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CNN Saturday Morning News

Pregnant Woman Murdred, Baby Stolen from Womb; Celebrex may Increase the Risk of Heart Attacks

Aired December 18, 2004 - 07:00 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.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Good morning, everyone.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is December 18, 7:00 a.m. in the East and 4:00 a.m. out West.

Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris. BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

Thanks for being with us.

Just one week until Christmas, Tony. Get those gifts done.

All right, topping our news this morning, a Missouri sheriff is calling it the most gruesome crime he has ever seen. Authorities say a Kansas woman has confessed to strangling a pregnant Missouri woman and then cutting the baby from her womb. The infant girl is said to be in good condition.

Now, the suspect, Lisa Montgomery, apparently had a miscarriage earlier this year. That's our top story this morning. Much more on this straight ahead.

Also, some advice for federal agencies from Capitol Hill -- tighten your belts. Congressional sources tell CNN there could be some lean budgets next year. They say President Bush may propose a freeze on overall domestic spending or even a small cut. Defense and homeland security programs would be spared.

And we want you to take a good look at this landmark in the nation's capital, because it will soon be gone. In about a half hour, crews will demolish the old Washington Convention Center. The 22- year-old building was the fourth biggest convention center in the U.S. when it opened up, but it's since been dwarfed by larger buildings.

HARRIS: OK, here's what we've got coming up this hour.

It's a leading painkiller, but could it end up causing you pain? The government raises safety questions. What you need to know about the latest prescription drug scare.

Also, how would you like to have this job? There is one drawback. You'd have to deal with some real snakes in the grass.

And nothing says congressional football like FedEx and Tostitos, right? Big business is becoming a big part of the game. But it's leaving a lot of sports fans bowled over.

NGUYEN: All right, we want to get more now on our top story.

A baby taken from its dead mother's womb. Another woman accused of the crime. And the small town of Skidmore, Missouri left in shock.

Jim Fling (ph) from our Kansas City affiliate KNBC has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TODD GRAVES, U.S. ATTORNEY: Our victim had pictures on the Internet of herself and so forth. They hooked up through that message board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it was that Internet meeting, authorities say, that ultimately led to Bobbie Jo Stinnett's murder. Authorities say she was supposed to meet a woman named Darlene Fischer at her home Thursday to sell her a purebred rat terrier. Darlene Fischer, authorities say, was Lisa Montgomery, with murder on her mind.

Police believe Montgomery strangled Stinnett from behind then cut her 8-month-old baby fetus from her stomach. Stinnett, left in a pool of blood. Family and neighbors are still shocked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I just can't understand why anybody would do a trick like that, you know? I just don't know why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This stuff doesn't happen, you know? These are the really bad TV shows you don't watch. And this happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police say two threads of information clinched this case. First, an amber alert putting out a call for a red car -- it almost didn't happen.

SHERIFF BEN ESPEY, NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI: We may have not ever recovered this little baby if the amber alert system was not put into place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's also apparent that after this case is over, there's going to have to be a little adjustment made to this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The other, the FBI tracked all communication on the victim's computer, which led right to the doorstep of Lisa Montgomery.

GRAVES: They were virtually and literally simultaneous. A tip and they were going through the computer forensics at the same time. And two leads, you know, crossing make that the best lead you've got and the one you move the quickest on.

(END VIDEO TAPE) NGUYEN: Now, that report from Jim Fling from our Kansas City, Missouri affiliate KNBC.

Coming up in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING, we will bring you a live report from Kansas, where the suspect in this crime is from -- Tony.

HARRIS: Now to another so-called wonder drug that has arthritis patients wondering about its safety. A new study indicates the pain killer Celebrex could raise the risk of heart attacks. The FDA says it will collect all available data on the drug and decide on whether to take regulatory action. But for now, Pfizer, the company that makes Celebrex, is not taking it off the market.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANK MCKINNEL, CHAIRMAN/CEO, PFIZER: When Vioxx was withdrawn on September 30, we asked the Data Safety Monitoring Board three long- term, high dose studies to bring in cardiovascular specialists to look specifically at the cardiovascular safety of Celebrex in these very high dose, very long-term cancer trials.

What we announced today has been missed, I think, in the media. We announced that one of these studies was reviewed by this group of specialists and they found the risk with Celebrex was no greater than the risk with placebo.

The same group of specialists then looked at the second study, which was done at 400 milligrams and 800 milligrams, contrasted with the typical osteoarthritis dose of 100 milligrams or 200 milligrams, and they did find elevated cardiovascular risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The new findings for Celebrex come about two months after the recall of Vioxx, a similar arthritis drug.

As CNN's Jason Carroll reports, the warning about Celebrex puts patients and their doctors in a bind.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the past year, Neela Rastogi-Shapiro has had to walk slowly on lunch breaks, ever since she hurt her knee from overdoing it in the gym. As recently as Thursday, she took Celebrex. Not anymore.

NEELA RASTOGI-SHAPIRO, CELEBREX USER: I'm in my 30s. I shouldn't be worried about heart problems and cardiovascular problems. I'm too young for this. I only have knee problems.

CARROLL: Shapiro started out taking Vioxx but that painkiller upset her stomach, so her doctor suggested Celebrex. That was weeks before Vioxx was pulled for its risk of causing heart attacks and strokes. Now there may be risks associated with Celebrex. Shapiro wonders what to do now. DR. GARY MEREDITH, RHEUMATOLOGIST: How are you today?

CARROLL: Rheumatologist Gary Meredith is Shapiro's doctor.

MEREDITH: I think people are going to ask is it safe to continue to take it. What we'll probably try to do is see if we can minimize the dose or possibly substitute another medication for those that are at high risk.

CARROLL: Dr. Meredith says as late as Thursday he spoke with representatives from Pfizer, the company that manufactures Celebrex. He says that company rep made no mention of any potential problems.

SHAPIRO: My pain comes and goes.

CARROLL: Now, Shapiro says she's going to look at other options.

SHAPIRO: At this point, I want to experiment on other alternatives -- natural remedies, homeopathic remedies, holistic medicine or maybe not take anything.

CARROLL (on camera): Medical experts say people taking Celebrex should meet with their doctors and, if there is a history of heart disease, weigh the risks versus the benefits of staying on Celebrex.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: So, are patients and their doctors being left in a Celebrex lurch?

Cardiologist Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal joins us now.

He has some expert advice on what patients should do right now.

Good morning, doctor.

DR. ZIYAD GHAZZAL, EMORY HOSPITAL: Good morning, Betty.

NGUYEN: We appreciate you being with us today.

Well, let's understand the scope of this. Some 27 million people take Celebrex. With these new findings, what's the risk?

GHAZZAL: Well, the risk is still quite small on the heart. Basically, patients taking Celebrex will benefit from pain relief, but obviously the same mechanism that causes pain relief, which is the COX-2 inhibition, also causes the reduction of some compounds in the heart and in the body that protects us from heart -- from heart attacks and strokes.

NGUYEN: So it lowers your protection, then?

GHAZZAL: It does lower the protection. The overall incidence of bad side effects on the heart and on the vasculature with Celebrex is, indeed, quite small. But, of course, these are serious problems that now we're looking into further to decide who are the patients who can stay on Celebrex and who are the patients who cannot. And I can tell you, from my perspective, as a heart doctor, that I would like my patients -- and that's what I've been advising them and I will advise more -- that they don't need to be on Celebrex and they need to look at other alternatives.

NGUYEN: What are those alternatives?

GHAZZAL: Well...

NGUYEN: Are there good alternatives out there?

GHAZZAL: There are certainly very good alternatives out there to take care of pain, arthritic pain. We need to remember that there have been the over the counter medications for years and years that have similar benefit in terms of reducing pain -- Motrin and Naprosyn and so on and so forth. The problem with those other traditional medications is that they seem to cause more side effects in terms of bleeding from the stomach.

NGUYEN: So that's why people didn't take the Motrin or these other drugs, because of that, and went to Celebrex?

GHAZZAL: That's exactly the -- that's the main reason why people chose to go to Celebrex. And now that side effect is certainly lower, the bleeding from the stomach side effect is certainly lower with Celebrex. But now we're seeing, based on those studies, that there is certainly side effects in terms of the heart and stroke with Celebrex.

NGUYEN: OK, in the most simplest of terms, people watching who are taking Celebrex, should they stop cold turkey or should they pick up the phone and call their doctor and ask for those alternatives?

GHAZZAL: Certainly patients who have heart disease have had problems with heart disease, with stroke, problems with clotting of blood certainly should check with their doctors. Other patients who don't have any such problems, I think just need to be more attentive to what's coming out and we're going to be learning more from the FDA. We're going to be looking for more advice.

But for the time being, I wouldn't say for to everybody to just stop cold turkey, but I would say people who are predisposed for stroke, heart attack and clots should probably stop taking Celebrex.

NGUYEN: All right, quickly, we're almost out of time, but who is to blame here? Because drugs come out on the market. They're supposed to be tested for these different problems before they reach people at home who are taking these drugs.

Who's to blame here? What should be done?

GHAZZAL: Betty, this is a very important question what you just asked. But basically the studies that have come out initially have delved into the initial safety of the drug. Are they, indeed, going to lower the G.I. bleed effect? What we've seen in terms of heart attack and stroke are from the long-term studies, over one or two years of follow-up that have led into the findings of increased stroke and heart attack.

NGUYEN: All right, Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal, we appreciate your information this morning and insight.

Thank you so much.

GHAZZAL: Thank you.

NGUYEN: And our morning E-Mail Question today, what are your questions about the safety of Celebrex?

Send those answers in to housecall@cnn.com. Those responses coming up at 8:30 Eastern in a live edition of "House Call." A drug safety expert joins us to answer some of those questions.

HARRIS: And much more to get to this Saturday morning, including a check of the forecast. And Rob is back with the morning team. Can that be true?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. I missed you guys deeply.

Hi, Betty.

Hi, Tony.

Good to be back.

Cold air coming in and a lot of folks are going to endure some of this. If you want to try to get away from it, well, head to Miami. WPLG out there, good morning, Miami.

It's 63 degrees.

Just up the road, Fort Lauderdale, it's time for Winter Fest. Over 100 boats march down the Intercoastal Waterway and they're all lit up like Christmas trees. Celebrating in Florida.

Hey, we'll celebrate the forecast here in about 10 minutes.

CNN SATURDAY MORNING will be right back.

NGUYEN: Plus, we'll get the latest from Iraq as four American contractors come under attack. A live report coming up.

HARRIS: And we'll check stories from across America. Police think they have their man in the Maryland arson case, but is the investigation over?

More when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With air fare and travel expenses and Christmas gifts, probably a couple of thousand.

QUESTION: A couple? Two thousand? Three thousand? Four thousand?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About three thousand with travel expenses and Christmas gifts and all that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the average debt of the -- of an average American now, what, $10,000, $20,000? I'm not that. I'm not average. Way below average, thankfully. But, you know, Christmas does that. Now that's crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right, time to check out the stories making headlines across America this morning.

In California, a man who paid $400,000 in cash for a yacht has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of the boat's former owners. The 25-year-old man bought the yacht in November from an Arizona couple who has not been seen since the sale. Police say foul play is a possibility.

A security guard charged in the Maryland house fires has admitted to his involvement in the crime. In court documents released yesterday, 21-year-old Aaron Speed admits he knew about plans to torch a number of upscale homes under construction. He also says he was present when other people set those fires.

A Washington judge has put the brakes on more ballot counting in the state's still undecided governor's race. The judge agreed with Republicans, who say it is too late to include more than 700 ballots that were recently discovered. The GOP is ahead by just a few dozen ballots. Democrats say they will appeal the decision to the state supreme court.

And coming up in about 10 minutes, not your typical day job. How a dynamic duo in Florida -- yikes -- fights the sting of snake bites. Venom 1 answers the call in Miami. We'll have more on that story ahead.

HARRIS: The latest out of Iraq this morning, American civilians under attack as fresh violence flares to the north.

CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Baghdad with the latest -- hi, Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony, four American civilians were wounded this morning. We have now learned that two of these American civilians just received minor wounds. The other two had to be evacuated to a military hospital. But all four work for a security company based out of Florida and they were on patrol in Mosul when a car bomb detonated near their vehicle.

Now, this happened -- actually, I should say this city of Baji. It's about 150 miles north of here. And there is an oil refinery in that area. A lot of companies doing business in that city.

And this comes just one day after a brutal attack in the city of Mosul. In that town, insurgents attacked this white sedan as it drove through the city, shooting it up and then setting the car on fire. They left four bodies lying on the side of the road, one of them with his head nearly severed.

Initially, Mosul authorities had thought that maybe some of them may have been Westerners, but they now have confirmed that they are not.

In a different case, the U.S. Embassy is now confirming the identity of an American who was kidnapped nearly two months ago. His name is Roy Hallums. He's a husband and a father of two from California and he was working in the area and abducted after the shootout in a very upscale neighborhood here in Baghdad.

So far, officials say they believe him to be alive, but they have not seen or heard from him since then -- Tony.

HARRIS: Chris Lawrence in Baghdad for us this morning.

Chris, we appreciate it.

Thank you.

NGUYEN: All right, so what will be the hot ticket this weekend at the box office? We'll preview what's showing on the silver screens across America.

And holy cow! A flying cow? That's obviously the wrong video. It's all part of the "Wows of the Week." There's the flying cow.

We'll be right back with more on that craziness on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Want to catch a movie this weekend? Well, here's a look at what's now showing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LEMONY SNICKETS: A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS," COURTESY PARAMOUNT)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the story of the three Bauedelaires children. Violet loved to invent. Her brother Klaus loved to read. And their little sister Sunny, she loved to bite.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Oh, I love that video.

Based on the popular children's books, "Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events," follows three orphans as they fight with their sinister, one time guardian. Tom Olaf, that guardian, is played by Jim Carrey. The "Washington Post" calls it "a gem of a movie."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "SPANGLISH," COURTESY COLUMBIA)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know what to do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't ask me. I'm worried about my own kid going there. I mean you...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Cultures collide in "Spanglish" when a native Mexican woman becomes a housekeeper for an affluent and somewhat troubled Los Angeles family. The "Hollywood Reporter" says "Spanglish" looks like a "holiday hit" with terrific performances from everyone.

And this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE AVIATOR," COURTESY MIRAMAX)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold onto the wheel for a bit. That's too hard. Relax your hand. Relax your hand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Also new in theaters, "The Aviator," about billionaire and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. Director Martin Scorsese tells the epic story of Hughes test flying his own aircraft designs and directing and producing Hollywood movies. He seemed to do it all. "The Aviator" is showing this weekend in limited release.

HARRIS: And here's a look at the new DVD releases this week at a store near you.

"De-Lovely," with Kevin Kline as the legendary Cole Porter; the complete seventh season of the hit TV show "Star Trek: Voyager"; and "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season."

New in theaters, you can catch Dennis Quaid in "Flight of the Phoenix;" Jim Carrey in the aforementioned "Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events"; and Tea Leoni and Adam Sandler in "Spanglish."

Didn't you just do that?

NGUYEN: Yes, we did those.

HARRIS: Oh, yes. OK.

NGUYEN: But I guess we're just reminding ourselves once again.

HARRIS: OK.

Mall traffic gets a slight break every year from people who have chosen to do their Christmas shopping online. Listen up last minute shoppers. It's not too late to turn the Internet into Santa's little helper. The World Wide Web a procrastinator's friend. Last minute shopping on the Internet tomorrow morning in "Best of the Web" at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

And look who is here -- hello, sunshine.

NGUYEN: The Internet shopper himself.

MARCIANO: Yes. That's the best way to do it, except...

NGUYEN: I did a little bit of it this year.

HARRIS: Did you really?

NGUYEN: I don't usually shop on the Internet, but I said that's the easiest way to do it. Go for it.

MARCIANO: The problem is if you're a procrastinator, then the shipping becomes...

HARRIS: Yes.

MARCIANO: Hey, guys, you know, I missed you guys so much, I got you a little something (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

HARRIS: What did you bring?

NGUYEN: Uh-oh.

MARCIANO: Just a little happy holidays kind of deal.

NGUYEN: That was here last weekend.

MARCIANO: What?

NGUYEN: This was here last weekend.

MARCIANO: What are you talking about? I let that come...

NGUYEN: But it's very nice.

HARRIS: It was right over here on the set.

(CROSSTALK)

MARCIANO: I love those -- I love poinsettias.

NGUYEN: It's bigger than me, look.

MARCIANO: It's because I care so much.

HARRIS: But it's the thought that counts, right?

NGUYEN: Yes, really.

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: I can't even see you over this, Tony.

MARCIANO: All right, I'm busted.

NGUYEN: Yes.

MARCIANO: Let's go to Miami.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: So they're just Santa's -- that's just Santa's jet stream, right?

MARCIANO: That's right.

NGUYEN: Getting you prepared.

MARCIANO: Yes. It helps him, you know?

HARRIS: Ah, his winds along.

MARCIANO: Rudolph and the gang is getting a little old, so he has to ride the jet.

NGUYEN: High tech these days, apparently.

MARCIANO: See you guys in a little while.

HARRIS: All right.

NGUYEN: All right, thank you.

HARRIS: See you, Rob.

Up next, all eyes are on Washington, D.C. Everyone loves an implosion on a Saturday morning, well, unless you live next door. We're keeping an eye on this one in Washington. Four minutes until kaboom.

NGUYEN: Kaboom.

And in Florida, taking the bite out of snake bites. How a team of firemen in Florida is keeping people safe from all that slithers -- ooh -- when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Oh my goodness, here it is. Wow! We were waiting for this and there it is. This convention center in the nation's capital has just gone up. I don't know if we have any nat sound under that.

Let's listen.

NGUYEN: Wow! All that smoke and dust. This is at the Washington, the old Washington Convention Center. It's a 20-year-old building and the concrete columns, as you just saw, have just come crumbling down with all this smoke.

Here's a replay of that.

HARRIS: Look at this. Where is that? That's at 11th Street and New York Avenue in northeast Washington, D.C.

NGUYEN: Always fascinating to watch.

HARRIS: How about that?

NGUYEN: Now, we understand there's not going to be any problems with traffic and all that smoke that you saw, that's not going to be a problem, as well, and the noise. It's just really neat to see that.

HARRIS: Well, there are a couple of other agencies. The White House is close by, so a bunch of other agencies have been watching that very closely to make sure there were no problems with the dust and everything else.

NGUYEN: Right.

HARRIS: And folks taking an opportunity to maybe cause a little mischief. But it seemed to go off without a hitch.

NGUYEN: Yes, it's real high tech these days, the way they put those little explosives inside the building to make sure everything falls the way it's supposed to.

HARRIS: Yes.

Well, welcome back, everyone, to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

Here's a look at stories now in the news.

Police in Missouri use e-mails and amber alerts to find a baby who had a gruesome -- who had been gruesomely taken from her dead mother's womb. The baby was found alive yesterday in Kansas. Police say a woman who contacted the mother online has admitted to strangling her and stealing the baby. Now, the baby girl has been reunited with her father.

Another arthritis medication is coming under scrutiny. A new study says the drug Celebrex could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. The FDA is advising doctors to find other ways for patients to treat pain. Pfizer says it has no plans to take Celebrex off the market.

And we are learning this morning the identity of an American kidnapped six weeks ago in Iraq. The U.S. Embassy says contractor Roy Hallums was abducted November 1 after a gun battle in Baghdad. He was taken along with five other hostages, four of whom have been released. Hallums was working for a Saudi company that caters for the Iraqi Army.

Now, U.S. justice officials are asking an immigration judge to deport a former Nazi guard. John Demjanjuk was stripped of his U.S. citizenship two years ago. The 84-year-old retired auto worker worked at a Nazi death camp in Poland and Germany during World War 2. It was proven he lied on a U.S. visa application in 1952.

HARRIS: And now to "Security Watch." We update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.

A new report says of the 50 states, Florida and North Carolina could probably best handle a bioterror attack. That's because they have contingency plans in place for hurricanes and other natural disasters. The study by the Private Trust for America's Health says Alaska and Massachusetts are probably the least prepared.

Security at Los Angeles International Airport is being reinforced to protect jets from shoulder fired missile attacks. Officials say there is no immediate threat, but they're taking precautions because of recent strikes against aircraft overseas.

A bag containing inert explosive material was cleared by screeners at Newark Airport and the Transportation Security Administration wants to know why the mock explosive device used in a security drill made it to Amsterdam on board a Continental Airlines flight.

And in a major blow to Britain's anti-terrorism strategy, the country's highest court ruled the U.K. cannot hold foreign terror suspects indefinitely without trial. The government had argued that the practice was necessary to protect against attacks. The government says it will now send the controversial law back to parliament to be reexamined.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

NGUYEN: Well, perhaps not quite on the same scale as security from terrorism, but terror nonetheless -- the nearly universal fear of snakes. The only viable treatment for venomous snake bites is the use of what's called Antivenin.

And CNN's John Zarrella tells us where hospitals get the snake bite serum.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two hundred times a year Captain Al Cruz and Lieutenant Ernie Jilson respond to calls about a snake in the grass. In this case, a python loose in a backyard.

CAPT. AL CRUZ, MIAMI-DADE VENOM 1 UNIT: Ready?

LT. ERNIE JILSON: Yes. ZARRELLA: Cruz and Jilson, Miami-Dade paramedics, run Venom 1, the county's Antivenin unit. When they're not rounding up snakes, they're teaching first responders how to identify what they're dealing with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what we call a carpet python that was taken, it was caught locally here. It was somebody's pet.

ZARRELLA: But the paramedics are more than just snake handlers. They save lives. They keep on hand at all times 40 types of Antivenin. They have responded to calls for help from across the country.

CRUZ: The amount of Antivenin that we have on hand here at one particular location is probably the largest anywhere in the United States.

ZARRELLA (on camera): And it is needed. There are more species of snakes in Florida, about 70, than anywhere else in the country -- from water moccasins to rattlesnakes. In fact, south Florida has been called the Ellis Island of exotic animals.

(voice-over): Many, like this non-venomous albino python, are not native. They were pets that got too big and were simply let loose.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got a call that said the individual had this snake in their yard. It was chasing their cat around the back yard, trying to eat him.

ZARRELLA: There are about 250 snake bites a year in Florida. Twenty-five percent are venomous.

Mario Tabraue, who runs Zoological Imports, was bagging a cottonmouth for shipment when he was bitten. Cruz rushed the serum to the hospital.

MARIO TABRAUE, BITTEN BY COTTONMOUTH: Because sometimes you get bit by a snake and nobody knows what it is, or they know what it is but they don't have the venom, Antivenin. They have to make a wild goose chase to find it. He's got it.

ZARRELLA: There have been no snake bite deaths in Florida since the Antivenin unit was formed in 1998. But the team knows there will always be another urgent call because there will always be another snake in the grass.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: No doubt.

All right, are you waiting for your favorite College Bowl game this holiday season? Certainly plenty to choose from. But with so many games out there, is it just too much of a good thing? We'll see if that's even possible with our sports expert, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, if you've had a tough time keeping up with the headlines, it's time to "Rewind" for a look at some of the stories that made news this week.

Monday, the same jury that convicted Scott Peterson of killing his wife and unborn child recommended he receive the ultimate sentence. They sentenced Peterson to die by lethal injection.

Wednesday's test of a new national missile defense system ended in failure. A mock warhead was launched with no problem from Alaska. But the interceptor missile that was supposed to destroy the warhead never left the ground. The government says it's not clear what went wrong.

Thursday, President Bush wrapped up a two day economic conference at the White House. On the agenda, Social Security, health care and the nation's deficit. The summit came alongside new third quarter trade deficit numbers. The country's current account deficit widened just a bit, to a record $164.7 billion.

And late yesterday, a federal panel recommended flu shots be made available to everyone 50 and older and not just those considered most at risk. The announcement comes two months after health officials warned of a shortage of flu vaccine. Now they say there may be a surplus because demand was lower than expected.

And tomorrow we will "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

NGUYEN: All right, Tony, are you ready for this?

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: Ready?

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: Time for the holiday Bowls in college football. It's football time.

HARRIS: That mishmash of names and whatever?

NGUYEN: Yes, teams and -- well, but is it really a case of too much of a good thing? Some people say so.

HARRIS: Rick Horrow has an opinion on it and he's wagging his finger at it.

NGUYEN: See, we cut his mike for a reason here.

HARRIS: Yes -- good morning, Rick.

NGUYEN: We'll talk to you in a minute. HARRIS: First, more of your comments about Christmas spending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not much.

QUESTION: How much would say?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd say about a thousand.

QUESTION: A thousand?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Um-hmm.

QUESTION: That's quite a bit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

QUESTION: What do you think your total debt is?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now? I'd say about $5,000.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Missouri police recover a baby alive, stolen from the dead mother's body. A Kansas woman confesses to strangling the mother and stealing the child.

A flurry of violence early in Iraq today. A car bomb blast in northern Iraq injures four American workers.

And mortars fired at a Baghdad police center, a polling center, I should say, killed a civilian and wounded eight others.

The CEO of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals says he'll keep taking the painkiller Celebrex despite an FDA (AUDIO GAP). A study says high doses of the drug could raise the risk of heart attack or stroke. Pfizer has no plans to pull the drug from the market.

And we'll get your thoughts on the fallout from the news on Celebrex in just a few minutes. Lots of e-mails already coming in this morning, sop stay tuned to that.

HARRIS: OK, let's play the college football name game, shall we? Remember when we used to have the plain old Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose Bowls? The good old days have been gobbled up by corporate America. Now we have the FedEx Orange, Nokia Sugar and Tostitos -- Tostitos Fiesta. And there's more. The NCI Computers Bowl, the Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas, the Auto Zone Liberty and don't forget the Gaylord Hotel's Music City Bowl.

In fact, the only major Bowl that kept a simple name is the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl still the sweet fragrance in sports. We can play the name game all morning long and there's no better player than the author of "Beyond The Game," our very own wordsmith and CNN sports analyst, Rick Horrow -- Rick, good morning.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Hey, man, let me -- I tell you, 10 minutes ago...

HARRIS: All those names, man.

HORROW: Am I...

HARRIS: We don't...

HORROW: Am I following a story about snake in the grass? What are you...

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. You know what? With all of these names -- I'm sorry, Rick. We're out of time. We'll see you next week, OK?

HORROW: I'm talking anyway, pal. Just ask the questions.

HARRIS: Jeez.

Twenty-eight Bowl games. Is anybody really -- I don't know, is anybody really watching? Does anyone care about the Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas Bowl and all these other second and third tier games?

HORROW: Hey, Tony, absolutely they do. You know, those 28 over 22 days pays out $180 million to member schools. So that's a big deal. But there is mediocrity. Thirteen of those teams are six and five, the most mediocre ever. But there is a useful purpose. There's a moment in the sun for all of these schools. A 6 percent increase in attendance from the year before, 33 percent more likely to buy, are the Bowl watchers, by the way. And the proof is in the pudding. You've got Toronto and Birmingham and Denver and New York wanting these kind of Bowls.

A hundred and one hours of Bowl programming started last week. Get your popcorn. You and I are watching some of those games. In fact, I'm coming over in the next couple of weeks.

HARRIS: You've got it.

HORROW: Yes.

HARRIS: All right, culprits -- can we call them culprits? Maybe we can. Maybe for the sake of this discussion.

Who are the culprits in the corporate America Bowl naming game here?

HORROW: Well, 25 of the 28 have names and if you want computers, it's the MPC Bowl in Boise; EV1 Net Bowl in Houston. If you're hungry, it's the Outback Bowl in Tampa, of course; and the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta; and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl; even the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl, which is now the Emerald Bowl.

HARRIS: Oh, my. HORROW: If your hair has problems, it's the Vitalis Bowl. The only one that doesn't have the name is the Rose Bowl, not because they want one, but can they -- but absolutely because they can afford not to have one.

HARRIS: Got you.

Switching gears a little bit, tell us about the NFL's experiment with box seats on the field.

HORROW: Yes, well, starting in Chicago this weekend and in Miami on Monday night against the Patriots, the NFL is doing a feasibility study, putting these cushiony seats nine yards from the field with plasma TV sets. The NFL is saying that the violence issue shouldn't be a problem because there's security, not like there might have been three weeks ago in that basketball brawl up in Detroit.

HARRIS: Right.

HORROW: And it's more money for everybody.

And if it doesn't work, by the way, the company called Seating Solutions is charging $1,600 for a home version of this puffy chair. Hey, it makes a great Christmas gift, wouldn't you say, my friend?

HARRIS: Yes. You're giving, I'm receiving.

Thank you.

HORROW: Yes, sir.

HARRIS: What is your -- let's get to your foul ball of the week -- Rick.

HORROW: Well, the foul ball was baseball. You know, all these contracts that have been signed and the trades, Pedro Martinez to the Mets and Randy Johnson probably to the Yankees and Edgar Renteria to the Red Sox, a billion dollars in contract, yet at the same time, a council person is keeping Washington from getting a franchise, some people say, because they want more money for the stadium. And Washington is now courted again against Vegas and Portland and Norfolk.

So that isn't over. It's a giant game of baseball chicken with the Washington Nationals, the old Montreal Expos.

HARRIS: Got you.

And your fair ball?

HORROW: Hey, here's a cool one. The NBA licensed 30 players to appear on postage stamps from different countries. You've got Dirk Nowitzki on a Micronesia stamp. You've got Lebron James on a St. Vincent's stamp. And you've got Yao Ming on a stamp from Sierra Leone costing 700 leonis. Hey, man, how much would it cost for you to get on a postage stamp, because I'll pay double to keep you off? HARRIS: You'll pay double. Very good. That's a holiday gift. There you go.

Rick, anything else you want to touch on before we go?

HORROW: Merry, merry, merry Christmas. We have a chance to do that next week, though.

HARRIS: Happy holidays.

Good to see you, Rick.

Take care -- Betty.

NGUYEN: He's always fun to talk to.

All right, surf is up in Hawaii. Check this video out. We don't have to tell you why this is a "Wow of the Week."

More pictures after this time out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Kind of a high flying week for man and beast. Here are some of the stories that will wow you.

NGUYEN: In Hawaii this weekend, watch out for the waves. We are talking about once in a lifetime waves that are reaching heights of 30 feet. The high surf is prompting some road closures.

HARRIS: And check this out. This cow got a high ride of another kind. The Georgia heifer was rescued after being stranded by the rising waters of Lake Blackshire. No one knows who the cow belongs to or how she got stuck, but now she's got a new home and is recovering.

NGUYEN: Yes, seeking therapy.

And another amazing story from Georgia, where twin sisters are at home this weekend with twins of their own. That's right. Ashlee Spinks and Andrea Springer each gave birth to twin boys on Tuesday. The baby boys were delivered by C-section so the sisters could share the unbelievable experience.

What are the odds? Twins having twins.

HARRIS: Go figure.

Rob Marciano is here and he's...

NGUYEN: But he's not a twin.

MARCIANO: No, thank goodness.

HARRIS: But he's going to talk to us about twin barreled -- I'm trying to make the turn. I'm trying to make the turn.

MARCIANO: That's pathetic, Tony.

NGUYEN: Just tell us the weather, Rob.

HARRIS: That really was.

MARCIANO: You know, you put too much pressure on yourself.

HARRIS: Yes, I really did.

MARCIANO: You're not that good, OK?

HARRIS: Thank you.

MARCIANO: Just say here's Rob with the weather.

HARRIS: Thank you for the reminder.

MARCIANO: I was just aching to see you. You know, I missed teasing you guys.

HARRIS: See? See?

NGUYEN: Oh, you're getting it all in, don't you worry.

MARCIANO: Oh. It's nice to be back and thanks for having me, guys.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: Betty, I'm going to put the heat on you.

Name me some buildings out there.

NGUYEN: I knew you were going to ask. That's the big green building.

MARCIANO: OK, yes.

HARRIS: Very good. Very good. That's good.

NGUYEN: Hey, that's what six years of Dallas will do for you. There you go.

MARCIANO: Well, it's a beautiful city nonetheless.

NGUYEN: It's in downtown Dallas, if that adds anything.

MARCIANO: Thanks for coming out, Betty.

NGUYEN: Thanks for playing, all right.

HARRIS: Thanks for playing with you.

NGUYEN: It's early.

MARCIANO: See you. NGUYEN: Thanks, Rob.

HARRIS: All right, big medical news this week.

Another popular painkiller is coming under fire.

NGUYEN: Elizabeth Cohen joins us live to give us a preview of today's "House Call" -- hi there, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

Thanks, Betty and Tony.

Coming up on "House Call," it's another blow to millions of Americans who suffer from arthritis. The drug company Pfizer is warning of a possible link between Celebrex and heart problems.

So what is safe to take? E-mail us your questions for the experts at housecall@cnn.com. We'll be answering your questions coming up, 8:30 a.m. Eastern, on "House Call."

HARRIS: And Elizabeth, we've got a moment here. And I suppose one of the big questions you're going to be answering this morning, because you'll certainly be getting questions on it, is what should patients do now with this news? What to do with it, how to handle it, how to process it out.

COHEN: Right. We'll be talking about how people need to go see their doctors because there are all sorts of things, your doctor might have another painkiller he wants you to take or she wants you to take. Or maybe you should take Celebrex, but you should think about taking a lower dose.

HARRIS: OK, Elizabeth, see you at 8:30.

The next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.

NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everyone.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 5:00 a.m. -- very early -- on the West Coast.

Good morning.

Thanks for watching.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

Thanks for being with us.

Now in the news, a California woman is calling on the U.S. government to do more to help her ex-husband, who was taken hostage in Iraq. We're learning the identity of the hostage snatched after a gunfight six weeks ago. He is Roy Hallums. He was working as a contractor for a Saudi company. Hallums was abducted, along with five other people.

An Iraqi civilian is dead and eight others are wounded after a mortar attack in a city just north of Baghdad this morning. U.S. military officials say four mortar rounds hit a youth center and jail. The youth center was a polling registration center for January's elections.

The walls come tumbling down on what was once a prominent piece of the D.C. landscape. The old Washington Convention Center was demolished in a carefully choreographed implosion last hour. The building was the fourth largest convention center in the country when it opened 22 years ago.

NGUYEN: All right, here's what's coming up on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

First, a deadly crime with a troubling twist. A baby girl taken from her mother's womb. The mother is dead, but the child survived. And now a Kansas woman stands accused of an unspeakable crime. We have a live report in just minutes.

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 December 18, 2004 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Good morning, everyone.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is December 18, 7:00 a.m. in the East and 4:00 a.m. out West.

Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris. BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

Thanks for being with us.

Just one week until Christmas, Tony. Get those gifts done.

All right, topping our news this morning, a Missouri sheriff is calling it the most gruesome crime he has ever seen. Authorities say a Kansas woman has confessed to strangling a pregnant Missouri woman and then cutting the baby from her womb. The infant girl is said to be in good condition.

Now, the suspect, Lisa Montgomery, apparently had a miscarriage earlier this year. That's our top story this morning. Much more on this straight ahead.

Also, some advice for federal agencies from Capitol Hill -- tighten your belts. Congressional sources tell CNN there could be some lean budgets next year. They say President Bush may propose a freeze on overall domestic spending or even a small cut. Defense and homeland security programs would be spared.

And we want you to take a good look at this landmark in the nation's capital, because it will soon be gone. In about a half hour, crews will demolish the old Washington Convention Center. The 22- year-old building was the fourth biggest convention center in the U.S. when it opened up, but it's since been dwarfed by larger buildings.

HARRIS: OK, here's what we've got coming up this hour.

It's a leading painkiller, but could it end up causing you pain? The government raises safety questions. What you need to know about the latest prescription drug scare.

Also, how would you like to have this job? There is one drawback. You'd have to deal with some real snakes in the grass.

And nothing says congressional football like FedEx and Tostitos, right? Big business is becoming a big part of the game. But it's leaving a lot of sports fans bowled over.

NGUYEN: All right, we want to get more now on our top story.

A baby taken from its dead mother's womb. Another woman accused of the crime. And the small town of Skidmore, Missouri left in shock.

Jim Fling (ph) from our Kansas City affiliate KNBC has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TODD GRAVES, U.S. ATTORNEY: Our victim had pictures on the Internet of herself and so forth. They hooked up through that message board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it was that Internet meeting, authorities say, that ultimately led to Bobbie Jo Stinnett's murder. Authorities say she was supposed to meet a woman named Darlene Fischer at her home Thursday to sell her a purebred rat terrier. Darlene Fischer, authorities say, was Lisa Montgomery, with murder on her mind.

Police believe Montgomery strangled Stinnett from behind then cut her 8-month-old baby fetus from her stomach. Stinnett, left in a pool of blood. Family and neighbors are still shocked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I just can't understand why anybody would do a trick like that, you know? I just don't know why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This stuff doesn't happen, you know? These are the really bad TV shows you don't watch. And this happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police say two threads of information clinched this case. First, an amber alert putting out a call for a red car -- it almost didn't happen.

SHERIFF BEN ESPEY, NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI: We may have not ever recovered this little baby if the amber alert system was not put into place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's also apparent that after this case is over, there's going to have to be a little adjustment made to this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The other, the FBI tracked all communication on the victim's computer, which led right to the doorstep of Lisa Montgomery.

GRAVES: They were virtually and literally simultaneous. A tip and they were going through the computer forensics at the same time. And two leads, you know, crossing make that the best lead you've got and the one you move the quickest on.

(END VIDEO TAPE) NGUYEN: Now, that report from Jim Fling from our Kansas City, Missouri affiliate KNBC.

Coming up in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING, we will bring you a live report from Kansas, where the suspect in this crime is from -- Tony.

HARRIS: Now to another so-called wonder drug that has arthritis patients wondering about its safety. A new study indicates the pain killer Celebrex could raise the risk of heart attacks. The FDA says it will collect all available data on the drug and decide on whether to take regulatory action. But for now, Pfizer, the company that makes Celebrex, is not taking it off the market.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANK MCKINNEL, CHAIRMAN/CEO, PFIZER: When Vioxx was withdrawn on September 30, we asked the Data Safety Monitoring Board three long- term, high dose studies to bring in cardiovascular specialists to look specifically at the cardiovascular safety of Celebrex in these very high dose, very long-term cancer trials.

What we announced today has been missed, I think, in the media. We announced that one of these studies was reviewed by this group of specialists and they found the risk with Celebrex was no greater than the risk with placebo.

The same group of specialists then looked at the second study, which was done at 400 milligrams and 800 milligrams, contrasted with the typical osteoarthritis dose of 100 milligrams or 200 milligrams, and they did find elevated cardiovascular risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The new findings for Celebrex come about two months after the recall of Vioxx, a similar arthritis drug.

As CNN's Jason Carroll reports, the warning about Celebrex puts patients and their doctors in a bind.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the past year, Neela Rastogi-Shapiro has had to walk slowly on lunch breaks, ever since she hurt her knee from overdoing it in the gym. As recently as Thursday, she took Celebrex. Not anymore.

NEELA RASTOGI-SHAPIRO, CELEBREX USER: I'm in my 30s. I shouldn't be worried about heart problems and cardiovascular problems. I'm too young for this. I only have knee problems.

CARROLL: Shapiro started out taking Vioxx but that painkiller upset her stomach, so her doctor suggested Celebrex. That was weeks before Vioxx was pulled for its risk of causing heart attacks and strokes. Now there may be risks associated with Celebrex. Shapiro wonders what to do now. DR. GARY MEREDITH, RHEUMATOLOGIST: How are you today?

CARROLL: Rheumatologist Gary Meredith is Shapiro's doctor.

MEREDITH: I think people are going to ask is it safe to continue to take it. What we'll probably try to do is see if we can minimize the dose or possibly substitute another medication for those that are at high risk.

CARROLL: Dr. Meredith says as late as Thursday he spoke with representatives from Pfizer, the company that manufactures Celebrex. He says that company rep made no mention of any potential problems.

SHAPIRO: My pain comes and goes.

CARROLL: Now, Shapiro says she's going to look at other options.

SHAPIRO: At this point, I want to experiment on other alternatives -- natural remedies, homeopathic remedies, holistic medicine or maybe not take anything.

CARROLL (on camera): Medical experts say people taking Celebrex should meet with their doctors and, if there is a history of heart disease, weigh the risks versus the benefits of staying on Celebrex.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: So, are patients and their doctors being left in a Celebrex lurch?

Cardiologist Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal joins us now.

He has some expert advice on what patients should do right now.

Good morning, doctor.

DR. ZIYAD GHAZZAL, EMORY HOSPITAL: Good morning, Betty.

NGUYEN: We appreciate you being with us today.

Well, let's understand the scope of this. Some 27 million people take Celebrex. With these new findings, what's the risk?

GHAZZAL: Well, the risk is still quite small on the heart. Basically, patients taking Celebrex will benefit from pain relief, but obviously the same mechanism that causes pain relief, which is the COX-2 inhibition, also causes the reduction of some compounds in the heart and in the body that protects us from heart -- from heart attacks and strokes.

NGUYEN: So it lowers your protection, then?

GHAZZAL: It does lower the protection. The overall incidence of bad side effects on the heart and on the vasculature with Celebrex is, indeed, quite small. But, of course, these are serious problems that now we're looking into further to decide who are the patients who can stay on Celebrex and who are the patients who cannot. And I can tell you, from my perspective, as a heart doctor, that I would like my patients -- and that's what I've been advising them and I will advise more -- that they don't need to be on Celebrex and they need to look at other alternatives.

NGUYEN: What are those alternatives?

GHAZZAL: Well...

NGUYEN: Are there good alternatives out there?

GHAZZAL: There are certainly very good alternatives out there to take care of pain, arthritic pain. We need to remember that there have been the over the counter medications for years and years that have similar benefit in terms of reducing pain -- Motrin and Naprosyn and so on and so forth. The problem with those other traditional medications is that they seem to cause more side effects in terms of bleeding from the stomach.

NGUYEN: So that's why people didn't take the Motrin or these other drugs, because of that, and went to Celebrex?

GHAZZAL: That's exactly the -- that's the main reason why people chose to go to Celebrex. And now that side effect is certainly lower, the bleeding from the stomach side effect is certainly lower with Celebrex. But now we're seeing, based on those studies, that there is certainly side effects in terms of the heart and stroke with Celebrex.

NGUYEN: OK, in the most simplest of terms, people watching who are taking Celebrex, should they stop cold turkey or should they pick up the phone and call their doctor and ask for those alternatives?

GHAZZAL: Certainly patients who have heart disease have had problems with heart disease, with stroke, problems with clotting of blood certainly should check with their doctors. Other patients who don't have any such problems, I think just need to be more attentive to what's coming out and we're going to be learning more from the FDA. We're going to be looking for more advice.

But for the time being, I wouldn't say for to everybody to just stop cold turkey, but I would say people who are predisposed for stroke, heart attack and clots should probably stop taking Celebrex.

NGUYEN: All right, quickly, we're almost out of time, but who is to blame here? Because drugs come out on the market. They're supposed to be tested for these different problems before they reach people at home who are taking these drugs.

Who's to blame here? What should be done?

GHAZZAL: Betty, this is a very important question what you just asked. But basically the studies that have come out initially have delved into the initial safety of the drug. Are they, indeed, going to lower the G.I. bleed effect? What we've seen in terms of heart attack and stroke are from the long-term studies, over one or two years of follow-up that have led into the findings of increased stroke and heart attack.

NGUYEN: All right, Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal, we appreciate your information this morning and insight.

Thank you so much.

GHAZZAL: Thank you.

NGUYEN: And our morning E-Mail Question today, what are your questions about the safety of Celebrex?

Send those answers in to housecall@cnn.com. Those responses coming up at 8:30 Eastern in a live edition of "House Call." A drug safety expert joins us to answer some of those questions.

HARRIS: And much more to get to this Saturday morning, including a check of the forecast. And Rob is back with the morning team. Can that be true?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. I missed you guys deeply.

Hi, Betty.

Hi, Tony.

Good to be back.

Cold air coming in and a lot of folks are going to endure some of this. If you want to try to get away from it, well, head to Miami. WPLG out there, good morning, Miami.

It's 63 degrees.

Just up the road, Fort Lauderdale, it's time for Winter Fest. Over 100 boats march down the Intercoastal Waterway and they're all lit up like Christmas trees. Celebrating in Florida.

Hey, we'll celebrate the forecast here in about 10 minutes.

CNN SATURDAY MORNING will be right back.

NGUYEN: Plus, we'll get the latest from Iraq as four American contractors come under attack. A live report coming up.

HARRIS: And we'll check stories from across America. Police think they have their man in the Maryland arson case, but is the investigation over?

More when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With air fare and travel expenses and Christmas gifts, probably a couple of thousand.

QUESTION: A couple? Two thousand? Three thousand? Four thousand?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About three thousand with travel expenses and Christmas gifts and all that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the average debt of the -- of an average American now, what, $10,000, $20,000? I'm not that. I'm not average. Way below average, thankfully. But, you know, Christmas does that. Now that's crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right, time to check out the stories making headlines across America this morning.

In California, a man who paid $400,000 in cash for a yacht has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of the boat's former owners. The 25-year-old man bought the yacht in November from an Arizona couple who has not been seen since the sale. Police say foul play is a possibility.

A security guard charged in the Maryland house fires has admitted to his involvement in the crime. In court documents released yesterday, 21-year-old Aaron Speed admits he knew about plans to torch a number of upscale homes under construction. He also says he was present when other people set those fires.

A Washington judge has put the brakes on more ballot counting in the state's still undecided governor's race. The judge agreed with Republicans, who say it is too late to include more than 700 ballots that were recently discovered. The GOP is ahead by just a few dozen ballots. Democrats say they will appeal the decision to the state supreme court.

And coming up in about 10 minutes, not your typical day job. How a dynamic duo in Florida -- yikes -- fights the sting of snake bites. Venom 1 answers the call in Miami. We'll have more on that story ahead.

HARRIS: The latest out of Iraq this morning, American civilians under attack as fresh violence flares to the north.

CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Baghdad with the latest -- hi, Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony, four American civilians were wounded this morning. We have now learned that two of these American civilians just received minor wounds. The other two had to be evacuated to a military hospital. But all four work for a security company based out of Florida and they were on patrol in Mosul when a car bomb detonated near their vehicle.

Now, this happened -- actually, I should say this city of Baji. It's about 150 miles north of here. And there is an oil refinery in that area. A lot of companies doing business in that city.

And this comes just one day after a brutal attack in the city of Mosul. In that town, insurgents attacked this white sedan as it drove through the city, shooting it up and then setting the car on fire. They left four bodies lying on the side of the road, one of them with his head nearly severed.

Initially, Mosul authorities had thought that maybe some of them may have been Westerners, but they now have confirmed that they are not.

In a different case, the U.S. Embassy is now confirming the identity of an American who was kidnapped nearly two months ago. His name is Roy Hallums. He's a husband and a father of two from California and he was working in the area and abducted after the shootout in a very upscale neighborhood here in Baghdad.

So far, officials say they believe him to be alive, but they have not seen or heard from him since then -- Tony.

HARRIS: Chris Lawrence in Baghdad for us this morning.

Chris, we appreciate it.

Thank you.

NGUYEN: All right, so what will be the hot ticket this weekend at the box office? We'll preview what's showing on the silver screens across America.

And holy cow! A flying cow? That's obviously the wrong video. It's all part of the "Wows of the Week." There's the flying cow.

We'll be right back with more on that craziness on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Want to catch a movie this weekend? Well, here's a look at what's now showing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LEMONY SNICKETS: A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS," COURTESY PARAMOUNT)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the story of the three Bauedelaires children. Violet loved to invent. Her brother Klaus loved to read. And their little sister Sunny, she loved to bite.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Oh, I love that video.

Based on the popular children's books, "Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events," follows three orphans as they fight with their sinister, one time guardian. Tom Olaf, that guardian, is played by Jim Carrey. The "Washington Post" calls it "a gem of a movie."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "SPANGLISH," COURTESY COLUMBIA)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know what to do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't ask me. I'm worried about my own kid going there. I mean you...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Cultures collide in "Spanglish" when a native Mexican woman becomes a housekeeper for an affluent and somewhat troubled Los Angeles family. The "Hollywood Reporter" says "Spanglish" looks like a "holiday hit" with terrific performances from everyone.

And this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE AVIATOR," COURTESY MIRAMAX)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold onto the wheel for a bit. That's too hard. Relax your hand. Relax your hand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Also new in theaters, "The Aviator," about billionaire and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. Director Martin Scorsese tells the epic story of Hughes test flying his own aircraft designs and directing and producing Hollywood movies. He seemed to do it all. "The Aviator" is showing this weekend in limited release.

HARRIS: And here's a look at the new DVD releases this week at a store near you.

"De-Lovely," with Kevin Kline as the legendary Cole Porter; the complete seventh season of the hit TV show "Star Trek: Voyager"; and "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season."

New in theaters, you can catch Dennis Quaid in "Flight of the Phoenix;" Jim Carrey in the aforementioned "Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events"; and Tea Leoni and Adam Sandler in "Spanglish."

Didn't you just do that?

NGUYEN: Yes, we did those.

HARRIS: Oh, yes. OK.

NGUYEN: But I guess we're just reminding ourselves once again.

HARRIS: OK.

Mall traffic gets a slight break every year from people who have chosen to do their Christmas shopping online. Listen up last minute shoppers. It's not too late to turn the Internet into Santa's little helper. The World Wide Web a procrastinator's friend. Last minute shopping on the Internet tomorrow morning in "Best of the Web" at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

And look who is here -- hello, sunshine.

NGUYEN: The Internet shopper himself.

MARCIANO: Yes. That's the best way to do it, except...

NGUYEN: I did a little bit of it this year.

HARRIS: Did you really?

NGUYEN: I don't usually shop on the Internet, but I said that's the easiest way to do it. Go for it.

MARCIANO: The problem is if you're a procrastinator, then the shipping becomes...

HARRIS: Yes.

MARCIANO: Hey, guys, you know, I missed you guys so much, I got you a little something (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

HARRIS: What did you bring?

NGUYEN: Uh-oh.

MARCIANO: Just a little happy holidays kind of deal.

NGUYEN: That was here last weekend.

MARCIANO: What?

NGUYEN: This was here last weekend.

MARCIANO: What are you talking about? I let that come...

NGUYEN: But it's very nice.

HARRIS: It was right over here on the set.

(CROSSTALK)

MARCIANO: I love those -- I love poinsettias.

NGUYEN: It's bigger than me, look.

MARCIANO: It's because I care so much.

HARRIS: But it's the thought that counts, right?

NGUYEN: Yes, really.

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: I can't even see you over this, Tony.

MARCIANO: All right, I'm busted.

NGUYEN: Yes.

MARCIANO: Let's go to Miami.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: So they're just Santa's -- that's just Santa's jet stream, right?

MARCIANO: That's right.

NGUYEN: Getting you prepared.

MARCIANO: Yes. It helps him, you know?

HARRIS: Ah, his winds along.

MARCIANO: Rudolph and the gang is getting a little old, so he has to ride the jet.

NGUYEN: High tech these days, apparently.

MARCIANO: See you guys in a little while.

HARRIS: All right.

NGUYEN: All right, thank you.

HARRIS: See you, Rob.

Up next, all eyes are on Washington, D.C. Everyone loves an implosion on a Saturday morning, well, unless you live next door. We're keeping an eye on this one in Washington. Four minutes until kaboom.

NGUYEN: Kaboom.

And in Florida, taking the bite out of snake bites. How a team of firemen in Florida is keeping people safe from all that slithers -- ooh -- when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Oh my goodness, here it is. Wow! We were waiting for this and there it is. This convention center in the nation's capital has just gone up. I don't know if we have any nat sound under that.

Let's listen.

NGUYEN: Wow! All that smoke and dust. This is at the Washington, the old Washington Convention Center. It's a 20-year-old building and the concrete columns, as you just saw, have just come crumbling down with all this smoke.

Here's a replay of that.

HARRIS: Look at this. Where is that? That's at 11th Street and New York Avenue in northeast Washington, D.C.

NGUYEN: Always fascinating to watch.

HARRIS: How about that?

NGUYEN: Now, we understand there's not going to be any problems with traffic and all that smoke that you saw, that's not going to be a problem, as well, and the noise. It's just really neat to see that.

HARRIS: Well, there are a couple of other agencies. The White House is close by, so a bunch of other agencies have been watching that very closely to make sure there were no problems with the dust and everything else.

NGUYEN: Right.

HARRIS: And folks taking an opportunity to maybe cause a little mischief. But it seemed to go off without a hitch.

NGUYEN: Yes, it's real high tech these days, the way they put those little explosives inside the building to make sure everything falls the way it's supposed to.

HARRIS: Yes.

Well, welcome back, everyone, to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

Here's a look at stories now in the news.

Police in Missouri use e-mails and amber alerts to find a baby who had a gruesome -- who had been gruesomely taken from her dead mother's womb. The baby was found alive yesterday in Kansas. Police say a woman who contacted the mother online has admitted to strangling her and stealing the baby. Now, the baby girl has been reunited with her father.

Another arthritis medication is coming under scrutiny. A new study says the drug Celebrex could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. The FDA is advising doctors to find other ways for patients to treat pain. Pfizer says it has no plans to take Celebrex off the market.

And we are learning this morning the identity of an American kidnapped six weeks ago in Iraq. The U.S. Embassy says contractor Roy Hallums was abducted November 1 after a gun battle in Baghdad. He was taken along with five other hostages, four of whom have been released. Hallums was working for a Saudi company that caters for the Iraqi Army.

Now, U.S. justice officials are asking an immigration judge to deport a former Nazi guard. John Demjanjuk was stripped of his U.S. citizenship two years ago. The 84-year-old retired auto worker worked at a Nazi death camp in Poland and Germany during World War 2. It was proven he lied on a U.S. visa application in 1952.

HARRIS: And now to "Security Watch." We update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.

A new report says of the 50 states, Florida and North Carolina could probably best handle a bioterror attack. That's because they have contingency plans in place for hurricanes and other natural disasters. The study by the Private Trust for America's Health says Alaska and Massachusetts are probably the least prepared.

Security at Los Angeles International Airport is being reinforced to protect jets from shoulder fired missile attacks. Officials say there is no immediate threat, but they're taking precautions because of recent strikes against aircraft overseas.

A bag containing inert explosive material was cleared by screeners at Newark Airport and the Transportation Security Administration wants to know why the mock explosive device used in a security drill made it to Amsterdam on board a Continental Airlines flight.

And in a major blow to Britain's anti-terrorism strategy, the country's highest court ruled the U.K. cannot hold foreign terror suspects indefinitely without trial. The government had argued that the practice was necessary to protect against attacks. The government says it will now send the controversial law back to parliament to be reexamined.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

NGUYEN: Well, perhaps not quite on the same scale as security from terrorism, but terror nonetheless -- the nearly universal fear of snakes. The only viable treatment for venomous snake bites is the use of what's called Antivenin.

And CNN's John Zarrella tells us where hospitals get the snake bite serum.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two hundred times a year Captain Al Cruz and Lieutenant Ernie Jilson respond to calls about a snake in the grass. In this case, a python loose in a backyard.

CAPT. AL CRUZ, MIAMI-DADE VENOM 1 UNIT: Ready?

LT. ERNIE JILSON: Yes. ZARRELLA: Cruz and Jilson, Miami-Dade paramedics, run Venom 1, the county's Antivenin unit. When they're not rounding up snakes, they're teaching first responders how to identify what they're dealing with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what we call a carpet python that was taken, it was caught locally here. It was somebody's pet.

ZARRELLA: But the paramedics are more than just snake handlers. They save lives. They keep on hand at all times 40 types of Antivenin. They have responded to calls for help from across the country.

CRUZ: The amount of Antivenin that we have on hand here at one particular location is probably the largest anywhere in the United States.

ZARRELLA (on camera): And it is needed. There are more species of snakes in Florida, about 70, than anywhere else in the country -- from water moccasins to rattlesnakes. In fact, south Florida has been called the Ellis Island of exotic animals.

(voice-over): Many, like this non-venomous albino python, are not native. They were pets that got too big and were simply let loose.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got a call that said the individual had this snake in their yard. It was chasing their cat around the back yard, trying to eat him.

ZARRELLA: There are about 250 snake bites a year in Florida. Twenty-five percent are venomous.

Mario Tabraue, who runs Zoological Imports, was bagging a cottonmouth for shipment when he was bitten. Cruz rushed the serum to the hospital.

MARIO TABRAUE, BITTEN BY COTTONMOUTH: Because sometimes you get bit by a snake and nobody knows what it is, or they know what it is but they don't have the venom, Antivenin. They have to make a wild goose chase to find it. He's got it.

ZARRELLA: There have been no snake bite deaths in Florida since the Antivenin unit was formed in 1998. But the team knows there will always be another urgent call because there will always be another snake in the grass.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: No doubt.

All right, are you waiting for your favorite College Bowl game this holiday season? Certainly plenty to choose from. But with so many games out there, is it just too much of a good thing? We'll see if that's even possible with our sports expert, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, if you've had a tough time keeping up with the headlines, it's time to "Rewind" for a look at some of the stories that made news this week.

Monday, the same jury that convicted Scott Peterson of killing his wife and unborn child recommended he receive the ultimate sentence. They sentenced Peterson to die by lethal injection.

Wednesday's test of a new national missile defense system ended in failure. A mock warhead was launched with no problem from Alaska. But the interceptor missile that was supposed to destroy the warhead never left the ground. The government says it's not clear what went wrong.

Thursday, President Bush wrapped up a two day economic conference at the White House. On the agenda, Social Security, health care and the nation's deficit. The summit came alongside new third quarter trade deficit numbers. The country's current account deficit widened just a bit, to a record $164.7 billion.

And late yesterday, a federal panel recommended flu shots be made available to everyone 50 and older and not just those considered most at risk. The announcement comes two months after health officials warned of a shortage of flu vaccine. Now they say there may be a surplus because demand was lower than expected.

And tomorrow we will "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

NGUYEN: All right, Tony, are you ready for this?

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: Ready?

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: Time for the holiday Bowls in college football. It's football time.

HARRIS: That mishmash of names and whatever?

NGUYEN: Yes, teams and -- well, but is it really a case of too much of a good thing? Some people say so.

HARRIS: Rick Horrow has an opinion on it and he's wagging his finger at it.

NGUYEN: See, we cut his mike for a reason here.

HARRIS: Yes -- good morning, Rick.

NGUYEN: We'll talk to you in a minute. HARRIS: First, more of your comments about Christmas spending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not much.

QUESTION: How much would say?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd say about a thousand.

QUESTION: A thousand?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Um-hmm.

QUESTION: That's quite a bit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

QUESTION: What do you think your total debt is?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now? I'd say about $5,000.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Missouri police recover a baby alive, stolen from the dead mother's body. A Kansas woman confesses to strangling the mother and stealing the child.

A flurry of violence early in Iraq today. A car bomb blast in northern Iraq injures four American workers.

And mortars fired at a Baghdad police center, a polling center, I should say, killed a civilian and wounded eight others.

The CEO of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals says he'll keep taking the painkiller Celebrex despite an FDA (AUDIO GAP). A study says high doses of the drug could raise the risk of heart attack or stroke. Pfizer has no plans to pull the drug from the market.

And we'll get your thoughts on the fallout from the news on Celebrex in just a few minutes. Lots of e-mails already coming in this morning, sop stay tuned to that.

HARRIS: OK, let's play the college football name game, shall we? Remember when we used to have the plain old Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose Bowls? The good old days have been gobbled up by corporate America. Now we have the FedEx Orange, Nokia Sugar and Tostitos -- Tostitos Fiesta. And there's more. The NCI Computers Bowl, the Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas, the Auto Zone Liberty and don't forget the Gaylord Hotel's Music City Bowl.

In fact, the only major Bowl that kept a simple name is the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl still the sweet fragrance in sports. We can play the name game all morning long and there's no better player than the author of "Beyond The Game," our very own wordsmith and CNN sports analyst, Rick Horrow -- Rick, good morning.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Hey, man, let me -- I tell you, 10 minutes ago...

HARRIS: All those names, man.

HORROW: Am I...

HARRIS: We don't...

HORROW: Am I following a story about snake in the grass? What are you...

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. You know what? With all of these names -- I'm sorry, Rick. We're out of time. We'll see you next week, OK?

HORROW: I'm talking anyway, pal. Just ask the questions.

HARRIS: Jeez.

Twenty-eight Bowl games. Is anybody really -- I don't know, is anybody really watching? Does anyone care about the Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas Bowl and all these other second and third tier games?

HORROW: Hey, Tony, absolutely they do. You know, those 28 over 22 days pays out $180 million to member schools. So that's a big deal. But there is mediocrity. Thirteen of those teams are six and five, the most mediocre ever. But there is a useful purpose. There's a moment in the sun for all of these schools. A 6 percent increase in attendance from the year before, 33 percent more likely to buy, are the Bowl watchers, by the way. And the proof is in the pudding. You've got Toronto and Birmingham and Denver and New York wanting these kind of Bowls.

A hundred and one hours of Bowl programming started last week. Get your popcorn. You and I are watching some of those games. In fact, I'm coming over in the next couple of weeks.

HARRIS: You've got it.

HORROW: Yes.

HARRIS: All right, culprits -- can we call them culprits? Maybe we can. Maybe for the sake of this discussion.

Who are the culprits in the corporate America Bowl naming game here?

HORROW: Well, 25 of the 28 have names and if you want computers, it's the MPC Bowl in Boise; EV1 Net Bowl in Houston. If you're hungry, it's the Outback Bowl in Tampa, of course; and the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta; and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl; even the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl, which is now the Emerald Bowl.

HARRIS: Oh, my. HORROW: If your hair has problems, it's the Vitalis Bowl. The only one that doesn't have the name is the Rose Bowl, not because they want one, but can they -- but absolutely because they can afford not to have one.

HARRIS: Got you.

Switching gears a little bit, tell us about the NFL's experiment with box seats on the field.

HORROW: Yes, well, starting in Chicago this weekend and in Miami on Monday night against the Patriots, the NFL is doing a feasibility study, putting these cushiony seats nine yards from the field with plasma TV sets. The NFL is saying that the violence issue shouldn't be a problem because there's security, not like there might have been three weeks ago in that basketball brawl up in Detroit.

HARRIS: Right.

HORROW: And it's more money for everybody.

And if it doesn't work, by the way, the company called Seating Solutions is charging $1,600 for a home version of this puffy chair. Hey, it makes a great Christmas gift, wouldn't you say, my friend?

HARRIS: Yes. You're giving, I'm receiving.

Thank you.

HORROW: Yes, sir.

HARRIS: What is your -- let's get to your foul ball of the week -- Rick.

HORROW: Well, the foul ball was baseball. You know, all these contracts that have been signed and the trades, Pedro Martinez to the Mets and Randy Johnson probably to the Yankees and Edgar Renteria to the Red Sox, a billion dollars in contract, yet at the same time, a council person is keeping Washington from getting a franchise, some people say, because they want more money for the stadium. And Washington is now courted again against Vegas and Portland and Norfolk.

So that isn't over. It's a giant game of baseball chicken with the Washington Nationals, the old Montreal Expos.

HARRIS: Got you.

And your fair ball?

HORROW: Hey, here's a cool one. The NBA licensed 30 players to appear on postage stamps from different countries. You've got Dirk Nowitzki on a Micronesia stamp. You've got Lebron James on a St. Vincent's stamp. And you've got Yao Ming on a stamp from Sierra Leone costing 700 leonis. Hey, man, how much would it cost for you to get on a postage stamp, because I'll pay double to keep you off? HARRIS: You'll pay double. Very good. That's a holiday gift. There you go.

Rick, anything else you want to touch on before we go?

HORROW: Merry, merry, merry Christmas. We have a chance to do that next week, though.

HARRIS: Happy holidays.

Good to see you, Rick.

Take care -- Betty.

NGUYEN: He's always fun to talk to.

All right, surf is up in Hawaii. Check this video out. We don't have to tell you why this is a "Wow of the Week."

More pictures after this time out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Kind of a high flying week for man and beast. Here are some of the stories that will wow you.

NGUYEN: In Hawaii this weekend, watch out for the waves. We are talking about once in a lifetime waves that are reaching heights of 30 feet. The high surf is prompting some road closures.

HARRIS: And check this out. This cow got a high ride of another kind. The Georgia heifer was rescued after being stranded by the rising waters of Lake Blackshire. No one knows who the cow belongs to or how she got stuck, but now she's got a new home and is recovering.

NGUYEN: Yes, seeking therapy.

And another amazing story from Georgia, where twin sisters are at home this weekend with twins of their own. That's right. Ashlee Spinks and Andrea Springer each gave birth to twin boys on Tuesday. The baby boys were delivered by C-section so the sisters could share the unbelievable experience.

What are the odds? Twins having twins.

HARRIS: Go figure.

Rob Marciano is here and he's...

NGUYEN: But he's not a twin.

MARCIANO: No, thank goodness.

HARRIS: But he's going to talk to us about twin barreled -- I'm trying to make the turn. I'm trying to make the turn.

MARCIANO: That's pathetic, Tony.

NGUYEN: Just tell us the weather, Rob.

HARRIS: That really was.

MARCIANO: You know, you put too much pressure on yourself.

HARRIS: Yes, I really did.

MARCIANO: You're not that good, OK?

HARRIS: Thank you.

MARCIANO: Just say here's Rob with the weather.

HARRIS: Thank you for the reminder.

MARCIANO: I was just aching to see you. You know, I missed teasing you guys.

HARRIS: See? See?

NGUYEN: Oh, you're getting it all in, don't you worry.

MARCIANO: Oh. It's nice to be back and thanks for having me, guys.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: Betty, I'm going to put the heat on you.

Name me some buildings out there.

NGUYEN: I knew you were going to ask. That's the big green building.

MARCIANO: OK, yes.

HARRIS: Very good. Very good. That's good.

NGUYEN: Hey, that's what six years of Dallas will do for you. There you go.

MARCIANO: Well, it's a beautiful city nonetheless.

NGUYEN: It's in downtown Dallas, if that adds anything.

MARCIANO: Thanks for coming out, Betty.

NGUYEN: Thanks for playing, all right.

HARRIS: Thanks for playing with you.

NGUYEN: It's early.

MARCIANO: See you. NGUYEN: Thanks, Rob.

HARRIS: All right, big medical news this week.

Another popular painkiller is coming under fire.

NGUYEN: Elizabeth Cohen joins us live to give us a preview of today's "House Call" -- hi there, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

Thanks, Betty and Tony.

Coming up on "House Call," it's another blow to millions of Americans who suffer from arthritis. The drug company Pfizer is warning of a possible link between Celebrex and heart problems.

So what is safe to take? E-mail us your questions for the experts at housecall@cnn.com. We'll be answering your questions coming up, 8:30 a.m. Eastern, on "House Call."

HARRIS: And Elizabeth, we've got a moment here. And I suppose one of the big questions you're going to be answering this morning, because you'll certainly be getting questions on it, is what should patients do now with this news? What to do with it, how to handle it, how to process it out.

COHEN: Right. We'll be talking about how people need to go see their doctors because there are all sorts of things, your doctor might have another painkiller he wants you to take or she wants you to take. Or maybe you should take Celebrex, but you should think about taking a lower dose.

HARRIS: OK, Elizabeth, see you at 8:30.

The next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.

NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everyone.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 5:00 a.m. -- very early -- on the West Coast.

Good morning.

Thanks for watching.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

Thanks for being with us.

Now in the news, a California woman is calling on the U.S. government to do more to help her ex-husband, who was taken hostage in Iraq. We're learning the identity of the hostage snatched after a gunfight six weeks ago. He is Roy Hallums. He was working as a contractor for a Saudi company. Hallums was abducted, along with five other people.

An Iraqi civilian is dead and eight others are wounded after a mortar attack in a city just north of Baghdad this morning. U.S. military officials say four mortar rounds hit a youth center and jail. The youth center was a polling registration center for January's elections.

The walls come tumbling down on what was once a prominent piece of the D.C. landscape. The old Washington Convention Center was demolished in a carefully choreographed implosion last hour. The building was the fourth largest convention center in the country when it opened 22 years ago.

NGUYEN: All right, here's what's coming up on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

First, a deadly crime with a troubling twist. A baby girl taken from her mother's womb. The mother is dead, but the child survived. And now a Kansas woman stands accused of an unspeakable crime. We have a live report in just minutes.

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