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American Morning
Idaho Amber Alert; High-Stakes Battle Over President's Judicial Nominees
Aired May 18, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A wave of bombings across Iraq and now reports of a direct link to Al Qaeda, and Iraq's most wanted terrorist.
Will Republicans choose the so-called nuclear option, changing the filibuster rules? That showdown begins today in the Senate.
And the king of comedy...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The entertainer of the year is Kenny Chesney!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: What a year it's been for him huh? Lots to be proud of, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Also ahead this morning, we talk with a woman who's got a pretty strange story. She has her home robbed. Next thing she knows, she's looking at her own stuff on eBay. She helps the cops crack the case. We'll talk to her.
HEMMER: And not just her case, but 18 grand that's been stolen too. So interesting woman.
Jack's here, too. Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Nice to see you.
HEMMER: Thank you.
CAFFERTY: Is the United States about to start an arms race in space? The Air Force wants President Bush to sign off on a national security directive to begin working on deploying military weapons in outer space. We'll take a look.
HEMMER: What an issue it is, too. Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Idaho police want to talk to a man about a triple killing and the disappearance of two children. Brenda Groene, her 13- year-old son, Slade, and Brenda Groene's boyfriend, Mark McKenzie, all found dead on Monday in Coeur D'Alene, in Idaho. An Amber Alert is now out for 8-year-old Shasta Groene and her 9-year-old brother, Dylan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Sheriff Rocky Watson is in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, this morning.
Sheriff, thank you for talking with us.
There's a person of interest in the case, Robert Roy Lutner. What's his relationship to the murdered family?
SHERIFF ROCKY WATSON, KOOTENAI CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: He's been known to visit the family, but his vehicle was seen at the residence during the timeframe that we believe the murders took place.
O'BRIEN: So when you say known to visit the family, he's a family friend?
WATSON: I can't go that far and say he was a friend. We know he has been a visitor of the residence.
O'BRIEN: In the course of your investigation into the deaths of the three people, do you know now how they were killed, what murder weapon was used?
WATSON: No, we don't. The autopsies will be conducted today, and then we'll have that information as a result of the autopsies.
O'BRIEN: I know that you are looking for two vehicles that belong to Robert Roy Lutner, and they are these: a 1975 silver Ford pickup, Idaho license plate K161057, and 1990 Toyota pickup, Idaho license K308811. Which vehicle do you believe he's driving, or do you have any idea?
WATSON: Both those vehicles were registered to him, but it was the Ford pickup that was seen at the residence during our timeframe that makes him of interest to us.
O'BRIEN: Meaning, you believe he might be in the silver Ford pickup with license plate K161057.
WATSON: Yes, that was the one that was seen at the house.
O'BRIEN: For people who are keeping their eyes open for this vehicle, do you believe that this man may have the two children who are now missing and for whom there is now an Amber Alert, Shasta Groene and Dylan Groene? Do you think that they may be in the vehicle?
WATSON: I really don't know. We have done an extensive search around the area with our tracking dogs and our cadaver dogs. Our search and rescue has done grid searches of the entire terrain. We have found no sign of those children in the immediate area. So that's the next direction, is looking to him to see if he knows where they are.
O'BRIEN: Have you had any contact with his family members? Have they been able to tell you anything about what might be his whereabouts?
WATSON: No, we have nothing yet.
O'BRIEN: Any motive -- and I understand that it's early in your investigation, but any motive you can talk about as to both the killings and the potential kidnappings here?
WATSON: No. I have -- we have no motives yet. This is very confusing. It was a very brutal triple homicide, and the reason, the cause is still unknown to us.
O'BRIEN: There is information that we are getting from various news reports that the mother, Brenda, had a history of drug problems. Is there any reason to speculate that there might be a link between that and the murders?
WATSON: Not yet. The initial investigation, or the initial inquiry (ph) of the house, I did not see drug paraphernalia or any drug apparatus in that house.
O'BRIEN: The father, I'm told, the children's father, has been cleared as a suspect, and is reportedly and understandably utterly devastated. Give me a sense of how the folks in Coeur D'Alene are doing. It's a relatively small community, isn't it?
WATSON: It is a small community, and there's great concern, because this touches every corner of a community. This is very unusual for us. We don't deal with this type of thing.
O'BRIEN: Well, we wish you the best of luck in your investigation. I'm certain that we'll be talking over the next couple of days as you make hopefully some headway.
Sheriff Rocky Watson joining us this morning. Thank you for your time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Thanks, Soledad.
Five minutes now past the hour.
Want to turn our attention now to this high-stakes battle over the president's judicial nominees. After years of stalemates, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is now ready to force this issue, and he will start by opening debate on one of the nominees being blocked by Democrats. The game is on in Washington.
Joe Johns this morning from Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The showdown over judges begins today. Up first, Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen, whose nomination to the federal bench has been stalled for four years. Tuesday, Republicans launched a media blitz for Owen, and California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown. They visited Capitol Hill, and earlier, the White House, where they met with President Bush himself.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The role of the Senate is to provide their advice and consent. It's not to provide advice and block.
JOHNS: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid dug in further -- Frist arguing that judges need a straight up-or-down vote.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R), TENNESSEE, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Are they really out of the mainstream, or is this really just politics? The best way to decide is to take it to the floor of the United States Senate and let 100 United States senators decide.
JOHNS: Reid insisted Democrats have the right to block judges they oppose, and accused Republicans of trying to break filibusters in a power grab. Reid, a former boxer, says Democrats are ready.
SEN. HARRY REID (D), NEVADA, SENATE MINORITY LEADER: We've done everything that we could. We've trained hard. The fight is about to begin.
JOHNS: The basic issue: Republicans want a simple majority vote on judges. But with a possible Supreme Court nomination looming, Democrats won't give up their right to demand 60 votes before controversial nominations can go forward. So Republicans have vowed to change Senate rules and ban judicial filibusters.
Perhaps the best prospect for a deal lies with Senators John McCain and Ben Nelson, a Republican and a Democrat trying to find a way out of the impasse. But those talks seem to be moving very slowly, while the rush toward confrontation appears to be accelerating.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We'll just continue to work right up until the last minute, trying to avert what could have severe repercussions, obviously, for our ability to conduct business for some period of time.
JOHNS (on camera): The Senate is expected to spend the rest of this week debating judges. The first test vote on getting rid of the filibuster on judicial nominations expected Tuesday or Wednesday.
Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Also a bit later this hour, we'll talk with Senator Ben Nelson out of Nebraska about a possible compromise, see if there's any hope on that -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: New developments to report out of Iraq today. In the north, the Associated Press reporting that at least 10 Iraqis, including seven schoolchildren, were killed in mortar attacks in Mosul. And a car bomb in Baquba injured 14 people, including 12 police officers in a passing convoy.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad for us this morning. Ryan, good morning.
Every time we talk, virtually, we're talking about car bombings. U.S. military has said it's an indication of desperation. Are they still saying that?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are still saying that. But some new interesting information we're getting. We spoke with a senior U.S. military official. The U.S. military is now saying, according to this official, that they believe that insurgents associated with Abu Musab Al Zarqawi are behind much of the violence we've seen here in the last month, and in particular, what they're calling a very increased use of car bombings.
Now according to this U.S. military official, there was a meeting last month in Syria. This official saying they have multiple sources of intelligence that a meeting took place in Syria last month among these insurgents associated with Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. They're not sure if Zarqawi himself was there. But what this official is saying is that they do believe that an order issued by Zarqawi was passed down to his lieutenants at that meeting, calling for car bombs to be incorporated in daily attacks by the insurgents. Before, the U.S. military believes they were used quite reservedly for spectacular attacks. This new order that the U.S. military believes was issued last month calls for them to be used on a daily basis.
They're calling this a new tactic, and what they're saying, according to this official, is that just in the last two-and-a-half months here in Baghdad, there have been twice the number of car bombings than in all of last year, in all 2004 -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: OK, so then in light of that information, how successful have the recent U.S. military operations been in trying to root out these terrorists?
CHILCOTE: Well, they're encouraged by the fact, the U.S. military is encouraged by the fact that they think that there's been a lull over the last few days. Having said that, you know, this is -- it's a process of peaks and valleys. And that doesn't necessarily mean a whole lot. They're also encouraged by Operation Matador. They believe that that was a success. They also believe that their operations in a place called Talafur (ph) were quite successful.
They said that they do not believe insurgents are gaining ground, that they're gathering strength, but at the same time they said that they're facing an enemy that has the ability to learn and change tactics. So they're by no stretch of the imagination, at least today, saying that the insurgents are going through their last death throes -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad for us. Ryan, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: Back in this county now, on the political side from L.A., history was made just a few hours ago. City councilman Antonio Villaraigosa was declared the winner in the city's mayoral election. He defeated the incumbent, James Hahn, in the process, becoming the first Hispanic mayor in that city in 133 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, LOS ANGELES MAYOR-ELECT: Let's declare our purpose here and now! Our purpose is to bring this great city together. Our purpose is to draw fully and equally on the rich diversity of all our communities and neighborhoods.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And for the record, it was not his first shot at the office. He lost to Mayor Hahn just four years ago. This time he redeems himself in L.A.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, with the Senate on the brink of a historic showdown, Senator Ben Nelson is desperately seeking some compromise. We're going to talk to the Democrat about behind-the- scenes negotiations.
HEMMER: Also, perhaps the most powerful people in pro sports are on Capitol Hill today. Are they ready to allow Congress to make the rules for stopping steroids? We'll look at that in a moment.
O'BRIEN: And a working mom turns cyber-sleuth. She's going to tell us how she cracked a robbery case wide open. That's up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Karen Todd is a mother of two. She says she's more PTA than CSI. But police now credit her with catching a thief believed to have robbed more than a dozen homes throughout Washington D.C., including her own. How'd he do it? Let's ask her.
Karen, good morning to you down in D.C. Thanks for your time.
KAREN TODD, CREDITED WITH SOLVING ROBBERIES: Good morning.
HEMMER: Take us back, what was it, about a month ago? What, some sort of brick or concrete piece comes flying through your window? What happened?
TODD: Yes, April 7th, we came home from work, and there was a patio stone sitting on our kitchen floor, along with glass from the sliding glass door. HEMMER: What did they steal, Karen?
TODD: My husband's iPod, a laptop, digital camera, a dinner ring that had been in a gift from my grandmother.
HEMMER: Yes, so you go looking, right? You go looking for the person who's responsible for this. And where did you look first?
TODD: Well, I figured they had to get rid of the stolen goods somewhere. They might try eBay. So I looked a couple times, and the third time was a charm.
HEMMER: Wow. Had you been to eBay first, before that time, or was that your first visit?
TODD: That was my third visit.
HEMMER: Your third visit. So you go to eBay and you find what there?
TODD: I find the iPod. And then I clicked on the seller's other items, and there was the laptop. And there was other computers, and cameras listed as well.
HEMMER: I have to think there were a lot of cameras, and a lot of computers and a lot of iPods. How did you know this was yours?
TODD: There's an inscription on the back. I had it inscribed for my husband, and so I was able to see the back on the listing, and identified it that way.
HEMMER: We're looking at it right now. It says when your, "When your back's against the wall, turn around and see." Where does that come from?
TODD: It's a lyric by John Hiatt from a song called "Have a Little Faith in Me." And it's -- John Hiatt is one of my husband's favorite artists, and he really enjoys that song.
HEMMER: So you're thinking bingo, right, you got him?
TODD: Yes, yes.
HEMMER: What do you do next then?
TODD: I was shocked, and when I calmed down a little bit, I called the police, and they took it from there. They recovered the stolen goods.
HEMMER: Yes, but before they got there, what, they had to go to a sports memorabilia store. That was the first link they made, and then they had to make another link to, what, a 21-year-old guy by the name of Ibrahima Toure (ph), who was charged with 10 counts of first- degree burglary. And they found, what, 18 grand worth of material?
TODD: They recovered 18 grand from this tip. HEMMER: What was the 18 -- what kind of things were found there, Karen?
TODD: More computers, diecast cars, cameras, other things. The list goes on.
HEMMER: Well, police are calling you a bit of a cyber-sleuth.
TODD: Yes.
HEMMER: Job well done, do you think?
TODD: I think so. I'm glad I could help.
HEMMER: Yes, I'm certain. And you got your iPod back, too, and your husband, I got to think, is thrilled, right?
TODD: Yes. He's happy to have it back.
HEMMER: All right. Well done, Karen.
TODD: Thank you.
HEMMER: And thanks for sharing your story today.
TODD: Oh, you're welcome.
HEMMER: And certainly got our attention. Karen Todd down in D.C. this morning. Thanks.
It's almost 20 minutes past the hour. Break here. In a moment, Toyota announcing one of its largest safety recalls ever. A quarter- million vehicles affected. Andy has what you need to know. He's "Minding Your Business," after a break on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: From Toyota, a huge recall of SUVs and pickups to talk about, plus some plans for a new hybrid. Andy Serwer's "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.
Kind of a good news/bad news day yesterday for the world's second largest automaker. Toyota announcing first on the positive side that it will build its hybrid Camry in its Georgetown, Kentucky manufacturing facility one of its largest plants in the U.S. The Camry is the number-one bestselling car in the United States, and this will be the first hybrid that Toyota is making here. It makes the Prius, the hot-selling car, in Japan. These new Camry's will be out in a year or so. The company plans to add about 100 jobs to the 7,000-strong work force there.
And then also, on the downside, a giant recall announced by Toyota yesterday. Three-quarters-of-a-million vehicles, one of the largest recalls in automotive history. You can see here.
O'BRIEN: For what reason?
SERWER: A scratched ball joint, as a matter of fact, is the culprit.
CAFFERTY: That sounds painful.
SERWER: Yes, it certainly does hurt, Jack. Thank you for pointing that out.
Apparently not particularly dangerous, you know, in the immediate sense, but the company will be notifying owners in July. And you can see here mostly trucks. So it's a whole lot of cars they're calling back.
CAFFERTY: All right, Andy, thanks.
O'BRIEN: You're welcome.
SERWER: We'll talk about the markets a little bit later.
HEMMER: Question of the day with Jack.
CAFFERTY: The final frontier may soon become America's military frontier. The U.S. Air Force seeking President Bush's approval for a weapons program in space, arguing they must secure space in order to protect this country. "The New York Times" reports that the proposed national security directive would be a substantial shift in policy and would replace a 1996 Clinton administration policy that emphasized using space for peaceful purposes.
The Pentagon has already spent decades and billions of dollars developing weapons for space. The new initiative would require more weapons, more space satellites and new ways of doing battle, and of course hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars. The question is this, how important is it for the United States to have a weapons program in space? E-mail us at AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: Good question there. I wonder with technology, if it's inevitable at some point. We shall see. Jack, thanks.
Huge night for country singer Kenny Chesney. What a day this guy's having, too. Last night, Chesney edged out Tim McGraw, won the Academy of Country Music's entertainer of the year award, comes only eight days after he tied the knot at a beach with actress Renee Zellweger. Chesney talked about his new marriage for the first time last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENNY CHESNEY, "ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR": To be honest with you, it's not that different. It's just I'm a little more at ease. You know, I'm not searching, and that's what's great about her. And she's a great girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: McGraw wasn't left out last night. He won top single and for his hit song live "Live Like You Were Dying." Other winners, Keith Urban, who took home the top awards for top male vocalist and album.
In the ladies category, newcomer Gretchen Wilson won awards for best new artist and top female vocalist. That was an award won by Martina McBride for the past three years, and so she gets the crown.
Kenny Chesney?
O'BRIEN: Good month for Kenny, huh?
SERWER: He's hot. He is hot.
HEMMER: Buy a lottery ticket. He's doing all right.
O'BRIEN: And so is his new wife.
Well, there's much more AMERICAN MORNING still to come.
Ahead on "90-Second Pop"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, ENTERTAINER: Can you handle my truth?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A behind-the-scenes look at Britney and Kevin. The expectant couple shows us private home videos in a new reality show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL" HOST: Next week, we will have your new "American Idol."
And then there were three. Carrie, Bo and Vonzell compete for the "Idol" crown. With just one week left, how did they do last night? Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 18, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A wave of bombings across Iraq and now reports of a direct link to Al Qaeda, and Iraq's most wanted terrorist.
Will Republicans choose the so-called nuclear option, changing the filibuster rules? That showdown begins today in the Senate.
And the king of comedy...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The entertainer of the year is Kenny Chesney!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: What a year it's been for him huh? Lots to be proud of, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Also ahead this morning, we talk with a woman who's got a pretty strange story. She has her home robbed. Next thing she knows, she's looking at her own stuff on eBay. She helps the cops crack the case. We'll talk to her.
HEMMER: And not just her case, but 18 grand that's been stolen too. So interesting woman.
Jack's here, too. Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Nice to see you.
HEMMER: Thank you.
CAFFERTY: Is the United States about to start an arms race in space? The Air Force wants President Bush to sign off on a national security directive to begin working on deploying military weapons in outer space. We'll take a look.
HEMMER: What an issue it is, too. Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Idaho police want to talk to a man about a triple killing and the disappearance of two children. Brenda Groene, her 13- year-old son, Slade, and Brenda Groene's boyfriend, Mark McKenzie, all found dead on Monday in Coeur D'Alene, in Idaho. An Amber Alert is now out for 8-year-old Shasta Groene and her 9-year-old brother, Dylan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Sheriff Rocky Watson is in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, this morning.
Sheriff, thank you for talking with us.
There's a person of interest in the case, Robert Roy Lutner. What's his relationship to the murdered family?
SHERIFF ROCKY WATSON, KOOTENAI CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: He's been known to visit the family, but his vehicle was seen at the residence during the timeframe that we believe the murders took place.
O'BRIEN: So when you say known to visit the family, he's a family friend?
WATSON: I can't go that far and say he was a friend. We know he has been a visitor of the residence.
O'BRIEN: In the course of your investigation into the deaths of the three people, do you know now how they were killed, what murder weapon was used?
WATSON: No, we don't. The autopsies will be conducted today, and then we'll have that information as a result of the autopsies.
O'BRIEN: I know that you are looking for two vehicles that belong to Robert Roy Lutner, and they are these: a 1975 silver Ford pickup, Idaho license plate K161057, and 1990 Toyota pickup, Idaho license K308811. Which vehicle do you believe he's driving, or do you have any idea?
WATSON: Both those vehicles were registered to him, but it was the Ford pickup that was seen at the residence during our timeframe that makes him of interest to us.
O'BRIEN: Meaning, you believe he might be in the silver Ford pickup with license plate K161057.
WATSON: Yes, that was the one that was seen at the house.
O'BRIEN: For people who are keeping their eyes open for this vehicle, do you believe that this man may have the two children who are now missing and for whom there is now an Amber Alert, Shasta Groene and Dylan Groene? Do you think that they may be in the vehicle?
WATSON: I really don't know. We have done an extensive search around the area with our tracking dogs and our cadaver dogs. Our search and rescue has done grid searches of the entire terrain. We have found no sign of those children in the immediate area. So that's the next direction, is looking to him to see if he knows where they are.
O'BRIEN: Have you had any contact with his family members? Have they been able to tell you anything about what might be his whereabouts?
WATSON: No, we have nothing yet.
O'BRIEN: Any motive -- and I understand that it's early in your investigation, but any motive you can talk about as to both the killings and the potential kidnappings here?
WATSON: No. I have -- we have no motives yet. This is very confusing. It was a very brutal triple homicide, and the reason, the cause is still unknown to us.
O'BRIEN: There is information that we are getting from various news reports that the mother, Brenda, had a history of drug problems. Is there any reason to speculate that there might be a link between that and the murders?
WATSON: Not yet. The initial investigation, or the initial inquiry (ph) of the house, I did not see drug paraphernalia or any drug apparatus in that house.
O'BRIEN: The father, I'm told, the children's father, has been cleared as a suspect, and is reportedly and understandably utterly devastated. Give me a sense of how the folks in Coeur D'Alene are doing. It's a relatively small community, isn't it?
WATSON: It is a small community, and there's great concern, because this touches every corner of a community. This is very unusual for us. We don't deal with this type of thing.
O'BRIEN: Well, we wish you the best of luck in your investigation. I'm certain that we'll be talking over the next couple of days as you make hopefully some headway.
Sheriff Rocky Watson joining us this morning. Thank you for your time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Thanks, Soledad.
Five minutes now past the hour.
Want to turn our attention now to this high-stakes battle over the president's judicial nominees. After years of stalemates, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is now ready to force this issue, and he will start by opening debate on one of the nominees being blocked by Democrats. The game is on in Washington.
Joe Johns this morning from Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The showdown over judges begins today. Up first, Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen, whose nomination to the federal bench has been stalled for four years. Tuesday, Republicans launched a media blitz for Owen, and California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown. They visited Capitol Hill, and earlier, the White House, where they met with President Bush himself.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The role of the Senate is to provide their advice and consent. It's not to provide advice and block.
JOHNS: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid dug in further -- Frist arguing that judges need a straight up-or-down vote.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R), TENNESSEE, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Are they really out of the mainstream, or is this really just politics? The best way to decide is to take it to the floor of the United States Senate and let 100 United States senators decide.
JOHNS: Reid insisted Democrats have the right to block judges they oppose, and accused Republicans of trying to break filibusters in a power grab. Reid, a former boxer, says Democrats are ready.
SEN. HARRY REID (D), NEVADA, SENATE MINORITY LEADER: We've done everything that we could. We've trained hard. The fight is about to begin.
JOHNS: The basic issue: Republicans want a simple majority vote on judges. But with a possible Supreme Court nomination looming, Democrats won't give up their right to demand 60 votes before controversial nominations can go forward. So Republicans have vowed to change Senate rules and ban judicial filibusters.
Perhaps the best prospect for a deal lies with Senators John McCain and Ben Nelson, a Republican and a Democrat trying to find a way out of the impasse. But those talks seem to be moving very slowly, while the rush toward confrontation appears to be accelerating.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We'll just continue to work right up until the last minute, trying to avert what could have severe repercussions, obviously, for our ability to conduct business for some period of time.
JOHNS (on camera): The Senate is expected to spend the rest of this week debating judges. The first test vote on getting rid of the filibuster on judicial nominations expected Tuesday or Wednesday.
Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Also a bit later this hour, we'll talk with Senator Ben Nelson out of Nebraska about a possible compromise, see if there's any hope on that -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: New developments to report out of Iraq today. In the north, the Associated Press reporting that at least 10 Iraqis, including seven schoolchildren, were killed in mortar attacks in Mosul. And a car bomb in Baquba injured 14 people, including 12 police officers in a passing convoy.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad for us this morning. Ryan, good morning.
Every time we talk, virtually, we're talking about car bombings. U.S. military has said it's an indication of desperation. Are they still saying that?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are still saying that. But some new interesting information we're getting. We spoke with a senior U.S. military official. The U.S. military is now saying, according to this official, that they believe that insurgents associated with Abu Musab Al Zarqawi are behind much of the violence we've seen here in the last month, and in particular, what they're calling a very increased use of car bombings.
Now according to this U.S. military official, there was a meeting last month in Syria. This official saying they have multiple sources of intelligence that a meeting took place in Syria last month among these insurgents associated with Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. They're not sure if Zarqawi himself was there. But what this official is saying is that they do believe that an order issued by Zarqawi was passed down to his lieutenants at that meeting, calling for car bombs to be incorporated in daily attacks by the insurgents. Before, the U.S. military believes they were used quite reservedly for spectacular attacks. This new order that the U.S. military believes was issued last month calls for them to be used on a daily basis.
They're calling this a new tactic, and what they're saying, according to this official, is that just in the last two-and-a-half months here in Baghdad, there have been twice the number of car bombings than in all of last year, in all 2004 -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: OK, so then in light of that information, how successful have the recent U.S. military operations been in trying to root out these terrorists?
CHILCOTE: Well, they're encouraged by the fact, the U.S. military is encouraged by the fact that they think that there's been a lull over the last few days. Having said that, you know, this is -- it's a process of peaks and valleys. And that doesn't necessarily mean a whole lot. They're also encouraged by Operation Matador. They believe that that was a success. They also believe that their operations in a place called Talafur (ph) were quite successful.
They said that they do not believe insurgents are gaining ground, that they're gathering strength, but at the same time they said that they're facing an enemy that has the ability to learn and change tactics. So they're by no stretch of the imagination, at least today, saying that the insurgents are going through their last death throes -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad for us. Ryan, thanks -- Bill.
HEMMER: Back in this county now, on the political side from L.A., history was made just a few hours ago. City councilman Antonio Villaraigosa was declared the winner in the city's mayoral election. He defeated the incumbent, James Hahn, in the process, becoming the first Hispanic mayor in that city in 133 years.
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ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, LOS ANGELES MAYOR-ELECT: Let's declare our purpose here and now! Our purpose is to bring this great city together. Our purpose is to draw fully and equally on the rich diversity of all our communities and neighborhoods.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And for the record, it was not his first shot at the office. He lost to Mayor Hahn just four years ago. This time he redeems himself in L.A.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, with the Senate on the brink of a historic showdown, Senator Ben Nelson is desperately seeking some compromise. We're going to talk to the Democrat about behind-the- scenes negotiations.
HEMMER: Also, perhaps the most powerful people in pro sports are on Capitol Hill today. Are they ready to allow Congress to make the rules for stopping steroids? We'll look at that in a moment.
O'BRIEN: And a working mom turns cyber-sleuth. She's going to tell us how she cracked a robbery case wide open. That's up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
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HEMMER: Karen Todd is a mother of two. She says she's more PTA than CSI. But police now credit her with catching a thief believed to have robbed more than a dozen homes throughout Washington D.C., including her own. How'd he do it? Let's ask her.
Karen, good morning to you down in D.C. Thanks for your time.
KAREN TODD, CREDITED WITH SOLVING ROBBERIES: Good morning.
HEMMER: Take us back, what was it, about a month ago? What, some sort of brick or concrete piece comes flying through your window? What happened?
TODD: Yes, April 7th, we came home from work, and there was a patio stone sitting on our kitchen floor, along with glass from the sliding glass door. HEMMER: What did they steal, Karen?
TODD: My husband's iPod, a laptop, digital camera, a dinner ring that had been in a gift from my grandmother.
HEMMER: Yes, so you go looking, right? You go looking for the person who's responsible for this. And where did you look first?
TODD: Well, I figured they had to get rid of the stolen goods somewhere. They might try eBay. So I looked a couple times, and the third time was a charm.
HEMMER: Wow. Had you been to eBay first, before that time, or was that your first visit?
TODD: That was my third visit.
HEMMER: Your third visit. So you go to eBay and you find what there?
TODD: I find the iPod. And then I clicked on the seller's other items, and there was the laptop. And there was other computers, and cameras listed as well.
HEMMER: I have to think there were a lot of cameras, and a lot of computers and a lot of iPods. How did you know this was yours?
TODD: There's an inscription on the back. I had it inscribed for my husband, and so I was able to see the back on the listing, and identified it that way.
HEMMER: We're looking at it right now. It says when your, "When your back's against the wall, turn around and see." Where does that come from?
TODD: It's a lyric by John Hiatt from a song called "Have a Little Faith in Me." And it's -- John Hiatt is one of my husband's favorite artists, and he really enjoys that song.
HEMMER: So you're thinking bingo, right, you got him?
TODD: Yes, yes.
HEMMER: What do you do next then?
TODD: I was shocked, and when I calmed down a little bit, I called the police, and they took it from there. They recovered the stolen goods.
HEMMER: Yes, but before they got there, what, they had to go to a sports memorabilia store. That was the first link they made, and then they had to make another link to, what, a 21-year-old guy by the name of Ibrahima Toure (ph), who was charged with 10 counts of first- degree burglary. And they found, what, 18 grand worth of material?
TODD: They recovered 18 grand from this tip. HEMMER: What was the 18 -- what kind of things were found there, Karen?
TODD: More computers, diecast cars, cameras, other things. The list goes on.
HEMMER: Well, police are calling you a bit of a cyber-sleuth.
TODD: Yes.
HEMMER: Job well done, do you think?
TODD: I think so. I'm glad I could help.
HEMMER: Yes, I'm certain. And you got your iPod back, too, and your husband, I got to think, is thrilled, right?
TODD: Yes. He's happy to have it back.
HEMMER: All right. Well done, Karen.
TODD: Thank you.
HEMMER: And thanks for sharing your story today.
TODD: Oh, you're welcome.
HEMMER: And certainly got our attention. Karen Todd down in D.C. this morning. Thanks.
It's almost 20 minutes past the hour. Break here. In a moment, Toyota announcing one of its largest safety recalls ever. A quarter- million vehicles affected. Andy has what you need to know. He's "Minding Your Business," after a break on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: From Toyota, a huge recall of SUVs and pickups to talk about, plus some plans for a new hybrid. Andy Serwer's "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.
Kind of a good news/bad news day yesterday for the world's second largest automaker. Toyota announcing first on the positive side that it will build its hybrid Camry in its Georgetown, Kentucky manufacturing facility one of its largest plants in the U.S. The Camry is the number-one bestselling car in the United States, and this will be the first hybrid that Toyota is making here. It makes the Prius, the hot-selling car, in Japan. These new Camry's will be out in a year or so. The company plans to add about 100 jobs to the 7,000-strong work force there.
And then also, on the downside, a giant recall announced by Toyota yesterday. Three-quarters-of-a-million vehicles, one of the largest recalls in automotive history. You can see here.
O'BRIEN: For what reason?
SERWER: A scratched ball joint, as a matter of fact, is the culprit.
CAFFERTY: That sounds painful.
SERWER: Yes, it certainly does hurt, Jack. Thank you for pointing that out.
Apparently not particularly dangerous, you know, in the immediate sense, but the company will be notifying owners in July. And you can see here mostly trucks. So it's a whole lot of cars they're calling back.
CAFFERTY: All right, Andy, thanks.
O'BRIEN: You're welcome.
SERWER: We'll talk about the markets a little bit later.
HEMMER: Question of the day with Jack.
CAFFERTY: The final frontier may soon become America's military frontier. The U.S. Air Force seeking President Bush's approval for a weapons program in space, arguing they must secure space in order to protect this country. "The New York Times" reports that the proposed national security directive would be a substantial shift in policy and would replace a 1996 Clinton administration policy that emphasized using space for peaceful purposes.
The Pentagon has already spent decades and billions of dollars developing weapons for space. The new initiative would require more weapons, more space satellites and new ways of doing battle, and of course hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars. The question is this, how important is it for the United States to have a weapons program in space? E-mail us at AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: Good question there. I wonder with technology, if it's inevitable at some point. We shall see. Jack, thanks.
Huge night for country singer Kenny Chesney. What a day this guy's having, too. Last night, Chesney edged out Tim McGraw, won the Academy of Country Music's entertainer of the year award, comes only eight days after he tied the knot at a beach with actress Renee Zellweger. Chesney talked about his new marriage for the first time last night.
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KENNY CHESNEY, "ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR": To be honest with you, it's not that different. It's just I'm a little more at ease. You know, I'm not searching, and that's what's great about her. And she's a great girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: McGraw wasn't left out last night. He won top single and for his hit song live "Live Like You Were Dying." Other winners, Keith Urban, who took home the top awards for top male vocalist and album.
In the ladies category, newcomer Gretchen Wilson won awards for best new artist and top female vocalist. That was an award won by Martina McBride for the past three years, and so she gets the crown.
Kenny Chesney?
O'BRIEN: Good month for Kenny, huh?
SERWER: He's hot. He is hot.
HEMMER: Buy a lottery ticket. He's doing all right.
O'BRIEN: And so is his new wife.
Well, there's much more AMERICAN MORNING still to come.
Ahead on "90-Second Pop"...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, ENTERTAINER: Can you handle my truth?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A behind-the-scenes look at Britney and Kevin. The expectant couple shows us private home videos in a new reality show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL" HOST: Next week, we will have your new "American Idol."
And then there were three. Carrie, Bo and Vonzell compete for the "Idol" crown. With just one week left, how did they do last night? Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
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