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American Morning
Toxic Gas Leak in South Carolina Displaces Thousands; People's Choice Awards in Hollywood
Aired January 10, 2005 - 9:30 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. In just a few minutes, we're going to check into the investigation into that deadly train collision in South Carolina. Heidi Collins is in Graniteville, where officials are now trying to deal with the toxic gas. And she'll tell us about their plan for today. And also, maybe the most important question, when the residents might be able to actually go home.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: On a much lighter note, it may shocked you over the weekend. Love on the rocks for Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. The couple said to be separating. "People" magazine has some of the inside story about why they're breaking up. We'll talk with the executive director about that in a few moments here.
O'BRIEN: Are you surprised by that at all?
HEMMER: Yes, I am, actually.
O'BRIEN: Really?
HEMMER: Well, you saw all of the pictures out there, being lovey-dovey on the beaches everywhere.
O'BRIEN: Hollywood marriage is like, a really successful marriage is a little over a year and a half.
HEMMER: Well, they made it what, four and a half, did they?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: About that?
O'BRIEN: So, that one's over. More on that later.
Another day of dangerous weather in Southern California today in the Sierras. They're expecting more snow 19 feet of already-blocked highways, even stranding an Amtrak train. It's been raining in the Los Angeles area since Thursday. In one of the many rescues, a man and two children were saved from a swollen creek. He just missed serious injury.
So take a look at a shot as he comes up almost to the top of this bridge here and then either the rope snaps or he lets go. Just barely misses running his head right into the support there, concrete support. The water obviously so strong you can see it ripped the man's pants off. His daughter and her friend, though, had already been pulled out by rescuers, fortunately.
At least eight deaths have been related to the storms, and homes even collapsing under mudslides. There are power outages to report, as well. Just lots and lots and lots of bad weather news to talk about out of California.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Thousands of residents in South Carolina still can't go home today. A deadly crash involving a train carrying toxic chemicals the issue there. Heidi Collins is live at the command center in near Graniteville, South Carolina. Investigators still trying to figure out what happened there. They have any answers, Heidi? Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: They are working very hard on it, Bill, as you would imagine. And you know, right behind me, normally this would be a really busy time of day on Highway 1, it's a busy thoroughfare through the town. But instead, to the left are police barricades, to my right are police barricades. And really the only activity that's taking place is at this command center now right behind me.
Some people are calling it a ghost town here. That's because this is still a very dangerous place. You're looking now at the crash site that happened five days ago now. Nine people were killed from that chlorine leak at the train crash. And those cars that you see there.
We've just spoken with the National Transportation Safety Board, they're telling us they have confirmed, indeed, that that train line was lined and locked -- the tracks and diverted the train into another parked train that was already on those tracks. So that was the origination of the crash. Meanwhile, residents of Graniteville did get a little bit of good news yesterday. Very, very slow progress is being made.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN CHAPMAN, RAILWAY SPOKESMAN: We have stopped the leak with a temporary patch with which we are using to begin the process of offloading the remaining chlorine in the tank with the tear in it. Once we get it sufficient quantity of that out, then we can shift the car to the point, turn it, and we can apply a permanent patch, which will enable us offload that content faster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So that is what they will be working on now today. We should tell you that that tear in the tanker was not an easy fix because of the way that it was situated. They had to actually bend the metal back into place before they could even put that temporary patch back on. Now today, they will be working to offload the remaining chlorine and eventually get those tracks cleared so that things may slowly be going back to normal.
In the meantime, still a one-mile radius evacuation. We're talking about 5,400 people still displaced from their homes, two schools closed. School is not expected to re-open until Tuesday and folks not expected to go back to go back into their homes until Wednesday at the very earliest -- Bill.
HEMMER: It is a waiting game. What's Norfolk Southern done for the people there now affected, Heidi?
COLLINS: I'm sorry, Bill, I didn't hear you.
HEMMER: Norfolk Southern, what have they done for the people in the area?
COLLINS: Well, they've actually been working really hard with the community in trying to make sure that they are out and about and talking with them, finding out about their needs. They have offered coupons for hotels and they have been in on some of the counseling sessions that have going on at night, as well. So they are reaching out.
HEMMER: All right. Heidi, thanks. Heidi Collins there in South Carolina, watching the latest there. Still no answer when those folks can go home. Tough, tough week for them -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: No question about that. There are other stories making news this morning. Kelly Wallace has a look at those. Good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning again to you. Good morning, everyone. "Now in the News," Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with President Bush shortly to discuss the tsunami damage in Southern Asia. Secretary Powell just returned from a week-long tour of the disaster areas. He says the United States should commit to long-term help as the region struggles to rebuild.
The Supreme Court set to convene next hour without, though, the Chief Justice. William Rehnquist has been working from home as he undergoes treatment for thyroid cancer. Despite his health problems, Rehnquist is expected to swear in President Bush at his inauguration next week. That date, January 20th.
Crews, meantime, in Pennsylvania, are scouting the Ohio River this morning for a crew member still missing from a tugboat. Three other crew members were killed yesterday when the raging river swept the tug and six coal barges over a dam about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh. Three other people were rescued from the sinking vessels.
And six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong back in the spotlight, unveiling a new pro cycling team. Armstrong will introduce the Discovery Channel team this hour in Washington. He may also announce whether he's planning to opt out of the Tour de France this year. I know, Soledad, you believe he is in. I think you're right.
O'BRIEN: I know nothing about professional cycling, but I feel free to give my opinion.
(CROSSTALK)
WALLACE: Well, you know, you got six, you go for seven. We'll see.
O'BRIEN: Right. Exactly. Why not?
WALLACE: We might learn today.
O'BRIEN: All right, Kelly, thanks.
WALLACE: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Well, it is open season on awards in Hollywood. The People's Choice Awards kick things off last night. And tonight the Broadcast Film Critics have their say.
KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin joins us from L.A. to preview the Critic's Choice Award. Hey, Sam. Nice to see you. Welcome. Let's get right into the awards from yesterday, though, first. That looks like a nice award you're about to grab and show us.
SAM RUBIN, KTLA ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: For most articulate curmudgeon for Jack Cafferty here. No, this is the actual lucite people will be longing for. The Broadcast Critic's Awards that are being handed out, as you mentioned, tonight from a very rainy Los Angeles. Dry inside the Wiltern Theater.
But you mentioned in the big headline last night at the People's Choice Awards, the award going to Michael Moore. And I think that comes as kind of a big surprise. For his "Fahrenheit 911," this was voted favorite motion picture. There is some suggestion that this was done via Internet voting. So there may have been campaigning to a degree. The fact that Moore won was, I think, a surprise to many people in that it wasn't the favorite film in terms of box office, besting films like "Shrek 2" that certainly drew more people into the theater. Nonetheless, Moore last night, very conciliatory. A speech that was not the typical rabble-rousing that you would expect from Michael Moore.
Mel Gibson also a winner at the People Choice's Awards last night. So for an awards show that is generally kind of light, the "People's Choice" last night was really interesting. It had some people up on stage that I don't think were expected.
O'BRIEN: What about the Critic Choice Awards? How significant and how relevant they?
RUBIN: I think it's a very legitimate question. We see to be besieged by so different awards. The Critic's Choice Awards, this from the broadcast film critics, people -- yours truly included -- who review movies on radio, television and the Internet around the country. Eric McCormack from "Will & Grace" is the host of the show that's airing on the WB Network tonight, and he actually talked about it sort of the symbiotic relationship between stars and critics. Here's what Eric had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC MCCORMACK, ACTOR: It's a really interesting relationship. We need them, we need them to tell the world that we're doing good work, and particularly the television critic. This is the broadcast critics. And they reach a lot of people that don't necessarily read "The New York Times" or "The L.A. Times." Their opinions, which are often in very short soundbites, matter a lot in helping get the word out, particularly on films that don't have a huge budget for advertising.
So a movie like "Sideways" is helped incredibly by broadcast critic telling his constituency, hey, don't miss this. So these people's opinions do matter, and they matter to this crowd. I mean, we need them; they need us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RUBIN: I think these opinions matter particularly in terms of what will happen as award season happens. Of course the Golden Globes are next Sunday night week. All of this leading up to -- my gosh, there's an award show probably every other week between now and February. That's the Academy Awards, and that's the one the stars really want. They participate in events like tonight. They're interested because they hope this and anything else will cause that momentum to get them an Academy Award.
O'BRIEN: I think I'm beginning to understand how it works. We heard Eric McCormack talk a little bit about "Sideways" and other sort of smaller films that didn't get reviewed, that sort of people might not actually get a chance to see them or know a little bit about them. "Sideways" got eight nominations. You have a theory, though, about all of the nominations and all the accolades that film's gotten. What's your theory?
RUBIN: You know what's very interesting about "Sideways," and I don't know if you've had an opportunity to see it, but the fact of the matter is, the protagonist, the main character in "Sideways," played by Paul Giamante, is sort of a pseudointellectual, a man who's not really achieved all that he would like, realized all of his ambitions. It's not unlike the psychological profile, sad to say, of most people who review movies. So I think the fact that it's a movie about a guy who has so many characteristic of movie reviewers is why it's resonating well. It's certainly is doing incredibly well in the critical community, no question about that.
O'BRIEN: It's all becoming very, very clear to me. Sam Rubin joining us. And by the way, I accept that award on behalf of Jack Cafferty.
RUBIN: Let me present that to you -- here you are.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Thank you. Jack couldn't be here with us today, but I accept on his behalf. Thanks. We'll see you later, Sam. Appreciate it.
Another story to talk about this morning, Susan and Steven Manis, they're are backing their daughter all the way. Why? Well, they say that 13-year-old Jessica was late to school six times in two months because their van kept breaking down. The school went ahead and gave Jessica detention, and her parents decided that they would serve her sentence, if you can use that word, with her.
Susan, and Steven Manis and Jessica Dunkley are with us from Houston, Texas.
Good morning to you all. Thanks for being with us.
Jessica, why don't we start with you. How many times were you late to school, Jessica?
JESSICA DUNKLEY, GIVEN DETENTION FOR LATENESS: About six times.
O'BRIEN: And do you know what the school policy is? Did the school make it really clear about where they stood on lateness?
DUNKLEY: Yes. If we're late more than two or three times, we have to have detention.
O'BRIEN: So, what point did someone say, you know what, Jessica, we're give you detention?
DUNKLEY: Say that again.
O'BRIEN: At what point did you -- were you late six times and they finally came to you and said, we're going to give you detention?
DUNKLEY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: What was your reaction? Because it seems like you had a pretty good excuse.
DUNKLEY: Well, it was a little shocking for me to find out that I had detention.
O'BRIEN: Because? Why?
DUNKLEY: Because of our car breaking down, and we were late to school.
O'BRIEN: So you felt that because you had a valid excuse, that really was sort out of your hands -- I mean, your parents' car broke down -- that that would sort of mean that maybe they would overlook the detention.
Let me bring your mom and dad in.
Susan, you first -- you felt fully responsible for Jessica's detention. You think they shouldn't have given her detention at all, or do you feel you should serve the detention with her, or both?
SUSAN MANIS, SERVED DAUGHTER'S DETENTION: Well, I didn't really feel that she should have gotten detention, because this was something that was way Monday her control. When we asked them to not give her detention, they stood their ground and decided she was going to, and because we felt it was our fault, we decided to serve the detention beside her. O'BRIEN: What was the reaction from the school -- and maybe even Steven can answer this -- when you said, OK, she's going to go to detention, and you know what, mom and dad are going to go sit in there with her as well. What did they do?
STEVEN MANIS, SERVED DAUGHTER'S DETENTION: They just totally went nuts. They weren't sure we could go. They had to check all of the rules. They just had never heard of such a weird idea.
O'BRIEN: And did they think that you were doing it for sort of publicity more than anything else?
STEVEN MANIS: You know, sense we did it, there's been that talk. But no, at first, I think the reaction was just shock that we would stand up and say, if we have to, we have to.
O'BRIEN: Who was your message to? Was it for Jessica to tell her, listen, this wasn't your fault, and your mom and dad support you, or was it to the school, or to who?
STEVEN MANIS: Mostly to Jessica, because we want her to understand that sometimes you do get punished, even when it's wrong, and you still have to take it and move on.
O'BRIEN: I understand you all three served detention. Dad got a little hand slap, because I guess they let you get with some of the rules. You have a little goatee. That's not allowed in the school. But your cell phone went off in the middle of detention. Big no-no. What happened?
STEVEN MANIS: Well, I got to stay over another five minutes because I was bad. Got to write more of the six pillars of citizenship.
O'BRIEN: Anything learned from this, Susan, at the end of the day?
SUSAN MANIS: What I've learned by this is we need to be on time.
O'BRIEN: What are you going to -- in all seriousness, from what I've read about your situation, you don't really have the money to fix your van; it keeps breaking down. Obviously, I mean, any parent knows you got to get your kid to school on time. What are you going to do?
SUSAN MANIS: Well, we just take one day at a time and basically say our prayers each morning and do the best we can do. You know, the van is temporarily fixed right now, and so we're just hoping it holds out because, of course, it needs to be fixed, and it's going to take quite a bit of money, which we don't have at this point.
O'BRIEN: All right, well, I hope you guys are able to work everything out. Jessica, don't worry to much about having detention on your record. Everybody I know had detention at some point. It's not a big deal.
Thanks for coming in to talk to us. We sure appreciate it. Good luck to you guys.
SUSAN MANIS: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Back here, Blockbuster Video crying in its popcorn over a move by the competition. Andy has that, "Minding Your Business" here.
HEMMER: Also, the inside scoop on Brad and Jen's breakup. The executive editor from "People" magazine my guest next here when we continue after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: After four years of marriage and a ton of tabloid scrutiny, one of Hollywood's most glamorous power couples, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, now calling it quits. This week's "People" magazine has the skinny on how rumor became reality. The executive editor, Peter Castro, is with me here. Good morning to you.
PETER CASTRO, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: When did this marriage end?
CASTRO: I think there were cracks in this marriage for a long time.
HEMMER: Long time -- is that weeks or is that months, Peter?
CASTRO: Maybe even year -- a year or years. They were at a very unhappy place, and they realized, you know, they did everything they could, they thought about it, they worked at it, but in the end, they were in different places emotionally. And they decided the best thing to do was just formally separate.
HEMMER: Well, all the rumors say that Brad Pitt wanted to be a father, and Jennifer Did not, because she's in a certain type of her career right now where she's going to be making more and more films. Was that the rub, or is there more to it that we do not know?
CASTRO: That's only half-true. Yes, he did want to be a father very badly. She, however, did not want to be a mother in a relationship that she did not entirely believe was going to last. She thought that -- she was very uncertain about the future of their relationship, and she decided before being a mother, in something like this, it's better to bail now.
HEMMER: What gives with all of the pictures now, whether they're in the Caribbean or whether they're in Italy, you know, the nice embraces, public displays of intimacy? Is that a ruse, or is it not?
CASTRO: It is a little silly, isn't it? Ruse is a strong way, but when you come right down to it, yes it kind of was. I mean, they knew before they took that trip they were going to break up. And according to a source, they were not happy during that trip. I mean, they -- for the cameras, they played it up, but we had somebody in the restaurant that was -- while they were having dinner with Courtney Cox and David Arquette, who said that during the dinner, they did not look happy.
HEMMER: Were you surprised by this?
CASTRO: I am very surprised by this. I think this is the biggest shocking split since Nicole and Tom Cruise. I mean, this was the golden couple. Everybody thought they were madly in love and happy, and it just goes to show...
HEMMER: There were rumor for while. I guess a lot of people would not have been surprised. Personally I was, but...
CASTRO: Well, because there's always cracks in the marriage, but you think people are going to come though and work at it. I think what surprised people is how profoundly unhappy they were. That's the thing. They seemed so happy, but I think a lot of the time, they were playing up to the cameras.
HEMMER: Thanks for coming in, Peter.
CASTRO: Thank you.
HEMMER: Peter Castro, from "People" magazine. Nice to see you.
CASTRO: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Break here in a moment. Blockbuster Video shedding tears this morning, but it's got nothing to do with Brad and Jen's breakup. Andy's back here "Minding Your Business," after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back. We got a little news for latte lovers everywhere. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business." Plus, we get a look at early trading as well. Not just let you do the latte report this morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: I'll just do the latte report if you'd like.
O'BRIEN: No, no, no, start with the markets. Why not?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: We'll do some markets first of all -- Soledad. Stocks trading down yet again. Not that much, though. We still have hope. There's still a lot of time left in the day. We're down five on the Dow Jones industrial. Actually the Nasdaq is up.
Big news in the movie video rental business. You may remember this story. Blockbuster, the No. 1 in the business, has been trying to buy Hollywood Video, the No. 2 in the business. Guess what happened now? The No. 3 in the business, Movie Gallery, has swept in and bought the No. 2, Hollywood. So now No. 2 and No. 3 are combining to go up against No. 1, and surprising bit of news there, that Blockbuster loses out. The new No. 2, that would be Hollywood Movie Gallery, has 4,500 or will. Blockbuster has 8,900. The one question is, why would you want to get into this business to begin with? You know, not exactly a growth proposition with online stuff and movies On Demand.
But you know, they've been predicting the death of this business for a long time, and its stuck around.
Lattes, let's move on to that. Ronald McDonald meets lattes. This could be happening very soon. McDonald's apparently is looking to roll out premium coffee nationwide. Now if you live in Seattle, or up in Washington State, think is not big news, because the McDonalds up there have been serving espresso for years, but that's the only way they can compete with Tully's and Starbucks at all. But now, apparently, they're looking to roll out the premium kinds with the, you know, hazelnuts, and the vanilla flavored and this and that, but Dunkin' Donuts has...
O'BRIEN: Decaf with foam.
SERWER: Yes, et cetera, the kind of things that Bill Hemmer likes to drink.
O'BRIEN: Billy likes to have every morning.
HEMMER: It keeps me awake, as a matter of fact.
SERWER: It does the trick actually. It does. It works, it really does.
HEMMER: Coming up next hour on CNN, Colin Powell is back from his trip in Southeast Asia. He meets with the president coming up this hour. We're expecting to hear from both of them a bit later this morning. Daryn has that, along with Tony Harris. That's on "CNN LIVE TODAY" in a moment. We're back here on AMERICAN MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 10, 2005 - 9:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. In just a few minutes, we're going to check into the investigation into that deadly train collision in South Carolina. Heidi Collins is in Graniteville, where officials are now trying to deal with the toxic gas. And she'll tell us about their plan for today. And also, maybe the most important question, when the residents might be able to actually go home.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: On a much lighter note, it may shocked you over the weekend. Love on the rocks for Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. The couple said to be separating. "People" magazine has some of the inside story about why they're breaking up. We'll talk with the executive director about that in a few moments here.
O'BRIEN: Are you surprised by that at all?
HEMMER: Yes, I am, actually.
O'BRIEN: Really?
HEMMER: Well, you saw all of the pictures out there, being lovey-dovey on the beaches everywhere.
O'BRIEN: Hollywood marriage is like, a really successful marriage is a little over a year and a half.
HEMMER: Well, they made it what, four and a half, did they?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: About that?
O'BRIEN: So, that one's over. More on that later.
Another day of dangerous weather in Southern California today in the Sierras. They're expecting more snow 19 feet of already-blocked highways, even stranding an Amtrak train. It's been raining in the Los Angeles area since Thursday. In one of the many rescues, a man and two children were saved from a swollen creek. He just missed serious injury.
So take a look at a shot as he comes up almost to the top of this bridge here and then either the rope snaps or he lets go. Just barely misses running his head right into the support there, concrete support. The water obviously so strong you can see it ripped the man's pants off. His daughter and her friend, though, had already been pulled out by rescuers, fortunately.
At least eight deaths have been related to the storms, and homes even collapsing under mudslides. There are power outages to report, as well. Just lots and lots and lots of bad weather news to talk about out of California.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Thousands of residents in South Carolina still can't go home today. A deadly crash involving a train carrying toxic chemicals the issue there. Heidi Collins is live at the command center in near Graniteville, South Carolina. Investigators still trying to figure out what happened there. They have any answers, Heidi? Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: They are working very hard on it, Bill, as you would imagine. And you know, right behind me, normally this would be a really busy time of day on Highway 1, it's a busy thoroughfare through the town. But instead, to the left are police barricades, to my right are police barricades. And really the only activity that's taking place is at this command center now right behind me.
Some people are calling it a ghost town here. That's because this is still a very dangerous place. You're looking now at the crash site that happened five days ago now. Nine people were killed from that chlorine leak at the train crash. And those cars that you see there.
We've just spoken with the National Transportation Safety Board, they're telling us they have confirmed, indeed, that that train line was lined and locked -- the tracks and diverted the train into another parked train that was already on those tracks. So that was the origination of the crash. Meanwhile, residents of Graniteville did get a little bit of good news yesterday. Very, very slow progress is being made.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN CHAPMAN, RAILWAY SPOKESMAN: We have stopped the leak with a temporary patch with which we are using to begin the process of offloading the remaining chlorine in the tank with the tear in it. Once we get it sufficient quantity of that out, then we can shift the car to the point, turn it, and we can apply a permanent patch, which will enable us offload that content faster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So that is what they will be working on now today. We should tell you that that tear in the tanker was not an easy fix because of the way that it was situated. They had to actually bend the metal back into place before they could even put that temporary patch back on. Now today, they will be working to offload the remaining chlorine and eventually get those tracks cleared so that things may slowly be going back to normal.
In the meantime, still a one-mile radius evacuation. We're talking about 5,400 people still displaced from their homes, two schools closed. School is not expected to re-open until Tuesday and folks not expected to go back to go back into their homes until Wednesday at the very earliest -- Bill.
HEMMER: It is a waiting game. What's Norfolk Southern done for the people there now affected, Heidi?
COLLINS: I'm sorry, Bill, I didn't hear you.
HEMMER: Norfolk Southern, what have they done for the people in the area?
COLLINS: Well, they've actually been working really hard with the community in trying to make sure that they are out and about and talking with them, finding out about their needs. They have offered coupons for hotels and they have been in on some of the counseling sessions that have going on at night, as well. So they are reaching out.
HEMMER: All right. Heidi, thanks. Heidi Collins there in South Carolina, watching the latest there. Still no answer when those folks can go home. Tough, tough week for them -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: No question about that. There are other stories making news this morning. Kelly Wallace has a look at those. Good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning again to you. Good morning, everyone. "Now in the News," Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with President Bush shortly to discuss the tsunami damage in Southern Asia. Secretary Powell just returned from a week-long tour of the disaster areas. He says the United States should commit to long-term help as the region struggles to rebuild.
The Supreme Court set to convene next hour without, though, the Chief Justice. William Rehnquist has been working from home as he undergoes treatment for thyroid cancer. Despite his health problems, Rehnquist is expected to swear in President Bush at his inauguration next week. That date, January 20th.
Crews, meantime, in Pennsylvania, are scouting the Ohio River this morning for a crew member still missing from a tugboat. Three other crew members were killed yesterday when the raging river swept the tug and six coal barges over a dam about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh. Three other people were rescued from the sinking vessels.
And six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong back in the spotlight, unveiling a new pro cycling team. Armstrong will introduce the Discovery Channel team this hour in Washington. He may also announce whether he's planning to opt out of the Tour de France this year. I know, Soledad, you believe he is in. I think you're right.
O'BRIEN: I know nothing about professional cycling, but I feel free to give my opinion.
(CROSSTALK)
WALLACE: Well, you know, you got six, you go for seven. We'll see.
O'BRIEN: Right. Exactly. Why not?
WALLACE: We might learn today.
O'BRIEN: All right, Kelly, thanks.
WALLACE: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Well, it is open season on awards in Hollywood. The People's Choice Awards kick things off last night. And tonight the Broadcast Film Critics have their say.
KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin joins us from L.A. to preview the Critic's Choice Award. Hey, Sam. Nice to see you. Welcome. Let's get right into the awards from yesterday, though, first. That looks like a nice award you're about to grab and show us.
SAM RUBIN, KTLA ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: For most articulate curmudgeon for Jack Cafferty here. No, this is the actual lucite people will be longing for. The Broadcast Critic's Awards that are being handed out, as you mentioned, tonight from a very rainy Los Angeles. Dry inside the Wiltern Theater.
But you mentioned in the big headline last night at the People's Choice Awards, the award going to Michael Moore. And I think that comes as kind of a big surprise. For his "Fahrenheit 911," this was voted favorite motion picture. There is some suggestion that this was done via Internet voting. So there may have been campaigning to a degree. The fact that Moore won was, I think, a surprise to many people in that it wasn't the favorite film in terms of box office, besting films like "Shrek 2" that certainly drew more people into the theater. Nonetheless, Moore last night, very conciliatory. A speech that was not the typical rabble-rousing that you would expect from Michael Moore.
Mel Gibson also a winner at the People Choice's Awards last night. So for an awards show that is generally kind of light, the "People's Choice" last night was really interesting. It had some people up on stage that I don't think were expected.
O'BRIEN: What about the Critic Choice Awards? How significant and how relevant they?
RUBIN: I think it's a very legitimate question. We see to be besieged by so different awards. The Critic's Choice Awards, this from the broadcast film critics, people -- yours truly included -- who review movies on radio, television and the Internet around the country. Eric McCormack from "Will & Grace" is the host of the show that's airing on the WB Network tonight, and he actually talked about it sort of the symbiotic relationship between stars and critics. Here's what Eric had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC MCCORMACK, ACTOR: It's a really interesting relationship. We need them, we need them to tell the world that we're doing good work, and particularly the television critic. This is the broadcast critics. And they reach a lot of people that don't necessarily read "The New York Times" or "The L.A. Times." Their opinions, which are often in very short soundbites, matter a lot in helping get the word out, particularly on films that don't have a huge budget for advertising.
So a movie like "Sideways" is helped incredibly by broadcast critic telling his constituency, hey, don't miss this. So these people's opinions do matter, and they matter to this crowd. I mean, we need them; they need us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RUBIN: I think these opinions matter particularly in terms of what will happen as award season happens. Of course the Golden Globes are next Sunday night week. All of this leading up to -- my gosh, there's an award show probably every other week between now and February. That's the Academy Awards, and that's the one the stars really want. They participate in events like tonight. They're interested because they hope this and anything else will cause that momentum to get them an Academy Award.
O'BRIEN: I think I'm beginning to understand how it works. We heard Eric McCormack talk a little bit about "Sideways" and other sort of smaller films that didn't get reviewed, that sort of people might not actually get a chance to see them or know a little bit about them. "Sideways" got eight nominations. You have a theory, though, about all of the nominations and all the accolades that film's gotten. What's your theory?
RUBIN: You know what's very interesting about "Sideways," and I don't know if you've had an opportunity to see it, but the fact of the matter is, the protagonist, the main character in "Sideways," played by Paul Giamante, is sort of a pseudointellectual, a man who's not really achieved all that he would like, realized all of his ambitions. It's not unlike the psychological profile, sad to say, of most people who review movies. So I think the fact that it's a movie about a guy who has so many characteristic of movie reviewers is why it's resonating well. It's certainly is doing incredibly well in the critical community, no question about that.
O'BRIEN: It's all becoming very, very clear to me. Sam Rubin joining us. And by the way, I accept that award on behalf of Jack Cafferty.
RUBIN: Let me present that to you -- here you are.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much. Thank you. Jack couldn't be here with us today, but I accept on his behalf. Thanks. We'll see you later, Sam. Appreciate it.
Another story to talk about this morning, Susan and Steven Manis, they're are backing their daughter all the way. Why? Well, they say that 13-year-old Jessica was late to school six times in two months because their van kept breaking down. The school went ahead and gave Jessica detention, and her parents decided that they would serve her sentence, if you can use that word, with her.
Susan, and Steven Manis and Jessica Dunkley are with us from Houston, Texas.
Good morning to you all. Thanks for being with us.
Jessica, why don't we start with you. How many times were you late to school, Jessica?
JESSICA DUNKLEY, GIVEN DETENTION FOR LATENESS: About six times.
O'BRIEN: And do you know what the school policy is? Did the school make it really clear about where they stood on lateness?
DUNKLEY: Yes. If we're late more than two or three times, we have to have detention.
O'BRIEN: So, what point did someone say, you know what, Jessica, we're give you detention?
DUNKLEY: Say that again.
O'BRIEN: At what point did you -- were you late six times and they finally came to you and said, we're going to give you detention?
DUNKLEY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: What was your reaction? Because it seems like you had a pretty good excuse.
DUNKLEY: Well, it was a little shocking for me to find out that I had detention.
O'BRIEN: Because? Why?
DUNKLEY: Because of our car breaking down, and we were late to school.
O'BRIEN: So you felt that because you had a valid excuse, that really was sort out of your hands -- I mean, your parents' car broke down -- that that would sort of mean that maybe they would overlook the detention.
Let me bring your mom and dad in.
Susan, you first -- you felt fully responsible for Jessica's detention. You think they shouldn't have given her detention at all, or do you feel you should serve the detention with her, or both?
SUSAN MANIS, SERVED DAUGHTER'S DETENTION: Well, I didn't really feel that she should have gotten detention, because this was something that was way Monday her control. When we asked them to not give her detention, they stood their ground and decided she was going to, and because we felt it was our fault, we decided to serve the detention beside her. O'BRIEN: What was the reaction from the school -- and maybe even Steven can answer this -- when you said, OK, she's going to go to detention, and you know what, mom and dad are going to go sit in there with her as well. What did they do?
STEVEN MANIS, SERVED DAUGHTER'S DETENTION: They just totally went nuts. They weren't sure we could go. They had to check all of the rules. They just had never heard of such a weird idea.
O'BRIEN: And did they think that you were doing it for sort of publicity more than anything else?
STEVEN MANIS: You know, sense we did it, there's been that talk. But no, at first, I think the reaction was just shock that we would stand up and say, if we have to, we have to.
O'BRIEN: Who was your message to? Was it for Jessica to tell her, listen, this wasn't your fault, and your mom and dad support you, or was it to the school, or to who?
STEVEN MANIS: Mostly to Jessica, because we want her to understand that sometimes you do get punished, even when it's wrong, and you still have to take it and move on.
O'BRIEN: I understand you all three served detention. Dad got a little hand slap, because I guess they let you get with some of the rules. You have a little goatee. That's not allowed in the school. But your cell phone went off in the middle of detention. Big no-no. What happened?
STEVEN MANIS: Well, I got to stay over another five minutes because I was bad. Got to write more of the six pillars of citizenship.
O'BRIEN: Anything learned from this, Susan, at the end of the day?
SUSAN MANIS: What I've learned by this is we need to be on time.
O'BRIEN: What are you going to -- in all seriousness, from what I've read about your situation, you don't really have the money to fix your van; it keeps breaking down. Obviously, I mean, any parent knows you got to get your kid to school on time. What are you going to do?
SUSAN MANIS: Well, we just take one day at a time and basically say our prayers each morning and do the best we can do. You know, the van is temporarily fixed right now, and so we're just hoping it holds out because, of course, it needs to be fixed, and it's going to take quite a bit of money, which we don't have at this point.
O'BRIEN: All right, well, I hope you guys are able to work everything out. Jessica, don't worry to much about having detention on your record. Everybody I know had detention at some point. It's not a big deal.
Thanks for coming in to talk to us. We sure appreciate it. Good luck to you guys.
SUSAN MANIS: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Back here, Blockbuster Video crying in its popcorn over a move by the competition. Andy has that, "Minding Your Business" here.
HEMMER: Also, the inside scoop on Brad and Jen's breakup. The executive editor from "People" magazine my guest next here when we continue after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: After four years of marriage and a ton of tabloid scrutiny, one of Hollywood's most glamorous power couples, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, now calling it quits. This week's "People" magazine has the skinny on how rumor became reality. The executive editor, Peter Castro, is with me here. Good morning to you.
PETER CASTRO, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: When did this marriage end?
CASTRO: I think there were cracks in this marriage for a long time.
HEMMER: Long time -- is that weeks or is that months, Peter?
CASTRO: Maybe even year -- a year or years. They were at a very unhappy place, and they realized, you know, they did everything they could, they thought about it, they worked at it, but in the end, they were in different places emotionally. And they decided the best thing to do was just formally separate.
HEMMER: Well, all the rumors say that Brad Pitt wanted to be a father, and Jennifer Did not, because she's in a certain type of her career right now where she's going to be making more and more films. Was that the rub, or is there more to it that we do not know?
CASTRO: That's only half-true. Yes, he did want to be a father very badly. She, however, did not want to be a mother in a relationship that she did not entirely believe was going to last. She thought that -- she was very uncertain about the future of their relationship, and she decided before being a mother, in something like this, it's better to bail now.
HEMMER: What gives with all of the pictures now, whether they're in the Caribbean or whether they're in Italy, you know, the nice embraces, public displays of intimacy? Is that a ruse, or is it not?
CASTRO: It is a little silly, isn't it? Ruse is a strong way, but when you come right down to it, yes it kind of was. I mean, they knew before they took that trip they were going to break up. And according to a source, they were not happy during that trip. I mean, they -- for the cameras, they played it up, but we had somebody in the restaurant that was -- while they were having dinner with Courtney Cox and David Arquette, who said that during the dinner, they did not look happy.
HEMMER: Were you surprised by this?
CASTRO: I am very surprised by this. I think this is the biggest shocking split since Nicole and Tom Cruise. I mean, this was the golden couple. Everybody thought they were madly in love and happy, and it just goes to show...
HEMMER: There were rumor for while. I guess a lot of people would not have been surprised. Personally I was, but...
CASTRO: Well, because there's always cracks in the marriage, but you think people are going to come though and work at it. I think what surprised people is how profoundly unhappy they were. That's the thing. They seemed so happy, but I think a lot of the time, they were playing up to the cameras.
HEMMER: Thanks for coming in, Peter.
CASTRO: Thank you.
HEMMER: Peter Castro, from "People" magazine. Nice to see you.
CASTRO: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Break here in a moment. Blockbuster Video shedding tears this morning, but it's got nothing to do with Brad and Jen's breakup. Andy's back here "Minding Your Business," after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back. We got a little news for latte lovers everywhere. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business." Plus, we get a look at early trading as well. Not just let you do the latte report this morning.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: I'll just do the latte report if you'd like.
O'BRIEN: No, no, no, start with the markets. Why not?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: We'll do some markets first of all -- Soledad. Stocks trading down yet again. Not that much, though. We still have hope. There's still a lot of time left in the day. We're down five on the Dow Jones industrial. Actually the Nasdaq is up.
Big news in the movie video rental business. You may remember this story. Blockbuster, the No. 1 in the business, has been trying to buy Hollywood Video, the No. 2 in the business. Guess what happened now? The No. 3 in the business, Movie Gallery, has swept in and bought the No. 2, Hollywood. So now No. 2 and No. 3 are combining to go up against No. 1, and surprising bit of news there, that Blockbuster loses out. The new No. 2, that would be Hollywood Movie Gallery, has 4,500 or will. Blockbuster has 8,900. The one question is, why would you want to get into this business to begin with? You know, not exactly a growth proposition with online stuff and movies On Demand.
But you know, they've been predicting the death of this business for a long time, and its stuck around.
Lattes, let's move on to that. Ronald McDonald meets lattes. This could be happening very soon. McDonald's apparently is looking to roll out premium coffee nationwide. Now if you live in Seattle, or up in Washington State, think is not big news, because the McDonalds up there have been serving espresso for years, but that's the only way they can compete with Tully's and Starbucks at all. But now, apparently, they're looking to roll out the premium kinds with the, you know, hazelnuts, and the vanilla flavored and this and that, but Dunkin' Donuts has...
O'BRIEN: Decaf with foam.
SERWER: Yes, et cetera, the kind of things that Bill Hemmer likes to drink.
O'BRIEN: Billy likes to have every morning.
HEMMER: It keeps me awake, as a matter of fact.
SERWER: It does the trick actually. It does. It works, it really does.
HEMMER: Coming up next hour on CNN, Colin Powell is back from his trip in Southeast Asia. He meets with the president coming up this hour. We're expecting to hear from both of them a bit later this morning. Daryn has that, along with Tony Harris. That's on "CNN LIVE TODAY" in a moment. We're back here on AMERICAN MORNING right after this.
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