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American Morning
Parade Day; Fight for Falluja; A POW's Story
Aired November 25, 2004 - 9:00 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanksgiving done the hard way. Holiday snow and rain making it tough for millions of late arrivals.
American troops a long way from home on this special day. We're going to hear from them this morning.
And those yellow ribbon magnets. You see them on cars everywhere. Now the creators explain how this idea caught on, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Happy Thanksgiving. Did you see those pictures of Central Park?
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Isn't that neat?
O'BRIEN: And the edge and the people lining up for the parade?
SANCHEZ: Yes, they're there. No rain, no bad wind, too.
O'BRIEN: No, it's going to be all right. It should be a lot of fun.
Welcome, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien. Rick Sanchez is in for Bill Hemmer, who's got the day off.
Nice to have you, as always.
SANCHEZ: Thank you for letting me be part of the fun.
O'BRIEN: I'm happy to let you be part of the fun here on AMERICAN MORNING. It's the least I can do.
SANCHEZ: Well, in a couple of minutes, we're going to hear from Jessica Lynch. Once again, the former POW in Iraq is back with us after healing from her ordeal. We're going to hear about her reunion with the man who saved her, and we're going to find out how she's just generally doing.
O'BRIEN: Good. Also this morning, let's listen to this for just a moment.
(MUSIC)
O'BRIEN: That young man there, he's singing Chinese opera. He is the talk of the U.S.-Chinese opera scene. We're going to tell you his unlikely story in just a few moments. That's pretty neat.
Also this morning, the dean of Butterball University, Sherleen Clausen, is taking your e-mail questions about how to cook the perfect turkey.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and that's important, how to cook that perfect turkey. Unless you're doing a turducken, then it's a completely different story.
O'BRIEN: Or you just go out, too. That's a completely other story as well.
Carol Costello again with us this morning.
Hello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There's actually a turkey right downstairs, so you can take it home. You don't have to cook a turkey.
O'BRIEN: And don't you think I didn't think of that!
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: It looks mighty tasty.
O'BRIEN: A little garnish on that.
COSTELLO: Exactly. No one would know.
O'BRIEN: We could split it.
SANCHEZ: It's got to have big pockets.
COSTELLO: She does.
O'BRIEN: Oh.
COSTELLO: "Now in the News" -- good morning, everyone.
This just into CNN. A top aide of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been arrested in Mosul. That is according to an Iraqi official.
In the meantime, in Falluja, U.S. Marines and Iraqi security forces have uncovered the largest weapons supply so far. Military sources say there are enough weapons to launch a nationwide rebellion. Troops have been mopping up in the region following a two-week offensive there.
European Union and Russian leaders are calling for a peaceful approach to solving Ukraine's election crisis. Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, backed by thousands of protesters, is calling for a nationwide strike, claiming the ballot was rigged. Moscow-backed candidate Viktor Yanukovych was declared the winner yesterday in that disputed election.
To California now, where Scott Peterson's attorneys are appealing to the state Supreme Court. Attorney Mark Geragos wants a change of venue and a jury for Peterson's sentencing. The convicted killer faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Opening arguments for the penalty phase set to begin on Tuesday.
And a Thanksgiving Day greeting from President Bush. The president kicking off the holiday by encouraging Americans to reinforce family and community ties. In his Thanksgiving message, President Bush says the true strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of citizens as they help make the nation and the world a better place.
SANCHEZ: Here, here.
O'BRIEN: That's nice.
COSTELLO: That is nice.
O'BRIEN: All right. Carol, thanks.
Well, many travelers were not giving thanks for the weather conditions yesterday. Storms across the country delayed them for hours on end. Still, passengers stuck it out to make their way to their turkey target.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Heavy snow in the Midwest. Heavy rain in the northeast. And tornadoes in the south.
Mother Nature was definitely no help on getaway day. The start of a weekend estimated to see more than 37 million people hit the roads, the air and the rails.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We haven't seen this many travelers since 2000.
O'BRIEN: At packed airports, the holiday rush meant hurry up and wait.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm ready to camp out.
O'BRIEN: And that's exactly what they did. At several major airports, the snowstorm causing three-hour delays at O'Hare in Chicago. The weather grounding planes in Georgia. And as conditions worsened, delays began to snowball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I drove over here, I could hear air traffic control doing ground stops at various cities because of the weather.
O'BRIEN: Still, for the millions making the holiday trek, the Thanksgiving destination is worth all the waiting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, looking forward to seeing family. I guess that keeps you positive, keeps you going.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: And millions of holiday travelers will do it all again on Sunday, which is traditionally an even busier travel day.
Let's go right to Chad Myers. He's at the CNN Center with the latest for us.
Hello, Chad. Good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: All right, Chad. Thanks a lot.
MYERS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: We've got this news just into CNN. We're getting reports that a chemical weapons lab has been found in Falluja, in addition to that huge weapons cache that was also found there. No details specifically on the chemical weapons lab to report yet. We're of course going to bring that to you as soon as we get it.
Also, in Baghdad, there is information that a top aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been arrested in Mosul. That's according to Iraq's interim national security adviser. That, of course, leading to questions about whether or not investigators and searchers could be hot on the trail of al-Zarqawi himself.
More on both of these stories throughout the morning right here on AMERICAN MORNING -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: It's a big day right here in New York City. A whole bunch of folks are gathering because the balloons and the floats are ready for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, set to start any minute now, in fact.
CNN's Jason Carroll is live with the parade crowd. He's been following this thing all morning.
How are the preps going, Jason?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Things are going really well out here. It's getting tight in here.
The real action is out there where the parade has just started to inch its way past us. Some of the clouds coming by. You can see the big star out there, the toy soldiers from Macy's, all of it inching its way past us here.
Right now, joining me is Natalie, who's down here from Indiana.
Tell me, this is your first time at the parade. What do you think so far?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's awesome. I'm just excited to see everything, and I'm just expecting anything right now because I've never been here before. So...
CARROLL: A couple other first-timers that are with us as well next to you, Natalie. These two from London, England.
I know what you two are thankful for. They're thankful that the pound is doing so well in the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
CARROLL: But tell me, what do you think of this parade so far? What do you make of all the balloons, turkey, Thanksgiving?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely fantastic. It's a great experience, and we're looking forward to seeing all the balloons come past.
CARROLL: Big balloons.
How about...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lapping up the atmosphere.
CARROLL: Lapping up the atmosphere, absolutely. I'm with you there.
Now, behind me here, very quickly, is Diane. She's from Long Island.
Diane, what do you make of all this? I know you came down here with your family. What do you think so far?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's wonderful. We've been coming since the children were little. And we've taken hiatus, you know, a few years.
New York City's finest has done the best job. They've organized it so well. So a wonderful day, and there's nothing like New York. And it's free. You can't make it any better.
CARROLL: Boy, they should hire to you promote the parade. You did that well.
Thanks very much. All right. All right.
Also, just to let you know as the parade makes its way past us now, the last balloon in the parade, Kermit the frog, the last float, will be Santa. We'll be here for all of it.
Rick, back to you.
SANCHEZ: All right. Thanks a lot. Jason Carroll following things for us out there. It sounds like -- like things are going splendidly so far. We'll check back with you, Jason -- Soledad.
CARROLL: All right. O'BRIEN: Military officials say troops captured 81 suspects south of Baghdad today in the continuing efforts to stop the insurgency. U.S. Marines saying getting rid of insurgent weapons in Iraq is a growing problem as well.
We're joined this morning by Sergeant Matt Bassett of the U.S. Marine Corps, here to give us a personal account of the fight in Falluja and also what the troops are facing ahead.
Nice to see you, Sergeant. Thanks for your time this morning. Give me a sense of what you experienced in that firefight.
SGT. MATT BASSETT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Pretty intense, a lot of different stuff going on. You just have to keep your head about you, know that the guys around you are doing their best, and you're doing your best. And just keep focused what's going on. They throw a lot of unexpected things at you, and you just have to be prepared for the worst.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense, when you say "unexpected things," like what sorts of things?
BASSETT: Just the way -- way some of the personnel reacts to things you do, some of the TTPs they have. Just the different aspects on how involved they get with what they're doing.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the story that we're talking about this morning, which is this huge weapons cache discovered. Can you give me a sense of what kinds of weapons, and how huge is huge?
BASSETT: It varies from AKs, RPKs, RPGs, 155 rounds. And as far as the size being huge, you really can't specify how large it actually is just knowing that there's an exorbitant amount of material in there that shouldn't be there. There's really no set standard as to how we gauge what a large -- what a large find would be.
O'BRIEN: There are reports that virtually all of the mosques were sites where these weapons were hidden. Is that right?
BASSETT: In some cases it has been, other cases it's been small shanties and other houses and whatnot. There's really no set standard they have for where it's kept.
O'BRIEN: Is it difficult not only to search out, to find, but then also just the logistics of destroying all these weapons? How tough is that?
BASSETT: Finding it is normally pretty easy with a dismount of troops that are normally with us and all the units throughout the area. It's normally easy to find all of the stuff.
As far as disposing of it, we particularly don't dispose of it ourselves. There's other elements that dispose of the materials. I would say it's pretty difficult, kind of tedious.
O'BRIEN: Is there any better sense of where the insurgents are from? Is it the case that the bulk of them are foreign fighters? Or are they folks from Falluja, do you know?
BASSETT: Really couldn't tell you.
O'BRIEN: I'm sure we're going to continue to follow this story with the latest information coming out about chemical weapons labs and this massive cache of weapons as well found. Sergeant Matt Bassett of Weapons Company 31 joining us this morning.
Thanks for your time. And our best wishes to you for a happy Thanksgiving to you and all your comrades there.
SANCHEZ: And you mentioned just a little while ago some breaking news about what's going on in Falluja. We've also got some breaking news now, some information coming into us.
We've got a picture, in fact, that we can share with you. You see the smoke rising there from Baghdad. Not exactly sure what the circumstances were that led up to this.
The report we're getting, though, is there has been an explosion in Baghdad. Also, not certain if it's inside the Green Zone, which is a much more protected area and would be more significant.
If it is inside the Green Zone, it would be the second incident just in the last 48 hours, because overnight we received the report of a diplomat also being shot in the same area. It's a story that we will obviously continue to follow for you.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, back from Iraq. Jessica Lynch among the most well-known veterans of that war recalls her experiences with us up next.
SANCHEZ: Also, an Oakland boy who listens to rap but whose true love is Chinese opera. His story is coming up.
O'BRIEN: And are things heating up in your kitchen but not in a good way? Send us your turkey questions. The dean of Butterball University will join us with the answers. That's at am@cnn.com just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The world watched her dramatic rescue from an Iraqi hospital in 2003. And soon after, Jessica Lynch became a compelling symbol of courage under fire.
Held captive for nine days after her unit was ambushed in Nasariyah, Jessica suffered injuries, including spinal damage and 10 broken bones. But in the midst of a grueling rehabilitation, Jessica is using her fame to support children of veterans and deployed soldiers as well. She's also the author of, "I am a Soldier, Too."
Joining us this morning, Jessica Lynch.
Nice to see you. How you doing?
JESSICA LYNCH, FMR. POW: Hi. I'm doing good, thank you.
O'BRIEN: How are you feeling? The last time we spoke, you sort of showed off the array of injuries that you were recovering from. How's it going now?
LYNCH: Everything is healing really well. I have one more surgery to go, and hopefully that will be my last.
O'BRIEN: What's the surgery for?
LYNCH: For my right foot.
O'BRIEN: You're moving pretty fast. You've got your cane still...
LYNCH: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... but you're kind of getting around.
LYNCH: Well, I can walk around it now, but long distance, you know, I need it.
O'BRIEN: How is it managing the other part of all of this, which has been the fame, the media attention, everyone pretty much in your business all the time? How has that been?
LYNCH: It's different. It's definitely different coming from a small, you know, country town, and then just one day everything happened. So it's been different, but it's also been exciting and fun.
O'BRIEN: Your book is now out in paperback.
LYNCH: Correct.
O'BRIEN: And I know that all the proceeds have been going to your foundation. Tell me a little bit about the foundation and what it does.
LYNCH: OK. The foundation is called the Jessica Lynch Foundation, and it's -- I started it mainly because of Laurie's (ph) children, which Laurie (ph) was my friend that was killed in ambush.
O'BRIEN: Laurie (ph) has two children, two young children, right?
LYNCH: She has two children, yes. So I wanted to be able to help them out in any way that I can.
And the world, everywhere has been so supportive of her and sent them money. So right now, they're good with going home with college money and stuff like that. But, you know, I just wanted to be there mostly because of a friend and make sure that they were taken care of.
O'BRIEN: I read that you get lots of letters and e-mails from young girls. LYNCH: Yes, I do.
O'BRIEN: What do you tell them? What do you advise them?
LYNCH: You know, they mostly want to know stuff like how's it like to go to these events or what's it like to be in the war. You know, just little things like that.
And, you know, some may have like a parent or loved one or something over there, so I just kind of reassure them, like, "Well, I don't know for sure, but it's going to be OK. And your family will come back to you."
O'BRIEN: Well, I know you've been doing a lot of motivational and inspirational speaking as well. What's your message for folks? What do you think that you can tell people after what you've been through at the ripe old age of 21?
LYNCH: Twenty-one, yes. You know, mostly just to -- to never give up.
You know, I was put in the situation of being by myself for nine days, held captive, and not being able to move at all. And there were so many times that I could have just give up, but I didn't. And you've just got to keep that inside of you and know that you have the strength to keep going and not give up.
O'BRIEN: Well, a nice message, I think, especially for young girls to be hearing.
LYNCH: Well, thank you.
O'BRIEN: Thanks for talking with us. It's nice to be able to check in with you every so often and see how you're doing. You look terrific.
LYNCH: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: You look like you're really on the road to recovery.
LYNCH: I am. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Jessica Lynch, thanks.
SANCHEZ: By the way, we've got some developing news that we're following out of Iraq. Two stories, really.
The first one, there is a report of a chemical weapons lab that has been found in Falluja. We're going to be following that.
And also, we have a picture now we can show you of what's going on inside Baghdad, possibly inside the Green Zone. We're still trying to nail that down. But there has been an explosion, you see some of the smoke that's still rising from the area. We're following both stories.
This is AMERICAN MORNING. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: An unconventional boy with a talent that some might call a little bit strange. Rusty Dornin introduces us to an elementary schooler who's finding his own unique voice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tyler Thompson is an all-American nine-year-old. Dodgeball, football, baseball, basketball, you name it.
Music? Well, he likes R&B and rap. But his true love is to sing...
(MUSIC)
DORNIN: ... Chinese opera. This fourth grader sings in flawless Mandarin, a skill he began perfecting in the second grade.
His mother heard him singing in the car, only she couldn't understand a word.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I call the teacher and I go -- and I said, "My son is singing in Chinese. Do you know what's going on?" And she said...
DORNIN: Music teacher Sherlyn Chew spotted Thompson as solo quality when he was seven. But this year computer classes won out over music at Lincoln Elementary. So now Thompson goes to nearby Laney College for training.
SHERLYN CHEW, MUSIC TEACHER: We worked on each word at a time. He would take home the -- a cassette tape that I would record so that he can hear it over and over again.
DORNIN (on camera): Do you know what the words mean when you are singing them?
TYLER THOMPSON, CHINESE OPERA SINGER: I knew you was going to say that, and no.
DORNIN (voice-over): But his pronunciation is so good, he fools a lot of people.
CHEW: He perform for a lot of Chinese audience member. And when that happens, people cry when Tyler sings. They say, "He's so clear, and he's so adorable."
DORNIN: Thompson received a standing ovation at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum last march. Now there is even an offer to sing in Beijing.
THOMPSON: I just like to see what -- what it's like to be in China, just to know what it's like over there for one day. Usually I like to have...
DORNIN: Oakland, California, is known for spawning rappers. Thompson said even his dad had trouble with his choice of music.
THOMPSON: At first he thought it was -- it was sort of weird, and so did my cousin. But now that they see me going places, they think it's more unique.
DORNIN: A unique talent from an unexpected performer.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Oakland, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: A remarkable young man there. Good for him.
SANCHEZ: Pretty talented.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: "My son's speaking Chinese." What's wrong with that?
O'BRIEN: What's going on?
SANCHEZ: Time to talk turkey now. No worries. The dean of Butterball University, Sherleen Clausen, is with us to answer your e- mails.
Sherleen, the first e-mail comes from this lady named Soledad. She writes, "What happens if I forgot the broiling pan and my mother calls me in a panic?" Is that...
O'BRIEN: E-mails me in a panic. E-mailed me, "Where is it?"
So I don't have it. But you know what? You can just run out and get any of them.
How big should it be? I've got a 25 pound turkey, and it's true, I just got an e-mail. I forgot, I don't own a broiling pan.
SHERLEEN CLAUSEN, DEAN, BUTTERBALL UNIVERSITY: Well, you know, for a turkey that size, it's probably not the best to use a broiler pan because it is so shallow, and all of the juices are going to go into the bottom. And it becomes a safety issue pulling it out of the oven because the broiler rack the on pan just really doesn't make it visible to see all of the juices, and then you're trying to pull it out of the oven with this heavy turkey.
So I'd recommend, if you still have time and can do it, buy one of those foil pans. And they're large enough for a 25 pound turkey, and then you can see all of the juices around it and it will be easier to handle. Not on a jelly roll pan.
O'BRIEN: Not my fault. But I don't have a broiler pan, because it would be unsafe. Thank you very much. I appreciate that advice.
CLAUSEN: That's right. That's right.
SANCHEZ: You hear that mom? You're covered. She's on the way. We'll let her out early so she can go buy it.
O'BRIEN: Let's do this one.
SANCHEZ: All right.
O'BRIEN: This is from Carol.
SANCHEZ: Carol -- go ahead.
O'BRIEN: "I'm cooking two 12-pound turkeys together. Do I double the time?" The answer is no, right?
CLAUSEN: No, that's right. The answer is no. And, you know, a lot of people find it much easier to handle two 12-pound turkeys than that one big 25-pound turkey.
So I guess a little tip might be your oven needs to be big enough so both pans fit side by side. And then about halfway through, just reverse the pans, and that helps out even out the cook.
SANCHEZ: Let's talk about the thermometer. I know everybody uses that nowadays, but what happens if you don't have one of those thermometers? How do you know when the bird is done?
CLAUSEN: Well, you know, sometime we find even though people do have thermometers, they leave them in the drawer. So if you do have it in the drawer, pull it out and use it.
But in case you don't, then we recommend to not put any stuffing in the body cavity. And then a lot of times what people do is they will take a fork and pierce it here in the thigh and see if the juices run clear.
The other thing is they might take a hold of the drumstick and jiggle it. And then, you know, they know if it jiggles that's the other indicator.
SANCHEZ: Jiggle the drumstick. Jiggle the -- OK, got that down.
Thanks to Debbie, Carol, Fred and Terry, all of them for e- mailing us those questions. And Sherleen, obviously to you as well.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, we've got new discoveries in Falluja. We're going to tell you about that.
SANCHEZ: Also, spending Thanksgiving in Iraq when your thoughts are thousands of miles away. This is going to be a live report. We'll bring it to you.
This is Thanksgiving on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired November 25, 2004 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanksgiving done the hard way. Holiday snow and rain making it tough for millions of late arrivals.
American troops a long way from home on this special day. We're going to hear from them this morning.
And those yellow ribbon magnets. You see them on cars everywhere. Now the creators explain how this idea caught on, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Happy Thanksgiving. Did you see those pictures of Central Park?
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Isn't that neat?
O'BRIEN: And the edge and the people lining up for the parade?
SANCHEZ: Yes, they're there. No rain, no bad wind, too.
O'BRIEN: No, it's going to be all right. It should be a lot of fun.
Welcome, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien. Rick Sanchez is in for Bill Hemmer, who's got the day off.
Nice to have you, as always.
SANCHEZ: Thank you for letting me be part of the fun.
O'BRIEN: I'm happy to let you be part of the fun here on AMERICAN MORNING. It's the least I can do.
SANCHEZ: Well, in a couple of minutes, we're going to hear from Jessica Lynch. Once again, the former POW in Iraq is back with us after healing from her ordeal. We're going to hear about her reunion with the man who saved her, and we're going to find out how she's just generally doing.
O'BRIEN: Good. Also this morning, let's listen to this for just a moment.
(MUSIC)
O'BRIEN: That young man there, he's singing Chinese opera. He is the talk of the U.S.-Chinese opera scene. We're going to tell you his unlikely story in just a few moments. That's pretty neat.
Also this morning, the dean of Butterball University, Sherleen Clausen, is taking your e-mail questions about how to cook the perfect turkey.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and that's important, how to cook that perfect turkey. Unless you're doing a turducken, then it's a completely different story.
O'BRIEN: Or you just go out, too. That's a completely other story as well.
Carol Costello again with us this morning.
Hello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There's actually a turkey right downstairs, so you can take it home. You don't have to cook a turkey.
O'BRIEN: And don't you think I didn't think of that!
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: It looks mighty tasty.
O'BRIEN: A little garnish on that.
COSTELLO: Exactly. No one would know.
O'BRIEN: We could split it.
SANCHEZ: It's got to have big pockets.
COSTELLO: She does.
O'BRIEN: Oh.
COSTELLO: "Now in the News" -- good morning, everyone.
This just into CNN. A top aide of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been arrested in Mosul. That is according to an Iraqi official.
In the meantime, in Falluja, U.S. Marines and Iraqi security forces have uncovered the largest weapons supply so far. Military sources say there are enough weapons to launch a nationwide rebellion. Troops have been mopping up in the region following a two-week offensive there.
European Union and Russian leaders are calling for a peaceful approach to solving Ukraine's election crisis. Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, backed by thousands of protesters, is calling for a nationwide strike, claiming the ballot was rigged. Moscow-backed candidate Viktor Yanukovych was declared the winner yesterday in that disputed election.
To California now, where Scott Peterson's attorneys are appealing to the state Supreme Court. Attorney Mark Geragos wants a change of venue and a jury for Peterson's sentencing. The convicted killer faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Opening arguments for the penalty phase set to begin on Tuesday.
And a Thanksgiving Day greeting from President Bush. The president kicking off the holiday by encouraging Americans to reinforce family and community ties. In his Thanksgiving message, President Bush says the true strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of citizens as they help make the nation and the world a better place.
SANCHEZ: Here, here.
O'BRIEN: That's nice.
COSTELLO: That is nice.
O'BRIEN: All right. Carol, thanks.
Well, many travelers were not giving thanks for the weather conditions yesterday. Storms across the country delayed them for hours on end. Still, passengers stuck it out to make their way to their turkey target.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Heavy snow in the Midwest. Heavy rain in the northeast. And tornadoes in the south.
Mother Nature was definitely no help on getaway day. The start of a weekend estimated to see more than 37 million people hit the roads, the air and the rails.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We haven't seen this many travelers since 2000.
O'BRIEN: At packed airports, the holiday rush meant hurry up and wait.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm ready to camp out.
O'BRIEN: And that's exactly what they did. At several major airports, the snowstorm causing three-hour delays at O'Hare in Chicago. The weather grounding planes in Georgia. And as conditions worsened, delays began to snowball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I drove over here, I could hear air traffic control doing ground stops at various cities because of the weather.
O'BRIEN: Still, for the millions making the holiday trek, the Thanksgiving destination is worth all the waiting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, looking forward to seeing family. I guess that keeps you positive, keeps you going.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: And millions of holiday travelers will do it all again on Sunday, which is traditionally an even busier travel day.
Let's go right to Chad Myers. He's at the CNN Center with the latest for us.
Hello, Chad. Good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: All right, Chad. Thanks a lot.
MYERS: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: We've got this news just into CNN. We're getting reports that a chemical weapons lab has been found in Falluja, in addition to that huge weapons cache that was also found there. No details specifically on the chemical weapons lab to report yet. We're of course going to bring that to you as soon as we get it.
Also, in Baghdad, there is information that a top aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been arrested in Mosul. That's according to Iraq's interim national security adviser. That, of course, leading to questions about whether or not investigators and searchers could be hot on the trail of al-Zarqawi himself.
More on both of these stories throughout the morning right here on AMERICAN MORNING -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: It's a big day right here in New York City. A whole bunch of folks are gathering because the balloons and the floats are ready for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, set to start any minute now, in fact.
CNN's Jason Carroll is live with the parade crowd. He's been following this thing all morning.
How are the preps going, Jason?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Things are going really well out here. It's getting tight in here.
The real action is out there where the parade has just started to inch its way past us. Some of the clouds coming by. You can see the big star out there, the toy soldiers from Macy's, all of it inching its way past us here.
Right now, joining me is Natalie, who's down here from Indiana.
Tell me, this is your first time at the parade. What do you think so far?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's awesome. I'm just excited to see everything, and I'm just expecting anything right now because I've never been here before. So...
CARROLL: A couple other first-timers that are with us as well next to you, Natalie. These two from London, England.
I know what you two are thankful for. They're thankful that the pound is doing so well in the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
CARROLL: But tell me, what do you think of this parade so far? What do you make of all the balloons, turkey, Thanksgiving?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely fantastic. It's a great experience, and we're looking forward to seeing all the balloons come past.
CARROLL: Big balloons.
How about...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lapping up the atmosphere.
CARROLL: Lapping up the atmosphere, absolutely. I'm with you there.
Now, behind me here, very quickly, is Diane. She's from Long Island.
Diane, what do you make of all this? I know you came down here with your family. What do you think so far?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's wonderful. We've been coming since the children were little. And we've taken hiatus, you know, a few years.
New York City's finest has done the best job. They've organized it so well. So a wonderful day, and there's nothing like New York. And it's free. You can't make it any better.
CARROLL: Boy, they should hire to you promote the parade. You did that well.
Thanks very much. All right. All right.
Also, just to let you know as the parade makes its way past us now, the last balloon in the parade, Kermit the frog, the last float, will be Santa. We'll be here for all of it.
Rick, back to you.
SANCHEZ: All right. Thanks a lot. Jason Carroll following things for us out there. It sounds like -- like things are going splendidly so far. We'll check back with you, Jason -- Soledad.
CARROLL: All right. O'BRIEN: Military officials say troops captured 81 suspects south of Baghdad today in the continuing efforts to stop the insurgency. U.S. Marines saying getting rid of insurgent weapons in Iraq is a growing problem as well.
We're joined this morning by Sergeant Matt Bassett of the U.S. Marine Corps, here to give us a personal account of the fight in Falluja and also what the troops are facing ahead.
Nice to see you, Sergeant. Thanks for your time this morning. Give me a sense of what you experienced in that firefight.
SGT. MATT BASSETT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Pretty intense, a lot of different stuff going on. You just have to keep your head about you, know that the guys around you are doing their best, and you're doing your best. And just keep focused what's going on. They throw a lot of unexpected things at you, and you just have to be prepared for the worst.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense, when you say "unexpected things," like what sorts of things?
BASSETT: Just the way -- way some of the personnel reacts to things you do, some of the TTPs they have. Just the different aspects on how involved they get with what they're doing.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the story that we're talking about this morning, which is this huge weapons cache discovered. Can you give me a sense of what kinds of weapons, and how huge is huge?
BASSETT: It varies from AKs, RPKs, RPGs, 155 rounds. And as far as the size being huge, you really can't specify how large it actually is just knowing that there's an exorbitant amount of material in there that shouldn't be there. There's really no set standard as to how we gauge what a large -- what a large find would be.
O'BRIEN: There are reports that virtually all of the mosques were sites where these weapons were hidden. Is that right?
BASSETT: In some cases it has been, other cases it's been small shanties and other houses and whatnot. There's really no set standard they have for where it's kept.
O'BRIEN: Is it difficult not only to search out, to find, but then also just the logistics of destroying all these weapons? How tough is that?
BASSETT: Finding it is normally pretty easy with a dismount of troops that are normally with us and all the units throughout the area. It's normally easy to find all of the stuff.
As far as disposing of it, we particularly don't dispose of it ourselves. There's other elements that dispose of the materials. I would say it's pretty difficult, kind of tedious.
O'BRIEN: Is there any better sense of where the insurgents are from? Is it the case that the bulk of them are foreign fighters? Or are they folks from Falluja, do you know?
BASSETT: Really couldn't tell you.
O'BRIEN: I'm sure we're going to continue to follow this story with the latest information coming out about chemical weapons labs and this massive cache of weapons as well found. Sergeant Matt Bassett of Weapons Company 31 joining us this morning.
Thanks for your time. And our best wishes to you for a happy Thanksgiving to you and all your comrades there.
SANCHEZ: And you mentioned just a little while ago some breaking news about what's going on in Falluja. We've also got some breaking news now, some information coming into us.
We've got a picture, in fact, that we can share with you. You see the smoke rising there from Baghdad. Not exactly sure what the circumstances were that led up to this.
The report we're getting, though, is there has been an explosion in Baghdad. Also, not certain if it's inside the Green Zone, which is a much more protected area and would be more significant.
If it is inside the Green Zone, it would be the second incident just in the last 48 hours, because overnight we received the report of a diplomat also being shot in the same area. It's a story that we will obviously continue to follow for you.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, back from Iraq. Jessica Lynch among the most well-known veterans of that war recalls her experiences with us up next.
SANCHEZ: Also, an Oakland boy who listens to rap but whose true love is Chinese opera. His story is coming up.
O'BRIEN: And are things heating up in your kitchen but not in a good way? Send us your turkey questions. The dean of Butterball University will join us with the answers. That's at am@cnn.com just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The world watched her dramatic rescue from an Iraqi hospital in 2003. And soon after, Jessica Lynch became a compelling symbol of courage under fire.
Held captive for nine days after her unit was ambushed in Nasariyah, Jessica suffered injuries, including spinal damage and 10 broken bones. But in the midst of a grueling rehabilitation, Jessica is using her fame to support children of veterans and deployed soldiers as well. She's also the author of, "I am a Soldier, Too."
Joining us this morning, Jessica Lynch.
Nice to see you. How you doing?
JESSICA LYNCH, FMR. POW: Hi. I'm doing good, thank you.
O'BRIEN: How are you feeling? The last time we spoke, you sort of showed off the array of injuries that you were recovering from. How's it going now?
LYNCH: Everything is healing really well. I have one more surgery to go, and hopefully that will be my last.
O'BRIEN: What's the surgery for?
LYNCH: For my right foot.
O'BRIEN: You're moving pretty fast. You've got your cane still...
LYNCH: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... but you're kind of getting around.
LYNCH: Well, I can walk around it now, but long distance, you know, I need it.
O'BRIEN: How is it managing the other part of all of this, which has been the fame, the media attention, everyone pretty much in your business all the time? How has that been?
LYNCH: It's different. It's definitely different coming from a small, you know, country town, and then just one day everything happened. So it's been different, but it's also been exciting and fun.
O'BRIEN: Your book is now out in paperback.
LYNCH: Correct.
O'BRIEN: And I know that all the proceeds have been going to your foundation. Tell me a little bit about the foundation and what it does.
LYNCH: OK. The foundation is called the Jessica Lynch Foundation, and it's -- I started it mainly because of Laurie's (ph) children, which Laurie (ph) was my friend that was killed in ambush.
O'BRIEN: Laurie (ph) has two children, two young children, right?
LYNCH: She has two children, yes. So I wanted to be able to help them out in any way that I can.
And the world, everywhere has been so supportive of her and sent them money. So right now, they're good with going home with college money and stuff like that. But, you know, I just wanted to be there mostly because of a friend and make sure that they were taken care of.
O'BRIEN: I read that you get lots of letters and e-mails from young girls. LYNCH: Yes, I do.
O'BRIEN: What do you tell them? What do you advise them?
LYNCH: You know, they mostly want to know stuff like how's it like to go to these events or what's it like to be in the war. You know, just little things like that.
And, you know, some may have like a parent or loved one or something over there, so I just kind of reassure them, like, "Well, I don't know for sure, but it's going to be OK. And your family will come back to you."
O'BRIEN: Well, I know you've been doing a lot of motivational and inspirational speaking as well. What's your message for folks? What do you think that you can tell people after what you've been through at the ripe old age of 21?
LYNCH: Twenty-one, yes. You know, mostly just to -- to never give up.
You know, I was put in the situation of being by myself for nine days, held captive, and not being able to move at all. And there were so many times that I could have just give up, but I didn't. And you've just got to keep that inside of you and know that you have the strength to keep going and not give up.
O'BRIEN: Well, a nice message, I think, especially for young girls to be hearing.
LYNCH: Well, thank you.
O'BRIEN: Thanks for talking with us. It's nice to be able to check in with you every so often and see how you're doing. You look terrific.
LYNCH: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: You look like you're really on the road to recovery.
LYNCH: I am. Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Jessica Lynch, thanks.
SANCHEZ: By the way, we've got some developing news that we're following out of Iraq. Two stories, really.
The first one, there is a report of a chemical weapons lab that has been found in Falluja. We're going to be following that.
And also, we have a picture now we can show you of what's going on inside Baghdad, possibly inside the Green Zone. We're still trying to nail that down. But there has been an explosion, you see some of the smoke that's still rising from the area. We're following both stories.
This is AMERICAN MORNING. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: An unconventional boy with a talent that some might call a little bit strange. Rusty Dornin introduces us to an elementary schooler who's finding his own unique voice.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tyler Thompson is an all-American nine-year-old. Dodgeball, football, baseball, basketball, you name it.
Music? Well, he likes R&B and rap. But his true love is to sing...
(MUSIC)
DORNIN: ... Chinese opera. This fourth grader sings in flawless Mandarin, a skill he began perfecting in the second grade.
His mother heard him singing in the car, only she couldn't understand a word.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I call the teacher and I go -- and I said, "My son is singing in Chinese. Do you know what's going on?" And she said...
DORNIN: Music teacher Sherlyn Chew spotted Thompson as solo quality when he was seven. But this year computer classes won out over music at Lincoln Elementary. So now Thompson goes to nearby Laney College for training.
SHERLYN CHEW, MUSIC TEACHER: We worked on each word at a time. He would take home the -- a cassette tape that I would record so that he can hear it over and over again.
DORNIN (on camera): Do you know what the words mean when you are singing them?
TYLER THOMPSON, CHINESE OPERA SINGER: I knew you was going to say that, and no.
DORNIN (voice-over): But his pronunciation is so good, he fools a lot of people.
CHEW: He perform for a lot of Chinese audience member. And when that happens, people cry when Tyler sings. They say, "He's so clear, and he's so adorable."
DORNIN: Thompson received a standing ovation at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum last march. Now there is even an offer to sing in Beijing.
THOMPSON: I just like to see what -- what it's like to be in China, just to know what it's like over there for one day. Usually I like to have...
DORNIN: Oakland, California, is known for spawning rappers. Thompson said even his dad had trouble with his choice of music.
THOMPSON: At first he thought it was -- it was sort of weird, and so did my cousin. But now that they see me going places, they think it's more unique.
DORNIN: A unique talent from an unexpected performer.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Oakland, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: A remarkable young man there. Good for him.
SANCHEZ: Pretty talented.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: "My son's speaking Chinese." What's wrong with that?
O'BRIEN: What's going on?
SANCHEZ: Time to talk turkey now. No worries. The dean of Butterball University, Sherleen Clausen, is with us to answer your e- mails.
Sherleen, the first e-mail comes from this lady named Soledad. She writes, "What happens if I forgot the broiling pan and my mother calls me in a panic?" Is that...
O'BRIEN: E-mails me in a panic. E-mailed me, "Where is it?"
So I don't have it. But you know what? You can just run out and get any of them.
How big should it be? I've got a 25 pound turkey, and it's true, I just got an e-mail. I forgot, I don't own a broiling pan.
SHERLEEN CLAUSEN, DEAN, BUTTERBALL UNIVERSITY: Well, you know, for a turkey that size, it's probably not the best to use a broiler pan because it is so shallow, and all of the juices are going to go into the bottom. And it becomes a safety issue pulling it out of the oven because the broiler rack the on pan just really doesn't make it visible to see all of the juices, and then you're trying to pull it out of the oven with this heavy turkey.
So I'd recommend, if you still have time and can do it, buy one of those foil pans. And they're large enough for a 25 pound turkey, and then you can see all of the juices around it and it will be easier to handle. Not on a jelly roll pan.
O'BRIEN: Not my fault. But I don't have a broiler pan, because it would be unsafe. Thank you very much. I appreciate that advice.
CLAUSEN: That's right. That's right.
SANCHEZ: You hear that mom? You're covered. She's on the way. We'll let her out early so she can go buy it.
O'BRIEN: Let's do this one.
SANCHEZ: All right.
O'BRIEN: This is from Carol.
SANCHEZ: Carol -- go ahead.
O'BRIEN: "I'm cooking two 12-pound turkeys together. Do I double the time?" The answer is no, right?
CLAUSEN: No, that's right. The answer is no. And, you know, a lot of people find it much easier to handle two 12-pound turkeys than that one big 25-pound turkey.
So I guess a little tip might be your oven needs to be big enough so both pans fit side by side. And then about halfway through, just reverse the pans, and that helps out even out the cook.
SANCHEZ: Let's talk about the thermometer. I know everybody uses that nowadays, but what happens if you don't have one of those thermometers? How do you know when the bird is done?
CLAUSEN: Well, you know, sometime we find even though people do have thermometers, they leave them in the drawer. So if you do have it in the drawer, pull it out and use it.
But in case you don't, then we recommend to not put any stuffing in the body cavity. And then a lot of times what people do is they will take a fork and pierce it here in the thigh and see if the juices run clear.
The other thing is they might take a hold of the drumstick and jiggle it. And then, you know, they know if it jiggles that's the other indicator.
SANCHEZ: Jiggle the drumstick. Jiggle the -- OK, got that down.
Thanks to Debbie, Carol, Fred and Terry, all of them for e- mailing us those questions. And Sherleen, obviously to you as well.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, we've got new discoveries in Falluja. We're going to tell you about that.
SANCHEZ: Also, spending Thanksgiving in Iraq when your thoughts are thousands of miles away. This is going to be a live report. We'll bring it to you.
This is Thanksgiving on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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