with the outside. Make your front lawn -- the view from the curb as attractive as possible. So trim those hedges, paint that front door, put out some colorful flowers right around the entrance that will make your house look warm and fuzzy.
KAGAN: Also check out the market over the last six months to see what houses in your neighborhood have been doing.
WILLIS: Act like a pro, Daryn. There are a couple of numbers that you want to get. One is, days on market. Now this is just a statistic that the realtors look at. It simply means the number of days on average it takes a house to sell. You want to know that number for right now and also the number it is typically. Is it taking longer to sell a house or a shorter period of time. Then look at the -- oh, I'm sorry.
KAGAN: No, I thought you were done.
WILLIS: Oh. I was going to add in the costs. You want to know how much houses are selling for in your market, so you get a better idea of how you might want to price your home.
KAGAN: Now I'm seeing on this next tip it talks about home inspection. I think about that when I go to buy a home, no when I'm going to sell it.
WILLIS: I'm telling you, Daryn, if your house is older than 1990, if it was built before 1990, you really want to think about having an inspector come in before you sell. That person's going to alert you to any problems that the buyers might find, which is a great idea, and you can get a head start on those things so you don't have to negotiate them later.
KAGAN: Really tempting to try to sell your house yourself.
WILLIS: It is. And it's a good idea in some communities. Look, it's not every place where prices have been going up 50 percent every year or even 15 percent every year. So if you have a smaller margin of gain, your might want to pocket that 6 percent yourself and sell on your own. Now to do that, you're going to have to do a lot of marketing, you're going to have to be available to people who want to see your house. Make sure anybody who bids on your house is pre- approved for that loan. That will make the whole process a lot easier.
KAGAN: And if you are going to get an agent, go shopping.
WILLIS: Hey, Daryn, you know, the average commission right now is no longer 6 percent. It's under that. It's 5 and change. So you want to shop around for the best agent at the best price. It makes sense to interview these people, ask them a lot of questions and get references from people they've worked for before. Best case scenario, you want to find somebody who has a lot of experience in your neighborhood selling houses in the last year.
Daryn.
KAGAN: Good tips as always. Gerri Willis, thank you.
WILLIS: Thank you.
KAGAN: Guantanamo Bay taking center stage today on Capitol Hill. At issue, the treatment over prisoners. Some lawmakers are calling for it to be shut down. A live report straight ahead.
And the skies aren't always friendly for Fido. Soon, though, you'll be able to find out which airlines are the best bet for your beloved pet.
We're back after this.
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KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News".
Spanish police rounded up 16 suspected terrorists today. The interior ministry says 11 are linked to Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The 11 allegedly tried to recruit suicide bombers for Iraq. The other five suspects have been connected to last year's Madrid train bombing.
There's an Amber Alert out for this little girl. Authorities say two-year-old Trinity Nicole Casey was taken from her home in Lake Wylie, South Carolina. That is near the North Carolina line. Police are searching for a heavy-set middle-aged man with a long, dark beard. He was last seen driving a dark blue, older model car. If you have information, call the number on your screen, 803-628-3056.
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