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CNN Live Sunday
Immigration Debate Continues; Potential Alligator Attack in Florida; Documentary on Soldier's Compelling Journey; Emergency Landing for Airplane in Ft. Lauderdale
Aired May 14, 2006 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Getting it right. Should National Guard troops patrol our borders? The fight over illegal immigration is red- hot tonight from Mexico to the White House. And yet another woman killed by an alligator. We have that story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
T.D. JAKES, AUTHOR: Mothers are so busy trying to be a friend to their children, that they're not being a mother to them and I think it's important that you sacrifice being popular with the child sometimes so that they can have a parent,
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: T.D. Jakes had some strong words. He is telling it like it is, how mamas make a big difference on this Mother's Day.
Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY, I'm Carol Lin. Let's catch you up on today's headlines. We are looking at suicide bombings and other violence across Iraq, which has left, well, at least 32 people dead this weekend. Two U.S. soldiers killed in a roadside bombing as well.
Now, in Brazil, a criminal gang is attacking police stations with machine guns and grenades. At least 52 people are dead. And there are also riots going on right now in a number of jails. Prison officials say it's because they are trying to segregate gang leaders from other inmates.
On high alert and running from danger, thousands of Indonesians are fleeing Mt. Merapi. The volcano could erupt at any time.
Now it's not a privacy issue, so says the president's top security adviser. Stephen Hadley says it's legal for the government to obtain the phone records of millions of Americans. But earlier on "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER," he refused to confirm or deny whether that's actually happening.
Time is almost up for seniors to sign up for Medicare's prescription drug benefits. The deadline is tomorrow at midnight. An estimated five million Americans are eligible for the benefits, actually more than that, but five million haven't signed up yet. And we're going to find out what you need to do.
Those are the headlines, but this is our top story. CNN has learned that the president will talk specifically about illegal immigration in his Oval Office address tomorrow night. Elaine Quijano has much more from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By laying out his views Monday night, President Bush hopes to nudge the House and Senate closer together towards an agreement on comprehensive immigration legislation.
That means possibly offering conservative Republicans in the House something they've long called for, tougher border security measures. Senior Bush aides say the president is considering an enhanced role for the National Guard in securing the U.S. border with Mexico.
STEPHEN HADLEY, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: It's not about militarization of the border. It's about assisting the civilian border patrol in doing their job, providing intelligence, providing support, logistics support and training in these sorts of things.
QUIJANO: But already the idea is sparking debate.
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: I am concerned that we have so overstretched our military, overstretched especially our National Guard, that I'm not sure what capacity they would have. That's not the role of the National Guard.
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: The National Guard and Reserve, and we're stretching them pretty thin now. Are we going to make border patrol out of them?
QUIJANO: A senior Bush aide says any decision made will not affect military operations overseas or hurricane preparations. At the same time, President Bush is showing no signs of backing away from his support for a temporary guest worker program. The Senate is poised to move ahead on a bill that includes such a provision but conservatives remain adamantly opposed to the idea, calling it amnesty. The Bush administration rejects that label, saying the program would mean illegal immigrants who want U.S. citizenship would have to earn it.
HADLEY: There are things they will need to do, requirements they will have to meet. And they will have to go to the back of the line, not at the front of the line to reflect those who have proceeded in the lawful way.
QUIJANO: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who supports bringing in the National Guard as a short-term solution, believes Congress can reach a compromise.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: Yes, I am absolutely convinced. Right now this discussion has matured over the last four- to-five months. But now people realize unless you in some way manage the magnet which attracts people to this country, no matter how tall that wall is, people are going to continue to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE) QUIJANO: Now the White House calls this crunch time. And a senior administration official acknowledges for the president to help bring about a compromise, it's going to be a, quote, "heavy lift." And a reminder that this debate over illegal immigration is being watched very closely outside of the U.S. Today Mexico's President Vicente Fox called President Bush and received assurances that the U.S. does not plan to militarize its border. A White House spokesperson telling me just a short time ago, President Bush made clear that the United States considers Mexico a friend. Carol?
LIN: Elaine, thank you very much. Our own Lou Dobbs is pretty passionate about this issue. Lou joins us on the telephone right now.
Lou, what do you make of the phone call between Mexico's president and the president of the United States? Vicente Fox concerned that the U.S. plans on militarizing the border with national guardsman.
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR (on phone): Good to be with you, Carol. The call is unfortunately a very late one. I would have hoped that the personal relationship between Vicente Fox and George Bush would have led to a more secure border, rather than a less secure border.
Three million illegal aliens estimated across our borders each year. Vicente Fox and President Bush have had it within their wherewithal to have stopped this years ago. And it unfortunately has come to the point where I truly believe that we're going to have to do something dramatic, whether it is the National Guard or whatever other emergency maneuver is made to secure these borders.
Because it is also not only a -- the place at which illegal aliens are crossing from throughout Central America, but it is also where all of the drugs, heroin, meth, marijuana -- the vast majority of those drugs cross that Mexican border. And we have been engaged in a losing war against drugs for 20 years, and it's time to end that as well.
LIN: But the National Guard, I mean, already Montana's governor has spoken up and said, "Look, we don't have enough national guards men to even help us during the fire season then summer. How are we going to send national guards men to the border?" Do you think this is going to be a practical solution when it comes to the states?
DOBBS: Carol, Governor Schweitzer is one of those governors whom I respect greatly. But the fact of the matter is, we have to make a decision, whether it is federal regular troops or whether it is national guardsman or volunteers. We have to secure that border, because 300 million Americans are vulnerable right now to terrorist attacks and as I said, Mexico is the primary source of meth, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. It has to end.
LIN: But a lot of gardeners, nannies and asbestos workers, as well, Lou.
DOBBS: I'm sorry?
LIN: A lot of gardeners, nannies, asbestos workers, construction workers also come from Mexico, legal and illegal.
DOBBS: Well that is absolutely the point. Because as I've said, Carol, emphatically, you cannot reform immigration if you cannot control immigration. And you cannot control immigration unless you have control of secure borders. And we do not have that at this time. Any discussion of immigration reform is nothing more than a sham and a sad joke without control of our borders.
LIN: Well, what do you expect from the president's speech tomorrow, and how likely is it going to impact immigration reform in congress? Will they pass a bill?
DOBBS: Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader in the senate, said to me about two weeks ago that he believes securing that border is the condition precedent for immigration reform. If that is what the president articulates to the American people tomorrow, it will be a giant step forward in reaching a compromise on what the president likes to call comprehensive immigration reform. But it is -- and it could well be the most important speech of the next 2 1/2 years for this president with his poll numbers hovering at historical lows.
LIN: Lou Dobbs, thank you so much. We are looking forward to your special coverage tonight. Actually tomorrow night, excuse me. CNN is bringing you that extensive coverage of the immigration debate all day long tomorrow. So here's what you can expect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: After nationwide rallies, Monday's focus moves back to Washington. CNN will have extensive coverage of the story. Beginning with "AMERICAN MORNING." Ed Lavandera will be on the border in El Paso, Texas, Bob Franken reports from Ohio, where one county is taking a hard-line stance against illegals. Live reports throughout the day from Capitol Hill, as lawmakers resume debate on immigration reform.
And, we'll be pushing towards the president's oval office address. Evening coverage gets started with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 7:00 p.m. eastern. Then find out what Lou Dobbs has to say on the subject, followed by "LARRY KING LIVE." At 10:00 p.m. eastern, join Anderson Cooper live from Chicago. Stay with CNN all day Monday, for immigration nation coverage on T.V., CNN.com, and CNN.com's Pipeline.
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LIN: And through tonight as well. In fact, we want to prepare you for tomorrow, in a different way. You have less than 30 hours that is how much time you have left if you're eligible for the new Medicare drug benefit and you haven't enrolled yet. Now, the man in charge says the sign-up process is painless.
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MIKE LEAVITT, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: It's just three easy steps. The first would be to simply get your drugs and to put them on a table in front of you. The pill bottles have important information. The second thing would be to get your Medicare card. If you have your pill bottles and your Medicare card, you'll have all the information you need, and then simply dial 1-800-Medicare. 1-800- Medicare. I just checked a few minutes ago, our response times are very good right now. Less than a couple of minutes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: All right, that was health and human services secretary Mike Leavitt. Now if you haven't signed up, we're going to try to give you some information to help you make up your mind. I'm talking with one of the directors of the AARP at 7:40 eastern, and even if you're not affected by the drug plan, do you think this powerful senior's lobby should get congress to drop the penalties if you don't sign up, 7:40 eastern right here on "CNN SUNDAY NIGHT."
In the meantime, it looks like the vice president's private notes are now public. In the Valerie Plame CIA probe special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has introduced handwritten notes from Dick Cheney as he tries to prove Cheney's former chief of staff lied to a grand jury. Now, the writings scribbled on a newspaper column suggests Cheney knew that Valerie Plame was employed by the CIA. The special prosecutor says that the notes show Cheney was involved in letting his chief of staff leak Plame's name to the media.
Now, an emotional mother's day in front of the White House. Peace activists held a 24-hour anti-war vigil. Two famous mothers were there. Actress Susan Sarandon and Cindy Sheehan, who lost her son in Iraq. And not far away, a different mother's day event. A ceremony honoring mothers whose children served in the military. Some lost their children in battle and others have sons and daughters serving now. The mothers were given roses and cards which they laid at the bottom --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL COSBY: This is not your grandmother's world. It's a whole different place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Wait until you see this interview. Words of wisdom from America's favorite dad. Up next, Bill Cosby talks candidly to CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
What about the border?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: And the immigration backlash. We'll hear from one activist, pushing a local effort against illegals.
But, first another deadly gator attack in Florida. We're live with the very latest, when CNN LIVE SUNDAY continues. Stay right there.
(MOTHER'S DAY WISHES)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
LIN: Now we also want to show you the most popular stories this hour on CNN.com. The man who may lead the CIA is defending snooping on Americans in their phone records. Michael Hayden says that the Supreme Court in the past has ruled that it's legal. Now the Senate takes up his confirmation hearings on Thursday.
Breaking the color barrier, Harold Robinson was the first black athlete to get a college athletic scholarship. Well, he died in his New Jersey home at the age of 76.
And lightning struck Senator Ted Kennedy's plane, but he and other passengers actually survived. The Cessna lost all electrical power and it had no communications. The pilot had to fly that plane manually.
Now, to Florida, where they are trying to determine if they have a second gator attack on their hands. WFLA's Lynn Carson is in Oldsmar, Florida.
LYNN CARSON, WFLA CORRESPONDENT: Carol right now the goal is to catch an aggressive alligator. There are two traps set up in this neighborhood, including one right behind me. What you're actually looking at is a chicken hanging from a rope. Neighbors hope that that trap works. As you can imagine, they're nervous after today's gruesome find.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: : I came out here this morning to start walking my dog, and I went in the backyard and saw what looked like a pair of pants floating in the backyard in the pond. And I walked up closer, and I saw there were a pair of sneakers attached to it. And my daughter and I went out there with a stick and pushed on it, and it turned out to be a woman.
CARSON: Pinellas County deputies tell us that woman was 43-year- old Judy Cooper of Dunedin. Detectives say an alligator bit her several times. That's no surprise to Fred Fergerber (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a five-foot one that sits on our bank every once in a while. He's about that big. And he -- he gets aggressive when you get near him, so we leave him alone.
CARSON: He even took pictures of an alligator in his yard a few weeks ago. Today, Fergerber and his neighbors, more fearful of the familiar reptile they're used to seeing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, it was definitely awakening.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CARSON: Florida wildlife experts hope to catch that gator within the next two days, but there is no guarantee. Gators, they are extremely active this time of year, and there is a possibility that gator that they're going after has already found its way into another neighborhood. Carol?
LIN: Lynn, thank you very much. The last attack that we were reporting on this past weekend was outside of Miami. Two women this weekend.
Well, we have an interview with Bill Cosby that you will either love or hate. The actor and the comedian is so cutting about what he has to say about black America and education and he didn't hold back when our Tony Harris caught up with him. Bill Cosby was in Atlanta to be the keynote graduation speaker at Spellman College.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL COSBY, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: I'm saying, it's time to tell the -- forget about your weight, forgot about your position. I want you to take yourself seriously, the intelligence, the education that you got here, you participated in. I want you to think about moving forward. Think about conversation with other African-American females. What businesses can you begin to enter into and not care, not care, about whether you're going to fail or not. Just looking at it as a business. Getting information, doing the same thing that any great entrepreneur would do. You start out small, you build. You look at things. It's practical. Very, very practical. And they have to do it. Because if they wait, they are going to stand on an empty island.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Oh, but he has so much more to say. You can catch the rest of Tony Harris' exclusive interview on "CNN SUNDAY NIGHT" tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
Well back from the front lines, the army ranger I interviewed lost everything, including his sight. But, wait, this is no sad story, you will believe you can do anything after you meet him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKES: When my mother didn't take any foolishness, she had a little Sergeant Carter in her, and I was Gomer Pyle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Also, a mother's day tribute from Bishop T.D. Jakes. Straight ahead, his thoughts on making a difference in your children's lives.
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LIN: We love to see soldiers returning home from overseas safe and sound, but we want to show you a story that you don't often get to see. There are more than 17,000 wounded from the Iraq war. Army Ranger Jeremy Feldbusch came home slightly brain damaged and blinded, and totally dependent on his parents. His story was so compelling, filmmaker Richard Hankin shot a documentary about his Jeremy's homecoming. Boy, were we surprised, in fact even the filmmaker was surprised at what happened for Jerry next.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is to certify that the president of the United States of America has awarded a purple heart established by Harold George Washington in Newburgh, New York, August 7th, 1782 to Specialist Jeremy Feldbusch, United States Army, for wounds received in action.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Richard, what was the premise for this film?
RICHARD HANKIN, DIRECTOR, "HOME FRONT": The premise initially just started with a question, which was what happens to America's wounded when they come home. And it was something that I wasn't hearing anything about in the media, and if anything, I would hear the numbers about how many troops were killed, but nothing at all about the wounded and their journey when they return home. So that was the initial idea.
LIN: And did you find Jeremy through a "New York Times" article?
HANKIN: I found Jeremy through -- after learning about the Wounded Warrior Project, and I contacted John Melia, and that's how I initially came into contact with Jeremy and his family.
LIN: Jeremy, when you were approached to do this film, what went through your mind?
SGT. JEREMY FELDBUSCH, SUBJECT OF "HOME FRONT": Well, the purpose of me working with the Wounded Warrior Project and helping our veterans is nothing but help, 100 percent. And when John had mentioned doing the film and when I finally met Richard, and he spoke to us about doing the film, that's what it was about, it was about giving to our veterans. Everything that I've done from the extensive period of time that Richard had spent with us, and the photographers also. Everything's going back to our veterans. I'm taking nothing from this film, but giving everything. All the money that we can take in from the film is going to our veterans and that's what it's all about.
LIN: Richard, when you first started this film project, you had no idea where Jeremy's life would lead?
HANKIN: No, I mean it was a real leap of faith, as it is with any documentary. You kind of pick your subjects, based on initial impressions and when I met Charlie and Jeremy, and learned about their family, I felt strongly that they will be compelling film characters, but you really don't know in the beginning and you just kind of have to hope for the best and see what develops.
LIN: Jeremy, what do you think people need to know about the walking wounded when they come home? What did you need the most?
FELDBUSCH: Well, you know, society tends to have a label for people who they deem to have a disability, and those who are coming back now with, you know, the amputations that are sustained, be it lower limb, upper limb amputations, paralysis, burns, blindness, and brain injury and things of that nature. They deemed them as having a disability, but they're unlimited as to what they can do, because they can do anything that they want to. And, you know, people -- people need to open their eyes and realize that, and that's what we do when we go out, snow skiing, water-skiing, fishing -- you know, fishing, you know, saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing. We go to athletic events -- I mean, you can do anything you want to. And these are just sports I'm talking about. But you can do whatever you want to do, and your limits are ceaseless.
LIN: Race relations and a fight for illegal immigrant legislation. We're going to take you to one neighborhood where residents are taking matters into their own hands.
Also --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
How many wineglasses are there on the table?
One.
Open your eyes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Yes, the movie's coming out. Cracking "The Da Vinci Code." It's coming out this week, and the Vatican is calling for a worldwide boycott. You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.
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LIN: Here's what's happening right now in the news. An American teenager died a month after he was caught in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. He was with his father at a cafe, 16-year-old Daniel Wultz's body is due back in Florida tomorrow. He is going to be the 11th person to die from that April 17th bombing.
And Saddam Hussein back in front of a Baghdad judge tomorrow. It will be the first session of his trial since April 24th. Something different, though, tomorrow. The defense begins presenting its case in support of the former Iraqi leader.
And Prince Harry is on parade in London. The 21-year-old newly- commissioned army officer joined the ranks of his new regiment for the 82nd annual military parade. Now the prince wore his snappy suit instead of his uniform, which is British tradition that predates World War I.
And Tom Cruise and company crashed, smashed and exploded enough to stay on top of the weekend box office, $24.5 million in tickets sold for "Mission Impossible: III." "Poseidon" was close behind, and the comedy "R.V." a distant third.
So what do you think when a best-selling novel claims Jesus was married, a father and that the Catholic Church conspired through the centuries to hide the truth? Well, the buzz is building over "The Da Vinci Code," the movie, which comes out this week.
Now, the Vatican usually doesn't intervene when books or movies are criticizing the church, but "The Da Vinci Code" is so spectacularly popular that the Vatican is calling for a worldwide boycott. CNN's Alessio Vinci reports.
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ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It would take more than a film to shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. But "The Da Vinci Code" with its mix of fiction, fact and faith has caused at least a few small tremors. One senior church official is calling on Catholics to boycott the movie; another is harshly critical.
CARDINAL GEORGE PELL, ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY: I think "The Da Vinci Code" is a load of nonsense.
VINCI: The reason? "The Da Vinci Code"'s claim that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers and that a powerful organization linked to the church conspired to commit murder to keep it a secret. While some of the Vatican believe the story is blasphemous, the pope has said nothing on the matter.
(on camera): There isn't a plot inside the Vatican to prepare a counter plot to what Dan Brown is saying?
REV. JOSEPH DI NOIA, VATICAN OFFICIAL: No, I would say that people are talking about it casually and concerned about it. But there is no concerted effort to address the problem of "The Da Vinci Code." No there's just a sense, many people who have read it are, as I am, mystified by the popularity of it.
VINCI (voice-over): Vatican officials fear the success of "The Da Vinci Code" will blur the line between fact and fiction.
DI NOIA: It has to do with the harm that it does to peoples' faith not the harm that it does to the public image. It's not a question of image or spin. It's something much more important.
VINCI: The problem with the movie, Vatican officials say, is the claim that the story is based on historical fact.
MSGR. ROBERT SARNO, VATICAN OFFICIAL: I didn't see it as an attack on the church. I just think that it's been given a lot more truth value and faith value than it has. I just read it as a novel, as an entertaining novel.
VINCI: In Rome as elsewhere around the world, the movie promotion is well under way. However some church officials here took issue with this particular poster, hanging on a church that is being renovated. (on-camera): Several local clergymen expressed outrage at what they considered blatant provocation and as a sign of how much power the Vatican can at times wield in this country, local church officials managed to convince Italian authorities who actually own this particular church to cover it up.
(voice-over): The Vatican's dilemma is evident among the thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It made me think a lot and I just wonder how much is fiction, how much is real. And I bought into a lot of it. I really want to investigate it further.
VINCI: Vatican officials are likely to remain low key. They know that controversy generates publicity. But a few officials admit privately that they do intend to see "The Da Vinci Code." Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well CNN's Vatican analyst John Allen talked to me earlier about the controversy surrounding the film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: I think the concern here is that there is not only a misleading, but in some ways a maliciously erroneous image of Christ in the church that is being offered in this book and now in the movie.
LIN: John, for people who haven't read the book, you talk about how the church wants to be more muscular in its response and educate people about what they say the truth is.
The supposition in the book is that -- is that Jesus had a very different life, that he was married to Mary Magdalene, that there was a conspiracy to hide her identity as one of the apostles that even she bore Jesus' daughter.
What is the church's position on -- on Jesus being married? Would there be a problem if Jesus was married? Why couldn't he be the son of God as well?
ALLEN: Theologically there wouldn't be a problem. I mean, we know of course that the early apostles were all married. In fact in the Capitoline Museum here in Rome, there's a huge portrait of St. Peter's wife.
So it wouldn't change Christ's status as both God and man. Nor would it compromise the identity of the priesthood had Christ been married. I think the reason the church reacts is not so much a theological issue as it is a historical one, and their point is there is simply no evidence for this.
LIN: Why do you think people out there, so many people out there actually believe in this premise that the Catholic Church rewrote history? What is it about this storyline, which is fictional, that has this reaction?
ALLEN: Well first of all, we should say, Carol, that this is not a new idea. I mean this kind of subterranean retelling of the Jesus story, go back to the gospels in the very early centuries of the church. And they've been repackaged in different ways over the years.
And you asked the question why are people attracted to this. Well I think on the one hand, people are always fascinated by intrigue, in potential conspiracy. We're still debating who shot JFK and so forth.
But I think another factor is that there is a swath of the population out there that, you know, simply doesn't find institutional Christianity credible. And in some cases it's because, you know, they find that institutional Christianity is too much about power and about, you know, worldly prestige and so on and not enough about the gospel.
In some cases it's because they've been personally burned by it. In any event, there are simply a lot of people out there who are open to alternative versions of things.
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LIN: Video just in to the CNN Center. You are looking at a plane sitting on a street in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, actually close by. It's about a mile north of Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport and the nearby roads are closed. Amazingly two people survived this crash, the pilot and the passenger. We do know that a certain amount of fuel had spilled out and so they are trying to be cautious. You see the response on the scene right now. And it's quite remarkable that those people are alive.
All right, as you're taking these pictures in, I'm just hearing from my producer that we're waiting to hear from a person on the scene. But if you're just joining us, that is a street in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, right near highway 441. Vanessa Ruiz on the telephone with me right now. Vanessa, what do you know about what we're looking at right now?
VANESSA RUIZ, JOURNALIST (on phone): Well what you're looking at is a small twin engine Cessna airplane, model 414, and we're actually at the intersection of Cypress Creek and 441, a very busy is intersection here in Ft. Lauderdale.
We're not too far from the Executive Airport. Now we can tell you that two people on board the small airplane, when it came down, we're talking about a pilot and a passenger. Fortunately no injuries to report here. Both of them being able to walk away, literally on their own two feet.
Now, very fortunate as well that today is a Sunday. It is Mother's Day, not too many people here on the street, because, if that would have not been the case, this could have certainly been a whole lot worse. Now, 10 gallons inside this small airplane of fuel, which has been foamed, as you can see. Obviously, fire rescue and police are telling people to steer clear of this area. Very, very busy. Backed- up traffic, as you can imagine. But, again, fortunately we are happy to tell you that those two people on board this airplane are OK. Obviously the investigation continues as to why that pilot had to make the emergency landing in the first place.
LIN: Vanessa, so you say emergency landing, we're saying crash. Which is it?
RUIZ: It's emergency landing. Apparently this small airplane was about to land in Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport. It was coming from Port St. Lucie in Florida, where it had done a pit stop. And again, NTSB officials are on their way. Their investigation, obviously, will tell us a little bit more of why that pilot felt the need to make that emergency landing. What we're hearing is some sort of engine trouble. But, obviously, that has yet to be confirmed.
LIN: All right, thanks very much, Vanessa Ruiz, with our CNN affiliate WSVN. Appreciate it.
RUIZ: No problem.
LIN: A lot of news happening today, folks. We've got reports of tornadoes in the Carolinas, Bonnie Schneider working on that one. Bonnie?
(WEATHER REPORT)
LIN: Staying on the immigrant beat here, there's something happening in San Bernardino, California that may raise some eyebrows. The city is going to consider whether illegal immigrants would lose their rental housing and even their cars. Jen Rogers has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was the scene outside a southern California Home Depot on Friday, day laborers waiting for work and Joseph Turner plotting to put them out of business.
JOSEPH TURNER, ANTI-IMMIGRATION ACTIVIST: I want them all deported. I want all illegal aliens deported out of my country.
ROGERS: With Washington still trying to find a solution, Turner an anti-illegal immigration activist wrote his own initiative for San Bernardino, a city just east of Los Angeles, almost half of its population of 200,000 is Hispanic.
TURNER: I cannot control federal policy or anything to do with deportation but what I can do is mitigate the harmful effects of illegal immigration at the local level by attacking the policies and practices that aid and abet illegal immigration.
ROGERS: Among its provision, his proposed ordinance prohibits landlords from renting to illegal immigrants, bans taxpayer-funded day labor centers, requires day laborers to prove residency and even calls for the confiscation of cars belonging to people hiring an illegal day laborer.
Taking advantage of an unusual provision in the city charter, the politically-savvy aide to a state legislator figured out he only needed to collect 2,216 signatures to put the measure before the city council.
(on camera): When San Bernardino city council members meet in here Monday afternoon, everyone is expecting a contentious meeting, with one of two outcomes: either the initiative is enacted immediately, or it's passed along to voters to decide.
(voice-over): Immigration rights groups believe the initiative will be defeated at the ballot box, calling it racist, unconstitutional and an opportunistic measure from a well-connected political operative.
ARMANDO NAVARRO, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ACTIVIST: This is his opportunity for national notoriety. This is his opportunity to be somebody at the national level because he thinks this is going to be a benchmark that can spread throughout this country and we'll make sure that it doesn't.
ROGERS: Despite cries of discrimination, council member Chas Kelley says he wants to pass the initiative immediately.
CHAS KELLEY, SAN BERNARDINO COUNCILMAN: This is not about being a racist. This is about doing what's right and being fair.
ROGERS: But the ordinance will face tough questions from other council members concerned about the high cost of enforcing it and the city's role in the immigration crisis.
DENNIS BAXTER, SAN BERNARDINO COUNCILMAN: For us to say Washington isn't going to do their job so we'll do it, too, what next? Are we going to start building borders around San Bernardino?
ROGERS: If the council does not approve the measure Monday a special election must be held between 90 to 135 days.
Jen Rogers, CNN, San Bernardino, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Interesting story, considering that tomorrow is the big day when the Senate takes up the immigration debate and the president addresses the nation. CNN is all over the story, so here's what you can expect.
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LIN (voice-over): After nationwide rallies, Monday's focus moves back to Washington. CNN will have extensive coverage of the story, beginning with "AMERICAN MORNING." Ed Lavandera will be on the border in El Paso, Texas. Bob Franken reports from Ohio, where one county is taking a hard-line stance against illegals.
Live reports throughout the day from Capitol Hill as lawmakers resume debate on immigration reform. And we'll be pushing towards the president's Oval Office address. Evening coverage gets started with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Then find out what Lou Dobbs has to say on the subject, followed by "LARRY KING LIVE." At 10 p.m. Eastern, join Anderson Cooper live from Chicago. Stay with CNN all day Monday for "Immigration Nation" coverage on T.V., CNN.com and CNN.com's Pipeline.
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LIN: Because you know when you stay with CNN, you're going to get the best news coverage.
Well, words of wisdom from T.D. Jakes, a preacher who helped save lives after Katrina talks about life and his mother.
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JAKES: Mothers are so busy trying to be a friend to their children, that they're not being a mother to them. And I think it's important that you sacrifice being popular with the child sometimes so that they can have a parent.
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LIN: Up next, Bishop Jakes says he owes everything to his mama.
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LIN: Bishop T.D. Jakes founded one of the nation's biggest megachurches. His latest book is called "Mama Made the Difference." So what better person to talk about Mother's Day?
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LIN: Bishop Jakes, thanks so much for joining us on this Mother's Day. You talk about the growing apathy towards motherhood. What do you mean by that?
JAKES: Well you know it seems like today when a woman says she's a mother, people think, "Yes, yes," or they postpone it to much later in their life, not realizing that motherhood is essential and its important. I mean, who else gets to collaborate with God in the creation of a human being in the unique way that a mother does?
LIN: And who better in your book, it was so touching to hear you write about your dad, how he was diagnosed with black lung disease when you were only 10-years-old. He died when you were 16. There you were with your mom, and you wrote this passage that really touched me. "Hers were the hands that fed him and bathed him. Hers was the voice that spoke strength to him when his own strength was clearly waning." She had five children, Bishop Jakes, how did she get you through those times? JAKES: You know, my mother was tough, no doubt about it. She was tough, she was resilient, and though she was married in many ways, she was living as a single parent, parenting alone because my father was distracted by his illness obviously and later his death.
And it was tough. But we went through it together. I learned so much from her about standing up to hard times and standing up to tough days. And I learned faith in motion by watching her believe in God and believe in herself and she taught us that.
LIN: And how that really affects your work today, because you talk about moving through that crisis, and how you try to model that in moving people through the hard times.
But what really impressed me was how you wrote about the mischief that you would sometimes pull on her. Like the time you took pillows, you'd fluff them under the blanket, right, to make it look like you were in bed and you snuck out the window. How did your mom handle that situation?
JAKES: My mother didn't take any foolishness. She had a little Sergeant Carter in her and I was Gomer Pyle and she didn't mind kind of straightening me out when I needed it. And I think that's a great thing.
One of the things I share in the book today is that mothers are so busy trying to be a friend to their children that they are not being a mother to them. And I think it's important that you sacrifice being popular with your child sometimes so that they can have a parent.
I think I wrote is "Mama Made the Difference" to say to those adult children, don't forget your parents and just being busy with life in trying to accomplish the goals that perhaps they put inside of you. Take the time to send them a card, give them a book, give them a note, something. Let them know that you wouldn't be where you are without them.
LIN: You bet. And it's not just -- it's not just moms. Because you love your mother-in-law, your aunt, your teacher. Because there are people who are growing up without their moms.
JAKES: That's right. In some kind of way, I believe God allows us to have somebody. It may not be your natural mother. Maybe an adopted mother, what I call a surrogate mother. We grew up in communities where there were mothers in the neighborhood who kind of filled in for you.
But all of us have somebody, even if it's a dad, who stood in and became like a mother. Whoever nurtured you, today is a great day to say thank you and that I love and appreciate you. And when Mother's Day is over, it's still true, "Mama Made the Difference" and it's still important that we find creative ways, we can't wait until once a year to recognize true love.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: Wow, true love. We'll be right back.
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LIN: There is so much more ahead on CNN. For example, coming up at 7:00 Eastern, an update on the fight over illegal immigration. At 8:00, "CNN PRESENTS: Chasing Angelina," how the paparazzi chases your favorites stars for the perfect picture. At 9:00 Eastern, Larry King. His guests, "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh and Elizabeth Smart, the young girl who was returned home safely after being held captive.
And tonight at 10:00, the disturbing story of a woman who allegedly tried to sell a four-week-old baby online. A television station learned of the scheme and police raced to intervene before the child was sold. The hour's headlines when we come back and then "CNN PRESENTS."
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