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American Morning
Interview With Mark Hatfield, TSA Communications Director; '90- Second Pop'
Aired June 16, 2004 - 07:30 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The communications director of the Transportation Security Administration, Mark Hatfield, is going to join us in just a little bit to tell us how and where certain passengers will be able to participate.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Where can I sign up?
O'BRIEN: Yes, please me too. I'm in on that too.
HEMMER: If it's easy, let's do it. We'll talk about that in a moment.
Also, "90-Second Pop" today, our panel, a controversy is brewing for Nicole Kidman. It involves an upcoming film. Supposedly it has a bathtub scene with a 10-year-old boy, is that right?
O'BRIEN: Yes. Film executives are saying, whoa, whoa, inappropriate across the board. Our "90-Second Pop" panel is going to talk about that just ahead.
HEMMER: Stay tuned.
O'BRIEN: Well, terrorists are saying that they're going to kill American Paul Johnson if their demands aren't met by Friday. Johnson was kidnapped in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. He was shown in a Web video yesterday. He identified himself in a somewhat halting voice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL JOHNSON, HOSTAGE: Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr., American. I'm an American of the United States. The Apache helicopters. I work on the Apache helicopters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A masked gunman also made statements in the videotape. He demanded that Saudi Arabia release al Qaeda prisoners and that Westerners leave the Arabian Peninsula. The Saudi foreign policy adviser yesterday did not rule out an exchange of prisoners for Johnson, but he said that he did not think it would be likely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, ADVISER TO SAUDI CROWN PRINCE: Our position over the past 30 years has been the same. We don't negotiate with terrorists. We don't negotiate with hostage-takers, because then you'll open the door up to more hostage taking and more terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: He says the U.S. and the Saudi governments are working very closely on -- quote -- "The best means for freeing Mr. Johnson."
HEMMER: It's 28 minutes now before the hour.
The number of air travelers this summer is expected to rise. But even as the travel season gets hotter, the security process in many areas may actually get easier. Maybe.
The good news, there may soon be a way for some passengers to go through special express airport security lines. Let's talk about it with Mark Hatfield, Transportation Security Administration, from the TSA, live in D.C.
Mark, good morning to you, and thank you for your time.
MARK HATFIELD, TSA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Good morning. Thank you.
HEMMER: It's called the Registered Traveler Program. What is it?
HATFIELD: Well, we've got a really exciting pilot project that we're kicking off later this month starting in Minneapolis, where frequent flyers will be invited to voluntarily join the Registered Traveler Program. And in doing so, they will provide information that will allow us to do a background check, make sure that they don't pose a threat to aviation.
And then depending on the particular airport where the pilot is located, we'll have a designated or even a dedicated line at some point that they can get through a little bit faster with a few less hassles, and really significantly reduce the possibility that they're going to be taken over for secondary screening.
HEMMER: So, it's kind of like a free pass then. If you pass the background pass -- check, rather, you'll have this card or whatever will help identify you to the people doing security at the airport, correct?
HATFIELD: It's an easy pass. It's not a free pass. Everybody still goes through screening, and that's an important point. We're not relaxing any of the standards. We will still have primary screening for registered travelers, but it will significantly reduce the added time that secondary screening takes, and reduce the chance that they'll be taken over to the corral for secondary screening. It's very important.
It also has this biometric identification component in it, which we're really excited about, because that holds a lot of promise for aviation security. It has further applications for identifying airport workers, crews, law enforcement officers. So, this is really a platform that we're building that can be expanded both for the registered travelers and beyond that in aviation security applications elsewhere.
HEMMER: Mark, why do you think this program is going to work? Many of the initiatives employed in the past three years have actually slowed down the time it takes to get processed at the airport.
HATFIELD: Well, we're confident in this program, because, first of all, we're taking a very deliberate approach to it. We're building the foundation first. We're making sure that we've got the standard procedures in place that will allow our screeners to process registered travelers in a faster fashion.
It's basically -- you know, we're looking for a needle in a haystack. And this is a process where we're making the haystack smaller. We're separating a group of people that we have vetted, that we've cleared. We're still going to screen them, but we're able to put them through a little bit faster. And quite frankly, if you look at the numbers that we're getting, even in this very busy travel season, our screeners are doing a terrific job at keeping those lines moving.
HEMMER: Mark, your critics say you've been dragging your feet on this. It should have been initiated two and a half, maybe three years ago. How do you respond to that?
HATFIELD: Well, we certainly had a priority list of accomplishments to get to on the aviation security front. I think that we've done a great job at addressing those steps in the most important order. This is certainly an important addition, and it's still a very timely addition to the whole aviation matrix.
So, we're using the $5 million that Congress has allocated for this, and we're rolling it out. Passengers are very excited. The airlines are excited about it. We've got a lot of support. And, again, I think it's going to give us a platform not only to build on for the registered travelers but to then extend some of these technologies and some of these applications into the rest of the aviation mix.
HEMMER: Are you convinced this is foolproof? Can you keep a terrorist away from this program?
HATFIELD: Well, there is no single layer of security that's foolproof and we live with that knowledge, which is why we looked at the entire compilation of aviation security measures as a redundant layer-after-layer system, which will allow us to mitigate risks at each one of those layers, and know that while none of them are foolproof, we've got a system that together brings us into a safe environment.
HEMMER: Well, good luck with it, and we'll watch and monitor how it goes. Mark Hatfield from the TSA. It starts at five major airports across this country very soon. Thanks again, Mark Hatfield in D.C.
HATFIELD: Thank you. O'BRIEN: Still to come on this AMERICAN MORNING, it's one distinction that a lot of cities are really sweating over. So which town needs to stock up on deodorant? We'll explain just ahead.
HEMMER: Like that story. Britney Spears gets benched. We'll tell you why in a moment when we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It is hot, hot, hot in El Paso Texas, which tops the list of sweaty cities in the U.S. The average summer temperature in El Paso is 93 degrees, making it the warmest place in the country. Second place -- excuse me -- is Greenville, South Carolina, followed by Phoenix, Arizona, Corpus Christi, Texas, and then New Orleans, Louisiana. The mayor of El Paso is getting, I guess, for winning -- if you call that winning -- a year supply of Old Spice deodorant.
HEMMER: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Its maker, Procter & Gamble, sponsored the study. Just the mayor alone? Not like anybody else beyond the mayor?
HEMMER: Yes, have those people ever been in the concrete jungle of New York City during August?
O'BRIEN: I know, exactly.
HEMMER: Sweaty.
(WEATHER BREAK)
HEMMER: The "Question of the Day," back to Jack on this one.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
New revelations in the Michael Jackson case could spell a lot of bad news for the King of Pop. Court TV reporting a blockbuster story yesterday. Jackson paid more than $20 million in 1993 to settle a civil suit by a boy who accused him of molesting him. This included $15.3 million put into a trust fund for the boy, 1.5 million each to his parents, $5 million to the kid's lawyer.
Jackson maintained his settlement did not represent an admission of wrongdoing. CNN tried to reach Jackson's representatives, but so far they haven't called us back. I don't quite understand why. I'm friendly people. I'd just like to talk to them.
The question is this: How will the new revelations about Michael Jackson affect his upcoming trial where he's accused of child molestation?
Dale in Sioux Falls, South Dakota: "It's simple. He was probably guilty back then. He's probably guilty this time too."
Paul in Hellertown, Pennsylvania: "Payment to make criminal charges go away does not make one guilty. But the motivation may well be the avoidance of the horrors associated with a high-profile trial. The presumption of innocence has been replaced by the press and the unthinking public with the assumption of guilt, and celebrities ultimately lose regardless of the court verdict." Especially if they mess around with kids.
Hazel in Ontario, Canada: "If I were Michael Jackson, I would rather spend $20 million of my hard-earned money on a lawyer to prove the child was lying and prove I'm innocent than to pay it to this person and their family to keep them quiet. Maybe it's wrong, but a payoff looks like a presumption of guilt, and Michael Jackson has done nothing since to prove to me or anyone else that our presumptions are inaccurate."
Paul in Buffalo writes, with some hostility, I think: "Thank goodness our Michael Jackson expert is back on the job. Jack should be sent to Neverland on permanent assignment so we could have daily updates."
HEMMER: Would you like it on that merry-go-round out there?
CAFFERTY: Huh?
HEMMER: I think not. We're putting it to Toobin. We'll talk about it next hour. Perhaps this cuts both ways.
CAFFERTY: Yes?
HEMMER: In a way it looks like they're after money, and also in a way it looks like there could be an admission of guilt, because you pay out $20 million.
CAFFERTY: Yes, it looks like they're after money, but if you didn't do anything wrong, would you write a check for $20 million? I don't think so.
HEMMER: That's why we have them.
CAFFERTY: Huh?
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. Our e-mailers.
Still to come here, they partied hard in Motown last night. A look at that in a moment here from Detroit. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: About 45 minutes now past the hour. Back to Heidi Collins with a check of the other news making headlines today.
Heidi -- Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill. And good morning to you, everyone.
Saudi officials are working to verify a new videotape of kidnapped American Paul Johnson. The videotape was found on an Islamic Web site yesterday. The tape also lists his captives' demands. Saudi authorities are urged to release al Qaeda prisoners within 72 hours or risk Johnson's life.
Officials from the FBI and the CIA will be on Capitol Hill today for the final public hearing of the 9/11 Commission. The plot leading up to the September 11th attacks is expected to be the major focus today. The commission's final report is expected next month.
A new study shows road debris isn't only a nuisance, it's a safety hazard. The AAA Foundation for Public Safety says road debris causes at least 25,000 crashes and more than 80 deaths every year. Tire treads and truck litter are the most common problems.
To sports now, the NBA champs have been crowned. The Detroit Pistons winning their first NBA title in 14 years. Detroit crushing the L.A. Lakers in yesterday's game five. Final score, 100-87. As for the fans, thousands I think we agreed, people were cheering and dancing in the streets within minutes of the game. Celebrations, as you might imagine, continue today. A parade is set for tomorrow.
And it's going to be a cruel summer for Britney Spears fans. The singer is calling off concert performances because of a knee injury. Her record label says she will need to wear a hard brace for six weeks, then will need at least two more months of rehabilitation. The summer portion of her tour was due to kick off next week in Connecticut. People in Connecticut not happy, I'm sure.
HEMMER: Yes, I'm sure.
O'BRIEN: I'm sure.
COLLINS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Didn't she injure it doing a music video or something?
COLLINS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: How do I know that?
COLLINS: Because we did that story. It's like the Britney Spears update over here.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
HEMMER: Hey, they know a celebration in Detroit, don't they?
COLLINS: Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: That's going to be fun. I love parades.
HEMMER: I think it's going to go until Saturday.
COLLINS: At least. I think you're right.
O'BRIEN: All right, Heidi, thanks. Still to come this morning, Nicole Kidman has done nude scenes before, but the latest reportedly has the studio executives all hot and bothered. We'll explain when our "90-Second Pop" panel dives right in. That's ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes. Ooh, that was a little steamy, wasn't it? It is time for another chapter of the series that has never been copied -- that has been copied. At least people have tried, but they've never really tried successfully, have they? Let's just brag on ourselves for a moment. We like to call it "90-Second Pop."
And here's our culture club this morning. B.J. Sigesmund is a staff editor for "US Weekly," Sarah Bernard is a contributing editor for "New York" magazine, and humorist Andy Borowitz is the star of the BorowitzReport.com, all joining us on the couch this morning.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: How many other people are on the Borowitz Report?
ANDY BOROWITZ, HUMORIST: So far, just me.
O'BRIEN: No, you can still be the star then, see?
BOROWITZ: That's good.
O'BRIEN: Let's get into this story about Nicole Kidman. Apparently, and this is sort of like early word about this movie she's doing called "Birth," where she's bathing naked with a 10-year-old kid in the tub. What?
BERNARD: Yes.
BOROWITZ: Yes. Well, I guess it's a film. They just finished filming it, and the 10-year-old kid is actually supposed to be the reincarnation of her late husband. Of course, we're just seeing her take a bath with a 10-year-old kid.
O'BRIEN: And so is everybody else.
BOROWITZ: Right.
O'BRIEN: Studio executives included who are like what?
BOROWITZ: I think the most disturbing thing is that ruining a perfectly good scene of Nicole Kidman naked taking a bath.
BERNARD: Oh!
BOROWITZ: I'm sorry.
B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Well, you know...
BERNARD: I think the whole thing is just a plot to divert attention from "The Stepford Wives" and how bad it is. And this is just going to focus everybody on her next movie. Don't you think that's right?
BOROWITZ: No.
SIGESMUND: Well, actually the thing -- this is a lot of hoo-ha over a movie that actually wrapped in April of 2003. I'm sorry to tell you, Andy.
BOROWITZ: Oh.
SIGESMUND: It's been sitting on the shelf for a year. They don't have a distribution date for it yes.
O'BRIEN: Do you agree it's sort of a plot to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
SIGESMUND: Well, this movie -- I mean, it seems like a lot of hype around this film that no one had been talking about or no one had even expected to come out.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: They need people to come out and start condemning it and tell people not to see it, because if it hits...
BERNARD: And then everyone will see it.
SIGESMUND: And also, you know...
BOROWITZ: I told B.J. I just read that the 10-year-old kid is now 30 (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SIGESMUND: Well, you know, the kiss also is not -- there's a lot of dispute over the kiss. Some say it's passionate. Other people...
O'BRIEN: What kiss? She kisses the kid?
SIGESMUND: There's a kiss between Nicole and the kid in the tub. And some people say it's a passionate kiss. Other people say it's more of a kiss between a mother and her son.
O'BRIEN: Ew, either way!
SIGESMUND: Ew!
BOROWITZ: It will never be released, that's good.
O'BRIEN: Moving right on. All right, let's talk about two shows that are coming back for new seasons. We've got "Newlyweds." Of course, they're not newlyweds anymore. They need to rename it "Old Married People."
BERNARD: "Old Married Couple."
O'BRIEN: They're getting that way. And then we've got "The Simple Life Two," which is Paris and Nicole back again. Where are they discovering?
BERNARD: This is hilarious. Paris and Nicole are now on the road. They are driving an Airstream trailer from Miami Beach all the way to Beverly Hills. And it's a little of the same. You know, they don't have credit cards. They don't have any cash. So, they have to rely on the kindness of strangers to get gas, to get food. And they put them in different kind of stunt situations. They work in a prison. They work in a sausage factory, I kid you not. But it's getting a little bit old. I mean, it is kind of the same thing over and over, and you have the feeling that they are simply using this show to promote their movie career, their albums, their perfume.
SIGESMUND: Right, that they're clean.
O'BRIEN: Which means we'll see "The Simple Life" three, four and five.
BERNARD: Of course.
(CROSSTALK)
BOROWITZ: Well, you know, if they do other ones, if they really want to do a fish out of water story, why don't they do one where they, like, go to a library or something? I think that would be good.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Or just go to like a normal store as opposed to couture's or something.
SIGESMUND: Yes. Well, just this week, Paris...
BERNARD: To the H&M.
SIGESMUND: Paris and Nicole were both saying that, you know, a lot of this stuff is played up for the cameras, that if they actually did their jobs well in the sausage factory or 7/11 or whatever that they put them...
O'BRIEN: Right, no one would want to watch it.
SIGESMUND: ... no one would watch. And, you know, they are both very cognizant of that.
BERNARD: They've gotten the hang of it. But...
BOROWITZ: The thing is that everyone is supposed to have 50 minutes of fame. I calculated the minutes of fame that Jessica Simpson and Paris and Nicole have had. It's 90 million.
BERNARD: That's too long.
BOROWITZ: That's how many minutes they've had.
O'BRIEN: We've got to turn, because I want to talk about this "Fahrenheit 9/11" before we run out of time. SIGESMUND: Yes.
O'BRIEN: You saw it last night.
SIGESMUND: I saw "Fahrenheit 9/11" last night.
O'BRIEN: Didn't show the rating of it. What did you think of the movie and what do you think it should be rated?
SIGESMUND: Well, you know, while it's biased, it's very obvious, and a lot of the facts about President Bush...
O'BRIEN: Anti-Bush.
SIGESMUND: Yes, a lot of these facts have been uncovered elsewhere. Michael Moore presents this film with a lot of clarity and sobriety and humor and a genuine emotion that I was startled by. There are sequences focusing on these young unemployed, you know, teenagers, young disenfranchised kids in this country, who for the most part are the ones who have ended up on the battle lines in Iraq. That's what is really incredible.
BERNARD: That's why he was saying it should be PG-13, because he wants people who are going to probably end up fighting to see this movie. But, I mean, honestly, it's just so they can sell some more tickets, isn't it?
SIGESMUND: Well, yes, between 10 and 20...
BERNARD: It's kind of ridiculous that they're trying to make it sound like he's doing it so that more people can see it while they're young.
SIGESMUND: Well, that's his point obviously.
BERNARD: It's just that when you have a PG-13 movie, it makes so much more money.
O'BRIEN: It broadens your audience.
SIGESMUND: Right. And he wants as many people to see this film as possible. And with an R rating, 10 to 20 million people possibly would not be able to see it.
BOROWITZ: The French love Michael Moore so much he actually is now favored to win the Tour de France, which I just could not...
O'BRIEN: He needs to work on that a little bit more than...
BOROWITZ: I'm just amazed. I guess he's a shoo-in. It's a shoo-in.
O'BRIEN: And they've got to get him on a bike first. That visual.
SIGESMUND: That would be a sight. O'BRIEN: So scary, isn't it?
SIGESMUND: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, you guys, we're out of time, but thanks, as always. Appreciate it. B.J. and Sarah and Andy, nice to see you. Thanks.
Bill -- let's go back to you.
HEMMER: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) too. I can see Michael Moore on that 20-speed, huh, Andy? A sight to see.
In a moment here, a loving tribute, was it on Friday? Or was it a pot shot at the president? Our political gurus Kamber and May stop by in a moment here. We'll look back at Ron Reagan's comments on Friday evening. Back in a moment.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired June 16, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The communications director of the Transportation Security Administration, Mark Hatfield, is going to join us in just a little bit to tell us how and where certain passengers will be able to participate.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Where can I sign up?
O'BRIEN: Yes, please me too. I'm in on that too.
HEMMER: If it's easy, let's do it. We'll talk about that in a moment.
Also, "90-Second Pop" today, our panel, a controversy is brewing for Nicole Kidman. It involves an upcoming film. Supposedly it has a bathtub scene with a 10-year-old boy, is that right?
O'BRIEN: Yes. Film executives are saying, whoa, whoa, inappropriate across the board. Our "90-Second Pop" panel is going to talk about that just ahead.
HEMMER: Stay tuned.
O'BRIEN: Well, terrorists are saying that they're going to kill American Paul Johnson if their demands aren't met by Friday. Johnson was kidnapped in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. He was shown in a Web video yesterday. He identified himself in a somewhat halting voice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL JOHNSON, HOSTAGE: Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr., American. I'm an American of the United States. The Apache helicopters. I work on the Apache helicopters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: A masked gunman also made statements in the videotape. He demanded that Saudi Arabia release al Qaeda prisoners and that Westerners leave the Arabian Peninsula. The Saudi foreign policy adviser yesterday did not rule out an exchange of prisoners for Johnson, but he said that he did not think it would be likely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, ADVISER TO SAUDI CROWN PRINCE: Our position over the past 30 years has been the same. We don't negotiate with terrorists. We don't negotiate with hostage-takers, because then you'll open the door up to more hostage taking and more terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: He says the U.S. and the Saudi governments are working very closely on -- quote -- "The best means for freeing Mr. Johnson."
HEMMER: It's 28 minutes now before the hour.
The number of air travelers this summer is expected to rise. But even as the travel season gets hotter, the security process in many areas may actually get easier. Maybe.
The good news, there may soon be a way for some passengers to go through special express airport security lines. Let's talk about it with Mark Hatfield, Transportation Security Administration, from the TSA, live in D.C.
Mark, good morning to you, and thank you for your time.
MARK HATFIELD, TSA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Good morning. Thank you.
HEMMER: It's called the Registered Traveler Program. What is it?
HATFIELD: Well, we've got a really exciting pilot project that we're kicking off later this month starting in Minneapolis, where frequent flyers will be invited to voluntarily join the Registered Traveler Program. And in doing so, they will provide information that will allow us to do a background check, make sure that they don't pose a threat to aviation.
And then depending on the particular airport where the pilot is located, we'll have a designated or even a dedicated line at some point that they can get through a little bit faster with a few less hassles, and really significantly reduce the possibility that they're going to be taken over for secondary screening.
HEMMER: So, it's kind of like a free pass then. If you pass the background pass -- check, rather, you'll have this card or whatever will help identify you to the people doing security at the airport, correct?
HATFIELD: It's an easy pass. It's not a free pass. Everybody still goes through screening, and that's an important point. We're not relaxing any of the standards. We will still have primary screening for registered travelers, but it will significantly reduce the added time that secondary screening takes, and reduce the chance that they'll be taken over to the corral for secondary screening. It's very important.
It also has this biometric identification component in it, which we're really excited about, because that holds a lot of promise for aviation security. It has further applications for identifying airport workers, crews, law enforcement officers. So, this is really a platform that we're building that can be expanded both for the registered travelers and beyond that in aviation security applications elsewhere.
HEMMER: Mark, why do you think this program is going to work? Many of the initiatives employed in the past three years have actually slowed down the time it takes to get processed at the airport.
HATFIELD: Well, we're confident in this program, because, first of all, we're taking a very deliberate approach to it. We're building the foundation first. We're making sure that we've got the standard procedures in place that will allow our screeners to process registered travelers in a faster fashion.
It's basically -- you know, we're looking for a needle in a haystack. And this is a process where we're making the haystack smaller. We're separating a group of people that we have vetted, that we've cleared. We're still going to screen them, but we're able to put them through a little bit faster. And quite frankly, if you look at the numbers that we're getting, even in this very busy travel season, our screeners are doing a terrific job at keeping those lines moving.
HEMMER: Mark, your critics say you've been dragging your feet on this. It should have been initiated two and a half, maybe three years ago. How do you respond to that?
HATFIELD: Well, we certainly had a priority list of accomplishments to get to on the aviation security front. I think that we've done a great job at addressing those steps in the most important order. This is certainly an important addition, and it's still a very timely addition to the whole aviation matrix.
So, we're using the $5 million that Congress has allocated for this, and we're rolling it out. Passengers are very excited. The airlines are excited about it. We've got a lot of support. And, again, I think it's going to give us a platform not only to build on for the registered travelers but to then extend some of these technologies and some of these applications into the rest of the aviation mix.
HEMMER: Are you convinced this is foolproof? Can you keep a terrorist away from this program?
HATFIELD: Well, there is no single layer of security that's foolproof and we live with that knowledge, which is why we looked at the entire compilation of aviation security measures as a redundant layer-after-layer system, which will allow us to mitigate risks at each one of those layers, and know that while none of them are foolproof, we've got a system that together brings us into a safe environment.
HEMMER: Well, good luck with it, and we'll watch and monitor how it goes. Mark Hatfield from the TSA. It starts at five major airports across this country very soon. Thanks again, Mark Hatfield in D.C.
HATFIELD: Thank you. O'BRIEN: Still to come on this AMERICAN MORNING, it's one distinction that a lot of cities are really sweating over. So which town needs to stock up on deodorant? We'll explain just ahead.
HEMMER: Like that story. Britney Spears gets benched. We'll tell you why in a moment when we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It is hot, hot, hot in El Paso Texas, which tops the list of sweaty cities in the U.S. The average summer temperature in El Paso is 93 degrees, making it the warmest place in the country. Second place -- excuse me -- is Greenville, South Carolina, followed by Phoenix, Arizona, Corpus Christi, Texas, and then New Orleans, Louisiana. The mayor of El Paso is getting, I guess, for winning -- if you call that winning -- a year supply of Old Spice deodorant.
HEMMER: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Its maker, Procter & Gamble, sponsored the study. Just the mayor alone? Not like anybody else beyond the mayor?
HEMMER: Yes, have those people ever been in the concrete jungle of New York City during August?
O'BRIEN: I know, exactly.
HEMMER: Sweaty.
(WEATHER BREAK)
HEMMER: The "Question of the Day," back to Jack on this one.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
New revelations in the Michael Jackson case could spell a lot of bad news for the King of Pop. Court TV reporting a blockbuster story yesterday. Jackson paid more than $20 million in 1993 to settle a civil suit by a boy who accused him of molesting him. This included $15.3 million put into a trust fund for the boy, 1.5 million each to his parents, $5 million to the kid's lawyer.
Jackson maintained his settlement did not represent an admission of wrongdoing. CNN tried to reach Jackson's representatives, but so far they haven't called us back. I don't quite understand why. I'm friendly people. I'd just like to talk to them.
The question is this: How will the new revelations about Michael Jackson affect his upcoming trial where he's accused of child molestation?
Dale in Sioux Falls, South Dakota: "It's simple. He was probably guilty back then. He's probably guilty this time too."
Paul in Hellertown, Pennsylvania: "Payment to make criminal charges go away does not make one guilty. But the motivation may well be the avoidance of the horrors associated with a high-profile trial. The presumption of innocence has been replaced by the press and the unthinking public with the assumption of guilt, and celebrities ultimately lose regardless of the court verdict." Especially if they mess around with kids.
Hazel in Ontario, Canada: "If I were Michael Jackson, I would rather spend $20 million of my hard-earned money on a lawyer to prove the child was lying and prove I'm innocent than to pay it to this person and their family to keep them quiet. Maybe it's wrong, but a payoff looks like a presumption of guilt, and Michael Jackson has done nothing since to prove to me or anyone else that our presumptions are inaccurate."
Paul in Buffalo writes, with some hostility, I think: "Thank goodness our Michael Jackson expert is back on the job. Jack should be sent to Neverland on permanent assignment so we could have daily updates."
HEMMER: Would you like it on that merry-go-round out there?
CAFFERTY: Huh?
HEMMER: I think not. We're putting it to Toobin. We'll talk about it next hour. Perhaps this cuts both ways.
CAFFERTY: Yes?
HEMMER: In a way it looks like they're after money, and also in a way it looks like there could be an admission of guilt, because you pay out $20 million.
CAFFERTY: Yes, it looks like they're after money, but if you didn't do anything wrong, would you write a check for $20 million? I don't think so.
HEMMER: That's why we have them.
CAFFERTY: Huh?
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. Our e-mailers.
Still to come here, they partied hard in Motown last night. A look at that in a moment here from Detroit. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: About 45 minutes now past the hour. Back to Heidi Collins with a check of the other news making headlines today.
Heidi -- Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill. And good morning to you, everyone.
Saudi officials are working to verify a new videotape of kidnapped American Paul Johnson. The videotape was found on an Islamic Web site yesterday. The tape also lists his captives' demands. Saudi authorities are urged to release al Qaeda prisoners within 72 hours or risk Johnson's life.
Officials from the FBI and the CIA will be on Capitol Hill today for the final public hearing of the 9/11 Commission. The plot leading up to the September 11th attacks is expected to be the major focus today. The commission's final report is expected next month.
A new study shows road debris isn't only a nuisance, it's a safety hazard. The AAA Foundation for Public Safety says road debris causes at least 25,000 crashes and more than 80 deaths every year. Tire treads and truck litter are the most common problems.
To sports now, the NBA champs have been crowned. The Detroit Pistons winning their first NBA title in 14 years. Detroit crushing the L.A. Lakers in yesterday's game five. Final score, 100-87. As for the fans, thousands I think we agreed, people were cheering and dancing in the streets within minutes of the game. Celebrations, as you might imagine, continue today. A parade is set for tomorrow.
And it's going to be a cruel summer for Britney Spears fans. The singer is calling off concert performances because of a knee injury. Her record label says she will need to wear a hard brace for six weeks, then will need at least two more months of rehabilitation. The summer portion of her tour was due to kick off next week in Connecticut. People in Connecticut not happy, I'm sure.
HEMMER: Yes, I'm sure.
O'BRIEN: I'm sure.
COLLINS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Didn't she injure it doing a music video or something?
COLLINS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: How do I know that?
COLLINS: Because we did that story. It's like the Britney Spears update over here.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
HEMMER: Hey, they know a celebration in Detroit, don't they?
COLLINS: Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: That's going to be fun. I love parades.
HEMMER: I think it's going to go until Saturday.
COLLINS: At least. I think you're right.
O'BRIEN: All right, Heidi, thanks. Still to come this morning, Nicole Kidman has done nude scenes before, but the latest reportedly has the studio executives all hot and bothered. We'll explain when our "90-Second Pop" panel dives right in. That's ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes. Ooh, that was a little steamy, wasn't it? It is time for another chapter of the series that has never been copied -- that has been copied. At least people have tried, but they've never really tried successfully, have they? Let's just brag on ourselves for a moment. We like to call it "90-Second Pop."
And here's our culture club this morning. B.J. Sigesmund is a staff editor for "US Weekly," Sarah Bernard is a contributing editor for "New York" magazine, and humorist Andy Borowitz is the star of the BorowitzReport.com, all joining us on the couch this morning.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: How many other people are on the Borowitz Report?
ANDY BOROWITZ, HUMORIST: So far, just me.
O'BRIEN: No, you can still be the star then, see?
BOROWITZ: That's good.
O'BRIEN: Let's get into this story about Nicole Kidman. Apparently, and this is sort of like early word about this movie she's doing called "Birth," where she's bathing naked with a 10-year-old kid in the tub. What?
BERNARD: Yes.
BOROWITZ: Yes. Well, I guess it's a film. They just finished filming it, and the 10-year-old kid is actually supposed to be the reincarnation of her late husband. Of course, we're just seeing her take a bath with a 10-year-old kid.
O'BRIEN: And so is everybody else.
BOROWITZ: Right.
O'BRIEN: Studio executives included who are like what?
BOROWITZ: I think the most disturbing thing is that ruining a perfectly good scene of Nicole Kidman naked taking a bath.
BERNARD: Oh!
BOROWITZ: I'm sorry.
B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Well, you know...
BERNARD: I think the whole thing is just a plot to divert attention from "The Stepford Wives" and how bad it is. And this is just going to focus everybody on her next movie. Don't you think that's right?
BOROWITZ: No.
SIGESMUND: Well, actually the thing -- this is a lot of hoo-ha over a movie that actually wrapped in April of 2003. I'm sorry to tell you, Andy.
BOROWITZ: Oh.
SIGESMUND: It's been sitting on the shelf for a year. They don't have a distribution date for it yes.
O'BRIEN: Do you agree it's sort of a plot to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
SIGESMUND: Well, this movie -- I mean, it seems like a lot of hype around this film that no one had been talking about or no one had even expected to come out.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: They need people to come out and start condemning it and tell people not to see it, because if it hits...
BERNARD: And then everyone will see it.
SIGESMUND: And also, you know...
BOROWITZ: I told B.J. I just read that the 10-year-old kid is now 30 (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
SIGESMUND: Well, you know, the kiss also is not -- there's a lot of dispute over the kiss. Some say it's passionate. Other people...
O'BRIEN: What kiss? She kisses the kid?
SIGESMUND: There's a kiss between Nicole and the kid in the tub. And some people say it's a passionate kiss. Other people say it's more of a kiss between a mother and her son.
O'BRIEN: Ew, either way!
SIGESMUND: Ew!
BOROWITZ: It will never be released, that's good.
O'BRIEN: Moving right on. All right, let's talk about two shows that are coming back for new seasons. We've got "Newlyweds." Of course, they're not newlyweds anymore. They need to rename it "Old Married People."
BERNARD: "Old Married Couple."
O'BRIEN: They're getting that way. And then we've got "The Simple Life Two," which is Paris and Nicole back again. Where are they discovering?
BERNARD: This is hilarious. Paris and Nicole are now on the road. They are driving an Airstream trailer from Miami Beach all the way to Beverly Hills. And it's a little of the same. You know, they don't have credit cards. They don't have any cash. So, they have to rely on the kindness of strangers to get gas, to get food. And they put them in different kind of stunt situations. They work in a prison. They work in a sausage factory, I kid you not. But it's getting a little bit old. I mean, it is kind of the same thing over and over, and you have the feeling that they are simply using this show to promote their movie career, their albums, their perfume.
SIGESMUND: Right, that they're clean.
O'BRIEN: Which means we'll see "The Simple Life" three, four and five.
BERNARD: Of course.
(CROSSTALK)
BOROWITZ: Well, you know, if they do other ones, if they really want to do a fish out of water story, why don't they do one where they, like, go to a library or something? I think that would be good.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Or just go to like a normal store as opposed to couture's or something.
SIGESMUND: Yes. Well, just this week, Paris...
BERNARD: To the H&M.
SIGESMUND: Paris and Nicole were both saying that, you know, a lot of this stuff is played up for the cameras, that if they actually did their jobs well in the sausage factory or 7/11 or whatever that they put them...
O'BRIEN: Right, no one would want to watch it.
SIGESMUND: ... no one would watch. And, you know, they are both very cognizant of that.
BERNARD: They've gotten the hang of it. But...
BOROWITZ: The thing is that everyone is supposed to have 50 minutes of fame. I calculated the minutes of fame that Jessica Simpson and Paris and Nicole have had. It's 90 million.
BERNARD: That's too long.
BOROWITZ: That's how many minutes they've had.
O'BRIEN: We've got to turn, because I want to talk about this "Fahrenheit 9/11" before we run out of time. SIGESMUND: Yes.
O'BRIEN: You saw it last night.
SIGESMUND: I saw "Fahrenheit 9/11" last night.
O'BRIEN: Didn't show the rating of it. What did you think of the movie and what do you think it should be rated?
SIGESMUND: Well, you know, while it's biased, it's very obvious, and a lot of the facts about President Bush...
O'BRIEN: Anti-Bush.
SIGESMUND: Yes, a lot of these facts have been uncovered elsewhere. Michael Moore presents this film with a lot of clarity and sobriety and humor and a genuine emotion that I was startled by. There are sequences focusing on these young unemployed, you know, teenagers, young disenfranchised kids in this country, who for the most part are the ones who have ended up on the battle lines in Iraq. That's what is really incredible.
BERNARD: That's why he was saying it should be PG-13, because he wants people who are going to probably end up fighting to see this movie. But, I mean, honestly, it's just so they can sell some more tickets, isn't it?
SIGESMUND: Well, yes, between 10 and 20...
BERNARD: It's kind of ridiculous that they're trying to make it sound like he's doing it so that more people can see it while they're young.
SIGESMUND: Well, that's his point obviously.
BERNARD: It's just that when you have a PG-13 movie, it makes so much more money.
O'BRIEN: It broadens your audience.
SIGESMUND: Right. And he wants as many people to see this film as possible. And with an R rating, 10 to 20 million people possibly would not be able to see it.
BOROWITZ: The French love Michael Moore so much he actually is now favored to win the Tour de France, which I just could not...
O'BRIEN: He needs to work on that a little bit more than...
BOROWITZ: I'm just amazed. I guess he's a shoo-in. It's a shoo-in.
O'BRIEN: And they've got to get him on a bike first. That visual.
SIGESMUND: That would be a sight. O'BRIEN: So scary, isn't it?
SIGESMUND: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, you guys, we're out of time, but thanks, as always. Appreciate it. B.J. and Sarah and Andy, nice to see you. Thanks.
Bill -- let's go back to you.
HEMMER: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) too. I can see Michael Moore on that 20-speed, huh, Andy? A sight to see.
In a moment here, a loving tribute, was it on Friday? Or was it a pot shot at the president? Our political gurus Kamber and May stop by in a moment here. We'll look back at Ron Reagan's comments on Friday evening. Back in a moment.
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