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American Morning
Future of Iraq; Titan Launch; Interview With Sarah Ferguson
Aired January 13, 2005 - 8:30 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. 8:30 here in New York. Good to have you along with us today.
There is a dream for scientists, decades in the making and about to come true. NASA is sending a probe to Saturn's mysterious enshrouded moon, Titan. Miles O'Brien feeling the excitement himself, our space correspondent. Get a preview with Miles about what's expected in a few moments here.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, Sarah, the duchess of York, is our guest this morning. She's been working to help tsunami survivors. She's going to tell us about that.
Also, we're going to be talking about something that many -- surprised many people I think when they took a look at this. "Harry the Nazi" is the title there, a story about what Prince Harry wore to a birthday party. We're going to ask her a little bit about that, as well.
HEMMER: All right. Carol Costello here with the headlines.
Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," emergency officials in La Conchita, California, say everyone on their missing list has been accounted for following this week's deadly mudslide. Earlier, Ventura County's fire chief gave an update on what the focus is for today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF BOB HOPER, FIRE CHIEF, VENTURA COUNTY: The workers on scene are trying to stabilize the edge of the slope that slid down. They're looking for any remnants of any voids incase there is still somebody there we don't know about. But right now they're digging really straight through thick mud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger toured the site yesterday. He declared a state of emergency for Ventura County. At least 10 people have been killed in the mudslide there.
In Graniteville, South Carolina, nearly half the 5,500 people forced out by last week's chemical spill are expected to start coming home this hour. Last Thursday's train collision leaked chlorine gas, killing at least nine people. It also affected the air quality for nearby homes and businesses. Officials say they'll continue to monitor levels until everyone is back home.
A panel of FDA advisors is considering a request to sell the cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor over the counter. The panel is considering offering a low-dose version of the medication, but opponents say the move would allow patients to skip doctor's visits. The panel is expected to continue its debate tomorrow.
And Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart is expected to announce today if he will stay at Southern California or go pro. The Orange Bowl MVP could pass up his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. Players have until Saturday to apply for inclusion in the April 23 draft.
A lot of teams need a good quarterback right now.
HEMMER: He won the Heisman Trophy. His team won the national championship. His team was undefeated. What, are you going to stay in college?
COSTELLO: Exactly. For the money now.
O'BRIEN: Hello? How about an education, anybody?
COSTELLO: Oh, Soledad. Grow up.
HEMMER: Old school.
O'BRIEN: Sorry. Am I bad?
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol.
HEMMER: Thirty-three minutes past the hour.
The Bush administration seems to be trying to lower expectations for Iraq elections now scheduled in 18 days. Several officials now predicting that violence will help keep some people from the polls on the 30th of January. And just today, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Islamic Party reporting now there has been a second attempt on his life on Tuesday night.
From Baghdad with me now is Dr. Mowaffak Al-Rubaie, who himself is a candidate in these elections again at the end of this month.
Thank you for your time. Are you worried about your safety and staying alive as a candidate in that country today?
DR. MOWAFFAK, AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, of course the security situation in the country is not 100 percent. There are still some trouble pockets here and there, especially in the trial -- in the triangle. But I feel and I believe the overall security situation in the country will allow us to carry a fair and free election. And it's going to -- the turnout is going to be, I believe, not less than 8 percent of the -- of the voters.
HEMMER: The White House is downplaying expectations. The interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, already this week has said that voting may not even happen in some parts of Iraq. The argument is still out there as to whether or not these elections should be delayed. Do you think they should be delayed at this point, doctor?
AL-RUBAIE: Well, let me tell you something, Bill. If these elections get delayed, this will send the country and the whole country into absolute chaos. And we will be in a deep constitutional crisis because the transitional administrative law did not make any permission or allowance to -- for this election to get -- to delay. Now, number -- this is number one.
Number two, if you get Osama bin Laden and Zarqawi and Saddam Hussein to call for this election to get delayed, then you have to, as in the Iraqi people and the representative of the Iraqi people, you have to be determined to get this election done. Because I believe if we delay the election this may well develop trigger off civil war in this country.
And the election on the 30th of this month is a part and is a pivotal part of the whole political process. This process has started on the 9th of April, 2003, then the -- the Iraqi Governing Council in July, 2003, then the Iraqi transitional Iraqi government, then the transitional administrative law in February, 2004. Then the interim government in June, 2004, and the handover of the sovereignty. And eight months later after the sovereignty, this is going to be the election. And the election is going to determine...
HEMMER: That's the process that's now set in place here. I apologize about being -- I'm sorry, I apologize about the interruption. We're short on time. I'm trying to get to two more points here.
This picture that we're painting here is far from perfect. But as far as we know, these elections will happen in 18 days. Can we call it a success if the election doesn't even happen in some parts of Iraq?
AL-RUBAIE: We will definitely call it -- call it a success if we get more than 50 percent of the voters going to the ballot boxes. Because the 50 percent, if you compare it to any western democracy, 50 percent is a very goo percentage. And 50 percent means more than five million people, Iraqis casting their votes. And they are going to choose their 275 members of the transitional national assembly.
HEMMER: The other point I want to get to is this: you were you are a candidate in that country that is at war. How do you campaign as a politician, and can you campaign?
AL-RUBAIE: Well, I went to meet in schools. I attended meeting and delivered speeches in hospitals, in town halls, in mosques. And that's in the south of Baghdad. All the governors (ph) in the south of Baghdad, and also in Kurdistan in the north of Iraq, and in some parts of Baghdad. So I cannot see any problem in leading your election campaign. I admit there are some areas, there are some pockets that has been put by the prime minister that there are some trouble pockets which we cannot go and show people how to go to ballot boxes and what -- what lists should they choose and what's the political program we are running for.
HEMMER: All right. Good luck to you, doctor. Thanks for your time. Mowaffak Al-Rubaie...
AL-RUBAIE: Thank you very much, Bill. Thank you for having me.
HEMMER: ... live in Baghdad. A candidate for these elections.
Certainly. We'll talk again -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: A NASA spacecraft is on a collision course with a comet. And that's the way they planned it. The spacecraft, named Deep Impact, blasted off from Cape Canaveral yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... carrying Deep Impact, NASA's journey to unlock the mystery of the solar system's origin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Its mission, to smash a big old hole the size of the Roman Coliseum in the comet which is known as Temple 1. It's part of a fact-finding mission by scientists to learn more about the solar system. The spacecraft and comet are expected to make contact on July 4t after a 268 million mile journey.
NASA is ready for an ambitious deep space exploration that could unlock secrets of just how the Earth was form. A probe will head tomorrow for Saturn's moon Titan. And Miles O'Brien explains how this mission will work.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shrouded in mystery, buried under thick haze, Saturn's moon Titan may be the last great mystery in our solar system. May be for not too much longer.
CANDICE HANSEN, TITAN EXPERT: Oh, it's going to be the most exotic place we've ever seen.
M. O'BRIEN: Named for the Dutch astronomer who discovered this giant moon, Huygens was built by the European Space Agency and piggybacked to Saturn on NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Released on Christmas Eve, it will pierce the titanic haze on Friday.
HANSEN: The Huygens probe will drift slowly down to the surface. So over the next roughly 2.5 hours, it will be collecting data.
M. O'BRIEN: The probe will beam back some panoramic pictures, taste the methane and nitrogen atmosphere, even listen for thunder. It's a half-billion-dollar one-shot deal. Scientists say Titan resembles Earth as a newborn.
BOB MITCHELL, CASSINI PROGRAM MANAGER: The chance to study it and see what Earth may have looked like then to get some clues as to how Earth may have evolved to be what we know it today is quite an exciting prospect.
M. O'BRIEN: No one is certain what Huygens will see. The haze may be too thick. Its main goal? Gather data as it descends. If it works after landing, it's a bonus.
MITCHELL: The probe may well survive the impact with the surface of Titan. The impact speed is around six or seven meters a second, and you can run faster than that.
M. O'BRIEN: There's also a chance it won't be a landing at all, but rather a splashdown.
HANSEN: If we land in liquid -- and this would not be liquid water, it would be liquid hydrocarbons -- it can actually measure if it's bobbing. So if there's a little ripple or, you know, gale force winds, we will know that.
M. O'BRIEN: But whether it's one if by land or two if by sea, the battery-powered probe can only transmit a half-hour after landing, a short but hopefully memorable stay after a 2.2 billion mile journey.
Miles O'Brien, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: You know Miles is loving every second of that.
HEMMER: Indeed, he is.
S. O'BRIEN: I think he's volunteering to be on one of those flights one of these days.
HEMMER: Good luck to NASA today.
In a moment here, Prince Harry wears a Nazi costume. And guess what? Not a whole lot of people are happy about it. We'll ask Sarah Ferguson, duchess of York, about what she thinks about this picture in a moment.
S. O'BRIEN: Also, new specifics on the best way to lose weight. The government's got some new tips ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Sarah Ferguson knows all about celebrities' double- edged sword. One of her struggles as the duchess of York actually helped her find her voice as the face of Weight Watchers. Through it all she's remained devoted to children in crisis, now helping turn the tide for the youngest victims of the tsunami disaster. But we've also been telling you the story this morning about the scandal that's rocking the royal household, one of which Ms. Ferguson was once a part of it. Duchess Ferguson joins us.
Nice to see you. Thanks for coming in to talk to us.
SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK: Good morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Because we've been talking about it all morning, let's talk a little bit about Prince Harry first before we talk about the tsunami victims, which is really your focus this morning. The headlines not only in the U.K. but also here in the United States. I think the big question is, what was he thinking? Give us a little insight into what could possibly be going on here.
SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK: Well, I mean, Harry's a great, great boy. I mean, he really is. He's first rate. His mom would be so proud of him.
He does so much to help so many children all over the world. He really does.
I know what it's like to have bad press. I had it for quite a long time. So, yes.
But, you know, OK, so he wore a fancy dress costume, he got it wrong, and he's apologized. And he puts a letter out to say that "I'm sorry if I've caused any offense." And Harry said in the statement, "It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize."
Now, the thing is that he's apologized. So I believe a lot of Jewish organizations in Britain have accepted his apology. And I hope the world accepts his apology, because, you know, he deserves a break really.
S. O'BRIEN: You know, I guess the timing's pretty bad, a couple weeks away from the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. And some people have raised that as well.
FERGUSON: I know.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm curious to know, though, how it works in the royal family. Are you surrounded by advisors who'd be like, "You know what, Harry, Nazi costume not such a good idea?"
FERGUSON: The thing is, is that -- is that sometimes we all do things that we -- where the ramifications of our actions are perhaps after thoughts, you know? And it's all very well to come down hard on him. But he's been through a lot in his life, and I fully support him 100 percent.
I do understand from the point of view of really the timing is pretty difficult, you know? And -- but he's a young lad and I'm right behind him.
S. O'BRIEN: That's nice I'm sure for him to hear from his aunt. FERGUSON: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about a group that you're very -- you've very close with. It's called SOS Children's Villages. And right now you're heavily involved in work for the tsunami victims. What exactly is the focus of this group?
FERGUSON: SOS Children's Villages is about raising $13 to $15 million by the end of January for a five-year plan to really get orphanages up and running in the tsunami relief area.
S. O'BRIEN: So it's not the water, food, media relief stuff.
FERGUSON: That is being done separately through SOS Children's Villages, of course. But it's really focusing on bringing shelter and orphanages and housing and housekeepers and keeping siblings together. SOS Children's Villages is about keeping the families together.
You know, there's a little girl, she's lost her mom and dad, but she's got her brothers and sisters. Keep them in the family. Don't separate them out.
S. O'BRIEN: Why did you pick this group to work with? I have to imagine that you, in addition to your work with Weight Watchers, you really -- there's 10,000 zillion groups who would love to have you talking on their behalf. Why this group?
FERGUSON: I'm the USA spokesperson for SOS Children's Villages. It's been going for many, many years now. It is such a very strong point for me, is family unity.
Andrew and I bring up our children as a family. Although we're divorced, we still live in the same house. Because we believe that no matter what, at the end of the day, try and keep the families together. And SOS Children's Villages really stands for that. They really have shown, proven time and time again that keeping family unity, keeping brothers and sisters together, gives children the right to a better future.
S. O'BRIEN: I saw a picture the other day of you, along with your two girls, who are now teenagers, by the way. How scary is that? I remember them as little teeny, teeny toddlers.
You have a new role. You've been the spokesperson for Weight Watchers for awhile now, going on nine or 10 years. Now you're doing an advice column.
FERGUSON: I am.
S. O'BRIEN: Why?
FERGUSON: Well, because the great thing is, is that I've learned so many -- learned so much from my obstacles. You know?
I've been over so many hurdles. I don't want anyone else to go through such mistakes that I made. So I thought an advice column where people can ring in or -- sorry, write in and I can answer those. I will answer every letter. Not every letter will be published, but every letter will be answered.
For example, people didn't know in Chicago yesterday -- some people called in. Yvonne Delek (ph) rang me up and said, "What do we do? We don't know how to get the answers."
And I said, "You go to Weight Watchers and ask for support." The new turnaround program does two things. You can either count flex points or there's the no counting plan, where you literally can choose what you want to do.
So they didn't know that. And I said, "You can do that. You just go down, seek support, and we're there to help you."
S. O'BRIEN: You've got a lot going on.
FERGUSON: I know.
S. O'BRIEN: You're a busy lady.
FERGUSON: But the bottom line is, it's from the heart. And I think anybody watching today really ought to not worry so much about trying to be perfect. It's what we say at Weight Watchers. Go with what you know and follow your instinct, and ask for help.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, maybe your nephew will take some of your advice, as well. He's got a little digging out of his own to do this morning. Sarah Ferguson, the duchess of York.
Nice to see you. Thanks for coming in to talk with us.
FERGUSON: Nice to see you. Thank you very much, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: We appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad.
We're paging Dr. Sanjay Gupta now about Uncle Sam's new recipe for a healthier America. We say it's new. The key ingredients, though, in the new federal diet, eat less and exercise more.
We've heard this before. Sanjay is at the CNN Center with more now.
What's new in this, Sanjay?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we have heard this before. And -- but there are some specifics I want to -- I want to sort of drill on here, Bill.
First of all, two-thirds of Americans either overweight or obese now. A lot of people sort of anticipating these guidelines to see if they can take a stab at trimming down some of that fat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOMMY THOMPSON, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: It's scientifically based. It's telling you to lower your calorie intake as it relates to transfats, all fats.
It's telling you to reduce your calorie intake as it relates to carbohydrates. It's also telling you to increase your fruits and vegetables and your whole grains. And basically, it's telling you that you have to do it yourself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: The problem, of course, Bill, as you're already alluding to, is doing it yourself may be easier said than done. Let me go over some of the specifics here with regard to the new dietary guidelines.
First, in terms of diet itself, nine servings of fruit and vegetables every day. They say actually between five and 13 as far as a range goes. As far as grains go, half of all the grains that you eat should come from whole grain products. And here's probably the most daunting, 60 to 90 minutes of exercise for weight loss every day.
Bill, there's been a lot of discussion over the years about the Atkins-type diets, the low carb diets. If you look at the dietary guidelines, you'll find that they're almost the exact opposite of what the low carb diets have been advocating as well, Bill. So some specific guidelines in there; it remains to be seen how well they're going to do.
HEMMER: Let me just pick out one thing you said, 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day?
GUPTA: I know. It's...
HEMMER: How do you ow get that done in a busy life?
GUPTA: Not everyone can be like you and do it before you even get to work, Bill. So what they say within the guidelines is that, you know, you don't have to do it all at once.
Sort of break it up. In fact, you know, you may be taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator. You may park your car a little further away.
But it's important, I think, the message is there. Ninety minutes sounds like a lot. But if you can break it up during the day, you may be able to get there.
HEMMER: Soledad is laughing at my expense here, Sanjay.
S. O'BRIEN: Sorry. I'm sorry. He doesn't work out before he comes to the office. Give me a break.
HEMMER: Oh, you didn't know that? That's what I'm doing at 2:00 in the morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Every morning.
HEMMER: I'm dreaming about working out.
S. O'BRIEN: All right.
HEMMER: See you, Sanjay.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Sanjay.
GUPTA: See you, guys.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, how about this? A restaurant that is more known for its waitresses than it's food is beaten at its own game. Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Round two for Hooters, taking up the challenge to its sexy costume franchise. Retail sales numbers are out, the market's got a lot of stuff. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, FORTUNE MAGAZINE: We're going to start with the retail sales. I know you're chomping at the bit for the Hooters story.
CAFFERTY: For the retail sales.
SERWER: Yes, for the retail -- he's like that.
CAFFERTY: I love those.
SERWER: He really does love retail sales. Let's talk about the market yesterday. Finally, a relief rally. We haven't seen much of that this year.
The Dow up 61 points. You can see there, all indexes up.
Yes, retail sales, these are the final numbers in for last year and for the month of December. And they were very good, quite frankly.
December sales up 1.2 percent. That's strong. For the year, up 8 percent. That's the best showing since 1999, when retail sale were up 8.5 percent annually. So something to cheer about there.
Now, moving on to more important matters. Question -- and this is something you may be pondering. Are sexually provocative uniforms protected by trademark law?
CAFFERTY: You bet.
SERWER: Apparently not, Hack. Apparently no. The answer is no according to a U.S. district judge.
Ah, yes, this is a Hooters story. You might have guessed. Back in 2003, there's -- I knew they'd find Hooters.
S. O'BRIEN: Roll the video.
SERWER: Roll the Hooters footage. God, they're good down there. I knew they'd find -- back in 2003, Hooters sued a competitor called the WingHouse saying that the uniforms over at WingHouse were too similar.
Those are the WingHouse uniforms. They're kind of similar, but...
CAFFERTY: They're black. The other ones are orange.
SERWER: Exactly. And you know what? A manager -- and here's -- we're going to let our viewers compare and contrast here.
U.S. District Judge Ann Conway said, you know what, Hooters? Too bad. You've got to let WingHouse have these uniforms. They're not the same thing. They may be the same sort of idea, but a company is allowed to go out and have uniforms that are somewhat similar.
CAFFERTY: Another burning legal issue laid to rest.
SERWER: Well, you know, Jeff Toobin wanted to weigh in on this story. He was a little tied up. So I had to handle it.
CAFFERTY: Wasn't "Playboy" able to protect the design of those bunny costumes back a long time ago when they had all those "Playboy" clubs?
SERWER: I think that's also true. Yes.
CAFFERTY: I think they did.
SERWER: And, you know, how far society has progressed here.
S. O'BRIEN: Clearly.
SERWER: That's, you know, what leaves me thinking -- right?
CAFFERTY: There you go. On the file.
No cameras will be allowed in the courtroom for Michael Jackson's upcoming child molestation trial. But that's not stopping E! Entertainment Television and British Sky Broadcasting.
These two are going to team up and actually produce the Michael Jackson trial on a daily basis. A television show using actors to reenact the testimony of that day.
Casting for the series begins next week. While producers have someone in mind for the role of Jackson, that actor actually plays only a supporting role, as in sit at the defendant's table, keep your mouth shut and try not to look guilty. Jury selection gets underway January the 31st.
SERWER: Unreal.
CAFFERTY: Sex does not stop when you're 60 according to Barbra Streisand. In an interview with the "London Daily Telegraph," Streisand, who plays Ben Stiller's sex therapist mother in the current box office hit "Meet the Fockers," says that she and husband James Brolin both have an appreciation for sex in later life.
Streisand's 62, Brolin is 64. They've been married seven years. She says, "We believe it doesn't have to die and people can have fun and be free." She also says she and Brolin stay in bed on Saturday and never get dressed, which is too much information.
SERWER: TMI. TMI.
S. O'BRIEN: Way too much.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: I bet they don't have a lot of people ringing the doorbell either.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: "GQ" magazine polled 1,000 men between 25 and 55 on the subject of male vanity. They found 92 percent of the men questioned said they would never wear makeup even if it meant a better sex life.
SERWER: Oh.
CAFFERTY: The other 8 percent apparently will do anything.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Only -- as most men will, actually. Only 14 percent of those quizzed said they would wear makeup if they would get a 25 percent raise at work.
I would dress like Bozo the clown for a 25 percent raise.
HEMMER: Sign me up.
SERWER: And I do sometimes.
CAFFERTY: When it comes to plastic surgery, 65 percent say it's OK for both sexes to go under the knife for a little nip and tuck. And finally, 52 percent of men say it takes them less than one minute to decide what to wear every morning. And you'd have probably figured that out.
S. O'BRIEN: I was going to say, some people look like it.
SERWER: As far as that makeup thing, I do and I do.
CAFFERTY: You do what?
SERWER: I do, and I do. I wear makeup and, you know...
CAFFERTY: I used to work with a weatherman here in New York City who wore his makeup after the program was over. The rest of us would wash the stuff off our faces.
SERWER: What, he feels handsome in it?
CAFFERTY: He would wear his on and go to the grocery store.
SERWER: And it really worked.
S. O'BRIEN: It evens you out.
CAFFERTY: No. You know what? If you knew who I'm talking about, it didn't work at all.
SERWER: It didn't work?
CAFFERTY: Nothing would have helped.
HEMMER: Wait for the commercial.
SERWER: Yes, right.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh. Well, a look at today's top stories straight ahead this morning.
The California mudslide search and rescue mission is going on. The time, of course, running out. We're going to take you live to the scene there ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 13, 2005 - 8:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. 8:30 here in New York. Good to have you along with us today.
There is a dream for scientists, decades in the making and about to come true. NASA is sending a probe to Saturn's mysterious enshrouded moon, Titan. Miles O'Brien feeling the excitement himself, our space correspondent. Get a preview with Miles about what's expected in a few moments here.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, Sarah, the duchess of York, is our guest this morning. She's been working to help tsunami survivors. She's going to tell us about that.
Also, we're going to be talking about something that many -- surprised many people I think when they took a look at this. "Harry the Nazi" is the title there, a story about what Prince Harry wore to a birthday party. We're going to ask her a little bit about that, as well.
HEMMER: All right. Carol Costello here with the headlines.
Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," emergency officials in La Conchita, California, say everyone on their missing list has been accounted for following this week's deadly mudslide. Earlier, Ventura County's fire chief gave an update on what the focus is for today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF BOB HOPER, FIRE CHIEF, VENTURA COUNTY: The workers on scene are trying to stabilize the edge of the slope that slid down. They're looking for any remnants of any voids incase there is still somebody there we don't know about. But right now they're digging really straight through thick mud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger toured the site yesterday. He declared a state of emergency for Ventura County. At least 10 people have been killed in the mudslide there.
In Graniteville, South Carolina, nearly half the 5,500 people forced out by last week's chemical spill are expected to start coming home this hour. Last Thursday's train collision leaked chlorine gas, killing at least nine people. It also affected the air quality for nearby homes and businesses. Officials say they'll continue to monitor levels until everyone is back home.
A panel of FDA advisors is considering a request to sell the cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor over the counter. The panel is considering offering a low-dose version of the medication, but opponents say the move would allow patients to skip doctor's visits. The panel is expected to continue its debate tomorrow.
And Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart is expected to announce today if he will stay at Southern California or go pro. The Orange Bowl MVP could pass up his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. Players have until Saturday to apply for inclusion in the April 23 draft.
A lot of teams need a good quarterback right now.
HEMMER: He won the Heisman Trophy. His team won the national championship. His team was undefeated. What, are you going to stay in college?
COSTELLO: Exactly. For the money now.
O'BRIEN: Hello? How about an education, anybody?
COSTELLO: Oh, Soledad. Grow up.
HEMMER: Old school.
O'BRIEN: Sorry. Am I bad?
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol.
HEMMER: Thirty-three minutes past the hour.
The Bush administration seems to be trying to lower expectations for Iraq elections now scheduled in 18 days. Several officials now predicting that violence will help keep some people from the polls on the 30th of January. And just today, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Islamic Party reporting now there has been a second attempt on his life on Tuesday night.
From Baghdad with me now is Dr. Mowaffak Al-Rubaie, who himself is a candidate in these elections again at the end of this month.
Thank you for your time. Are you worried about your safety and staying alive as a candidate in that country today?
DR. MOWAFFAK, AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, of course the security situation in the country is not 100 percent. There are still some trouble pockets here and there, especially in the trial -- in the triangle. But I feel and I believe the overall security situation in the country will allow us to carry a fair and free election. And it's going to -- the turnout is going to be, I believe, not less than 8 percent of the -- of the voters.
HEMMER: The White House is downplaying expectations. The interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, already this week has said that voting may not even happen in some parts of Iraq. The argument is still out there as to whether or not these elections should be delayed. Do you think they should be delayed at this point, doctor?
AL-RUBAIE: Well, let me tell you something, Bill. If these elections get delayed, this will send the country and the whole country into absolute chaos. And we will be in a deep constitutional crisis because the transitional administrative law did not make any permission or allowance to -- for this election to get -- to delay. Now, number -- this is number one.
Number two, if you get Osama bin Laden and Zarqawi and Saddam Hussein to call for this election to get delayed, then you have to, as in the Iraqi people and the representative of the Iraqi people, you have to be determined to get this election done. Because I believe if we delay the election this may well develop trigger off civil war in this country.
And the election on the 30th of this month is a part and is a pivotal part of the whole political process. This process has started on the 9th of April, 2003, then the -- the Iraqi Governing Council in July, 2003, then the Iraqi transitional Iraqi government, then the transitional administrative law in February, 2004. Then the interim government in June, 2004, and the handover of the sovereignty. And eight months later after the sovereignty, this is going to be the election. And the election is going to determine...
HEMMER: That's the process that's now set in place here. I apologize about being -- I'm sorry, I apologize about the interruption. We're short on time. I'm trying to get to two more points here.
This picture that we're painting here is far from perfect. But as far as we know, these elections will happen in 18 days. Can we call it a success if the election doesn't even happen in some parts of Iraq?
AL-RUBAIE: We will definitely call it -- call it a success if we get more than 50 percent of the voters going to the ballot boxes. Because the 50 percent, if you compare it to any western democracy, 50 percent is a very goo percentage. And 50 percent means more than five million people, Iraqis casting their votes. And they are going to choose their 275 members of the transitional national assembly.
HEMMER: The other point I want to get to is this: you were you are a candidate in that country that is at war. How do you campaign as a politician, and can you campaign?
AL-RUBAIE: Well, I went to meet in schools. I attended meeting and delivered speeches in hospitals, in town halls, in mosques. And that's in the south of Baghdad. All the governors (ph) in the south of Baghdad, and also in Kurdistan in the north of Iraq, and in some parts of Baghdad. So I cannot see any problem in leading your election campaign. I admit there are some areas, there are some pockets that has been put by the prime minister that there are some trouble pockets which we cannot go and show people how to go to ballot boxes and what -- what lists should they choose and what's the political program we are running for.
HEMMER: All right. Good luck to you, doctor. Thanks for your time. Mowaffak Al-Rubaie...
AL-RUBAIE: Thank you very much, Bill. Thank you for having me.
HEMMER: ... live in Baghdad. A candidate for these elections.
Certainly. We'll talk again -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: A NASA spacecraft is on a collision course with a comet. And that's the way they planned it. The spacecraft, named Deep Impact, blasted off from Cape Canaveral yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... carrying Deep Impact, NASA's journey to unlock the mystery of the solar system's origin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Its mission, to smash a big old hole the size of the Roman Coliseum in the comet which is known as Temple 1. It's part of a fact-finding mission by scientists to learn more about the solar system. The spacecraft and comet are expected to make contact on July 4t after a 268 million mile journey.
NASA is ready for an ambitious deep space exploration that could unlock secrets of just how the Earth was form. A probe will head tomorrow for Saturn's moon Titan. And Miles O'Brien explains how this mission will work.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shrouded in mystery, buried under thick haze, Saturn's moon Titan may be the last great mystery in our solar system. May be for not too much longer.
CANDICE HANSEN, TITAN EXPERT: Oh, it's going to be the most exotic place we've ever seen.
M. O'BRIEN: Named for the Dutch astronomer who discovered this giant moon, Huygens was built by the European Space Agency and piggybacked to Saturn on NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Released on Christmas Eve, it will pierce the titanic haze on Friday.
HANSEN: The Huygens probe will drift slowly down to the surface. So over the next roughly 2.5 hours, it will be collecting data.
M. O'BRIEN: The probe will beam back some panoramic pictures, taste the methane and nitrogen atmosphere, even listen for thunder. It's a half-billion-dollar one-shot deal. Scientists say Titan resembles Earth as a newborn.
BOB MITCHELL, CASSINI PROGRAM MANAGER: The chance to study it and see what Earth may have looked like then to get some clues as to how Earth may have evolved to be what we know it today is quite an exciting prospect.
M. O'BRIEN: No one is certain what Huygens will see. The haze may be too thick. Its main goal? Gather data as it descends. If it works after landing, it's a bonus.
MITCHELL: The probe may well survive the impact with the surface of Titan. The impact speed is around six or seven meters a second, and you can run faster than that.
M. O'BRIEN: There's also a chance it won't be a landing at all, but rather a splashdown.
HANSEN: If we land in liquid -- and this would not be liquid water, it would be liquid hydrocarbons -- it can actually measure if it's bobbing. So if there's a little ripple or, you know, gale force winds, we will know that.
M. O'BRIEN: But whether it's one if by land or two if by sea, the battery-powered probe can only transmit a half-hour after landing, a short but hopefully memorable stay after a 2.2 billion mile journey.
Miles O'Brien, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: You know Miles is loving every second of that.
HEMMER: Indeed, he is.
S. O'BRIEN: I think he's volunteering to be on one of those flights one of these days.
HEMMER: Good luck to NASA today.
In a moment here, Prince Harry wears a Nazi costume. And guess what? Not a whole lot of people are happy about it. We'll ask Sarah Ferguson, duchess of York, about what she thinks about this picture in a moment.
S. O'BRIEN: Also, new specifics on the best way to lose weight. The government's got some new tips ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Sarah Ferguson knows all about celebrities' double- edged sword. One of her struggles as the duchess of York actually helped her find her voice as the face of Weight Watchers. Through it all she's remained devoted to children in crisis, now helping turn the tide for the youngest victims of the tsunami disaster. But we've also been telling you the story this morning about the scandal that's rocking the royal household, one of which Ms. Ferguson was once a part of it. Duchess Ferguson joins us.
Nice to see you. Thanks for coming in to talk to us.
SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK: Good morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Because we've been talking about it all morning, let's talk a little bit about Prince Harry first before we talk about the tsunami victims, which is really your focus this morning. The headlines not only in the U.K. but also here in the United States. I think the big question is, what was he thinking? Give us a little insight into what could possibly be going on here.
SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK: Well, I mean, Harry's a great, great boy. I mean, he really is. He's first rate. His mom would be so proud of him.
He does so much to help so many children all over the world. He really does.
I know what it's like to have bad press. I had it for quite a long time. So, yes.
But, you know, OK, so he wore a fancy dress costume, he got it wrong, and he's apologized. And he puts a letter out to say that "I'm sorry if I've caused any offense." And Harry said in the statement, "It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize."
Now, the thing is that he's apologized. So I believe a lot of Jewish organizations in Britain have accepted his apology. And I hope the world accepts his apology, because, you know, he deserves a break really.
S. O'BRIEN: You know, I guess the timing's pretty bad, a couple weeks away from the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. And some people have raised that as well.
FERGUSON: I know.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm curious to know, though, how it works in the royal family. Are you surrounded by advisors who'd be like, "You know what, Harry, Nazi costume not such a good idea?"
FERGUSON: The thing is, is that -- is that sometimes we all do things that we -- where the ramifications of our actions are perhaps after thoughts, you know? And it's all very well to come down hard on him. But he's been through a lot in his life, and I fully support him 100 percent.
I do understand from the point of view of really the timing is pretty difficult, you know? And -- but he's a young lad and I'm right behind him.
S. O'BRIEN: That's nice I'm sure for him to hear from his aunt. FERGUSON: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about a group that you're very -- you've very close with. It's called SOS Children's Villages. And right now you're heavily involved in work for the tsunami victims. What exactly is the focus of this group?
FERGUSON: SOS Children's Villages is about raising $13 to $15 million by the end of January for a five-year plan to really get orphanages up and running in the tsunami relief area.
S. O'BRIEN: So it's not the water, food, media relief stuff.
FERGUSON: That is being done separately through SOS Children's Villages, of course. But it's really focusing on bringing shelter and orphanages and housing and housekeepers and keeping siblings together. SOS Children's Villages is about keeping the families together.
You know, there's a little girl, she's lost her mom and dad, but she's got her brothers and sisters. Keep them in the family. Don't separate them out.
S. O'BRIEN: Why did you pick this group to work with? I have to imagine that you, in addition to your work with Weight Watchers, you really -- there's 10,000 zillion groups who would love to have you talking on their behalf. Why this group?
FERGUSON: I'm the USA spokesperson for SOS Children's Villages. It's been going for many, many years now. It is such a very strong point for me, is family unity.
Andrew and I bring up our children as a family. Although we're divorced, we still live in the same house. Because we believe that no matter what, at the end of the day, try and keep the families together. And SOS Children's Villages really stands for that. They really have shown, proven time and time again that keeping family unity, keeping brothers and sisters together, gives children the right to a better future.
S. O'BRIEN: I saw a picture the other day of you, along with your two girls, who are now teenagers, by the way. How scary is that? I remember them as little teeny, teeny toddlers.
You have a new role. You've been the spokesperson for Weight Watchers for awhile now, going on nine or 10 years. Now you're doing an advice column.
FERGUSON: I am.
S. O'BRIEN: Why?
FERGUSON: Well, because the great thing is, is that I've learned so many -- learned so much from my obstacles. You know?
I've been over so many hurdles. I don't want anyone else to go through such mistakes that I made. So I thought an advice column where people can ring in or -- sorry, write in and I can answer those. I will answer every letter. Not every letter will be published, but every letter will be answered.
For example, people didn't know in Chicago yesterday -- some people called in. Yvonne Delek (ph) rang me up and said, "What do we do? We don't know how to get the answers."
And I said, "You go to Weight Watchers and ask for support." The new turnaround program does two things. You can either count flex points or there's the no counting plan, where you literally can choose what you want to do.
So they didn't know that. And I said, "You can do that. You just go down, seek support, and we're there to help you."
S. O'BRIEN: You've got a lot going on.
FERGUSON: I know.
S. O'BRIEN: You're a busy lady.
FERGUSON: But the bottom line is, it's from the heart. And I think anybody watching today really ought to not worry so much about trying to be perfect. It's what we say at Weight Watchers. Go with what you know and follow your instinct, and ask for help.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, maybe your nephew will take some of your advice, as well. He's got a little digging out of his own to do this morning. Sarah Ferguson, the duchess of York.
Nice to see you. Thanks for coming in to talk with us.
FERGUSON: Nice to see you. Thank you very much, Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: We appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Soledad.
We're paging Dr. Sanjay Gupta now about Uncle Sam's new recipe for a healthier America. We say it's new. The key ingredients, though, in the new federal diet, eat less and exercise more.
We've heard this before. Sanjay is at the CNN Center with more now.
What's new in this, Sanjay?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we have heard this before. And -- but there are some specifics I want to -- I want to sort of drill on here, Bill.
First of all, two-thirds of Americans either overweight or obese now. A lot of people sort of anticipating these guidelines to see if they can take a stab at trimming down some of that fat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOMMY THOMPSON, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: It's scientifically based. It's telling you to lower your calorie intake as it relates to transfats, all fats.
It's telling you to reduce your calorie intake as it relates to carbohydrates. It's also telling you to increase your fruits and vegetables and your whole grains. And basically, it's telling you that you have to do it yourself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: The problem, of course, Bill, as you're already alluding to, is doing it yourself may be easier said than done. Let me go over some of the specifics here with regard to the new dietary guidelines.
First, in terms of diet itself, nine servings of fruit and vegetables every day. They say actually between five and 13 as far as a range goes. As far as grains go, half of all the grains that you eat should come from whole grain products. And here's probably the most daunting, 60 to 90 minutes of exercise for weight loss every day.
Bill, there's been a lot of discussion over the years about the Atkins-type diets, the low carb diets. If you look at the dietary guidelines, you'll find that they're almost the exact opposite of what the low carb diets have been advocating as well, Bill. So some specific guidelines in there; it remains to be seen how well they're going to do.
HEMMER: Let me just pick out one thing you said, 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day?
GUPTA: I know. It's...
HEMMER: How do you ow get that done in a busy life?
GUPTA: Not everyone can be like you and do it before you even get to work, Bill. So what they say within the guidelines is that, you know, you don't have to do it all at once.
Sort of break it up. In fact, you know, you may be taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator. You may park your car a little further away.
But it's important, I think, the message is there. Ninety minutes sounds like a lot. But if you can break it up during the day, you may be able to get there.
HEMMER: Soledad is laughing at my expense here, Sanjay.
S. O'BRIEN: Sorry. I'm sorry. He doesn't work out before he comes to the office. Give me a break.
HEMMER: Oh, you didn't know that? That's what I'm doing at 2:00 in the morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Every morning.
HEMMER: I'm dreaming about working out.
S. O'BRIEN: All right.
HEMMER: See you, Sanjay.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Sanjay.
GUPTA: See you, guys.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, how about this? A restaurant that is more known for its waitresses than it's food is beaten at its own game. Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Round two for Hooters, taking up the challenge to its sexy costume franchise. Retail sales numbers are out, the market's got a lot of stuff. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, FORTUNE MAGAZINE: We're going to start with the retail sales. I know you're chomping at the bit for the Hooters story.
CAFFERTY: For the retail sales.
SERWER: Yes, for the retail -- he's like that.
CAFFERTY: I love those.
SERWER: He really does love retail sales. Let's talk about the market yesterday. Finally, a relief rally. We haven't seen much of that this year.
The Dow up 61 points. You can see there, all indexes up.
Yes, retail sales, these are the final numbers in for last year and for the month of December. And they were very good, quite frankly.
December sales up 1.2 percent. That's strong. For the year, up 8 percent. That's the best showing since 1999, when retail sale were up 8.5 percent annually. So something to cheer about there.
Now, moving on to more important matters. Question -- and this is something you may be pondering. Are sexually provocative uniforms protected by trademark law?
CAFFERTY: You bet.
SERWER: Apparently not, Hack. Apparently no. The answer is no according to a U.S. district judge.
Ah, yes, this is a Hooters story. You might have guessed. Back in 2003, there's -- I knew they'd find Hooters.
S. O'BRIEN: Roll the video.
SERWER: Roll the Hooters footage. God, they're good down there. I knew they'd find -- back in 2003, Hooters sued a competitor called the WingHouse saying that the uniforms over at WingHouse were too similar.
Those are the WingHouse uniforms. They're kind of similar, but...
CAFFERTY: They're black. The other ones are orange.
SERWER: Exactly. And you know what? A manager -- and here's -- we're going to let our viewers compare and contrast here.
U.S. District Judge Ann Conway said, you know what, Hooters? Too bad. You've got to let WingHouse have these uniforms. They're not the same thing. They may be the same sort of idea, but a company is allowed to go out and have uniforms that are somewhat similar.
CAFFERTY: Another burning legal issue laid to rest.
SERWER: Well, you know, Jeff Toobin wanted to weigh in on this story. He was a little tied up. So I had to handle it.
CAFFERTY: Wasn't "Playboy" able to protect the design of those bunny costumes back a long time ago when they had all those "Playboy" clubs?
SERWER: I think that's also true. Yes.
CAFFERTY: I think they did.
SERWER: And, you know, how far society has progressed here.
S. O'BRIEN: Clearly.
SERWER: That's, you know, what leaves me thinking -- right?
CAFFERTY: There you go. On the file.
No cameras will be allowed in the courtroom for Michael Jackson's upcoming child molestation trial. But that's not stopping E! Entertainment Television and British Sky Broadcasting.
These two are going to team up and actually produce the Michael Jackson trial on a daily basis. A television show using actors to reenact the testimony of that day.
Casting for the series begins next week. While producers have someone in mind for the role of Jackson, that actor actually plays only a supporting role, as in sit at the defendant's table, keep your mouth shut and try not to look guilty. Jury selection gets underway January the 31st.
SERWER: Unreal.
CAFFERTY: Sex does not stop when you're 60 according to Barbra Streisand. In an interview with the "London Daily Telegraph," Streisand, who plays Ben Stiller's sex therapist mother in the current box office hit "Meet the Fockers," says that she and husband James Brolin both have an appreciation for sex in later life.
Streisand's 62, Brolin is 64. They've been married seven years. She says, "We believe it doesn't have to die and people can have fun and be free." She also says she and Brolin stay in bed on Saturday and never get dressed, which is too much information.
SERWER: TMI. TMI.
S. O'BRIEN: Way too much.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: I bet they don't have a lot of people ringing the doorbell either.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: "GQ" magazine polled 1,000 men between 25 and 55 on the subject of male vanity. They found 92 percent of the men questioned said they would never wear makeup even if it meant a better sex life.
SERWER: Oh.
CAFFERTY: The other 8 percent apparently will do anything.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Only -- as most men will, actually. Only 14 percent of those quizzed said they would wear makeup if they would get a 25 percent raise at work.
I would dress like Bozo the clown for a 25 percent raise.
HEMMER: Sign me up.
SERWER: And I do sometimes.
CAFFERTY: When it comes to plastic surgery, 65 percent say it's OK for both sexes to go under the knife for a little nip and tuck. And finally, 52 percent of men say it takes them less than one minute to decide what to wear every morning. And you'd have probably figured that out.
S. O'BRIEN: I was going to say, some people look like it.
SERWER: As far as that makeup thing, I do and I do.
CAFFERTY: You do what?
SERWER: I do, and I do. I wear makeup and, you know...
CAFFERTY: I used to work with a weatherman here in New York City who wore his makeup after the program was over. The rest of us would wash the stuff off our faces.
SERWER: What, he feels handsome in it?
CAFFERTY: He would wear his on and go to the grocery store.
SERWER: And it really worked.
S. O'BRIEN: It evens you out.
CAFFERTY: No. You know what? If you knew who I'm talking about, it didn't work at all.
SERWER: It didn't work?
CAFFERTY: Nothing would have helped.
HEMMER: Wait for the commercial.
SERWER: Yes, right.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh. Well, a look at today's top stories straight ahead this morning.
The California mudslide search and rescue mission is going on. The time, of course, running out. We're going to take you live to the scene there ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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