Alleged Spain Bombing Ringleader Dead
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Two rival towns in Illinois get set to walk all over each other in the name of fitness. That story coming up, but first, a look at what is happening at this hour. The man behind the March 11 Spain terror bombings is dead, according to Spain's interior minister. The alleged ringleader, as well as three other suspected terrorists, died after setting off explosives in a building on the outskirts of Madrid. Police are also investigating a car in the parking lot of that same building. Initial reports suggest that it may be packed with explosives. In Iraq, a car bomb detonated in Iraq's northern city of Kirkuk today, wounding at least five Iraqis. That's according to an Iraqi police commander. And at least 19 Iraqis killed in a gun battle between Shiite demonstrators and Spanish soldiers in Najaf. Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, said today such violent protests have crossed the line and will not be tolerated. Iran's foreign minister says his country has nothing to hide and has no secret nuclear facilities. The statement comes two days before the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is due to arrive in Tehran. Meanwhile, Iranian state TV quotes the head of Iran's atomic energy agency as saying the country has resumed enriching uranium for nuclear fuel for civilian power plants only. We're awaiting word from police this morning after an overnight incident at Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Officers have been tight-lipped, but initial reports indicate a large confrontation and weapons being involved. We're also told some people sought treatment at an area hospital, but we're still trying to get further details from authorities as to exactly what happened there. We've been asking you is the high price of gas going to deflate your vacation plans? Look at that, right there. $2.20 regular in San Francisco. Well, the national average last week was $1.77 for a gallon of regular. But a good part of high gas prices apparently comes from taxes. So what's the true cost of gas for American drivers? CNN's Kathleen Koch is live at a gas station in the nation's capital to tell us more about that. Kathleen?</s>KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it's interesting that you showed prices in San Francisco, because when it comes to gasoline prices, it's very much like real estate right now. It's location, location, location. California, as people might have guessed, does have the highest cost for gasoline in the country, an average of $2.12 a gallon. South Carolina has the lowest cost, with an average price of $1.62 a gallon. Now, here in Washington, D.C., the station where I am downtown, it's $1.89 per gallon. So it sort of falls somewhere in the middle, there. Now, should report though, interesting that these higher prices have not really caused Americans to change their driving habits or their buying habits. So, those gas-guzzling SUVs, the sales of them are still outpacing the sales of small and medium-sized vehicles. Now, where the pinch is being felt is in the transportation industry. Jet fuel costs are up; diesel fuel costs are up. We're seeing that small companies, small trucking companies, many of them are just parking their big rigs until the prices come down. The larger companies, though, are managing to get buy by buying their fuel in bulk and using sophisticated satellite navigational systems to guide their drivers to the cheapest places to fuel up.</s>BOB COSTELLO, AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATION: High fuel prices are always going to be hard on the trucking industry. I mean, it is the whole -- they run on trucks, and trucks run on diesel fuel, and it's a very high percentage of their operating expenses. It's always going to be hard. But certainly, I think they have gotten smarter about fuel surcharges, about using technology to their advantage, so that they can help minimize the added increase.</s>KOCH: So anyway, here in Washington, again, the prices are still kind of in the middle of the country. But just for a little bit of perspective, the prices have been quite high for about seven, eight weeks, going up. Adjusted for inflation, the highest prices were way back in 1981, when they were roughly $2.99 a gallon. Back to you.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Kathleen Koch, in a very windy Washington, D.C. Thanks very much. Well, what do you think? Are your vacation plans begin affected by the rising costs of gas? We're asking for your e-mails, want to know are you altering your plans? Well, Dave says, "This summer my planned vacation trip to a beach in North Carolina from Indy will take about 76 gallons of gasoline and means an increase of about $35 for gasoline for my entire trip. All I have to do to compensate is drive a little slower and stay in one day in lieu of eating out and make some home cooked meals for my three kids." That from Dave. A little advice, and doesn't look like he's going to alter his plans altogether, just how he goes about it. Saturday night with the Donald. Trump the comedian, now? And four minus two equals a championship show down. We recap Saturday's college basketball semifinals when we come right back.