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American Morning
Stopping Scams Against Floridians; Update on CNN Producer Kidnapping; Treadmill Tests for Healthy People
Aired September 28, 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: Just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING. As if the emotional toll from the four hurricanes wasn't enough, now people in Florida have to watch out for con artists, too. In a few minutes, we're going to talk about the number one scam going around right now and how people can spot them.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this hour, should men without symptoms of heart disease ask their doctors to test them anyway and do it on a treadmill? Sanjay is looking at a new study for men as young as the age of 36 and has an answer to that question in a moment here. So, we'll get to the good doctor.
Check now the stories with Rick Sanchez here in our studio. Good morning, Rick.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning, Bill.
You know, there's a crisis brewing that could affect how much you and I pay the next time that we go to fill up our gas tanks. Rebel forces in Nigeria, fighting for control of the oil producing delta, say that they're going to begin an all-out war Friday. They say they are going to target oil companies and their infrastructure.
Now, Nigeria is the world's seventh largest oil producer. That's why later this half hour, Andy is going to analyze the story and the effect it could have on all of us.
Well, today, British Prime Minister Tony Blair plans to jump- start his reelection campaign. Blair will speak at the Labour Party conference in about an hour, outlining new policies for a possible third term. Now, he is facing a frustrated citizenry because of the recent kidnappings and killings of British citizens in Iraq.
A new report claims the U.S. is not winning over Muslims skeptical about American policies abroad. According to a new report due out next hour, the Bush administration and Congress are missing the communications aspect of the war on terrorism. This is according to sources familiar with this bipartisan study. That is coming from the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Policy.
The nation's capital is soon going to learn whether baseball will find a new home there next season. Washington is going to find out as early as today if the Montreal Expos are going to relocate to the city. Now, it's been 33 years since D.C. had a baseball team. That's when they had -- remember, Bill?
HEMMER: Yes!
SANCHEZ: The Washington Senators. That's the team that was still around. They moved to Texas. And before that, they had a team that moved to Minnesota. So, the key this time is try to keep the team in town.
Heidi, over to you.
COLLINS: The key is Minnesota if you ask me. All right, Rick, thank you so much.
Switching gears now just a bit, U.S. jets dropped bombs once again overnight outside Fallujah. They were aimed at targets where the terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is expected of operating. American planes have been pounding Zarqawi forces in Fallujah for several weeks now. In Baghdad today, there were more than a dozen explosions. U.S. troops battled with insurgents around Haifa Street, a flashpoint for recent bloody episodes.
Well, more details are emerging on the torture and abuse of prisoners captured by U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and of a possible cover up. CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now live from Washington with more on this. Barbara, hello.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.
Well, Army officials say indeed this time it was the news media that brought the new evidence of a possible murder case in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): In March 2003 at a checkpoint near Gardez, U.S. troops arrest eight Afghan soldiers. They are taken to a special forces compound. It is a alleged that, within days, 18-year-old Jamal Naseer is dead and seven others beaten and tortured.
The Army closed its investigation into those allegations for lack of evidence. But suddenly, it has been reopened, because of two reporters working for "The Los Angeles Times."
The "Times" took new information to the Army after seeing this Afghan investigator's report.
MARK MAZZETTI, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": There are accounts where that they essentially were tortured. That they had electric shocks put to their feet, and they were hung from the ceiling. And that they, over 17 days, underwent some pretty severe beatings.
STARR: Army investigators are asking special forces soldiers who were in Gardez why. According to sources, they didn't seem to know anything about it the first time around.
Military abuse investigations continue to grow. Three Navy Seals are now charged in connection with a detainee's death in Mosul, Iraq, in April 2004. And four 1st Cavalry Division soldiers are charged with murder of four Iraqi civilians in two separate incidents in Baghdad.
MAZZETTI: Maybe after maybe five months since Abu Ghraib broke, the Pentagon still needs to get to the very bottom of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (on camera): Now, Heidi, according to military statistics, more than 50 detainees have died in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some 19 of those death cases are still pending -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon this morning. Barbara, thank you.
HEMMER: About 25 minutes now before the hour. Hurricane Jeanne followed the same destructive path through Florida as Hurricane Frances. After a vicious one-two punch, there's not much left standing, except the human spirit.
Ed Lavandera is in Melbourne, Florida, this morning. Ed, good morning there.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
You know the old saying that lightning doesn't strike the same spot twice? Well, I think it's safe to say that a lot of people around here probably felt the same way about hurricanes, or at least that hurricanes weren't supposed to hit the same area twice in less than a month.
We found two women that have taken the lesson about the value of friendship from all of this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICIA GREELEY (ph), HURRICANE VICTIM: This is the worst room. Everything was destroyed in here.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Patricia Greeley (ph) was forced out of her home in Micco, Florida, about three weeks ago, after Hurricane Frances tore apart the roof and mold started infesting the walls. She looked for a motel to live in, when her best friend decided that was a bad idea.
GREELEY (ph): Thank God I have her. I mean, she let me stay with her.
LAVANDERA: So, Patricia moved in with Beverly Peza (ph), who lives just a few blocks away. But then, Hurricane Jeanne struck.
BEVERLY PEZA (ph), HURRICANE VICTIM: This was the garage.
LAVANDERA: This time, it was Beverly's home that took the destructive lashing.
PEZA (ph): It's all water damaged all the way through.
LAVANDERA: These women met two years ago while walking their dogs. At the time, their husbands had just passed away. A friendship is what they desperately needed in life, just like they need now.
GREELEY (ph): The problem is here with these storms people are getting very, very depressed. Very depressed. I know I am. I'm depressed. I mean, even though I know we're -- our lives are here. But it's just getting everything together is the worst part.
LAVANDERA: After two hurricanes and two destroyed homes, they couldn't imagine getting though this ordeal alone.
PEZA (ph): We made it.
GREELEY (ph): We made it!
PEZA (ph): ... two years.
GREELEY (ph): We made it.
PEZA (ph): It just goes to show you, old broads make it.
GREELEY (ph): Speak for yourself.
PEZA (ph): Old broads make it!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (on camera): Well, Beverly and Patricia actually stayed in Beverly's house last night. They say they are worried about looters. And they'll continue to do that until they figure out exactly what they are going to do next.
But there's a lot of cleanup and a lot of thinking those two women have to do...
HEMMER: Always good to hear laughter, though, in the middle of a story like that, too. Thanks, Ed. Ed Lavandera this morning in Melbourne, Florida -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Now, the rebuilding begins in Florida, and along with it comes the scams. Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist is working to stop those.
Charlie, good morning to you. I know that after the first three storms, we were talking about something like 7,000 complaints of price gouging. Trying to make people aware of these problems now even after the fourth hurricane.
Are things any better? Do people know that this could be happening to them?
CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think they do. And I think things are getting much better, frankly. As you said, you know, after the first three storms, we had about 7,000 complaints about suspected price gouging. I'm happy to report to you that it's really starting to tail off. We've had about 300 calls in the past week.
So, it's a significant drop. I think it's starting to have, frankly, a deterrent effect. We are prosecuting cases. After Charley, as a matter of fact, we were already prosecuting cases within a week.
COLLINS: Wow.
CRIST: Did the same thing after Frances. And I think that word has gotten out, that we have laws on the books, that the consequences are severe. And if you try to take advantage of a fellow Floridian in a time when they are suffering that you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We're going to protect our fellow Floridians if somebody tries to hurt them.
COLLINS: Yes, it's really tough to imagine that this is happening in the wake of all the devastation. We're looking at some of it right now on tape.
What are some of the most common scams, though, that people should be watching out for?
CRIST: Well, they sort of come in waves, if you will. Usually before a storm comes in, you start to hear about things like plywood, where people are trying to board up their homes, possibly being gouged. The chance of gasoline maybe going up. We had a couple of calls about that as Jeanne was approaching. And so, we're investigating that currently.
Usually after they pass, though, the phase we're in now, you start to hear about generators -- people trying to get power back -- repair work and repair jobs and the kind of estimates that people are putting out. And those are typically the way it sort of goes.
What also is true in Florida is that if somebody tries to do contracting work without a contractor's license, that's a criminal offense. It is a third-degree felony in the State of Florida, punishable by up to five years in jail.
So, I think the word is, you know, do the right thing. Most people fortunately in our state and from other states, gratefully, are pouring out their hearts to help fellow Floridians.
We'll be back. We're resilient. And we'll handle this as we always have.
COLLINS: There is a concern, though, because south Florida obviously home for many elderly folks. They have historically been victims of these types of scams. How are you getting the word out to them?
CRIST: Well, we're getting the word out to them via you. Fortunately the media has been extremely helpful in being able to get the word out. We have a hotline that people can call. It's 800-646- 0444 -- if they even suspect price gouging may be happening to them.
Apparently, it's been fairly effective, based just about the number of calls that we have already gotten. But I think prosecuting those cases as aggressively and quickly as we can and in prudent fashion is what is really is starting to reap some reward, at least in some small way, and having a deterrent effect to make life a little easier during a difficult time for our Florida residents.
COLLINS: Well, Charlie, real quick, I want to get that phone number out one more time in case people do have questions about this. It's 1-800-646-0444 in case people have questions.
Last one for you, though -- I do worry a little bit about those -- you know, we've got all these people that don't have power. They don't have television. They don't have phone. Is there a way to get the message to them? Do you have people walking around maybe, I don't know, handing out flyers or something?
CRIST: Heidi, we do.
COLLINS: Information on the scams -- OK.
CRIST: Absolutely we do. We want to be reactive, obviously, to the calls that come in to us. But we want to be proactive.
And so, we have teams of 18 investigators out in the affected areas of this storm. You know, we have offices in the Attorney General's Office all over this state. I'll be in the Ft. Lauderdale office today. But we're in West Palm Beach, we're in the Tampa Bay area, and so -- Orlando.
The affected areas of the storm, we have people that are there, easily deployed. And they are out and in identifiable clothing, indicating that they're with the Attorney General's Office to help.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we appreciate your time this morning. Charlie Crist, Florida attorney general, thanks again.
CRIST: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: And we do want to take a moment now to check back on the weather situation. Rob Marciano at the CNN Center with the very latest on the forecast. Good morning once again, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: There was great concern here at CNN today again about a colleague abducted in Gaza City yesterday. CNN Producer Riad Ali was forced by gunmen into their car yesterday.
Ben Wedeman was there at the time. He's now in Gaza City to tell us what happened and also is there any news on his whereabouts or developments on this story. Ben, hello? BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Bill. Not anything solid yet, but we've been getting more and more indications from Palestinian security forces that they do believe that Riad may be free soon. We've been in touch with several senior members of Palestinian intelligence who say they do think this situation will be resolved within the coming hours.
This comes at a time when also there are reports on -- in the Israeli media that the armed group that is believed to be holding Riad has been in touch with Palestinian security and that they may hand Riad over to Hamas, the Islamic resistance organization, which will then release him. But I must stress that that is as yet unconfirmed.
What happened was at about 6:35 p.m. local time -- that's about 22 hours ago -- we were driving from the Gaza office to our hotel when a car pulled in front of us. Out of the car came a man who was in civilian clothing. He pulled a pistol from his trousers, stuck it into the back window of the taxi where we were in where I was sitting, and he said, "Which one of you," in Arabic, "is Riad."
We were, of course, dumbstruck. Riad said ,"I'm Riad." The man said, "Get out of the car." Meanwhile, others had surrounded our vehicle, other men who appeared to be in their young 20s, also in civilian clothing, with AK-47 assault rifles.
They made Riad get into the car that had pulled in front of us, and they drove away. The entire incident didn't take more than, I'd say, 40 seconds. Since then, we have been working all our contacts in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel. And the Palestinian security services have also been working very hard.
We've learned that last night the heads of all the various security services here in Gaza met and were contacted by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat who made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that they have to do everything they can to resolve this abduction, because it's very embarrassing for the Palestinians -- Bill?
HEMMER: Ben, has there been: A, a claim of responsibility; and were there ever any threats issued against Riad while working there in the Middle East?
WEDEMAN: To the best of our knowledge, there were no threats issued against Riad. Obviously now that that -- hopefully when he's released, we'll be able to debrief him a bit further.
But there were no claims of responsibility coming from the group that abducted him. There was no demands, no ransom demand, anything. And that's what's made this situation so difficult, because, in the past, there have been instances where journalists were taken into forceful custody by some of the local groups.
But usually, those were very brief abductions, lasting only a few hours. And they came out to tell the story of how they were fed and forced to drink lots of tea and coffee and listen to lectures on what people around here believe is wrong with U.S. policy here and they were let go. In this case there was no connection, no communication, nothing, but hopefully, we're hoping that this will be resolved very soon -- Bill?
HEMMER: Indeed we are. Ben Wedeman, thanks for that, in Gaza City.
Our president, Jim Walton, releasing a statement and saying -- I'm quoting now -- "We are working actively for Riad's safe return and are in touch with his family, offering them out full support during this difficult time. We have not yet heard from his abductors, but urge them to release Riad immediately. He is a veteran journalist of the highest integrity."
Again, that statement from CNN president Jim Walton. Fingers crossed again for the news that Ben is perhaps getting, at this point, about a possible release. But we don't know.
COLLINS: Yes, we don't. But boy, we will keep our fingers crossed for sure.
Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, believe it or not, a candy company has come with a way to help fight America's obesity epidemic. Andy Serwer's "Minding Your Business.".
HEMMER: Also, we're "Paging Dr. Gupta." He'll tell us why those treadmill tests might not be the best way to check everyone for heart problems.
Back in a moment here after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: We are "Paging Dr. Gupta" today about stress tests for people who, like Bill Clinton, appear to be healthy but could be at a risk for heart disease. And Sanjay's at the CNN Center with more on this now. Good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Yes, we're talking about something known as a treadmill test. Everyone knows what this. Basically, you get on a treadmill. You have a bunch of leads hooked up to you trying to figure out how your heart is doing under stress.
Researchers specifically wanted to know if people who appear to be healthy should also get the treadmill test. And the answer is yes, but only under certain circumstances. Specifically said other risk factors -- other well known risk factors for heart disease need to be looked at first.
Study looked at over 1,400 men, mainly between the ages of 36 and 54. And they found that if they had a combination of various risk factors such as smoking, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, then they may be candidates to go ahead and get the treadmill test.
It's not for everybody. It's not for anyone who's never had any symptoms, who doesn't have any of these risk factors. But in people who do have these risk factors but have never had any heart problems, they may benefit from this test as well, Bill.
HEMMER: The men who took the test, the stress test, what did doctors find?
GUPTA: The interesting thing here is, again, these are men who've never had any chest, they've never had any history of heart problems, anything like that. They did have a combination of risk factors.
If they took the treadmill test and they had some abnormal findings, such as irregular EKG findings or something like that, what this test was predictive of was then you're twice as likely to have some sort of heart event, either chest pain or a heart attack, within the next 10 years. So, pretty substantial finding there doubling the risk there.
Also, they found if you couldn't finish your treadmill test -- let's say you started to exercise, but you just got too winded or short of breath -- that was also predictive of having a heart event within the next 10 years.
HEMMER: Sanjay, well, what did if you did poorly? What should you do then?
GUPTA: Well, that's sort of an interesting thing, because obviously these people have never had any chest pains. So,you don't necessarily send them off to get a heart catheterization like Clinton had or something like that. You might get some more sophisticated tests, such as a nuclear medicine test.
Probably what's going to happen to you if you're in this situation is your doctor is going to say let's take a look at those risk factors and let's really try and decrease them. Bring the cholesterol down, perhaps with a medication, obviously more exercise, and the smoking has got to go. That's what your doctor's most likely going to tell you, Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Sanjay. Thanks for that. The good doctor, see you next hour.
Jack Daniels will do it. Jack Daniels making some changes, and critics call it blasphemy. "Cafferty File" has that after this, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Everybody, welcome back.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Go ahead.
COLLINS: Welcome back. CAFFERTY: There you go.
Brand new, and it says here, highly humorous ad campaign launched by Toyota. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business." He has that, a preview of the markets, and some open heart surgery on a candy bar. What an action-packed session.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, we're doing it all here this morning on AMERICAN MORNING.
Let's talk about the markets. First of all, yesterday, not a particularly good one for the markets. Oil prices, says Rick Sanchez, the culprit here. You can see the Dow down 58 points, other indexes following suit.
Toyota coming out with a new ad campaign. You know, these guys are the master of the jingle, of the slogan. This I don't know about this one. This one is going to be "Moving Forward." "Toyota: Moving Forward." There's "Get the Feeling" before that. "Toyota: Everyday" -- I think that was the Sly Stone song, "Everyday People." Remember that?
Now let's go back, because these were some of the classics. "Oh, What a Feeling," now that was huge. "Who Could Ask for Anything More," huge. "You Asked for It, You Got It," huge. "Moving Forward?"
CAFFERTY: Lame.
SERWER: Yeah, lame.
CAFFERTY: ... loser.
SERWER: Anyway, here's a really interesting story out of...
CAFFERTY: Do they buy commercials on this program? They probably do. It's a great slogan.
SERWER: They used to. They used to, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Let me rephrase that. It's a terrific slogan.
HEMMER: Got to love it.
SERWER: But moving...
CAFFERTY: "Moving Forward," right on.
SERWER" And moving right along, the United Kingdom, there have been complaints about Snickers, about the fact that its candy bars may make people obese. So, Snickers has responded by making their candy bar come in two pieces, OK, as if you would give away the second half and simply not eat them.
They are not introducing this candy bar in the United States. They are still going to keep the regular Snickers bar here. But what we have done here on AMERICAN MORNING, we've decided to show you how you can home fashion.
Let me just see if I can get this. You need some safety equipment when you do this. I hope you can still hear me. If you are going to be cutting a Snickers into two pieces here.
COLLINS: Stand back.
SERWER: Stand back.
There are shards of caramel that could be flying through the air. So, here's how you do it.
COLLINS: That's a good, sharp, plastic knife...
SERWER: So, this is a Snickers people. So, if you ever decide -- if you ever decide, then you can put this back up so you can eat it. If you ever decide to home fashion one, use safety equipment when do you that. But they won't roll this out here, sorry.
HEMMER: The man's got guts, doesn't he?
CAFFERTY: Yeah, he does.
A little tough to follow that, but here it goes. Time for the "File." Jack Daniels lowering the proof of its liquor from 86 to 80 percent. Drinkers aren't happy. Frank Kelly Rich is the editor of something called the "Modern Drunkard Magazine." He and the self- described (INAUDIBLE) Chris Sharp taking up the cause with an online petition and boycott against Jack Daniels.
Company spokesman says we researched it, decided a majority of people wanted a less potent drink. Frank Rich countered by saying lowering the proof is an unfathomable blasphemy. They can lower it to zero and call it lemonade if they want, but it doesn't mean we have to drink it.
Here's great story. The guy is 108 years old. He lives in Great Falls, Montana -- which parenthetically is where my dad was born. He has decided to resume smoking cigars. He's 108. He's a retired railroad worker. Walter Breuning, he quit smoking. Then when he was 99 -- because he couldn't afford the cigars that he liked. No cheap stuff for Walter.
Well, after he told the story about how and why he quit at his birthday party this year, people began sending him cigars from all over the world. So, now he's well stocked. He's off the wagon and smoking up a storm once again.
Good for him.
SERWER: You puff. You puff away, guy.
CAFFERTY: Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governator, out there in California signing a bill barring children under the age of 14 from going to tanning salons. Violators could be liable of a fine up to $2,500. Teens between the ages of 14 to 18 will need a note from their parents in order to attend a tanning salon. But apparently it is still legal for people of all ages to shave off all their body hair and rub themselves down with oil like Arnold used to do in his youth.
SERWER: But watch out for the lights.
COLLINS: All right, Jack. Thanks a lot.
Still to come this morning: The latest poll numbers still show President Bush with a sizable lead. What does John Kerry have to do to turn it around? We'll ask our political guru Bill Schneider, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired September 28, 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: Just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING. As if the emotional toll from the four hurricanes wasn't enough, now people in Florida have to watch out for con artists, too. In a few minutes, we're going to talk about the number one scam going around right now and how people can spot them.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this hour, should men without symptoms of heart disease ask their doctors to test them anyway and do it on a treadmill? Sanjay is looking at a new study for men as young as the age of 36 and has an answer to that question in a moment here. So, we'll get to the good doctor.
Check now the stories with Rick Sanchez here in our studio. Good morning, Rick.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning, Bill.
You know, there's a crisis brewing that could affect how much you and I pay the next time that we go to fill up our gas tanks. Rebel forces in Nigeria, fighting for control of the oil producing delta, say that they're going to begin an all-out war Friday. They say they are going to target oil companies and their infrastructure.
Now, Nigeria is the world's seventh largest oil producer. That's why later this half hour, Andy is going to analyze the story and the effect it could have on all of us.
Well, today, British Prime Minister Tony Blair plans to jump- start his reelection campaign. Blair will speak at the Labour Party conference in about an hour, outlining new policies for a possible third term. Now, he is facing a frustrated citizenry because of the recent kidnappings and killings of British citizens in Iraq.
A new report claims the U.S. is not winning over Muslims skeptical about American policies abroad. According to a new report due out next hour, the Bush administration and Congress are missing the communications aspect of the war on terrorism. This is according to sources familiar with this bipartisan study. That is coming from the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Policy.
The nation's capital is soon going to learn whether baseball will find a new home there next season. Washington is going to find out as early as today if the Montreal Expos are going to relocate to the city. Now, it's been 33 years since D.C. had a baseball team. That's when they had -- remember, Bill?
HEMMER: Yes!
SANCHEZ: The Washington Senators. That's the team that was still around. They moved to Texas. And before that, they had a team that moved to Minnesota. So, the key this time is try to keep the team in town.
Heidi, over to you.
COLLINS: The key is Minnesota if you ask me. All right, Rick, thank you so much.
Switching gears now just a bit, U.S. jets dropped bombs once again overnight outside Fallujah. They were aimed at targets where the terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is expected of operating. American planes have been pounding Zarqawi forces in Fallujah for several weeks now. In Baghdad today, there were more than a dozen explosions. U.S. troops battled with insurgents around Haifa Street, a flashpoint for recent bloody episodes.
Well, more details are emerging on the torture and abuse of prisoners captured by U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and of a possible cover up. CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now live from Washington with more on this. Barbara, hello.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.
Well, Army officials say indeed this time it was the news media that brought the new evidence of a possible murder case in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): In March 2003 at a checkpoint near Gardez, U.S. troops arrest eight Afghan soldiers. They are taken to a special forces compound. It is a alleged that, within days, 18-year-old Jamal Naseer is dead and seven others beaten and tortured.
The Army closed its investigation into those allegations for lack of evidence. But suddenly, it has been reopened, because of two reporters working for "The Los Angeles Times."
The "Times" took new information to the Army after seeing this Afghan investigator's report.
MARK MAZZETTI, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": There are accounts where that they essentially were tortured. That they had electric shocks put to their feet, and they were hung from the ceiling. And that they, over 17 days, underwent some pretty severe beatings.
STARR: Army investigators are asking special forces soldiers who were in Gardez why. According to sources, they didn't seem to know anything about it the first time around.
Military abuse investigations continue to grow. Three Navy Seals are now charged in connection with a detainee's death in Mosul, Iraq, in April 2004. And four 1st Cavalry Division soldiers are charged with murder of four Iraqi civilians in two separate incidents in Baghdad.
MAZZETTI: Maybe after maybe five months since Abu Ghraib broke, the Pentagon still needs to get to the very bottom of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (on camera): Now, Heidi, according to military statistics, more than 50 detainees have died in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some 19 of those death cases are still pending -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon this morning. Barbara, thank you.
HEMMER: About 25 minutes now before the hour. Hurricane Jeanne followed the same destructive path through Florida as Hurricane Frances. After a vicious one-two punch, there's not much left standing, except the human spirit.
Ed Lavandera is in Melbourne, Florida, this morning. Ed, good morning there.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
You know the old saying that lightning doesn't strike the same spot twice? Well, I think it's safe to say that a lot of people around here probably felt the same way about hurricanes, or at least that hurricanes weren't supposed to hit the same area twice in less than a month.
We found two women that have taken the lesson about the value of friendship from all of this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICIA GREELEY (ph), HURRICANE VICTIM: This is the worst room. Everything was destroyed in here.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Patricia Greeley (ph) was forced out of her home in Micco, Florida, about three weeks ago, after Hurricane Frances tore apart the roof and mold started infesting the walls. She looked for a motel to live in, when her best friend decided that was a bad idea.
GREELEY (ph): Thank God I have her. I mean, she let me stay with her.
LAVANDERA: So, Patricia moved in with Beverly Peza (ph), who lives just a few blocks away. But then, Hurricane Jeanne struck.
BEVERLY PEZA (ph), HURRICANE VICTIM: This was the garage.
LAVANDERA: This time, it was Beverly's home that took the destructive lashing.
PEZA (ph): It's all water damaged all the way through.
LAVANDERA: These women met two years ago while walking their dogs. At the time, their husbands had just passed away. A friendship is what they desperately needed in life, just like they need now.
GREELEY (ph): The problem is here with these storms people are getting very, very depressed. Very depressed. I know I am. I'm depressed. I mean, even though I know we're -- our lives are here. But it's just getting everything together is the worst part.
LAVANDERA: After two hurricanes and two destroyed homes, they couldn't imagine getting though this ordeal alone.
PEZA (ph): We made it.
GREELEY (ph): We made it!
PEZA (ph): ... two years.
GREELEY (ph): We made it.
PEZA (ph): It just goes to show you, old broads make it.
GREELEY (ph): Speak for yourself.
PEZA (ph): Old broads make it!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (on camera): Well, Beverly and Patricia actually stayed in Beverly's house last night. They say they are worried about looters. And they'll continue to do that until they figure out exactly what they are going to do next.
But there's a lot of cleanup and a lot of thinking those two women have to do...
HEMMER: Always good to hear laughter, though, in the middle of a story like that, too. Thanks, Ed. Ed Lavandera this morning in Melbourne, Florida -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Now, the rebuilding begins in Florida, and along with it comes the scams. Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist is working to stop those.
Charlie, good morning to you. I know that after the first three storms, we were talking about something like 7,000 complaints of price gouging. Trying to make people aware of these problems now even after the fourth hurricane.
Are things any better? Do people know that this could be happening to them?
CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think they do. And I think things are getting much better, frankly. As you said, you know, after the first three storms, we had about 7,000 complaints about suspected price gouging. I'm happy to report to you that it's really starting to tail off. We've had about 300 calls in the past week.
So, it's a significant drop. I think it's starting to have, frankly, a deterrent effect. We are prosecuting cases. After Charley, as a matter of fact, we were already prosecuting cases within a week.
COLLINS: Wow.
CRIST: Did the same thing after Frances. And I think that word has gotten out, that we have laws on the books, that the consequences are severe. And if you try to take advantage of a fellow Floridian in a time when they are suffering that you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We're going to protect our fellow Floridians if somebody tries to hurt them.
COLLINS: Yes, it's really tough to imagine that this is happening in the wake of all the devastation. We're looking at some of it right now on tape.
What are some of the most common scams, though, that people should be watching out for?
CRIST: Well, they sort of come in waves, if you will. Usually before a storm comes in, you start to hear about things like plywood, where people are trying to board up their homes, possibly being gouged. The chance of gasoline maybe going up. We had a couple of calls about that as Jeanne was approaching. And so, we're investigating that currently.
Usually after they pass, though, the phase we're in now, you start to hear about generators -- people trying to get power back -- repair work and repair jobs and the kind of estimates that people are putting out. And those are typically the way it sort of goes.
What also is true in Florida is that if somebody tries to do contracting work without a contractor's license, that's a criminal offense. It is a third-degree felony in the State of Florida, punishable by up to five years in jail.
So, I think the word is, you know, do the right thing. Most people fortunately in our state and from other states, gratefully, are pouring out their hearts to help fellow Floridians.
We'll be back. We're resilient. And we'll handle this as we always have.
COLLINS: There is a concern, though, because south Florida obviously home for many elderly folks. They have historically been victims of these types of scams. How are you getting the word out to them?
CRIST: Well, we're getting the word out to them via you. Fortunately the media has been extremely helpful in being able to get the word out. We have a hotline that people can call. It's 800-646- 0444 -- if they even suspect price gouging may be happening to them.
Apparently, it's been fairly effective, based just about the number of calls that we have already gotten. But I think prosecuting those cases as aggressively and quickly as we can and in prudent fashion is what is really is starting to reap some reward, at least in some small way, and having a deterrent effect to make life a little easier during a difficult time for our Florida residents.
COLLINS: Well, Charlie, real quick, I want to get that phone number out one more time in case people do have questions about this. It's 1-800-646-0444 in case people have questions.
Last one for you, though -- I do worry a little bit about those -- you know, we've got all these people that don't have power. They don't have television. They don't have phone. Is there a way to get the message to them? Do you have people walking around maybe, I don't know, handing out flyers or something?
CRIST: Heidi, we do.
COLLINS: Information on the scams -- OK.
CRIST: Absolutely we do. We want to be reactive, obviously, to the calls that come in to us. But we want to be proactive.
And so, we have teams of 18 investigators out in the affected areas of this storm. You know, we have offices in the Attorney General's Office all over this state. I'll be in the Ft. Lauderdale office today. But we're in West Palm Beach, we're in the Tampa Bay area, and so -- Orlando.
The affected areas of the storm, we have people that are there, easily deployed. And they are out and in identifiable clothing, indicating that they're with the Attorney General's Office to help.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we appreciate your time this morning. Charlie Crist, Florida attorney general, thanks again.
CRIST: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: And we do want to take a moment now to check back on the weather situation. Rob Marciano at the CNN Center with the very latest on the forecast. Good morning once again, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: There was great concern here at CNN today again about a colleague abducted in Gaza City yesterday. CNN Producer Riad Ali was forced by gunmen into their car yesterday.
Ben Wedeman was there at the time. He's now in Gaza City to tell us what happened and also is there any news on his whereabouts or developments on this story. Ben, hello? BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Bill. Not anything solid yet, but we've been getting more and more indications from Palestinian security forces that they do believe that Riad may be free soon. We've been in touch with several senior members of Palestinian intelligence who say they do think this situation will be resolved within the coming hours.
This comes at a time when also there are reports on -- in the Israeli media that the armed group that is believed to be holding Riad has been in touch with Palestinian security and that they may hand Riad over to Hamas, the Islamic resistance organization, which will then release him. But I must stress that that is as yet unconfirmed.
What happened was at about 6:35 p.m. local time -- that's about 22 hours ago -- we were driving from the Gaza office to our hotel when a car pulled in front of us. Out of the car came a man who was in civilian clothing. He pulled a pistol from his trousers, stuck it into the back window of the taxi where we were in where I was sitting, and he said, "Which one of you," in Arabic, "is Riad."
We were, of course, dumbstruck. Riad said ,"I'm Riad." The man said, "Get out of the car." Meanwhile, others had surrounded our vehicle, other men who appeared to be in their young 20s, also in civilian clothing, with AK-47 assault rifles.
They made Riad get into the car that had pulled in front of us, and they drove away. The entire incident didn't take more than, I'd say, 40 seconds. Since then, we have been working all our contacts in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel. And the Palestinian security services have also been working very hard.
We've learned that last night the heads of all the various security services here in Gaza met and were contacted by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat who made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that they have to do everything they can to resolve this abduction, because it's very embarrassing for the Palestinians -- Bill?
HEMMER: Ben, has there been: A, a claim of responsibility; and were there ever any threats issued against Riad while working there in the Middle East?
WEDEMAN: To the best of our knowledge, there were no threats issued against Riad. Obviously now that that -- hopefully when he's released, we'll be able to debrief him a bit further.
But there were no claims of responsibility coming from the group that abducted him. There was no demands, no ransom demand, anything. And that's what's made this situation so difficult, because, in the past, there have been instances where journalists were taken into forceful custody by some of the local groups.
But usually, those were very brief abductions, lasting only a few hours. And they came out to tell the story of how they were fed and forced to drink lots of tea and coffee and listen to lectures on what people around here believe is wrong with U.S. policy here and they were let go. In this case there was no connection, no communication, nothing, but hopefully, we're hoping that this will be resolved very soon -- Bill?
HEMMER: Indeed we are. Ben Wedeman, thanks for that, in Gaza City.
Our president, Jim Walton, releasing a statement and saying -- I'm quoting now -- "We are working actively for Riad's safe return and are in touch with his family, offering them out full support during this difficult time. We have not yet heard from his abductors, but urge them to release Riad immediately. He is a veteran journalist of the highest integrity."
Again, that statement from CNN president Jim Walton. Fingers crossed again for the news that Ben is perhaps getting, at this point, about a possible release. But we don't know.
COLLINS: Yes, we don't. But boy, we will keep our fingers crossed for sure.
Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, believe it or not, a candy company has come with a way to help fight America's obesity epidemic. Andy Serwer's "Minding Your Business.".
HEMMER: Also, we're "Paging Dr. Gupta." He'll tell us why those treadmill tests might not be the best way to check everyone for heart problems.
Back in a moment here after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: We are "Paging Dr. Gupta" today about stress tests for people who, like Bill Clinton, appear to be healthy but could be at a risk for heart disease. And Sanjay's at the CNN Center with more on this now. Good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Yes, we're talking about something known as a treadmill test. Everyone knows what this. Basically, you get on a treadmill. You have a bunch of leads hooked up to you trying to figure out how your heart is doing under stress.
Researchers specifically wanted to know if people who appear to be healthy should also get the treadmill test. And the answer is yes, but only under certain circumstances. Specifically said other risk factors -- other well known risk factors for heart disease need to be looked at first.
Study looked at over 1,400 men, mainly between the ages of 36 and 54. And they found that if they had a combination of various risk factors such as smoking, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, then they may be candidates to go ahead and get the treadmill test.
It's not for everybody. It's not for anyone who's never had any symptoms, who doesn't have any of these risk factors. But in people who do have these risk factors but have never had any heart problems, they may benefit from this test as well, Bill.
HEMMER: The men who took the test, the stress test, what did doctors find?
GUPTA: The interesting thing here is, again, these are men who've never had any chest, they've never had any history of heart problems, anything like that. They did have a combination of risk factors.
If they took the treadmill test and they had some abnormal findings, such as irregular EKG findings or something like that, what this test was predictive of was then you're twice as likely to have some sort of heart event, either chest pain or a heart attack, within the next 10 years. So, pretty substantial finding there doubling the risk there.
Also, they found if you couldn't finish your treadmill test -- let's say you started to exercise, but you just got too winded or short of breath -- that was also predictive of having a heart event within the next 10 years.
HEMMER: Sanjay, well, what did if you did poorly? What should you do then?
GUPTA: Well, that's sort of an interesting thing, because obviously these people have never had any chest pains. So,you don't necessarily send them off to get a heart catheterization like Clinton had or something like that. You might get some more sophisticated tests, such as a nuclear medicine test.
Probably what's going to happen to you if you're in this situation is your doctor is going to say let's take a look at those risk factors and let's really try and decrease them. Bring the cholesterol down, perhaps with a medication, obviously more exercise, and the smoking has got to go. That's what your doctor's most likely going to tell you, Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Sanjay. Thanks for that. The good doctor, see you next hour.
Jack Daniels will do it. Jack Daniels making some changes, and critics call it blasphemy. "Cafferty File" has that after this, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Everybody, welcome back.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Go ahead.
COLLINS: Welcome back. CAFFERTY: There you go.
Brand new, and it says here, highly humorous ad campaign launched by Toyota. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business." He has that, a preview of the markets, and some open heart surgery on a candy bar. What an action-packed session.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, we're doing it all here this morning on AMERICAN MORNING.
Let's talk about the markets. First of all, yesterday, not a particularly good one for the markets. Oil prices, says Rick Sanchez, the culprit here. You can see the Dow down 58 points, other indexes following suit.
Toyota coming out with a new ad campaign. You know, these guys are the master of the jingle, of the slogan. This I don't know about this one. This one is going to be "Moving Forward." "Toyota: Moving Forward." There's "Get the Feeling" before that. "Toyota: Everyday" -- I think that was the Sly Stone song, "Everyday People." Remember that?
Now let's go back, because these were some of the classics. "Oh, What a Feeling," now that was huge. "Who Could Ask for Anything More," huge. "You Asked for It, You Got It," huge. "Moving Forward?"
CAFFERTY: Lame.
SERWER: Yeah, lame.
CAFFERTY: ... loser.
SERWER: Anyway, here's a really interesting story out of...
CAFFERTY: Do they buy commercials on this program? They probably do. It's a great slogan.
SERWER: They used to. They used to, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Let me rephrase that. It's a terrific slogan.
HEMMER: Got to love it.
SERWER: But moving...
CAFFERTY: "Moving Forward," right on.
SERWER" And moving right along, the United Kingdom, there have been complaints about Snickers, about the fact that its candy bars may make people obese. So, Snickers has responded by making their candy bar come in two pieces, OK, as if you would give away the second half and simply not eat them.
They are not introducing this candy bar in the United States. They are still going to keep the regular Snickers bar here. But what we have done here on AMERICAN MORNING, we've decided to show you how you can home fashion.
Let me just see if I can get this. You need some safety equipment when you do this. I hope you can still hear me. If you are going to be cutting a Snickers into two pieces here.
COLLINS: Stand back.
SERWER: Stand back.
There are shards of caramel that could be flying through the air. So, here's how you do it.
COLLINS: That's a good, sharp, plastic knife...
SERWER: So, this is a Snickers people. So, if you ever decide -- if you ever decide, then you can put this back up so you can eat it. If you ever decide to home fashion one, use safety equipment when do you that. But they won't roll this out here, sorry.
HEMMER: The man's got guts, doesn't he?
CAFFERTY: Yeah, he does.
A little tough to follow that, but here it goes. Time for the "File." Jack Daniels lowering the proof of its liquor from 86 to 80 percent. Drinkers aren't happy. Frank Kelly Rich is the editor of something called the "Modern Drunkard Magazine." He and the self- described (INAUDIBLE) Chris Sharp taking up the cause with an online petition and boycott against Jack Daniels.
Company spokesman says we researched it, decided a majority of people wanted a less potent drink. Frank Rich countered by saying lowering the proof is an unfathomable blasphemy. They can lower it to zero and call it lemonade if they want, but it doesn't mean we have to drink it.
Here's great story. The guy is 108 years old. He lives in Great Falls, Montana -- which parenthetically is where my dad was born. He has decided to resume smoking cigars. He's 108. He's a retired railroad worker. Walter Breuning, he quit smoking. Then when he was 99 -- because he couldn't afford the cigars that he liked. No cheap stuff for Walter.
Well, after he told the story about how and why he quit at his birthday party this year, people began sending him cigars from all over the world. So, now he's well stocked. He's off the wagon and smoking up a storm once again.
Good for him.
SERWER: You puff. You puff away, guy.
CAFFERTY: Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governator, out there in California signing a bill barring children under the age of 14 from going to tanning salons. Violators could be liable of a fine up to $2,500. Teens between the ages of 14 to 18 will need a note from their parents in order to attend a tanning salon. But apparently it is still legal for people of all ages to shave off all their body hair and rub themselves down with oil like Arnold used to do in his youth.
SERWER: But watch out for the lights.
COLLINS: All right, Jack. Thanks a lot.
Still to come this morning: The latest poll numbers still show President Bush with a sizable lead. What does John Kerry have to do to turn it around? We'll ask our political guru Bill Schneider, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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