Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Fate of Millions of Illegal Immigrants Now in Hands of Senate; Enron Trial; Mass Medical Coverage

Aired April 06, 2006 - 06:29   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A major step in Massachusetts as they move closer to providing health insurance for everyone. Will your state be next to follow?
In his own words, former Enron executive Jeffery Skilling is ready to take the stand in his own defense.

More severe weather to tell you about on the way already to areas that are battered by earlier tornadoes. Chad's got a forecast just ahead.

And major accidents in New Mexico as dust storms sweep across the state.

Much more on all those stories coming up this morning.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good to have you with us this morning. We have a couple of examples of what is really at the root of the whole immigration battle.

In Arizona, a huge number of suspected illegal immigrants were found in a so-called drop house. At least 90 people taken from a house in Phoenix on Tuesday night. Twenty were in the back yard, the rest were inside a house. And it's only a 1,300-square-foot house.

And in Seattle, a Chinese cargo ship suspected of smuggling human cargo, 18 men, four women, taken into custody after getting off the ship. All appeared to be in good health despite all they went through. Cramped conditions on board, as you can see. They now face possible deportation.

The fate of millions of illegal immigrants now in the hands of the Senate, where Republicans hope a late night proposal will help derail Democrats and their efforts to force a vote on immigration today.

We get the story from CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Later today, the Senate will have its first test vote on a guest worker program that would put illegal workers on a path towards citizenship. That is expected to fail, and Senate Republicans hope that will open the door to a more restrictive guest worker program that they worked all day and into last night to craft. And what that measure would do is it would make illegal immigrants who have been in the United States between two and five years face steeper hurdles in order to stay legally than those who have been in the United States five years and longer.

Now, Republicans who have been deeply divided over this issue hope that will be something that most Republicans in the Senate can rally around. The White House has signaled they support this, simply just to get the measure through the United States Senate, because the bigger issue is going to be how they will compromise with the House of Representatives, which does not support -- most of them don't support the idea of a guest worker program at all.

Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: We'll talk more about that impending battle with the House and the different Senate versions of immigration reform with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. That's coming up 8:15 Eastern Time right here on this program -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: When the defense resumes its case this morning at the Enron trial, it will be Jeffrey Skilling in his own words. The defendant and former company CEO is going to take the witness stand.

CNN's Chris Huntington is in Houston for us this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What Jeff Skilling tells the jury will likely make or break the case for him. That's what most legal observers believe. And the story he'll tell is almost certain to be the same one that he told Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission under oath, that there was no funny accounting at Enron, that there were no financial problems that the company couldn't overcome, and that he never had any side deals with Andrew Fastow.

The biggest gamble for Skilling could be his own intelligence, his fabled arrogance and the fact he just might crack under cross- examination. People are concerned in his camp that he may come across as arrogant. No doubt, he is aware of that and will try to come across as humble, at least to start with.

That testimony begins in just a couple of hours.

Chris Huntington, CNN, Houston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Other stories making news. Carol's got that from the newsroom.

Hey, Carol. Good morning again.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: ... story out of Iraq this morning. There's been a car bombing near a sacred shrine in Najaf. U.S. forces fought the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in that area back in 2004. At least four people killed in that attack, but, of course, that number could rise. Dozens are injured.

A top al Qaeda member in Iraq has been captured. The suspect Muhammed Ubaydi, also known as Abu Ayman, was caught in March. The military was waiting for DNA tests to confirm his identity. Ayman is considered a close aide to the militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and a prime suspect in last year's kidnapping of an Italian journalist.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is expected to take the stand today in the Zacarias Moussaoui trial. Jurors will also hear the cockpit voice recordings from United Flight 93. Jurors decided earlier this week that Moussaoui is eligible for the death penalty.

New developments in the rape investigation at Duke University. Men's lacrosse coach Mike Pressler has resigned and the team is out for the rest of the season. One of the lacrosse students was suspended after a threatening e-mail surfaced. Duke's president calls the e-mail sickening and repulsive. We're also hearing DNA results from the players could be in today.

A grand jury being asked to decide if Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney should face charges over her run-in with Capitol Hill Police. The hearing could begin today. McKinney says it's much ado about a hairdo. She says the real issue is racial profiling. Capitol Hill Police dispute the story and say McKinney had no excuse to hit the officer.

Eminem is divorcing his wife Kim again. The couple has been married for about three months. They divorced in 2001, but then they reconciled and remarried last January.

Eminem wrote a hate song dedicated to Kim back in 2000. Yes, he dedicated a hate song to her. Anyway, some say this divorce could spur more creativity for his next album.

And call it "American Idol's" country curse. Mandisa, considered a powerhouse this season, is out. She was voted off after a country song choice that judge Simon Cowell called horrible. Mandisa landed in the bottom two with Elliott Yamin, who was also -- it was also his first time in that slot.

So sad news for them -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Carol.

After weeks of torrential rain in California, the floodwater is backing up into homes and on to roads in Fresno. It is also triggering fear of mudslides there, like this one, which closed a high in Fresno County. A massive section of road, as you can see, just simply washed away.

Drivers in New Mexico are watching out for something different, dust storms. These storms caused several accidents involving more than a dozen cars. No one seriously injured, however. Some major roads, including about 100 miles of Interstate 10 heading into Arizona were completely closed until the dust settled, as they say.

Let's get the forecast in. Chad at the weather center with that.

Chad, hello.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

M. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Chad.

Coming up later, the Zacarias Moussaoui case. Jurors deciding whether he'll get the death penalty. We'll talk to one 9/11 family member who does not want to see him executed. We'll ask her why.

S. O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're talking about online safety. We're going to have some tips on how to keep your kids safe from child predators once they're online.

M. O'BRIEN: Plus, Massachusetts plans to make sure almost everyone has health insurance. We'll look at how it works ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Happening "In America" this morning, Cleveland -- shocking surveillance video of a young woman you see there highlighted apparently push out of a speeding pickup. The 24-year-old in a coma with severe head injuries since last Thursday. Cleveland police are appealing to the public for information on that black pickup you saw streak through there.

Unusually dry conditions being blamed for several house fires in Atlanta. Grassfires jumped into one neighborhood, burning eight homes, four destroyed. Fire officials say it was so dry it took less than five minutes before the fire spread from one to all the rest of the homes.

And in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, hundreds came out to honor 78- year-old crossing guard Charlie, Charlie, Charlie Schafner (ph). He was forced to retire because of lung cancer. So the city decided to dedicate his old intersection as "Charlie's Corner." The kids say he's their mentor and protector -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, it's the holy grail of health insurance, coverage for everybody. And Massachusetts may become the first state in the nation to tackle the issue. The state is going to try to make sure that every citizen has health coverage, picking up the tab for people below the poverty line. Some people, though, are going to be forced into paying higher premiums.

AMERICAN MORNING'S Dan Lothian has our story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF (voice over): Massachusetts has its ivory towers and high-priced real estate, but it also has more than a half-million people who have no medical insurance, like home health aide Patrick Elliot.

PATRICK ELLIOT, HOME HEALTH AIDE: I need health care. If I was to get sick today or tomorrow, or to hurt or injure myself, and I went to an emergency room, I couldn't pay that bill.

LOTHIAN: Elliot joined others at the state capitol in Boston this week, rallying in support of a bill overwhelmingly approved that puts the state on the verge of offering nearly universal health care.

ELLIOT: I should have affordable health care. And I need it. I'm not getting any younger. I'm getting older.

LOTHIAN: While other states have plans dramatically expanding health care coverage, Massachusetts wants to take it to the next level. Residents at poverty level or below would get free health care. Other struggling uninsured families would pay on a sliding scale. And those currently insured could get a little relief on their premiums.

But some small business owners who don't offer insurance worry that they'll be pushed over the edge.

BETTY ANN WASILUNAS, BUSINESS OWNER: I think it's out of this world. I think it's crazy.

LOTHIAN: That's because the new bill will force her to provide health insurance coverage or pay the state nearly $300 per employee per year.

WASILUNAS: All of this adds up at the end of the week on, you know, how much money is left to pay me.

LOTHIAN: Governor Mitt Romney, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2008, says he'll take another look at the impact this could have on small business owners. However, he is expected to sign the bill, closing the deal on what Romney described as an amazing bipartisan effort.

GOV. MITT ROMNEY (R), MASSACHUSETTS: It's a bit like the lining up of the moon and all the stars and the planets in a great gravitational pull.

LOTHIAN (on camera): The money for coverage will come from federal funding and existing state dollars. Experts say depending on how it all works out, Massachusetts could become a model for other states.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE) S. O'BRIEN: The Massachusetts plan will require uninsured adults to purchase some kind of policy by July 2007 or face a fine.

New developments to tell you about in the rape allegations against members of the Duke lacrosse team. The team's coach has quit, one player suspended from school after investigators find a disturbing e-mail. We'll get student reaction from the editor of the school newspaper just ahead this morning.

Then later, tips on protecting your kids from online predators. We're going to talk to an Internet security expert just ahead

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

S. O'BRIEN: Sort of a Hollywood moment there for birthdays.

M. O'BRIEN: I should say. Yes. Yes. The Cliff Clavin of news is Carol Costello. Knows a little bit about everything.

Right?

COSTELLO: That's true. I'm really good at Trivial Pursuit.

M. O'BRIEN: There you go. What did I tell you?

COSTELLO: Exactly. For whatever that's worth.

In the headlines this morning, Iraqi police imposing a curfew now for Najaf. We're following developments out of the city this morning.

There's been a car bombing near a sacred shrine. New pictures from the scene show the burning wreckage. It is still smoking. At least five have been killed, but, of course, that number could rise.

Saddam Hussein's trial on and off again. The former Iraqi leader was a no-show this morning. The court heard from his co-defendant and then adjourned. The trial is over until April 12th now.

The Senate is poised for its first test vote to put immigrants on the path to become citizens. That vote is expected to fail, which could open the door for a tougher bill making immigrants living in the United States less than five years climb steeper hurdles to stay here.

And not a walk down the aisle, but a hop for Roberto, believed to be the world's biggest rabbit. The 42-pound bunny married mate Amy in a small town in England. Amy got some cold feet. She tried to shake off her wedding veil and make a run for it but she was quickly returned to the altar.

They furry couple exchanged sparkling wedding bracelets. No word on the carrots.

To the forecast center and Chad.

MYERS: They said a story about a bunny getting married before me. I thought they meant Playboy bunny.

COSTELLO: No, you're not that lucky this morning.

MYERS: Not a 45-pound rabbit.

Good morning, everybody.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MYERS: Back to you guys.

S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. The bunny. The bunny.

S. O'BRIEN: Who was -- who was the victim performing the ceremony? I mean, that's...

M. O'BRIEN: John Cleese. I think it was a "Monty Python" moment.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE": Yes. It was a "Monty Python"...

M. O'BRIEN: It was a killer rabbit, don't you know?

SERWER: Enjoyed that a lot.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

SERWER: Some business news?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, please.

SERWER: Let's get to that. A tale of two Marthas. One going after the Masters Golf Tournament. The other coming to Macy's.

Full disclosure coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Remember Senator William Proxmeyer with the Golden Fleece Award years ago? Well, the descendent of that might be the "Pig Book." It's a list of all the programs that you are paying for, and you probably wouldn't if you had the choice.

Here's Tom Foreman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The number of pork projects dropped nearly a third over the past year. But the amount of tax dollars being spent on the pork that remains is higher than ever before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roll the barrel. That's it.

FOREMAN: That according to Citizens Against Government Waste.

TOM SCHATZ, PRESIDENT, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: Twenty-nine billion dollars, that's 6.2 percent higher than last year's total of $27.3 billion.

FOREMAN: Once again on top of the pig pile is Alaska. With Senator Ted Stevens' help, that state is pulling in $325 million for pet projects, including the Sea Otter Commission.

And other lawmakers pushed through their own spending plans. International Fund for Ireland got $13 million, some of it going for the World Toilet Summit, in which widespread toilet use is encouraged. One million additional dollars was approved for development of water- free toilets.

According to the report, Missouri got almost $6 million to relieve traffic in Joplin, a town of only 50,000 people. Oregon welcomed $400,000 for a museum about two Chinese immigrants. Iowa rounded up a quarter-million for its Cattle Congress. Nevada knocked down a cool $100,000 for a boxing club.

In North Carolina, a teapot museum got a half-million, all money that critics say could have been much better spent.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Money taken from defense appropriations is -- still remains the highest number and still the most outrageous, because it diverts money from our national definition and the men and women who are -- who are serving and fighting and risking their lives.

FOREMAN (on camera): Still, all of these projects have defenders, people who say this money will promote the local economy or encourage jobs. The simple truth is, almost no one calls it pork in his or her state.

(voice-over): For example, Louisiana is getting $100 million for energy and water projects. Critics say it has nothing to do with Katrina, but elected officials call it money well spent.

SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: Stop wasting money through FEMA. Start rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and give us money to restore our coast and build our levees, and then we can take care of the rest ourselves.

FOREMAN: But, each year, the list goes on -- $50,000 for a Tito Puente memorial project in New York, $600,000 for Abe Lincoln's bicentennial birthday, for critics, all proof that, in the nation's capital, pork is still king.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) M. O'BRIEN: Little known historical fact. Abe Lincoln a big Tito Puente fan.

SERWER: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: He's nodding his head right there.

Tom's piece first aired on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," which airs weeknights at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN, where there is no pork.

No pork here.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, that's true.

Tito Puente, $50,000 well spent, I might say.

SERWER: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: I think.

SERWER: Yes, I agree. I like him.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes.

Martha, Martha, Martha. Well, really only Martha, Martha.

SERWER: Yes. I've only got two Martha stories. Sorry, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: That's all right.

SERWER: First one is about Martha Burke, the women's rights advocate. You know, she is now going after the world's largest company, ExxonMobil. Why? Because the giant company is sponsoring the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, which begins this Thursday.

You may recall that Burke has criticized the golf tournament for years and staged protests outside the club since 2003 because it is an all-male bastion. This year, though, she's introducing a shareholder resolution for ExxonMobil because it's sponsoring the tournament, saying that it should disclose whenever it sponsors an all-male event. And it's going to be in the proxy of this company when it comes out next week.

ExxonMobil has responded by saying, "We support the Masters because it has a wide international audience and it provides a unique opportunity to promote our company messages, including support for education."

Education, OK.

The other Martha story, Martha Stewart, of course. Federated Department Stores, which owns Macy's, is announcing today that there will be a new line of Martha furnishings at its Macy's stores coming out in 2007. Bed, bath, beyond, dinnerware, glassware, flatware, you know, the whole nine years. And, you know, she already has this deal, a similar deal at Kmart...

S. O'BRIEN: Kmart, right.

SERWER: ... which expires in 2009. But still, you know, this is supposed to be slightly more upscale.

You wonder how the Kmart people feel about this, though, right? Because, you know, if you wanted Martha Stewart you had to go to Kmart. Now you can go to Kmart or Macy's. They couldn't be too happy about this. But, you know, Federated has 850 stores now, so it's a lot more money.

M. O'BRIEN: You would think they would have had an exclusive deal.

SERWER: You would think. It's mysterious to me, and, you know, it's more money for Martha. So good for her. And it will be interesting to see how the stock responds today.

M. O'BRIEN: We'll watch it.

SERWER: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. Andy, thank you.

SERWER: Thank you.

S. O'BRIEN: And as we approach the top of the hour, let's take a look at some of the stories we're working on this morning.

New developments to tell you about in the Duke University rape investigation, including a disturbing e-mail threat.

The final phase of Zacarias Moussaoui's sentencing trial begins this morning.

A top al Qaeda leader in Iraq has been captured.

And Jeffrey Skilling will take the stand in his defense at the Enron trial.

Plus, a severe weather watch for the Midwest. Chad Myers has a look at the forecast for us this morning.

Hey, Chad.

MYERS: Hi, Soledad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

Good morning. I'm Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com