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CNN Saturday Morning News
Suspects Confesses Killing Natalee Holloway; Tropical Storm Arlene Gains Strength
Aired June 11, 2005 - 7:00 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.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Aruba this morning, a break in the case of the missing student Natalee Holloway. From the CNN Center in Atlanta this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. What a busy morning it is, June 11. Thank you for being with us, Rob Marciano. Tony is out on vacation today.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Tony's taking a vacation. I'm filling in. We've got potentially a hurricane deal and a lot of stuff going on. So let's get right to the new, shall we?
CNN has learned a suspect has confessed to killing Natalee Holloway. The American teen vanished in Aruba nearly two weeks ago. The suspect is one of three young men last seen with Holloway at a nightclub.
And the surf is kicking up along the Florida coast as Arlene approaches. The tropical storm expected to be a hurricane before it hits land. That should happen later today somewhere along the north central Gulf Coast. Arlene is now packing winds of near 70 miles per hour.
And the U.S. government is checking into a possible case of mad cow disease. One test on a cow came back positive but another was negative. The U.S. officials are now sending samples to Britain for more testing. The cow did not enter the food chain.
NGUYEN: We are following two developing stories for you this morning. There is still no sign of Natalee Holloway but there are growing fears the search for the American teen could end sadly. So we want to go live to Aruba with the latest on this information. Actually, we'll have that shortly.
Also, we want to tell you about this. Yep, Arlene's what we're talking about. Not again is what people along the Gulf Coast are saying as Tropical Storm Arlene bears down and gets stronger.
But let's get back to that lead story this morning. The development in the case of Natalee Holloway. The American teen has been missing for almost two weeks now. And there is word of a chilling confession.
Let's go to Palm Beach, Aruba, and CNN's Karl Penhaul with latest on the search. Karl, what do you know?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, a senior police official has told us that one of three young suspects detained on Thursday has now made a confession to the killing of Natalee Holloway. We've not been told which of the three suspects has made the confession nor any other further details of this.
You will remember that before dawn on Thursday, three men, a 17- year-old, Joran Ven der Sloot and two brothers, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe were arrested by police. Those three men were the last three seen in Natalee Holloway's company in the wee hours of May 30th outside Carlos & Charlie's bar. They, together with Natalee, got into a car with Natalee and drove off, although in earlier interviews with police they had always insisted that they dropped Natalee off at the Holiday Inn.
It seems, though, according to the senior police official, there is a change in the story and as I say, one of the three men says he admitted to killing Natalee Holloway. Betty?
NGUYEN: Okay, Karl, that being with the case with the confession, do we know if there's a specific search area where people are looking for Natalee at this point?
PENHAUL: Not at this stage. In fact, the comments from the senior police official have caused a bit of political friction. And, we have talked overnight to Aruba's prime minister. And what he said to us was that at this the stage, there was no search for the body or any remains ongoing, although he did say that investigation teams would be -- and I quote, doing their job again from early this morning.
He also went on to say, interestingly, that he had not been informed of any confession but went on to add that the only person to make those statements would be the person involved in the investigation with a separation of political powers here, Betty. The prime minister said there was no reason why he would be told step by step of developments in this case although, obviously, it is a vital importance for this tourist island. Betty?
NGUYEN: Karl, word of this confession has to be devastating for Natalee Holloway's parents. Have you heard any kind of reaction from them?
PENHAUL: We haven't heard any kind of reaction. They were, in fact, or are in fact, staying at the Holiday Inn, the same hotel where Natalee was when she disappeared but so far we haven't had any public statement from the family and only caught glimpses of them in and out of the lobby of the hotel, Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, CNN's Karl Penhaul in Aruba on this break in the case. This possible break in the case with the alleged confession. All right, thank you, Karl. Rob?
MARCIANO: You're looking at live pictures of Pensacola Beach, where the outer edges of Tropical Storm Arlene are already bringing high winds and rain. We'll keep you posted on the latest forecast, which comes up in the next hour. For now, Arlene is close to hurricane strength. It's expected to become a category 1 hurricane today with winds reaching 75 miles per hour. Arlene should make landfall this afternoon somewhere along the north central Gulf Coast and that's prompted Florida to declare a state of emergency.
Authorities have evacuations in some coastal areas. And the worst fears are in Florida's panhandle where people are reeling from the effects of Hurricane Ivan just nine months ago. They have been stocking up on plywood and boarding up their homes and they have also cleared the store shelves of generators, flashlights and other emergency supplies.
And even though Ivan struck last year, its mark is still on the area. You can see piles of debris, gutted homes and damaged roofs.
Now, let's check in with the latest forecast from the newest member of the CNN weather team, meteorologist Bonnie Schneider. Baptism by fire.
NGUYEN: What a day to start?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's my pleasure. Thank you so much. It's fun to be here but a lot going on in the world of weather. We are watching very closely because we are checking for Tropical Storm Arlene to reach hurricane force strength before it hits land.
NGUYEN: Which is expected to happen?
SCHNEIDER: Yes. At 2:00 p.m. today. So we're going to be watching for that.
But in the meantime, if we take a look at our satellite perspective, you'll find that we are looking a the this storm that became a little bit more loosely organized overnight. Has started to pick up a little bit of steam. We are also watching for areas of thunderstorms to break out across much of Florida. We're going to keep this in mind today after watching Florida. Really, it's going to be pretty stormy out there. So we have already seen that, as well.
As we look at our satellite perspective, here is what we have been facing. You'll find that some of the higher cloud tops will show that we have got some strong storms just over Mobile right now, so we are watching for the rain to continue over that area.
In the meantime, let's take a look at our hurricane warning. It exists from Pascagoula to Destin, Florida. That's right, a hurricane warning for a tropical storm. Sounds a little unusual but that's because we're watching for Tropical Storm Arlene to actually reach hurricane strength force winds by the time it gets to land later on today.
As we check out the latest path of Arlene, you'll find that the system is working its way further to the north and as it does, taking a slight turn to the northwest so we're really concerned, of course, for the Gulf Coast and for Pensacola. If we put this map into motion, you will find that this storm will actually strengthen and become a hurricane likely as it works the way on shore, a category 1 storm with winds at 75 miles per hour. So just before Arlene reaches land, it goes for one last powerful punch to become a hurricane. Now the good news with Arlene is it becomes much more fast moving as it works its way to the north and becomes a tropical depression, just bringing heavy rain.
Let's take a look at some radars now an show you where we have strong storms across much of Florida. We have really seen that much of the day and I think we'll continue to see that, I think, as we work our way through. So, keep in mind it's a stormy day for Florida, for Alabama and for Mississippi. I'll have more on Tropical Storm Arlene in a little bit.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, bonnie.
MARCIANO: All right. We'll watch weather or not that becomes a hurricane. That's the big question, Bonnie addressed it. We're going to talk to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. They're monitoring the storm and we'll get a live update from there just minutes away.
NGUYEN: And for those of you just waking up, it is a busy news day. Right now the USDA is checking a possible case of mad cow in the U.S. We'll get a live report from Washington.
MARCIANO: Plus, the jurors in the Michael Jackson case leave for the weekend with no verdict. That doesn't stop the pop star take making some news on his own. Bonnie?
SCHNEIDER: Well, we're watching closely as Tropical Storm Arlene continues to gain strength and it may actually become a hurricane before it reaches land. I'll have a complete forecast for the country and for Arlene in just a bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Six days of deliberations and still no verdict in the Michael Jackson sexual molestation trial. Does that give a hint to which way the jury is leaning? A question for our legal panel live next hour, 8:00 a.m. Eastern on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: For those of you just waking up with this morning, Tropical Storm Arlene got more powerful overnight and could reach hurricane strength before it makes landfall this afternoon.
So let's go to the National Hurricane Center where they are tracking the storm. We're joined by meteorologist Richard Knabb.
Richard, we're off to a quick start this season. Give us an idea of where you expect Arlene to go and how strong is the storm expected to get?
RICHARD KNABB, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Well, Tropical Storm Arlene t is a very strong tropical storm right now. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 miles per hour. Just on the brink of becoming a hurricane and because of that we have a warning up from Pascagoula, Mississippi to Destin, Florida. The center of the storm is only about 170 miles offshore right now and already much of the winds and rain to the north and east of the center already on shore and the center should cross later today but it could be a rough day on much of the northern Gulf Coast.
MARCIANO: Is the storm intensity the most difficult part of forecasting these storms and given that, how confident are you that it will get to category 1 status and not much more than that?
KNABB: Well, you're very correct that our forecasting skill with intensity is much less than it is for forecasting the track. We have put up the hurricane warning because of the possibility that it could strengthen just a little bit more in the last few hours here before land fall.
We're reasonably confident this is not going to have time to become a major hurricane before land fall but there is a decent chance that it could become a hurricane and that's why the hurricane warning is up.
MARCIANO: Looks like the track you guys have this on is very similar to Ivan last year which, as you know, was a major hurricane. Kind of give us a sense as to what that means, the differences and impact between last year's Ivan and potentially this year's Arlene.
KNABB: Well, one thing to remember about tropical storms is that they are capable of producing at least as much rain as hurricanes are. So as far as the rainfall is concerned, which could reach up to 10 inches in isolated areas as the storm goes through. The rainfall is just as significant.
What would be less than Ivan would be the impacts due to wind and due to the storm surge at the coastline but even with this tropical storm, or perhaps a minimal hurricane, it could have storm surge to the right of where the center makes land fall of three to five feet at the coastline.
MARCIANO: As far as rainfall is concerned, the southeast corner of the U.S., is this going to produce some flooding or is there not that much moisture with it?
KNABB: No, there's plenty of moisture associated with the tropical storm and with rainfall totals up to 10 inches in some places, there certainly is that potential for flooding in some places especially when you get further inland where the terrain gets a little more mountainous. So this is not just a coastal event. The heavy rainfall can occur well inland after the storm crosses the coast.
MARCIANO: Always a great point. Thank you. Meteorologist Richard Kbann in the National Hurricane Center. I know it's going to be a busy day and probably a busy season, as well. We are off to a quick start this hurricane season. Hopefully it's not a precursor to another intense season.
But let's get latest now from where the storm impacting Florida. Tropical Storm Arlene closing in on the panhandle. People in low lying areas are being urged to evacuate. Among them are folks living in Pensacola. Let's get more now from John Gaughan. He is a meteorologist our at or affiliate station, WJXT in Pensacola, Florida. John, you're out of the studio today, you're in the storm. What are the latest conditions?
JOHN GAUGHAN, WJXT METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, as you can see behind me, Rob, it's raining pretty hard at this point. And you know what? I don't know if it was mentioned enough when you were discussing this with the National Hurricane Center, but when we're dealing with these early season hurricanes and tropical storms like Arlene is, it's not the wind. Of course the wind is the big story when it comes to the history of what we've seen out here in the panhandle. Last year, Ivan causing damage and the storm surge -- Let me give you perspective.
Skip is my photographer. Skip, you see the causeway here this morning? You can see the traffic back and forth. Well that causeway goes all the way out to the barrier islands. In Hurricane Ivan, a major hurricane to come ashore just west of here, there's a barrier island here that was under water that the Gulf of Mexico came all the way up past this hotel here and literally into the mainland area.
But that was because of the combination of that strong low pressure which was Hurricane Ivan, plus the incredible winds of 100 miles per hour being pushed northerly with the storm itself coming on shore.
But this morning, we have an offshore breeze, we have northerly winds itself and, again, this is a tropical storm and the big story here this morning is the heavy rains in through parts of Pensacola, they have an incredible rainy season here this year. There was widespread flooding up to eight, nine inches of rain fell during the month of May. This area was under water not because of storm surge but because of the rains that had fallen during the springtime and that caused lots of problems.
In fact, for a lot of these folks, it was a real insult after the terrible things that had happened when they look back to the fact that Ivan came through, they had a pretty cold winter and then the heavy rains this spring just delaying the process of these folks getting back on their feet in the wake of what had happened with Ivan.
So, again, this morning, we're at Navarre Beach, you can see that the rain's coming down fairly heavily. Looks like a rough start. The good news and the bad of is the fact the winds aren't as strong, of course, as what we had seen with Ivan but we are seeing some very heavy rain fall on top of flooding conditions that had just happened within the last couple of weeks. Rob?
MARCIANO: On top of that, John, give us a sense for your local viewers around there impacted by a major hurricane just nine months ago, what is the mood? Are they - don't care about this thing? Because at worst, it could be a category 1 or are they making preparations for what could be another damaging storm. GAUGHAN: Rob, let me clear the air just a little bit. I'm from Jacksonville and I work there at WJXT there in Jacksonville, but out here in Pensacola I talked to the folks who were out on the beach yesterday and to be honest with you, you know, there's a little of that experienced confidence. The folks out there at the coast, it's a tropical storm. They've been through a major hurricane. They know the difference.
This part of the state has been impacted by two major hurricanes over the last decade. Opal in '95 and in 2004, with Ivan. And they have seen a multitude of smaller tropical storms and those tropical storms, a day like today, they go through about a six to eight-hour period of heavy rain and winds up to around 45, 50 miles an hour.
They, yesterday, were comfortable with themselves. They were going out to the beach and the like and enjoying the sunny day that they had. By late yesterday evening, though, you could just tell a little sense of anticipation, a little bit of nervousness that comes back into the situation because as you heard from the hurricane center, Arlene did gain some strength during the overnight areas and again during the late afternoon hours yesterday and when that strengthening occurred, people started going shopping. They went to the Winn-Dixie, they went to the local grocery stores and of course just trying to ...
MARCIANO: That was John Gaughan, a meteorologist of our affiliate WJXT out of Jacksonville - he is in Pensacola, Florida, and we just lost his microphone giving us a live report. We'll check back with him later in the morning.
NGUYEN: A sign of what Arlene is doing out there.
All right, let's check the stories right now. New developments out of Aruba this morning. Police say one of three suspects arrested Thursday has confessed to killing Natalee Holloway. She's the Alabama teenager who disappeared nearly two weeks ago while in Aruba on a high school graduation trip.
You'll want to keep your eyes on Tropical Storm Arlene. It could get stronger and turn into a hurricane before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast this afternoon. The storm is already drenching the Florida panhandle.
The U.S. could have a case of mad cow disease. The Agricultural Department says initial tests indicate an animal tested positive for the deadly ailment but a tissue sample has been sent to a British lab to confirm those results. Beef from the animal never entered the food chain.
MARCIANO: And if you made it to the weekend without checking the news much this week, we're here to help. Let's rewind for some of the big stories of the past few days. First off on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled the federal government has the power to ban people from using marijuana for doctor-approved medical use. The federal ban can be enforced even in states where it's legal to grow and use so-called patient pot. Also Monday, a 25-year-old Alabama woman gave birth to a baby girl after undergoing the first ovary transplant in the U.S. Stephanie Yarber received the ovarian tissue from her twin sister in April of last year.
Tuesday, General Motors announced it's slashing 25,000 jobs and closing plants during the next three and a half years. The cuts represent about 17 percent of GM's work force in the U.S.
And Thursday, the Senate confirmed California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown to a federal appellate court seat. Democrats had blocked Brown's confirmation for two years by threatening filibusters. In May, 14 lawmakers broke the impasse by agreeing to take the nomination of brown and two other judges to the Senate floor.
NGUYEN: And tomorrow, we will fast forward to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight. What is grabbing the spotlight today is, of course, Tropical Storm Arlene, which makes her way toward the Gulf and is getting closer to becoming a hurricane which is what many people don't want to hear.
Here's a live shot of Tampa right now from our affiliate, WTVT. A little dark there but you can see the rain on the camera, so the rain is making the way inward. We are bringing you a latest updates on this storm every 15 minutes. So stay tuned when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Now to "Security Watch" where we update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.
A federal judge Friday denied bail to a 22-year-old Lodi, California, man accused of making false statements to the FBI about a terror investigation. The agency suspects Hamid Hayat trained at an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan, planning on waging war against the U.S. Hayat's father and three others are also accused in the case.
Friday, President Bush took his campaign against weakening the PATRIOT Act to a place we have never seen before. The newly created national counterterrorism center, which is outside DC. More than a dozen provisions of the act are set to expire later this year.
Meantime, though, House Democrats have requested an additional day of hearings on the Patriot Act to examine charges that the act violates some civil liberties.
And the federal government has asked the National Academy of Sciences not to publish a research paper on bioterrorism for fears it teaches terrorists how to containment the country's milk supply. The Academy normally vet papers for concerns. Several federal government agencies will meet and review the paper on Tuesday. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
MARCIANO: And Tropical Storm Arlene in the Gulf of Mexico. Seemingly getting stronger. Heading towards maybe New Orleans, maybe Biloxi, Mobile, Pensacola, all of those spots. We're watching it. There's a live shot for you. WTVT is our affiliate in Tampa. That is on the eastern side of the storm, one of the strongest parts of the storm. We'll keep you up to date on the very latest on Arlene.
Plus, in Aruba this morning, a confession from one of the suspects being held in the case of Natalee Holloway. What he told police when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired June 11, 2005 - 7:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Aruba this morning, a break in the case of the missing student Natalee Holloway. From the CNN Center in Atlanta this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. What a busy morning it is, June 11. Thank you for being with us, Rob Marciano. Tony is out on vacation today.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Tony's taking a vacation. I'm filling in. We've got potentially a hurricane deal and a lot of stuff going on. So let's get right to the new, shall we?
CNN has learned a suspect has confessed to killing Natalee Holloway. The American teen vanished in Aruba nearly two weeks ago. The suspect is one of three young men last seen with Holloway at a nightclub.
And the surf is kicking up along the Florida coast as Arlene approaches. The tropical storm expected to be a hurricane before it hits land. That should happen later today somewhere along the north central Gulf Coast. Arlene is now packing winds of near 70 miles per hour.
And the U.S. government is checking into a possible case of mad cow disease. One test on a cow came back positive but another was negative. The U.S. officials are now sending samples to Britain for more testing. The cow did not enter the food chain.
NGUYEN: We are following two developing stories for you this morning. There is still no sign of Natalee Holloway but there are growing fears the search for the American teen could end sadly. So we want to go live to Aruba with the latest on this information. Actually, we'll have that shortly.
Also, we want to tell you about this. Yep, Arlene's what we're talking about. Not again is what people along the Gulf Coast are saying as Tropical Storm Arlene bears down and gets stronger.
But let's get back to that lead story this morning. The development in the case of Natalee Holloway. The American teen has been missing for almost two weeks now. And there is word of a chilling confession.
Let's go to Palm Beach, Aruba, and CNN's Karl Penhaul with latest on the search. Karl, what do you know?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, a senior police official has told us that one of three young suspects detained on Thursday has now made a confession to the killing of Natalee Holloway. We've not been told which of the three suspects has made the confession nor any other further details of this.
You will remember that before dawn on Thursday, three men, a 17- year-old, Joran Ven der Sloot and two brothers, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe were arrested by police. Those three men were the last three seen in Natalee Holloway's company in the wee hours of May 30th outside Carlos & Charlie's bar. They, together with Natalee, got into a car with Natalee and drove off, although in earlier interviews with police they had always insisted that they dropped Natalee off at the Holiday Inn.
It seems, though, according to the senior police official, there is a change in the story and as I say, one of the three men says he admitted to killing Natalee Holloway. Betty?
NGUYEN: Okay, Karl, that being with the case with the confession, do we know if there's a specific search area where people are looking for Natalee at this point?
PENHAUL: Not at this stage. In fact, the comments from the senior police official have caused a bit of political friction. And, we have talked overnight to Aruba's prime minister. And what he said to us was that at this the stage, there was no search for the body or any remains ongoing, although he did say that investigation teams would be -- and I quote, doing their job again from early this morning.
He also went on to say, interestingly, that he had not been informed of any confession but went on to add that the only person to make those statements would be the person involved in the investigation with a separation of political powers here, Betty. The prime minister said there was no reason why he would be told step by step of developments in this case although, obviously, it is a vital importance for this tourist island. Betty?
NGUYEN: Karl, word of this confession has to be devastating for Natalee Holloway's parents. Have you heard any kind of reaction from them?
PENHAUL: We haven't heard any kind of reaction. They were, in fact, or are in fact, staying at the Holiday Inn, the same hotel where Natalee was when she disappeared but so far we haven't had any public statement from the family and only caught glimpses of them in and out of the lobby of the hotel, Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, CNN's Karl Penhaul in Aruba on this break in the case. This possible break in the case with the alleged confession. All right, thank you, Karl. Rob?
MARCIANO: You're looking at live pictures of Pensacola Beach, where the outer edges of Tropical Storm Arlene are already bringing high winds and rain. We'll keep you posted on the latest forecast, which comes up in the next hour. For now, Arlene is close to hurricane strength. It's expected to become a category 1 hurricane today with winds reaching 75 miles per hour. Arlene should make landfall this afternoon somewhere along the north central Gulf Coast and that's prompted Florida to declare a state of emergency.
Authorities have evacuations in some coastal areas. And the worst fears are in Florida's panhandle where people are reeling from the effects of Hurricane Ivan just nine months ago. They have been stocking up on plywood and boarding up their homes and they have also cleared the store shelves of generators, flashlights and other emergency supplies.
And even though Ivan struck last year, its mark is still on the area. You can see piles of debris, gutted homes and damaged roofs.
Now, let's check in with the latest forecast from the newest member of the CNN weather team, meteorologist Bonnie Schneider. Baptism by fire.
NGUYEN: What a day to start?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's my pleasure. Thank you so much. It's fun to be here but a lot going on in the world of weather. We are watching very closely because we are checking for Tropical Storm Arlene to reach hurricane force strength before it hits land.
NGUYEN: Which is expected to happen?
SCHNEIDER: Yes. At 2:00 p.m. today. So we're going to be watching for that.
But in the meantime, if we take a look at our satellite perspective, you'll find that we are looking a the this storm that became a little bit more loosely organized overnight. Has started to pick up a little bit of steam. We are also watching for areas of thunderstorms to break out across much of Florida. We're going to keep this in mind today after watching Florida. Really, it's going to be pretty stormy out there. So we have already seen that, as well.
As we look at our satellite perspective, here is what we have been facing. You'll find that some of the higher cloud tops will show that we have got some strong storms just over Mobile right now, so we are watching for the rain to continue over that area.
In the meantime, let's take a look at our hurricane warning. It exists from Pascagoula to Destin, Florida. That's right, a hurricane warning for a tropical storm. Sounds a little unusual but that's because we're watching for Tropical Storm Arlene to actually reach hurricane strength force winds by the time it gets to land later on today.
As we check out the latest path of Arlene, you'll find that the system is working its way further to the north and as it does, taking a slight turn to the northwest so we're really concerned, of course, for the Gulf Coast and for Pensacola. If we put this map into motion, you will find that this storm will actually strengthen and become a hurricane likely as it works the way on shore, a category 1 storm with winds at 75 miles per hour. So just before Arlene reaches land, it goes for one last powerful punch to become a hurricane. Now the good news with Arlene is it becomes much more fast moving as it works its way to the north and becomes a tropical depression, just bringing heavy rain.
Let's take a look at some radars now an show you where we have strong storms across much of Florida. We have really seen that much of the day and I think we'll continue to see that, I think, as we work our way through. So, keep in mind it's a stormy day for Florida, for Alabama and for Mississippi. I'll have more on Tropical Storm Arlene in a little bit.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, bonnie.
MARCIANO: All right. We'll watch weather or not that becomes a hurricane. That's the big question, Bonnie addressed it. We're going to talk to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. They're monitoring the storm and we'll get a live update from there just minutes away.
NGUYEN: And for those of you just waking up, it is a busy news day. Right now the USDA is checking a possible case of mad cow in the U.S. We'll get a live report from Washington.
MARCIANO: Plus, the jurors in the Michael Jackson case leave for the weekend with no verdict. That doesn't stop the pop star take making some news on his own. Bonnie?
SCHNEIDER: Well, we're watching closely as Tropical Storm Arlene continues to gain strength and it may actually become a hurricane before it reaches land. I'll have a complete forecast for the country and for Arlene in just a bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Six days of deliberations and still no verdict in the Michael Jackson sexual molestation trial. Does that give a hint to which way the jury is leaning? A question for our legal panel live next hour, 8:00 a.m. Eastern on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: For those of you just waking up with this morning, Tropical Storm Arlene got more powerful overnight and could reach hurricane strength before it makes landfall this afternoon.
So let's go to the National Hurricane Center where they are tracking the storm. We're joined by meteorologist Richard Knabb.
Richard, we're off to a quick start this season. Give us an idea of where you expect Arlene to go and how strong is the storm expected to get?
RICHARD KNABB, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Well, Tropical Storm Arlene t is a very strong tropical storm right now. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 miles per hour. Just on the brink of becoming a hurricane and because of that we have a warning up from Pascagoula, Mississippi to Destin, Florida. The center of the storm is only about 170 miles offshore right now and already much of the winds and rain to the north and east of the center already on shore and the center should cross later today but it could be a rough day on much of the northern Gulf Coast.
MARCIANO: Is the storm intensity the most difficult part of forecasting these storms and given that, how confident are you that it will get to category 1 status and not much more than that?
KNABB: Well, you're very correct that our forecasting skill with intensity is much less than it is for forecasting the track. We have put up the hurricane warning because of the possibility that it could strengthen just a little bit more in the last few hours here before land fall.
We're reasonably confident this is not going to have time to become a major hurricane before land fall but there is a decent chance that it could become a hurricane and that's why the hurricane warning is up.
MARCIANO: Looks like the track you guys have this on is very similar to Ivan last year which, as you know, was a major hurricane. Kind of give us a sense as to what that means, the differences and impact between last year's Ivan and potentially this year's Arlene.
KNABB: Well, one thing to remember about tropical storms is that they are capable of producing at least as much rain as hurricanes are. So as far as the rainfall is concerned, which could reach up to 10 inches in isolated areas as the storm goes through. The rainfall is just as significant.
What would be less than Ivan would be the impacts due to wind and due to the storm surge at the coastline but even with this tropical storm, or perhaps a minimal hurricane, it could have storm surge to the right of where the center makes land fall of three to five feet at the coastline.
MARCIANO: As far as rainfall is concerned, the southeast corner of the U.S., is this going to produce some flooding or is there not that much moisture with it?
KNABB: No, there's plenty of moisture associated with the tropical storm and with rainfall totals up to 10 inches in some places, there certainly is that potential for flooding in some places especially when you get further inland where the terrain gets a little more mountainous. So this is not just a coastal event. The heavy rainfall can occur well inland after the storm crosses the coast.
MARCIANO: Always a great point. Thank you. Meteorologist Richard Kbann in the National Hurricane Center. I know it's going to be a busy day and probably a busy season, as well. We are off to a quick start this hurricane season. Hopefully it's not a precursor to another intense season.
But let's get latest now from where the storm impacting Florida. Tropical Storm Arlene closing in on the panhandle. People in low lying areas are being urged to evacuate. Among them are folks living in Pensacola. Let's get more now from John Gaughan. He is a meteorologist our at or affiliate station, WJXT in Pensacola, Florida. John, you're out of the studio today, you're in the storm. What are the latest conditions?
JOHN GAUGHAN, WJXT METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, as you can see behind me, Rob, it's raining pretty hard at this point. And you know what? I don't know if it was mentioned enough when you were discussing this with the National Hurricane Center, but when we're dealing with these early season hurricanes and tropical storms like Arlene is, it's not the wind. Of course the wind is the big story when it comes to the history of what we've seen out here in the panhandle. Last year, Ivan causing damage and the storm surge -- Let me give you perspective.
Skip is my photographer. Skip, you see the causeway here this morning? You can see the traffic back and forth. Well that causeway goes all the way out to the barrier islands. In Hurricane Ivan, a major hurricane to come ashore just west of here, there's a barrier island here that was under water that the Gulf of Mexico came all the way up past this hotel here and literally into the mainland area.
But that was because of the combination of that strong low pressure which was Hurricane Ivan, plus the incredible winds of 100 miles per hour being pushed northerly with the storm itself coming on shore.
But this morning, we have an offshore breeze, we have northerly winds itself and, again, this is a tropical storm and the big story here this morning is the heavy rains in through parts of Pensacola, they have an incredible rainy season here this year. There was widespread flooding up to eight, nine inches of rain fell during the month of May. This area was under water not because of storm surge but because of the rains that had fallen during the springtime and that caused lots of problems.
In fact, for a lot of these folks, it was a real insult after the terrible things that had happened when they look back to the fact that Ivan came through, they had a pretty cold winter and then the heavy rains this spring just delaying the process of these folks getting back on their feet in the wake of what had happened with Ivan.
So, again, this morning, we're at Navarre Beach, you can see that the rain's coming down fairly heavily. Looks like a rough start. The good news and the bad of is the fact the winds aren't as strong, of course, as what we had seen with Ivan but we are seeing some very heavy rain fall on top of flooding conditions that had just happened within the last couple of weeks. Rob?
MARCIANO: On top of that, John, give us a sense for your local viewers around there impacted by a major hurricane just nine months ago, what is the mood? Are they - don't care about this thing? Because at worst, it could be a category 1 or are they making preparations for what could be another damaging storm. GAUGHAN: Rob, let me clear the air just a little bit. I'm from Jacksonville and I work there at WJXT there in Jacksonville, but out here in Pensacola I talked to the folks who were out on the beach yesterday and to be honest with you, you know, there's a little of that experienced confidence. The folks out there at the coast, it's a tropical storm. They've been through a major hurricane. They know the difference.
This part of the state has been impacted by two major hurricanes over the last decade. Opal in '95 and in 2004, with Ivan. And they have seen a multitude of smaller tropical storms and those tropical storms, a day like today, they go through about a six to eight-hour period of heavy rain and winds up to around 45, 50 miles an hour.
They, yesterday, were comfortable with themselves. They were going out to the beach and the like and enjoying the sunny day that they had. By late yesterday evening, though, you could just tell a little sense of anticipation, a little bit of nervousness that comes back into the situation because as you heard from the hurricane center, Arlene did gain some strength during the overnight areas and again during the late afternoon hours yesterday and when that strengthening occurred, people started going shopping. They went to the Winn-Dixie, they went to the local grocery stores and of course just trying to ...
MARCIANO: That was John Gaughan, a meteorologist of our affiliate WJXT out of Jacksonville - he is in Pensacola, Florida, and we just lost his microphone giving us a live report. We'll check back with him later in the morning.
NGUYEN: A sign of what Arlene is doing out there.
All right, let's check the stories right now. New developments out of Aruba this morning. Police say one of three suspects arrested Thursday has confessed to killing Natalee Holloway. She's the Alabama teenager who disappeared nearly two weeks ago while in Aruba on a high school graduation trip.
You'll want to keep your eyes on Tropical Storm Arlene. It could get stronger and turn into a hurricane before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast this afternoon. The storm is already drenching the Florida panhandle.
The U.S. could have a case of mad cow disease. The Agricultural Department says initial tests indicate an animal tested positive for the deadly ailment but a tissue sample has been sent to a British lab to confirm those results. Beef from the animal never entered the food chain.
MARCIANO: And if you made it to the weekend without checking the news much this week, we're here to help. Let's rewind for some of the big stories of the past few days. First off on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled the federal government has the power to ban people from using marijuana for doctor-approved medical use. The federal ban can be enforced even in states where it's legal to grow and use so-called patient pot. Also Monday, a 25-year-old Alabama woman gave birth to a baby girl after undergoing the first ovary transplant in the U.S. Stephanie Yarber received the ovarian tissue from her twin sister in April of last year.
Tuesday, General Motors announced it's slashing 25,000 jobs and closing plants during the next three and a half years. The cuts represent about 17 percent of GM's work force in the U.S.
And Thursday, the Senate confirmed California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown to a federal appellate court seat. Democrats had blocked Brown's confirmation for two years by threatening filibusters. In May, 14 lawmakers broke the impasse by agreeing to take the nomination of brown and two other judges to the Senate floor.
NGUYEN: And tomorrow, we will fast forward to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight. What is grabbing the spotlight today is, of course, Tropical Storm Arlene, which makes her way toward the Gulf and is getting closer to becoming a hurricane which is what many people don't want to hear.
Here's a live shot of Tampa right now from our affiliate, WTVT. A little dark there but you can see the rain on the camera, so the rain is making the way inward. We are bringing you a latest updates on this storm every 15 minutes. So stay tuned when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
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NGUYEN: Now to "Security Watch" where we update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.
A federal judge Friday denied bail to a 22-year-old Lodi, California, man accused of making false statements to the FBI about a terror investigation. The agency suspects Hamid Hayat trained at an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan, planning on waging war against the U.S. Hayat's father and three others are also accused in the case.
Friday, President Bush took his campaign against weakening the PATRIOT Act to a place we have never seen before. The newly created national counterterrorism center, which is outside DC. More than a dozen provisions of the act are set to expire later this year.
Meantime, though, House Democrats have requested an additional day of hearings on the Patriot Act to examine charges that the act violates some civil liberties.
And the federal government has asked the National Academy of Sciences not to publish a research paper on bioterrorism for fears it teaches terrorists how to containment the country's milk supply. The Academy normally vet papers for concerns. Several federal government agencies will meet and review the paper on Tuesday. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
MARCIANO: And Tropical Storm Arlene in the Gulf of Mexico. Seemingly getting stronger. Heading towards maybe New Orleans, maybe Biloxi, Mobile, Pensacola, all of those spots. We're watching it. There's a live shot for you. WTVT is our affiliate in Tampa. That is on the eastern side of the storm, one of the strongest parts of the storm. We'll keep you up to date on the very latest on Arlene.
Plus, in Aruba this morning, a confession from one of the suspects being held in the case of Natalee Holloway. What he told police when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
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