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American Morning
Calls for Resignation; Duke Rape Investigation; Code Messages
Aired April 17, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, a small town in Oklahoma devastated by the loss of a little girl. The horrific crime scene is and the crime is stirring up memories of Jeffrey Dahmer. And now word an online diary may have offered advanced warning.
Also ahead, coming to the defense of the defense secretary. The White House voicing its strong support for Donald Rumsfeld.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And a crashing success, two vehicles win high marks in the latest round of crash tests. We'll tell you which ones.
Plus, a near record spike for oil prices as they jump to a level we have not seen since the days right after Hurricane Katrina.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Another week of severe weather, some through the Plains and even some through the Carolinas today, more throughout the week. Details coming up.
O'BRIEN: And an annual event for the kids turns into a battle for some parents, controversy this morning at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Good morning to you, welcome to another week. I'm Miles O'Brien.
Good morning, -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Good to have you with us, -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Hi there, nice to see you again.
I'm Betty Nguyen in for Soledad today.
O'BRIEN: The war of words still raging over the secretary of defense this morning. Retired generals trading fire with one another over the way Donald Rumsfeld has managed or mismanaged the war in Iraq. Support for Rumsfeld coming after a steady stream of fire aimed his way by a half dozen recently retired generals, many of whom were part of the planning inside the Pentagon.
White House correspondent Elaine Quijano with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): President Bush will talk taxes and tax cuts when he visits a business in northern Virginia later today. Meantime, Democrats are joining the chorus of some retired generals who are calling for his Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to resign.
Now President Bush interrupted his Easter holiday weekend to give his vote of confidence to Secretary Rumsfeld, issuing a paper statement from Camp David on Good Friday.
Now at the same time, Pentagon sources say that late last week the Defense Department's press office distributed a memo to a group of former commanders and civilian analysts who regularly appear on television. The memo said that senior U.S. military leaders are involved in the decision-making process at the Pentagon.
Tomorrow, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is set to meet with those who received the memo and talk about what he sees as successes in the Iraq war.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: So did Secretary Rumsfeld ignore the advice of his top military brass and refuse to send enough troops to Iraq? The former chairman of the joint chiefs says no.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, "ABC THIS WEEK": But I guess their point is General Newbold's point, General Eaton's point is that you all in the joint chiefs failed at the right moment. You failed to stand up to Secretary Rumsfeld. You failed to stand up to the president.
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, FMR. CHMN. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Well I absolutely disagree with that, of course. I mean we gave him our best military advice and I think -- and that's what we're obligated to do. And if we don't do that, we should be shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: At least six retired Iraq war generals have called for Rumsfeld to resign. They include now Ret. NATO Military Chief Wesley Clark, Ret. Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack, Ret. Maj. Gen. John Batiste, Ret. U.S. Central Command Chief Anthony Zinni, Ret. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton and Ret. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold -- Betty.
NGUYEN: A gruesome crime and a small Oklahoma community just in shock this morning. A 26-year-old man is expected to be formally charged today with first-degree murder. Kevin Ray Underwood suspected of killing his 10-year-old neighbor. Authorities believe he planned to act out a fantasy, including cannibalism. The body of Jamie Rose Bolin found in the suspect's apartment in Purcell 40 miles south of Oklahoma City. As I said, the community absolutely startled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL BERDAN, SUSPECT'S FORMER CO-WORKER: You know the whole town is shocked. It's the -- you know it's something, here it is Purcell, Oklahoma. You know this happens in a big city or something, not in our town.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now Underwood wrote on his online blog that his fantasies were getting weirder and weirder.
O'BRIEN: Emotions still running high, questions still unanswered in Durham, North Carolina this morning, but that may change soon. The prosecutor may ask a grand jury for indictments as early as today about a month after a woman claimed she was raped by members of the Duke University lacrosse team.
AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho has more from Durham, North Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The grand jury will be convening in just a couple of hours. And at that time, it is widely expected that prosecutors in this case will be presenting their side of the story.
Now what that means is that 18 anonymous jurors will listen as the D.A. presents his version of events. Now what that will likely mean is that jurors will see possibly a statement from the victim, possibly a hospital report and possibly even photos of the accuser.
What they won't hear is anything from the defense attorneys. And lawyers for Duke lacrosse players say for that reason grand juries often return indictments. Defense attorneys have said that they do believe at least one, if not more, of the players will be indicted on sexual assault charges, perhaps even aiding and abetting. It could happen as early as today. And if it happens, it will be the first time that names and faces are attached to this case.
Alina Cho, CNN, Durham, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: An arrest made in the Natalee Holloway disappearance. Police in Aruba say the 19-year-old man they have in custody just being questioned. Holloway disappeared, you'll recall, about a year ago while on a high school graduation trip to Aruba. Her family says authorities in Aruba didn't tell them anything about this most recent arrest before it became public -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Anger over "The Da Vinci Code" works its way into Easter celebrations of all things. The Catholic group Opus Dei is breaking its silence in a "TIME" magazine article that hits newsstands today. Now they say they are not the ultra-orthodox sadomasochistic society portrayed in "The Da Vinci Code" willing to kill to protect the church's secret.
Now the Vatican also denounces the book, but no specific mention from Pope Benedict in his Easter message. He urged peace in Iraq and Darfur, international help for the Palestinians and called for diplomacy to deal with Iran's nuclear threat.
"The Da Vinci Code" was in the Archbishop of Canterbury's Easter message, though, Dr. Rowan Williams warning about people's fascination with conspiracies.
Shiulie Ghosh of ITV News has that part of this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHIULIE GHOSH, ITV NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like any book critic, Dr. Williams didn't pull any punches. Novels like "The Da Vinci Code" have made us cynical, he says. So fascinated by mystery and conspiracy that we now treat biblical text like unconvincing press releases trying to hide the truth.
MOST REV. ROWAN WILLIAMS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: Well it all makes a good and characteristically modern story about resisting authority, bringing secrets to light, exposing corruption and deception. It evokes Watergate, "All The President's Men." As somebody remarked after a television program about "The Da Vinci Code," it's almost that we'd prefer to believe something like this instead of the prosaic reality.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Witness the biggest cover-up in human history.
GHOSH: Soon to be released as a Hollywood movie, "The Da Vinci Code" is about a church-led conspiracy to hide an ancient secret that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and fathered a royal blood line which still exists today.
(on camera): "The Da Vinci Code" has been incredibly successful, selling more than 40 million copies worldwide. But the Archbishop of Canterbury says society is obsessed with books like that which portray the Christian faith as a series of conspiracies and cover-ups.
(voice-over): Author Dan Brown is no stranger to criticism, he recently won a High Court battle over charges of plagiarism. But the publicity surrounding his book highlights the growing appeal of alternative biblical theories.
Dr. Williams also poured scorn on the recent discovery of the Gospel of Judas, which apparently reveals the apostle wasn't a trader. The archbishop wasn't alone in condemning these challenges to traditional Christian beliefs. Dan Brown's best seller has also been denounced by the Vatican, which branded it a betrayal of Jesus.
Shiulie Ghosh, ITV News, Canterbury.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Happening in America this morning, Tennessee park rangers believe they have trapped and killed that bear involved in a deadly attack we told you about last week. The bear killed a 6-year- old girl, mauled the girl's mother and 2-year-old brother. Tests under way to confirm if it is really the same bear that attacked the family.
Another horrifying attack in Colorado to tell you about, a mountain lion attacks a 7-year-old boy. The boy was hiking with a group near Boulder when the mountain lion surprised him. His family pelted the lion with rocks and sticks. Scared it away. The boy suffered bites to the head, scrapes on his leg, but his injuries are not considered life threatening. The lion was tracked down and killed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hang on, here comes another one. Look out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My god.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Boy, kids don't try that at home. A scary sight, debris flying through the air at more than 100 miles an hour. That's what it looked like as at least three tornadoes tore through southeastern Nebraska. Luckily, no one killed, but there was a lot of damage. A volunteer station being set up in Gage County today to help with the cleanup.
Chad Myers watching the severe weather all spring for us this morning.
Chad, that's scary stuff when you're actually inside and you see stuff swirling around you.
MYERS: Yes, but they were actually out there looking for the tornado.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
MYERS: It wasn't like they got caught in it. They were actually driving out there and got...
O'BRIEN: Chasers.
MYERS: They were chasing. They were catching. You're supposed to chase tornadoes, not catch them. Unfortunately, the tornado caught them out of surprise. I guess they lost a bunch of windows, lost a bunch of stuff there, too. Very lucky they weren't injured with all that debris flying around. That is not the way to chase a tornado, I'm afraid.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Back to you guys.
NGUYEN: Already in the 90s, can you believe it, and it's just April?
MYERS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Going to be a hot summer.
Thank you.
MYERS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.
Still to come this morning, the crash test results are in, find out what vehicle came out on top. And a surprise, a minivan made the list for the first time.
NGUYEN: A minivan, really? I've got to get one of those.
Also ahead, oil surges about $70 a barrel. Carrie Lee is live with what it can mean for you at the pump. I can tell you what it means, Miles, higher prices.
O'BRIEN: Yes, nothing but trouble. Don't get the minivan.
NGUYEN: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And dreaming about your refund you are? Well we'll -- you think you got a refund coming, wait until you hear what Dick Cheney is getting from Uncle Sam.
But first, a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Top stories right now.
The killing of a 10-year-old girl in Oklahoma, the suspect left disturbing clues online in his blog. Twenty-six-year-old man expected to be charged today with first-degree murder.
New satellite pictures out today may back Iran's latest nuclear threats. They seem to show expanding facilities.
And the Pentagon is fighting back, answering critics who say Defense Secretary Rumsfeld didn't seek advice from his generals. Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers says any generals who didn't give Rumsfeld their best advice should be shot.
NGUYEN: Well, Miles, there's a lot of sweaty palms out there now that tax time is running out. I don't think you've gotten yours done yet, so your palms may be a little sweaty this morning, Miles. Most of America...
O'BRIEN: Working on it. I'm still working on it.
NGUYEN: Yes, you better hurry.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes.
NGUYEN: Time is ticking. Most of America has until midnight tonight to file. Now if you can't make it to the post office, you can get online and file a six-month extension using the IRS Web site. But a lot of people are getting just one day extra to file those taxes. The center that processes tax forms in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and the District of Columbia is closed today, so don't try going. Closed for Patriot's Day.
O'BRIEN: So that's an extra day, which is a good thing.
It is tax time. Before you do any bragging about that refund you managed to wring out of the tax code, you need to know how many zeros Dick Cheney has in his check.
But first, as protocol would say, to the president. President and Mrs. Bush paying $187,000 in federal taxes. We don't know if they're getting a refund. We're working on that. I don't think so. I think he's just paying that.
Meanwhile, the Cheneys with a $1.9 million refund. They obviously over withheld, had a big charity contribution.
NGUYEN: A $2 million refund, how does that work?
O'BRIEN: That's not good planning. And I think Carrie Lee would tell us that that would be a bad thing.
NGUYEN: Because you don't want a refund. You want to keep your money, right?
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You want to keep it and space it out over 12 months, if you can. One point nine million, I bet he's an investor in big oil stocks.
NGUYEN: Do you think, maybe?
LEE: Because they've done so well. That's the best performing sector we've seen lately. So I don't know, just speculation there.
NGUYEN: That's a good guess, though.
O'BRIEN: All right. You're here for now?
LEE: I am here. And let's talk about oil.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEE: Because oil energy done very well as a sector. Oil topped the $70-a-barrel mark earlier this morning. The record high, $70, 85 cents on August 30 last year, so we're pretty close, $69.71. Why is oil price -- why are prices going up? Well, same story, we're worried about supply disruption in Nigeria, also tension over nuclear capabilities in Iran.
This is also the time when the factories change to their summer blend driving season they have to maintain for gasoline. So gas inventory levels are a little bit low as well. So all of this affecting oil prices. Another thing kind of background picture, China has been a tremendous user of oil. The country seeing huge economic growth. In the first quarter of the year, China's economy grew over 10 percent.
Unlike what we're seeing in the U.S., we raise interest rates to curb growth. China has a different take, though, they want to cut spending on energy guzzling factories and also some other things. They want banks to screen more closely borrowers to try to slow their economy. So that is one thing kind of the background as far as oil prices going up.
A quick check on stocks for this morning, it's looking like a flat start for trading. You can see last week Dow, Nasdaq, S&P all taking a bit of a hit. This is the week where the Q1 profit reporting season really picks up. We're going to hear from 12 Dow components. Overall, it's supposed to be a pretty good quarter, though. Q1 a 10 percent profit growth year over year and so that is certainly something people are hoping for.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LEE: Could push stocks forward going forward.
NGUYEN: All right.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, -- Carrie Lee.
LEE: OK.
O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
Well still to come this morning, cameras replacing cops in one New York City neighborhood. Invasion of privacy or just protecting the streets? That story is straight ahead.
Also, some call it state-sponsored segregation. We'll tell you about the fight in Omaha, Nebraska, pitting black, white and Hispanic school districts against each other.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING for Monday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Taking a look at some of the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.
Here is looking at you New York. The NYPD is installing more than 500 crime fighting surveillance cameras throughout the city. Privacy advocates say there is potential for abuse.
Angelina Jolie may be having her baby in Namibia, South Africa. A newspaper reports this. Jolie and Brad Pitt told the governor the actress plans to give birth there and they may even give the baby a Namibian name. Also, check this out, so much for fun and games. Two kids are recovering from this little league promotional stunt. Yes, that's money falling from the skies. These kids scrambled for cash that was dropped from a helicopter. A 7-year-old boy got trampled. He's covered in bruises. Now a 7-year-old girl, she got a bloody lip, all for a little bit of money coming from the sky.
Time now for a check on the forecast. Chad Myers joins us with a look at that from the CNN Center.
Chad, it's a Monday.
MYERS: Yes.
NGUYEN: What do you have in store this week?
MYERS: Well good for New York, actually.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Back to you.
NGUYEN: All right, Miles -- Chad, I should say, thank you.
MYERS: Same.
NGUYEN: Miles.
O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad. Thank you, Betty.
The morning's top stories straight ahead, including this, the latest car crash tests to tell you about, a minivan making the cut for the first time this year. We're live in Washington with the results -- Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello live right here in New York.
Molly the cat trapped in a hollow wall for two weeks is free, but it's not over yet. Molly has become quite the star. Is America crazy or what? The entire saga coming your way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Well how much time do you waste sitting there in your car stuck in traffic day after day?
NGUYEN: Way too much.
O'BRIEN: If you're listening on XM Radio right now, you're probably nodding right now, too much time. Well there's got to be a better way. "Welcome to the Future" and a possible cure for the common traffic jam.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYDIA: If we're going to the moon, there has to be other ways to get to our job.
I get up between 4:45 and 5:00 every day. I have to be at work at 7:15. I often find myself dashing across the parking lot to make it. It affects my life. It affects the way I feel. That feeling of am I going to make it on time?
Time is such a valuable thing. It's up to three hours of a day that I sit in my car, and that's a huge amount of my life wasted. I'd be willing to try anything that would make my commute less painful.
O'BRIEN (on camera): It is really painful when you add up all the time we spend in our cars grinding our teeth as we grind our way through traffic. But what if we could commute through the wild blue yonder, breezing past the gridlock below?
WOODY NORRIS: One day not too far into the future people are going to get off the ground and they're going to be able to get airborne.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Woody Norris is a man with big ideas. The inventor's latest project, the air scooter. Don't let its looks fool you, this flying machine is ingenious for its simplicity. It is an odd hybrid design with blades like a helicopter, a handlebar like a motorcycle and a specially designed lightweight four-stroke engine.
NORRIS: Turn the throttle and you go up. Release the throttle and you come down.
O'BRIEN: Due to hit the market later this year with a price tag of about $50,000, Norris says the air scooter could make rush hours a thing of the past.
NORRIS: With the air scooter it's a direct line the way the bird flies. There's a lot more space up there than there is down here on the ground, so we think that's going to solve the congestion problem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Man I want one of those so badly. Where would I park it, though? Can I park it on the roof?
NGUYEN: That would be a big problem up here, wouldn't it?
O'BRIEN: It could be, yes.
Anyway, while we're waiting for the air scooter, you may want to figure out how to stay safe on the roads the old fashioned way, you know. Still to come, the crash test results in. We'll find out which cars got the top safety pick award, a minivan did well. How did the Toyota Prius do you might ask? Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Checking our top stories at this hour, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld under fire. The calls mounting for him to resign. President Bush standing by his man at the Pentagon.
Take a look at just how incredibly dangerous a tornado can be if you get too close. That farmhouse there highlighted is swept away, literally swept away by a tornado. This is Jasper County, Illinois. There you see it.
NGUYEN: Right there, yes, man.
O'BRIEN: Fortunately, no injuries reported.
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