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American Morning
Is White House Now in Hands of Handful of Midwestern States?; Plans to Expand O'Hare International Airport
Aired October 21, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Twelve days to go and the candidates swirling now through the heartland. Is the White House now in the hands of just a handful of Midwestern states?
Cuban President Fidel Castro takes a nasty spill. How bad is it today for the 78-year-old leader?
In Florida, a tornado takes a bite out of Port Canaveral.
And 100 hours of heroics for the Boston Red Sox. Four must win games -- they won them all. Now World Series bound, one team is in, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the Field Museum in Chicago, this is AMERICAN MORNING on the road, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning.
We're coming to you this morning from Chicago's Stanley Field Hall, which, of course, is at the Field Museum. The Field Museum named for Stanley Field's relative, as in Marshall Field, who built much of this city.
Good morning.
Nice to have you back, everybody.
HEMMER: We're seeing a lot this week, aren't we?
O'BRIEN: Yes, we are.
HEMMER: Over by the river on Monday, right? Loyola University, the Magnificent Mile on Tuesday. Yesterday at Union Station. There's that car again. All five of us loaded up and ready to go and the horn still works.
Today we have moved to the Field Museum, stop number four of our week of five stops today.
So, good morning.
Welcome back to Chicago.
O'BRIEN: Well, some of the news that's making headlines this morning, right here in Chicago, a big story that could affect anybody who buys an airplane ticket anywhere else in the country. There's a controversial plan to expand the busiest airport in the world. But, of course, the big question is now could it make things much worse before they get any better?
HEMMER: Also, this story from the world of sports today that we're going to talk about throughout the day here. Everyone's talking about it, even my friend here, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: I know. And you know I don't watch a whole lot of baseball.
HEMMER: I know that.
O'BRIEN: Even I know this.
HEMMER: A huge comeback, one for the ages. The Boston Red Sox and what they did to the Yankees in the last four games. After down three games to nil over the weekend, they won on Sunday, they won on Monday, they won on Tuesday...
O'BRIEN: They crushed them.
HEMMER: And they won again last night.
O'BRIEN: Crushed them.
HEMMER: Easily, too, off the Yankees, with room to spare last night in that game.
In addition to that now, you've got the Red Sox. They're in the World Series, back there for the first time since 1986. Now, here's the issue. They haven't won the World Series since 1918.
O'BRIEN: Right.
HEMMER: So the curse is still alive. But they have lived to play another...
O'BRIEN: Yes, but this is the first step toward...
HEMMER: Indeed, you're right.
O'BRIEN: ... setting it right.
HEMMER: Had they not won last night, a lot of folks up in the Northeast would have been sad.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
I'm sort of glad I'm not in New York City today.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I know my husband is heartbroken.
HEMMER: A slight level of depression probably floating across Manhattan.
O'BRIEN: A slight level, yes.
HEMMER: Wow.
Also, Jack is with us today -- good morning, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
As promised, the "Chicago Sun-Times" this morning, on the television page, it's written by a guy by the name of Phil Rosenthal. And down here at the bottom he says, "'American Morning,' 6:00 a.m., CNN. Nice to hear Jack Cafferty report Wednesday that he and the others here from CNN were treated no better than anyone else waiting for their table at Gibsons."
So apparently it's standard operating procedure to kind of take the customers for granted there. And it ain't no cheap ticket either, and I've had better steaks.
O'BRIEN: Ooh.
CAFFERTY: But I really don't -- it was -- actually, the food was good. But that little woman in the front there, that little blonde waitress wannabe or whatever she is...
HEMMER: Jack, just let it go.
CAFFERTY: You've got to do something with that. I mean that's bad. If I come back to Chicago next week, I ain't coming near the joint if I see her through the front door, you know what I'm saying?
O'BRIEN: Oh, man.
CAFFERTY: Coming up in the "Cafferty File," "Wayne's World," "Saturday Night Live," "Caddy Shack," "Austin Powers," what do they have in common? None of them might ever have happened without Chicago's Second City. We're going to take a close look at arguably the biggest contributor to American comedy in the last 50 years.
O'BRIEN: That is great.
All right, Jack, thanks.
Let's...
CAFFERTY: Did I mention the experience we had at...
HEMMER: As a matter of fact...
O'BRIEN: Oh, my goodness, can someone get this woman on the phone? I need to talk to her. She needs to just resolve this.
CAFFERTY: No, no, no. It's being resolved right now.
O'BRIEN: No. No, we... CAFFERTY: That's what we're doing here.
O'BRIEN: We can work it out. We can do conflict resolution and everyone, you know, kumbaya. We can all come together.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's head out to Heidi Collins.
She's got a look at the headlines this morning -- Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
You know, I actually had a great dinner last night. The people were really nice, at the same place Bill did. I think I may have eaten more sushi than him, though. We're going to have to check on that a little bit later.
For now, though, we want to get straight to the news this morning.
Pakistani intelligence agencies say they've arrested two suspects, two suspected al Qaeda members. Officials say a Yemeni man and another person described as a foreigner were seized in two separate raids. Pakistani intelligence also says one of the men was carrying important documents. It is not clear what information may be in those files.
Margaret Hassan's husband says he's shocked that his wife was kidnapped in Baghdad two days ago, adding that the CARE International worker is not involved with any political or religious group. Hassan spoke out for the first time just hours ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAHSEEN ALI HASSAN, HUSBAND OF KIDNAPPED CARE WORKER: Release my wife. She is Iraqi. She is working for the humanitarian organization and I ask you for to release her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Margaret Hassan is a dual British and Iraqi citizen. She's lived in Iraq for the last 30 years.
The highest ranking soldier charged in connection with the Abu Ghraib prison scandal is expected to be sentenced today. Staff Sergeant Ivan "Chip" Frederick faces up to 11 years for his involvement in the abuse at the Baghdad prison. Frederick says he was ordered to humiliate the detainees for military intelligence purposes.
And a tornado flew through Brevard County in Florida last night. The twister was seen near Cape Canaveral. It caused heavy damage to buildings and vehicles and power outages at Port Canaveral. Several boats were torn from their moorings. No reports of any injuries, though. Look at that funnel, though. More mild weather -- wild weather, that is, wild weather just ahead for this part of the country. So I'm sure folks will be watching out for that.
Back now to Bill inside.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.
On the calendar, 12 days to go now before the presidential election is decided. Both candidates once again pounding the pavement, and they're doing it in the Midwest.
Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux covering the Bush campaign live from the White House this morning -- good morning there.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Generally, the Republicans perform better in small town America and, of course, Bush aides say they believe that perhaps the president can win Iowa as well as Wisconsin, that Minnesota may be a long shot. But part of the president's strategy here is to make Kerry to work for those states that were once in his column.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's the home of fine corn, fine people and fine music.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush barreled through America's heartland, fighting to win three states he narrowly lost to Gore four years ago.
BUSH: We're opening up markets for our farmers all across the world.
MALVEAUX: From Iowa's farm country to Minnesota's small towns, to Wisconsin's big business in cheese, the president presented his economic agenda as good for rural America.
BUSH: My policy is let's open up everybody else's markets. We can compete with anybody any time, anywhere, so long as the playing field is level.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush used the State of Minnesota, home to the world class Mayo cancer clinic, to contrast his health care plan with that of Senator John Kerry.
BUSH: You just need a president who understands how to address the root causes of costs going up. And that's how you avoid federalizing health care.
MALVEAUX: The president also answered Kerry's charges that the war in Iraq was a diversion from going after Osama bin Laden. He said evidence that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the man believed to be behind the beheadings in Iraq, has professed his allegiance to bin Laden, proves Iraq is a central front in the war on terror.
BUSH: If Zarqawi and his associates were not busy fighting American forces in Iraq, does Senator Kerry think he would be leading a productive and peaceful life?
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MALVEAUX: Now, President Bush today makes two stops in Pennsylvania. He's going to be talking about the need for medical liability reform. He is also going to be promoting his health care plan and he's going to be meeting with the archbishop of Philadelphia. That, of course, is to court the all important Catholic vote. And it is not surprising where the president is going to be tomorrow. He is back in Ohio and then, of course, for the weekend back to Florida -- Bill.
HEMMER: Suzanne, thanks for that.
Now for the other side.
Senator Kerry also in Iowa yesterday criticizing the president for ignoring domestic issues and for going to war, he says, without the backing of America's allies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The other day in a speech full of distortions, the president made it clear that he can't talk about most of the issues in this election. He wants to make it solely a contest on national security. Well, I welcome that debate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Now for Senator Kerry's plans on the road, he'll begin tonight hunting in Ohio for votes, before heading to Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Tomorrow, he'll campaign in Nevada and in the State of Colorado.
Now to Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's take a look at the weather this morning.
Orelon Sidney is at the CNN Center for us -- good morning to you once again.
ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
And you're in Chicago.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Tomorrow, sadly, our Chicago trip comes to a close. Well, I have to say, I miss the family a little. We're going to finish next door at the Adler Planetarium. It's the very first planetarium in the western hemisphere.
HEMMER: It's a great looking building, too. And the Shedd Aquarium is over there, as well. Stop by if you're in town.
In a moment, as one official puts it, when Chicago's airport, O'Hare, sneezes, the whole country catches a cold. Why is there so much controversy now over the plans to cut back on delays there? We'll check it out.
O'BRIEN: Also ahead, NBC's "E.R." has been a hit now for 10 seasons. But how does it stack up to the real deal? We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" for a tour of the hospital that inspired the show.
HEMMER: Also today, meet the dinosaur called Sue. Why one expert says this attraction is the James Dean of dinosaurs.
Yes, still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
Chicago's O'Hare Airport is on pace to serve nearly one million flights this year, making it the world's busiest. And because Chicago is a prime connecting point, flight delays can have a ripple effect nationwide.
Well, now the FAA is considering ways to unclog the congestion.
CNN's Chris Lawrence joins us with more on that -- hey, Chris, good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Soledad.
Well, not surprisingly, this isn't just about making sure your flight leaves on time. Airports bring a ton of money to an area and when money is involved, it's never easy.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): In a matter of hours, this airport can move 1,000 people from the Midwest to the Middle East.
JOHN RYAN, FREQUENT FLIER: It's big and busy and getting bigger and getting busier.
LAWRENCE: One blast of bad weather here can cause backups at nearly every airport in America.
ROSEMARIE ANDOLINO, O'HARE MODERNIZATION DIRECTOR: When O'Hare sneezes, everyone catches a cold.
LAWRENCE: And this is the city's prescription.
ANDOLINO: This runway gets extended.
LAWRENCE: A plan that would build a new terminal and reconfigure runways, cutting delays nearly 75 percent.
ANDOLINO: By putting more lanes in a highway type of thing, you can move more cars.
LAWRENCE: But the physical expansion into the immediate suburbs could demolish hundreds of homes and businesses, and dig up graves in nearby cemeteries. MAYOR CRAIG JOHNSON, ELK GROVE, ILLINOIS: So you're going to decimate two communities for a plan that does not work.
LAWRENCE: Elk Grove, Illinois Mayor Craig Johnson says any benefits from increased capacity would be canceled out by the flights O'Hare adds.
JOHNSON: It comes down simply to control. The mayor of the City of Chicago wants everything in his control and in his jurisdiction.
LAWRENCE: Johnson says it's time to build a new airport in Chicago's south suburbs, an idea backed by Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. for the economic boost it would give his district.
But some travelers don't see that happening.
LINDA RYAN, FREQUENT FLIER: They've needed a new airport for 20 years and because of the politics, they don't build one, because nobody can figure out where to put it to make everybody happy.
LAWRENCE: That's why some people in nearby Gary, Indiana ask, why build a new airport when you can expand a smaller one that's already up and running?
(on camera): Some of Gary's proponents look at this airport and say hey, back in the '70s, almost no one flew out of Newark and now it's almost as busy as JFK.
(voice-over): Nothing concrete can happen until late next year, when the FAA clears one plan for takeoff.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LAWRENCE: Now, the FAA expects to make its decision by September of next year. By then, we should know whether they're going to sign off on O'Hare's modernization, perhaps OK the building of a new airport, or perhaps even some combination of the two -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Hey, Chris, if they do go ahead and OK the building of a new airport, or even just improving the one they've already got, what's the time line? I mean when do people who are actually flying get to see any kind of improvement?
LAWRENCE: There could be some small improvements over the next few years. If they OK the modernization plan for O'Hare, the first new runway would come online in 2007, providing a little bit of a break there. And just this week, the FAA OKed the lengthening of one of the runways at Gary, and also the expansion of one of the terminals there. O'BRIEN: All right, Chris Lawrence for us this morning.
And, hey, Chris, a big thank you to you and all your colleagues out of the Chicago bureau for hosting us and helping us out this week.
We really appreciate it.
LAWRENCE: Hey, it's like a welcome home for you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, thank you, thank you.
We've loved it.
Turning now to John Roberson.
He is a commissioner for aviation for Chicago's airport system.
We'll talk a little bit more about this.
Give me a sense of the money. I mean they're talking $15 billion. List for me exactly the biggest focus for this project.
JOHN ROBERSON, AVIATION COMMISSIONER: Well, first, the first thing is that the O'Hare modernization program really is $6.6 billion. That will allow us to build the new runways, do an extension of our runways, to create more parallels, reconfigure our runway system to make it more efficient so that during bad weather we can reduce delays and during good weather we can have a more efficient operation. And it also allows us to build a brand new terminal.
O'BRIEN: But...
ROBERSON: So when people talk about $15 billion, what they're talking about are other projects that have nothing to do with the O'Hare modernization program.
O'BRIEN: So why not, then, do what Chris was talking about at the end of his piece, which is move the whole thing to Gary, Indiana -- open a smaller airport and do what essentially they did in Newark, make it bigger, make it more efficient and relieve some of the backups at Chicago's O'Hare?
ROBERSON: Well, we have to keep in mind, since deregulation in 1978, the FAA, no federal agency has the authority to direct flights anywhere. When you're dealing with delays and congestions at O'Hare, the only way that you can solve those delays and congestion is at O'Hare. That's why the modernization of O'Hare is so critical.
There's a saying that when O'Hare sneezes, the entire country catches a cold.
O'BRIEN: Right.
ROBERSON: That's absolutely appropriate. And why? Because Chicago is at the nexus. It's the crossroads for the entire national air transportation system. O'BRIEN: Is it worse than other places? I mean obviously just sheer number wise you've got a lot more traffic. But is it -- is the whole system significantly worse than everywhere else?
ROBERSON: No, because it's all a connected system. And that's why what we have to do is we have to expand and modernization O'Hare, to put the infrastructure in place. That way as planes are flying -- because you have to keep in mind, 50 percent of the 77 million passengers that we see every single year are connected. So they're coming from somewhere else through Chicago in order to get to a final destination.
O'BRIEN: Theoretically, couldn't expanding the runways and doing an expansion project actually, at the end, increase the volume? You know, back to the sneezing and everybody else catching a cold theory, if you expand O'Hare, don't you run the risk of bringing more people in, more planes come in and you could have a bigger problem?
ROBERSON: Well, not necessarily, because what the expanded capacity allows us to do is to land those planes more efficiently. With the reconfiguration of our one...
O'BRIEN: But I guess my question is won't more people say that's great, let's bring more planes in?
ROBERSON: Well, absolutely. But we've already accounted for that within the entire program. So being able to land more planes actually makes it more efficient and we'll get people here on time, we'll get them to their final destination, because none of us want delays. We realize that every single minute that someone is delayed, that means there's a business deal that doesn't get done or someone misses the wedding of a loved one.
O'BRIEN: Oh, and also just financially, people get angry and they...
ROBERSON: Oh, absolutely.
O'BRIEN: ... negative, I mean, outside of the loved ones missing their wedding, I mean I've got imagine that there's a bottom line component.
I want to ask you just one quick question about security.
Aren't there issues with the bigger it gets, the more even just square footage you're dealing with, the security issue becomes a bigger issue?
ROBERSON: Well, we have a multi-layered security system. Obviously, there are certain components of our security system that are very visible. We have uniformed police officers, Chicago police officers, that patrol within the terminals, on segues and also by walking patrols. But we also have a security patrol system for our parameters.
So -- and keep in mind, O'Hare is not expanding drastically beyond its current boundaries. So we have the ability to maintain a perimeter, but also to make sure that as people are traveling that they're going to be safe inside the terminals, as well.
O'BRIEN: John Roberson is the aviation commissioner.
Nice to have you.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
We appreciate it.
ROBERSON: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: A break here.
In a moment, why the Second City is second to none when it comes to friendliness.
Jack is back with that as we continue rolling on here in Chicago on a Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Hey, Bill, you know I'm always going to find the shoes wherever I go. This is an exhibit of more than 100 pairs of shoes representing cultures from around the world. You know whose sneakers those are? Can you guess? Those belonged to Michael Jordan.
Come over here, I want to show you a pair of boots. I don't think I'd buy these. These are from Siberia. But they're made out of fish skin. And the sandals in the front from 1 A.D., sandals from ancient Egypt. Also, down here...
HEMMER: They look great.
O'BRIEN: ... these sandals worn by a bride in Japan in the late 1970s. A really wonderful exhibit. If you get a chance, come back and check it out -- Bill.
HEMMER: How many pairs are you taking away with you today?
O'BRIEN: We'll talk about that later.
HEMMER: You got it. Yes, how many can you get in the bag?
Thanks, Soledad.
Back with Jack now and to "The File" here in Chicago.
CAFFERTY: I wonder if they have any of Imelda Marcos's footwear in that thing.
HEMMER: Maybe.
CAFFERTY: She had a few.
HEMMER: A few.
CAFFERTY: All right, Second City is one of the oldest comedy troupes in this country and through the years has contributed more names to American comedy than probably any other single source. Do you recognize this fellow? This was the debut of John Belushi with Second City. The picture was taken in 1971. In 1974, the Canadian cast of Second City in Toronto came here to Chicago for a week of performances and one of the Chicago newspaper critics wrote that the Canadian bunch "had no real comedic talent."
Well, the cast of that group included John Candy, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner and Eugene Levy.
HEMMER: Wow.
CAFFERTY: So much for the critics.
If it wasn't for Second City, there might not have ever been a "Saturday Night Live." When that television show debuted in 1975, Second City alums John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner were the stars, along with Chevy Chase. And a year later, Second City's Bill Murray replaced Chase on "SNL."
In 1988, an unknown kid begged his Second City Chicago producers for a weekend off so he could go up to Toronto for the 15th anniversary of the Second City troupe there. In Canada, he was spotted by Lorne Michaels and hired for the cast of "Saturday Night Live." His name was Mike Myers.
HEMMER: Wow.
CAFFERTY: And if his Chicago bosses hadn't given him that weekend off, would there ever have been an "Austin Powers" or a "Wayne's World?" Perhaps not.
The essence of Second City was defined very early in their existence. In 1963, think about the morality of the times in 1963. Second City closed the night that John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The next night they reopened, the audience clearly wanting to laugh. And during the suggestion taking from members of the audience for the improv set that night, one audience member yelled out, "Do the assassination!" Comedian Del Close turned and angrily responded, "Just what the F do you want to see, sir?" The audience roared. It was the first time that word was ever used on the Second City stage and I mentioned, this was 1963. Guys like Lenny Bruce were being arrested for using that kind of language. But their contribution, needless to say, has been huge and they were born and raised right here in The Windy City.
HEMMER: It continues today, too.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. Some fun last night on "The Late Show With David Letterman" pondering the top signs that it is now autumn in New York City.
Here's a look from last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: Number five, people are flocking to the Hello Deli to watch the meatloaf change colors.
Number four, Bill O'Reilly is keeping pants on when making phone calls.
Number three, CBS has documents that prove it's spring.
Number two, the Mets are not playing.
And the number one sign it's autumn in New York, Martha Stewart is shipping pumpkins. There you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: You like that, don't you?
CAFFERTY: I like all of them.
HEMMER: Kids stuff last night.
CAFFERTY: Those were pretty good. Not bad.
HEMMER: In a moment here, you might think Sue the dinosaur got its name because of its gender. Not so fast, though. We'll give you the real reason behind the name and everybody in Chicago knows about Sue.
Also, late last night, Boston turning the tables on the Yankees. The Red Sox nation celebrates. Who do they face next? We'll find out later tonight.
AMERICAN MORNING continues live in Chicago after this, on a Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 21, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Twelve days to go and the candidates swirling now through the heartland. Is the White House now in the hands of just a handful of Midwestern states?
Cuban President Fidel Castro takes a nasty spill. How bad is it today for the 78-year-old leader?
In Florida, a tornado takes a bite out of Port Canaveral.
And 100 hours of heroics for the Boston Red Sox. Four must win games -- they won them all. Now World Series bound, one team is in, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the Field Museum in Chicago, this is AMERICAN MORNING on the road, with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning.
We're coming to you this morning from Chicago's Stanley Field Hall, which, of course, is at the Field Museum. The Field Museum named for Stanley Field's relative, as in Marshall Field, who built much of this city.
Good morning.
Nice to have you back, everybody.
HEMMER: We're seeing a lot this week, aren't we?
O'BRIEN: Yes, we are.
HEMMER: Over by the river on Monday, right? Loyola University, the Magnificent Mile on Tuesday. Yesterday at Union Station. There's that car again. All five of us loaded up and ready to go and the horn still works.
Today we have moved to the Field Museum, stop number four of our week of five stops today.
So, good morning.
Welcome back to Chicago.
O'BRIEN: Well, some of the news that's making headlines this morning, right here in Chicago, a big story that could affect anybody who buys an airplane ticket anywhere else in the country. There's a controversial plan to expand the busiest airport in the world. But, of course, the big question is now could it make things much worse before they get any better?
HEMMER: Also, this story from the world of sports today that we're going to talk about throughout the day here. Everyone's talking about it, even my friend here, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: I know. And you know I don't watch a whole lot of baseball.
HEMMER: I know that.
O'BRIEN: Even I know this.
HEMMER: A huge comeback, one for the ages. The Boston Red Sox and what they did to the Yankees in the last four games. After down three games to nil over the weekend, they won on Sunday, they won on Monday, they won on Tuesday...
O'BRIEN: They crushed them.
HEMMER: And they won again last night.
O'BRIEN: Crushed them.
HEMMER: Easily, too, off the Yankees, with room to spare last night in that game.
In addition to that now, you've got the Red Sox. They're in the World Series, back there for the first time since 1986. Now, here's the issue. They haven't won the World Series since 1918.
O'BRIEN: Right.
HEMMER: So the curse is still alive. But they have lived to play another...
O'BRIEN: Yes, but this is the first step toward...
HEMMER: Indeed, you're right.
O'BRIEN: ... setting it right.
HEMMER: Had they not won last night, a lot of folks up in the Northeast would have been sad.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
I'm sort of glad I'm not in New York City today.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I know my husband is heartbroken.
HEMMER: A slight level of depression probably floating across Manhattan.
O'BRIEN: A slight level, yes.
HEMMER: Wow.
Also, Jack is with us today -- good morning, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
As promised, the "Chicago Sun-Times" this morning, on the television page, it's written by a guy by the name of Phil Rosenthal. And down here at the bottom he says, "'American Morning,' 6:00 a.m., CNN. Nice to hear Jack Cafferty report Wednesday that he and the others here from CNN were treated no better than anyone else waiting for their table at Gibsons."
So apparently it's standard operating procedure to kind of take the customers for granted there. And it ain't no cheap ticket either, and I've had better steaks.
O'BRIEN: Ooh.
CAFFERTY: But I really don't -- it was -- actually, the food was good. But that little woman in the front there, that little blonde waitress wannabe or whatever she is...
HEMMER: Jack, just let it go.
CAFFERTY: You've got to do something with that. I mean that's bad. If I come back to Chicago next week, I ain't coming near the joint if I see her through the front door, you know what I'm saying?
O'BRIEN: Oh, man.
CAFFERTY: Coming up in the "Cafferty File," "Wayne's World," "Saturday Night Live," "Caddy Shack," "Austin Powers," what do they have in common? None of them might ever have happened without Chicago's Second City. We're going to take a close look at arguably the biggest contributor to American comedy in the last 50 years.
O'BRIEN: That is great.
All right, Jack, thanks.
Let's...
CAFFERTY: Did I mention the experience we had at...
HEMMER: As a matter of fact...
O'BRIEN: Oh, my goodness, can someone get this woman on the phone? I need to talk to her. She needs to just resolve this.
CAFFERTY: No, no, no. It's being resolved right now.
O'BRIEN: No. No, we... CAFFERTY: That's what we're doing here.
O'BRIEN: We can work it out. We can do conflict resolution and everyone, you know, kumbaya. We can all come together.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's head out to Heidi Collins.
She's got a look at the headlines this morning -- Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
You know, I actually had a great dinner last night. The people were really nice, at the same place Bill did. I think I may have eaten more sushi than him, though. We're going to have to check on that a little bit later.
For now, though, we want to get straight to the news this morning.
Pakistani intelligence agencies say they've arrested two suspects, two suspected al Qaeda members. Officials say a Yemeni man and another person described as a foreigner were seized in two separate raids. Pakistani intelligence also says one of the men was carrying important documents. It is not clear what information may be in those files.
Margaret Hassan's husband says he's shocked that his wife was kidnapped in Baghdad two days ago, adding that the CARE International worker is not involved with any political or religious group. Hassan spoke out for the first time just hours ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAHSEEN ALI HASSAN, HUSBAND OF KIDNAPPED CARE WORKER: Release my wife. She is Iraqi. She is working for the humanitarian organization and I ask you for to release her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Margaret Hassan is a dual British and Iraqi citizen. She's lived in Iraq for the last 30 years.
The highest ranking soldier charged in connection with the Abu Ghraib prison scandal is expected to be sentenced today. Staff Sergeant Ivan "Chip" Frederick faces up to 11 years for his involvement in the abuse at the Baghdad prison. Frederick says he was ordered to humiliate the detainees for military intelligence purposes.
And a tornado flew through Brevard County in Florida last night. The twister was seen near Cape Canaveral. It caused heavy damage to buildings and vehicles and power outages at Port Canaveral. Several boats were torn from their moorings. No reports of any injuries, though. Look at that funnel, though. More mild weather -- wild weather, that is, wild weather just ahead for this part of the country. So I'm sure folks will be watching out for that.
Back now to Bill inside.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.
On the calendar, 12 days to go now before the presidential election is decided. Both candidates once again pounding the pavement, and they're doing it in the Midwest.
Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux covering the Bush campaign live from the White House this morning -- good morning there.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Generally, the Republicans perform better in small town America and, of course, Bush aides say they believe that perhaps the president can win Iowa as well as Wisconsin, that Minnesota may be a long shot. But part of the president's strategy here is to make Kerry to work for those states that were once in his column.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's the home of fine corn, fine people and fine music.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush barreled through America's heartland, fighting to win three states he narrowly lost to Gore four years ago.
BUSH: We're opening up markets for our farmers all across the world.
MALVEAUX: From Iowa's farm country to Minnesota's small towns, to Wisconsin's big business in cheese, the president presented his economic agenda as good for rural America.
BUSH: My policy is let's open up everybody else's markets. We can compete with anybody any time, anywhere, so long as the playing field is level.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush used the State of Minnesota, home to the world class Mayo cancer clinic, to contrast his health care plan with that of Senator John Kerry.
BUSH: You just need a president who understands how to address the root causes of costs going up. And that's how you avoid federalizing health care.
MALVEAUX: The president also answered Kerry's charges that the war in Iraq was a diversion from going after Osama bin Laden. He said evidence that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the man believed to be behind the beheadings in Iraq, has professed his allegiance to bin Laden, proves Iraq is a central front in the war on terror.
BUSH: If Zarqawi and his associates were not busy fighting American forces in Iraq, does Senator Kerry think he would be leading a productive and peaceful life?
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MALVEAUX: Now, President Bush today makes two stops in Pennsylvania. He's going to be talking about the need for medical liability reform. He is also going to be promoting his health care plan and he's going to be meeting with the archbishop of Philadelphia. That, of course, is to court the all important Catholic vote. And it is not surprising where the president is going to be tomorrow. He is back in Ohio and then, of course, for the weekend back to Florida -- Bill.
HEMMER: Suzanne, thanks for that.
Now for the other side.
Senator Kerry also in Iowa yesterday criticizing the president for ignoring domestic issues and for going to war, he says, without the backing of America's allies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The other day in a speech full of distortions, the president made it clear that he can't talk about most of the issues in this election. He wants to make it solely a contest on national security. Well, I welcome that debate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Now for Senator Kerry's plans on the road, he'll begin tonight hunting in Ohio for votes, before heading to Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Tomorrow, he'll campaign in Nevada and in the State of Colorado.
Now to Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, let's take a look at the weather this morning.
Orelon Sidney is at the CNN Center for us -- good morning to you once again.
ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
And you're in Chicago.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Tomorrow, sadly, our Chicago trip comes to a close. Well, I have to say, I miss the family a little. We're going to finish next door at the Adler Planetarium. It's the very first planetarium in the western hemisphere.
HEMMER: It's a great looking building, too. And the Shedd Aquarium is over there, as well. Stop by if you're in town.
In a moment, as one official puts it, when Chicago's airport, O'Hare, sneezes, the whole country catches a cold. Why is there so much controversy now over the plans to cut back on delays there? We'll check it out.
O'BRIEN: Also ahead, NBC's "E.R." has been a hit now for 10 seasons. But how does it stack up to the real deal? We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" for a tour of the hospital that inspired the show.
HEMMER: Also today, meet the dinosaur called Sue. Why one expert says this attraction is the James Dean of dinosaurs.
Yes, still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
Chicago's O'Hare Airport is on pace to serve nearly one million flights this year, making it the world's busiest. And because Chicago is a prime connecting point, flight delays can have a ripple effect nationwide.
Well, now the FAA is considering ways to unclog the congestion.
CNN's Chris Lawrence joins us with more on that -- hey, Chris, good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Soledad.
Well, not surprisingly, this isn't just about making sure your flight leaves on time. Airports bring a ton of money to an area and when money is involved, it's never easy.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): In a matter of hours, this airport can move 1,000 people from the Midwest to the Middle East.
JOHN RYAN, FREQUENT FLIER: It's big and busy and getting bigger and getting busier.
LAWRENCE: One blast of bad weather here can cause backups at nearly every airport in America.
ROSEMARIE ANDOLINO, O'HARE MODERNIZATION DIRECTOR: When O'Hare sneezes, everyone catches a cold.
LAWRENCE: And this is the city's prescription.
ANDOLINO: This runway gets extended.
LAWRENCE: A plan that would build a new terminal and reconfigure runways, cutting delays nearly 75 percent.
ANDOLINO: By putting more lanes in a highway type of thing, you can move more cars.
LAWRENCE: But the physical expansion into the immediate suburbs could demolish hundreds of homes and businesses, and dig up graves in nearby cemeteries. MAYOR CRAIG JOHNSON, ELK GROVE, ILLINOIS: So you're going to decimate two communities for a plan that does not work.
LAWRENCE: Elk Grove, Illinois Mayor Craig Johnson says any benefits from increased capacity would be canceled out by the flights O'Hare adds.
JOHNSON: It comes down simply to control. The mayor of the City of Chicago wants everything in his control and in his jurisdiction.
LAWRENCE: Johnson says it's time to build a new airport in Chicago's south suburbs, an idea backed by Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. for the economic boost it would give his district.
But some travelers don't see that happening.
LINDA RYAN, FREQUENT FLIER: They've needed a new airport for 20 years and because of the politics, they don't build one, because nobody can figure out where to put it to make everybody happy.
LAWRENCE: That's why some people in nearby Gary, Indiana ask, why build a new airport when you can expand a smaller one that's already up and running?
(on camera): Some of Gary's proponents look at this airport and say hey, back in the '70s, almost no one flew out of Newark and now it's almost as busy as JFK.
(voice-over): Nothing concrete can happen until late next year, when the FAA clears one plan for takeoff.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LAWRENCE: Now, the FAA expects to make its decision by September of next year. By then, we should know whether they're going to sign off on O'Hare's modernization, perhaps OK the building of a new airport, or perhaps even some combination of the two -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Hey, Chris, if they do go ahead and OK the building of a new airport, or even just improving the one they've already got, what's the time line? I mean when do people who are actually flying get to see any kind of improvement?
LAWRENCE: There could be some small improvements over the next few years. If they OK the modernization plan for O'Hare, the first new runway would come online in 2007, providing a little bit of a break there. And just this week, the FAA OKed the lengthening of one of the runways at Gary, and also the expansion of one of the terminals there. O'BRIEN: All right, Chris Lawrence for us this morning.
And, hey, Chris, a big thank you to you and all your colleagues out of the Chicago bureau for hosting us and helping us out this week.
We really appreciate it.
LAWRENCE: Hey, it's like a welcome home for you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, thank you, thank you.
We've loved it.
Turning now to John Roberson.
He is a commissioner for aviation for Chicago's airport system.
We'll talk a little bit more about this.
Give me a sense of the money. I mean they're talking $15 billion. List for me exactly the biggest focus for this project.
JOHN ROBERSON, AVIATION COMMISSIONER: Well, first, the first thing is that the O'Hare modernization program really is $6.6 billion. That will allow us to build the new runways, do an extension of our runways, to create more parallels, reconfigure our runway system to make it more efficient so that during bad weather we can reduce delays and during good weather we can have a more efficient operation. And it also allows us to build a brand new terminal.
O'BRIEN: But...
ROBERSON: So when people talk about $15 billion, what they're talking about are other projects that have nothing to do with the O'Hare modernization program.
O'BRIEN: So why not, then, do what Chris was talking about at the end of his piece, which is move the whole thing to Gary, Indiana -- open a smaller airport and do what essentially they did in Newark, make it bigger, make it more efficient and relieve some of the backups at Chicago's O'Hare?
ROBERSON: Well, we have to keep in mind, since deregulation in 1978, the FAA, no federal agency has the authority to direct flights anywhere. When you're dealing with delays and congestions at O'Hare, the only way that you can solve those delays and congestion is at O'Hare. That's why the modernization of O'Hare is so critical.
There's a saying that when O'Hare sneezes, the entire country catches a cold.
O'BRIEN: Right.
ROBERSON: That's absolutely appropriate. And why? Because Chicago is at the nexus. It's the crossroads for the entire national air transportation system. O'BRIEN: Is it worse than other places? I mean obviously just sheer number wise you've got a lot more traffic. But is it -- is the whole system significantly worse than everywhere else?
ROBERSON: No, because it's all a connected system. And that's why what we have to do is we have to expand and modernization O'Hare, to put the infrastructure in place. That way as planes are flying -- because you have to keep in mind, 50 percent of the 77 million passengers that we see every single year are connected. So they're coming from somewhere else through Chicago in order to get to a final destination.
O'BRIEN: Theoretically, couldn't expanding the runways and doing an expansion project actually, at the end, increase the volume? You know, back to the sneezing and everybody else catching a cold theory, if you expand O'Hare, don't you run the risk of bringing more people in, more planes come in and you could have a bigger problem?
ROBERSON: Well, not necessarily, because what the expanded capacity allows us to do is to land those planes more efficiently. With the reconfiguration of our one...
O'BRIEN: But I guess my question is won't more people say that's great, let's bring more planes in?
ROBERSON: Well, absolutely. But we've already accounted for that within the entire program. So being able to land more planes actually makes it more efficient and we'll get people here on time, we'll get them to their final destination, because none of us want delays. We realize that every single minute that someone is delayed, that means there's a business deal that doesn't get done or someone misses the wedding of a loved one.
O'BRIEN: Oh, and also just financially, people get angry and they...
ROBERSON: Oh, absolutely.
O'BRIEN: ... negative, I mean, outside of the loved ones missing their wedding, I mean I've got imagine that there's a bottom line component.
I want to ask you just one quick question about security.
Aren't there issues with the bigger it gets, the more even just square footage you're dealing with, the security issue becomes a bigger issue?
ROBERSON: Well, we have a multi-layered security system. Obviously, there are certain components of our security system that are very visible. We have uniformed police officers, Chicago police officers, that patrol within the terminals, on segues and also by walking patrols. But we also have a security patrol system for our parameters.
So -- and keep in mind, O'Hare is not expanding drastically beyond its current boundaries. So we have the ability to maintain a perimeter, but also to make sure that as people are traveling that they're going to be safe inside the terminals, as well.
O'BRIEN: John Roberson is the aviation commissioner.
Nice to have you.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
We appreciate it.
ROBERSON: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: A break here.
In a moment, why the Second City is second to none when it comes to friendliness.
Jack is back with that as we continue rolling on here in Chicago on a Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Hey, Bill, you know I'm always going to find the shoes wherever I go. This is an exhibit of more than 100 pairs of shoes representing cultures from around the world. You know whose sneakers those are? Can you guess? Those belonged to Michael Jordan.
Come over here, I want to show you a pair of boots. I don't think I'd buy these. These are from Siberia. But they're made out of fish skin. And the sandals in the front from 1 A.D., sandals from ancient Egypt. Also, down here...
HEMMER: They look great.
O'BRIEN: ... these sandals worn by a bride in Japan in the late 1970s. A really wonderful exhibit. If you get a chance, come back and check it out -- Bill.
HEMMER: How many pairs are you taking away with you today?
O'BRIEN: We'll talk about that later.
HEMMER: You got it. Yes, how many can you get in the bag?
Thanks, Soledad.
Back with Jack now and to "The File" here in Chicago.
CAFFERTY: I wonder if they have any of Imelda Marcos's footwear in that thing.
HEMMER: Maybe.
CAFFERTY: She had a few.
HEMMER: A few.
CAFFERTY: All right, Second City is one of the oldest comedy troupes in this country and through the years has contributed more names to American comedy than probably any other single source. Do you recognize this fellow? This was the debut of John Belushi with Second City. The picture was taken in 1971. In 1974, the Canadian cast of Second City in Toronto came here to Chicago for a week of performances and one of the Chicago newspaper critics wrote that the Canadian bunch "had no real comedic talent."
Well, the cast of that group included John Candy, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner and Eugene Levy.
HEMMER: Wow.
CAFFERTY: So much for the critics.
If it wasn't for Second City, there might not have ever been a "Saturday Night Live." When that television show debuted in 1975, Second City alums John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner were the stars, along with Chevy Chase. And a year later, Second City's Bill Murray replaced Chase on "SNL."
In 1988, an unknown kid begged his Second City Chicago producers for a weekend off so he could go up to Toronto for the 15th anniversary of the Second City troupe there. In Canada, he was spotted by Lorne Michaels and hired for the cast of "Saturday Night Live." His name was Mike Myers.
HEMMER: Wow.
CAFFERTY: And if his Chicago bosses hadn't given him that weekend off, would there ever have been an "Austin Powers" or a "Wayne's World?" Perhaps not.
The essence of Second City was defined very early in their existence. In 1963, think about the morality of the times in 1963. Second City closed the night that John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The next night they reopened, the audience clearly wanting to laugh. And during the suggestion taking from members of the audience for the improv set that night, one audience member yelled out, "Do the assassination!" Comedian Del Close turned and angrily responded, "Just what the F do you want to see, sir?" The audience roared. It was the first time that word was ever used on the Second City stage and I mentioned, this was 1963. Guys like Lenny Bruce were being arrested for using that kind of language. But their contribution, needless to say, has been huge and they were born and raised right here in The Windy City.
HEMMER: It continues today, too.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. Some fun last night on "The Late Show With David Letterman" pondering the top signs that it is now autumn in New York City.
Here's a look from last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: Number five, people are flocking to the Hello Deli to watch the meatloaf change colors.
Number four, Bill O'Reilly is keeping pants on when making phone calls.
Number three, CBS has documents that prove it's spring.
Number two, the Mets are not playing.
And the number one sign it's autumn in New York, Martha Stewart is shipping pumpkins. There you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: You like that, don't you?
CAFFERTY: I like all of them.
HEMMER: Kids stuff last night.
CAFFERTY: Those were pretty good. Not bad.
HEMMER: In a moment here, you might think Sue the dinosaur got its name because of its gender. Not so fast, though. We'll give you the real reason behind the name and everybody in Chicago knows about Sue.
Also, late last night, Boston turning the tables on the Yankees. The Red Sox nation celebrates. Who do they face next? We'll find out later tonight.
AMERICAN MORNING continues live in Chicago after this, on a Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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