Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Stolen From the Womb; Interview With William Bratton; The Michael Jackson Case

Aired December 20, 2004 - 9:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Snow across the Northeast, near zero temperatures. The coldest weather this season. And millions are already getting ready to travel in it.
New details of a horrifying crime. The woman accused of killing an expectant mother and stealing her unborn baby heads to federal court this morning.

Firefighters in Washington battle an intense blaze in a downtown row house. Now trying to get to the victims.

And the worst safety ratings in years for a front-end crash. One car maker under pressure on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everybody. Nine o'clock in a chilly New York City. Kelly Wallace working for Soledad today.

Good morning to you.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. In the homestretch here.

HEMMER: Homestretch, that's right. One more hour.

President Bush looking for the right person to take over the job at Homeland Security. One name that keeps coming up is the LA police commissioner Bill Bratton. One problem about that, he says he will not take the job though. We'll find out why from himself in a few moments there live in LA. Stay tuned for that.

WALLACE: Also Bill, prosecutors expected in court today to go on the offensive in the Michael Jackson case, looking to allow evidence from allegations made more than a decade ago. We will look at all the legal moves. Also some of the surprising pictures from Neverland over the weekend.

HEMMER: What did Toobin call it, weird?

WALLACE: Creepy.

HEMMER: Creepy. Got it.

Jack Cafferty's back. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Somewhere you'd send your kid for the weekend. I mean, what about parents that say, oh, yes, run over to Neverland and visit with old what's his name? Probably let you look at his nose.

WALLACE: No, but I did raise that, because there are charitable groups that go up there on a regular basis to take advantage of the amusement park. I thought you might want to wait until after all court proceedings take place.

CAFFERTY: There's amusement parks and then there's amusement parks. You know what I mean?

Houston, there's a problem. We have these prescription drugs in this country that come to market, and then we find out after they're declared safe that they're not safe. What up with that?

How do we go about making prescription drugs safer in this country? And what role does the FDA have? And how should it be changed?

AM@CNN.com is the address. Or you could write about Michael Jackson. I don't know. Do what you want.

HEMMER: Maybe not. Thank you, Jack.

Here's Carol Costello with us, a look at the news at the top of the hour.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Still getting over the Michael Jackson nose thing, Jack. He's incorrigible, isn't he?

And we're just getting word that President Bush is going to hold a news conference at 10:30 Eastern this morning. We don't know what the topic is yet. But of course when he holds that news conference we'll take you there live.

Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News," Iraqi officials say dozens of suspects are now being questioned in connection with this weekend's deadly car bombings in Karbala and Najaf. Nearly 70 people were killed in yesterday's blast in the two Shiite holy cities. Officials have warned that violence in Iraq is expected to escalate ahead of the January 30 elections.

A deadly fire this morning in Washington, D.C. This is in southeast. Take a look at the pictures now.

Authorities say at least one person was killed in this house fire after trying to escape the flames. Wow. Fire broke out in the basement of a two-story row home just about five hours ago. Emergency crews are still on the scene battling that massive fire. Divers in eastern Pennsylvania are searching the river near South Williamsport as the search resumes for a missing disabled boy. Nine- year-old Logan Mitcheltree was last seen Saturday. He's autistic, he can't speak.

Hundreds of volunteers have been combing the area. Temperatures dropped to about 15 degrees last night.

And some Florida commuters are being detoured this morning. And it's a big detour. A sinkhole ate a 225-foot chunk out of a four-lane road. It's now threatening homes in the area. Twenty homes have been evacuated.

A Florida fire chief says the sinkhole could be 350 feet across before it stabilizes. Wow. Maybe it will set a "Guinness Book of World Records."

HEMMER: Perhaps. How about that fire videotape? It shows you how tough that job can be.

COSTELLO: It's pretty intense. I think that was home video. That must have been.

That was intense. But it's lucky it didn't spread to the other row homes...

HEMMER: You're right about that.

WALLACE: Right.

COSTELLO: ... because, you know, sometimes it can do that.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol. Talk to you again in a couple of minutes.

Winter does not officially arrive until tomorrow. But that is little solace now for much of the country today. An Arctic blast has sent temperatures plummeting from the Northeast to the Northern Plains. Snow has fallen from northern Alabama up through the state of Maine as forecasters predict a hard freeze and increasingly frigid temperatures. That blast brought some heavy snow in the northeast from Indiana up to the state of New York, dumping about six inches in some areas.

Police are also blaming whiteout conditions for the massive car pileup in western PA. The chain reaction on I-80 involved about 70 vehicles. All starting when a tractor trailer jackknifed across the highway.

Visibility so bad and so slim the cars came crashing into it. Luckily, no one died. That crash site about eight miles from the border with Ohio.

Check of the weather now, starting in the Northeast. Here's Chad Myers again.

A busy morning for you. Good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It has been. And it's going to be a busier week all in all. Good morning, Bill.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: And Chad, that's just the start of winter.

MYERS: Yes.

HEMMER: Three more months of this, huh?

MYERS: Well, the good news is at least the East Coast of this storm is on the warm side. From New York all the way down to D.C., it's all rain and not the snowstorm.

WALLACE: All right. Always looking on the bright spot for us here. Thanks so much, Chad.

Turning now to the very disturbing story coming out of Missouri. Lisa Montgomery, the woman who reportedly admits to killing a mom-to- be and cutting the baby girl out of her womb, is scheduled to be arraigned this morning in federal court. Jonathan Freed is live with the very latest.

Good morning, Jonathan. And do we know if this case will be tried in Kansas or Missouri?

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kelly.

That is still going to be determined. I can tell you, though, that it's actually not an arraignment this morning. The arraignment is yet to happen.

What we're going to see this morning is Lisa Montgomery appearing before a U.S. magistrate judge in the federal courthouse right here in Kansas City, Missouri. She's going to have a public defender appointed for her at that point.

The -- the charges will be read out in court for the first time. That's kidnapping resulting in death.

We know that there will be a trial in Missouri. The U.S. attorney's office has told us that much because the crimes were committed in -- allegedly committed in Missouri. It's a question of whether there might also be something parallel happening in Kansas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF BEN ESPEY, NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI: I've been in law enforcement 20 years and 12 as sheriff, and this is one of the worst ordeals we've got, had to deal with.

FREED (voice-over): The gruesome kidnapping and murder case has stunned even veteran members of law enforcement. ESPEY: Nobody here could ever perceive this ever taking place. To have a fetus taken out of someone's womb and then doing an Amber Alert and trying to find -- trying to find a child that -- it's inconceivable.

FREED: According to the FBI, Lisa Montgomery contacted the victim, 23-year-old Bobbie Joe Stinnett, through an Internet chat room, pretending to be interested in the dogs she bred. The two arranged to meet last Thursday at Stinnett's home in Skidmore, Missouri.

Montgomery is accused of strangling Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and cutting the feet use out of her womb. Police issued an Amber Alert for a car a neighbor had seen outside the murdered woman's home.

ESPEY: We may have not ever recovered this little baby if Amber -- the Amber Alert system was not put into place.

FREED: The 36-year-old Montgomery was arrested on Friday and allegedly confessed to the crime. Neighbors in Melvern, Kansas, say Montgomery and her husband were showing off the baby as their own.

After surviving the tragic ordeal, the infant has been reunited with her real father. Zeb Stinnett has named his daughter Victoria Joe in memory of her mother, and says she's truly a little miracle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREED: Now, Kelly, the U.S. attorney has told CNN today that he has not yet decided whether or not the death penalty will be sought in this case -- Kelly.

WALLACE: All right, Jonathan. We'll be following that throughout the morning. Jonathan Freed reporting from Kansas City, Missouri. Thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: It's a sad story all around.

WALLACE: Absolutely.

HEMMER: About 10 minutes now past the hour. He is a giant in the world of law enforcement. Bill Bratton has led police departments in Boston, New York and now Los Angeles. He's also been mentioned as a new candidate for Homeland Security secretary, and Chief Bratton is my guest now live in LA.

CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LAPD: Good morning to you. Welcome back here to AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning. Good to be with you.

HEMMER: It's my understanding you're not interested in this job. Why not?

BRATTON: That's right. Well, today it's going to be 70 degrees here in Los Angeles. You've got, what, 12 degrees back there?

No. Seriously, I'm only midterm during my five-year term here in Los Angeles. I like it here. We're making great progress.

And I'm just not interested at this time in that job. It hasn't been offered, I should point out, and I don't anticipate that it would be.

HEMMER: Yes. Tom Ridge mentioned your name. That's why we have you on today about this topic. Who do you think is capable of this job, and how significant is it in this cabinet for the second term going forward?

BRATTON: Oh, I think second term going forward, it's as significant as it was in the first term. The entity was newly created. Now you have to institutionalize it. Now you have to really make it work.

Secretary Ridge has done an outstanding job in a short period of time putting it together. But now the challenge is going to be really leading it forward.

As candidates, there was a lot of news coverage over the weekend on speculation about what the president might be up to. My own perspective, watching the cabinet appointments to this point in time, the mayor -- the president has actually gone with insiders. He's gone with people he's comfortable with. And so, as to who that might be, it's anybody's guess.

HEMMER: Certainly. You know, Tom Ridge made a comment about $282 million going to your state in California for homeland security defense. Your city specifically. How will you use that money?

BRATTON: We'll use it for a lot of things that -- for technology acquisition. We'll use it for equipment acquisition. We'll use it for training.

Unlike the cops' money in the 1990s that hired 100,000 more police, the money so far coming out of Homeland Security cannot be used for personnel. I think that's a mistake because what we need at the local level, similar to the national level, analysts. We need intelligence people who can take all of this information.

What we're buying right now is interoperability equipment, communications equipment, response equipment. But as we move forward, as Homeland Security moves forward, we're going to need people who can take intelligence information at the local level, share it seamlessly with national and international level. And that's a weakness at this point in time.

HEMMER: It sounds like that weakness in LA is the same across the country. You agree with that?

BRATTON: Well, right now I think Los Angeles, Washington, New York City, probably the best prepared in terms of the intelligence component. I've got John Miller working out here with me. We've created a 200-person unit.

New York has almost 1,000 police officers assigned to this function. But many other departments around the country just don't have those types of personnel resources.

We're trying to set up regional centers here. We're working with the FBI, the sheriff's department. We'll have one of the first regional centers opening up shortly after the first of the year, funded by FBI money, as well as homeland security.

HEMMER: A final question. You mentioned John Miller. He says the threat from shoulder-fired missiles at LAX, the airport in Los Angeles, is a real threat. Do you agree with that? And, if so, what measures have you taken to guard against it?

BRATTON: It is a real threat anywhere in the world. And we're seeing over the last 20 or 30 years a number of efforts to knock down planes with those type of missiles. The more sophisticated ones have a range of three miles.

It's a threat we take very seriously here in Los Angeles. Extra patrols, helicopter patrols when threat levels go up, when intelligence tells us that we might be at more risk than on an ordinary day. But increasingly, I think we're going to see more concern about this type of weaponry.

HEMMER: Good luck to you, OK?

BRATTON: Thank you.

HEMMER: We'll talk again. Bill Bratton there from Los Angeles. Appreciate your time today.

As we mentioned, we learned at the top of the hour the president will hold a news conference in about an hour and 15 minutes, 10:30 Eastern Time. And certainly live coverage from the White House when that takes place -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.

In a couple of hours, a new round of hearings out in California aimed at altering the course of Michael Jackson's molestation trial. The defense is seeking a complete dismissal. Miguel Marquez has a preview from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Michael Jackson, this Christmas week, a pretrial hearing with a long legal list.

ROBERT PUGSLEY, SOUTHWEST LAW SCHOOL: It suggests that this judge really is anxious to get this case going.

MARQUEZ: Among other things, the judge will hear two defense motions to dismiss the case. Jackson's lawyers will argue Santa Barbara district attorney Tom Sneddon has carried out a prosecution based on revenge and that he's abused his power in obtaining search warrants.

Over 100 warrants have been executed against Jackson. The latest was in early December when his Neverland ranch was raided for a second and third time in this case. Authorities also obtained a DNA sample from Jackson.

Last April, a grand jury indicted the pop star for, among other things, conspiracy and lewd acts against a child. Jackson has denied all charges.

PUGSLEY: I think that the independence of the grand jury is going to stand fast against any motions to dismiss.

MARQUEZ: If the judge won't dismiss the case, Jackson's defense will argue that evidence recently gathered at Neverland should not be allowed at trial, and the trial date should be put off by six weeks.

The hearing comes days after Jackson greeted children and the media at his Neverland ranch. A move his spokeswoman said had nothing to do with Jackson's case.

PUGSLEY: On Mr. Jackson's side, demonstration is nothing to hide. Bring the public on.

MARQUEZ (on camera): The judge will also hear arguments from the prosecution, objecting to Jackson's defense, seeking personal records from the accuser and his family. This hearing is expected to last between one and four days.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: In a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING, another arthritis drug gets linked to heart attacks. What are you supposed to do now if you're taking Celebrex? A look at alternative treatments in a moment.

WALLACE: Also, Bill, a crash course in safety. Which cars fared the worst in the latest crash test?

HEMMER: Also, what does it mean when the fans get a bigger cheer than the players on the court? An inspiring story of giving still to come this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: Welcome back. Almost 150 soldiers injured in Afghanistan and Iraq sat courtside at the Dallas Mavericks game Saturday night for free. It is part of a program called Seats for Soldiers. Basketball tickets donated to the troops.

The person who made it all possible, Neal Hawks, he joins us live from Dallas, Texas, along with Corporal J.R. Martinez, who was one of the lucky soldiers to be at the game on Saturday night. Neal, let me begin with you. We know you did this a little bit last year. You gave up some of your season tickets to bring some soldiers there to see the game. But this year you did it on a much, much bigger level. Describe how you managed to do what you did.

NEAL HAWKS, DONATED TICKETS: Well, Kelly, last year the reception that the soldiers received in April was really unbelievable. So this year I went back to some of the other season ticket holders and asked them if they would be willing to do the same thing and donate their tickets. And the response was really overwhelming.

They all pitched in. I had ticket holders that would go and get tickets that they had given away and bring them to me. So it was really neat.

WALLACE: J.R., describe what it was like there and the response from the other fans and the players themselves.

CPL. J.R. MARTINEZ, INJURED IN IRAQ: Oh, it was great. You know, a lot of soldiers, this is the first time being out, period, of the hospital, being back wounded from Iraq or Afghanistan. And for them to be able to sit courtside and to be able to just interact with the players, get autographs and pictures, it was definitely something that helps the morale. And it helps your recovery time because it's something that is priceless. You can't put a price on that kind of event for the soldiers.

WALLACE: And describe your recovery time. How long have you been back home? What have you been dealing with in terms of recovering from your injuries in Iraq?

MARTINEZ: Well, I've been at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Medical Center for about 19 months now. I've had 28 surgeries. And they tell me I've got about a year left to go. And over the course of the next year I'm probably going to be facing about maybe five to eight surgeries over the next year.

You know, honestly, Kelly, I feel great. And the reason I can say that is because of the fact that you got Neal over here that does such great things for the troops and allows me in some sense to be part of it, to be able to help in one way or another. It's therapy for me to be able to see another soldier and his family and to have a big smile on their face and have memories for a lifetime.

WALLACE: Neal, describe to me what the response was from these other season ticket holders. Obviously lots of people love to go to the game and love their season tickets. So what was the response? And were you surprised by it?

HAWKS: I was a little bit surprised by how many people were willing to pitch in. I kind of expected I might get 50 or 60 tickets when I started this. And we ended up with 137 seats in the front row.

And the response was really just unbelievable. I explained what I was doing. A lot of them remembered from last April when some of the guys had come in then. And as soon as I started talking about it, they were all like, "Sure, we'll do that. We'll give you the tickets." So it was really neat.

WALLACE: And J.R., what do you -- what message do you hope comes out of this program that Neal has created, Seats for Soldiers?

MARTINEZ: Well, the message I hope that comes out is the fact it doesn't have to be in Dallas and always -- you know, it can be in San Antonio, when a hospital's 10 minutes away from you, or Washington, D.C. You've got Walter Reed and the Washington Wizards.

You've got -- you know, spread it throughout the nation. And -- because there's troops in every little small town and every city throughout this country that's put -- sacrificed a lot for our country. And this is a simple way that we can just spread a message.

And it doesn't have to be basketball. It can be baseball, it can be, you know, hockey, it can be football. It doesn't matter what sport because it's about the troops, Kelly.

WALLACE: All right. Well a real personal example of how free tickets can really help on your road to recovery. Corporal J.R. Martinez and Neal Hawks, we thank you very, very much for being with us today.

MARTINEZ: Thank you, Kelly.

HAWKS: Thank you.

WALLACE: Bill.

HEMMER: Good guys and a nice story, Kelly. Thanks.

The annual crash test results are out. One vehicle fell way short in the testing. The Kia Spectra received the worst safety rating in the frontal crash test. As the first vehicle since 2001 to get the low score, Kia Motors released a statement as a result -- and quoting now -- "Occupant safety is a priority for Kia. We are evaluating the results of this current test on the Spectra and similar vehicles in its class that determine what improvements can be made to enhance overall vehicle safety."

Only two small cars, the Mazda 3 and the Hyundai Elantra, earned the highest rating in this round of testing. Nine other small cars tested earlier scored good ratings as well.

On the list there, Volkswagen, New Beetle and Jetta; the Subaru Impreza and the Aerio; the Mini Cooper. The next five: the Toyota Corolla, the Ford Focus, Mitsubishi Lancer and the Honda Civic round out the 10 there.

From cars to sleighs in a moment. What Santa is up to as he gears up for the big night.

Back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: There he is in Finland. Some call him Old Saint Nick, others simply Santa. But in the North Pole -- I did not know this, Kelly...

WALLACE: I didn't either.

HEMMER: ... he's known as Papa Noel. The big man in the red suit is home in Finland gearing up for the big journey. And apparently he's made up his mind about who was naughty or nice this past year.

WALLACE: All right.

HEMMER: So it's too late incase you're trying to make up some time.

WALLACE: So we can't kind of, you know, brown-nose for the next four days.

HEMMER: Exactly. That's right.

CAFFERTY: Where did we get that footage?

HEMMER: From Finland.

CAFFERTY: How do you know he's in Finland?

HEMMER: Well, that's what the story said.

CAFFERTY: I mean, there's a lot of kids counting on him being in the USA.

HEMMER: Well, I'm with you there. But, I mean, they've got four days now, or five days now.

WALLACE: Four days.

CAFFERTY: I guess he can make it.

WALLACE: He can make it, yes.

CAFFERTY: Let's talk about drugs, shall we?

HEMMER: Talk about it.

CAFFERTY: The Food and Drug Administration is advising doctors to consider alternatives to Celebrex, which is a leading arthritis painkiller. A study shows the medication increases the risk of heart attack and strokes.

During the last seven years, a growing number of drugs have been pulled off the market after the FDA approved them for sale, raising questions about that agency's ability to protect the American public from harmful prescriptions. An internal FDA survey that was made public last week found that two-thirds of FDA scientists are less than fully confident in the FDA's monitoring of the safety of prescription drugs.

Now there's a comforting thought. So what should be done to improve prescription drug safety is the QOD, as we call it around here, the "Question of the Day."

This from Marsha in Tampa: "Prohibit drug company lobbying at all levels of government and with the American Medical Association. Establish tougher penalties on criminal negligence laws and sentences, control the prices of drugs to consumers by setting profit ceilings based on costs of development, manufacturing and marketing. Stop all public advertising of prescription drugs."

I think that would be a good idea anyway. I'm sick of seeing ads for "Take this, ask your doctor for that." It's just wearing me out.

WALLACE: Well, some say the marketing of drugs has contributed to the problem.

CAFFERTY: Yes, absolutely. And people going and saying, oh, I've got to have this. I saw it on ding dong school or something, "Desperate Housewives."

WALLACE: Right.

CAFFERTY: Brian in Concord, New Hampshire, "For years, whenever I received a new prescription I always looked it up in the latest "Physician's Desk Reference" at the local library. To date, this has seemed to work quite well."

Writes Jerry from Alpharetta, Georgia, "Life is a matter of balancing risk and benefits. Our Food and Drug Administration is the best in the world. The protocol for gaining approval of a new drug for use in the United States market is a formidable task. We have a good system. It's now a matter of understanding the risks involved versus the benefits."

And finally, from Tom in Alma, West Virginia, "There is no need to advertise drugs to the American people. Use that money to provide free prescriptions to prisoners for two years prior to their sale to the public. You could make the program voluntary."

WALLACE: Ooh.

CAFFERTY: Or you could just slip it into their food without telling them and then just see which ones make it and which ones don't.

WALLACE: Unknown testing program, yes.

HEMMER: Back to ding dong school.

WALLACE: I know.

CAFFERTY: Well, but every time you turn on the television they're advertising these damn medicines, and it's -- I mean, it's awful. It's terrible. And people then go to their doctor and say, I got to have this because they saw some glamorous ad for it on the t and v, right?

HEMMER: It's a good QOD, by the way. Thank you, J.C.

WALLACE: Lots of...

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: And the t and v, for which we are employed, make a lot of money from these drug company commercials.

HEMMER: That's right.

CAFFERTY: But they still ought to take them off.

HEMMER: "90-Second Pop" in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING when we continue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

HEMMER (voice-over): Could Jim Carrey find a fortune in the box office with "Lemony Snicket?" Or did "Ocean's 12" hit the jackpot again?

Also, why is Harrison Ford marching off to war? Those stories ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired December 20, 2004 - 9:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Snow across the Northeast, near zero temperatures. The coldest weather this season. And millions are already getting ready to travel in it.
New details of a horrifying crime. The woman accused of killing an expectant mother and stealing her unborn baby heads to federal court this morning.

Firefighters in Washington battle an intense blaze in a downtown row house. Now trying to get to the victims.

And the worst safety ratings in years for a front-end crash. One car maker under pressure on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everybody. Nine o'clock in a chilly New York City. Kelly Wallace working for Soledad today.

Good morning to you.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. In the homestretch here.

HEMMER: Homestretch, that's right. One more hour.

President Bush looking for the right person to take over the job at Homeland Security. One name that keeps coming up is the LA police commissioner Bill Bratton. One problem about that, he says he will not take the job though. We'll find out why from himself in a few moments there live in LA. Stay tuned for that.

WALLACE: Also Bill, prosecutors expected in court today to go on the offensive in the Michael Jackson case, looking to allow evidence from allegations made more than a decade ago. We will look at all the legal moves. Also some of the surprising pictures from Neverland over the weekend.

HEMMER: What did Toobin call it, weird?

WALLACE: Creepy.

HEMMER: Creepy. Got it.

Jack Cafferty's back. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Somewhere you'd send your kid for the weekend. I mean, what about parents that say, oh, yes, run over to Neverland and visit with old what's his name? Probably let you look at his nose.

WALLACE: No, but I did raise that, because there are charitable groups that go up there on a regular basis to take advantage of the amusement park. I thought you might want to wait until after all court proceedings take place.

CAFFERTY: There's amusement parks and then there's amusement parks. You know what I mean?

Houston, there's a problem. We have these prescription drugs in this country that come to market, and then we find out after they're declared safe that they're not safe. What up with that?

How do we go about making prescription drugs safer in this country? And what role does the FDA have? And how should it be changed?

AM@CNN.com is the address. Or you could write about Michael Jackson. I don't know. Do what you want.

HEMMER: Maybe not. Thank you, Jack.

Here's Carol Costello with us, a look at the news at the top of the hour.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Still getting over the Michael Jackson nose thing, Jack. He's incorrigible, isn't he?

And we're just getting word that President Bush is going to hold a news conference at 10:30 Eastern this morning. We don't know what the topic is yet. But of course when he holds that news conference we'll take you there live.

Good morning, everyone.

"Now in the News," Iraqi officials say dozens of suspects are now being questioned in connection with this weekend's deadly car bombings in Karbala and Najaf. Nearly 70 people were killed in yesterday's blast in the two Shiite holy cities. Officials have warned that violence in Iraq is expected to escalate ahead of the January 30 elections.

A deadly fire this morning in Washington, D.C. This is in southeast. Take a look at the pictures now.

Authorities say at least one person was killed in this house fire after trying to escape the flames. Wow. Fire broke out in the basement of a two-story row home just about five hours ago. Emergency crews are still on the scene battling that massive fire. Divers in eastern Pennsylvania are searching the river near South Williamsport as the search resumes for a missing disabled boy. Nine- year-old Logan Mitcheltree was last seen Saturday. He's autistic, he can't speak.

Hundreds of volunteers have been combing the area. Temperatures dropped to about 15 degrees last night.

And some Florida commuters are being detoured this morning. And it's a big detour. A sinkhole ate a 225-foot chunk out of a four-lane road. It's now threatening homes in the area. Twenty homes have been evacuated.

A Florida fire chief says the sinkhole could be 350 feet across before it stabilizes. Wow. Maybe it will set a "Guinness Book of World Records."

HEMMER: Perhaps. How about that fire videotape? It shows you how tough that job can be.

COSTELLO: It's pretty intense. I think that was home video. That must have been.

That was intense. But it's lucky it didn't spread to the other row homes...

HEMMER: You're right about that.

WALLACE: Right.

COSTELLO: ... because, you know, sometimes it can do that.

HEMMER: Thank you, Carol. Talk to you again in a couple of minutes.

Winter does not officially arrive until tomorrow. But that is little solace now for much of the country today. An Arctic blast has sent temperatures plummeting from the Northeast to the Northern Plains. Snow has fallen from northern Alabama up through the state of Maine as forecasters predict a hard freeze and increasingly frigid temperatures. That blast brought some heavy snow in the northeast from Indiana up to the state of New York, dumping about six inches in some areas.

Police are also blaming whiteout conditions for the massive car pileup in western PA. The chain reaction on I-80 involved about 70 vehicles. All starting when a tractor trailer jackknifed across the highway.

Visibility so bad and so slim the cars came crashing into it. Luckily, no one died. That crash site about eight miles from the border with Ohio.

Check of the weather now, starting in the Northeast. Here's Chad Myers again.

A busy morning for you. Good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It has been. And it's going to be a busier week all in all. Good morning, Bill.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: And Chad, that's just the start of winter.

MYERS: Yes.

HEMMER: Three more months of this, huh?

MYERS: Well, the good news is at least the East Coast of this storm is on the warm side. From New York all the way down to D.C., it's all rain and not the snowstorm.

WALLACE: All right. Always looking on the bright spot for us here. Thanks so much, Chad.

Turning now to the very disturbing story coming out of Missouri. Lisa Montgomery, the woman who reportedly admits to killing a mom-to- be and cutting the baby girl out of her womb, is scheduled to be arraigned this morning in federal court. Jonathan Freed is live with the very latest.

Good morning, Jonathan. And do we know if this case will be tried in Kansas or Missouri?

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kelly.

That is still going to be determined. I can tell you, though, that it's actually not an arraignment this morning. The arraignment is yet to happen.

What we're going to see this morning is Lisa Montgomery appearing before a U.S. magistrate judge in the federal courthouse right here in Kansas City, Missouri. She's going to have a public defender appointed for her at that point.

The -- the charges will be read out in court for the first time. That's kidnapping resulting in death.

We know that there will be a trial in Missouri. The U.S. attorney's office has told us that much because the crimes were committed in -- allegedly committed in Missouri. It's a question of whether there might also be something parallel happening in Kansas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF BEN ESPEY, NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI: I've been in law enforcement 20 years and 12 as sheriff, and this is one of the worst ordeals we've got, had to deal with.

FREED (voice-over): The gruesome kidnapping and murder case has stunned even veteran members of law enforcement. ESPEY: Nobody here could ever perceive this ever taking place. To have a fetus taken out of someone's womb and then doing an Amber Alert and trying to find -- trying to find a child that -- it's inconceivable.

FREED: According to the FBI, Lisa Montgomery contacted the victim, 23-year-old Bobbie Joe Stinnett, through an Internet chat room, pretending to be interested in the dogs she bred. The two arranged to meet last Thursday at Stinnett's home in Skidmore, Missouri.

Montgomery is accused of strangling Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and cutting the feet use out of her womb. Police issued an Amber Alert for a car a neighbor had seen outside the murdered woman's home.

ESPEY: We may have not ever recovered this little baby if Amber -- the Amber Alert system was not put into place.

FREED: The 36-year-old Montgomery was arrested on Friday and allegedly confessed to the crime. Neighbors in Melvern, Kansas, say Montgomery and her husband were showing off the baby as their own.

After surviving the tragic ordeal, the infant has been reunited with her real father. Zeb Stinnett has named his daughter Victoria Joe in memory of her mother, and says she's truly a little miracle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREED: Now, Kelly, the U.S. attorney has told CNN today that he has not yet decided whether or not the death penalty will be sought in this case -- Kelly.

WALLACE: All right, Jonathan. We'll be following that throughout the morning. Jonathan Freed reporting from Kansas City, Missouri. Thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: It's a sad story all around.

WALLACE: Absolutely.

HEMMER: About 10 minutes now past the hour. He is a giant in the world of law enforcement. Bill Bratton has led police departments in Boston, New York and now Los Angeles. He's also been mentioned as a new candidate for Homeland Security secretary, and Chief Bratton is my guest now live in LA.

CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LAPD: Good morning to you. Welcome back here to AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning. Good to be with you.

HEMMER: It's my understanding you're not interested in this job. Why not?

BRATTON: That's right. Well, today it's going to be 70 degrees here in Los Angeles. You've got, what, 12 degrees back there?

No. Seriously, I'm only midterm during my five-year term here in Los Angeles. I like it here. We're making great progress.

And I'm just not interested at this time in that job. It hasn't been offered, I should point out, and I don't anticipate that it would be.

HEMMER: Yes. Tom Ridge mentioned your name. That's why we have you on today about this topic. Who do you think is capable of this job, and how significant is it in this cabinet for the second term going forward?

BRATTON: Oh, I think second term going forward, it's as significant as it was in the first term. The entity was newly created. Now you have to institutionalize it. Now you have to really make it work.

Secretary Ridge has done an outstanding job in a short period of time putting it together. But now the challenge is going to be really leading it forward.

As candidates, there was a lot of news coverage over the weekend on speculation about what the president might be up to. My own perspective, watching the cabinet appointments to this point in time, the mayor -- the president has actually gone with insiders. He's gone with people he's comfortable with. And so, as to who that might be, it's anybody's guess.

HEMMER: Certainly. You know, Tom Ridge made a comment about $282 million going to your state in California for homeland security defense. Your city specifically. How will you use that money?

BRATTON: We'll use it for a lot of things that -- for technology acquisition. We'll use it for equipment acquisition. We'll use it for training.

Unlike the cops' money in the 1990s that hired 100,000 more police, the money so far coming out of Homeland Security cannot be used for personnel. I think that's a mistake because what we need at the local level, similar to the national level, analysts. We need intelligence people who can take all of this information.

What we're buying right now is interoperability equipment, communications equipment, response equipment. But as we move forward, as Homeland Security moves forward, we're going to need people who can take intelligence information at the local level, share it seamlessly with national and international level. And that's a weakness at this point in time.

HEMMER: It sounds like that weakness in LA is the same across the country. You agree with that?

BRATTON: Well, right now I think Los Angeles, Washington, New York City, probably the best prepared in terms of the intelligence component. I've got John Miller working out here with me. We've created a 200-person unit.

New York has almost 1,000 police officers assigned to this function. But many other departments around the country just don't have those types of personnel resources.

We're trying to set up regional centers here. We're working with the FBI, the sheriff's department. We'll have one of the first regional centers opening up shortly after the first of the year, funded by FBI money, as well as homeland security.

HEMMER: A final question. You mentioned John Miller. He says the threat from shoulder-fired missiles at LAX, the airport in Los Angeles, is a real threat. Do you agree with that? And, if so, what measures have you taken to guard against it?

BRATTON: It is a real threat anywhere in the world. And we're seeing over the last 20 or 30 years a number of efforts to knock down planes with those type of missiles. The more sophisticated ones have a range of three miles.

It's a threat we take very seriously here in Los Angeles. Extra patrols, helicopter patrols when threat levels go up, when intelligence tells us that we might be at more risk than on an ordinary day. But increasingly, I think we're going to see more concern about this type of weaponry.

HEMMER: Good luck to you, OK?

BRATTON: Thank you.

HEMMER: We'll talk again. Bill Bratton there from Los Angeles. Appreciate your time today.

As we mentioned, we learned at the top of the hour the president will hold a news conference in about an hour and 15 minutes, 10:30 Eastern Time. And certainly live coverage from the White House when that takes place -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Thanks, Bill.

In a couple of hours, a new round of hearings out in California aimed at altering the course of Michael Jackson's molestation trial. The defense is seeking a complete dismissal. Miguel Marquez has a preview from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Michael Jackson, this Christmas week, a pretrial hearing with a long legal list.

ROBERT PUGSLEY, SOUTHWEST LAW SCHOOL: It suggests that this judge really is anxious to get this case going.

MARQUEZ: Among other things, the judge will hear two defense motions to dismiss the case. Jackson's lawyers will argue Santa Barbara district attorney Tom Sneddon has carried out a prosecution based on revenge and that he's abused his power in obtaining search warrants.

Over 100 warrants have been executed against Jackson. The latest was in early December when his Neverland ranch was raided for a second and third time in this case. Authorities also obtained a DNA sample from Jackson.

Last April, a grand jury indicted the pop star for, among other things, conspiracy and lewd acts against a child. Jackson has denied all charges.

PUGSLEY: I think that the independence of the grand jury is going to stand fast against any motions to dismiss.

MARQUEZ: If the judge won't dismiss the case, Jackson's defense will argue that evidence recently gathered at Neverland should not be allowed at trial, and the trial date should be put off by six weeks.

The hearing comes days after Jackson greeted children and the media at his Neverland ranch. A move his spokeswoman said had nothing to do with Jackson's case.

PUGSLEY: On Mr. Jackson's side, demonstration is nothing to hide. Bring the public on.

MARQUEZ (on camera): The judge will also hear arguments from the prosecution, objecting to Jackson's defense, seeking personal records from the accuser and his family. This hearing is expected to last between one and four days.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: In a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING, another arthritis drug gets linked to heart attacks. What are you supposed to do now if you're taking Celebrex? A look at alternative treatments in a moment.

WALLACE: Also, Bill, a crash course in safety. Which cars fared the worst in the latest crash test?

HEMMER: Also, what does it mean when the fans get a bigger cheer than the players on the court? An inspiring story of giving still to come this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: Welcome back. Almost 150 soldiers injured in Afghanistan and Iraq sat courtside at the Dallas Mavericks game Saturday night for free. It is part of a program called Seats for Soldiers. Basketball tickets donated to the troops.

The person who made it all possible, Neal Hawks, he joins us live from Dallas, Texas, along with Corporal J.R. Martinez, who was one of the lucky soldiers to be at the game on Saturday night. Neal, let me begin with you. We know you did this a little bit last year. You gave up some of your season tickets to bring some soldiers there to see the game. But this year you did it on a much, much bigger level. Describe how you managed to do what you did.

NEAL HAWKS, DONATED TICKETS: Well, Kelly, last year the reception that the soldiers received in April was really unbelievable. So this year I went back to some of the other season ticket holders and asked them if they would be willing to do the same thing and donate their tickets. And the response was really overwhelming.

They all pitched in. I had ticket holders that would go and get tickets that they had given away and bring them to me. So it was really neat.

WALLACE: J.R., describe what it was like there and the response from the other fans and the players themselves.

CPL. J.R. MARTINEZ, INJURED IN IRAQ: Oh, it was great. You know, a lot of soldiers, this is the first time being out, period, of the hospital, being back wounded from Iraq or Afghanistan. And for them to be able to sit courtside and to be able to just interact with the players, get autographs and pictures, it was definitely something that helps the morale. And it helps your recovery time because it's something that is priceless. You can't put a price on that kind of event for the soldiers.

WALLACE: And describe your recovery time. How long have you been back home? What have you been dealing with in terms of recovering from your injuries in Iraq?

MARTINEZ: Well, I've been at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Medical Center for about 19 months now. I've had 28 surgeries. And they tell me I've got about a year left to go. And over the course of the next year I'm probably going to be facing about maybe five to eight surgeries over the next year.

You know, honestly, Kelly, I feel great. And the reason I can say that is because of the fact that you got Neal over here that does such great things for the troops and allows me in some sense to be part of it, to be able to help in one way or another. It's therapy for me to be able to see another soldier and his family and to have a big smile on their face and have memories for a lifetime.

WALLACE: Neal, describe to me what the response was from these other season ticket holders. Obviously lots of people love to go to the game and love their season tickets. So what was the response? And were you surprised by it?

HAWKS: I was a little bit surprised by how many people were willing to pitch in. I kind of expected I might get 50 or 60 tickets when I started this. And we ended up with 137 seats in the front row.

And the response was really just unbelievable. I explained what I was doing. A lot of them remembered from last April when some of the guys had come in then. And as soon as I started talking about it, they were all like, "Sure, we'll do that. We'll give you the tickets." So it was really neat.

WALLACE: And J.R., what do you -- what message do you hope comes out of this program that Neal has created, Seats for Soldiers?

MARTINEZ: Well, the message I hope that comes out is the fact it doesn't have to be in Dallas and always -- you know, it can be in San Antonio, when a hospital's 10 minutes away from you, or Washington, D.C. You've got Walter Reed and the Washington Wizards.

You've got -- you know, spread it throughout the nation. And -- because there's troops in every little small town and every city throughout this country that's put -- sacrificed a lot for our country. And this is a simple way that we can just spread a message.

And it doesn't have to be basketball. It can be baseball, it can be, you know, hockey, it can be football. It doesn't matter what sport because it's about the troops, Kelly.

WALLACE: All right. Well a real personal example of how free tickets can really help on your road to recovery. Corporal J.R. Martinez and Neal Hawks, we thank you very, very much for being with us today.

MARTINEZ: Thank you, Kelly.

HAWKS: Thank you.

WALLACE: Bill.

HEMMER: Good guys and a nice story, Kelly. Thanks.

The annual crash test results are out. One vehicle fell way short in the testing. The Kia Spectra received the worst safety rating in the frontal crash test. As the first vehicle since 2001 to get the low score, Kia Motors released a statement as a result -- and quoting now -- "Occupant safety is a priority for Kia. We are evaluating the results of this current test on the Spectra and similar vehicles in its class that determine what improvements can be made to enhance overall vehicle safety."

Only two small cars, the Mazda 3 and the Hyundai Elantra, earned the highest rating in this round of testing. Nine other small cars tested earlier scored good ratings as well.

On the list there, Volkswagen, New Beetle and Jetta; the Subaru Impreza and the Aerio; the Mini Cooper. The next five: the Toyota Corolla, the Ford Focus, Mitsubishi Lancer and the Honda Civic round out the 10 there.

From cars to sleighs in a moment. What Santa is up to as he gears up for the big night.

Back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: There he is in Finland. Some call him Old Saint Nick, others simply Santa. But in the North Pole -- I did not know this, Kelly...

WALLACE: I didn't either.

HEMMER: ... he's known as Papa Noel. The big man in the red suit is home in Finland gearing up for the big journey. And apparently he's made up his mind about who was naughty or nice this past year.

WALLACE: All right.

HEMMER: So it's too late incase you're trying to make up some time.

WALLACE: So we can't kind of, you know, brown-nose for the next four days.

HEMMER: Exactly. That's right.

CAFFERTY: Where did we get that footage?

HEMMER: From Finland.

CAFFERTY: How do you know he's in Finland?

HEMMER: Well, that's what the story said.

CAFFERTY: I mean, there's a lot of kids counting on him being in the USA.

HEMMER: Well, I'm with you there. But, I mean, they've got four days now, or five days now.

WALLACE: Four days.

CAFFERTY: I guess he can make it.

WALLACE: He can make it, yes.

CAFFERTY: Let's talk about drugs, shall we?

HEMMER: Talk about it.

CAFFERTY: The Food and Drug Administration is advising doctors to consider alternatives to Celebrex, which is a leading arthritis painkiller. A study shows the medication increases the risk of heart attack and strokes.

During the last seven years, a growing number of drugs have been pulled off the market after the FDA approved them for sale, raising questions about that agency's ability to protect the American public from harmful prescriptions. An internal FDA survey that was made public last week found that two-thirds of FDA scientists are less than fully confident in the FDA's monitoring of the safety of prescription drugs.

Now there's a comforting thought. So what should be done to improve prescription drug safety is the QOD, as we call it around here, the "Question of the Day."

This from Marsha in Tampa: "Prohibit drug company lobbying at all levels of government and with the American Medical Association. Establish tougher penalties on criminal negligence laws and sentences, control the prices of drugs to consumers by setting profit ceilings based on costs of development, manufacturing and marketing. Stop all public advertising of prescription drugs."

I think that would be a good idea anyway. I'm sick of seeing ads for "Take this, ask your doctor for that." It's just wearing me out.

WALLACE: Well, some say the marketing of drugs has contributed to the problem.

CAFFERTY: Yes, absolutely. And people going and saying, oh, I've got to have this. I saw it on ding dong school or something, "Desperate Housewives."

WALLACE: Right.

CAFFERTY: Brian in Concord, New Hampshire, "For years, whenever I received a new prescription I always looked it up in the latest "Physician's Desk Reference" at the local library. To date, this has seemed to work quite well."

Writes Jerry from Alpharetta, Georgia, "Life is a matter of balancing risk and benefits. Our Food and Drug Administration is the best in the world. The protocol for gaining approval of a new drug for use in the United States market is a formidable task. We have a good system. It's now a matter of understanding the risks involved versus the benefits."

And finally, from Tom in Alma, West Virginia, "There is no need to advertise drugs to the American people. Use that money to provide free prescriptions to prisoners for two years prior to their sale to the public. You could make the program voluntary."

WALLACE: Ooh.

CAFFERTY: Or you could just slip it into their food without telling them and then just see which ones make it and which ones don't.

WALLACE: Unknown testing program, yes.

HEMMER: Back to ding dong school.

WALLACE: I know.

CAFFERTY: Well, but every time you turn on the television they're advertising these damn medicines, and it's -- I mean, it's awful. It's terrible. And people then go to their doctor and say, I got to have this because they saw some glamorous ad for it on the t and v, right?

HEMMER: It's a good QOD, by the way. Thank you, J.C.

WALLACE: Lots of...

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: And the t and v, for which we are employed, make a lot of money from these drug company commercials.

HEMMER: That's right.

CAFFERTY: But they still ought to take them off.

HEMMER: "90-Second Pop" in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING when we continue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

HEMMER (voice-over): Could Jim Carrey find a fortune in the box office with "Lemony Snicket?" Or did "Ocean's 12" hit the jackpot again?

Also, why is Harrison Ford marching off to war? Those stories ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com