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American Morning
Discussion With President of Red Cross; Problems with Prozac
Aired January 04, 2005 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you once again, everybody. Now in the news this morning, we begin with a clash between Palestinian and Israeli troops in Gaza. Palestinian officials say some seven Palestinians, some of them were children, were killed by Israeli tank fire early this morning. Israeli military sources say the tank fire was in response to a mortar attack on an Israeli settlement.
Here in the United States, hundreds of evacuated residents in South Arkansas are now back at home. They were forced out on Sunday after a hazardous waste plant got fire in El Dorado. Authorities are investigating whether a drum of magnesium exploded to start the chemical fire. The EPA will continue to monitor air quality until that fire burns out.
And finally, a religious leader in India has pledged nearly $22 million to tsunami survivors. The leader, known as "Ama," which means mother, is also called "the hugging saint," because she hugs people as a blessing. The money will go to build homes for victims in three Indian states hit by the tsunamis.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A lot of blessings in that donation, too.
Thanks, Heidi.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, Florida Governor Jeb Bush arriving in Phuket, Thailand earlier. They are there to assess tsunami damage firsthand, and then report back to President Bush. Powell says the U.S. may be able to do more in helping to identify victims, and he's also pledging support for a regional tsunami warning system.
CNN's John King spoke with Governor Bush about whether or not they have heard anything about the missing Americans now in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: The secretary has been asking a lot of very direct questions about that, because obviously, that's a concern. There are some 4,000 names, I believe, that have been identified as potentially missing, not even -- because people have called in -- 14, 15 have died, and others probably have as well, and so, you know, there are a lot of people from the embassy, from different -- the military and other places working on that right now. JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Your brother in the past has been reluctant, I would say overall anyway, to bring the Bush family into his business in such a big, broad way. And you're here on this trip. He asked your father and former President Clinton to help out, raising money back in the United States. Is there something to that? Should people read something into that?
BUSH: Well, I mean, I think my dad and myself and other members of our family have been involved in activities, but he's got a pretty good team. He doesn't need to have us working for him. But this was important, I think. A tragedy of this magnitude, it's important to show the president cares.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Governor bush and Powell met with relief workers. Powell says the biggest concern is not money, but how to distribute it and plan for long-term reconstruction. Donations that we've talked about throughout the week, pouring into areas devastate there. And aid agencies now redirecting staff and supplies to meet the crisis.
I talked about the challenges earlier today with Marty Evans. She's the president and CEO of the American Red Cross, about what her team is doing now in Southeast Asia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTY EVANS, PRESIDENT & CEO, AMERICAN RED CROSS: We have about 20 people, and I say 20 because some are in route. They're on the ground, though, working in logistics and distribution. You've seen the problem there. Water sanitation, an enormous problem trying to help the villages get pure water restored, and they're working in India, in particular, on the mental health aspects. They've been working for a number of years with the Indian Red Cross, helping the country cope with the recurring disaster.
HEMMER: Of the team of 20 then, Mrs. Evans, is this an advanced team? do they report back to the U.S.? Do they report to Geneva, or how does it go now?
EVANS: Well, it's an initial team. We fully expect to send more people in, along with supplies and other relief equipment. We are coordinated through the International Red Cross movement. It's a worldwide, a global network of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in virtually every single country of the world, so we coordinate through Geneva with the main purpose of not duplicating, and getting the aid to where it's needed the most.
HEMMER: There was a figure out there that suggested $2 billion globally have been donated to this cause. Does that sound right to you, that figure, first of all?
EVANS: Well, it sounds reassuring, because it suggests to me that people are reaching into their heart and giving spontaneously, businesses as well. I think the number is changing every second, and particularly with the effort yesterday launched by President Bush with the two presidents; I think we'll see the number grow here in the United States.
HEMMER: What kind of a response has the Red Cross gotten to this point in this country?
EVANS: The Red Cross did not even launch a fund-raising campaign. We have already received $92 million, and about 60 percent of that is online donations from people across the country, from their homes.
HEMMER: That is a substantial amount of money, clearly at this point, but when it comes to getting the aid, when it comes to getting the food, the clean water, the money to the place where it needs to go, you've got this enormous amount of supply over here going through this funnel, trying to reach the people who need it the most. How critical is it now to make sure that funnel is opened wide enough to get it to the people fast?
EVANS: I think we all are hoping that we can see the progress of the recent days in rebuilding that distribution system. What we're really trying to do is build an entire 21st century distribution system, wherein a large part of the area none existed at all. So we are very hopeful that we can keep widening the channel. I would also point out, though, that it's not only the immediate need. Certainly they're extremely important today, but we're talking about mid-term needs over the next several years, rebuilding housing, rebuilding families and lives, and we're talking about long-term needs. I mean, for example, the orphans that have been left.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Marty Evans from the American Red Cross.
For more information on how you can help out, and the Red Cross and contact them, head to their Web site www.redcross.org, or call the number on the screen there, 800-help-now. For a full list of tsunami relief organizations in need of donations, you can you go to our Web site at CNN.com/tsunami. They're up and running for you right now.
Congress gets back to work today. One of the first orders of business is tsunami relief, but apparently that is not a slam dunk just yet. Ed Henry is live in Capitol Hill.
Ed, good morning there.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
When all is said and done today, the House and Senate will pass resolutions promising to deliver on that $350 million U.S. aid package to tsunami victims, but not before a bit of a partisan battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi praised bringing in two former presidents to boost tsunami relief, she charged President Bush initially failed to grasp the gravity of the disaster. Asked if record budget deficits may complicate efforts to help tsunami survivors, Pelosi attacked.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: The reason that we have a huge deficit is because of the tax cuts. But this is an emergency. This is something that we must act upon. And thank heavens the administration finally saw the light.
HENRY: Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the administration upped the ante as the situation in Asia grew worse.
Republicans leaders on the Hill say they may boost the $350 million package, but they won't write a blank check.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: It may well be that the disaster increases in magnitude over time. If it does, the 350 may, indeed, be a floor. But one of the things that we need to do as responsible legislators is respond to what the actual assessment is.
HENRY: Republican leaders want to be responsive to the tragedy, but also know they have a tight budget. Congress has to pass an $80 billion emergency bill to fund the war in Iraq and reforming Social Security could spark a $2 trillion shortfall. As a result, the president is considering cuts to the Pentagon, as well as domestic programs.
But Pelosi said Congress should spare no expense on tsunami relief, using the controversy over the war in Iraq to make her point.
PELOSI: When you think of the billions and billions, on order of a trillion dollars that is being spent in Iraq, on order of a trillion dollars, and we're talking about several hundred million for humanitarian assistance, I think it's not a small but a necessary price to pay.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: A spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert said it was predictable, but sad, that Nancy Pelosi decided to politicize the tsunami debate a little bit. Hastert's officer confirmed, though, that there will be some tough budget choices to figure out how to pay for the tsunami relief, but they say in the end, Congress will deliver -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ed Henry, thanks for that, as Congress gets back to work today.
Let's talk about today in our "Political Jab" segment. Republican strategist Joe Watkins back with us.
Joe, good morning to you. Happy New Year.
JOE WATKINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Democratic strategist Karen Finney with us as well.
Karen, nice to see you. Good morning. KAREN FINNEY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good to see you.
HEMMER: What are the expectations for this Congress that start today?
FINNEY: Well, they've very high expectations, and the Republicans have control, and they've made it very clear they intend to flex their muscle, and it's a pretty very aggressive agenda that they've got between tax reform and Social Security. It's going to be interesting session, because we've already seen some dissension among the Republican ranks around some of these issues. I think whether or not the Republicans will really be able to keep it together and put forward the president's agenda, we have to be seen. I don't think it's a slam dunk.
HEMMER: How much are those muscles are going to flex.
WATKINS: Well, Bill, I don't I think it's about flexing muscles so much as it is getting things done for the American people. That's the most important.
And I really like what the president did yesterday by naming his father and President Clinton to head that tsunami relief fund effort. I mean, that's a bipartisan thing, it's bigger than politics; it's about helping people who are hurting. And I think that's the signal that the president wants to send out -- it's bigger than politics as usual; let's get things done for people.
HEMMER: Can't much disagree on that.
FINNEY: Well, I mean, it is, and that's a great thing on the human level, but on political level, there are political implications of it. There's attention to try to appear to be bipartisan; this could potentially be a very partisan session of Congress, some really tough issues that they're trying to grapple, and it's OK that they're political implications of doing it, but we shouldn't overlook that as well.
HEMMER: Let's get to topic No. 2, Social Security, "Washington Post," front-page story, Bill Frist was on with us last hour. The report indicates that there's a Republican proposal at around 2050 that benefits would be cut by a third and they would make up for that loss of money by privatizing some aspects of Social Security, and this has not been denied. How good of an idea is this, Jim?
WATKINS: Well, this is the report that the commission gave back in 2001, and I think it's a very, very strong report. It's very, very strong proposal. It makes a lot of sense because the idea is to keep the system from being bankrupted as it might be as early as the year 2018. And what this does is it rebalances the calculation. The calculation now for these future retirees is going to be based on price indexing, as opposed to wage indexing. That makes a lot of sense.
HEMMER: Can you sell this idea? WATKINS: I think so. I think we can sell it because with private investment accounts there's the possibility that future retirees can actually do better with these private investment accounts.
FINNEY: You, I think there's no question it's going to be a tough sell. As I said, there already is some dissension within the Republican ranks about what's the right approach and this isn't even a nonstarter. Is this really something that should be at the top of the president's agenda? And the devil is really is really going to be in the details. I mean, the president was pretty light on the details at the press conference that he gave just before Christmas and now we're sort of hearing dribs and drabs of some of...
HEMMER: You have to start somewhere, though, right?
WATKINS: Absolutely.
HEMMER: Everybody admits there's a (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
FINNEY: But, let's be clear. We're talking about 2052, and that means we have time not to ram through some sort of quick-fix proposal, but to really look at the problem and really solve the problems. Right now our retirement system, we've got -- it's a three-legged stool. We have our 401k, our pension plans, we've got our own, you know, personal savings accounts and we've got Social Security. And we know that that Social Security is going to be there for us, so why do we want to mess with the three legs of that stool and take the security out of the Social Security?
WATKINS: Well, the idea is to fix it now. This president, of course, could put it off say you know what, in the year 2018, I'm not going to be president, let somebody else deal with it. But he is tackling the issue now so the system isn't bankrupted by the year 2018.
FINNEY: But the issue is, we have plenty of time to do the right fix, not a quick fix.
HEMMER: Thanks, Karen. Good to see you. Joe, good to see you as well. Happy New Year.
WATKINS: Thanks.
FINNEY: Happy New Year.
HEMMER: Things are better in 2005.
Another reminder to our viewers now, the latest on Southeast Asia throughout the day here on CNN. And later tonight at 7:00, Anderson Cooper kicks off our coverage in Sri Lanka. Paula Zahn joins him also live here in New York City. Complete coverage in a two-hour special, again, later tonight, in primetime on CNN. "Turning the Tide," our special report -- Heidi.
(WEATHER REPORT) HEMMER: Where's the market headed today? Andy's got a preview in a moment here, "Minding Your Business." Stay tuned for that.
COLLINS: And the potentially deadly side effect of a popular antidepressant. How long did the manufacturer know about them? A frightening new report ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Sanjay is still on assignment in Asia, so in medical news this morning, an internal document purportedly from Eli Lilly and Co. appears to show the drugmaker had information more than 15 years ago showing that patients on Prozac were far more left likely to attempt suicide.
Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is filling in now for Sanjay. She's joining us from the CNN Center with the very latest on this. Good morning to you, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Heidi, CNN has obtained a document from a congressional source that appears to show that Eli Lilly, the maker of Prozac, knew 15 years ago that its drug was more likely to cause suicide than other antidepressants. Let's take a look now with the specific numbers. The document, which has yet to be authenticated, says Eli Lilly had data showing that patients on Prozac were at least 12 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to patients on any of four other antidepressants, and at least twice as likely to suffer psychotic depression.
The data cited by the document looked at the 14,198 patients, and reported 3.7 percent attempted suicide, and 2.3 percent suffered psychotic depression. The existence of this and other documents first came to light last week when the "British Medical Journal" reported that it had obtained them from an anonymous source and was sending the documents to the Food and Drug Administration for evaluation.
In response, Eli Lilly told CNN that the company was aware the documents were to be made public, but that it had no comment until it had a chance to see them. On the company's Web site, Lilly says it has made several requests to the BMJ to obtain copies of the supposed missing documents. We still await these documents.
Now, if the documents are genuine, they're sure to be of great interest to people who say that their loved ones killed themselves or harmed others while on Prozac -- Heidi.
COLLINS: So, Elizabeth, if you are listening to this this morning, and you're taking Prozac, should you be concerned?
COHEN: Well, Heidi, it's important to remember that some people say that Prozac has helped treat their depression, and that they've had great success on the drug. And of course, you should always consult your doctor before changing your medicine or before stopping the use of any medication.
COLLINS: Of course. All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.
COHEN: Thanks.
COLLINS: Bill.
HEMMER: Heidi, break here in a moment. Andy's back "Minding Your Business" and market preview today. Also Jack has "The File" right after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: All right, welcome back, everybody.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Some retro-design news out of the motor city, call it revisiting a bad idea. Andy Serwer's here "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Revisiting bad ideas is my specialty, Jack.
Speaking of which, let's talk about yesterday. The stock market swooning, Dow down 53 points. Not the greatest way to start the year, but that's the way it is; a little profit taking. Futures are up this morning though. We'll have to watch amazon.com. That stock could be under pressure. A brokerage, Smith Barney, putting a sell on the stock, kind of unusual.
Yes, a bad idea coming back, well, maybe, maybe not. That's Jack's take on it. Conversion vans, remember them from the '70s, shaggy carpeting, beads hanging for the rearview -- there we go. Load all them kids up. Detroit is trying to -- specifically GM is trying to get these things on a comeback road here.
CAFFERTY: That's a good thing with oil going at, what is it, $55 a barrel for the last six months?
SERWER: Well, it's back down to $43, but it's higher, gas is a lot higher than it was.
CAFFERTY: Forward thinking.
SERWER: And that's sweet. I like that blue trim there, two- tone.
CAFFERTY: There are a lot of bad things happening in cars that look like that.
SERWER: Yes, and I remember some of them, but not all of them.
CAFFERTY: And you were probably one of the reasons why.
SERWER: Well, speak for yourself. You probably were engaged in some of that as well. What do we got here? I don't know. They have four-wheel drive. Actually Here's the big thing. They cost thousands of dollars less than some of the large SUVs, so GM is pushing some of these things. And they have -- the sales have not been going very well, as Jack sort of indicated here.
Starbucks, you want to talk about them?
CAFFERTY: Sure.
SERWER: OK, here's what's going on. They've got this ad campaign in Boston that's pretty funny, and it's actually been wreaking a little havoc up in Beantown. Look at that. See, that's not real. See, that's a fake cup on there.
CAFFERTY: Really? I had no idea.
SERWER: Yes. Well, OK. You weren't born yesterday, were you? See, the trick here is, people say, hey, mister, you left your cup of coffee of Starbucks on top of the cab there, and it's going pretty well. But news flash to Star Bucks, if they want to pay me, you know, I can walk around like that, and do that. What do you think?
CAFFERTY: Looks good. Get you one of those conversion vans.
SERWER: Yes, stick me in there with a cup on my head.
CAFFERTY: Time for a File. Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: Indeed.
CAFFERTY: Research published in the January issue of "Environmental Health Perspectives" -- which I've got to renew my subscription to that, it's about out -- shows that kids exposed to secondhand smoke have lower test scores in reading, math and problem solving. The study of 4,400 children found that those subjected to the least amount of secondhand smoke scored an average of seven points higher in standardized math and reading test compared to children exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke. I'm not sure exactly what that means.
SERWER: That's bad science I think.
CAFFERTY: It's a little grim in the old File drawer this morning. There weren't a lot of items.
PETA sent a letter yesterday to former President Carter asking the president to have mercy on the fishes. During an appearance on the "Tonight Show," Mr. Carter described being hooked in the face during a recent fishing trip, and then having his bodyguard stand on his chest and yank the lure out. PETA letters explain that hooked fish experienced the same physical agony that president Carter went through. The president of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk (ph), said they were, quote, "asking President Carter to think this through, and to grant fish peace by leaving them in the water where they belong."
SERWER: I wonder if they left it in their hearts.
CAFFERTY: I told you there wasn't much in the drawer, and I'm proving it.
A survey by four British universities has found that a high I.Q. decreases the chances of a woman getting married, but is considered an asset for men. Pay attention now. The study found that for every 16- point increase in I.Q., there's a 35 percent increase in the likelihood of marriage for men. But for women, it means a 40 percent decline. According to Nottingham University Professor Paul Brown this may be because, quote, "Women in their late 30s, who are among the brightest in their generation, are finding men are just not interesting enough." A British writer also pointed out that, quote, "The bright girl remembers the old saying that at first she sinks into his arms, only to spend the rest of her life with her arms in his sink."
SERWER: I've never heard that one before. That's very good.
CAFFERTY: Grim pickings on Tuesday. Yes, with the holidays, the little elves came and took all the good stuff.
HEMMER: You had a strong finish.
CAFFERTY: The last one wasn't bad.
HEMMER: For the people of Southeast Asia, the pictures too painful to look at so many times. For many, it's time to move on. The rebuilding process in a moment, underway in some areas, in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As we continue our report from Thailand today, we've got more information on the aid that is pouring into the tsunami-wrecked Southeast Asia, but an accident today complicated things in a way many people would not have predicted. That story ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 4, 2005 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you once again, everybody. Now in the news this morning, we begin with a clash between Palestinian and Israeli troops in Gaza. Palestinian officials say some seven Palestinians, some of them were children, were killed by Israeli tank fire early this morning. Israeli military sources say the tank fire was in response to a mortar attack on an Israeli settlement.
Here in the United States, hundreds of evacuated residents in South Arkansas are now back at home. They were forced out on Sunday after a hazardous waste plant got fire in El Dorado. Authorities are investigating whether a drum of magnesium exploded to start the chemical fire. The EPA will continue to monitor air quality until that fire burns out.
And finally, a religious leader in India has pledged nearly $22 million to tsunami survivors. The leader, known as "Ama," which means mother, is also called "the hugging saint," because she hugs people as a blessing. The money will go to build homes for victims in three Indian states hit by the tsunamis.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A lot of blessings in that donation, too.
Thanks, Heidi.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, Florida Governor Jeb Bush arriving in Phuket, Thailand earlier. They are there to assess tsunami damage firsthand, and then report back to President Bush. Powell says the U.S. may be able to do more in helping to identify victims, and he's also pledging support for a regional tsunami warning system.
CNN's John King spoke with Governor Bush about whether or not they have heard anything about the missing Americans now in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: The secretary has been asking a lot of very direct questions about that, because obviously, that's a concern. There are some 4,000 names, I believe, that have been identified as potentially missing, not even -- because people have called in -- 14, 15 have died, and others probably have as well, and so, you know, there are a lot of people from the embassy, from different -- the military and other places working on that right now. JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Your brother in the past has been reluctant, I would say overall anyway, to bring the Bush family into his business in such a big, broad way. And you're here on this trip. He asked your father and former President Clinton to help out, raising money back in the United States. Is there something to that? Should people read something into that?
BUSH: Well, I mean, I think my dad and myself and other members of our family have been involved in activities, but he's got a pretty good team. He doesn't need to have us working for him. But this was important, I think. A tragedy of this magnitude, it's important to show the president cares.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Governor bush and Powell met with relief workers. Powell says the biggest concern is not money, but how to distribute it and plan for long-term reconstruction. Donations that we've talked about throughout the week, pouring into areas devastate there. And aid agencies now redirecting staff and supplies to meet the crisis.
I talked about the challenges earlier today with Marty Evans. She's the president and CEO of the American Red Cross, about what her team is doing now in Southeast Asia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTY EVANS, PRESIDENT & CEO, AMERICAN RED CROSS: We have about 20 people, and I say 20 because some are in route. They're on the ground, though, working in logistics and distribution. You've seen the problem there. Water sanitation, an enormous problem trying to help the villages get pure water restored, and they're working in India, in particular, on the mental health aspects. They've been working for a number of years with the Indian Red Cross, helping the country cope with the recurring disaster.
HEMMER: Of the team of 20 then, Mrs. Evans, is this an advanced team? do they report back to the U.S.? Do they report to Geneva, or how does it go now?
EVANS: Well, it's an initial team. We fully expect to send more people in, along with supplies and other relief equipment. We are coordinated through the International Red Cross movement. It's a worldwide, a global network of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in virtually every single country of the world, so we coordinate through Geneva with the main purpose of not duplicating, and getting the aid to where it's needed the most.
HEMMER: There was a figure out there that suggested $2 billion globally have been donated to this cause. Does that sound right to you, that figure, first of all?
EVANS: Well, it sounds reassuring, because it suggests to me that people are reaching into their heart and giving spontaneously, businesses as well. I think the number is changing every second, and particularly with the effort yesterday launched by President Bush with the two presidents; I think we'll see the number grow here in the United States.
HEMMER: What kind of a response has the Red Cross gotten to this point in this country?
EVANS: The Red Cross did not even launch a fund-raising campaign. We have already received $92 million, and about 60 percent of that is online donations from people across the country, from their homes.
HEMMER: That is a substantial amount of money, clearly at this point, but when it comes to getting the aid, when it comes to getting the food, the clean water, the money to the place where it needs to go, you've got this enormous amount of supply over here going through this funnel, trying to reach the people who need it the most. How critical is it now to make sure that funnel is opened wide enough to get it to the people fast?
EVANS: I think we all are hoping that we can see the progress of the recent days in rebuilding that distribution system. What we're really trying to do is build an entire 21st century distribution system, wherein a large part of the area none existed at all. So we are very hopeful that we can keep widening the channel. I would also point out, though, that it's not only the immediate need. Certainly they're extremely important today, but we're talking about mid-term needs over the next several years, rebuilding housing, rebuilding families and lives, and we're talking about long-term needs. I mean, for example, the orphans that have been left.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Marty Evans from the American Red Cross.
For more information on how you can help out, and the Red Cross and contact them, head to their Web site www.redcross.org, or call the number on the screen there, 800-help-now. For a full list of tsunami relief organizations in need of donations, you can you go to our Web site at CNN.com/tsunami. They're up and running for you right now.
Congress gets back to work today. One of the first orders of business is tsunami relief, but apparently that is not a slam dunk just yet. Ed Henry is live in Capitol Hill.
Ed, good morning there.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
When all is said and done today, the House and Senate will pass resolutions promising to deliver on that $350 million U.S. aid package to tsunami victims, but not before a bit of a partisan battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi praised bringing in two former presidents to boost tsunami relief, she charged President Bush initially failed to grasp the gravity of the disaster. Asked if record budget deficits may complicate efforts to help tsunami survivors, Pelosi attacked.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: The reason that we have a huge deficit is because of the tax cuts. But this is an emergency. This is something that we must act upon. And thank heavens the administration finally saw the light.
HENRY: Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the administration upped the ante as the situation in Asia grew worse.
Republicans leaders on the Hill say they may boost the $350 million package, but they won't write a blank check.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: It may well be that the disaster increases in magnitude over time. If it does, the 350 may, indeed, be a floor. But one of the things that we need to do as responsible legislators is respond to what the actual assessment is.
HENRY: Republican leaders want to be responsive to the tragedy, but also know they have a tight budget. Congress has to pass an $80 billion emergency bill to fund the war in Iraq and reforming Social Security could spark a $2 trillion shortfall. As a result, the president is considering cuts to the Pentagon, as well as domestic programs.
But Pelosi said Congress should spare no expense on tsunami relief, using the controversy over the war in Iraq to make her point.
PELOSI: When you think of the billions and billions, on order of a trillion dollars that is being spent in Iraq, on order of a trillion dollars, and we're talking about several hundred million for humanitarian assistance, I think it's not a small but a necessary price to pay.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: A spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert said it was predictable, but sad, that Nancy Pelosi decided to politicize the tsunami debate a little bit. Hastert's officer confirmed, though, that there will be some tough budget choices to figure out how to pay for the tsunami relief, but they say in the end, Congress will deliver -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ed Henry, thanks for that, as Congress gets back to work today.
Let's talk about today in our "Political Jab" segment. Republican strategist Joe Watkins back with us.
Joe, good morning to you. Happy New Year.
JOE WATKINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Democratic strategist Karen Finney with us as well.
Karen, nice to see you. Good morning. KAREN FINNEY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good to see you.
HEMMER: What are the expectations for this Congress that start today?
FINNEY: Well, they've very high expectations, and the Republicans have control, and they've made it very clear they intend to flex their muscle, and it's a pretty very aggressive agenda that they've got between tax reform and Social Security. It's going to be interesting session, because we've already seen some dissension among the Republican ranks around some of these issues. I think whether or not the Republicans will really be able to keep it together and put forward the president's agenda, we have to be seen. I don't think it's a slam dunk.
HEMMER: How much are those muscles are going to flex.
WATKINS: Well, Bill, I don't I think it's about flexing muscles so much as it is getting things done for the American people. That's the most important.
And I really like what the president did yesterday by naming his father and President Clinton to head that tsunami relief fund effort. I mean, that's a bipartisan thing, it's bigger than politics; it's about helping people who are hurting. And I think that's the signal that the president wants to send out -- it's bigger than politics as usual; let's get things done for people.
HEMMER: Can't much disagree on that.
FINNEY: Well, I mean, it is, and that's a great thing on the human level, but on political level, there are political implications of it. There's attention to try to appear to be bipartisan; this could potentially be a very partisan session of Congress, some really tough issues that they're trying to grapple, and it's OK that they're political implications of doing it, but we shouldn't overlook that as well.
HEMMER: Let's get to topic No. 2, Social Security, "Washington Post," front-page story, Bill Frist was on with us last hour. The report indicates that there's a Republican proposal at around 2050 that benefits would be cut by a third and they would make up for that loss of money by privatizing some aspects of Social Security, and this has not been denied. How good of an idea is this, Jim?
WATKINS: Well, this is the report that the commission gave back in 2001, and I think it's a very, very strong report. It's very, very strong proposal. It makes a lot of sense because the idea is to keep the system from being bankrupted as it might be as early as the year 2018. And what this does is it rebalances the calculation. The calculation now for these future retirees is going to be based on price indexing, as opposed to wage indexing. That makes a lot of sense.
HEMMER: Can you sell this idea? WATKINS: I think so. I think we can sell it because with private investment accounts there's the possibility that future retirees can actually do better with these private investment accounts.
FINNEY: You, I think there's no question it's going to be a tough sell. As I said, there already is some dissension within the Republican ranks about what's the right approach and this isn't even a nonstarter. Is this really something that should be at the top of the president's agenda? And the devil is really is really going to be in the details. I mean, the president was pretty light on the details at the press conference that he gave just before Christmas and now we're sort of hearing dribs and drabs of some of...
HEMMER: You have to start somewhere, though, right?
WATKINS: Absolutely.
HEMMER: Everybody admits there's a (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
FINNEY: But, let's be clear. We're talking about 2052, and that means we have time not to ram through some sort of quick-fix proposal, but to really look at the problem and really solve the problems. Right now our retirement system, we've got -- it's a three-legged stool. We have our 401k, our pension plans, we've got our own, you know, personal savings accounts and we've got Social Security. And we know that that Social Security is going to be there for us, so why do we want to mess with the three legs of that stool and take the security out of the Social Security?
WATKINS: Well, the idea is to fix it now. This president, of course, could put it off say you know what, in the year 2018, I'm not going to be president, let somebody else deal with it. But he is tackling the issue now so the system isn't bankrupted by the year 2018.
FINNEY: But the issue is, we have plenty of time to do the right fix, not a quick fix.
HEMMER: Thanks, Karen. Good to see you. Joe, good to see you as well. Happy New Year.
WATKINS: Thanks.
FINNEY: Happy New Year.
HEMMER: Things are better in 2005.
Another reminder to our viewers now, the latest on Southeast Asia throughout the day here on CNN. And later tonight at 7:00, Anderson Cooper kicks off our coverage in Sri Lanka. Paula Zahn joins him also live here in New York City. Complete coverage in a two-hour special, again, later tonight, in primetime on CNN. "Turning the Tide," our special report -- Heidi.
(WEATHER REPORT) HEMMER: Where's the market headed today? Andy's got a preview in a moment here, "Minding Your Business." Stay tuned for that.
COLLINS: And the potentially deadly side effect of a popular antidepressant. How long did the manufacturer know about them? A frightening new report ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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COLLINS: Sanjay is still on assignment in Asia, so in medical news this morning, an internal document purportedly from Eli Lilly and Co. appears to show the drugmaker had information more than 15 years ago showing that patients on Prozac were far more left likely to attempt suicide.
Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is filling in now for Sanjay. She's joining us from the CNN Center with the very latest on this. Good morning to you, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. Heidi, CNN has obtained a document from a congressional source that appears to show that Eli Lilly, the maker of Prozac, knew 15 years ago that its drug was more likely to cause suicide than other antidepressants. Let's take a look now with the specific numbers. The document, which has yet to be authenticated, says Eli Lilly had data showing that patients on Prozac were at least 12 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to patients on any of four other antidepressants, and at least twice as likely to suffer psychotic depression.
The data cited by the document looked at the 14,198 patients, and reported 3.7 percent attempted suicide, and 2.3 percent suffered psychotic depression. The existence of this and other documents first came to light last week when the "British Medical Journal" reported that it had obtained them from an anonymous source and was sending the documents to the Food and Drug Administration for evaluation.
In response, Eli Lilly told CNN that the company was aware the documents were to be made public, but that it had no comment until it had a chance to see them. On the company's Web site, Lilly says it has made several requests to the BMJ to obtain copies of the supposed missing documents. We still await these documents.
Now, if the documents are genuine, they're sure to be of great interest to people who say that their loved ones killed themselves or harmed others while on Prozac -- Heidi.
COLLINS: So, Elizabeth, if you are listening to this this morning, and you're taking Prozac, should you be concerned?
COHEN: Well, Heidi, it's important to remember that some people say that Prozac has helped treat their depression, and that they've had great success on the drug. And of course, you should always consult your doctor before changing your medicine or before stopping the use of any medication.
COLLINS: Of course. All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.
COHEN: Thanks.
COLLINS: Bill.
HEMMER: Heidi, break here in a moment. Andy's back "Minding Your Business" and market preview today. Also Jack has "The File" right after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
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ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: All right, welcome back, everybody.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Some retro-design news out of the motor city, call it revisiting a bad idea. Andy Serwer's here "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Revisiting bad ideas is my specialty, Jack.
Speaking of which, let's talk about yesterday. The stock market swooning, Dow down 53 points. Not the greatest way to start the year, but that's the way it is; a little profit taking. Futures are up this morning though. We'll have to watch amazon.com. That stock could be under pressure. A brokerage, Smith Barney, putting a sell on the stock, kind of unusual.
Yes, a bad idea coming back, well, maybe, maybe not. That's Jack's take on it. Conversion vans, remember them from the '70s, shaggy carpeting, beads hanging for the rearview -- there we go. Load all them kids up. Detroit is trying to -- specifically GM is trying to get these things on a comeback road here.
CAFFERTY: That's a good thing with oil going at, what is it, $55 a barrel for the last six months?
SERWER: Well, it's back down to $43, but it's higher, gas is a lot higher than it was.
CAFFERTY: Forward thinking.
SERWER: And that's sweet. I like that blue trim there, two- tone.
CAFFERTY: There are a lot of bad things happening in cars that look like that.
SERWER: Yes, and I remember some of them, but not all of them.
CAFFERTY: And you were probably one of the reasons why.
SERWER: Well, speak for yourself. You probably were engaged in some of that as well. What do we got here? I don't know. They have four-wheel drive. Actually Here's the big thing. They cost thousands of dollars less than some of the large SUVs, so GM is pushing some of these things. And they have -- the sales have not been going very well, as Jack sort of indicated here.
Starbucks, you want to talk about them?
CAFFERTY: Sure.
SERWER: OK, here's what's going on. They've got this ad campaign in Boston that's pretty funny, and it's actually been wreaking a little havoc up in Beantown. Look at that. See, that's not real. See, that's a fake cup on there.
CAFFERTY: Really? I had no idea.
SERWER: Yes. Well, OK. You weren't born yesterday, were you? See, the trick here is, people say, hey, mister, you left your cup of coffee of Starbucks on top of the cab there, and it's going pretty well. But news flash to Star Bucks, if they want to pay me, you know, I can walk around like that, and do that. What do you think?
CAFFERTY: Looks good. Get you one of those conversion vans.
SERWER: Yes, stick me in there with a cup on my head.
CAFFERTY: Time for a File. Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: Indeed.
CAFFERTY: Research published in the January issue of "Environmental Health Perspectives" -- which I've got to renew my subscription to that, it's about out -- shows that kids exposed to secondhand smoke have lower test scores in reading, math and problem solving. The study of 4,400 children found that those subjected to the least amount of secondhand smoke scored an average of seven points higher in standardized math and reading test compared to children exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke. I'm not sure exactly what that means.
SERWER: That's bad science I think.
CAFFERTY: It's a little grim in the old File drawer this morning. There weren't a lot of items.
PETA sent a letter yesterday to former President Carter asking the president to have mercy on the fishes. During an appearance on the "Tonight Show," Mr. Carter described being hooked in the face during a recent fishing trip, and then having his bodyguard stand on his chest and yank the lure out. PETA letters explain that hooked fish experienced the same physical agony that president Carter went through. The president of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk (ph), said they were, quote, "asking President Carter to think this through, and to grant fish peace by leaving them in the water where they belong."
SERWER: I wonder if they left it in their hearts.
CAFFERTY: I told you there wasn't much in the drawer, and I'm proving it.
A survey by four British universities has found that a high I.Q. decreases the chances of a woman getting married, but is considered an asset for men. Pay attention now. The study found that for every 16- point increase in I.Q., there's a 35 percent increase in the likelihood of marriage for men. But for women, it means a 40 percent decline. According to Nottingham University Professor Paul Brown this may be because, quote, "Women in their late 30s, who are among the brightest in their generation, are finding men are just not interesting enough." A British writer also pointed out that, quote, "The bright girl remembers the old saying that at first she sinks into his arms, only to spend the rest of her life with her arms in his sink."
SERWER: I've never heard that one before. That's very good.
CAFFERTY: Grim pickings on Tuesday. Yes, with the holidays, the little elves came and took all the good stuff.
HEMMER: You had a strong finish.
CAFFERTY: The last one wasn't bad.
HEMMER: For the people of Southeast Asia, the pictures too painful to look at so many times. For many, it's time to move on. The rebuilding process in a moment, underway in some areas, in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.
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SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As we continue our report from Thailand today, we've got more information on the aid that is pouring into the tsunami-wrecked Southeast Asia, but an accident today complicated things in a way many people would not have predicted. That story ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
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