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CNN Live Today
Search Continues for Natalee Holloway; Quakes Rattle California; Operation Spear Launched in Iraq; Activists Call for Release of Aung San Suu Kyi
Aired June 17, 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: OK, you park your truck, you go into your house. Hours later, the truck suddenly erupts into flames? What's that about? Well, apparently it has happened hundreds of times. A CNN investigation is just ahead.
And more and more Americans are looking into bringing video cameras into the delivery room, but hospitals are having second thoughts. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that story coming up as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins now.
Let's go ahead and take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
We're following a developing story in Aruba, where a fourth person has been arrested in the Natalee Holloway investigation. Holloway is the Alabama teenager who's been missing since May 30. Details in a live update with our Karl Penhaul just ahead.
The U.S. military launched a major combat operation against insurgents. About a thousand Marines, sailors and Iraqi soldiers are taking part in what they're calling Operation Spear. The site is focused near the Iraqi-Syrian border. That's in the Al Anbar province.
CNN reports the city of 60,000 has been virtually taken hostage by insurgents. U.S. forces have found bombs, mines and other explosives set around the city.
President Bush is in Minnesota at this hour. He is promoting Medicare's new prescription drug benefit. The program is set to begin in January, and Mr. Bush says he wants every eligible senior to sign up for coverage. His visit to a community center near St. Paul, Minnesota, is the first of several stop that aides say he is planning to make.
Actor Tom Cruise says it is a magnificent day and he is marrying a magnificent woman. Yes, marrying. He says he proposed to his girlfriend Katie Holmes atop the Eiffel Tower this morning, and she said yes. No word yet on a wedding date for the 42-year-old and the 26-year-old bride to be.
Good morning. It is Friday. Welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY.
It is 8:00 a.m. in Pasadena, California; 11:00 a.m. in Pinehurst, North Carolina; and 7:30 p.m. in Tehran, Iran. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour, a fourth arrest in the mysterious disappearance of an Alabama teenager in Aruba. Let's go right to CNN's Karl Penhaul in Palm Beach, Aruba, with the latest on the case.
Hello.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Aruba's police commissioner, Jan van der Straaten, has told me that this fourth arrest took place at around 6:30 this morning during a raid on the suspect's home. He named the suspect only by the initials SGC, though he said it was a man, 26 years old.
At 26, that would make him the oldest of four suspects now in custody in relation to Natalee Holloway's disappearance on May the 30th. We know very little at this stage, and prosecutors have declined to tell us anything more about the possible relationship between the three young men who are arrested now more than a week ago, the three last known people to be seen in Natalee Holloway's company outside Carlos 'N Charlie's bar, and this fourth suspect who was arrested this morning. Police do, though, say that an investigation and a search of the fourth arrestee's home is under way, although they haven't said what items they have seized at this point -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Karl Penhaul. Thank you.
We turn now to California, where residents have been on shaky ground. Two more earthquakes rattled parts of the state yesterday. There have been a total of four quakes since Sunday. And at least one analyst says this could be a sign that something even bigger is on the horizon.
The latest quake struck off the northern California coast overnight. This one, a magnitude 6.6, shuttered through an area 90 miles south of the Oregon state line. That follows a smaller quake yesterday afternoon east of Los Angeles and a 7.2 rocker that thundered offshore and triggered tsunami warnings earlier in the week.
All of it possibly set in motion by Sunday's 5.2 quake in the desert southeast of Los Angeles.
For a closer look at what's going on, our Ted Rowlands is at the seismology lab in Pasadena, California.
Good morning.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, where seismologists have been working very hard over the past week, definitely earning their money analyzing all this activity. That 6.6 that took place last night is considered an aftershock of the 7.2 up in northern California. That could be felt all the way south to the San Francisco Bay area. It was significant.
Kate Hutton is here to give us a little bit of perspective. She is a seismologist here at CalTech in Pasadena, California. First of all, it seems, to a layman, that all of this would dictate that something odd is going on and that all of this is connected somehow. What really is the reality here?
KATE HUTTON, SEISMOLOGIST: Well, actually, we have seen this kind of thing happen in the past. 1986 was the last time that comes to mind where we had quite a lot of activity in California coming up in different places.
ROWLANDS: So not necessarily related?
HUTTON: Right. It doesn't necessarily lead up to a big one. Whether it's related or not, I think the question is up in the air. We have to do more studies before we can really tell the answer to that.
ROWLANDS: Besides California, there was the earthquake in Chile and then the Aleutian Islands also this week. Why won't -- why wouldn't those also be related, or could they be?
HUTTON: They're less likely to be related because they're much farther away. And the seismic -- I mean, the change that earthquakes rot (ph) in the earth are much less at a great distance than they are within the same thousand miles or whatever.
ROWLANDS: Now, most people know that earthquakes are caused by the movement of plates, basically. Why wouldn't, you know, a plate that caused the Aleutian Island quake maybe reverberate down here to southern California and then trigger something else?
HUTTON: Well, we generally think of the plates as moving pretty steadily. And there's data, GPS data and whatnot, that indicates that they move at a steady rate and that each particular section of the plate boundary has its own stick-slip cycle, where it gets stuck by friction and then slides and sticks, sticks, slides.
ROWLANDS: So it wouldn't necessarily...
HUTTON: It doesn't seem like there's -- the biggest characteristic of an earthquake catalog is randomness. OK. So the question -- the question we go, at the next layer down, are some earthquakes out of all the random earthquakes correlated with each other or not? So, you know, that's a question we have to look at.
ROWLANDS: All right. Bottom line for us, do you believe that we're headed for another -- for more activity, or is this it?
HUTTON: Well, I think that aftershocks will continue for all the earthquakes that have happened. Whether a new location pops up or not, we have no idea.
ROWLANDS: All right. No idea.
HUTTON: Yes.
ROWLANDS: People down here, though, hoping, Daryn, that the big one is not coming and hoping that the show is over for now.
KAGAN: Absolutely.
ROWLANDS: We'll have to wait and see.
KAGAN: Yes, understandable. Folks in southern California want things to kind of calm down. Thank you, Ted. Ted Rowlands in Pasadena.
ROWLANDS: Indeed. All right.
KAGAN: Now we move on to something that -- pictures you're only going to see here on CNN and something you're only going to here, here on CNN. Perhaps you've been hearing about Operation Spear, the latest movement by the U.S. military and Iraqi forces along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
We have with us on the phone right now the U.S. commander of that operation, Colonel Stephen Davis, joining us on the phone from Karabila in Iraq.
Colonel, hello.
COL. STEPHEN DAVIS, U.S. MARINES: Good afternoon our time. Good morning your time, Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes. Colonel, what can you tell us about the operation? I understand this particular town has been a haven for insurgents.
DAVIS: Yes. Well, this is another one of a series of operations that we're executing up along the Syrian border, up along the northern Euphrates, going in to hit foreign fighter strongholds.
You know, we did Operation Matador up here about a month ago. And we're back now. The insurgents continue to shift around. And when we find them in a place, we go after them. And they just happen to be up in this town of Karabila right now.
KAGAN: It seems like the problem continues to be there along the Syrian border. That once you hit one place, they move along to someplace else. That this is such a porous border and so many fighters coming in through that area.
DAVIS: I wouldn't necessarily say -- quantify numbers coming in. There are clearly foreign fighters coming over the border from Syria. But the reality up here is water is life in the Middle East. And where you find water, you're going to find the populations, and that's where you find the insurgents. That's what brings us back up here.
KAGAN: Tell us about what else you found in this town. A number of booby traps?
DAVIS: There have been a number of booby traps. Fortunately, we've been very fortunate so far and discovered them before they discovered us. The battalion taskforce up here commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Mundy (ph) has done a great job. We've got some very savvy Marines up here.
And we've got some members of a company from the Iraqi Intervention Force, as well as members of their 7th Division Reconnaissance Company that have been leading this attack and doing quite a job pointing out where these things are likely to be before they blow up on us.
KAGAN: Yes. How has it been working with the Iraqi forces? And there's a, you know, big concern here that they're not getting trained fast enough. How would you say how they're coming along, at least on this operation?
DAVIS: Well, certainly for this operation we love the guys we've got. We've worked with the 7th Division Reconnaissance Company a bunch in the past. This other company is a temp loan to us from another regiment down in the Ramadi area.
And these guys are excellent. These guys, I think, probably were professional soldiers in earlier years. But they're organized, they're well trained, and these particular units that we're working with are very, very good. We're comfortable with them and we'd like to have them back.
KAGAN: And Colonel, what -- the work that's still done in this operation, what's left to do?
DAVIS: We still have got a lot to go. This is a fairly extensive town here. It's hazardous, it's dangerous.
Everywhere you go you have got to be very careful of these improvised explosive devices. And there are still stay-behind elements. Not quite as (INAUDIBLE) as we saw in Matador right now, but that's the name of the game in an insurgent fight.
KAGAN: And what kind of cooperation are you getting from the civilian population there?
DAVIS: Civilian cooperation has been tremendous. You know, it's unfortunate that the majority of these people don't have much choice.
They know which way to side, to side with the transitional government. The foreign fighters bring them nothing but pain and violence.
They've been pointing out several of them. We had a family whose house we had to go into and, essentially, rescue them. And there were several of those members that were wounded because the insurgents had taken them hostage and were firing back on our forces. We have got them down with us now.
KAGAN: Colonel Stephen Davis, U.S. commander of the U.S. operation -- the U.S.-led operation, along with Iraqi forces, in Karabila, along the Syrian-Iraqi border. Thank you, sir. And good luck with your operation.
Well, we move on to a totally different topic here in the U.S., day two of the U.S. Golf Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina. We'll go there live for the latest on today's play and the contenders.
Plus, a special moment caught on tape.
And more and more hospitals are keeping cameras out of the delivery room. We'll explain why in our "Daily Dose" segment.
Cars that were parked for hours, and then they simply erupt into flames. Can it happen to your car? A CNN investigation comes up.
Stay with CNN LIVE TODAY.
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KAGAN: It is day two at the U.S. Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Tiger Woods, he's not out of the running. He's starts the day three behind at even par after round one. And then there's the two Brits. They bid the tournament good-bye after a miserable first day.
Our Mark McKay is there on a course that's -- well, it's getting the best of the best of them.
Hi, Mark.
MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is, Daryn. Yes, the two Britons that went out this morning, Paul Casey and David Howell III, a European player, hasn't won the U.S. Open in 35 years. Tough on the Europeans, not so easy on the Americans as well.
An American like Phil Mickelson, he predicted the conditions here at Pine Hurst would be getting a bit tougher as the week went on. Boy, he certainly knew what he was talking about.
Mickelson went out and played 11 holes this morning before finding his first birdie of the day. In fact, Mickelson bogeyed six of his first nine holes, including four bogies in a row at one point.
Pinehurst Number 2, it has played as advertised, living up to the pre-championship predictions of a tough but fair layout. Many golfers say the 105th U.S. Open will be their toughest test of the year.
We've seen a number of well-known players look like mere mortals so far. It is refreshing for the everyday hacker, frustrating if you're out there trying to win a major.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TIGER WOODS, TWO-TIME U.S. OPEN CHAMP: It's one of those masochistic things in that, you know, you're out there playing. And it's, oh, yeah, we can done that, you know, chip the ball and (INAUDIBLE) the green and, you know, struggle trying to make pars and bogeys and doubles.
And it's kind of what the U.S. opens do, but especially this one.
MCKAY: The leaders at the moment are the guys who have yet to tee off. Olin Brown and Rocco Mediate will be getting their second helping, Daryn, of Pine Hurst Number 2 this afternoon. And the wind has kicked up here. It'll make it even more interesting.
KAGAN: OK. Let's dish on what some of what people are really talking about. You have got the dry golf course. And so they're, what, seringing (ph) the greens? Why is that a big deal?
MCKAY: Well, the greens are kind of oscillating greens. What they basically are, they call them turtleback greens, where, if you don't get the ball on the green, if you are not accurate, the ball is going to roll off and could roll into eternity. So the greens are very, very difficult.
You know, a turtleback, they basically -- they're just going to keep rolling, Daryn. And it's not easy at all.
KAGAN: Golfers around the country got like nails on a chalkboard, cringing at just the thought of that. Mark, thank you.
An important election under way in Iran. The result could affect U.S. relations with Iran. The story coming up next.
Also, a CNN investigation. Cars and trucks going up in flames. But it happens hours after they were parked. Why, and could it happen to yours? That's ahead.
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KAGAN: So follow this story. Your car is turned off, it's parked, and suddenly, with no one around, it bursts into flames. That is exactly what's happening to some Ford vehicling built before 2004.
Just this week, one family filed a wrongful death suit over a fire that family members say started in a 1996 F-150 pickup that was parked in their garage attached to their Iowa home. That fire killed 74-year-old Darletta Loless (ph) and injured her 76-year-old husband.
Investigators for Ford and the National Highway Safety Administration spent hours earlier this week poking through the rubble of that house. NHTSA had no comment on its findings, but Ford specifically denied the fire was caused by the truck. But Ford does admit it has a problem with some of its vehicles catching fire when parked and turned off.
Ford as already recalled more than a million of their cars, trucks and SUVs. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is investigating nearly four million vehicles for the same problem.
Now, CNN Investigative Correspondent Drew Griffin has uncovered new information on just how many more Ford vehicles may be at risk.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fire rescue. What is your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, my house is exploded. Something in my car -- my house is on fire.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A frantic call to 911 at 5:00 in the morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh.
GRIFFIN: A mother in a panic. Her 15-year-old daughter's bedroom wall is in flames.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My house is on fire! Please!
GRIFFIN: She makes several more calls to 911 before fire trucks arrive. Within minutes, the fire burned down the Kissimmee, Florida house of Nestor Oyola and his wife Laura leaving their daughter Rotsenmary scarred.
ROTSENMARY OYOLA, HOUSE BURNED DOWN: It's difficult. But you know, we have to accept it.
GRIFFIN: So what went wrong? What could have possibly caused this much destruction?
NESTOR OYOLA, FATHER (through translator): I bought the car on Monday and Wednesday it burned everything.
GRIFFIN: The insurance investigation showed the 2001 Ford Expedition Nestor just bought his wife caught fire while it was parked and turned off in the garage. Ken and Michelle Whelpley of Winterhaven, Florida had a similar experience.
KEN WHELPLEY, TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE: How do you park a vehicle, go to bed, sleep all night, and then in the morning, it's on fire?
GRIFFIN: It sounds unusual, but CNN has learned fires like this have occurred all across the country. A neighbor took this picture of the Whelpley's truck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Flames were shooting all the way up to the top of the garage. I couldn't believe it. I mean, just could not believe it.
GRIFFIN: In Orlando, a used car dealer surveillance camera caught this car bursting into flames. It had been parked overnight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just come in the morning like a regular day and I see a car all burnt up. I'm like, what the -- it was a shock. I didn't know what to do. I lost all the money.
GRIFFIN: And with many of the cars and trucks sitting in garages, houses are being burned down, too.
WHELPLEY: What if we'd have died in this mess?
GRIFFIN: Four investigations by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration have compiled 559 reports of Ford fires. And those investigations are focusing on one part under the hood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes when we're digging through this, we find the remains that failed.
GRIFFIN: Harvey Michel (ph) is a fire investigator and says he's seen about 30 of these Ford cases in just the last year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tire damage is more severe on top.
GRIFFIN: We asked him to look at the Whelpleys burned, 2000 Ford F-150 pickup. Within 30 minutes, he finds what he says is the cause.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's the part. That is typical of the failure of the switch.
GRIFFIN: It's the cruise, or speed control deactivation switch. This is what several fire investigators hired by major insurance companies and auto engineers consulted by CNN say is causing the cars and trucks to ignite.
How? The pressure switch disconnects the cruise control when the driver steps firmly on the brake. That switch is attached to the brake master cylinder on one end and wired to the cruise control on the other.
Ford designed the switch to be powered, or hot at all times even when the vehicle is off and the key is out of the ignition. What separates the electrical components from the brake fluid inside the switch is a thin film barrier. Investigators say the film can crack allowing droplets of brake fluid to come in contact with the hot electrical components, sometimes, say investigators causing a fire.
And those fires can happen whether the vehicle is moving or even parked with the engine off. Firefighters in Deltona, Florida, say you can see it happen in this video. A firefighter was changing a fuse when he noticed the switch in his 1995 F-250 begin to smoke. A co- worker grabbed a video camera.
CHRIS NABICHT, DELTONA CHIEF FIRE MARSHAL: Had we allowed it to continue it would have burst into flames and it would have consumed the vehicle.
GRIFFIN: Chris Nabicht is chief fire marshal for the city of Deltona. He says he's seen at least a half a dozen similar Ford fires.
NABICHT: The concern for people's lives and how fast this can occur, whether you're in the vehicle or not in the vehicle, is kind of scary.
GRIFFIN: Houston attorney Mike Jolly agrees. He represents clients whose vehicles have caught fire while parked.
MIKE JOLLY, ATTORNEY: There's no reason to wire the switch hot because you don't need to turn off the cruise control when the car is stopped and turned off and parked in your garage.
GRIFFIN: Five different auto engineers tell CNN the design is unique to Ford. And Ford has responded to the fires by issuing two separate recalls. The first in 1999 recalled nearly 300,000 Crown Victorias, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars.
Then, just this past January, Ford issued a second, larger recall 792,000 vehicles, including 2001 F-Series Super Crews, and 2000 Expeditions, Navigators and top selling F-150 pickups.
(on camera): Beyond those recalls, the federal government is investigating an additional 3.7 million Ford vehicles for the same problem. Now CNN has obtained this Ford document, which the company handed over to federal investigators. It shows a total of 16 million Ford cars and trucks have been built with what the company acknowledges is the same or similar switch.
(voice-over): The list includes recalled and non-recalled Expeditions, Explorers, F-Series pickups, Crown Victorias, Town Cars and Grand Marquis, some as early as 1992 and as recent at 2003. Also included are thousands of Tauruses, Econoline vans, Rangers and Windstars.
Ford declined our requests for an on camera interview. But in a statement to CNN, Ford says its records show the risk of fire differs for make, model and year. They say, quote, "it's important to understand that all speed control systems are not identical in Ford vehicles. In those populations with an increasing fire report rate, we stopped using the switch through the recall process. The switch has performed well in many models for many years."
Nearly half of those 559 Ford fires reported to the government safety agency as originating in the cruise control switch were in cars and trucks from model years not recalled. That includes the Expeditions owned by the Oyolas and that Orlando car dealer.
NABICHT: They've taken the step by recalling certain models of vehicles. I think the recall probably needs to be much broader than what it is.
GRIFFIN: Ford's response to that? "We have been asked why we have not expanded the recall. The last thing we want to do is make an important safety decision on incorrect or incomplete information."
So what does Ford say is the reason the switch catches fire? Again, Ford wouldn't agree to be interviewed for this report. But this is what the company told us in an e-mail.
"We have not determined at this time that there is a defect with the switch. But for reasons we still do not understand, the switch is failing. And we are trying to understand why."
Ford says it's cooperating with a federal investigation into the fires. As for the switch, Ford has stopped using it. And is now using a new switch as of the 2004 model year. In the meantime, the Oyolas who made that desperate 911 call when their non-recalled SUV caught fire, are left to pick up their lives.
LAURA HERNANDEZ, HOUSE BURNED DOWN (through translator): Here, there is nothing to replace, nothing. I was left with nothing.
GRIFFIN: Firefighters found the family cat burned to death in this corner.
For Nestor Oyola, as a father, it's hard to talk about it. The night before the fire, he moved his wife's Expedition in the garage, hoping to keep it safe. He says he'll never forget it.
NESTOR OYOLA: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
GRIFFIN: (on camera): In the past few weeks, the Oyola family has been able to move into a rental home. Their insurance will not cover the costs of rebuilding the home that burned down. They are hoping for a settlement with Ford. And Ford has settled hundred of these cases across the country, but has admitted guilt in none of them.
Drew Griffin, CNN.
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KAGAN: In regards to that fire involving the death in Iowa, Ford is denying the pickup truck was the cause, saying in a statement, quote, "Unfortunately, fires happen every year in all makes and models of all manufacturers for a number of reasons including faulty repair, improper modification to the vehicle with after market parts and wiring, prior accident damage, and even arson. You can find out more about the story and the vehicles affected by the recall at CNN.com.
Just past the half hour. Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
In Aruba, a fourth person has been arrested in the Natalee Holloway investigation. Holloway is the Alabama teenager who has been missing since May 30th. So far, the man in custody has not been identified. The police commissioner says the man's name was given to authorities by one of the three suspects already in custody.
San Jose, California, police are looking for victims to come forward in the case of Dean Arthur Schwartzmiller. Investigators found lists of more than 36,000 children's names in Schwartzmiller's home. Police say the lists had codes that seemed to indicate how the children. Schwartzmiller is a convicted child molester. Authorities say he didn't register as a sex offender.
North Korea president Kim Jong Il says his country is ready to end its year-long boycott of disarmament talks. What he wants is respect from the United States. The U.S. today rejected the offer as just more North Korean rhetoric.
Polling hours are being extended in Iran's tightly-contested presidential election. Seven candidates are in the running. Two of the leading candidates say they want to improve ties with the west. Iranians appear to be turning out in large numbers and defying boycott calls from young people disillusioned with a system run by clerics.
There is more news ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, including why a Nobel Prize winner is under house arrest. And what one U.S. Congressman wants to do about that.
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KAGAN: Her fight for freedom earned her a Nobel Peace Prize, but she still is not free. Human rights activists today are calling for renewed calls for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Aneesh Raman has more on the leader of the democracy movement in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
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ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hers is the face of an imprisoned leader of oppressed movement, of fundamental freedoms denied. And as Aung San Suu Kyi turns 60 years old on Sunday, she will do so without any crowds, in the same way she spent the past two years, under house arrest, refused visitors' phone calls, even these days, a doctor.
PAUL SERGIO PINEHIRO, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS REP: I think I'm characterizing that it's a virtual solitary confinement.
RAMAN: The last the world saw Suu Kyi she touring the country in 2002, pushing reform, until a violent ambush the next year orchestrated by the government, brought her back to jail, where she spent 10 of the past 15 years.
CNN spoke to Suu Kyi in 1997.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI, DEMOCRACY LEADER: We struggle for what we want. I think only those who struggle have the right to hope. I don't think those who just sit and wait for things to happen has a right to hope.
RAMAN: It is a right earned early on, when in 1988, Suu Kyi emerged in then Burma as a defining voice for democracy, leading demonstrations soon crushed by the military junta. A year later she began her first days under house arrest. But in 1990, while detained, Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in national elections, results ignored by the ruling regime. And over the past decade, as the junta tightened its grip on the country and its opposition, Suu Kyi remained defiant.
SUU KYI: What are you frightened of trouble? Are you frightened of trouble? You can't accept -- you can't escape trouble in this life. Trouble will come in one form or the other.
RAMAN: In 1991, a global commendation. Suu Kyi wins the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the only imprisoned recipient of the award.
(on camera): In cities around the world this weekend, there will be demonstrations calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. But in her city, Yangon, where Suu Kyi remains imprisoned and alone, there will likely be deafening silence.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bangkok.
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KAGAN: Congressman Tom Lantos is leading a demonstration in Washington today on behalf on Aung San Suu Kyi. And he is helping the lead the fight for continued sanctions against Myanmar. He is with us from Washington, D.C. Congressman, good morning.
REP. TOM LANTOS, (D) CALIFORNIA: Good morning.
KAGAN: Why does this woman inspire you?
LANTOS: We are living in an age when we are all desperate for men or women with moral authority, true heroes. And Aung San Suu Kyi is a great hero of our age. She's the democratically-elected leader of Burma, who has spent most of the last 15 years in prison or under house arrest while the dictatorial police state is suppressing human rights in Burma.
The United States Congress next week will renew our sanctions against Burma. And on behalf of the Congress of the United States and the American people, I call on the Burmese regime to release this magnificent freedom-loving, powerful woman who wants nothing more but to have the Burmese people live in freedom.
KAGAN: What kind of response does the U.S. government get from the Myanmar government when you make that demand?
LANTOS: Well, the Burmese government is terrified of Aung San Suu Kyi. They know that the Burmese people support her and they know that the entire civilized world supports her. And the day will come, and I don't think it's too far off, that Aung San Suu Kyi will take her just place as the democratically-elected leader of Burma. And I expect to be there at her inauguration.
KAGAN: Meanwhile, there's some other things to take place, including the demonstration today. Tell me what you plan as part as that.
LANTOS: Well, I have 6,000 birthday cards sent to Aung San Suu Kyi from all over the United States. And it will be my pleasure and honor to present it to the Burmese diplomatic post with the request that they transfer it and transmit it to Aung San Suu Kyi. I have no illusions that they will do so, but the whole world will know that men and women everywhere who believe in freedom respect and honor this magnificent woman.
KAGAN: I know this bill that you're a co-sponsor of, it's a -- has bipartisan support. And you do expect the renewal of sanctions against this government to take place?
LANTOS: I fully expect the renewal of sanctions to take place and I expect the president to sign my legislation again.
KAGAN: Representative Tom Lantos from California. Sir, thank you for your time.
LANTOS: Thank you.
KAGAN: A busy day for you.
LANTOS: Thank you.
KAGAN: A check of weather and business news up next.
Plus, in a moment, the controversy over cameras in the delivery room. Yes, it's a controversy, apparently. Our "Daily Dose" segment will look at why some hospitals are just saying no to home movies.
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CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stop the presses. We're unmasking the mystery of Batman, from his comic book beginnings to the big screen. "Batman Begins" is expected to be the number-one movie this weekend. But who is the man behind the mask? Batman made his comic book debut in 1939's "Detective Comics" number 27. Different from heroes like Superman and Spider-man, creator Bob Payne gave Batman no superpowers. Instead, he relies on an impressive collection of gadgets, including the flying batarang. Never has a utility belt been so cool, or so sexy.
On the big screen, the newest flick stars Christian Bale from "American Psycho." It's directed by Christopher Nolan of "Memento" and Cillian Murphy plays the scarecrow.
Online, click through Batman's history, from Caped Crusader to the Dark Knight. And this kerbam-pow Batman's TV series in the 1960s starring Adam West.
While you're there, check out his many foes, including the Riddler, Catwoman, the Joker and Mr. Freeze. We also give props to the men who played Bruce Wayne and showcased those famous lips, like Michael Keaton, George Clooney and Val Kilmer. All you have to do is look for the bat signal at CNN.com/showbusiness.
I'm Christina Park reporting from the dot-com desk.
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KAGAN: When women give birth, the dads are usually right there in the delivery room, often with video cameras in hand. But in a growing number of hospitals, cameras are not allowed. Senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details in today's "Just for Dad" segment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Galindo works as a photographer, so when his son Jonah was born a month ago, he and his wife knew well in advance they wanted to videotape the event.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was wonderful to see the videotape after, just to go back and relive a little bit of the experience.
GUPTA: Lucky for them, the hospital they went to allowed it. Michael says it would have been a red flag to him if they said no.
MICHAEL GALINDO, NEW DAD: Knowing that staff would not want to have pictures or videotape taken, I would be concerned about the level of care. That would have been brought up.
GUPTA: But increasingly, many hospitals around the country are banning the practice, concerned over liability that the videotape could be used against doctors if something goes wrong. Some hospitals let the doctors decide if they want to allow it. Most who do allow it say the parents must agree to certain perimeters in advance.
RENE ZELKIN, INVOVA FAIRFAX HOSPITAL: If there's any complications or the physician requested, it would be turned off.
GUPTA: In fact, every doctor we talked to said if complications arise, they will ask the parents to stop taping so they can tend to the medical needs of the mother and baby without any distraction.
GALINDO: It took a little common sense on daddy's part, realizing that the doctors have to do what they need to do and the baby's health and mother's health comes first. And if you can understand that balance, it can be a beautiful combination.
GUPTA: None of the hospitals we talked to that have banned the practice would talk to us about it on camera. The Galindo's baby was born at Holy Cross Hospital outside Washington, D.C. That hospital still allows parents to videotape their delivery, but doctors there understand why some of their colleagues elsewhere are banning it.
DR. MARY HEATHER SINE, HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL: We don't appreciate having that extra pressure on us. We don't want to have to worry about who is in the way, if the camera is in the way when we're focusing on the patient.
GUPTA: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has no official position on the issue, but say doctors and patients should come to an agreement before the big day. The American Medical Association does not have an official stance, either, and wouldn't comment to this story. But its president, an obstetrician, has said he banned the practice with his patients. Michael Galindo says having that video of Jonah's birth is something they will treasure forever.
GALINDO: One of the greatest pictures I got was when the baby and mom exchanged first glances. And those kinds of photos are priceless.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: You can get your "Daily Dose" of health news online at our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, special reports and a health library. The address is CNN.com/health.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: And that is going to wrap up the week for me. I'm Daryn Kagan. International news coming up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY" with Jim Clancy and Zain Verjee. I will see you on Monday morning.
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Aired June 17, 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: OK, you park your truck, you go into your house. Hours later, the truck suddenly erupts into flames? What's that about? Well, apparently it has happened hundreds of times. A CNN investigation is just ahead.
And more and more Americans are looking into bringing video cameras into the delivery room, but hospitals are having second thoughts. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that story coming up as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins now.
Let's go ahead and take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
We're following a developing story in Aruba, where a fourth person has been arrested in the Natalee Holloway investigation. Holloway is the Alabama teenager who's been missing since May 30. Details in a live update with our Karl Penhaul just ahead.
The U.S. military launched a major combat operation against insurgents. About a thousand Marines, sailors and Iraqi soldiers are taking part in what they're calling Operation Spear. The site is focused near the Iraqi-Syrian border. That's in the Al Anbar province.
CNN reports the city of 60,000 has been virtually taken hostage by insurgents. U.S. forces have found bombs, mines and other explosives set around the city.
President Bush is in Minnesota at this hour. He is promoting Medicare's new prescription drug benefit. The program is set to begin in January, and Mr. Bush says he wants every eligible senior to sign up for coverage. His visit to a community center near St. Paul, Minnesota, is the first of several stop that aides say he is planning to make.
Actor Tom Cruise says it is a magnificent day and he is marrying a magnificent woman. Yes, marrying. He says he proposed to his girlfriend Katie Holmes atop the Eiffel Tower this morning, and she said yes. No word yet on a wedding date for the 42-year-old and the 26-year-old bride to be.
Good morning. It is Friday. Welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY.
It is 8:00 a.m. in Pasadena, California; 11:00 a.m. in Pinehurst, North Carolina; and 7:30 p.m. in Tehran, Iran. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour, a fourth arrest in the mysterious disappearance of an Alabama teenager in Aruba. Let's go right to CNN's Karl Penhaul in Palm Beach, Aruba, with the latest on the case.
Hello.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Aruba's police commissioner, Jan van der Straaten, has told me that this fourth arrest took place at around 6:30 this morning during a raid on the suspect's home. He named the suspect only by the initials SGC, though he said it was a man, 26 years old.
At 26, that would make him the oldest of four suspects now in custody in relation to Natalee Holloway's disappearance on May the 30th. We know very little at this stage, and prosecutors have declined to tell us anything more about the possible relationship between the three young men who are arrested now more than a week ago, the three last known people to be seen in Natalee Holloway's company outside Carlos 'N Charlie's bar, and this fourth suspect who was arrested this morning. Police do, though, say that an investigation and a search of the fourth arrestee's home is under way, although they haven't said what items they have seized at this point -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Karl Penhaul. Thank you.
We turn now to California, where residents have been on shaky ground. Two more earthquakes rattled parts of the state yesterday. There have been a total of four quakes since Sunday. And at least one analyst says this could be a sign that something even bigger is on the horizon.
The latest quake struck off the northern California coast overnight. This one, a magnitude 6.6, shuttered through an area 90 miles south of the Oregon state line. That follows a smaller quake yesterday afternoon east of Los Angeles and a 7.2 rocker that thundered offshore and triggered tsunami warnings earlier in the week.
All of it possibly set in motion by Sunday's 5.2 quake in the desert southeast of Los Angeles.
For a closer look at what's going on, our Ted Rowlands is at the seismology lab in Pasadena, California.
Good morning.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, where seismologists have been working very hard over the past week, definitely earning their money analyzing all this activity. That 6.6 that took place last night is considered an aftershock of the 7.2 up in northern California. That could be felt all the way south to the San Francisco Bay area. It was significant.
Kate Hutton is here to give us a little bit of perspective. She is a seismologist here at CalTech in Pasadena, California. First of all, it seems, to a layman, that all of this would dictate that something odd is going on and that all of this is connected somehow. What really is the reality here?
KATE HUTTON, SEISMOLOGIST: Well, actually, we have seen this kind of thing happen in the past. 1986 was the last time that comes to mind where we had quite a lot of activity in California coming up in different places.
ROWLANDS: So not necessarily related?
HUTTON: Right. It doesn't necessarily lead up to a big one. Whether it's related or not, I think the question is up in the air. We have to do more studies before we can really tell the answer to that.
ROWLANDS: Besides California, there was the earthquake in Chile and then the Aleutian Islands also this week. Why won't -- why wouldn't those also be related, or could they be?
HUTTON: They're less likely to be related because they're much farther away. And the seismic -- I mean, the change that earthquakes rot (ph) in the earth are much less at a great distance than they are within the same thousand miles or whatever.
ROWLANDS: Now, most people know that earthquakes are caused by the movement of plates, basically. Why wouldn't, you know, a plate that caused the Aleutian Island quake maybe reverberate down here to southern California and then trigger something else?
HUTTON: Well, we generally think of the plates as moving pretty steadily. And there's data, GPS data and whatnot, that indicates that they move at a steady rate and that each particular section of the plate boundary has its own stick-slip cycle, where it gets stuck by friction and then slides and sticks, sticks, slides.
ROWLANDS: So it wouldn't necessarily...
HUTTON: It doesn't seem like there's -- the biggest characteristic of an earthquake catalog is randomness. OK. So the question -- the question we go, at the next layer down, are some earthquakes out of all the random earthquakes correlated with each other or not? So, you know, that's a question we have to look at.
ROWLANDS: All right. Bottom line for us, do you believe that we're headed for another -- for more activity, or is this it?
HUTTON: Well, I think that aftershocks will continue for all the earthquakes that have happened. Whether a new location pops up or not, we have no idea.
ROWLANDS: All right. No idea.
HUTTON: Yes.
ROWLANDS: People down here, though, hoping, Daryn, that the big one is not coming and hoping that the show is over for now.
KAGAN: Absolutely.
ROWLANDS: We'll have to wait and see.
KAGAN: Yes, understandable. Folks in southern California want things to kind of calm down. Thank you, Ted. Ted Rowlands in Pasadena.
ROWLANDS: Indeed. All right.
KAGAN: Now we move on to something that -- pictures you're only going to see here on CNN and something you're only going to here, here on CNN. Perhaps you've been hearing about Operation Spear, the latest movement by the U.S. military and Iraqi forces along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
We have with us on the phone right now the U.S. commander of that operation, Colonel Stephen Davis, joining us on the phone from Karabila in Iraq.
Colonel, hello.
COL. STEPHEN DAVIS, U.S. MARINES: Good afternoon our time. Good morning your time, Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes. Colonel, what can you tell us about the operation? I understand this particular town has been a haven for insurgents.
DAVIS: Yes. Well, this is another one of a series of operations that we're executing up along the Syrian border, up along the northern Euphrates, going in to hit foreign fighter strongholds.
You know, we did Operation Matador up here about a month ago. And we're back now. The insurgents continue to shift around. And when we find them in a place, we go after them. And they just happen to be up in this town of Karabila right now.
KAGAN: It seems like the problem continues to be there along the Syrian border. That once you hit one place, they move along to someplace else. That this is such a porous border and so many fighters coming in through that area.
DAVIS: I wouldn't necessarily say -- quantify numbers coming in. There are clearly foreign fighters coming over the border from Syria. But the reality up here is water is life in the Middle East. And where you find water, you're going to find the populations, and that's where you find the insurgents. That's what brings us back up here.
KAGAN: Tell us about what else you found in this town. A number of booby traps?
DAVIS: There have been a number of booby traps. Fortunately, we've been very fortunate so far and discovered them before they discovered us. The battalion taskforce up here commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Mundy (ph) has done a great job. We've got some very savvy Marines up here.
And we've got some members of a company from the Iraqi Intervention Force, as well as members of their 7th Division Reconnaissance Company that have been leading this attack and doing quite a job pointing out where these things are likely to be before they blow up on us.
KAGAN: Yes. How has it been working with the Iraqi forces? And there's a, you know, big concern here that they're not getting trained fast enough. How would you say how they're coming along, at least on this operation?
DAVIS: Well, certainly for this operation we love the guys we've got. We've worked with the 7th Division Reconnaissance Company a bunch in the past. This other company is a temp loan to us from another regiment down in the Ramadi area.
And these guys are excellent. These guys, I think, probably were professional soldiers in earlier years. But they're organized, they're well trained, and these particular units that we're working with are very, very good. We're comfortable with them and we'd like to have them back.
KAGAN: And Colonel, what -- the work that's still done in this operation, what's left to do?
DAVIS: We still have got a lot to go. This is a fairly extensive town here. It's hazardous, it's dangerous.
Everywhere you go you have got to be very careful of these improvised explosive devices. And there are still stay-behind elements. Not quite as (INAUDIBLE) as we saw in Matador right now, but that's the name of the game in an insurgent fight.
KAGAN: And what kind of cooperation are you getting from the civilian population there?
DAVIS: Civilian cooperation has been tremendous. You know, it's unfortunate that the majority of these people don't have much choice.
They know which way to side, to side with the transitional government. The foreign fighters bring them nothing but pain and violence.
They've been pointing out several of them. We had a family whose house we had to go into and, essentially, rescue them. And there were several of those members that were wounded because the insurgents had taken them hostage and were firing back on our forces. We have got them down with us now.
KAGAN: Colonel Stephen Davis, U.S. commander of the U.S. operation -- the U.S.-led operation, along with Iraqi forces, in Karabila, along the Syrian-Iraqi border. Thank you, sir. And good luck with your operation.
Well, we move on to a totally different topic here in the U.S., day two of the U.S. Golf Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina. We'll go there live for the latest on today's play and the contenders.
Plus, a special moment caught on tape.
And more and more hospitals are keeping cameras out of the delivery room. We'll explain why in our "Daily Dose" segment.
Cars that were parked for hours, and then they simply erupt into flames. Can it happen to your car? A CNN investigation comes up.
Stay with CNN LIVE TODAY.
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KAGAN: It is day two at the U.S. Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Tiger Woods, he's not out of the running. He's starts the day three behind at even par after round one. And then there's the two Brits. They bid the tournament good-bye after a miserable first day.
Our Mark McKay is there on a course that's -- well, it's getting the best of the best of them.
Hi, Mark.
MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is, Daryn. Yes, the two Britons that went out this morning, Paul Casey and David Howell III, a European player, hasn't won the U.S. Open in 35 years. Tough on the Europeans, not so easy on the Americans as well.
An American like Phil Mickelson, he predicted the conditions here at Pine Hurst would be getting a bit tougher as the week went on. Boy, he certainly knew what he was talking about.
Mickelson went out and played 11 holes this morning before finding his first birdie of the day. In fact, Mickelson bogeyed six of his first nine holes, including four bogies in a row at one point.
Pinehurst Number 2, it has played as advertised, living up to the pre-championship predictions of a tough but fair layout. Many golfers say the 105th U.S. Open will be their toughest test of the year.
We've seen a number of well-known players look like mere mortals so far. It is refreshing for the everyday hacker, frustrating if you're out there trying to win a major.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TIGER WOODS, TWO-TIME U.S. OPEN CHAMP: It's one of those masochistic things in that, you know, you're out there playing. And it's, oh, yeah, we can done that, you know, chip the ball and (INAUDIBLE) the green and, you know, struggle trying to make pars and bogeys and doubles.
And it's kind of what the U.S. opens do, but especially this one.
MCKAY: The leaders at the moment are the guys who have yet to tee off. Olin Brown and Rocco Mediate will be getting their second helping, Daryn, of Pine Hurst Number 2 this afternoon. And the wind has kicked up here. It'll make it even more interesting.
KAGAN: OK. Let's dish on what some of what people are really talking about. You have got the dry golf course. And so they're, what, seringing (ph) the greens? Why is that a big deal?
MCKAY: Well, the greens are kind of oscillating greens. What they basically are, they call them turtleback greens, where, if you don't get the ball on the green, if you are not accurate, the ball is going to roll off and could roll into eternity. So the greens are very, very difficult.
You know, a turtleback, they basically -- they're just going to keep rolling, Daryn. And it's not easy at all.
KAGAN: Golfers around the country got like nails on a chalkboard, cringing at just the thought of that. Mark, thank you.
An important election under way in Iran. The result could affect U.S. relations with Iran. The story coming up next.
Also, a CNN investigation. Cars and trucks going up in flames. But it happens hours after they were parked. Why, and could it happen to yours? That's ahead.
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KAGAN: So follow this story. Your car is turned off, it's parked, and suddenly, with no one around, it bursts into flames. That is exactly what's happening to some Ford vehicling built before 2004.
Just this week, one family filed a wrongful death suit over a fire that family members say started in a 1996 F-150 pickup that was parked in their garage attached to their Iowa home. That fire killed 74-year-old Darletta Loless (ph) and injured her 76-year-old husband.
Investigators for Ford and the National Highway Safety Administration spent hours earlier this week poking through the rubble of that house. NHTSA had no comment on its findings, but Ford specifically denied the fire was caused by the truck. But Ford does admit it has a problem with some of its vehicles catching fire when parked and turned off.
Ford as already recalled more than a million of their cars, trucks and SUVs. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is investigating nearly four million vehicles for the same problem.
Now, CNN Investigative Correspondent Drew Griffin has uncovered new information on just how many more Ford vehicles may be at risk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fire rescue. What is your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, my house is exploded. Something in my car -- my house is on fire.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A frantic call to 911 at 5:00 in the morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh.
GRIFFIN: A mother in a panic. Her 15-year-old daughter's bedroom wall is in flames.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My house is on fire! Please!
GRIFFIN: She makes several more calls to 911 before fire trucks arrive. Within minutes, the fire burned down the Kissimmee, Florida house of Nestor Oyola and his wife Laura leaving their daughter Rotsenmary scarred.
ROTSENMARY OYOLA, HOUSE BURNED DOWN: It's difficult. But you know, we have to accept it.
GRIFFIN: So what went wrong? What could have possibly caused this much destruction?
NESTOR OYOLA, FATHER (through translator): I bought the car on Monday and Wednesday it burned everything.
GRIFFIN: The insurance investigation showed the 2001 Ford Expedition Nestor just bought his wife caught fire while it was parked and turned off in the garage. Ken and Michelle Whelpley of Winterhaven, Florida had a similar experience.
KEN WHELPLEY, TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE: How do you park a vehicle, go to bed, sleep all night, and then in the morning, it's on fire?
GRIFFIN: It sounds unusual, but CNN has learned fires like this have occurred all across the country. A neighbor took this picture of the Whelpley's truck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Flames were shooting all the way up to the top of the garage. I couldn't believe it. I mean, just could not believe it.
GRIFFIN: In Orlando, a used car dealer surveillance camera caught this car bursting into flames. It had been parked overnight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just come in the morning like a regular day and I see a car all burnt up. I'm like, what the -- it was a shock. I didn't know what to do. I lost all the money.
GRIFFIN: And with many of the cars and trucks sitting in garages, houses are being burned down, too.
WHELPLEY: What if we'd have died in this mess?
GRIFFIN: Four investigations by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration have compiled 559 reports of Ford fires. And those investigations are focusing on one part under the hood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes when we're digging through this, we find the remains that failed.
GRIFFIN: Harvey Michel (ph) is a fire investigator and says he's seen about 30 of these Ford cases in just the last year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tire damage is more severe on top.
GRIFFIN: We asked him to look at the Whelpleys burned, 2000 Ford F-150 pickup. Within 30 minutes, he finds what he says is the cause.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's the part. That is typical of the failure of the switch.
GRIFFIN: It's the cruise, or speed control deactivation switch. This is what several fire investigators hired by major insurance companies and auto engineers consulted by CNN say is causing the cars and trucks to ignite.
How? The pressure switch disconnects the cruise control when the driver steps firmly on the brake. That switch is attached to the brake master cylinder on one end and wired to the cruise control on the other.
Ford designed the switch to be powered, or hot at all times even when the vehicle is off and the key is out of the ignition. What separates the electrical components from the brake fluid inside the switch is a thin film barrier. Investigators say the film can crack allowing droplets of brake fluid to come in contact with the hot electrical components, sometimes, say investigators causing a fire.
And those fires can happen whether the vehicle is moving or even parked with the engine off. Firefighters in Deltona, Florida, say you can see it happen in this video. A firefighter was changing a fuse when he noticed the switch in his 1995 F-250 begin to smoke. A co- worker grabbed a video camera.
CHRIS NABICHT, DELTONA CHIEF FIRE MARSHAL: Had we allowed it to continue it would have burst into flames and it would have consumed the vehicle.
GRIFFIN: Chris Nabicht is chief fire marshal for the city of Deltona. He says he's seen at least a half a dozen similar Ford fires.
NABICHT: The concern for people's lives and how fast this can occur, whether you're in the vehicle or not in the vehicle, is kind of scary.
GRIFFIN: Houston attorney Mike Jolly agrees. He represents clients whose vehicles have caught fire while parked.
MIKE JOLLY, ATTORNEY: There's no reason to wire the switch hot because you don't need to turn off the cruise control when the car is stopped and turned off and parked in your garage.
GRIFFIN: Five different auto engineers tell CNN the design is unique to Ford. And Ford has responded to the fires by issuing two separate recalls. The first in 1999 recalled nearly 300,000 Crown Victorias, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars.
Then, just this past January, Ford issued a second, larger recall 792,000 vehicles, including 2001 F-Series Super Crews, and 2000 Expeditions, Navigators and top selling F-150 pickups.
(on camera): Beyond those recalls, the federal government is investigating an additional 3.7 million Ford vehicles for the same problem. Now CNN has obtained this Ford document, which the company handed over to federal investigators. It shows a total of 16 million Ford cars and trucks have been built with what the company acknowledges is the same or similar switch.
(voice-over): The list includes recalled and non-recalled Expeditions, Explorers, F-Series pickups, Crown Victorias, Town Cars and Grand Marquis, some as early as 1992 and as recent at 2003. Also included are thousands of Tauruses, Econoline vans, Rangers and Windstars.
Ford declined our requests for an on camera interview. But in a statement to CNN, Ford says its records show the risk of fire differs for make, model and year. They say, quote, "it's important to understand that all speed control systems are not identical in Ford vehicles. In those populations with an increasing fire report rate, we stopped using the switch through the recall process. The switch has performed well in many models for many years."
Nearly half of those 559 Ford fires reported to the government safety agency as originating in the cruise control switch were in cars and trucks from model years not recalled. That includes the Expeditions owned by the Oyolas and that Orlando car dealer.
NABICHT: They've taken the step by recalling certain models of vehicles. I think the recall probably needs to be much broader than what it is.
GRIFFIN: Ford's response to that? "We have been asked why we have not expanded the recall. The last thing we want to do is make an important safety decision on incorrect or incomplete information."
So what does Ford say is the reason the switch catches fire? Again, Ford wouldn't agree to be interviewed for this report. But this is what the company told us in an e-mail.
"We have not determined at this time that there is a defect with the switch. But for reasons we still do not understand, the switch is failing. And we are trying to understand why."
Ford says it's cooperating with a federal investigation into the fires. As for the switch, Ford has stopped using it. And is now using a new switch as of the 2004 model year. In the meantime, the Oyolas who made that desperate 911 call when their non-recalled SUV caught fire, are left to pick up their lives.
LAURA HERNANDEZ, HOUSE BURNED DOWN (through translator): Here, there is nothing to replace, nothing. I was left with nothing.
GRIFFIN: Firefighters found the family cat burned to death in this corner.
For Nestor Oyola, as a father, it's hard to talk about it. The night before the fire, he moved his wife's Expedition in the garage, hoping to keep it safe. He says he'll never forget it.
NESTOR OYOLA: (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
GRIFFIN: (on camera): In the past few weeks, the Oyola family has been able to move into a rental home. Their insurance will not cover the costs of rebuilding the home that burned down. They are hoping for a settlement with Ford. And Ford has settled hundred of these cases across the country, but has admitted guilt in none of them.
Drew Griffin, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: In regards to that fire involving the death in Iowa, Ford is denying the pickup truck was the cause, saying in a statement, quote, "Unfortunately, fires happen every year in all makes and models of all manufacturers for a number of reasons including faulty repair, improper modification to the vehicle with after market parts and wiring, prior accident damage, and even arson. You can find out more about the story and the vehicles affected by the recall at CNN.com.
Just past the half hour. Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
In Aruba, a fourth person has been arrested in the Natalee Holloway investigation. Holloway is the Alabama teenager who has been missing since May 30th. So far, the man in custody has not been identified. The police commissioner says the man's name was given to authorities by one of the three suspects already in custody.
San Jose, California, police are looking for victims to come forward in the case of Dean Arthur Schwartzmiller. Investigators found lists of more than 36,000 children's names in Schwartzmiller's home. Police say the lists had codes that seemed to indicate how the children. Schwartzmiller is a convicted child molester. Authorities say he didn't register as a sex offender.
North Korea president Kim Jong Il says his country is ready to end its year-long boycott of disarmament talks. What he wants is respect from the United States. The U.S. today rejected the offer as just more North Korean rhetoric.
Polling hours are being extended in Iran's tightly-contested presidential election. Seven candidates are in the running. Two of the leading candidates say they want to improve ties with the west. Iranians appear to be turning out in large numbers and defying boycott calls from young people disillusioned with a system run by clerics.
There is more news ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, including why a Nobel Prize winner is under house arrest. And what one U.S. Congressman wants to do about that.
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KAGAN: Her fight for freedom earned her a Nobel Peace Prize, but she still is not free. Human rights activists today are calling for renewed calls for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Aneesh Raman has more on the leader of the democracy movement in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hers is the face of an imprisoned leader of oppressed movement, of fundamental freedoms denied. And as Aung San Suu Kyi turns 60 years old on Sunday, she will do so without any crowds, in the same way she spent the past two years, under house arrest, refused visitors' phone calls, even these days, a doctor.
PAUL SERGIO PINEHIRO, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS REP: I think I'm characterizing that it's a virtual solitary confinement.
RAMAN: The last the world saw Suu Kyi she touring the country in 2002, pushing reform, until a violent ambush the next year orchestrated by the government, brought her back to jail, where she spent 10 of the past 15 years.
CNN spoke to Suu Kyi in 1997.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI, DEMOCRACY LEADER: We struggle for what we want. I think only those who struggle have the right to hope. I don't think those who just sit and wait for things to happen has a right to hope.
RAMAN: It is a right earned early on, when in 1988, Suu Kyi emerged in then Burma as a defining voice for democracy, leading demonstrations soon crushed by the military junta. A year later she began her first days under house arrest. But in 1990, while detained, Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in national elections, results ignored by the ruling regime. And over the past decade, as the junta tightened its grip on the country and its opposition, Suu Kyi remained defiant.
SUU KYI: What are you frightened of trouble? Are you frightened of trouble? You can't accept -- you can't escape trouble in this life. Trouble will come in one form or the other.
RAMAN: In 1991, a global commendation. Suu Kyi wins the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the only imprisoned recipient of the award.
(on camera): In cities around the world this weekend, there will be demonstrations calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. But in her city, Yangon, where Suu Kyi remains imprisoned and alone, there will likely be deafening silence.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bangkok.
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KAGAN: Congressman Tom Lantos is leading a demonstration in Washington today on behalf on Aung San Suu Kyi. And he is helping the lead the fight for continued sanctions against Myanmar. He is with us from Washington, D.C. Congressman, good morning.
REP. TOM LANTOS, (D) CALIFORNIA: Good morning.
KAGAN: Why does this woman inspire you?
LANTOS: We are living in an age when we are all desperate for men or women with moral authority, true heroes. And Aung San Suu Kyi is a great hero of our age. She's the democratically-elected leader of Burma, who has spent most of the last 15 years in prison or under house arrest while the dictatorial police state is suppressing human rights in Burma.
The United States Congress next week will renew our sanctions against Burma. And on behalf of the Congress of the United States and the American people, I call on the Burmese regime to release this magnificent freedom-loving, powerful woman who wants nothing more but to have the Burmese people live in freedom.
KAGAN: What kind of response does the U.S. government get from the Myanmar government when you make that demand?
LANTOS: Well, the Burmese government is terrified of Aung San Suu Kyi. They know that the Burmese people support her and they know that the entire civilized world supports her. And the day will come, and I don't think it's too far off, that Aung San Suu Kyi will take her just place as the democratically-elected leader of Burma. And I expect to be there at her inauguration.
KAGAN: Meanwhile, there's some other things to take place, including the demonstration today. Tell me what you plan as part as that.
LANTOS: Well, I have 6,000 birthday cards sent to Aung San Suu Kyi from all over the United States. And it will be my pleasure and honor to present it to the Burmese diplomatic post with the request that they transfer it and transmit it to Aung San Suu Kyi. I have no illusions that they will do so, but the whole world will know that men and women everywhere who believe in freedom respect and honor this magnificent woman.
KAGAN: I know this bill that you're a co-sponsor of, it's a -- has bipartisan support. And you do expect the renewal of sanctions against this government to take place?
LANTOS: I fully expect the renewal of sanctions to take place and I expect the president to sign my legislation again.
KAGAN: Representative Tom Lantos from California. Sir, thank you for your time.
LANTOS: Thank you.
KAGAN: A busy day for you.
LANTOS: Thank you.
KAGAN: A check of weather and business news up next.
Plus, in a moment, the controversy over cameras in the delivery room. Yes, it's a controversy, apparently. Our "Daily Dose" segment will look at why some hospitals are just saying no to home movies.
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(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
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CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stop the presses. We're unmasking the mystery of Batman, from his comic book beginnings to the big screen. "Batman Begins" is expected to be the number-one movie this weekend. But who is the man behind the mask? Batman made his comic book debut in 1939's "Detective Comics" number 27. Different from heroes like Superman and Spider-man, creator Bob Payne gave Batman no superpowers. Instead, he relies on an impressive collection of gadgets, including the flying batarang. Never has a utility belt been so cool, or so sexy.
On the big screen, the newest flick stars Christian Bale from "American Psycho." It's directed by Christopher Nolan of "Memento" and Cillian Murphy plays the scarecrow.
Online, click through Batman's history, from Caped Crusader to the Dark Knight. And this kerbam-pow Batman's TV series in the 1960s starring Adam West.
While you're there, check out his many foes, including the Riddler, Catwoman, the Joker and Mr. Freeze. We also give props to the men who played Bruce Wayne and showcased those famous lips, like Michael Keaton, George Clooney and Val Kilmer. All you have to do is look for the bat signal at CNN.com/showbusiness.
I'm Christina Park reporting from the dot-com desk.
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KAGAN: When women give birth, the dads are usually right there in the delivery room, often with video cameras in hand. But in a growing number of hospitals, cameras are not allowed. Senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details in today's "Just for Dad" segment.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Galindo works as a photographer, so when his son Jonah was born a month ago, he and his wife knew well in advance they wanted to videotape the event.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was wonderful to see the videotape after, just to go back and relive a little bit of the experience.
GUPTA: Lucky for them, the hospital they went to allowed it. Michael says it would have been a red flag to him if they said no.
MICHAEL GALINDO, NEW DAD: Knowing that staff would not want to have pictures or videotape taken, I would be concerned about the level of care. That would have been brought up.
GUPTA: But increasingly, many hospitals around the country are banning the practice, concerned over liability that the videotape could be used against doctors if something goes wrong. Some hospitals let the doctors decide if they want to allow it. Most who do allow it say the parents must agree to certain perimeters in advance.
RENE ZELKIN, INVOVA FAIRFAX HOSPITAL: If there's any complications or the physician requested, it would be turned off.
GUPTA: In fact, every doctor we talked to said if complications arise, they will ask the parents to stop taping so they can tend to the medical needs of the mother and baby without any distraction.
GALINDO: It took a little common sense on daddy's part, realizing that the doctors have to do what they need to do and the baby's health and mother's health comes first. And if you can understand that balance, it can be a beautiful combination.
GUPTA: None of the hospitals we talked to that have banned the practice would talk to us about it on camera. The Galindo's baby was born at Holy Cross Hospital outside Washington, D.C. That hospital still allows parents to videotape their delivery, but doctors there understand why some of their colleagues elsewhere are banning it.
DR. MARY HEATHER SINE, HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL: We don't appreciate having that extra pressure on us. We don't want to have to worry about who is in the way, if the camera is in the way when we're focusing on the patient.
GUPTA: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has no official position on the issue, but say doctors and patients should come to an agreement before the big day. The American Medical Association does not have an official stance, either, and wouldn't comment to this story. But its president, an obstetrician, has said he banned the practice with his patients. Michael Galindo says having that video of Jonah's birth is something they will treasure forever.
GALINDO: One of the greatest pictures I got was when the baby and mom exchanged first glances. And those kinds of photos are priceless.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
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KAGAN: You can get your "Daily Dose" of health news online at our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, special reports and a health library. The address is CNN.com/health.
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KAGAN: And that is going to wrap up the week for me. I'm Daryn Kagan. International news coming up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY" with Jim Clancy and Zain Verjee. I will see you on Monday morning.
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