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CNN Live Today

Tate Pleads Guilty; Bush Trip To South Asia; Patriot Act Vote; Spring Home Sale Tips

Aired March 01, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Next few hours.
Hey, Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, Soledad. It is a busy day here at the CNN Center. We want to show people what's happening right "Now in the News."

At any moment the Senate is expected to vote on whether to renew The Patriot Act. The post 9/11 legislation grants greater powers to law enforcement and seems pretty sure to pass. The Bush administration still has not convinced Senate Democrats that the powers won't violate people's civil rights.

And in Gaza City today, an explosion killed a top military commander of the militant group Islamic Jihad. Witnesses blame an Israeli air strike, but Israel denies any involvement. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for five suicide bombings in Israel just last year.

Deadlines loom today for two struggling U.S. airlines. In the next hour, a bankruptcy judge is expected to tell Northwest Airlines whether it can impose pay cuts and work rules on both pilots and flight attendants. Time is running out also for Delta and its pilots. If a long-term deal is not reached today, arbiters will take up the issue on whether the airline can reject its pilots' contract. We're keeping you posted.

Now the youngest American to be sentenced to life is headed back to prison. At a hearing just minutes ago, Lionel Tate formally accepted a plea agreement for robbing a pizza delivery man. The deal will lock him up for 10 to 30 years. Tate was 12 when he was charged with killing a six-year-old playmate. His original murder with conviction was later overturned. Right now joining me on the telephone -- actually live, is John Zarrella. He's in Ft. Lauderdale.

John, can you tell us more about how this went down?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol, I'm outside the courthouse here in Ft. Lauderdale.

And it was a surprise to all of us this morning that this agreement had been reached. The judge left the courtroom, as well as Lionel Tate's mother and the attorney representing him. They then met with their client for several minutes after -- met with Lionel for several minutes. Then after that came back into the court and the judge announced that a plea deal had been reached, that Lionel Tate has accepted the plea and he has confessed.

He said he was guilty, in fact, to armed robbery of a pizza delivery man last May. That was a violation that -- of his probation. He had been out on probation. He was on a 15-year probation for the reduced charge that he pled guilty to in the death of the six-year-old playmate.

That, of course, was the case that made history. At 12 years old, killing his playmate. His defense was that he was imitating wrestling moves at the time.

The jury did not buy that. He was convicted. Became the youngest American ever convicted, sentenced to life without parole. That conviction overturned on a technicality. And again, he was out on probation for 15 years when this robbery took place.

So he did plead guilty to that robbery charge today and on April 3rd Judge Joel Lazarus will sentence Lionel Tate to a minimum of 10 or a maximum, somewhere in between 10 and 30 years in prison. We are told that prosecutors had put that deal on the table for some time but it was just accepted this morning. And Tiffany Eunice, the victim, her mother, Deweese Eunice, apparently signed off on that agreement and said that was OK with her.

Carol.

LIN: John, was there any public discussion in the classroom about a second chance blown? I mean, so many people were surprised when they found out that here is a guy who could have spent the rest of his life in prison, got a second chance, and then went off to rob a pizza delivery guy?

ZARRELLA: That's exactly right. It was, in fact, when he was given that second chance, it was called, Lionel, you've been given a second bite the apple. Take advantage of this.

And what happened was not just this robbery of this pizza delivery man, there were other incidents. He was being investigated for shooting a firearm into the air. Apparently had taken his mother's firearm. She is a Florida highway patrol officer. Another time he was in possession of a knife in a park.

So the list went on and on. And, unfortunately for Lionel Tate, he is going to go back to prison now. Had been given a second chance, a second bite at the apple and did not take advantage of it and now he will pay the price once again.

Carol.

LIN: John, thanks for the latest from Ft. Lauderdale.

Let's go to Kendall Coffey. He's one of our legal analyst here. He joins me on the telephone.

Kendall, when you look at what's ahead of the judge here, a kid who did get a grand second chance at life and blew it. Ten to 30 years. How do you think that sentencing is going to come down?

KENDALL COFFEY, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: Well, he's going to get sentenced harshly. And it's such a tragedy, Carol, because this was a symbol of too much punishment for the too young and hopefully a symbol for redemption and rehabilitation. Because while Lionel Tate was in prison, he seemed to be mostly a model prisoner. But he comes out, first thing he does, as John was just describing, is carry a knife, violating his house arrest. The judge gives him yet another chance, extends the probation, doesn't throw him back in jail, and now an armed robbery. Realistically, Lionel Tate's lawyers had absolutely no choice. Because remember, Carol, this wasn't just a crime in the sense of you get a right to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. This was also teed up as a probation violation where, frankly, Lionel Tate had basically no hope of convincing a judge -- it's a different standard of proof when you're doing a probation violation of convincing a judge that he had done nothing wrong.

So he had to make the choice. I think he's going to get hammered when this case comes back before the judge for sentencing in April.

LIN: All right, Kendall, thank you very much.

COFFEY: Hey, thank you, Carol.

LIN: All right. We're starting the day with developing news.

We also want to bring you a surprise trip to Afghanistan for President Bush. He landed there today. And it was his first trip to the nation where U.S. forces toppled the Taliban after 9/11.

Also let's get more details on the president's visit from our Suzanne Malveaux. She's joining us from New Delhi, India, where the president arrived about an hour ago.

Suzanne, first begin with Afghanistan. Why the surprise trip?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, very interesting, of course.

As you know, it's about 8:30 nighttime here in New Delhi, India, the president's bedtime, so he begins his schedule in earnest tomorrow. But the surprise, of course, was that trip to Afghanistan. A really super secret trip. They didn't give the details until the president officially landed on the ground.

A very important trip for the president and for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Karzai, who's seen the security situation in his country deteriorate over the last year and the last couple of months, looking for a robust international force to help him out on this. President Bush, of course, trying to convince not only Karzai but others that the U.S. is committed to this fledgling democracy, at the same time, intent on drawing down U.S. troops. All of this as a backdrop, of course, of two leaders, the leader of al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and the Taliban's leader, Mullah Omar, who are still at large, on the loose four years after the fall of the Taliban.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am confident he will be brought to justice. What's happening is, is that we've got U.S. forces on the hunt for not only bin Laden, but anybody who plots and plans with bin Laden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The president, of course, trying to downplay the fact that Osama bin Laden has been not been captured. Talking about capturing other al Qaeda members. At the same time, after his visit with Hamid Karzai, the president paid a visit to U.S. troops, about 600 or so, at the Bagram (ph) Air Force Base there to give them a little bit of a pep talk.

And of course, Carol, his next stop here, New Delhi, India. That is where he'll be meeting tomorrow with the Prime Minister Singh and that is where he'll be talking about the need for partnerships when it comes to the military, when it comes to trade and, of course, nuclear energy. All of this taking place when we've already seen at least 100,000 Muslim protesters in central New Deli today gathering to protest President Bush's trip. Clearly a lot of people who do not agree with the invasion of Afghanistan or Iraq, the presence of U.S. policy or the presence of Mr. Bush.

Carol.

LIN: Suzanne, there is something like 150 million Muslims in India. Does the president have any plans to try to apiece them or how is he going to deal with this issue of protest?

MALVEAUX: Well certainly he's meeting with one of the opposition leaders, as well as the Indian officials here. It is something that he'll be doing to reach out to that community. Very interesting, Carol, to know that the president here -- it's largely a Hindu population -- this country he has a higher approval rating here than he does in the United States. But the United States is about hovering about 33 percent. So not clear how much that is saying either.

Carol.

LIN: All right. Suzanne, we're going to have much more on this story today.

Also, we have another story out of South Asia to tell you about. We're going to take you back to Afghanistan where wire reports are saying authorities are back in control of Afghanistan's most notorious prison. A four-day uprising ended with at least five inmates dead. Now rioting began Saturday night at Pul-e-Charkhi Prison. The prison houses al Qaeda and Taliban inmates, as well as convicted criminals. American prisoner Edward Caraballo was caught in the middle of the violence. He called CNN's Anderson Cooper with a chilling account of events. You're going to hear some of his conversation later this hour.

Bringing you now to the latest in Iraq and contrasting images this morning. Something rare in the Saddam Hussein trial today, order in the courtroom. But on the streets of Baghdad, an all-too-common sight. The dead and injured carried from the scene of a bombing. Police say 23 people were killed today alone in an attack on a neighborhood of Sunnis, Shiites and Christians. More than 400 Iraqis have been killed in a week of violence.

Now in the trial of Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants, prosecutors presented documents that they say link the former Iraqi leader to the deaths of more than 140 Shiite men in the 1980s. The trial was adjourned until March 12th.

We've got some news about your security. Congress has twice extended The Patriot Act. Now while debating issues involving protection and civil liberties. But now the measure is close to getting a big push toward President Bush's desk. The Senate is voting on the bill right now. We're bringing you a live picture of that. And CNN's Ed Henry is on Capitol Hill.

Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

That's right, security, as you know, is one of the hot button issues in the mid-term elections. That's why the renewal of these 16 key provisions of The Patriot Act has gotten bogged down for months now. The other reason, really, is the fact that there was a mini rebellion within the president's own ranks. He had several Republican senators blocking this, joining a filibuster, for months, saying that they felt there were not enough civil liberties protections within these 16 provisions.

The log jam finally broken yesterday, though this legislation has been tweaked a bit. Some of the more controversial provisions include the so-called roving wire taps, as well as the sneak and peek provisions dealing with the government's ability to get access to library record, business records, other records like that. And that's been highly controversial as you know.

The Senate now, as you noted, finally voting on this after -- and it is expected to pass and it will go on to the House of Representatives. They're expected to pass it as well. It will finally get to the president's desk.

But an interesting note is that a very powerful Republican senator, Arlen Specter, saying this is not the last bite at the apple, if you will. He's saying he's going to come back now with separate legislation to try to strengthen this even more, to try to curtail some of the government powers included in these 16 provisions.

Carol.

LIN: Also some other actions on Capitol Hill today. The head of Homeland Security is going to be testifying once again. Ed, what more does Michael Chertoff have to say about port security and the deal with this Dubai company? HENRY: Well, you know, that is another hot button issue, this whole port security deal. Republicans up here on The Hill, I can tell you, are very nervous that if this perception across the country persist that the administration rubber stamped it, something the administration denies, but that perception is out there, Republicans fear that in November the party in power may take a hit with the voters. And Michael Chertoff is here on The Hill once again, part of this effort, this push back, a full-court press by the Bush administration to try to convince this skeptical Congress that this is a good port deal.

Also insisting that despite this Coast Guard memo that surfaced a couple of days ago raising concerns about so-called intelligence gaps in the port deal, Chertoff and other officials insisting there are no security problems with this deal, that it's just fine. But nevertheless, lawmakers in both parties still pushing bipartisan legislation that would give Congress the final say, not the president, the final say in this matter.

Carol.

LIN: All right. We'll see what happens today. Ed, thank you.

HENRY: Thank you.

LIN: And for all the folks interested in watching the proceedings, you can actually go to our Web site and log on to Pipeline to follow the port security hearings.

All right, we're still talking about port security. And we want to show you a poll that just came out. In fact, 70 percent of those responding to a CBS News poll oppose the Arab company taking over the operation of six U.S. ports.

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

And I'm going to be talking more about the port deal later this hour with former Homeland Security Inspector General and CNN Security Analyst Clark Kent Irvin who's going to be testify today on Capitol Hill about this subject. But he's going to give us a preview. So stay with us for that.

Also, right after the break, hurricane season. Is less than 100 days away. Can the devastated levee system around New Orleans be rebuilt in time? A progress report straight ahead.

Also, an American caught in the middle of a prison uprising in Afghanistan. He says he fears for his life and he talked to CNN about what's happening behind those walls.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, the big party is over. And most of the revelers are probably off Bourbon Street by now, leaving only mounds of trash behind. The celebration ended at midnight with a parade of police on foot and on horseback, followed by a parade of trash trucks cleaning up the mess.

And still a lot of questions after Katrina. Where will some of the hurricane evacuees, for example, who are living on cruise ships end up? A federal court hearing in New Orleans today may decide that. About 700 people, including many police and firefighters, were to evacuate three cruise ships today. Two dozen evacuees on one cruise ship in St. Bernard Parish sued FEMA to stay put. Their lawsuit claims FEMA failed to provide alternative housing. Lawyers on both sides are trying to work out a compromise.

And the federal government has pledged $91 million towards repairs to Louisiana's Superdome. Hurricane and flood damage had been estimated at about $140 million. At first they thought they would have to tear it down. And the facility, of course, served as a shelter for 25,000 flood victims. All right. So architects are determining though that it is structurally sound and the city leaders hope that this renowned symbol of New Orleans will reopen in time for the start of football season in September. Wouldn't that be something?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that would be great.

LIN: Yes, hey, Jacqui, the weather is so gorgeous here in the southern United States.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: And, of course, if any of us are thinking about buying a house or selling a house, this is the traditional season. It's in full bloom. Gerri Willis is going to be here with some advice if you're looking to sell a home or even buy one.

Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol, good to see you.

You know, it's not all roses in the spring market. Coming up, we'll show you how to avoid the thorns. "Five Tips" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back.

Taking a look at the Dow Jones Industrial average, up almost 21 points, over 11,000 once again as it closed down last night. And, in the meantime, last report, Nasdaq up 7 points. A positive day for the market so far.

Yes, but what about the housing market? You know spring is in the air and with it the start of the traditional home sale season. This year, though, much is different. For five straight months, the sales of existing homes has fallen. So to explain that and what it means for both buyers and sellers is CNN's Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis.

Gerri, a lot of people are going to be nervous because they're thinking, ah, this is a time for us to cash in.

WILLIS: Well, and you know what, guess what, buyers have a big advantage right now. Look, here's what's going on. We've seen five straight consecutive months of existing home sales falling. What's more, we're getting some scattered reports that people who had stepped up to buy a new home are saying, no, we're not going to do it. So if you're a buyer out there and you've been trying to get in the market, now is the time to start thinking about it.

However, the devil's in the details. The markets are different in each market across the country. To figure out how yours is doing, look at a couple of statistics. One is time on market. How long is the average home staying on the market? You can get this data from your local real estate agent. If that number is doubling from what it was say a year ago, you can bet that market's slowing down. That means you'll have more leverage.

Also look at price per square foot. Because, Carol, as you know, it's hard to compare houses to each other. It's sort of apples and oranges. But if you have a price per square foot, that will really help you analyze the market.

LIN: Right. And if you're a seller and you're trying to sell your house, you're saying, look closely at the competition.

WILLIS: Well, you've really got to do your homework. Here's what's going on. People who are out there are they're getting ready to sell right now, in some markets prices are stalling out, there are fewer buyers, so you've got to make sure that your house is really attractive and it has everything it needs. If everybody in your neighborhood has the refinished basement, the back yard done to the nth degree, maybe an outdoor kitchen, you've got to do the same thing. So make sure that your house measures up to what's going on in your neighborhood.

LIN: Right. And try to figure out how to boost your curb appeal, you say. How? What should you be looking for?

WILLIS: I've got to tell you, so many buyers make a decision within 10 or 15 seconds whether they're even going to consider a house. And it's all about what they see from the curb. So you've got to make sure those hedges are trimmed, that the front door is painted, that you have attractive plantings around the house. And don't stop there. Once that buyer sets foot inside a house, they really want to see freshly painted walls, they want to see a neat, crisp environment that was really appealing to them. If you have a lot of idiosyncratic colors like the harvest gold or whatever, don't go there. You really want to update.

LIN: Hey, there's some parts of the country that love harvest gold. So maybe that's part of your research packet. And, of course, your agent can give you good advice. But, you know, so many people would want to cash in on that commission on your property, so how do you find the best agent?

WILLIS: Right. Well, and that's the big thing. In the last few years, so many people have gotten into this business. Not a lot of them have expertise. So you want to find the top real estate produce for your neighborhood, your area. Even better if they actually live there. They know everything about the neighborhood. And then sit down with that person one on one, talk to them about their style. The problem with some people who are top performing is, they don't have a lot of time to talk to you. You want to make sure this is something that's going to field all offers and give them to you. You need somebody who's a great communicator.

LIN: Well, why would an agent not present an offer to you?

WILLIS: Well, sometimes they don't think the offer is up to par. And in a slowing market, you want to see all of them because it may be that you're not getting the offers you think you should. It's hard for sellers to restate prices once they start stalling out. So you really need to know what the market will bear.

LIN: All right, Gerri, thanks so much.

Just talking to the produce in my ear, so we're going to bring some fresh tape to the folks of the news of the day.

President Bush arriving in New Delhi. This is tape that came into the CNN Center. This was shot about an hour ago. The president in India to talk about a host of issues, including U.S. companies sending jobs overseas and what that may mean. But one of the big things on the table is a nuclear deal. President Bush wanting to make sure that India is keeping its nuclear reactor sites secure and not using their nuclear power there to fund their military operations. India and Pakistan have almost gone to war twice and tensions between the two countries are still pretty high. The president arriving in New Delhi.

All right. Port security under the microscope today on Capitol Hill. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff among those facing questions about a Dubai-based firm taking over management of six U.S. ports.

Also testifying today, a CNN security analyst. But, before he does, I'm going to get a chance to talk to him.

Also ahead, an American caught in the middle of a prison uprising. He said he fears for his life and he talked to CNN about what's behind those walls and what's happening next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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