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Filipino Man Held Hostage Free Today, But Conditions of Release Still Troubling for U.S.; 'Political Pop'
Aired July 20, 2004 - 08:30 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also "Political Pop" is coming up. This morning we're looking at what happens when you say the name Michael Moore. For one famous singer it actually got her fired.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: What a reaction it was, huh?
Also, the brain and multitasking. According to Sanjay, the two do not go together.
We're going to find out why in a moment here when the good doctor joins us.
In the meantime, though, we mentioned this Iraq story. The Filipino man held hostage free today, in good shape, we're told, but the conditions of his release still troubling for the U.S. and the coalition.
Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for reaction there. Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, Angelo de la Cruz, the Philippine truck driver, father of eight, who was held hostage in Iraq for many days now free this morning.
He is at the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad, appears to be in good shape, we are told, will undergo a medical check before being returned to his family.
But, indeed, reaction in Washington and Baghdad is muted. Now, certainly, the Bush administration is pleased that this man is physically safe, but there are deep concerns about the precedent that this is setting.
The Philippine government giving into the demands of the kidnappers, pulling out their 51 troops from Iraq as the hostage- takers demanded, as a condition for the release of this man -- and it was after they were pulled out that indeed he was released.
The concern, of course, that this will simply lead to more hostage-taking in Iraq, that it will put more pressure on the non-U.S. members of the coalition.
But clearly the Philippine government feeling a great deal of pressure from its own citizens to make sure this man was returned to that country safely and, of course, it is worth remembering there are many thousands of Philippine guest workers, if you will, across the Persian Gulf, working jobs in many countries in that region.
So, clearly, the government in Manila feeling the pressure from its citizens to make sure there was a happy resolution to this situation, but a lot of concern in Washington and Baghdad that there -- this may simply lead to more hostage-taking down the road -- Bill.
HEMMER: A lot more on this throughout the day. Barbara, thanks for that.
Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.
Thirty-two past the hour. Time for "Political Pop" on a Tuesday.
Plenty to stew about in today's edition.
On the left, Democratic strategist Karen Finney back with us. Good morning, Karen.
Holding the middle, Andy Borowitz, theborowitzreport.com back again -- you never leave, do you?
On the right, Jay Nordlinger of the National Review. How are you?
JAY NORDLINGER, NATIONAL REVIEW: Fine, thanks.
HEMMER: All right, let's start with Jay and John McCain. He's saying no a lot lately.
(LAUGHTER)
He told President Bush no, and now he's saying to John Kerry no, I won't be your V.P., don't even consider me and I'm not even going to take a cabinet position if you were to propose that.
You make of this what, Jay?
NORDLINGER: He's a very famous senator, isn't he? And we spend a lot of time on him.
It's a little bit out of whack, I think. He's obviously the media's favorite senator. I don't really trust these demurrals.
I think if Kerry called for a cabinet post he would accept, probably consider it his duty.
If Bush called, which I think is unlikely, I think McCain would accept. So, I don't know about these denials.
HEMMER: In the meantime he's getting a lot of headlines -- isn't he -- Karen?
KAREN FINNEY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: He sure is. It's actually I think the most intriguing political question of the season. Where will John McCain end up?
I think folks are more interested to see where he's going to end up than actually who wins the election.
And it's a little bit like watching "The Bachelor," except I'm not sure who's going to get the rose.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: I think if he got an offer from both, like the Bush administration and the Kerry administration, I would take Bush because it's harder to get fired, I think. I think you go with them.
HEMMER: You think he'd go with Ralph Nader if he offered? That's our next topic.
Karen, apparently in the state of Michigan, Ralph Nader says he'll take 43,000 signatures gathered by the Republican Party.
This is got to have Democrats stewing.
FINNEY: Absolutely, but I think it shows Republicans on the run. They're a little bit scared.
If they're going to sign up, you know, Ralph Nader -- that means they don't have a lot of faith in their own candidate, if they're so convinced they need him on the ticket in order to split the votes.
HEMMER: What do you make of that, Jay?
NORDLINGER: I -- I want Bush to be reelected as much as anyone does, but I'm not sure I could submit names for Ralph Nader. I'm not naive about politics and I know there are tactics that are sometimes distasteful, but this doesn't sit well with me in Michigan.
HEMMER: Do you see this as following a pattern that may continue across the country?
NORDLINGER: I don't think so. I don't think so. I'm not sure Republicans are (UNINTELLIGIBLE) this much.
BOROWITZ: I heard that sometimes they may actually buy some ads for him on the Sci-Fi Channel? I don't know if that's true, but that could happen.
FINNEY: That's certainly where his base would be. But you know, we saw a little bit of this going on in Arizona with the Republican Party there was helping to get him on the ballot so we'll see.
HEMMER: Let's talk about our third topic. What happened at the Aladdin in Las Vegas? Linda Rondstadt dedicates a song to Michael Moore.
BOROWITZ: Right.
HEMMER: Dedicates the song "Desperado." And the place goes kind of nutty. BOROWITZ: And then she's escorted out of the Aladdin but, you know, if they'd just let her sing because Bill, I know you remember the lyrics to "Desperado."
It's "Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?"
HEMMER: "You've been out climbing fences."
BOROWITZ: Yes, so, she's basically saying -- she's basically saying to Michael Moore come to your senses. That should be -- that should have been something they would have applauded.
HEMMER: Well, apparently...
NORDLINGER: Don't they -- they were just reciting the lyrics.
HEMMER: They tore down posters; some demanded their money back.
FINNEY: But, it's interesting, actually in the article it says, I think it shows actually how divided America is, because about a third of the people walked out, about a third of the people gave her a standing ovation, and about a third just kind of sat there. So you got the right, the left, and the middle.
HEMMER: There's the pollster coming out in Karen.
FINNEY: I'm just calling it like I see it, Bill.
HEMMER: Well, apparently, she said before the concert started that this wanted -- she wanted this to be her last performance in Vegas.
FINNEY: I think she got her wish.
(LAUGHTER)
BOROWITZ: She did that.
HEMMER: Jay?
NORDLINGER: She went out with style, she burnt her bridge and a lot of people voted with their feet and it was sort of Democratic, small 'd.'
BOROWITZ: I'm sorry she didn't get to dedicated "You're No Good" to Dick Cheney, though. I think that that's what she -- would have -- that would have been a great way to go out.
HEMMER: "I'll Never Be Blue, My Dreams Come True."
NORDLINGER: We'll just do the whole -- the whole...
HEMMER: Thanks to all three -- we'll see you in Boston, OK? Karen, Andy, Jay -- good to have you here.
Also, AMERICAN MORNING is in Boston starting on Monday morning, 7 a.m. Eastern time. We'll be there throughout the week, complete coverage here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Now Heidi.
COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, with all the trouble they've been having in Athens, it's good to know at least one thing will be finished in time for the Olympic Games. We'll explain.
Plus, some people talk on the phone while driving, and some people eat. Not only is it unsafe, some experts say your brain isn't even wired to handle it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Most of us it seems take multitasking for granted, but according to a new study, our brains aren't exactly hardwired to handle more than one task at a time.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now from Washington with details on all this.
What is the deal -- I thought I could do all of this at the same time?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You thought so, hey? Well, listen, everyone tries to do too much. They were -- the study researchers at MIT tried to figure out how to become most efficient by doing tasks sequentially or by doing them sort of at the same time.
They actually wanted to put this to the test multi-tasking, obviously doing those tasks at the same time. So what they did was they gave a bunch of research participants various tasks to do.
First, they studied them doing the tasks sequentially and then they had them do the tasks at the same time. And they actually imaged their brains while they were doing this and actually take a look at these images; I think they really speak to the volumes.
This is when they were actually doing the tasks sequentially. Various areas of the brain light up that are responsible for getting these tasks done. Now when you multi-task you think that those areas are going to get brighter.
But take a look there. I think again the images tell the story, they get a lot dimmer there, making it, the premise there being that it's much more difficult to get many tasks done at the same time. If you're trying to do those things sequentially -- as opposed to doing them sequentially -- I can't even speak.
But basically the premise was this: that you need some time between tasks to sort of stop and start another task to make your self most efficient possible, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, but it does seem that society sort of demands this type of behavior for us, because we are busy people, got a lot going on, so we're trying to do it but since we're not very good at it, how are we pulling it off?
GUPTA: Well, you know, all tasks are not the same. That was another thing that came out of this study. There are tasks that are sort of reflexive.
Like eating, for example, is a reflex sort of task and to eat and read the newspaper for example is going to be a lot easier to do than talking on the phone and driving. Both of which are fairly involved tasks, especially if you're holding the phone to the ear. So it really depends on the sort of task that you're doing.
But also, another sort of interesting part of the study that came out was that when you're doing many things at once, there might be a long-term effect on your brain.
There's an area of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for memories. That's where you store all your short-term memories and when you're doing many things at once, multitasking, causing stress, you can see where the hippocampus is there -- you might actually be causing damage to the hippocampus.
Bottom line is this: that all these various multi-tasking events while they -- you may feel like you're getting more done at the time, you probably aren't, and you might be causing damage to the brain which may make it harder for you to remember short-term later on. So you know there's another reason not to multi-task, Heidi.
COLLINS: Wow, I'm so glad I have an excuse now. But, what do you actually do, Sanjay, to try to alleviate the multi-tasking stress in your life in the first place?
GUPTA: Well, I think there's lots of different strategies. We actually ask the researchers that same thing. I was sort of curious to know for myself what can you do if you want to get many things done at the same time.
Again, it depends on the sort of activity but again sequentially is sort of the key there. Doing things in order. If you can sort of do -- move on from one task to another, that really helps. Creating a schedule, setting reminders to switch tasks.
Staying focused, meaning if your working on a project and you know you can turn the ringers off on your phone, for example. Teaming up with others, so delegating your work so that everyone is getting the work done sequentially might be best, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, quickly before we let you go, Sanjay. Got to prove a point. Who's better at it? Men or women?
GUPTA: Well, actually there's no difference. We talked to the researchers about that as well. It's long believed that women are actually better at it, Heidi because they have to multi-task more evolutionary, take care of children; for example, take care of a household whereas men were just hunters and gatherers.
But over time it's probably just sort of come together and they're about the same at it now. Both equally bad.
COLLINS: OK, I guess I'm proven wrong then. All right, Sanjay Gupta thanks so much for that.
GUPTA: Take care.
HEMMER: We're going to get back to this war of words, too, between Israel's Ariel Sharon and Jacques Chirac of France. We'll tell you why in a moment.
Also, a high-speed chase ends in dramatic rescue. We'll get to that in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: About 45 minutes past the hour. Get this: dramatic rescue in the state of Wisconsin. A state trooper saved a woman's life by grabbing onto her arm as she tried to plunge off the side of a bridge in Green Bay. The scene captured on the squad car camera.
The trooper had been following the woman at speeds of 105 miles an hour. Authorities received a call to check on her welfare. She apparently was suffering from postpartum depression, and her family was worried that she might be suicidal. Wow.
Forty-five minutes past the hour now. Back to Daryn Kagan. Other headlines this morning; Daryn good morning there.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I have to close the jaw from those pictures. Absolutely incredible. Very brave state trooper there.
All right on to the headlines now, Bill.
Let's go ahead and talk about former President Clinton's national security adviser, now under federal criminal investigation. Sandy Berger admitted that he had removed some classified documents from the national archives while preparing to testify before the 9/11 Commission.
Among the papers still missing are critical assessments about the Clinton administration's handling of the millennium terror threats. Berger says he is cooperating with investigators.
Martha Stewart is -- excuse me -- planning to write a how to book about her trial experience. Stewart spoke about her two and a half year ordeal with CNN's Larry King last night.
She said she wants to write the book to guide others facing the trial process. Stewart also said that she hasn't decided yet whether to press forward with her appeal or start serving her five-month prison sentence.
No relief at the pumps for the nation's motorists with gasoline prices rising for a second straight week. The Energy Department says the average price of gas is now about $1.93 a gallon. West Coast drivers are paying the most; prices are the lowest along the Gulf Coast.
Overseas a diplomatic flap is raging between France and Israel. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called on French Jews to leave France on account of what he thinks is growing anti-Semitism there.
Now French President Jacques Chirac wants an explanation, and he says Sharon isn't welcome in France until he gets one. France's foreign minister is set to visit Israel in the fall but won't be going until the situation has been cleared up.
And finally, in Greece, the trams are back on the Simian streets after more than four decades. The tram made its first trip through the Greek capital yesterday -- those are kind of cool looking -- this is just weeks before the start of the Olympic Games. The system, 16 miles long -- can carry up to 80,000 people a day. Athens old tram system was scrapped back in 1960.
And, Bill, in case you're counting, you sports fan you, 24 days until opening ceremonies. Twenty-four.
HEMMER: How do you think they're going to do, Daryn?
KAGAN: You know, I'm sending a lot of Olympic love their way, and I think they are going to need it. That place does not seem ready.
HEMMER: I -- you know what? I think they're going to contradict all conventional wisdom. I think the games are going to be dynamite.
I think the venues are going to be terrific, and I think the whole world is going to sit back and say, you know what? Greece got it right.
KAGAN: And you were here in Atlanta in '96; everyone said that Atlanta was going to be a disaster. It did great; it was a really fun place to be.
HEMMER: Very true. A lot of fun. That's right.
Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Sure.
COLLINS: I think they're hoping so, anyway and that's for sure. I know you're a big gymnastics fan. Right?
(LAUGHTER)
Jack here now with the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I don't know. The "New Yorker" magazine reports that all military personnel can get free cosmetic surgery, including facelifts, nose jobs, breast enlargements, and liposuction, all at taxpayer's expense. Between 2000 and 2003, Army doctors performed 496 breast enlargements and 1360 liposuction surgeries. However, for the breast enlargements, you must bring your own implants. They don't supply those.
An Army spokeswoman says they do these procedures so the surgeons can have someone to practice on. The question this morning is should the military pay for cosmetic surgery?
"On the eve of my induction into the U.S. Navy," writes Grant in Fresno, California: "...of course free cosmetic surgery should be in my list of perks. But then again, I worked at a hospital for three years and couldn't get any health coverage, cosmetic or not. I might be biased on this point."
Tom in Vero Beach, Florida: "Cosmetic surgery is nothing new in the military. At Paris Island in 1966 our drill instructor offered to tear us a new whatchmacallit for no charge at all."
And Samantha in Long Island, New York: "I think that's sick. If I were to get implants, I'd have to pay thousands of dollars. If military personnel get implants, they get it for free at my and other taxpayer's expense. Disgusting. They should pay out of their own pockets like the rest of us."
And Linda Lou writes from Clearwater, Florida: "Gives a whole new meaning to BYOB. Bring your own boobs."
(LAUGHTER)
That'd be from Linda Lou.
COLLINS: OK.
CAFFERTY: You all right?
COLLINS: I'm all right.
CAFFERTY: OK.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning, something for airline passengers to complain about other than long lines. We are "Minding Your Business" -- plus, why McDonald's needs a new sign. Over 20,000 served just to one man.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Delta Airlines down in the dumps over record losses. Christine Romans is in for Andy Serwer. She's "Minding Your Business."
Two billion in losses last term.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: A tough business to be in, the airline business. Higher fuel costs, you've also got really picky fliers for getting cheap fares, so these airlines are really having to fill up their planes, they're using smaller planes, they're really trying to make money.
And Delta is not making any money. The company lost $2 billion in its most recent quarter, its worst quarter ever and the stock is down some 87 percent over the past few years.
Yesterday, the stock actually rallied in the twists of the way Wall Street works. That's because the company pointed out that it does have $2.3 billion in the bank.
That should help it in the meantime and it's hoping to win some concessions that will allow it to avert bankruptcy but indeed this is a business that is in real trouble.
COLLINS: But people still get bumped as they're trying to fly, right?
ROMANS: Absolutely because the planes are smaller and they really have to oversell the flights to make any money so the number of people being bumped off of their flights is up 27 percent in the first quarter from the same period a year ago.
That's from the "Detroit News." These numbers are pretty astonishing. Of 235,000 people bumped off their flights -- boy if that doesn't make you irritated after an airport experience, right? 8.7 percent is what travel is up, as well -- so it's showing you that more people are traveling but more people are getting bumped off their flights.
I guess most of these are people who want to get bumped because there's this whole art of getting $200, $300 or $400 out of an airline, so if you've got the time and you know how to sort of figure it out -- I mean there's some good money to be made.
Come early, walk right up to the counter and say, hey, I'd like to be bumped and know that you can negotiate, as well. I mean there are people who get, you know, round trip international tickets for being bumped off of a domestic flight.
COLLINS: Very nice and you still get the miles after they do that, correct?
ROMANS: Absolutely.
COLLINS: I see.
HEMMER: As long as you're flexible on your travel plans, right?
ROMANS: Well, yes, you've got to plan for this. If you're toting two kids and you've got to be there on time, it's not a good idea.
COLLINS: No bumping allowed.
HEMMER: When was the last time you ate at McDonald's?
ROMANS: Couple of days ago, maybe.
HEMMER: OK. Well, there's this guy in Wisconsin, a major Big Mac milestone yesterday, gulped down sandwich number 20,000.
Fans cheered for Don Gorske at his local McDonald's in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. Don's already made the Guinness Book of Records for chomping down the Big Mac number.
By the way, he's been eating a Big Mac a day since 1972. The McD's fan admits he's a little compulsive. Do you think?
COLLINS: What would compel you, I wonder?
HEMMER: I suggest a little more variety in his menu.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Back to Washington in a moment here. A former national security adviser walks out with classified documents. He blames it on his own sloppiness.
We'll talk with former White House counsel, special counsel, Lanny Davis about that, the matter surrounding Samuel Berger at the top of the hour here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Good morning. The man in charge of national security under President Clinton takes classified documents while getting ready for the 9/11 investigation. The question today is why.
Hard choices for Martha Stewart. Would going straight to prison be the best way for her to serve her own company?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA STEWART: My company needs me. I would like to get back to work. I would like this to be over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: This morning more on the exclusive interview last night with CNN and Larry King.
And after a hostage negotiation goes nowhere, police take the direct approach to reach a gunmen. How it all turned out, this hour, on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
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Aired July 20, 2004 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also "Political Pop" is coming up. This morning we're looking at what happens when you say the name Michael Moore. For one famous singer it actually got her fired.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: What a reaction it was, huh?
Also, the brain and multitasking. According to Sanjay, the two do not go together.
We're going to find out why in a moment here when the good doctor joins us.
In the meantime, though, we mentioned this Iraq story. The Filipino man held hostage free today, in good shape, we're told, but the conditions of his release still troubling for the U.S. and the coalition.
Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for reaction there. Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
Well, Angelo de la Cruz, the Philippine truck driver, father of eight, who was held hostage in Iraq for many days now free this morning.
He is at the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad, appears to be in good shape, we are told, will undergo a medical check before being returned to his family.
But, indeed, reaction in Washington and Baghdad is muted. Now, certainly, the Bush administration is pleased that this man is physically safe, but there are deep concerns about the precedent that this is setting.
The Philippine government giving into the demands of the kidnappers, pulling out their 51 troops from Iraq as the hostage- takers demanded, as a condition for the release of this man -- and it was after they were pulled out that indeed he was released.
The concern, of course, that this will simply lead to more hostage-taking in Iraq, that it will put more pressure on the non-U.S. members of the coalition.
But clearly the Philippine government feeling a great deal of pressure from its own citizens to make sure this man was returned to that country safely and, of course, it is worth remembering there are many thousands of Philippine guest workers, if you will, across the Persian Gulf, working jobs in many countries in that region.
So, clearly, the government in Manila feeling the pressure from its citizens to make sure there was a happy resolution to this situation, but a lot of concern in Washington and Baghdad that there -- this may simply lead to more hostage-taking down the road -- Bill.
HEMMER: A lot more on this throughout the day. Barbara, thanks for that.
Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.
Thirty-two past the hour. Time for "Political Pop" on a Tuesday.
Plenty to stew about in today's edition.
On the left, Democratic strategist Karen Finney back with us. Good morning, Karen.
Holding the middle, Andy Borowitz, theborowitzreport.com back again -- you never leave, do you?
On the right, Jay Nordlinger of the National Review. How are you?
JAY NORDLINGER, NATIONAL REVIEW: Fine, thanks.
HEMMER: All right, let's start with Jay and John McCain. He's saying no a lot lately.
(LAUGHTER)
He told President Bush no, and now he's saying to John Kerry no, I won't be your V.P., don't even consider me and I'm not even going to take a cabinet position if you were to propose that.
You make of this what, Jay?
NORDLINGER: He's a very famous senator, isn't he? And we spend a lot of time on him.
It's a little bit out of whack, I think. He's obviously the media's favorite senator. I don't really trust these demurrals.
I think if Kerry called for a cabinet post he would accept, probably consider it his duty.
If Bush called, which I think is unlikely, I think McCain would accept. So, I don't know about these denials.
HEMMER: In the meantime he's getting a lot of headlines -- isn't he -- Karen?
KAREN FINNEY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: He sure is. It's actually I think the most intriguing political question of the season. Where will John McCain end up?
I think folks are more interested to see where he's going to end up than actually who wins the election.
And it's a little bit like watching "The Bachelor," except I'm not sure who's going to get the rose.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: I think if he got an offer from both, like the Bush administration and the Kerry administration, I would take Bush because it's harder to get fired, I think. I think you go with them.
HEMMER: You think he'd go with Ralph Nader if he offered? That's our next topic.
Karen, apparently in the state of Michigan, Ralph Nader says he'll take 43,000 signatures gathered by the Republican Party.
This is got to have Democrats stewing.
FINNEY: Absolutely, but I think it shows Republicans on the run. They're a little bit scared.
If they're going to sign up, you know, Ralph Nader -- that means they don't have a lot of faith in their own candidate, if they're so convinced they need him on the ticket in order to split the votes.
HEMMER: What do you make of that, Jay?
NORDLINGER: I -- I want Bush to be reelected as much as anyone does, but I'm not sure I could submit names for Ralph Nader. I'm not naive about politics and I know there are tactics that are sometimes distasteful, but this doesn't sit well with me in Michigan.
HEMMER: Do you see this as following a pattern that may continue across the country?
NORDLINGER: I don't think so. I don't think so. I'm not sure Republicans are (UNINTELLIGIBLE) this much.
BOROWITZ: I heard that sometimes they may actually buy some ads for him on the Sci-Fi Channel? I don't know if that's true, but that could happen.
FINNEY: That's certainly where his base would be. But you know, we saw a little bit of this going on in Arizona with the Republican Party there was helping to get him on the ballot so we'll see.
HEMMER: Let's talk about our third topic. What happened at the Aladdin in Las Vegas? Linda Rondstadt dedicates a song to Michael Moore.
BOROWITZ: Right.
HEMMER: Dedicates the song "Desperado." And the place goes kind of nutty. BOROWITZ: And then she's escorted out of the Aladdin but, you know, if they'd just let her sing because Bill, I know you remember the lyrics to "Desperado."
It's "Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?"
HEMMER: "You've been out climbing fences."
BOROWITZ: Yes, so, she's basically saying -- she's basically saying to Michael Moore come to your senses. That should be -- that should have been something they would have applauded.
HEMMER: Well, apparently...
NORDLINGER: Don't they -- they were just reciting the lyrics.
HEMMER: They tore down posters; some demanded their money back.
FINNEY: But, it's interesting, actually in the article it says, I think it shows actually how divided America is, because about a third of the people walked out, about a third of the people gave her a standing ovation, and about a third just kind of sat there. So you got the right, the left, and the middle.
HEMMER: There's the pollster coming out in Karen.
FINNEY: I'm just calling it like I see it, Bill.
HEMMER: Well, apparently, she said before the concert started that this wanted -- she wanted this to be her last performance in Vegas.
FINNEY: I think she got her wish.
(LAUGHTER)
BOROWITZ: She did that.
HEMMER: Jay?
NORDLINGER: She went out with style, she burnt her bridge and a lot of people voted with their feet and it was sort of Democratic, small 'd.'
BOROWITZ: I'm sorry she didn't get to dedicated "You're No Good" to Dick Cheney, though. I think that that's what she -- would have -- that would have been a great way to go out.
HEMMER: "I'll Never Be Blue, My Dreams Come True."
NORDLINGER: We'll just do the whole -- the whole...
HEMMER: Thanks to all three -- we'll see you in Boston, OK? Karen, Andy, Jay -- good to have you here.
Also, AMERICAN MORNING is in Boston starting on Monday morning, 7 a.m. Eastern time. We'll be there throughout the week, complete coverage here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Now Heidi.
COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, with all the trouble they've been having in Athens, it's good to know at least one thing will be finished in time for the Olympic Games. We'll explain.
Plus, some people talk on the phone while driving, and some people eat. Not only is it unsafe, some experts say your brain isn't even wired to handle it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Most of us it seems take multitasking for granted, but according to a new study, our brains aren't exactly hardwired to handle more than one task at a time.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now from Washington with details on all this.
What is the deal -- I thought I could do all of this at the same time?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You thought so, hey? Well, listen, everyone tries to do too much. They were -- the study researchers at MIT tried to figure out how to become most efficient by doing tasks sequentially or by doing them sort of at the same time.
They actually wanted to put this to the test multi-tasking, obviously doing those tasks at the same time. So what they did was they gave a bunch of research participants various tasks to do.
First, they studied them doing the tasks sequentially and then they had them do the tasks at the same time. And they actually imaged their brains while they were doing this and actually take a look at these images; I think they really speak to the volumes.
This is when they were actually doing the tasks sequentially. Various areas of the brain light up that are responsible for getting these tasks done. Now when you multi-task you think that those areas are going to get brighter.
But take a look there. I think again the images tell the story, they get a lot dimmer there, making it, the premise there being that it's much more difficult to get many tasks done at the same time. If you're trying to do those things sequentially -- as opposed to doing them sequentially -- I can't even speak.
But basically the premise was this: that you need some time between tasks to sort of stop and start another task to make your self most efficient possible, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, but it does seem that society sort of demands this type of behavior for us, because we are busy people, got a lot going on, so we're trying to do it but since we're not very good at it, how are we pulling it off?
GUPTA: Well, you know, all tasks are not the same. That was another thing that came out of this study. There are tasks that are sort of reflexive.
Like eating, for example, is a reflex sort of task and to eat and read the newspaper for example is going to be a lot easier to do than talking on the phone and driving. Both of which are fairly involved tasks, especially if you're holding the phone to the ear. So it really depends on the sort of task that you're doing.
But also, another sort of interesting part of the study that came out was that when you're doing many things at once, there might be a long-term effect on your brain.
There's an area of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for memories. That's where you store all your short-term memories and when you're doing many things at once, multitasking, causing stress, you can see where the hippocampus is there -- you might actually be causing damage to the hippocampus.
Bottom line is this: that all these various multi-tasking events while they -- you may feel like you're getting more done at the time, you probably aren't, and you might be causing damage to the brain which may make it harder for you to remember short-term later on. So you know there's another reason not to multi-task, Heidi.
COLLINS: Wow, I'm so glad I have an excuse now. But, what do you actually do, Sanjay, to try to alleviate the multi-tasking stress in your life in the first place?
GUPTA: Well, I think there's lots of different strategies. We actually ask the researchers that same thing. I was sort of curious to know for myself what can you do if you want to get many things done at the same time.
Again, it depends on the sort of activity but again sequentially is sort of the key there. Doing things in order. If you can sort of do -- move on from one task to another, that really helps. Creating a schedule, setting reminders to switch tasks.
Staying focused, meaning if your working on a project and you know you can turn the ringers off on your phone, for example. Teaming up with others, so delegating your work so that everyone is getting the work done sequentially might be best, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, quickly before we let you go, Sanjay. Got to prove a point. Who's better at it? Men or women?
GUPTA: Well, actually there's no difference. We talked to the researchers about that as well. It's long believed that women are actually better at it, Heidi because they have to multi-task more evolutionary, take care of children; for example, take care of a household whereas men were just hunters and gatherers.
But over time it's probably just sort of come together and they're about the same at it now. Both equally bad.
COLLINS: OK, I guess I'm proven wrong then. All right, Sanjay Gupta thanks so much for that.
GUPTA: Take care.
HEMMER: We're going to get back to this war of words, too, between Israel's Ariel Sharon and Jacques Chirac of France. We'll tell you why in a moment.
Also, a high-speed chase ends in dramatic rescue. We'll get to that in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
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HEMMER: About 45 minutes past the hour. Get this: dramatic rescue in the state of Wisconsin. A state trooper saved a woman's life by grabbing onto her arm as she tried to plunge off the side of a bridge in Green Bay. The scene captured on the squad car camera.
The trooper had been following the woman at speeds of 105 miles an hour. Authorities received a call to check on her welfare. She apparently was suffering from postpartum depression, and her family was worried that she might be suicidal. Wow.
Forty-five minutes past the hour now. Back to Daryn Kagan. Other headlines this morning; Daryn good morning there.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I have to close the jaw from those pictures. Absolutely incredible. Very brave state trooper there.
All right on to the headlines now, Bill.
Let's go ahead and talk about former President Clinton's national security adviser, now under federal criminal investigation. Sandy Berger admitted that he had removed some classified documents from the national archives while preparing to testify before the 9/11 Commission.
Among the papers still missing are critical assessments about the Clinton administration's handling of the millennium terror threats. Berger says he is cooperating with investigators.
Martha Stewart is -- excuse me -- planning to write a how to book about her trial experience. Stewart spoke about her two and a half year ordeal with CNN's Larry King last night.
She said she wants to write the book to guide others facing the trial process. Stewart also said that she hasn't decided yet whether to press forward with her appeal or start serving her five-month prison sentence.
No relief at the pumps for the nation's motorists with gasoline prices rising for a second straight week. The Energy Department says the average price of gas is now about $1.93 a gallon. West Coast drivers are paying the most; prices are the lowest along the Gulf Coast.
Overseas a diplomatic flap is raging between France and Israel. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called on French Jews to leave France on account of what he thinks is growing anti-Semitism there.
Now French President Jacques Chirac wants an explanation, and he says Sharon isn't welcome in France until he gets one. France's foreign minister is set to visit Israel in the fall but won't be going until the situation has been cleared up.
And finally, in Greece, the trams are back on the Simian streets after more than four decades. The tram made its first trip through the Greek capital yesterday -- those are kind of cool looking -- this is just weeks before the start of the Olympic Games. The system, 16 miles long -- can carry up to 80,000 people a day. Athens old tram system was scrapped back in 1960.
And, Bill, in case you're counting, you sports fan you, 24 days until opening ceremonies. Twenty-four.
HEMMER: How do you think they're going to do, Daryn?
KAGAN: You know, I'm sending a lot of Olympic love their way, and I think they are going to need it. That place does not seem ready.
HEMMER: I -- you know what? I think they're going to contradict all conventional wisdom. I think the games are going to be dynamite.
I think the venues are going to be terrific, and I think the whole world is going to sit back and say, you know what? Greece got it right.
KAGAN: And you were here in Atlanta in '96; everyone said that Atlanta was going to be a disaster. It did great; it was a really fun place to be.
HEMMER: Very true. A lot of fun. That's right.
Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Sure.
COLLINS: I think they're hoping so, anyway and that's for sure. I know you're a big gymnastics fan. Right?
(LAUGHTER)
Jack here now with the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I don't know. The "New Yorker" magazine reports that all military personnel can get free cosmetic surgery, including facelifts, nose jobs, breast enlargements, and liposuction, all at taxpayer's expense. Between 2000 and 2003, Army doctors performed 496 breast enlargements and 1360 liposuction surgeries. However, for the breast enlargements, you must bring your own implants. They don't supply those.
An Army spokeswoman says they do these procedures so the surgeons can have someone to practice on. The question this morning is should the military pay for cosmetic surgery?
"On the eve of my induction into the U.S. Navy," writes Grant in Fresno, California: "...of course free cosmetic surgery should be in my list of perks. But then again, I worked at a hospital for three years and couldn't get any health coverage, cosmetic or not. I might be biased on this point."
Tom in Vero Beach, Florida: "Cosmetic surgery is nothing new in the military. At Paris Island in 1966 our drill instructor offered to tear us a new whatchmacallit for no charge at all."
And Samantha in Long Island, New York: "I think that's sick. If I were to get implants, I'd have to pay thousands of dollars. If military personnel get implants, they get it for free at my and other taxpayer's expense. Disgusting. They should pay out of their own pockets like the rest of us."
And Linda Lou writes from Clearwater, Florida: "Gives a whole new meaning to BYOB. Bring your own boobs."
(LAUGHTER)
That'd be from Linda Lou.
COLLINS: OK.
CAFFERTY: You all right?
COLLINS: I'm all right.
CAFFERTY: OK.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning, something for airline passengers to complain about other than long lines. We are "Minding Your Business" -- plus, why McDonald's needs a new sign. Over 20,000 served just to one man.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
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COLLINS: Delta Airlines down in the dumps over record losses. Christine Romans is in for Andy Serwer. She's "Minding Your Business."
Two billion in losses last term.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: A tough business to be in, the airline business. Higher fuel costs, you've also got really picky fliers for getting cheap fares, so these airlines are really having to fill up their planes, they're using smaller planes, they're really trying to make money.
And Delta is not making any money. The company lost $2 billion in its most recent quarter, its worst quarter ever and the stock is down some 87 percent over the past few years.
Yesterday, the stock actually rallied in the twists of the way Wall Street works. That's because the company pointed out that it does have $2.3 billion in the bank.
That should help it in the meantime and it's hoping to win some concessions that will allow it to avert bankruptcy but indeed this is a business that is in real trouble.
COLLINS: But people still get bumped as they're trying to fly, right?
ROMANS: Absolutely because the planes are smaller and they really have to oversell the flights to make any money so the number of people being bumped off of their flights is up 27 percent in the first quarter from the same period a year ago.
That's from the "Detroit News." These numbers are pretty astonishing. Of 235,000 people bumped off their flights -- boy if that doesn't make you irritated after an airport experience, right? 8.7 percent is what travel is up, as well -- so it's showing you that more people are traveling but more people are getting bumped off their flights.
I guess most of these are people who want to get bumped because there's this whole art of getting $200, $300 or $400 out of an airline, so if you've got the time and you know how to sort of figure it out -- I mean there's some good money to be made.
Come early, walk right up to the counter and say, hey, I'd like to be bumped and know that you can negotiate, as well. I mean there are people who get, you know, round trip international tickets for being bumped off of a domestic flight.
COLLINS: Very nice and you still get the miles after they do that, correct?
ROMANS: Absolutely.
COLLINS: I see.
HEMMER: As long as you're flexible on your travel plans, right?
ROMANS: Well, yes, you've got to plan for this. If you're toting two kids and you've got to be there on time, it's not a good idea.
COLLINS: No bumping allowed.
HEMMER: When was the last time you ate at McDonald's?
ROMANS: Couple of days ago, maybe.
HEMMER: OK. Well, there's this guy in Wisconsin, a major Big Mac milestone yesterday, gulped down sandwich number 20,000.
Fans cheered for Don Gorske at his local McDonald's in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. Don's already made the Guinness Book of Records for chomping down the Big Mac number.
By the way, he's been eating a Big Mac a day since 1972. The McD's fan admits he's a little compulsive. Do you think?
COLLINS: What would compel you, I wonder?
HEMMER: I suggest a little more variety in his menu.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Back to Washington in a moment here. A former national security adviser walks out with classified documents. He blames it on his own sloppiness.
We'll talk with former White House counsel, special counsel, Lanny Davis about that, the matter surrounding Samuel Berger at the top of the hour here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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HEMMER: Good morning. The man in charge of national security under President Clinton takes classified documents while getting ready for the 9/11 investigation. The question today is why.
Hard choices for Martha Stewart. Would going straight to prison be the best way for her to serve her own company?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA STEWART: My company needs me. I would like to get back to work. I would like this to be over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: This morning more on the exclusive interview last night with CNN and Larry King.
And after a hostage negotiation goes nowhere, police take the direct approach to reach a gunmen. How it all turned out, this hour, on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
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