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American Morning
Interview With Paul Zickmund, Hurricane Survivor; Kobe Bryant Case; Interview with FEMA Director Michael Brown
Aired August 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, gets a lot of style points for his fashion sense. But somebody else tops "Esquire" magazine's world best-dressed list. No. 1 might come as a bit of a surprise to you.
Are you on that?
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: No, the stripes on stripes are not working for me, I guess. They lost my application.
Let's get back to Hurricane Charley. Again, at least 16 are dead there, $15 billion in damage possibly. A million people are still without power today. Thousands of Floridians are literally picking up the pieces of their lives, and Paul Zickmund is one of them. He survived the storm. His home that he rented in Port Charlotte, Florida, did not survive.
And Paul is our guest this hour.
Good morning to you, and thank you for time this morning.
PAUL ZICKMUND, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: How are you doing this morning?
HEMMER: I'm doing OK. How much were you able to save, Paul, from your home?
ZICKMUND: Excuse me?
HEMMER: How much were you able to save from inside the home you were renting?
ZICKMUND: Not much at all. The whole house is gone. It's just unbelievable. I saw the front window blow in. The back door blew in. I thought I was going to die. I thought I was dead.
HEMMER: Where did you find cover inside that home, Paul?
ZICKMUND: In a back alcove of the house. The small nook in the back of the house, I stayed back there when the winds came back through the second time.
HEMMER: How long did that storm last?
ZICKMUND: I thought at least two hours. At least two hours, I thought. HEMMER: And you said at one point you thought you were not going to make it.
ZICKMUND: I...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: What was the feeling that you were experiencing with the walls or the windows? Since you were inside, give us an explanation as to what you were feeling.
ZICKMUND: Everything was shaking. I felt myself lose my breath of air a couple of times. And the wind was so strong. And I just saw parts of the roof fly through my house and taking the whole pool cage out. And things were flying by my head, and I found my Bic lighter stuffed in the side of the wall. It messed my head. I couldn't believe it. It was unreal.
HEMMER: Were you there by yourself, Paul?
ZICKMUND: Yes, I was.
HEMMER: Yes. Why did you decide to stay?
ZICKMUND: I felt safe there. I've never experienced this before in my life. That was pretty scary.
HEMMER: What do you need today, Paul?
ZICKMUND: Excuse me?
HEMMER: What do you need now?
ZICKMUND: What I need now is a cup of coffee. I'm getting cranky here.
HEMMER: Are you getting much help?
ZICKMUND: Yes, I think I found a place to live. I'm getting out of here. Another part of Florida I'm moving to.
HEMMER: We wish you the best of luck, OK?
ZICKMUND: Thank you very much. I'm lucky to be here.
HEMMER: Paul Zickmund, lucky to be alive, that's right, on this Monday morning in Port Charlotte.
We'll talk to Michael Brown, head of FEMA, in a moment here about federal relief there again. We were told it's pouring into the area. We'll find out how much at this point in a few moments here.
But for now, here's Heidi across the studio.
COLLINS: And now to the Kobe Bryant case. The NBA star will be in court today for what's supposed to be the final pretrial hearing before jury selection begins August 27. But there's plenty of speculation that the sexual assault case won't make it that far.
Chris Lawrence is live in Eagle, Colorado, now with the very latest.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi, prosecutors had been asking for more time to prepare their case against Kobe Bryant, but the judge has ruled no. This case either goes to trial as scheduled next week or it doesn't go on at all.
So, this could be and will be Kobe Bryant's last appearance presumably here in court until jury selection begins next Friday.
Today the judge will rule on several motions that will go a long way toward determining exactly what those jurors may hear. The most significant could be whether to allow prosecutors to present a certain DNA expert. We've already heard the defense expert's explanation of the evidence she examined, indicating the young woman had sex with another man after Kobe Bryant but before her hospital exam. Now, this contradicts what the accuser has said.
And prosecutors will be arguing for their expert, who is expected to testify that DNA can remain on cotton for months, even after repeated launderings.
Now, some victims' rights advocates say there has already been way too much digging into this woman's sexual past. And they say it's sent a message to other women that Colorado's rape shield law has loopholes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYNTHIA STONE, VICTIMS' RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Well, they look at this case and feel like that this is the kind of thing that's going to happen to them, that they are going to lose their privacy, that they are going to be blamed for what happened to them, that they are not going to believe. We hope not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Now, the judge has decided to limit testimony about the woman's mental health; meaning if this case does go to trial, any defense accusations about drug abuse or attempted suicide will never be heard in court -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Chris Lawrence, thanks so much for that live from Eagle, Colorado, this morning.
And joining us now to talk more about the Kobe Bryant case and Michael Jackson's hearing today, Court TV's Lisa Bloom.
Lisa, good morning to you. Thanks for being here.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Good morning.
COLLINS: Tell us a little bit more. Chris touched on it briefly. But this DNA that the prosecution is going to be... BLOOM: Well, this is crucial to the case. The defense has a terrific expert. The transcript has been released, so I've read it, Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, who says the DNA on the alleged victim's underwear shows that she had sex after the incident with Kobe Bryant before the rape exam in that 12-hour window.
The prosecution absolutely needs an expert to counter that. Today they're going to argue to the judge that they should be allowed to do that.
Now, why they have taken so long to get their expert before the court, I don't know. They've known about this issue for months. But there it is. And hopefully the judge will allow them to level the playing field by calling their own DNA expert.
COLLINS: all right. Now, we also know that Bryant's accuser last week filed this civil case.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: The monetary damages, we don't know the number, but we know that obviously that will be involved.
BLOOM: Right.
COLLINS: What does this do to her credibility?
BLOOM: Well, I think it's absolute suicide for the prosecution's side of the case. She and her attorneys, her civil attorneys are upset with some of the judge's ruling, like releasing this transcript, like letting her name out over the Web site. But to shoot yourself in the foot by filing a civil suit on the eve of the criminal trial, it's absolutely crazy. I think what she wants to do is just drop the criminal trial and go forward with the civil case. And she's hoping this will force the prosecution's hand to do that.
COLLINS: All right. We're going to move on now to the Michael Jackson case. Tom Sneddon -- we've heard this name now for quite a while -- is the Santa Barbara County district lawyer who has been prosecuting Michael Jackson here.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: Things could be getting a little personal. I mean, he's going to be in court.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: Michael Jackson isn't required to be there.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: But he's going to be there, and he's going to have a bunch of family members there as well.
BLOOM: Well, that's right. And this is an important hearing as well today. The Michael Jackson side of the table says that this district attorney overstepped his authority by getting personally involved in a search on this private investigator's office.
You know, I don't see that as unethical behavior. It's unusual for the top guy to do it himself. But it's like a CEO answering his own phone rather than having a secretary do it. There's nothing improper about it. It's just unusual.
But Michael Jackson showing up for this routine pretrial hearing, I think, trying to send a message that this is personal on his side, and he's going to sit there and eyeball this D.A., sit in court and watch this proceeding...
COLLINS: Intimidate him.
BLOOM: And in an attempt to intimidate him, yes.
COLLINS: All right. Let's talk also about the California attorney general's office determining...
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: ... that the police did not -- quote -- "manhandle" Michael Jackson as Michael Jackson had claimed that they did.
BLOOM: That's right.
COLLINS: What does that mean for Michael Jackson's credibility?
BLOOM: You know, it's not surprising, but I wonder if that outcome can be used in the molestation trial, as you said, to bear on his credibility. You know, we all remember Michael Jackson walking out of that police interview waving his arms around, shaking hands with fans, and then later on saying he had a dislocated shoulder with no medical evidence apparently to back that up. And the police had videotapes to show how he was handled the entire time.
Now that the attorney general has said nothing untoward happened, will that bear on Michael Jackson's credibility?
COLLINS: We will have to see.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: As always, Lisa Bloom, thanks so much for your time this morning.
BLOOM: Thank you.
COLLINS: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, 22 minutes before the hour. Back to Carol Costello watching the other news, starting again with Iraq this hour.
Carol -- good morning. CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Certainly so. Good morning. Bill, thank you.
A French-American journalist and his translator have reportedly been taken hostage in Iraq; that's according to the Al-Jazeera network. The kidnapping comes on the second day of Iraq's national conference. Iraqi leaders are calling on radical cleric Muqtada al- Sadr to end his rebellion against multinational forces in Najaf. Two American troops were killed there yesterday.
Vietnamese citizens are seeking legal compensation for exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. About 100 Vietnamese have recently joined a class-action suit against more than 30 chemical companies. Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used as a defoliant during the war. According to veterans' advocacy groups, Agent Orange has been linked to leukemia, cancer and mental retardation.
This year's winner of the Kentucky Derby is retiring to his home today. Smarty Jones is expected to arrive at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky this morning, where he'll go out to stud. His owners recently syndicated the 3-year-old colt for about $48 million. The colt was retired after being diagnosed with bone bruises.
And in Vermont, some 60,000 fans gathered to say good-bye to the popular jam band, Phish. They performed their final show last night, wrapping up a week-long outdoor festival in northeastern Vermont. After 21 years, Phish announced last May that this would be their farewell performance.
Back to New York now and Bill.
HEMMER: All right, ending an era there. Carol, thanks for that.
We want to get back to Florida quickly. Michael Brown is the director of FEMA. That's the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He's been in Florida since the weekend. He's my guest now live in Punta Gorda.
Good morning, Mr. Brown. And thank you for your time here.
MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: What do people need now?
BROWN: Everything. I want to encourage individuals who want to help to contribute to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, any volunteer agencies so that we can help meet the immediate needs of the disaster victims.
FEMA is bringing in shelters, cots, tents, medical supplies, everything we need to help these disaster victims recover.
HEMMER: Now, I was told you are at a medical center in Charlotte County. Is that right? And if so, how much damage has been done there? BROWN: Well, we have three hospitals that either are without power or their infrastructure has been damaged such that their emergency rooms and other facilities can't operate. So, we've activated some incredibly fantastic disaster medical assistance teams. I'm standing in one of their tents right now. And they are providing literally all of the health care needs for the individuals in this community.
HEMMER: Andrew clocked in at $26 billion 12 years ago. Do you have a firm figure at what Charley will cost?
BROWN: We don't, Bill, and we really won't get that figure for a while. Governor Bush and I get asked that question every single stop yesterday. Our focus is on helping the disaster victims recover right now. I will start sending damage assessment teams out into the communities probably this week. It will be some time before we know the total cost of the disaster. But right now we're just going to help them respond and help them recover.
HEMMER: This storm was so massive. It's really difficult to get a sense of just how much of an area in Florida has been devastated by Charley. You took some aerial views with some helicopter trips over the weekend with the governor. I think you were with the president as well at that time. Give us an indication about what you observed of the devastation of Charley.
BROWN: Well, I know the media and everyone is focused right here in Charlotte County. But Governor Bush and I went further inland to a lot of the other counties, and they are equally devastated. I mean, people are without homes. We drove through places that homes have been there for 30 or 40 years, you know, trees just totally collapsed, roofs and things. So, the damage is very widespread all across the state.
HEMMER: There's a suggestion today in "The Wall Street Journal" that since 9/11 with FEMA being folded into the umbrella of the Homeland Security Department that terrorism has been the priority in that department and not natural disasters. Do you believe that to be the case? And, if so, do events like Charley then refocus the attention and more importantly the money in these matters?
BROWN: Well, the Department of Homeland Security has two critical missions: to prevent and deter terrorism, but then to also respond to acts of terrorism and natural disasters. And I think that FEMA has proven here that we're up to the task of doing that.
FEMA responded on September 11 in New York and the Pentagon I think extremely well, according to the reports from Mayor Giuliani and others. We've responded well here, and I think the proof is in the pudding that FEMA knows how to respond, and we're going to do it regardless of what causes the disaster.
HEMMER: Best of luck to you, OK? Michael Brown, thanks for your time. I know you are in an extremely busy situation now, but if you can come back again tomorrow we'd like to talk to you. And we'll note the progress day-to-day, OK? Thank you. BROWN: OK, thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: All right.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, what effect will Hurricane Charley have on your orange juice in the morning? We're going to talk about that in just a moment. You might be surprised.
HEMMER: Also, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt have a whole new plan. We'll talk about it. The reports are out. We'll get to it after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Hurricane Charley is uprooting the citrus industry there. With that and a market preview, Christine Romans is in with "Minding Your Business."
All right, so these crops are -- this is about the worst possible time and the worst place.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: Absolutely a perfect storm for the industry, and an industry group this morning is saying that it is literally devastated by these storms, that Charley cut a brutal swathe right through prime citrus groves.
This is the time of the year when these little oranges are about the size of a golf ball. They're hard and they're green, and their worst enemy is wind. And you can see, they are literally falling off the trees. These young oranges have been devastated. And that's the end of the crop for many of these groves.
This is an industry already feeling the punch from the Atkins Diet. So, there isn't really much room to raise prices because of the loss of these oranges. It's an industry already that's been under fire from Americans just not eating and drinking more oranges and orange juice. And now this comes through. So, it's really devastating for the industry.
COLLINS: Well, they called it the one-two punch, and now that really sounds like that was the case...
ROMANS: Absolutely. .
COLLINS: ... for orange growers.
All right, a quick market preview now. We're talking about insurance stocks.
ROMANS: Right. This is the other side of this story for Florida.
COLLINS: Yes. ROMANS: Of course, the insurance stocks, they have already been falling over the past few days. Short-term business can be hurt because you have to pay out all of those insurance claims. But long- term it can be good for the industry in a twisted way, because more people then take hurricane insurance and because they can raise their premiums. So sometimes eventually it's good for insurance stocks.
COLLINS: All right, Christine Romans, a little bit of good news there.
HEMMER: Yes. Charley took an upper right to the jaw of southwest Florida.
COLLINS: Oh, yes.
HEMMER: Very strong. Explain it to Jack. The upper right hand quadrant of every hurricane has the strongest, most fierce winds.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I knew he was going to do this.
HEMMER: And oftentimes when it strikes the East Coast of the Atlantic side, it's protected, because that's the trail end of the storm.
COLLINS: Right.
HEMMER: But in this case on the west side of Florida, it just...
COLLINS: He's a guy who knows his hurricanes.
HEMMER: Come on back here, Jack. Hey, I'm not a meteorologist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, as a matter of fact. What's up? Welcome home.
CAFFERTY: Nothing. Yes, thanks. I've got nothing, I mean, after that. I'd say that's a Chad Myers wannabe.
COLLINS: That was your best one yet.
HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: I really think it was.
HEMMER: Yes, I've been saving that for today.
CAFFERTY: So we got -- I come all the way back from New Jersey for this.
HEMMER: Yes, not bad.
CAFFERTY: Governor McGreevey says he's been naughty. He got involved in some kind of homosexual affair, unbeknownst to his wife and daughter and all of the people that voted for him to be the governor of New York. Then put this boy toy on the payroll apparently in some six-figure job, courtesy of the taxpayers, in charge of homeland security. The guy is a PR guy from Israel or some place. He wasn't qualified for that.
Somebody noticed and said, hey, you can't do this. So he put him in some other job.
I mean, the thing reeks. Only a cart laying on a pier in Brooklyn in the hot August sun for three weeks smells worse than the McGreevey story.
HEMMER: Oh!
CAFFERTY: So here's the deal. He said he's going to quit but not until November the 15th? And we're saying, should he stay on until then or should he leave now? He should leave yesterday.
Kim in Washington writes: "Governor McGreevey is resigning of his own accord. He should be allowed to do so on his own time. He should not be forced to leave office before he chooses to merely allow New Jersey Republicans who lost the governor's election a shot at the seat."
Robert in San Diego: "Please, Governor, don't add to the stereotype of the hypocritical politician who chooses when to resign just to protect the Democratic Party and your cronies in Trenton. That's already happened once with Senator Torricelli," another worm that they finally caught up and got rid of. "Don't shame New Jersey any further. Your underlying problems just go from bad to worse with this kind of crass, calculated decision."
Dan in New York: "I agree the McGreevey situation is a mess. However, I disagree with Jack's contention that he got caught. The reports thus far indicate he was being blackmailed. He could have cut a deal. He did not."
Joe in Middletown" "McGreevey should leave the governor's office immediately. We should also note it was John Kerry's campaign managers that persuaded McGreevey to stay on until November 15, thus denying us New Jerseyeans from voting for a new governor this coming November."
And finally, Kelly in Hope, Arkansas, the hometown of another renowned political figure, if I recall: "I know you love this story as you so eagerly avowed this morning. And you can't wait until more of the sordid details come out. I can't either. I could hear the glee in your voice and see the glint in your eyes. Because of your attitude about this, Jack, I hope McGreevey stays on until November just to further chap your already grizzly hide."
HEMMER: Ooh! We're off and running. Thank you, Jack.
In a moment here, Paris Hilton's life may be simple, but her sister Nicky's just got twice as complicated. We'll explain. Back in a moment after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: The words are appropriate. It's time for "90-Second Pop" on a Monday. Say hello to Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine.
Good morning, Sarah.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
HEMMER: "Rolling Stone" contributing editor Toure is back, also the author of "Soul City."
BERNARD: Oh, very nice!
HEMMER: Shanon Cook, music correspondent for CNN Headline News, out of Australia, by the way. Good morning, Shannon.
BERNARD: Hi.
HEMMER: Great to have you back here in New York.
"Esquire" has named the best-dressed men in the world. Andre 3000, what's cooler than being cool?
TOURE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "ROLLING STONE: Yes, you can't be cooler than Andre 3000.
BERNARD: Right.
TOURE: I mean, he is so sartorially ambitious. He will wear anything. He thinks about everything. He is the classic English dandy, but take it to a whole other level.
HEMMER: I think he has the ability to bring back the pork pie hat.
BERNARD: Oh!
TOURE: He could do anything.
HEMMER: And make it cool again.
BERNARD: What about the other ones? Matt Lauer, you were robbed, Hemmer, totally.
TOURE: They lost your application.
HEMMER: Yes?
BERNARD: Totally.
HEMMER: You think so? They must have lost my application, he mumbles over here in the corner.
BERNARD: We're going to plug for you next year.
HEMMER: Hamid Karzai.
BERNARD: Yes, what's up with that? HEMMER: Hugh Grant.
SHANON COOK, CNN MUSIC CORRESPONDENT: And Prince Charles, who was just a total shock to me, although he does look pretty hot in doffers (ph) when he's out hunting.
BERNARD: They didn't have him in that. They had him in a double-breasted suit.
COOK: Right.
BERNARD: I would like to make a late-breaking nomination.
HEMMER: You...
BERNARD: How about Ian Thorpe, Ian Thorpedo (ph) Thorpe for that.
COOK: He looks great.
BERNARD: He (UNINTELLIGIBLE) thing that he swims in all weekend.
(CROSSTALK)
TOURE: Are you watching the Olympics?
BERNARD: Yes, I'm watching. Well, just the Ian Thorpe ones.
HEMMER: Next year we'll put that one in the hopper.
BERNARD: Next year, yes.
HEMMER: Shanon, there are reports that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt have a bit of a career change within their own family.
COOK: Yes! Yes.
HEMMER: Reports say what? And are they true?
COOK: Reports are saying that they are going to adopt a child after unsuccessfully conceiving one. Apparently Brad has already started constructing a nursery in their mansion in Beverly Hills. But they also say that even though they are going to pursue the adoption, they are also going to keep trying to conceive. And, of course, if you are Jennifer Aniston, why would you not still try to conceive with Brad Pitt?
HEMMER: He's 40, she's 35?
COOK: Right. And they've been married four years.
TOURE: If they have a natural child, that child will rule the Earth through its beauty.
COOK: Yes, I know.
TOURE: So like, please, just for the good of us all, let's have somebody be a lottery winner and been adopted by them.
BERNARD: If they adopt a baby, it's going to have to be the most good-looking kid.
HEMMER: Yes.
BERNARD: Can you imagine the awkward teen years if it is not good-looking and those are your parents?
COOK: But we want them to conceive, because we need to keep the Brad Pitt genes circulating around the world.
HEMMER: We need a whole new "Troy," don't we?
COOK: We do.
HEMMER: I'll tell you who wins if this is the case: a lot of adoptive babies in the country, because they will get the attention focused on because of the name and the draw of Pitt and Aniston.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Very true. Sarah, there was a wedding over the weekend in Las Vegas.
BERNARD: It was a big wedding, that's right.
HEMMER: What went down?
BERNARD: Nicky Hilton, little sister of Paris Hilton, ended up marrying Todd Meister (ph), who is a New York money manager. They've been dating...
HEMMER: He's her money manager, right?
BERNARD: Maybe he's her money manager. I am not sure. But I know that they've been dating on and off for about a year. But we didn't think it was all that serious. Everybody was in Vegas this weekend for a party, and they ended up at 3:00 a.m. calling this little chapel. It only cost $179, by the way. They went for the bargain rate.
COOK: Wow!
BERNARD: And they ended up getting married. This is obviously not exactly the same as Britney, which was clearly a mistake.
COOK: Right.
BERNARD: But she was trying to get -- she's the little sister. She's trying to get attention.
HEMMER: Let me ask you something. Just hang on here. You've got all the money under the sun. You go to a little chapel at 3:00 in the morning in Vegas?
BERNARD: Well, what's funny about...
TOURE: See, this is what I'm saying. This is American marriage apartheid. Straight people can go and go to Vegas and flit around their right to get married anyway they want. Good loving, committed gay people cannot get married, even in liberal California, under any circumstances. Does that make sense?
COOK: I think in Nicky's case, though, she's either trying to upstage Britney or upstage or older sister.
(CROSSTALK)
TOURE: It's most definitely the continued anti-Paris-ization of Nicky.
HEMMER: So we all must look at this through the prism of PR, because that's what we have.
BERNARD: That's right.
HEMMER: We've got to run. Thanks Shannon, Toure and Sarah, great to see the three of you on a Monday.
TOURE: Thank you.
HEMMER: All right, here's Heidi.
COLLINS: Still to come, now three days after Charley, the picture of the devastation is starting to become clear. We'll find out what local officials can do when so many people need help and facilities are so strained. Stay with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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Aired August 16, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, gets a lot of style points for his fashion sense. But somebody else tops "Esquire" magazine's world best-dressed list. No. 1 might come as a bit of a surprise to you.
Are you on that?
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: No, the stripes on stripes are not working for me, I guess. They lost my application.
Let's get back to Hurricane Charley. Again, at least 16 are dead there, $15 billion in damage possibly. A million people are still without power today. Thousands of Floridians are literally picking up the pieces of their lives, and Paul Zickmund is one of them. He survived the storm. His home that he rented in Port Charlotte, Florida, did not survive.
And Paul is our guest this hour.
Good morning to you, and thank you for time this morning.
PAUL ZICKMUND, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: How are you doing this morning?
HEMMER: I'm doing OK. How much were you able to save, Paul, from your home?
ZICKMUND: Excuse me?
HEMMER: How much were you able to save from inside the home you were renting?
ZICKMUND: Not much at all. The whole house is gone. It's just unbelievable. I saw the front window blow in. The back door blew in. I thought I was going to die. I thought I was dead.
HEMMER: Where did you find cover inside that home, Paul?
ZICKMUND: In a back alcove of the house. The small nook in the back of the house, I stayed back there when the winds came back through the second time.
HEMMER: How long did that storm last?
ZICKMUND: I thought at least two hours. At least two hours, I thought. HEMMER: And you said at one point you thought you were not going to make it.
ZICKMUND: I...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: What was the feeling that you were experiencing with the walls or the windows? Since you were inside, give us an explanation as to what you were feeling.
ZICKMUND: Everything was shaking. I felt myself lose my breath of air a couple of times. And the wind was so strong. And I just saw parts of the roof fly through my house and taking the whole pool cage out. And things were flying by my head, and I found my Bic lighter stuffed in the side of the wall. It messed my head. I couldn't believe it. It was unreal.
HEMMER: Were you there by yourself, Paul?
ZICKMUND: Yes, I was.
HEMMER: Yes. Why did you decide to stay?
ZICKMUND: I felt safe there. I've never experienced this before in my life. That was pretty scary.
HEMMER: What do you need today, Paul?
ZICKMUND: Excuse me?
HEMMER: What do you need now?
ZICKMUND: What I need now is a cup of coffee. I'm getting cranky here.
HEMMER: Are you getting much help?
ZICKMUND: Yes, I think I found a place to live. I'm getting out of here. Another part of Florida I'm moving to.
HEMMER: We wish you the best of luck, OK?
ZICKMUND: Thank you very much. I'm lucky to be here.
HEMMER: Paul Zickmund, lucky to be alive, that's right, on this Monday morning in Port Charlotte.
We'll talk to Michael Brown, head of FEMA, in a moment here about federal relief there again. We were told it's pouring into the area. We'll find out how much at this point in a few moments here.
But for now, here's Heidi across the studio.
COLLINS: And now to the Kobe Bryant case. The NBA star will be in court today for what's supposed to be the final pretrial hearing before jury selection begins August 27. But there's plenty of speculation that the sexual assault case won't make it that far.
Chris Lawrence is live in Eagle, Colorado, now with the very latest.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi, prosecutors had been asking for more time to prepare their case against Kobe Bryant, but the judge has ruled no. This case either goes to trial as scheduled next week or it doesn't go on at all.
So, this could be and will be Kobe Bryant's last appearance presumably here in court until jury selection begins next Friday.
Today the judge will rule on several motions that will go a long way toward determining exactly what those jurors may hear. The most significant could be whether to allow prosecutors to present a certain DNA expert. We've already heard the defense expert's explanation of the evidence she examined, indicating the young woman had sex with another man after Kobe Bryant but before her hospital exam. Now, this contradicts what the accuser has said.
And prosecutors will be arguing for their expert, who is expected to testify that DNA can remain on cotton for months, even after repeated launderings.
Now, some victims' rights advocates say there has already been way too much digging into this woman's sexual past. And they say it's sent a message to other women that Colorado's rape shield law has loopholes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYNTHIA STONE, VICTIMS' RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Well, they look at this case and feel like that this is the kind of thing that's going to happen to them, that they are going to lose their privacy, that they are going to be blamed for what happened to them, that they are not going to believe. We hope not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Now, the judge has decided to limit testimony about the woman's mental health; meaning if this case does go to trial, any defense accusations about drug abuse or attempted suicide will never be heard in court -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Chris Lawrence, thanks so much for that live from Eagle, Colorado, this morning.
And joining us now to talk more about the Kobe Bryant case and Michael Jackson's hearing today, Court TV's Lisa Bloom.
Lisa, good morning to you. Thanks for being here.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Good morning.
COLLINS: Tell us a little bit more. Chris touched on it briefly. But this DNA that the prosecution is going to be... BLOOM: Well, this is crucial to the case. The defense has a terrific expert. The transcript has been released, so I've read it, Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, who says the DNA on the alleged victim's underwear shows that she had sex after the incident with Kobe Bryant before the rape exam in that 12-hour window.
The prosecution absolutely needs an expert to counter that. Today they're going to argue to the judge that they should be allowed to do that.
Now, why they have taken so long to get their expert before the court, I don't know. They've known about this issue for months. But there it is. And hopefully the judge will allow them to level the playing field by calling their own DNA expert.
COLLINS: all right. Now, we also know that Bryant's accuser last week filed this civil case.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: The monetary damages, we don't know the number, but we know that obviously that will be involved.
BLOOM: Right.
COLLINS: What does this do to her credibility?
BLOOM: Well, I think it's absolute suicide for the prosecution's side of the case. She and her attorneys, her civil attorneys are upset with some of the judge's ruling, like releasing this transcript, like letting her name out over the Web site. But to shoot yourself in the foot by filing a civil suit on the eve of the criminal trial, it's absolutely crazy. I think what she wants to do is just drop the criminal trial and go forward with the civil case. And she's hoping this will force the prosecution's hand to do that.
COLLINS: All right. We're going to move on now to the Michael Jackson case. Tom Sneddon -- we've heard this name now for quite a while -- is the Santa Barbara County district lawyer who has been prosecuting Michael Jackson here.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: Things could be getting a little personal. I mean, he's going to be in court.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: Michael Jackson isn't required to be there.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: But he's going to be there, and he's going to have a bunch of family members there as well.
BLOOM: Well, that's right. And this is an important hearing as well today. The Michael Jackson side of the table says that this district attorney overstepped his authority by getting personally involved in a search on this private investigator's office.
You know, I don't see that as unethical behavior. It's unusual for the top guy to do it himself. But it's like a CEO answering his own phone rather than having a secretary do it. There's nothing improper about it. It's just unusual.
But Michael Jackson showing up for this routine pretrial hearing, I think, trying to send a message that this is personal on his side, and he's going to sit there and eyeball this D.A., sit in court and watch this proceeding...
COLLINS: Intimidate him.
BLOOM: And in an attempt to intimidate him, yes.
COLLINS: All right. Let's talk also about the California attorney general's office determining...
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: ... that the police did not -- quote -- "manhandle" Michael Jackson as Michael Jackson had claimed that they did.
BLOOM: That's right.
COLLINS: What does that mean for Michael Jackson's credibility?
BLOOM: You know, it's not surprising, but I wonder if that outcome can be used in the molestation trial, as you said, to bear on his credibility. You know, we all remember Michael Jackson walking out of that police interview waving his arms around, shaking hands with fans, and then later on saying he had a dislocated shoulder with no medical evidence apparently to back that up. And the police had videotapes to show how he was handled the entire time.
Now that the attorney general has said nothing untoward happened, will that bear on Michael Jackson's credibility?
COLLINS: We will have to see.
BLOOM: Yes.
COLLINS: As always, Lisa Bloom, thanks so much for your time this morning.
BLOOM: Thank you.
COLLINS: Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, 22 minutes before the hour. Back to Carol Costello watching the other news, starting again with Iraq this hour.
Carol -- good morning. CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Certainly so. Good morning. Bill, thank you.
A French-American journalist and his translator have reportedly been taken hostage in Iraq; that's according to the Al-Jazeera network. The kidnapping comes on the second day of Iraq's national conference. Iraqi leaders are calling on radical cleric Muqtada al- Sadr to end his rebellion against multinational forces in Najaf. Two American troops were killed there yesterday.
Vietnamese citizens are seeking legal compensation for exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. About 100 Vietnamese have recently joined a class-action suit against more than 30 chemical companies. Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used as a defoliant during the war. According to veterans' advocacy groups, Agent Orange has been linked to leukemia, cancer and mental retardation.
This year's winner of the Kentucky Derby is retiring to his home today. Smarty Jones is expected to arrive at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky this morning, where he'll go out to stud. His owners recently syndicated the 3-year-old colt for about $48 million. The colt was retired after being diagnosed with bone bruises.
And in Vermont, some 60,000 fans gathered to say good-bye to the popular jam band, Phish. They performed their final show last night, wrapping up a week-long outdoor festival in northeastern Vermont. After 21 years, Phish announced last May that this would be their farewell performance.
Back to New York now and Bill.
HEMMER: All right, ending an era there. Carol, thanks for that.
We want to get back to Florida quickly. Michael Brown is the director of FEMA. That's the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He's been in Florida since the weekend. He's my guest now live in Punta Gorda.
Good morning, Mr. Brown. And thank you for your time here.
MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA DIRECTOR: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: What do people need now?
BROWN: Everything. I want to encourage individuals who want to help to contribute to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, any volunteer agencies so that we can help meet the immediate needs of the disaster victims.
FEMA is bringing in shelters, cots, tents, medical supplies, everything we need to help these disaster victims recover.
HEMMER: Now, I was told you are at a medical center in Charlotte County. Is that right? And if so, how much damage has been done there? BROWN: Well, we have three hospitals that either are without power or their infrastructure has been damaged such that their emergency rooms and other facilities can't operate. So, we've activated some incredibly fantastic disaster medical assistance teams. I'm standing in one of their tents right now. And they are providing literally all of the health care needs for the individuals in this community.
HEMMER: Andrew clocked in at $26 billion 12 years ago. Do you have a firm figure at what Charley will cost?
BROWN: We don't, Bill, and we really won't get that figure for a while. Governor Bush and I get asked that question every single stop yesterday. Our focus is on helping the disaster victims recover right now. I will start sending damage assessment teams out into the communities probably this week. It will be some time before we know the total cost of the disaster. But right now we're just going to help them respond and help them recover.
HEMMER: This storm was so massive. It's really difficult to get a sense of just how much of an area in Florida has been devastated by Charley. You took some aerial views with some helicopter trips over the weekend with the governor. I think you were with the president as well at that time. Give us an indication about what you observed of the devastation of Charley.
BROWN: Well, I know the media and everyone is focused right here in Charlotte County. But Governor Bush and I went further inland to a lot of the other counties, and they are equally devastated. I mean, people are without homes. We drove through places that homes have been there for 30 or 40 years, you know, trees just totally collapsed, roofs and things. So, the damage is very widespread all across the state.
HEMMER: There's a suggestion today in "The Wall Street Journal" that since 9/11 with FEMA being folded into the umbrella of the Homeland Security Department that terrorism has been the priority in that department and not natural disasters. Do you believe that to be the case? And, if so, do events like Charley then refocus the attention and more importantly the money in these matters?
BROWN: Well, the Department of Homeland Security has two critical missions: to prevent and deter terrorism, but then to also respond to acts of terrorism and natural disasters. And I think that FEMA has proven here that we're up to the task of doing that.
FEMA responded on September 11 in New York and the Pentagon I think extremely well, according to the reports from Mayor Giuliani and others. We've responded well here, and I think the proof is in the pudding that FEMA knows how to respond, and we're going to do it regardless of what causes the disaster.
HEMMER: Best of luck to you, OK? Michael Brown, thanks for your time. I know you are in an extremely busy situation now, but if you can come back again tomorrow we'd like to talk to you. And we'll note the progress day-to-day, OK? Thank you. BROWN: OK, thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: All right.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, what effect will Hurricane Charley have on your orange juice in the morning? We're going to talk about that in just a moment. You might be surprised.
HEMMER: Also, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt have a whole new plan. We'll talk about it. The reports are out. We'll get to it after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Hurricane Charley is uprooting the citrus industry there. With that and a market preview, Christine Romans is in with "Minding Your Business."
All right, so these crops are -- this is about the worst possible time and the worst place.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: Absolutely a perfect storm for the industry, and an industry group this morning is saying that it is literally devastated by these storms, that Charley cut a brutal swathe right through prime citrus groves.
This is the time of the year when these little oranges are about the size of a golf ball. They're hard and they're green, and their worst enemy is wind. And you can see, they are literally falling off the trees. These young oranges have been devastated. And that's the end of the crop for many of these groves.
This is an industry already feeling the punch from the Atkins Diet. So, there isn't really much room to raise prices because of the loss of these oranges. It's an industry already that's been under fire from Americans just not eating and drinking more oranges and orange juice. And now this comes through. So, it's really devastating for the industry.
COLLINS: Well, they called it the one-two punch, and now that really sounds like that was the case...
ROMANS: Absolutely. .
COLLINS: ... for orange growers.
All right, a quick market preview now. We're talking about insurance stocks.
ROMANS: Right. This is the other side of this story for Florida.
COLLINS: Yes. ROMANS: Of course, the insurance stocks, they have already been falling over the past few days. Short-term business can be hurt because you have to pay out all of those insurance claims. But long- term it can be good for the industry in a twisted way, because more people then take hurricane insurance and because they can raise their premiums. So sometimes eventually it's good for insurance stocks.
COLLINS: All right, Christine Romans, a little bit of good news there.
HEMMER: Yes. Charley took an upper right to the jaw of southwest Florida.
COLLINS: Oh, yes.
HEMMER: Very strong. Explain it to Jack. The upper right hand quadrant of every hurricane has the strongest, most fierce winds.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I knew he was going to do this.
HEMMER: And oftentimes when it strikes the East Coast of the Atlantic side, it's protected, because that's the trail end of the storm.
COLLINS: Right.
HEMMER: But in this case on the west side of Florida, it just...
COLLINS: He's a guy who knows his hurricanes.
HEMMER: Come on back here, Jack. Hey, I'm not a meteorologist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, as a matter of fact. What's up? Welcome home.
CAFFERTY: Nothing. Yes, thanks. I've got nothing, I mean, after that. I'd say that's a Chad Myers wannabe.
COLLINS: That was your best one yet.
HEMMER: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: I really think it was.
HEMMER: Yes, I've been saving that for today.
CAFFERTY: So we got -- I come all the way back from New Jersey for this.
HEMMER: Yes, not bad.
CAFFERTY: Governor McGreevey says he's been naughty. He got involved in some kind of homosexual affair, unbeknownst to his wife and daughter and all of the people that voted for him to be the governor of New York. Then put this boy toy on the payroll apparently in some six-figure job, courtesy of the taxpayers, in charge of homeland security. The guy is a PR guy from Israel or some place. He wasn't qualified for that.
Somebody noticed and said, hey, you can't do this. So he put him in some other job.
I mean, the thing reeks. Only a cart laying on a pier in Brooklyn in the hot August sun for three weeks smells worse than the McGreevey story.
HEMMER: Oh!
CAFFERTY: So here's the deal. He said he's going to quit but not until November the 15th? And we're saying, should he stay on until then or should he leave now? He should leave yesterday.
Kim in Washington writes: "Governor McGreevey is resigning of his own accord. He should be allowed to do so on his own time. He should not be forced to leave office before he chooses to merely allow New Jersey Republicans who lost the governor's election a shot at the seat."
Robert in San Diego: "Please, Governor, don't add to the stereotype of the hypocritical politician who chooses when to resign just to protect the Democratic Party and your cronies in Trenton. That's already happened once with Senator Torricelli," another worm that they finally caught up and got rid of. "Don't shame New Jersey any further. Your underlying problems just go from bad to worse with this kind of crass, calculated decision."
Dan in New York: "I agree the McGreevey situation is a mess. However, I disagree with Jack's contention that he got caught. The reports thus far indicate he was being blackmailed. He could have cut a deal. He did not."
Joe in Middletown" "McGreevey should leave the governor's office immediately. We should also note it was John Kerry's campaign managers that persuaded McGreevey to stay on until November 15, thus denying us New Jerseyeans from voting for a new governor this coming November."
And finally, Kelly in Hope, Arkansas, the hometown of another renowned political figure, if I recall: "I know you love this story as you so eagerly avowed this morning. And you can't wait until more of the sordid details come out. I can't either. I could hear the glee in your voice and see the glint in your eyes. Because of your attitude about this, Jack, I hope McGreevey stays on until November just to further chap your already grizzly hide."
HEMMER: Ooh! We're off and running. Thank you, Jack.
In a moment here, Paris Hilton's life may be simple, but her sister Nicky's just got twice as complicated. We'll explain. Back in a moment after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: The words are appropriate. It's time for "90-Second Pop" on a Monday. Say hello to Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine.
Good morning, Sarah.
SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Good morning.
HEMMER: "Rolling Stone" contributing editor Toure is back, also the author of "Soul City."
BERNARD: Oh, very nice!
HEMMER: Shanon Cook, music correspondent for CNN Headline News, out of Australia, by the way. Good morning, Shannon.
BERNARD: Hi.
HEMMER: Great to have you back here in New York.
"Esquire" has named the best-dressed men in the world. Andre 3000, what's cooler than being cool?
TOURE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "ROLLING STONE: Yes, you can't be cooler than Andre 3000.
BERNARD: Right.
TOURE: I mean, he is so sartorially ambitious. He will wear anything. He thinks about everything. He is the classic English dandy, but take it to a whole other level.
HEMMER: I think he has the ability to bring back the pork pie hat.
BERNARD: Oh!
TOURE: He could do anything.
HEMMER: And make it cool again.
BERNARD: What about the other ones? Matt Lauer, you were robbed, Hemmer, totally.
TOURE: They lost your application.
HEMMER: Yes?
BERNARD: Totally.
HEMMER: You think so? They must have lost my application, he mumbles over here in the corner.
BERNARD: We're going to plug for you next year.
HEMMER: Hamid Karzai.
BERNARD: Yes, what's up with that? HEMMER: Hugh Grant.
SHANON COOK, CNN MUSIC CORRESPONDENT: And Prince Charles, who was just a total shock to me, although he does look pretty hot in doffers (ph) when he's out hunting.
BERNARD: They didn't have him in that. They had him in a double-breasted suit.
COOK: Right.
BERNARD: I would like to make a late-breaking nomination.
HEMMER: You...
BERNARD: How about Ian Thorpe, Ian Thorpedo (ph) Thorpe for that.
COOK: He looks great.
BERNARD: He (UNINTELLIGIBLE) thing that he swims in all weekend.
(CROSSTALK)
TOURE: Are you watching the Olympics?
BERNARD: Yes, I'm watching. Well, just the Ian Thorpe ones.
HEMMER: Next year we'll put that one in the hopper.
BERNARD: Next year, yes.
HEMMER: Shanon, there are reports that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt have a bit of a career change within their own family.
COOK: Yes! Yes.
HEMMER: Reports say what? And are they true?
COOK: Reports are saying that they are going to adopt a child after unsuccessfully conceiving one. Apparently Brad has already started constructing a nursery in their mansion in Beverly Hills. But they also say that even though they are going to pursue the adoption, they are also going to keep trying to conceive. And, of course, if you are Jennifer Aniston, why would you not still try to conceive with Brad Pitt?
HEMMER: He's 40, she's 35?
COOK: Right. And they've been married four years.
TOURE: If they have a natural child, that child will rule the Earth through its beauty.
COOK: Yes, I know.
TOURE: So like, please, just for the good of us all, let's have somebody be a lottery winner and been adopted by them.
BERNARD: If they adopt a baby, it's going to have to be the most good-looking kid.
HEMMER: Yes.
BERNARD: Can you imagine the awkward teen years if it is not good-looking and those are your parents?
COOK: But we want them to conceive, because we need to keep the Brad Pitt genes circulating around the world.
HEMMER: We need a whole new "Troy," don't we?
COOK: We do.
HEMMER: I'll tell you who wins if this is the case: a lot of adoptive babies in the country, because they will get the attention focused on because of the name and the draw of Pitt and Aniston.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Very true. Sarah, there was a wedding over the weekend in Las Vegas.
BERNARD: It was a big wedding, that's right.
HEMMER: What went down?
BERNARD: Nicky Hilton, little sister of Paris Hilton, ended up marrying Todd Meister (ph), who is a New York money manager. They've been dating...
HEMMER: He's her money manager, right?
BERNARD: Maybe he's her money manager. I am not sure. But I know that they've been dating on and off for about a year. But we didn't think it was all that serious. Everybody was in Vegas this weekend for a party, and they ended up at 3:00 a.m. calling this little chapel. It only cost $179, by the way. They went for the bargain rate.
COOK: Wow!
BERNARD: And they ended up getting married. This is obviously not exactly the same as Britney, which was clearly a mistake.
COOK: Right.
BERNARD: But she was trying to get -- she's the little sister. She's trying to get attention.
HEMMER: Let me ask you something. Just hang on here. You've got all the money under the sun. You go to a little chapel at 3:00 in the morning in Vegas?
BERNARD: Well, what's funny about...
TOURE: See, this is what I'm saying. This is American marriage apartheid. Straight people can go and go to Vegas and flit around their right to get married anyway they want. Good loving, committed gay people cannot get married, even in liberal California, under any circumstances. Does that make sense?
COOK: I think in Nicky's case, though, she's either trying to upstage Britney or upstage or older sister.
(CROSSTALK)
TOURE: It's most definitely the continued anti-Paris-ization of Nicky.
HEMMER: So we all must look at this through the prism of PR, because that's what we have.
BERNARD: That's right.
HEMMER: We've got to run. Thanks Shannon, Toure and Sarah, great to see the three of you on a Monday.
TOURE: Thank you.
HEMMER: All right, here's Heidi.
COLLINS: Still to come, now three days after Charley, the picture of the devastation is starting to become clear. We'll find out what local officials can do when so many people need help and facilities are so strained. Stay with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
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