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CNN Live Today
Separatist Group Kills 200 in Train Blast; Vancouver Canucks Player Suspended for Breaking Player's Neck; Suspended UCLA Worker Allegedly Sold Body Parts; Web Site Exposes Undercover Cops
Aired March 11, 2004 - 11:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are coming up on 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. on the West Coast. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour on CNN, attack in Spain. Terrorists targeted Madrid's commuter railroad system today, killing close to 200 people in ten near-simultaneous explosions. Our Al Goodman has the coverage for us from the Spanish capital -- Al.
AL GOODMAN, CNN MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Daryn. Well we're getting word from anti-terrorism experts here in Madrid that the type of dynamite and explosives used is the type that typically used by the Basque separatist group ETA which is blamed for this attack by the government.
This dynamite, they say, they've gone through the trains, they've picked up some remains of dynamite. They say this dynamite was probably stolen in France by ETA three years ago.
Now ETA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. In all of their 30-some odd years of fighting for a Basque independent homeland, before this day, they were blamed for a total of 800 deaths roughly. Now this day, almost 200 more.
A major change in tactics. One of the trains that was struck this morning -- there were three, Daryn, in simultaneous explosions at the peak of rush hour. This happened about nine hours ago, Spanish time, at 8 a.m. local time.
One of them was pulling into this Atocha train station just behind us. A witness told us that the force of the blast blew off the roof of one of the cars, and people were ejected out onto the pavement by the train tracks -- Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: So as bad as this was, and as awful as this was in terms of Spanish history, this could have been even worse, Al, because weren't there even more explosives found that were not detonated?
GOODMAN: Indeed. Authorities are counting ten explosions on these three trains. And additionally, they found three other bombs that they did in controlled explosions.
We felt one of them. Police came up suddenly and said, "Everyone back, back, back." And a (AUDIO GAP) that kind of shook you, and we saw a huge plume of smoke come up. So you can get a sense that we were quite some distance from that controlled explosion. The force of the impact from those people who were aboard those trains and took it full brunt, Daryn.
KAGAN: Al Goodman, with the latest from Madrid, thank you for that.
The U.S. and the European Union do list ETA as a terrorist group. It is blamed for more than 800 deaths since it launched its battle for a Basque state in the late '60.
Let's turn to our CNN international correspondent, Sheila MacVicar in London, to tell us more about ETA and their push to get an independent Basque state -- Sheila.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, ETA stands for Basque homeland and liberty. They are a Basque nationalist movement which has used acts of terrorism in order to try to promote its political agenda, which is an independent homeland for those people of Basque origin, the Basque region, encompassing parts of southwest France, as well as along the Atlantic coast of Spain.
Now, over the course of its history, it was a group that was initially founded in secret during the rule of the former Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco, who had repressed Basque nationalism.
It became, if you will, a political active and militarily active, a terrorist group, in the late 1960s when it began to carry out terrorist acts.
Now, throughout its history, most of those acts have been directed at, if you will, institutions of the state, against Spanish civil guard, policemen, against judges, against buildings that housed institutions of the state.
In 1987, ETA carried out a blast at a shopping mall in Barcelona. Twenty-one shoppers were killed. ETA apologized for that blast, saying that it had been a mistake.
So if in fact ETA is responsible for today's multiple blasts, as the Spanish government believes, this would mark a major shift in tactics and targeting.
ETA historically gives warnings before it carries out blasts. There was no warning today. It also historically claims its actions. So far no claim of responsibility.
And by so deliberately targeting civilians, such a massive attack, as Al Goodman has said, 13 different bombs on three commuter trains, clearly designed to hit at civilians, something has happened within that organization that has forced it -- or made it in a position now where it is prepared to change its tactics -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And there's many things about today's attack that are not typical of ETA in the past. Over the last couple weeks, hasn't the big threat in terms of rail service in Europe been focused in France, Sheila?
MACVICAR: Well, indeed. This is a bizarre story, that the French government, French officials are convinced is more about criminality and blackmail than about any particular terrorist organization.
Of course, there are links to Basque separatists in that part of France. Perhaps there will be sort of a wider investigation or consideration whether or not this could encompass any -- the events in France could have any possible Basque link.
But for the Spanish authorities, they say that at least since December, they have been aware that ETA was trying to -- attempting to carry out something on this scale.
Two weeks ago, February 29, Spanish authorities arrested two suspected members of ETA in a van heading towards Madrid with 500 kilos of explosives. On Christmas Eve, they say, there was a foiled attempt to plant bombs on board two trains headed for Madrid.
These signature, plus as Al was saying, the fact that this explosive used today is something which has been previously associated with ETA, are amongst the reasons why the Spanish government has been so quick to say that this is the work of that organization.
However, as I said, it would, if indeed it is ETA, represent a major shift in tactics -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Sheila MacVicar in London. Sheila, thank you for your insight on that group. Appreciate it.
We're at five minutes past the hour. Turning now to an issue here in North America, the ice fight giving major league hockey a black eye.
The league today suspended Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi. You've seen this video over the last day or two. So Bertuzzi has been suspended for the rest of the season, including the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bertuzzi hit Colorado's Steve Moore with a blindside punch on Monday night. Moore suffered a broken neck, a concussion and cuts on his fact.
Last night, Bertuzzi apologized.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has been down there, every doctor out there --
TODD BERTUZZI, SUSPENDED VANCOUVER CANUCKS FORWARD: ... happened out there, that I had no intention on hurting him, that I feel awful for what transpired.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAGAN: Matt Morrison of CNN Sports has more on the Bertuzzi case and what it means for professional hockey.
First of all, good morning.
MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.
KAGAN: Put it in perspective, the length of the suspension.
MORRISON: Well, the length of this suspension is open-ended. So we really don't know how long he will actually serve. It could likely be the longest suspension in NHL history.
The longest previous sentence of a suspension was one year. It wasn't fully served, because Marty McSorley retired rather than return after a terrible incident four years ago that he used a stick.
Regardless, Todd Bertuzzi is out for the remainder of this year. That will include 13 regular season games and any playoff games that the Vancouver Canucks will be involved with.
This for, once again, the video you've seen time and time again, really an egregious act of mayhem on Monday night against Colorado's Steve Moore.
Now Moore remains in a hospital with some serious injuries, a cracked vertebrae among the worst of them. And he, of course, is out for the remainder of at least this season.
And, depending on what his condition is next year, I think you'll see the commissioner, Gary Bettman, decide on what will happen at the beginning of next year for Bertuzzi, if that suspension will reach, and how deep it will reach, into next year, based on the condition of the victim.
KAGAN: Well, NHL league kind of in trouble right now, kind of at a crossroads. Also, I think, difficulty in trying to define itself. Where do you draw the line about where a cheap hit is?
Just a couple nights ago, the big hockey highlight was, "Oh, look at this game, because it had more fights than any hockey game in NHL history."
MORRISON: This incident sort of defines the cheap shot as what the result shows.
I mean, as I mentioned, Marty McSorley four years ago was suspended for a full year. He was even convicted of a criminal offense for a stick assault on Donald Brashear of the Vancouver Canucks. So it's the second time in four years that Vancouver police are investigating an on-ice hockey incident as a potential criminal maneuver.
Now the cheap shots, the things that you saw on that tape, happen all the time in pro hockey. I'm not going to say it's an every night, everyday occurrence... KAGAN: And the fans like it.
MORRISON: ... but it's not unusual.
KAGAN: Fans like the fight; they like the violence.
MORRISON: And it's part of the engrained social fabric of professional hockey. And it's sad to say, it's sort of the Canadian machismo. But players retaliate for violent acts. And this is actually a retaliation for an incident that happened last month between these two teams.
We've got some video of an event on February 16, when Steve Moore, who was the victim in the event the other night, came through with what is a clean hit on Vancouver's' captain, Marcus Naslund. And this is...
KAGAN: Is this payback, do you think?
MORRISON: Well, that's exactly what the players had been talking about leading up to the events of Monday night. But this is a legal hit. He was not penalized for this.
It did cost Naslund three games because he sat out with a concussion. And when that happens, and Naslund, again, the team captain, players rally around that off the bench. And they've been talking about retaliation against Steve Moore. And it came on Monday night.
It's also the reason that the Canucks were fined $250,000 as an organization, because the league felt the club did not do enough...
KAGAN: To try to prevent that.
MORRISON: ... to convince players to prevent that.
KAGAN: Real quickly, is it possible that the suspension will be a moot point? A lot of people think the NHL is heading for a huge labor problem of its own and won't be playing. Everybody will be suspended.
MORRISON: Yes, well that is the case for next season. For now, it's not a moot point, because again, he is sitting out the remainder of 12 games on the regular season schedule. He was suspended for last night's contest, as well.
If the Canucks, who are in playoff contention, make the post- season, he'll be no good to them. He's a two-time all-star. Todd Bertuzzi is a heart and soul kind of player to that team who made a terrible mistake in a very quick and violent moment at the end of the game the other night.
KAGAN: Matt, thank you so much.
MORRISON: Thank you.
KAGAN: And thank you for that info on Steve Moore, too. Appreciate that.
The federal government is cracking down on a steroid-like supplement used by some pro athletes. The FDA says it will tell companies to stop selling the supplement andro, unless they can prove that it's not dangerous.
Delaware Senator Joe Biden has introduced legislation to permanently ban the over-the-counter sales of andro. He talked about the issue on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: Steroid use has dropped about among high school students, college students, dropped across the board. And people's lives have been saved in the process.
And now what happened was the drug companies figured out a way to get around my law. And so they have these precursors to steroids that we find have the same properties of enhancing performance, and it's also diminishing health.
For the last two years, I've had a bill, along with Senator Hatch, to say that THD (ph), human hormone supplements, andro, all of these things -- and we list them -- should also be treated exactly like steroids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The Department of Health and Human Services holds a news conference on andro later today. You'll see that on "LIVE FROM" at 2:15 p.m. Eastern.
A baseball Hall of Famer is calling for the league to crack down on steroid use. Reggie Jackson spoke out on the issue in an interview with "the Atlanta Journal-Constitution." He says that major league records are being jeopardized.
Jackson tells the paper, quote, "Come on, now. You can't be breaking records, hitting 200 home runs in three or four seasons. The greatest hitters in the history of the game didn't do that."
The battle over gay marriage in Massachusetts is about to reach a new boiling point. A big decision could come today. We'll have the very latest for you, coming up next.
Also, black market body parts. A scandal that has engulfed UCLA's medical school. There are now some surprising new details in that case.
And later, Kerry's insult. The Bush team wants an apology. Will it get one?
CNN LIVE TODAY is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: The same sex marriage debate goes back before the Massachusetts legislature today.
Last night, supporters of gay marriage held a candlelight vigil and rally. Lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but that would allow civil unions.
Same sex marriage has become a hot political issue, even for a former president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The country is going through this dramatic reassessment, and we've come a very long way on this issue.
Keep in mind, when I tried to get gays in the military in '93, it was one of the major reasons that I lost the Congress in '94.
We have come a long way. And I think -- and the culture is different, different communities, different states. We will work through it, and it will continue broadening the circle of rights in America.
It will be fine. I'm not too worried about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The current debate stems from a high court ruling in Massachusetts that says gays do have the right to marry.
UCLA has shut down its donated body program this week after its director was arrested and accused of selling human parts for profit.
In today's "L.A. Times," there are reports that Henry Reid's educational credentials are now in question. And he apparently has severe financial problems, as well, with four reported bankruptcy filings on his record.
CNN obtained documents indicating that Reid may have netted over $240,000 from body part sales.
Charlie Ornstein is a writer for the "Los Angeles Times." He's been working this story this week, and he joins us from the newsroom in Los Angeles this morning.
Charlie, good morning.
CHARLIE ORNSTEIN, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: Tell us more about Henry Reid and, at the risk of making a very bad pun, a lot of skeletons in this man's closet.
ORNSTEIN: Absolutely.
Well, after his arrest, we began looking at that the testimony that he gave in a 2002 deposition, which came out of a previous lawsuit against UCLA regarding the body program and the way it disposed of remains there.
And what we found is that the credentials that he said he had -- a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and some academic accolades -- he really didn't have.
KAGAN: And you also found some incidents of how he lied under oath?
ORNSTEIN: Right, this was in a sworn deposition, so he swore to tell the truth and that this could be used in court. And so it's very likely that the attorneys for the plaintiff in this case will seek to be -- to have him held in contempt of court and have perjury charges brought against him.
KAGAN: And just as another indication that perhaps UCLA administrators really don't know exactly what's going on here, "The Times" takes this information to them and that, basically, was news to them.
ORNSTEIN: This was news to them. After we raised this issue with them, they compared his deposition testimony to what he actually put in his resume, in his job application.
And they found that the credentials he said in his deposition weren't the same as the credentials he put in his resume. He didn't claim to have these degrees in his resume, but they did appear in his deposition. And this hadn't been caught until we raised the issue with them yesterday.
KAGAN: And what about Henry Reid's alleged bad money problems?
ORNSTEIN: Well, Henry Reid, it turns out, has filed for bankruptcy four times. Three times before he took a job at UCLA and one time afterward.
In the three previous bankruptcies, he had trouble pulling his finances together. But after he got his job at UCLA, he was able to dispose of his debts, including paying off $50,000 to settle his debts.
And his attorney says it's incorrect to assume that that's because of any connection to the UCLA case or money he may have received through that. But it certainly raises the question of how he was able to pull his finances together quickly after getting the UCLA job.
KAGAN: And the thing that's kind of mind bending about this, this was the guy that was hired to fix a program that was already in trouble.
ORNSTEIN: Yes. And I think that that's one of the things that UCLA officials are most sad about right now.
Back in 1993, so about a decade ago, UCLA became embroiled in a scandal over the way it was disposing of the remains of cadaver donors. There was -- there were allegations that they were taking several cadavers at a time and putting them in an incinerator, and then mixing those ashes with medical waste, and perhaps even animal ashes and then dumping them in a city landfill.
KAGAN: Much more reporting on this in the "L.A. Times." You can buy it on the newsstands or go to LATimes.com.
Charlie Ornstein. Charlie, thanks for your time this morning.
ORNSTEIN: Good to be with you.
KAGAN: Appreciate it. Well, one other note on this topic, Tulane University in New Orleans is suspending its contract with a distributor of donated bodies. The school found out that the cadavers ended up in the military's hands and the army used them in land mine tests.
Still ahead, undercover cops exposed is the aim of one web site. Is it illegal and is it putting lives in danger? The story is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Haiti's new prime minister has returned to the country from his home in south Florida.
Gerard Latortue says that his top priority is disarming rebel groups and restoring security and order. He plans to restore Haiti's army, which was disbanded by ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Latortue is a former U.N. Official and has support in international circles.
Secrecy is an essential ingredient of security if you are an undercover cop. That security is under the threat from the Internet.
Our national correspondent, Gary Tuchman, has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It isn't hard to spot police officers when in uniform. But many cops do their work under cover, in plainclothes, for their protection.
And that's why a web site that has undercover officers' names, addresses, pictures, and in some cases, pictures of their family members, has made many angry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't want some people that I arrest to know where I live, because who knows what they're capable of?
TUCHMAN: The operator of the site is believed to be a New Yorker currently out of the country. Why he's doing this is not clear.
But in addition to undercover cops in New York, he also has information about uniformed officers, judges and federal in other parts of the country.
"New York Daily News" reporter Michele McPhee has been investigating the web site.
MICHELE MCPHEE, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": The most egregious thing on the web site is descriptions, physical descriptions of both the officers and the officers' children. So-and-so jogs in this park at 8 a.m.
TUCHMAN: But is the web site illegal? As of now, apparently not.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: I don't know who is doing it and probably can't stop it, but it is irresponsible.
TUCHMAN: Can it be stopped? The congressman is drafting legislation.
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: My legislation would say to police departments that they have an absolute right to go into a court, and if they can show that a law enforcement officials lives would be in danger if an Internet web site revealed information about them, that they can get an order that an Internet service provider would have to take that web site down.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Even if such a bill passed, nobody pretends it would be easy to enforce. A spokesman for the NYPD says the department is troubled by the web site and would hope it starts getting less publicity.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: A candidate's comment has Republicans demanding an apology. Stay with us for what John Kerry said and the reaction.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Canucks Player Suspended for Breaking Player's Neck; Suspended UCLA Worker Allegedly Sold Body Parts; Web Site Exposes Undercover Cops>
Aired March 11, 2004 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are coming up on 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. on the West Coast. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour on CNN, attack in Spain. Terrorists targeted Madrid's commuter railroad system today, killing close to 200 people in ten near-simultaneous explosions. Our Al Goodman has the coverage for us from the Spanish capital -- Al.
AL GOODMAN, CNN MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Daryn. Well we're getting word from anti-terrorism experts here in Madrid that the type of dynamite and explosives used is the type that typically used by the Basque separatist group ETA which is blamed for this attack by the government.
This dynamite, they say, they've gone through the trains, they've picked up some remains of dynamite. They say this dynamite was probably stolen in France by ETA three years ago.
Now ETA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. In all of their 30-some odd years of fighting for a Basque independent homeland, before this day, they were blamed for a total of 800 deaths roughly. Now this day, almost 200 more.
A major change in tactics. One of the trains that was struck this morning -- there were three, Daryn, in simultaneous explosions at the peak of rush hour. This happened about nine hours ago, Spanish time, at 8 a.m. local time.
One of them was pulling into this Atocha train station just behind us. A witness told us that the force of the blast blew off the roof of one of the cars, and people were ejected out onto the pavement by the train tracks -- Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: So as bad as this was, and as awful as this was in terms of Spanish history, this could have been even worse, Al, because weren't there even more explosives found that were not detonated?
GOODMAN: Indeed. Authorities are counting ten explosions on these three trains. And additionally, they found three other bombs that they did in controlled explosions.
We felt one of them. Police came up suddenly and said, "Everyone back, back, back." And a (AUDIO GAP) that kind of shook you, and we saw a huge plume of smoke come up. So you can get a sense that we were quite some distance from that controlled explosion. The force of the impact from those people who were aboard those trains and took it full brunt, Daryn.
KAGAN: Al Goodman, with the latest from Madrid, thank you for that.
The U.S. and the European Union do list ETA as a terrorist group. It is blamed for more than 800 deaths since it launched its battle for a Basque state in the late '60.
Let's turn to our CNN international correspondent, Sheila MacVicar in London, to tell us more about ETA and their push to get an independent Basque state -- Sheila.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, ETA stands for Basque homeland and liberty. They are a Basque nationalist movement which has used acts of terrorism in order to try to promote its political agenda, which is an independent homeland for those people of Basque origin, the Basque region, encompassing parts of southwest France, as well as along the Atlantic coast of Spain.
Now, over the course of its history, it was a group that was initially founded in secret during the rule of the former Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco, who had repressed Basque nationalism.
It became, if you will, a political active and militarily active, a terrorist group, in the late 1960s when it began to carry out terrorist acts.
Now, throughout its history, most of those acts have been directed at, if you will, institutions of the state, against Spanish civil guard, policemen, against judges, against buildings that housed institutions of the state.
In 1987, ETA carried out a blast at a shopping mall in Barcelona. Twenty-one shoppers were killed. ETA apologized for that blast, saying that it had been a mistake.
So if in fact ETA is responsible for today's multiple blasts, as the Spanish government believes, this would mark a major shift in tactics and targeting.
ETA historically gives warnings before it carries out blasts. There was no warning today. It also historically claims its actions. So far no claim of responsibility.
And by so deliberately targeting civilians, such a massive attack, as Al Goodman has said, 13 different bombs on three commuter trains, clearly designed to hit at civilians, something has happened within that organization that has forced it -- or made it in a position now where it is prepared to change its tactics -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And there's many things about today's attack that are not typical of ETA in the past. Over the last couple weeks, hasn't the big threat in terms of rail service in Europe been focused in France, Sheila?
MACVICAR: Well, indeed. This is a bizarre story, that the French government, French officials are convinced is more about criminality and blackmail than about any particular terrorist organization.
Of course, there are links to Basque separatists in that part of France. Perhaps there will be sort of a wider investigation or consideration whether or not this could encompass any -- the events in France could have any possible Basque link.
But for the Spanish authorities, they say that at least since December, they have been aware that ETA was trying to -- attempting to carry out something on this scale.
Two weeks ago, February 29, Spanish authorities arrested two suspected members of ETA in a van heading towards Madrid with 500 kilos of explosives. On Christmas Eve, they say, there was a foiled attempt to plant bombs on board two trains headed for Madrid.
These signature, plus as Al was saying, the fact that this explosive used today is something which has been previously associated with ETA, are amongst the reasons why the Spanish government has been so quick to say that this is the work of that organization.
However, as I said, it would, if indeed it is ETA, represent a major shift in tactics -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Sheila MacVicar in London. Sheila, thank you for your insight on that group. Appreciate it.
We're at five minutes past the hour. Turning now to an issue here in North America, the ice fight giving major league hockey a black eye.
The league today suspended Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi. You've seen this video over the last day or two. So Bertuzzi has been suspended for the rest of the season, including the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bertuzzi hit Colorado's Steve Moore with a blindside punch on Monday night. Moore suffered a broken neck, a concussion and cuts on his fact.
Last night, Bertuzzi apologized.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has been down there, every doctor out there --
TODD BERTUZZI, SUSPENDED VANCOUVER CANUCKS FORWARD: ... happened out there, that I had no intention on hurting him, that I feel awful for what transpired.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAGAN: Matt Morrison of CNN Sports has more on the Bertuzzi case and what it means for professional hockey.
First of all, good morning.
MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.
KAGAN: Put it in perspective, the length of the suspension.
MORRISON: Well, the length of this suspension is open-ended. So we really don't know how long he will actually serve. It could likely be the longest suspension in NHL history.
The longest previous sentence of a suspension was one year. It wasn't fully served, because Marty McSorley retired rather than return after a terrible incident four years ago that he used a stick.
Regardless, Todd Bertuzzi is out for the remainder of this year. That will include 13 regular season games and any playoff games that the Vancouver Canucks will be involved with.
This for, once again, the video you've seen time and time again, really an egregious act of mayhem on Monday night against Colorado's Steve Moore.
Now Moore remains in a hospital with some serious injuries, a cracked vertebrae among the worst of them. And he, of course, is out for the remainder of at least this season.
And, depending on what his condition is next year, I think you'll see the commissioner, Gary Bettman, decide on what will happen at the beginning of next year for Bertuzzi, if that suspension will reach, and how deep it will reach, into next year, based on the condition of the victim.
KAGAN: Well, NHL league kind of in trouble right now, kind of at a crossroads. Also, I think, difficulty in trying to define itself. Where do you draw the line about where a cheap hit is?
Just a couple nights ago, the big hockey highlight was, "Oh, look at this game, because it had more fights than any hockey game in NHL history."
MORRISON: This incident sort of defines the cheap shot as what the result shows.
I mean, as I mentioned, Marty McSorley four years ago was suspended for a full year. He was even convicted of a criminal offense for a stick assault on Donald Brashear of the Vancouver Canucks. So it's the second time in four years that Vancouver police are investigating an on-ice hockey incident as a potential criminal maneuver.
Now the cheap shots, the things that you saw on that tape, happen all the time in pro hockey. I'm not going to say it's an every night, everyday occurrence... KAGAN: And the fans like it.
MORRISON: ... but it's not unusual.
KAGAN: Fans like the fight; they like the violence.
MORRISON: And it's part of the engrained social fabric of professional hockey. And it's sad to say, it's sort of the Canadian machismo. But players retaliate for violent acts. And this is actually a retaliation for an incident that happened last month between these two teams.
We've got some video of an event on February 16, when Steve Moore, who was the victim in the event the other night, came through with what is a clean hit on Vancouver's' captain, Marcus Naslund. And this is...
KAGAN: Is this payback, do you think?
MORRISON: Well, that's exactly what the players had been talking about leading up to the events of Monday night. But this is a legal hit. He was not penalized for this.
It did cost Naslund three games because he sat out with a concussion. And when that happens, and Naslund, again, the team captain, players rally around that off the bench. And they've been talking about retaliation against Steve Moore. And it came on Monday night.
It's also the reason that the Canucks were fined $250,000 as an organization, because the league felt the club did not do enough...
KAGAN: To try to prevent that.
MORRISON: ... to convince players to prevent that.
KAGAN: Real quickly, is it possible that the suspension will be a moot point? A lot of people think the NHL is heading for a huge labor problem of its own and won't be playing. Everybody will be suspended.
MORRISON: Yes, well that is the case for next season. For now, it's not a moot point, because again, he is sitting out the remainder of 12 games on the regular season schedule. He was suspended for last night's contest, as well.
If the Canucks, who are in playoff contention, make the post- season, he'll be no good to them. He's a two-time all-star. Todd Bertuzzi is a heart and soul kind of player to that team who made a terrible mistake in a very quick and violent moment at the end of the game the other night.
KAGAN: Matt, thank you so much.
MORRISON: Thank you.
KAGAN: And thank you for that info on Steve Moore, too. Appreciate that.
The federal government is cracking down on a steroid-like supplement used by some pro athletes. The FDA says it will tell companies to stop selling the supplement andro, unless they can prove that it's not dangerous.
Delaware Senator Joe Biden has introduced legislation to permanently ban the over-the-counter sales of andro. He talked about the issue on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."
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SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: Steroid use has dropped about among high school students, college students, dropped across the board. And people's lives have been saved in the process.
And now what happened was the drug companies figured out a way to get around my law. And so they have these precursors to steroids that we find have the same properties of enhancing performance, and it's also diminishing health.
For the last two years, I've had a bill, along with Senator Hatch, to say that THD (ph), human hormone supplements, andro, all of these things -- and we list them -- should also be treated exactly like steroids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The Department of Health and Human Services holds a news conference on andro later today. You'll see that on "LIVE FROM" at 2:15 p.m. Eastern.
A baseball Hall of Famer is calling for the league to crack down on steroid use. Reggie Jackson spoke out on the issue in an interview with "the Atlanta Journal-Constitution." He says that major league records are being jeopardized.
Jackson tells the paper, quote, "Come on, now. You can't be breaking records, hitting 200 home runs in three or four seasons. The greatest hitters in the history of the game didn't do that."
The battle over gay marriage in Massachusetts is about to reach a new boiling point. A big decision could come today. We'll have the very latest for you, coming up next.
Also, black market body parts. A scandal that has engulfed UCLA's medical school. There are now some surprising new details in that case.
And later, Kerry's insult. The Bush team wants an apology. Will it get one?
CNN LIVE TODAY is coming right back.
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KAGAN: The same sex marriage debate goes back before the Massachusetts legislature today.
Last night, supporters of gay marriage held a candlelight vigil and rally. Lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but that would allow civil unions.
Same sex marriage has become a hot political issue, even for a former president.
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BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The country is going through this dramatic reassessment, and we've come a very long way on this issue.
Keep in mind, when I tried to get gays in the military in '93, it was one of the major reasons that I lost the Congress in '94.
We have come a long way. And I think -- and the culture is different, different communities, different states. We will work through it, and it will continue broadening the circle of rights in America.
It will be fine. I'm not too worried about that.
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KAGAN: The current debate stems from a high court ruling in Massachusetts that says gays do have the right to marry.
UCLA has shut down its donated body program this week after its director was arrested and accused of selling human parts for profit.
In today's "L.A. Times," there are reports that Henry Reid's educational credentials are now in question. And he apparently has severe financial problems, as well, with four reported bankruptcy filings on his record.
CNN obtained documents indicating that Reid may have netted over $240,000 from body part sales.
Charlie Ornstein is a writer for the "Los Angeles Times." He's been working this story this week, and he joins us from the newsroom in Los Angeles this morning.
Charlie, good morning.
CHARLIE ORNSTEIN, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: Tell us more about Henry Reid and, at the risk of making a very bad pun, a lot of skeletons in this man's closet.
ORNSTEIN: Absolutely.
Well, after his arrest, we began looking at that the testimony that he gave in a 2002 deposition, which came out of a previous lawsuit against UCLA regarding the body program and the way it disposed of remains there.
And what we found is that the credentials that he said he had -- a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and some academic accolades -- he really didn't have.
KAGAN: And you also found some incidents of how he lied under oath?
ORNSTEIN: Right, this was in a sworn deposition, so he swore to tell the truth and that this could be used in court. And so it's very likely that the attorneys for the plaintiff in this case will seek to be -- to have him held in contempt of court and have perjury charges brought against him.
KAGAN: And just as another indication that perhaps UCLA administrators really don't know exactly what's going on here, "The Times" takes this information to them and that, basically, was news to them.
ORNSTEIN: This was news to them. After we raised this issue with them, they compared his deposition testimony to what he actually put in his resume, in his job application.
And they found that the credentials he said in his deposition weren't the same as the credentials he put in his resume. He didn't claim to have these degrees in his resume, but they did appear in his deposition. And this hadn't been caught until we raised the issue with them yesterday.
KAGAN: And what about Henry Reid's alleged bad money problems?
ORNSTEIN: Well, Henry Reid, it turns out, has filed for bankruptcy four times. Three times before he took a job at UCLA and one time afterward.
In the three previous bankruptcies, he had trouble pulling his finances together. But after he got his job at UCLA, he was able to dispose of his debts, including paying off $50,000 to settle his debts.
And his attorney says it's incorrect to assume that that's because of any connection to the UCLA case or money he may have received through that. But it certainly raises the question of how he was able to pull his finances together quickly after getting the UCLA job.
KAGAN: And the thing that's kind of mind bending about this, this was the guy that was hired to fix a program that was already in trouble.
ORNSTEIN: Yes. And I think that that's one of the things that UCLA officials are most sad about right now.
Back in 1993, so about a decade ago, UCLA became embroiled in a scandal over the way it was disposing of the remains of cadaver donors. There was -- there were allegations that they were taking several cadavers at a time and putting them in an incinerator, and then mixing those ashes with medical waste, and perhaps even animal ashes and then dumping them in a city landfill.
KAGAN: Much more reporting on this in the "L.A. Times." You can buy it on the newsstands or go to LATimes.com.
Charlie Ornstein. Charlie, thanks for your time this morning.
ORNSTEIN: Good to be with you.
KAGAN: Appreciate it. Well, one other note on this topic, Tulane University in New Orleans is suspending its contract with a distributor of donated bodies. The school found out that the cadavers ended up in the military's hands and the army used them in land mine tests.
Still ahead, undercover cops exposed is the aim of one web site. Is it illegal and is it putting lives in danger? The story is coming up next.
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KAGAN: Haiti's new prime minister has returned to the country from his home in south Florida.
Gerard Latortue says that his top priority is disarming rebel groups and restoring security and order. He plans to restore Haiti's army, which was disbanded by ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Latortue is a former U.N. Official and has support in international circles.
Secrecy is an essential ingredient of security if you are an undercover cop. That security is under the threat from the Internet.
Our national correspondent, Gary Tuchman, has that story.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It isn't hard to spot police officers when in uniform. But many cops do their work under cover, in plainclothes, for their protection.
And that's why a web site that has undercover officers' names, addresses, pictures, and in some cases, pictures of their family members, has made many angry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't want some people that I arrest to know where I live, because who knows what they're capable of?
TUCHMAN: The operator of the site is believed to be a New Yorker currently out of the country. Why he's doing this is not clear.
But in addition to undercover cops in New York, he also has information about uniformed officers, judges and federal in other parts of the country.
"New York Daily News" reporter Michele McPhee has been investigating the web site.
MICHELE MCPHEE, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": The most egregious thing on the web site is descriptions, physical descriptions of both the officers and the officers' children. So-and-so jogs in this park at 8 a.m.
TUCHMAN: But is the web site illegal? As of now, apparently not.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: I don't know who is doing it and probably can't stop it, but it is irresponsible.
TUCHMAN: Can it be stopped? The congressman is drafting legislation.
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: My legislation would say to police departments that they have an absolute right to go into a court, and if they can show that a law enforcement officials lives would be in danger if an Internet web site revealed information about them, that they can get an order that an Internet service provider would have to take that web site down.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Even if such a bill passed, nobody pretends it would be easy to enforce. A spokesman for the NYPD says the department is troubled by the web site and would hope it starts getting less publicity.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, New York.
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KAGAN: A candidate's comment has Republicans demanding an apology. Stay with us for what John Kerry said and the reaction.
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Canucks Player Suspended for Breaking Player's Neck; Suspended UCLA Worker Allegedly Sold Body Parts; Web Site Exposes Undercover Cops>
