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CNN Live Today

BTK Killer Faces Life in Prison; Airlines Struggle with Rising Fuel Costs

Aired August 19, 2005 - 10:29   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN: We are coming up on the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
An Al Qaeda-linked group is claiming responsible for today's Red Sea rocket attacks. The rockets apparently targeted two U.S. Navy ships in port that were in Aqaba, Jordan. The rockets missed the ships, but one hit a warehouse and another landed in a nearby Israeli town. One Jordanian soldier was killed, a second badly hurt.

Pope Benedict XVI is taking a cue from his predecessor. The pontiff visiting a synagogue in Cologne, Germany, on the second day of his trip for World Youth Day.

A van carrying special needs children crashed in Boca Raton, Florida, just a short time ago. The white van went off the road and hit a tree. There's no word right now on any injuries. The accident stopped traffic for a time.

Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld is reportedly eyeing the same job in another state. "The New York Times" says Weld plans to seek the Republican nomination for governor of New York next year. Weld was born in New York. Sam Houston, by the way, the only American to serve at governor of two states. He led Tennessee and Texas in the 1800s.

The BTK Killer today begins a prison term that will keep him locked up until the day he dies. Dennis Rader was taken away after being sentenced in an emotional hearing in Wichita, Kansas.

Our Chris Lawrence is in Wichita and joins us now. Chris, good morning.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Just a few hours ago, deputies transferred Dennis Rader to the maximum security prison, where he can begin serving his ten life sentences, consecutively. Rader's not up for parole until he's 100 years old, meaning he's never going to walk out of that prison alive.

Now, yesterday, Thursday, in court, Rader gave a rambling speech in his last words. He showed a lot of emotion for the first time. You could see him taking off his glasses, wiping his eyes, seeming to cry at times. He thanked everyone, from the police to his defense, to the people who cut his hair in prison. At times, it sounded like he was accepting an Academy Award. At other times, he apologized to the victims' families. But there was nobody in that courtroom was ready to accept that, least of all Jeff Davis, whose mother was murdered by BTK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF DAVIS, VICTIM'S SON: Sitting here before us is a depraved predator, a rabid animal that has murdered people, poisoned countless lives and terrorized this community for 30 years, all the while relishing every minute of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Over the last few days, the families had to listen to very gruesome testimony, such as Dennis Rader describing in detail how he strangled Nancy Fox. Detectives say he enjoyed torturing her. And On Thursday, Nancy's sister said no punishment could ever be enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEVERLY PLAPP, VICTIM'S SISTER: On the day he dies, Nancy and all of his victims will be waiting with God, and watching him as he burns in hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE. There you go. If the families had their way, as far as punishment was concerned. Now, while Dennis Rader is in prison, the prosecutor wants to keep him from enjoying his experience as much as possible. Remember, we learned through his own words and through testimony that Rader got off on the fantasies he would create around these tortures and killings of these people.

So the prosecutor has asked the judge to not allow him to read or hear anything about the murders. She doesn't want him to have access to any kind of materials that he can use to write about his fantasies or draw them, which would mean paper, crayons, pencils. All of that will be decided sometime in the next few weeks -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Yes, there seem to be some -- that was the one point of contention, yesterday. The defense says they weren't ready for that. So -- and whether that would even constitutional on a first amendment right. I don't think there's a lot of people concerned about Dennis Rader, though, and what he gets and doesn't get to do in prison, at this point.

LAWRENCE: Yes, still a lot to be decided. You know, they're going to do some tests on him, medical tests, psychological tests, over the next few weeks to decide whether he should go permanently into general population, or isolation, whether some of these privileges should be taken away. We'll hear about that probably in the next month.

KAGAN: All right. Chris Lawrence, live from Wichita, Kansas. Thank you.

In today's "Security Watch," there is a controversial proposal to use x-rays at airports to detect hidden weapons and other contraband. The problem is the technology is too good. A full body x-ray leaves nothing to the imagination, and civil libertarians complain that's an invasion of privacy, so efforts ever under way to downgrade the x-ray images so that they don't reveal intimate details, but can still detect a security threat.

Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve will take a closer look at how this proposed x-ray system works. You can watch her exclusive report in today's "SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. That begins at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

Another note about your security. A computer virus hit the U.S. Customs Service yesterday, dramatically slowing down immigration processing at about a half dozen major airports. Miami International Airport appeared to have the biggest jam. About 2,000 international passengers were forced to cool their heels for up to five hours while agents conducted manual inspections. The system finally came back online just before midnight.

Be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

I want to tell you now about a special program that's coming on Sunday to "CNN PRESENTS" on Sunday night. It's called "Dead Wrong: Inside an Intelligence Meltdown." The show looks at how faulty intelligence was used in the run-up to the Iraq war.

Here now is a preview, reported by CNN's David Ensor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLIN POWELL, FMR. SECRETARY OF STATE: One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile production facilities used to make biological agents.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He makes a dramatic accusation. Saddam has bioweapons labs mounted on trucks that almost impossible to find.

POWELL: We have firsthand descriptions of biological...

DAVID KAY, FMR. CIA WEAPONS INSPECTOR: In fact, Secretary Powell was not told that one of the sources he was given, as a source of this information, had indeed, been flagged by the defense intelligence agency as a liar or fabricator.

POWELL: ... to find even one of these 18...

ENSOR: Powell was also not told that the prime source -- an Iraqi defector code named curveball -- had never been debriefed by the CIA.

LARRY JOHNSON, FMR. COUNTERTERROSIM OFFICIAL: Maybe the name of the agent wasn't alarming enough. Maybe it should have been screw-up, or, you know, a lying sack of manure, something like that. But, you know, to know that you're giving the president a ticket to go to war based upon one source? At that point, you want to drag the source in and talk to him yourself.

COL. LAWRENCE WILKERSON, FMR. CHIEF OF STAFF TO POWELL: Curveball is a case of utter irresponsibility and a good example of how decayed the intelligence process has become.

POWELL: Leaving Saddam Hussein in possession of weapons of mass destruction for a few more months or years is not an option, not in a post-September 11th world.

ENSOR: The speech would turn out to be riddled with misleading allegations, but at the time, the press plays it as an overwhelming success.

WILKERSON: He had walked into my office musing and he said words to the effect of, I wonder how we'll all feel if we put half a million troops into Iraq and march from one corner of the country to the other and find nothing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: "Dead Wrong: Inside An Intelligence Meltdown" premiers Sunday night at 8:00 and 11:00 Eastern on CNN.

The Shuttle Discovery, due back in the air right now, courtesy of a Boeing 747. Discovery is catching a ride, piggyback style, from California's Mojave Desert, back to its base at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle landed in California ten days ago because of poor weather at the time over Florida.

So, here's the question. How does this operation work? Here now, the facts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN (voice-over): Talk about a guzzler. The first leg of this flight will consume about 47,000 gallons of fuel. That's about what it would take for a small car to travel around the world 60 times. The fuel soaks up a fair share of the 230,000 dollars NASA estimates the flight will cost. It takes some energy to keep the combined weight of about 500,000 pounds in the sky.

Interestingly, the shuttle actually weighs less than the plane. The double-decker flight will cruise low, at an altitude of only 15,000 feet and at a speed of less than 300 miles per hour. The distance between Edwards Air Force Base and Kennedy Space Center is about 2,500 miles. This combined contraption can only fly a little more than 1,100 miles. That's why it has to make refueling stops.

All together, the trip will probably burn more than 100,000 gallons of jet fuel. That's more than two million miles worth of driving in your average car. Probably a good bit more than you'll drive during your entire lifetime.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Speaking of flying, would you want to fly on an airplane that only had a half tank of fuel? You might be shocked to hear what some airlines are doing to cut back on the high cost of fuel.

Plus, he plays as naive never been there, never done it kind of guy. So will his lack of experience bring him any luck at the box office? Mr. Moviefone is with us ahead to talk about the hot movies of the day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Airlines are dealing with the high cost of fuel in a variety of ways, beginning with higher ticket prices. Delta has added a $10 surcharge each way on most of its routes. United has added $2 to $5 each way, and American Airlines, Northwest and America West are all considering fare hikes.

So here to look at ways of airlines are trying to trim fuel costs is our senior correspondent Allan Chernoff.

Hi, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.

Consider this, when a commercial aircraft is merely taxiing on the runway, its fuel consumption is equivalent to 90 SUVs driving at 60 miles an hour. So you can certainly understand why airlines are going to extreme measures to become more fuel efficient.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don't flush too often to be sure there's water to wash your hands. American Airlines is filling water tanks only part way to lighten the load. Fuel tanks, too; no longer topped off because a lighter aircraft is more fuel- efficient. Taking 50 pounds off every flight, American calculates, will add up to a savings of $1 million a year. So American is unloading whatever it can. Only in-house magazines are on board flights. Ovens are gone from the galley in coach. American is even asking passengers to help conserve.

CAPT. STEVE CHEALANDER, AMERICAN AIRLINES: As we're taxing up to the gate, we'll ask the passengers to reach over and pull down the window shades, so that while the airplane sits there at the gate, it doesn't heat up as readily.

CHERNOFF: The airline is using less paint, hardly any for these au naturelle planes that are lighter than fully painted aircraft. Airplanes now taxi using only one engine. And at the gate, pilots try to plug in rather than using an onboard generator.

American's energy efficiency plan calls for annual savings of $150 million. But unless the cost of fuel takes a nosedive, the airline still expects to lose hundreds of millions of dollars this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: And some airlines are even cutting back on silverware in first class. Of course, it's long been gone in coach.

Daryn, can you believe that flying once was considered to be glamorous?

Yes. No, those days are gone. But I've got to tell you, if I'm onboard and I've got to, you know, do something in the bathroom, it's happening. I'm not cutting back for any reason.

Allan, thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Movie fans can turn in a lot of directions for entertainment. Coming up, Mr. Moviefone helps us sort through the choices. What is worth your gas money drive to the theater? Everything from the story of a 40-year-old virgin to an animated feature about pigeons. Is that one really going it fly? Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Where did Jay go?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: He went to throw up.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Ready?

STEVE CARELL, ACTOR: Como se llama? Kelly Clarkson! I hate you, stop smiling, you jerk. Ooh, I think we're done. I think that's good. Whew! You know what, guys? this is not a good look for me!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Oh, I don't know. I think it's looking pretty good. If you're in the mood for some body humor, "The 40-year-old Virgin" could be your movie this weekend. It stars comedian Steve Carell. He stopped by earlier this week. He also co-wrote the script. He's the executive producer. You probably have seen him in many other funny roles, including "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. But it has an R rating, so we don't recommend it as a family movie. How about a date movie?

Speaking of dates, here's Mr. Moviefone, Russ Leatherman. Hey, Russ.

RUSS LEATHERMAN, MR. MOVIEFONE: Come on. Take the family!

KAGAN: You're not taking your kids to see this.

LEATHERMAN: No, I'm actually not. But I'm not taking them to see "Valiant," either.

KAGAN: So let's start with "Anchor" -- no, not "Anchorman." Let's start with "40-Year-Old Virgin."

LEATHERMAN: "Anchorman," we've soon Steve Carell in "Anchorman." We saw him in "Bruce Almighty." And we saw him in these movie, he had big roles, but we thought, this guy is going to be a big star, because he's funny and tended to steal the scenes in all those movies.

Well, here -- and I'm going to use baseball metaphors to try to keep this clean -- he plays a 40-year-old virgin. He's a nice guy, store clerk, who's never gotten past third base. But once his friends learn about his hitting slump, they make it their mission to make him the homerun king. Not bad? Is it, Daryn?

KAGAN: I like the thing you did last week where you said how much you'd pay to see each movie. How much would you pay to see this one?

LEATHERMAN: I would not only pay to see this movie, I'm going to pay to see it twice. And here's why. He is a very funny guy. I think this is the funniest movie of the summer, maybe of the year. For me, more funny than "Wedding Crashers." Why? Because he is just a sweetheart of a guy. The movie is tailored perfectly for him. And look -- I mean, it's really unbelievably.

Now, it's called "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," so it's a little crass, a little rude. You know, don't take the kids. But I guarantee you, you will laugh harder at this movie than any movie you've seen all year long.

KAGAN: OK. Let's move on. Good recommendation there. Wouldn't be a Mr. Moviefone segment without a bad dream movie. So let's go to "Red Eye."

LEATHERMAN: Well, you know what, this is a bad dream movie. It's Wes Craven, and it's a movie about two people on an airplane. It's Rachel McAdams, she's lovely.

KAGAN: She's cute.

LEATHERMAN: She really is. Cillian Murphy. And really, he's a conspirator in an assassination plot. She becomes involved in the whole thing. But most of the movie honestly takes place on this airplane and it's really the dialogue and the suspense between those two that will keep you interested in the movie.

I didn't think it was a terrific movie. Ah, you know what? Maybe a matinee price is good for this thing. She's a terrific actress and we're going to see a lot more from her. And he's pretty good, too. The movie itself, so-so. I say you pay a matinee price, you'll going to be all right.

KAGAN: And real quickly, you have 30 seconds to look at "Valiant."

LEATHERMAN: Well, "Valiant," this is a throwaway summer movie by Disney. You can tell by the time of year they're putting it out that even they are not particularly confident in it, and it's because it's not a very good movie, honestly. It's one of those movies -- it's a war movie for kids about these pigeons who want to become part of this elite group. And it's got some great voices, but, really, the movie isn't much for adults or kids, for that matter.

So I say, you know, go see "March of the Penguins" with the kids. But if you're an adult, go see "The 40-year-old Virgin." If you don't like it, Daryn will pay for your ticket.

KAGAN: Don't say that!

LEATHERMAN: You might.

KAGAN: That's not true. No, no, no.

LEATHERMAN: All right. She's not going to pay.

KAGAN: But we do appreciate you coming by.

LEATHERMAN: Bye, Daryn.

KAGAN: Thank you, Russ. Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviefone. We see him every Friday.

Let's check the time around the country. 8:53 in Salt Lake City, Utah, 7:53 in Los Angeles...

LEATHERMAN: She's going to pay!

KAGAN: Kill his mike!

Los Angeles, California. In L.A., there's a situation with an alligator. It's found a new place to call home. Stay with us. We'll be back with a quick check of your morning forecast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Well I bet no one's going swimming in here any time soon. An alligator taking up residence in a suburban Los Angeles lake. Attempts to capture the gator -- this gator is like seven to nine feet long -- have been unsuccessful. Authorities suspect it was someone's pet that got too big to keep at home.

Here's something you don't see every day. A mountain goat on top of a pickup truck inside of a residential garage. This happened in Utah. Animal control was called in, bagged the goat with a tranquilizer. Getting a little sleepy there. Pretty soon the goat getting wobbly. He was safely removed to a more suitable habitat.

Goats, gators. We got it all.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Ahead in our next hour of CNN LIVE TODAY, now that a sentence has been handed to BTK Killer Dennis Rader, I'll speak with the Wichita, Kansas, television anchorman who received letters from Rader throughout the killing spree. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com