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American Morning
Immigration Battle; Fuel For Thought; Web Blog Warning; 'Lost' In A Puzzle
Aired May 24, 2006 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening this morning.
Senators and immigration. The Senate coming to a head today with a debate on a key vote set on the immigration reform bill. Now includes some stiff fines for employers who hire illegals. The Senate could approve the bill today or tomorrow.
Bird flu strikes a family in Indonesia and now health investigators are wondering if the virus could have been transmitted from person to person. Apparently no infected poultry was found nearby. The investigation's still underway.
And the search for Jimmy Hoffa moves from earth moving to demolition today. The FBI plans to tear down a barn on a Michigan horse farm where they've been searching for the remains of the former teamsters boss.
Good morning to you. I'm Miles O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Soledad O'Brien. Thanks for being with us this morning.
Let's talk immigration reform. Immigration reform, in fact, goes to a test vote today in the Senate. Final passage is, in fact, expected by the end of the week. Then the real work begins, reaching a compromise that's going to make both hardliners in the House and the president happy. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist joins us. He's in Washington, D.C.
Nice to see you, Senator. Thanks for being with us.
SEN. BILL FRIST, (R) MAJORITY LEADER: Good to be with you, Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Give me a sense -- I know you're looking for a bill that you can get everybody to support. But personally, I'm curious to know, where do you stand on the guest worker provision, the tiered approach?
FRIST: Soledad, we will be passing the bill first and foremost later tonight or tomorrow. It will be a comprehensive bill. One of the four major provisions of that bill is the guest worker program. There's a temporary worker program to allow people to come and go over the course of a three-year period, another three-year renewal. That's got pretty broad support. The most contentious item has been the 12 million people who are here illegally and how to best handle that very diverse group of people. I do support what's in the legislation in terms of the gist, the first two years people go back home. They cannot stay here. Three to five years, those people who have been here that long go to the temporary worker program.
And after five years they go through an 11-year probationary period after which if they've got a job, pay taxes, learn English, pay a fine, they would be eligible for legal status or citizenship. And I do support that provision as written in the bill. There are things that can be improved and hopefully in conference, when we meet with the house, they will be improved.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: At one point you said those 12 million estimated illegal immigrants were here illegally. They had broken the laws and they should all be sent home. Why the change of heart now?
FRIST: You know, one of the great things about the democratic process over the last month and we've had this bill on the floor two weeks and then I pulled it off the floor because the amendment process broke down because the other side of the aisle said no amendments or three amendments. I brought it back to the floor. And over the last two weeks, we've seen a real understanding of what this bill does.
The importance of the bill in stopping the hemorrhaging across the borders first and foremost. But also that we have to address people who are here illegally, plus a temporary worker program. The debate has matured. The understanding has matured.
And with that, I realize that these 12 million people, many have been assimilated into our society, 40 percent have been here longer than 10 years, have had kids go to high school and college and now have jobs and, therefore, we put together a compromise. The Hagel- Martinez compromise. We've improved that over the last several days. Hopefully we'll improve it today and tomorrow.
And then we'll go to the House with that. It shows a much more mature understanding. And I think that's what will happen in the House as well. They haven't really looked at the guest worker program yesterday. They looked just at border securities. So people ask me all the time, how are you going to put these two together. I think we will be able to.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: There are people who say, actually, that might be a little tougher than you're spelling it out to be at this moment. They're saying, in fact, that you're caving to Democrats and that you're really, this Senate bill, if it should pass, is on a collision course with what the House has embraced so far. You don't think so?
FRIST: No. Listen, this is tough. And I can tell you when I started this a month ago, I told everybody -- I told everybody three months ago I was going to take a bill to the floor that was going to be strong on border security, lock the borders down, but that would be extended to address the magnet, the reasons that people come to this country for the American dream in the first place. And that's been fulfilled.
When I started, everybody said impossible. You're not going to be able to address it. It's too tough. Too many people say, no, not a comprehensive plan. Well indeed, because the Senate has worked its will, open debate, fair debate, Democrats, Republicans, not a partisan issue, we will pass a bill. That's just the first step. We still do need to go to the house. It's going to be tough. It's going to take presidential leadership. It's going to take America broadly looking at fully understanding the implications of what we do.
One last thing. The problems that we have is that in 1986 we failed. We didn't tighten the borders down. The government said it was going to and it didn't and that's what we need to overcome. We in government have to earn the trust of the American people and that's hard to do. But we're doing it. We're answering a real problem that's out there. Tough, forceful, bold way and that's what the American people expect.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Before I let you go, I want to ask you a question about something that you said you were very concerned about, this is the FBI raid on the congressional office of Congressman William Jefferson. Why shouldn't elected officials offices be open to having the FBI come in when there's concern that criminal activity is going on there?
FRIST: That's a very important point. Let me say right upset (ph) to you and the American people that no House member, no Senate member is above the law of the land. We're going to enforce the laws of the land. The issue and the reason why there's concern being expressed is that the Constitution has a speech and debate clause in it and the whole idea of separation of powers does need to be addressed. So I remain concerned.
Again, no member is above the law of the land. But I think we do need to develop certain protocols that are consistent with the Constitution. And that's what we're looking at. We'll look at it in a very deliberate and a very careful way over the next coming days and weeks.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Bill Frist is the Senate majority leader. Nice to see you, Senator. Thanks for talking with us.
FRIST: Good to be with you. Thank you.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN: Hold on to your wallet. It's time now for the latest CNN gas gauge. The national average now, survey says, $2.87 for unleaded regular. That's down a few cents from a month ago. It was up at $2.91 you'll recall. A year ago it was $2.12.
A new government report is fueling anger over gas prices. The Federal Trade Commission says it found no evidence of price gouging by the oil companies. But many lawmakers remain unconvinced. John Roberts with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): By now it's a familiar story. A crisis like Hurricane Katrina. Gas prices spike. Consumers fumed. Politicians scream. The Federal Trade Commission investigates price gouging by the oil industry and finds nothing. It would usually end there. But not in this election year.
SEN. TRENT LOTT, (R) MISSISSIPPI: There's something real fishy here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very disappointed in this report. I think it's a whitewash.
ROBERTS: The chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission was pummeled today by senators feeling the heat from angry voters, moved close to tears by charges she could care less about consumers.
DEBORAH MAJORAS, FTC CHAIRMAN: But if you have any doubt whatsoever about my caring and my empathy and my background of working class for the people of America, then I would like to spend -- suggest that you spend some time with me, because nobody who works with me doubts that for one second.
ROBERTS: But there was no sympathy for a commission that critics charge has allowed the oil industry to consolidate to the point there is no incentive to compete.
MARK COOPER, CONSUMER FED. OF AMERICA: So the FTC allowed the industry to get into this state and now they don't have to do anything technically illegal to rip the consumer off.
ROBERTS: The oil companies say the price of gas simply reflects supply and demand.
JOHN FELMY, AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE: Our industry has been investigated dozens of times and exonerated every single time.
ROBERTS: But critics say the industry keeps a tight leash on supply through refinery capacity. And it's no surprise, they say, that there hasn't been a new refinery built in 20 years.
TYSON SLOCUM, PUBLIC CITIZEN: When you do not add more capacity by building new refineries to keep up with rising demand, you are going to create tighter supply situations. And when you have tighter supply situations, you have greater ability to increase prices to consumers.
ROBERTS: Of course, the high cost of gas does provides convenient fuel for political outrage. In a presidential style speech today, Hillary Clinton called for a virtual revolution in America's energy policy.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) NEW YORK: Our present system of energy is weakening our national security, hurting our pocketbooks, violating our common values, and threatening our children's future.
ROBERTS: The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, rolled out a new Internet ad taking aim at Democrats for wanting high gas prices. And if you want to know just how much is at stake, listen to this extraordinary warning Senator Trent Lott sent to the oil companies.
LOTT: I don't want to do something crazy. I voted against every regulatory effort in this area for 30 years. But the American people are agitated about this. And there better be some restraint shown or the consequences are not going to be pretty.
ROBERTS: That something is already in the works. Republican Senator Ted Stevens is drafting a federal law to ban price gouging. Right now there isn't one. Only laws against collusion to drive up prices. But the challenge for Senator Stevens will be how to give this new law teeth.
John Roberts, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN: John's report first aired on Tuesday's edition of "The Situation Room." You can watch "The Situation Room," Wolf Blitzer presiding, weekdays 4:00 p.m, 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Well they call it myspace, but it might be their space. Students in Illinois are finding that their space is invaded, in a manner of speaking. Let's get right to Carol Costello. She's in the newsroom with that story.
Hey, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Good morning to all of you.
You know, tens of millions of teenagers are drawn to school networking networks like myspace and facebook. Now school officials in two suburban Chicago high school are addressing the issue of students behaving badly on the Internet. A new school policy makes students accountable for information they post on the web, even if it's totally unrelated to school.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO, (voice over): Keeping teenagers in line when they're online can be a real struggle for parents. Now a school district in Illinois has stepped in with new rules for policing student behavior on blog sites like myspace.
PRENTISS LEA, ASSOCIATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: We want to make sure that we're creating guidelines and limits for students so they can have an honorable out. If they're under, you know, a lot of peer pressure to do something inappropriate, they're able to turn back to us or back to the code if they're involved in extra curriculars and say, I can't go there.
COSTELLO: The new code of conduct affects students involved in extracurricular activities. That's some 80 percent of the students in this Lake County school district. Evidence of illegal or inappropriate behavior by students posted on the Internet could be grounds for punishment.
LINDSAY FOREMAN, STUDENT: I think that's just plain out stupid. I mean, you don't do that stuff, first all. And you shouldn't be drinking underage. And to post it on myspace is just wrong. That's their own fault.
COSTELLO: First offenders will get a warning. Repeat offenders could be temporarily or permanently suspended.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's really better for the security issues, for just helping kids realize that they need to be held accountable for their actions and that they can -- there are predators out there and the school administration might just be the least of their worries.
DENA MAHRENHOLZ, MOTHER OF STUDENT: I've been onto myspace and, you know, it is inappropriate information and anybody out there who has the accessibility can read what has gone on the weekend before.
COSTELLO: School officials say the web blog warning is designed to protect students from torpedoing their future plans.
LEA: Colleges are using blog searches as part of the college admissions process. We know that to be real. We believe that that will expand over the coming years and kids need to be aware of that.
COSTELLO: The school board was unanimous in passing its new code of conduct. But not all parents are in favor. At least one says the policy goes too far.
MARY GREENBERG, MOTHER OF STUDENT: We have to watch what they're doing. But the school board does not have to police them further than their parents.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Oh, but it's going to. The new school rules take affect this fall. The Illinois school district may be the first to address the blogs, but apparently not the last. Others are said to be looking at this new code of conduct as a model, so we could see it in other school districts across the country, maybe as soon as next fall or spring.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: You know, I don't necessarily disagree with it. I've got to tell you.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, I think it will be hard to police because school officials won't be looking at these websites constantly. They'll be checking in. They're really relying more on students and parents to kind of turn the perpetrators in, sort to speak.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Which people could do anonymously. I see it. I think for the schools it's going to work really well. We'll see. All right, Carol, thanks.
A new "American Idol" is going to be crowned tonight. Last year's champ was a big winner, though, last night. We'll take a look at that coming up.
MILES O'BRIEN: Also ahead, what is the best way to fight springtime allergies? We'll have some tips on getting rid of the sneezing, the watery eyes and the itchy throat.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The hit show "Lost" may end its season tonight, but ABC hopes that a summer long interactive game will entertain current fans and capture some new ones. That story ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have three seconds to answer my question. How many of you are there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He'll kill me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'll kill you. Two.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't do this. I am not a bad person.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What the hell's wrong with you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN: Wow, tense stuff. Tonight is the finale for the hit TV drama "Lost's" second season. ABC has set up an elaborate plan in the form of a puzzle to try to get more viewers to watch season number three. CNN's Sibila Vargas with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): If you're not a regular viewer of ABC hit series "Lost," you may need a map to figure it out. The show about the survivors of a plane crash has more than a dozen main characters embroiled in a mystery. Perhaps more complicated than the show itself, is the marketing push that surround the second season finale that airs tonight.
MIKE BENSON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ABC MARKETING: The "Lost" experience was really designed to be a global puzzle.
VARGAS: You can find the pieces everywhere but inside an episode of the series. The puzzle tells a story that is related to "Lost," the TV show, but it can also stand on its own.
BENSON: It really is a great mystery and it's a fun puzzle that you can put together. And whether you know the show or not, it really is a great story.
VARGAS: The non-TV story revolves around the Hanso Foundation, a mysterious fictional company that may be behind the challenges the show's characters are facing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the Hanso Foundation.
VARGAS: A website promoting this fictional company is one of the puzzle piece. It leads you to other clues like websites, telephone numbers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the Hanso Foundation.
VARGAS: And newspaper ads. Even a mystery novel published under the name of a character who was thought to have died on the show. Fans take these clues to websites where they can compare notes to figure out just what this puzzle is supposed to look like.
JOE ADALIAN, TELEVISION EDITOR, "VARIETY": You can enjoy it on almost two different levels. Just the casual viewer who just gets into the general TV drama of it all, and the more hardcore fan who really likes to get deep into the story.
VARGAS: And while the show's ratings put it in the top 10, ABC hopes the puzzle will drive more viewers to the show when its new season begins in the fall. It may be working. Fans have created dozens of chat rooms to help solve the puzzle where hundreds of thousands of posts speculate about the clues.
BENSON: We are always working to drive people back to the television set because "Lost" wouldn't be "Lost" if it wasn't able to reach, you know, tens of millions of people a week.
VARGAS: Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN: All right. A note to "Lost" fans. As we reported yesterday, "Lost" actress Michelle Rodriguez is going to jail for two months. She violated parol when he was arrested on drunk driving. She'll be on probation until 2009.
Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Well, the votes are in. Let's talk "American Idol." The "American Idol" is going to be crowned tonight. It's down to, as you well know, Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks.
Who do you think's going to win, Miles?
MILES O'BRIEN: I'll tell you right now, I think Katharine McPhee has got the full package for a career.
ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Really?
MILES O'BRIEN: However . . .
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: The judges last night . . .
MILES O'BRIEN: If you're purely . . .
SERWER: Right.
MILES O'BRIEN: Going by singing performance last night . . .
SERWER: Right.
MILES O'BRIEN: Taylor won.
SERWER: Yes, most people . . .
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Judges loved her with "Over The Rainbow" last night.
SERWER: Yes. Right.
MILES O'BRIEN: That was moving.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: That was good.
SERWER: And then you have to think like, wh's voted, right? I mean is it a lot of . . .
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Fifteen-year-old girls.
SERWER: Fifteen-year-old girls in America voting. And so what does that tell you?
MILES O'BRIEN: Is Taylor kind of hunky then? I don't know.
SERWER: Well, no, he's 30 years old and has gray hair. I mean, come on.
MILES O'BRIEN: Yes. So . . .
SERWER: Right?
MILES O'BRIEN: Way over the hill.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Well Taylor here.
MILES O'BRIEN: What does that make us?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: No.
MILES O'BRIEN: What does that make us?
SERWER: Really.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Hey sang this song. Better outfit this time around. "Do I Make You Proud." And Simon Cowell loved it. He said, you know what, you know, the ties broken, you're the winner. But, of course . . .
SERWER: That's probably a bad sign, Soledad.
MILES O'BRIEN: Here's what I would think. Taylor will win and Katharine will have a better career. That is my prediction.
SERWER: I think they're going to tie and announce their engagement. What do you think?
MILES O'BRIEN: Good. I like that.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Could happen.
MILES O'BRIEN: And Paula Abdul . . .
SERWER: Showbiz, right?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Let's talk about something you know now.
MILES O'BRIEN: Paula Abdul marrying . . .
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Right. Have some business news. What do you have coming up?
SERWER: A huge new investigation, Soledad, shows that millions of Americas are victims of fraud an I'm going to tell you exactly who they have to blame.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: All right. Looking forward to that. Andy, thank you.
Also ahead this morning, springtime allergies got you down? Allergy specialist will join us with tips on the best ways to fight allergies. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Have you gotten that e-mail from the Nigerian prince? You know the one where he asks for a little money, like $1.8 million, to help him get the other money out of a bank account -- Swiss bank account? Well, apparently that scam and others might be coming an end. Andy Serwer's "Minding Your Business" this morning.
I love that e-mail. I've gotten it several times.
SERWER: Yes. SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I just need . . .
SERWER: Look at Miles.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: It is a scam, Miles.
SERWER: That's why he asked me for lunch money today.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I just need $1.8 million.
SERWER: Yes, and it's really amazing, Soledad, how many people fall victim to these kinds of scams. That's what the big headline is today. A huge investigation yesterday announced by the Justice Department. Global investigation. The arrests of over 500 individuals in countries, including the U.S., Canada, Costa Rica, The Netherlands and Spain. And 2.8 million -- let's stop -- 2.8 million Americans have fallen victim to these frauds. Telemarketing fraud, mass mailings, Internets, including the Nigerian Internet scam, fake sweepstakes, bogus lotteries, bogus prizes, fake credit cards where if you send us a couple hundred dollars, we'll send you your credit card. Some of this is done in Spanish targeting immigrants. The elderly are particularly susceptible here.
But this -- and they say in total $1 billion raised by these scam artists. Stolen. Not raised. Stolen by these people. And it's just amazing that they were able to sort of get this kind of an effort across the United States and across the globe, in fact, and try to net these people. But I'll tell you something, it's not over. There are more people out there trying to do this. Bottom line is, if you get some e-mail or phone call that sounds too good to be true, it definitely is. Do not give them your credit card number, you social security number or any money.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: It doesn't always sound to good to be true. Sometimes you get a note saying there's a problem with your account. I got one of those the other day. A problem with your eBay account. The only problem is, I've never been on eBay. And they were fishing, trying to get that information. Trying to get . . .
SERWER: Right. Yes. Well, just be careful out there.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Yes, scary stuff. Good news then.
All right, Andy, thank you.
SERWER: Thank you.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Short break. We're back in just a moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Bob Franken at the White House where they'll be keeping a close eye on the Senate today. Why? Well here's a little hint, immigration and its political implications.
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