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CNN Live Today

Air Marshal Shooting; Patriot Act Compromise; Winter Blitz

Aired December 08, 2005 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," a compromise in Congress over the Patriot Act. CNN has learned lawmakers have agreed to extend some of the antiterrorism acts, more controversial parts, for four years instead of 10. We'll have more in a live report from Capitol Hill just ahead.
The Pentagon has been holding a briefing this morning on the military situation inside Afghanistan. Despite rumors that Osama bin Laden might have been killed in the recent Pakistan earthquake, the U.S. point man on Afghanistan says the al Qaeda leader is assumed to be alive until proven otherwise.

Iraq's government has closed its border with Syria. The crossings between Syria and Iraq's volatile Anbar province are closed to pedestrians, vehicles and railways. The move is intended to improve security ahead of the next round of elections on December 15.

Meanwhile, Islamists holding four Christian aid workers say they have extended the deadline to meet their demands. The group calls themselves the Swords of Justice Brigades. It had threatened to kill the workers if their demands weren't met by today, just before midnight. The deadline was extended by two days.

Attorneys for convicted killer Stanley "Tookie" Williams meet in about two hours with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Williams was cofounder of the Crips street gang. He's scheduled to die in five days unless the governor decides to commute the sentence to life in prison.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has been released from a London hospital. She says she feels fine. The 80-year-old Thatcher was hospitalized overnight after feeling faint. Thatcher has been in frail health since suffering a series of strokes over the past few years.

Good morning. Welcome to the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY.

Checking the time around the world, just after 10:00 a.m. in Kansas City, Missouri; just after 11:00 here in Atlanta; and just after 8:00 a.m. for those of you in Sacramento, California.

From CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

We begin this hour with air marshals gunning down a passenger suspected of being a bomber. It turns out he was not armed. Today an autopsy is being performed on the victim. The two air marshals involved in the fatal shooting at Miami International Airport are now on administrative leave, standard procedure while an investigation takes place. Authorities say no explosives were found aboard the American Airlines flight. An explosives team blew open the victim's luggage on the tarmac.

Neighbors describe Rigoberto Alpizar as a simple man, but witnesses on the plane tell CNN that Alpizar and his wife were behaving suspiciously and that they were arguing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY GARDNER, PASSENGER: They were very nervous. She was very shaky. A lot of anxiety. And you could tell that they were -- there was something going on that just was not right.

And the pilot told me -- he said, "He's got it. Look it, there's a marshal right there. They know what's going on. We're covered."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Still a lot of questions about this fatal shooting. Miami police and federal officials are investigating it. The feds say the air marshals acted according to their training.

Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, joins us live. She is in Washington with more details on the story.

Jeanne, good morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan summed up the government's take on this incident, saying this morning, "From what we know, the air marshals responded in a way that is consistent with their training."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice over): A federal air marshal's job is to stop threats with a gun if necessary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good. Good shots.

MESERVE: A spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service says in the Miami incident the air marshals identified themselves to Rigoberto Alpizar, but he repeatedly ignored their orders to drop his bag and put up his hands, instead walking towards them with his hands in the bag saying, "I have a bomb."

Officials say Alpizar's mental state, whatever it was, was not a factor.

DAVE ADAMS, FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL SERVICE: We have to take every threat very seriously. And if an individual says they have a bomb in their bag, we have to believe there's a potential possibility there is. So we have to act in a law enforcement mode to try to neutralize the situation.

MESERVE: This is the first time federal air marshals have fired on the job. But because there is a possibility they will have to fire in a confined space at 30,000 feet, their training is extensive.

Tom is a federal air marshal whose identity must be protected because he works undercover.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The work in air marshal is, in my opinion, better than most -- most federal agencies out there. Our standards are higher. And the amount of training that we have on it is more frequent.

MESERVE: One of the two air marshals that fired in Miami spoke Spanish. Both were experienced.

ADAMS: One of them was four years with the Border Patrol, and the other FAM was a Customs inspector for two years. And they both joined the FAM service in 2002.

MESERVE: There are not enough air marshals to cover each of the 27,000 flights made each day by U.S. carriers, but their numbers have grown dramatically since the hijackings of September 11.

THOMAS QUINN, DIR., FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL SERVICE: We fly more missions in one month than the cumulative history of sky marshals and air marshals in this country prior to 9/11.

MESERVE: As for the quality of their training, aviation experts and members of Congress say it may have proved itself in Miami.

REP. JOHN MICA (R), FLORIDA: These air marshals acted appropriate. And I don't want any second-guessing. I support their actions today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Both air marshals have been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted by the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Jeanne Meserve, live in Washington, D.C.

Thank you.

Witnesses report hearing the victim's wife repeatedly say her husband was sick, that he was bipolar and didn't have his medication. Our Anderson Cooper spoke with a man who wrote a book on bipolar disorder. He explains how the condition, when it's untreated, can cause hallucinations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANDY BEHRMAN, AUTHOR, "ELECTROBOY": My hallucinations were visual hallucinations, not audio hallucinations. And you have to understand, in Latin, the word "hallucination" means wanderings.

I would imagine other people in the room who were not there. I would imagine, for example, a button on my shirt, a small button, becoming very, very large and chasing me down the street. Often I would look at people and their flesh would be melting off their face.

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": And did that all stop with medication?

BEHRMAN: Absolutely. Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: You can catch "ANDERSON COOPER 360" weeknights 10:00 to midnight Eastern Time, right here on CNN.

Back to Capitol Hill now. The Patriotic Act has been controversial since it was signed into law. There is particular concern over the reach given to law enforcement in going after suspected terrorists.

CNN's Ed Henry joins us now from Capitol Hill to explain today's Patriot Act compromise in the extension that looks like it is on the way.

Ed, hello.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Daryn.

That's right, as CNN first reported in the last hour, congressional negotiators have now forged a compromise deal to reauthorize the USA Patriot Act, as you mentioned. A highly controversial law passed right after the 9/11 attacks. There have been concerns, civil liberties concerns, primarily.

There are 16 provisions expiring on December 31. We now understand they will be reauthorized.

The sticking point has been several key provisions dealing with civil liberties, FBI access to library and business records, so-called roving wiretaps, also a provision known as the Lone Wolf Provision, dealing with suspects who act alone in a major terrorist act, like Timothy McVeigh.

What we understand the deal is that basically Senate leaders led by Senate Judiciary chairman Arlen Specter have pretty much scored a victory in getting these provisions that I mentioned to be reauthorized for now. But they will expire after four years. They will sunset after four years.

House leaders had been pushing for it to sunset after 10 years so that they would be on the books longer, but Senate leaders concerned about civil liberties want to see them expire sooner so they can come back in four years and review them.

This story confirmed a short while ago by Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and the acting House majority leader, Roy Blunt.

Take a listen to what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ROY BLUNT (R), MAJORITY LEADER: I think getting -- moving forward and not letting this legislation run at a time when it really is protecting Americans and America's security, and that's the key to this whole bill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: You can hear the case by Republican congressional leaders. They say this is a key tool in fighting the war on terror.

Of course, you have heard many Democrats, some Republicans, as well, up here on the Hill say they do have deep concerns about whether some of the provisions go too far. They have forged a compromise for now. We understand the official deal will be announced at 11:30 later this hour by Senator Arlen Specter -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Ed, besides this extension, any other change, or would the Patriot Act staying exactly as it is?

HENRY: Right. That's right. The most -- most of the Patriot Act will stay as is.

We're waiting for final word from Senator Arlen Specter whether overnight -- they've been literally negotiating around the clock in recent weeks, not just this week -- whether anything was pulled out. We have no word that anything has been pulled from the law.

It's mostly been -- the talks have been focused on these handful of provisions that are particularly controversial. They now stay in, but they stay in for a shorter time than the White House and House leaders wanted. But we're not hearing anything about provisions being yanked out -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Ed Henry on Capitol Hill.

Thank you for that good reporting.

Wintry weather rules the day in many places this morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Let's check in on Kansas City, covered with an icy blanket of snow. Here now is KCTV's Matt Stewart.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT STEWART, REPORTER, KCTV: Kansas City residents are digging out from the first big snowstorm of the year. And you can see a lot of powdered snow. Between eight inches to a foot of snow dropped in parts of the metro area. Temperatures dipping down into single digits.

Now, road crews were busy throughout the night scraping off the interstates and major highways, but they neglected the residential areas, and that caused a problem when there was a house fire on Kansas City's east side. The fire trucks had a problem getting here, negotiating those corners and trying to get through those snow drifts as they came here.

They were able to put the fire out. And a family of eight, including three children, were able to escape from the fire unharmed.

Now, as far as the interstates are concerned, the morning commute was fine. Just a couple of minor injury accidents off to the side of the road.

No really big delays. They did shut down Interstate 70 in Kansas City, Kansas, for a short spell. But besides that, everyone out here today just digging out from the snow.

I'm Matt Stewart in Kansas City. Back to you, Daryn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Thank you, Matt.

Still to come this hour, hurricane victims put their Second Amendment rights to use. We'll show you why so many families are arming themselves in New Orleans.

Plus, clemency or death for Tookie Williams? The defense team will make its case before the California governor today.

And later, she was fed up with people being PC about Christmas. Now she's wearing her feelings, and the movement is really taking off.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Before Katrina, tourism was a $5 billion-a-year industry in New Orleans. Since the storm, though, it has been a big zero. So the city is launching a campaign today trying to lure tourists to the French Quarter for the holidays.

The city is already preparing for a scaled-down Mardi Gras in February. Mayor Ray Nagin stirred up trouble when he suggested that hotels donate part of their Mardi Gras profits to Katrina victims.

A New Orleans business group looked ready to run the mayor out of town on that idea. They say hotels have been the biggest money losers since the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARRIUS GRAY, NEW ORLEANS HOTEL & LODGING ASSN.: We understand that that question was -- had a high degree of political sensitivity. But the wrong answer was given. We understand and are sensitive to the fact that sometimes in different environments the mayor has to field questions that would be difficult for any of us to answer. And the truth is that our mayor empathizes with every single group and every citizen of this city, whether they have returned and here working, or whether they are, in fact, displaced and trying the find a way to come home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The French Quarter had relatively little damage from Katrina compared to the city's residential areas. The mayor opened the historic area in late September, about a month after the storm.

It seems more and more people flying out of New Orleans are showing up at the airport with guns. Airport security says it seized 10 firearms in the last two months. There were just 17 seized in all of 2004.

Officials say locals carried in most of the guns. They were unable to explain the increase other than forgetfulness.

Well, gun sellers are offering another explanation. They say people who come back to New Orleans are worried about the safety. Here now is our Gulf Coast correspondent Susan Roesgen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOREY BUTLER, MANAGER, THE SHOOTERS CLUB: I can get my hands on one now. I'll go ahead and order it.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Morey Butler, manager of The Shooters Club, can't keep enough guns in stock.

BUTLER: I have no Springfield Armory product in the store.

ROESGEN: He says sales are up 150 percent, with many more first- time buyers.

BUTLER: I've had people in their mid to late 80s coming in. I have had a lot of single mothers, or people who are down here and their family is somewhere else. And before they bring them home they want to feel safer.

ROESGEN: This is one of those first-time gun buyers.

DEANNA ECKHOLDT, GUN OWNER: Are you like stuck now?

ROESGEN: Deanna Eckholdt, mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old son, her husband has been working out of town since the storm and she's got a new gun.

ECKHOLDT: In my neighborhood, unfortunately, it seems that there's been an increase of drug activity, looting activity. And I just thought to myself, you know what? I'm going to have to protect myself. ROESGEN (on camera): Here's another reason people are scared. Forty percent of the city is dark. No power still after three months. And at night, in dark neighborhoods, people get nervous.

DANELLE FLEMING, GUN OWNER: When there are no street lights, and you hear a noise, you don't want to go outside and start looking around.

ROESGEN (voice over): Danelle Fleming lives in one of those areas without electricity. She is getting by with three Coleman lanterns and a new double-barreled shotgun.

FLEMING: It's not as scary to think about owning a gun living two blocks from Canal Street in the middle of the city. It's strange to think about needing a gun.

ROESGEN: The police say Danelle doesn't need that gun. New police chief Warren Riley says there are plenty of police to protect a much smaller city, and crime is way down.

SUPERINTENDENT WARREN RILEY, NEW ORLEANS POLICE: Because the city is clearly not heavily occupied, it's safer than it has been probably in 100 years.

ROESGEN: The police patrol the more populated parts of town, but when the sun goes down, living in an area without police patrols, without neighbors, without lights, Danelle says she's glad she's got the shotgun. And if she has to, she won't hesitate to use it.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: A motorcycle may soon ride to New Orleans' rescue. "The Tonight Show" auctioned the Harley last February to help victims of South Asia's tsunami. Now the company that bought the motorcycle is putting it up for auction again. This time, to help Katrina victims.

Bidding will start at $1 million. The bike is covered in celebrity autographs.

When we come back, we know one of the Bush twins seen with a little something, a little bling on her left hand ring finger. We're going to clear up the rumors, though, about the first daughter.

And later, riled up about a religious holiday. One woman's efforts to bring back "Merry Christmas."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Southwest pilots will be spending more time in the cockpit. Well, just a little bit.

"Dallas Morning News" reports the union and management have agreed to tack on an hour and a half of flying time each month. Southwest says it means it won't have to hire so many new pilots as it expands. Pilots for the low-cost carrier will reportedly now fly about 68 hours a month. That compares to about 45 hours for a major airline like American.

And that brings us to business news. Kathleen Hays at the New York Stock Exchange.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Taking a look at what some young women are wearing on their ring fingers these days. When you're the first daughter, anything on the left ring finger could raise some questions.

President Bush's 24-year-old daughter Barbara was seen wearing something shiny on that very finger during a visit with her mother to the Children's National Medical Center. So that brought up a flurry of inquiring minds, prompting the first lady's office to state categorically the ring did not signal either engagement or marriage for the first daughter.

A diamond might have been a little harder to deny.

So we will keep an eye on that.

Also coming up, "TIME" magazine will reveal its "Person of the Year" 10 days now from. The choice a closely-guarded secret. We do know some of the people who ware on the short list, however.

Here's CNN's Anderson Cooper with a look at one couple you might soon see on the cover of "TIME" magazine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice over): Five years after leaving the White House, the powerhouse couple of Bill and Hillary Clinton are still in the spotlight. And in the brass knuckle world of politics, they're working hand in hand with some unlikely high profile public figures, making the two candidates for "TIME" magazine's "Person of the Year."

PRISCILLA PAINTON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "TIME": I think they're symbols of a yearning for this country for reaching out to the other side of the aisle. President Clinton himself was allied with former President Bush in an effort to raise money both for the tsunami and for Katrina. And, you know, essentially going around the world with your old enemy is a powerful symbol.

Hillary has from the beginning formed alliances with Republican senators across the aisle. She's even collaborated with Newt Gingrich, of all people, the man who almost took down the Clinton presidency, on healthcare. So, they basically stand for the two politicians who have gone out of their way to signal, you know, let's bury our hatchets and start working on the business of Americans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Coming up in the news today, less than two hours from now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will meet with Tookie Williams' defense team. He was the founder of the Crips gang. He is scheduled for execution on Tuesday if the governor does not grant clemency.

As you might suspect, there are California politics at play. Our Chris Lawrence will have more on "LIVE FROM," and he'll be live from Sacramento coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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