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American Morning

'Gimme a Minute'; 'Paging Dr. Gupta'

Aired February 11, 2005 - 08:32   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: Nice looking day here in New York City. Welcome back, everybody, as we approach the end of the week here on AMERICAN MORNING.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's been a long week.

HEMMER: You like that, huh?

O'BRIEN: Yes, everybody's sick in my house.

HEMMER: You have a great weekend to look forward to, don't you?

O'BRIEN: I know.

HEMMER: Send sympathy cards to Soledad's house, because it's Valentine's weekend.

On that same light, though, Can you really die of a broken heart, huh? Perfect this time of year to talk about that story. Apparently, you can. Sanjay is back to explain broken-heart syndrome that apparently looks a whole lot like a heart attack.

O'BRIEN: Remarkable, actually.

HEMMER: No question.

O'BRIEN: Also, a trip to L.A. for the Grammys. Not for us. We're here. But Toure is actually there. He's going to talk to us about what's happening in the Grammys, a little preview.

HEMMER: Indeed, check in there.

In the meantime, back to the headlines. Here's Carol with us.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

Now in the news, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meeting with Iraqi's Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in an effort to recognize the great success of those Iraqi elections. Secretary Rumsfeld making a surprise visit to Iraq this morning. He also met with U.S. soldiers in Mosul and in Baghdad.

In the meantime, there's been more deadly attacks this morning. Just last hour, at least a dozen people were killed near a Shiite mosque northeast of Baghdad. Earlier, insurgents gunned down at least nine workers at two bakeries. A police official suggesting the attack was part of a plan to pit Sunni Muslims against Shia Muslims.

The faithful in Rome waiting to see if they will catch a glimpse of Pope John Paul II today. The pope arrived at the Vatican yesterday after spending more than a week recovering at a hospital from a respiratory infection. The pope waving to cheering crowds from his pope-mobile. He may take part today in a mass for the sick at St. Peter's Basilica.

A high school teacher in Georgia is recovering this morning after being rundown by one of her students. The 64-year-old drivers education teacher was pinned beneath the car for 15 minutes before firefighters could free her. Authorities say the student may have accidentally hit the accelerator when trying to brake and backed into her.

And New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi saying he's sorry, but not exactly being clear about what he's sorry for. It was Giambi's first public comment yesterday since he reportedly admitted to using steroids to a grand jury. But he never mentioned the word steroids during the news conference. Giambi set to report for practice in nine days.

O'BRIEN: You got to imagine that sort with all the legal issues now surrounding all of this, that at least his attorneys are like ix- nay on admitting anything.

COSTELLO: He couldn't mention about steroid use specifically, but in just looking at him, he looks pathetic.

O'BRIEN: Think he's going have a long season? Can you imagine him taking the field in Fenway Park, the big old bullseye on his back.

COSTELLO: Imagine the pressure, because he wants to do well to prove that he can play without drug use.

HEMMER: Bingo.

O'BRIEN: I agree with you, it is a little sad.

All right, thank you, Carol.

O'BRIEN: Every Friday at this time, our "Gimme a Minute" gang makes quick work of the week's stories. In Watertown, Massachusetts this morning is Democratic strategist. -- that's not Democratic strategist Doug Hattaway. Whoa, no, no, no, there's Doug Hattaway.

Hey, Doug. Good morning to you.

Washington is what we saw just a moment ago, and that's Republican consultant, Tara Setmayer.

Nice to see you.

And up in dark and very early Los Angeles is comedy writer Mike Giboons.

Nice to see you, guys. Good morning to you. Let's get going.

We're going to begin with Tara this morning, because this way we'll explain to people who everybody is, because we kind of missed up that intro there, and I wasn't helping at all.

Let's talk about North Korea, seriously now, because it is our top story. It's the Question of the Day as well. Backing out of diplomatic talks, the six-way talks, don't want to do. They want bilateral talks with the United States. Tara, why not? What's wrong with it?

TARA SETMAYER, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: Well, here you have a perfect example of a leader who has the Napoleonic complex to the nth degree. Basically North Korea is stomping its fight. Kim Jong-Il is the leader of a Stalinist, totalitarian regime, that we question whether they're bluffing or not. They're using this just to position themselves to get more aid internationally, and that money and that aid just goes toward starving their people further.

So, you know, they did this once before, when they weren't getting enough attention on the global playground. They did this in April 2003, they said the same thing.

O'BRIEN: OK, you're laying out what they want, but, Doug, should there be bilateral talks?

DOUG HATTAWAY, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Well, I think they should be considered. If Nixon could get detente with China, Reagan could have a nuclear summit with Gorbachev, you would think Bush would be able to figure out how to deal with a tin horn communist dictator like this. I think the Clinton administration was successful in getting them not to process plutonium. They started again under Bush, so I think his policy of disengagement and name calling obviously hasn't worked.

O'BRIEN: Mike, you'll see there's zero, zero, zero on the clock, which gives you lots of time to expound.

MIKE GIBBONS, COMEDY WRITER: I think North Korea is just trying to intimidate people. You've seen Kim Jong-Il. How scary does North Korea have to be at this point? Also, what do they have to worry about really? It should be clear, Bush only attacks countries that have no weapons, so they have nothing to worry about.

O'BRIEN: All right let's throw our next question toward Doug. This bill, which would raise the indecency fines, pretty high, half a million bucks, and then they have the sort of three strikes-and-your- out concept behind it. Doug, what do you make of this? Good idea.

HATTAWAY: Well. indecency is obviously in the eye of the beholder. I think it's interesting that it's OK for kids to be exposed to a thousand brutal murders, but if there's a wardrobe malfunction, you're going to get a half-million dollar fine. There's an indecent amount of commercialism and violence aimed at kids every day on TV, but we don't hear about that from this pro-censorship crowd in Washington.

O'BRIEN: Tara, who said I can't define pornography, but I know it when I see it?

SETMAYER: Yes, well you know, this is typical of the Democrats, because this country has been pro-family values, which was demonstrated by President Bush's overwhelming election in November. Enough is enough. The Super Bowl was just the tip of the iceberg, and after that people said, enough is enough. And I think this is absolutely correct. We need to stop somewhere, because promiscuity and violence just set stage for a continuing moral degradation in this country. So they're doing the right thing.

O'BRIEN: What do you think, Mike?

GIBBONS: You know, it's such a joke. It's so subjective. There's a double standard. I'd say what I really feel about it, but I'd be fined about $1.5 million.

O'BRIEN: Then please don't, because actually we'd be fined about $1.5 million.

Tara, we're going to start with you for our third question. What the heck are you going to wear to the wedding, you know, Charles and Camilla? I assume you got an invitation? We're going to go together, you and me.

SETMAYER: All right, you know, this is such a joke, and it's really a disgrace to the memory of Princess Diana, who was such a classy lady. She had to go through a lot. It was an unfortunate situation. I mean, it's about time, I guess, Charles marries Camilla. I mean, he wore a name bracelet of hers during the honeymoon when he married Princess Diana. So he's always been in love with her, so I guess that's great for them, but I think it's a disgrace.

O'BRIEN: Doug, Tara sounds just resigned and not so happy. What do you think?

HATTAWAY: Well, hey, I think it's bound to last since they've been dating for 40 years. I think it's too bad that when Charles takes the throne, she's not going to be called the queen, because I can't see the British singing "God save the princess consort."

O'BRIEN: Yes, doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Mike, God save the princess consort -- you don't love it either?

GIBBONS: You know, She's the people's home wrecker, and I think, you know, they may have a chance. They're both divorced, both have children, and they both haven't worked a single day in their lives. So it might work out.

O'BRIEN: It's a marriage made in heaven, as they say.

Let's talk about the under-covered story of the week. Doug, we're going to starting with you for this. What do you think we missed? HATTAWAY: Yes, I was happy to see that all the Democrats in the Senate sent a letter to President Bush calling him to account for the White House orchestrated smear campaign against Harry Reid. The Republicans have been ganging up on Reid like they did against Tom Daschle. It's nice to see the Democrats standing by their leader.

O'BRIEN: Tara, what do you think?

SETMAYER: I think the blatant hypocrisy and hysteria of the Democratic leadership and the congressional black caucus, concerning Social Security reform and how it benefits African-Americans. It's clear that this party -- they claim they're pro-choice and pro- diversity, but not when it comes to people making a decision about their future and owning their -- and ownership of society.

O'BRIEN: Mike, we're going to give you the final word this morning.

GIBBONS: You know, it might be the difficulty finding the Michael Jackson jury. I mean, Michael's peers, good luck finding the Jackson 12. That's a lot of sequestered llamas.

O'BRIEN: That is our final word this morning. You guys, as always, thank you very much. Nice to see you. Have a fantastic weekend. Thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: 20 minutes before the hour now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Well, you know a broken bone might land you in the hospital, but now doctors say a broken heart could also land you in the hospital. We're "Paging Dr. Gupta," talking about broken heart syndrome.

HEMMER: Also, Usher's expected to have a big night on Sunday night at the Grammys. Will his biggest competition be a rapper whose whole album bashed higher education? We'll look at that in a moment. Toure is live in L.A. this morning. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: It has been said that a broken heart can send someone to their grave. Well, it turns out that may actually be true. We're paging the good doctor about this, broken heart syndrome. Good morning, Sanjay.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Yes, you know the term broken heart, heartache, all those sorts of terms may have new meaning as doctors try and figure out what exactly is happening inside the body when we're under extreme stress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Sharon Lawson had kidney cancer, then 12 years later, doctors found another tumor. She feared her cancer was back. This new stress hit just six months before a very important day. Her daughter's wedding.

SHARON LAWSON, "BROKEN HEART" PATIENT: There was nothing more important than my being able to get to the wedding and be in good shape.

GUPTA: Then in the middle of her biopsy, she suddenly had what appeared to be a massive heart attack. But it wasn't. Instead, she had what doctors at Johns Hopkins refer to as broken heart syndrome, or officially, stress cardiomyopathy. In a new study, these doctors reported broken heart syndrome in 20 patients over nearly four years.

DR. HUNTER CHAMPION, JOHNS HOPKINS MED. INSTITUTION: These patients had what appeared to be a massive heart attack, but really had no coronary disease to speak of.

GUPTA: Instead, doctors believe the body was suddenly flooded with so much of the stress hormone adrenaline that blood flow to the heart stopped. But unlike a heart attack, after a few days, the heart recovers completely, with no long-term damage. However, in severe cases, like Lawson's, it can be fatal if not treated immediately, because the heart doesn't pump enough blood to the organs. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, even fainting.

Doctors report that grief from the loss of a loved one, the stress of a job interview or even a surprise party can be triggers. The American Heart Association says this broken heart syndrome demonstrates once again the strong link between body and mind.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: Sort of think of it as a stunning of the heart. That was a small study for sure, but I think it raises questions again about the significance of the mind/body connection. One of the questions also, most of the people in the study were women over the age of 50, as well. So that needs to be investigated further.

HEMMER: That's interesting, too. Yes, what are we to take away from this, Sanjay?

GUPTA: A couple of things. One is that, you know, if somebody has an overwhelming stress, overwhelming bad news, loss of a loved one, suddenly develops chest pain, heart attack is something to be considered, but it could also be the stunning of the heart, which is reversible, which is treatable. Need to raise awareness about that.

And I also think again this mind/body connection. How do you manage stress? How do you manage the stress in you mind that can sometimes affect your body? If you recognize that your body's being affected, maybe that helps. I think that's what people are hoping, as well.

HEMMER: Maybe some exercise, some yoga?

GUPTA: Anything to relax the mind, that's right. HEMMER: Thank you, Sanjay. Valentine's Day's Monday. Another reminder. Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: It is the music industry's biggest night. The Grammy Awards will be handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles. Our pop culture correspondent, Toure, is on the left coast with a little preview. Toure, this is the second day in a row we've hauled you out of bed early.

TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: I know.

O'BRIEN: Thank you. Good morning.

TOURE: Oh, god. Soledad, the 47th annual Grammy Awards are on Sunday, and while it's sure to be great television, may not be the perfect way to figure out what was best in music this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE (voice-over): It's so fitting the Grammys are on Black History Month this year, because this year the show is an unintentional celebration of black music. The artists with the motherlode of nominations are the ubiquitous Usher, with eight. Alicia Keys with eight.

And Kanye West grabbed ten nominations. Kanye is the rapper/producer from Chicago with a preppy sartorial style and clever rhymes. His debut album "The College Drop-Out," repeatedly bashed higher education while Kanye, the son of an educator, showed off his intelligence.

Alicia Keys is a singer and pianist from Harlem whose sophomore album, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," nourished those who missed the raw talent and bone-deep soulfulness of 70s stars like Gladys Knight.

Usher Raymond of Atlanta, GA should be getting out of his seat quite often Sunday night. His album "Confessions" is a slickly produced suite of hit after hit. "Confessions" was 2004's best- selling album, purchased eight million times.

Usher's biggest competition could be Ray Charles. Everybody loves Ray, and we all know that in big awards shows, the recently deceased have a tremendous advantage over the living, which bodes well for the late, great soul man.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE: Now if your favorite artist doesn't win, don't fret, the Grammys often feel like a father judging his son's music collection. They're chosen by 8,000 music industry professional, who tend to lean strongly toward mainstream pop, rather than the edgier stuff. You could make a fantastic iPod singing just to artist whose have never won the record of the year Grammy -- Elvis, Stevie, Bruce -- the Boss -- Aretha -- the Queen of Soul -- the Stones, and The Beatles.

And the artist who never won a Grammy of any sort, that list is incredible, Jimmy Hendrix, Guns and Roses, the Pretenders, the sublime Pretenders, and the amazing Curtis Mayfield. Unbelievable.

O'BRIEN: Kind of a nice list, yes. All right, Toure, thanks.

TOURE: Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Once again, we should remember that the 47th Annual Grammy Awards can be seen this Sunday 8:00 p.m. On Monday, Toure is going to be back again from the West Coast, where it's really, really early. And he's going to take us through some of the highlights, and maybe some of the low-lights as well from the music industry's big, big night.

HEMMER: How about that picture?

O'BRIEN: I know, boy.

HEMMER: Not that one, the other one.

O'BRIEN: He looks like he's been out dancing around or something.

HEMMER: Toure is laughing out in L.A. He gets a kick out of that.

Let's get a break here. In a moment, why a court would try to protect a sex offender who's been a fugitive for 27 years. That's in "The Cafferty File," when we come back, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for "The Cafferty File." Britain's highest court has ruled that film director Roman Polanski can testify via videophone from Paris when his libel lawsuit against "Vanity Fair" magazine is heard in an English court. Polanksi's a convicted felon. He's a fugitive from the United States, where he pleaded guilty to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977. He's been on the run ever since. He fled to France, where else, after pleading guilty of the crime, where he cannot be extradited back to the United States under their laws.

But he can still apparently sue an American magazine from France, thanks to the British high court. If he went to Britain to testify in the lawsuit, he could be extradited to the U.S., which is what ought to happen to him. But instead, the Brits are going to make it OK for this wanted felon to proceed with his lawsuit even though he has unsatisfied prison time pending here in the United States. There ought to be a law.

The Cincinnati Zoo has welcomed its newest member. This is a great picture. This is a baby okapi.

O'BRIEN: Oh, cute.

CAFFERTY: The okapi is a relative of the giraffe, can be found in the nature of the rain forests in central Africa. This was the last large mammal ever discovered by humans, but that's not the reason we're telling you about the okapi.

Besides being a bit of a weird-looking dude, the okapi is the only animal in the world that can clean its ears with its tongue. And if that's not newsworthy, what the hell is?

TGIF, here's something that illustrates the way most of us feel every Monday.

Heading for the office Monday morning, right?

Now, Fridays, Fridays like today, it's a little more like this.

HEMMER: Let's get out of here!

CAFFERTY: There you go. You got your Monday, got your Friday.

O'BRIEN: That's very cute.

HEMMER: Told by the animals.

Thank you, Jack.

Top stories in a moment here. Also a look at the man behind North Korea's tough talk these days. What makes Kim Jong-Il tick? And some revealing insight, too. We're back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired February 11, 2005 - 08:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Nice looking day here in New York City. Welcome back, everybody, as we approach the end of the week here on AMERICAN MORNING.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's been a long week.

HEMMER: You like that, huh?

O'BRIEN: Yes, everybody's sick in my house.

HEMMER: You have a great weekend to look forward to, don't you?

O'BRIEN: I know.

HEMMER: Send sympathy cards to Soledad's house, because it's Valentine's weekend.

On that same light, though, Can you really die of a broken heart, huh? Perfect this time of year to talk about that story. Apparently, you can. Sanjay is back to explain broken-heart syndrome that apparently looks a whole lot like a heart attack.

O'BRIEN: Remarkable, actually.

HEMMER: No question.

O'BRIEN: Also, a trip to L.A. for the Grammys. Not for us. We're here. But Toure is actually there. He's going to talk to us about what's happening in the Grammys, a little preview.

HEMMER: Indeed, check in there.

In the meantime, back to the headlines. Here's Carol with us.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

Now in the news, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meeting with Iraqi's Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in an effort to recognize the great success of those Iraqi elections. Secretary Rumsfeld making a surprise visit to Iraq this morning. He also met with U.S. soldiers in Mosul and in Baghdad.

In the meantime, there's been more deadly attacks this morning. Just last hour, at least a dozen people were killed near a Shiite mosque northeast of Baghdad. Earlier, insurgents gunned down at least nine workers at two bakeries. A police official suggesting the attack was part of a plan to pit Sunni Muslims against Shia Muslims.

The faithful in Rome waiting to see if they will catch a glimpse of Pope John Paul II today. The pope arrived at the Vatican yesterday after spending more than a week recovering at a hospital from a respiratory infection. The pope waving to cheering crowds from his pope-mobile. He may take part today in a mass for the sick at St. Peter's Basilica.

A high school teacher in Georgia is recovering this morning after being rundown by one of her students. The 64-year-old drivers education teacher was pinned beneath the car for 15 minutes before firefighters could free her. Authorities say the student may have accidentally hit the accelerator when trying to brake and backed into her.

And New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi saying he's sorry, but not exactly being clear about what he's sorry for. It was Giambi's first public comment yesterday since he reportedly admitted to using steroids to a grand jury. But he never mentioned the word steroids during the news conference. Giambi set to report for practice in nine days.

O'BRIEN: You got to imagine that sort with all the legal issues now surrounding all of this, that at least his attorneys are like ix- nay on admitting anything.

COSTELLO: He couldn't mention about steroid use specifically, but in just looking at him, he looks pathetic.

O'BRIEN: Think he's going have a long season? Can you imagine him taking the field in Fenway Park, the big old bullseye on his back.

COSTELLO: Imagine the pressure, because he wants to do well to prove that he can play without drug use.

HEMMER: Bingo.

O'BRIEN: I agree with you, it is a little sad.

All right, thank you, Carol.

O'BRIEN: Every Friday at this time, our "Gimme a Minute" gang makes quick work of the week's stories. In Watertown, Massachusetts this morning is Democratic strategist. -- that's not Democratic strategist Doug Hattaway. Whoa, no, no, no, there's Doug Hattaway.

Hey, Doug. Good morning to you.

Washington is what we saw just a moment ago, and that's Republican consultant, Tara Setmayer.

Nice to see you.

And up in dark and very early Los Angeles is comedy writer Mike Giboons.

Nice to see you, guys. Good morning to you. Let's get going.

We're going to begin with Tara this morning, because this way we'll explain to people who everybody is, because we kind of missed up that intro there, and I wasn't helping at all.

Let's talk about North Korea, seriously now, because it is our top story. It's the Question of the Day as well. Backing out of diplomatic talks, the six-way talks, don't want to do. They want bilateral talks with the United States. Tara, why not? What's wrong with it?

TARA SETMAYER, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: Well, here you have a perfect example of a leader who has the Napoleonic complex to the nth degree. Basically North Korea is stomping its fight. Kim Jong-Il is the leader of a Stalinist, totalitarian regime, that we question whether they're bluffing or not. They're using this just to position themselves to get more aid internationally, and that money and that aid just goes toward starving their people further.

So, you know, they did this once before, when they weren't getting enough attention on the global playground. They did this in April 2003, they said the same thing.

O'BRIEN: OK, you're laying out what they want, but, Doug, should there be bilateral talks?

DOUG HATTAWAY, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Well, I think they should be considered. If Nixon could get detente with China, Reagan could have a nuclear summit with Gorbachev, you would think Bush would be able to figure out how to deal with a tin horn communist dictator like this. I think the Clinton administration was successful in getting them not to process plutonium. They started again under Bush, so I think his policy of disengagement and name calling obviously hasn't worked.

O'BRIEN: Mike, you'll see there's zero, zero, zero on the clock, which gives you lots of time to expound.

MIKE GIBBONS, COMEDY WRITER: I think North Korea is just trying to intimidate people. You've seen Kim Jong-Il. How scary does North Korea have to be at this point? Also, what do they have to worry about really? It should be clear, Bush only attacks countries that have no weapons, so they have nothing to worry about.

O'BRIEN: All right let's throw our next question toward Doug. This bill, which would raise the indecency fines, pretty high, half a million bucks, and then they have the sort of three strikes-and-your- out concept behind it. Doug, what do you make of this? Good idea.

HATTAWAY: Well. indecency is obviously in the eye of the beholder. I think it's interesting that it's OK for kids to be exposed to a thousand brutal murders, but if there's a wardrobe malfunction, you're going to get a half-million dollar fine. There's an indecent amount of commercialism and violence aimed at kids every day on TV, but we don't hear about that from this pro-censorship crowd in Washington.

O'BRIEN: Tara, who said I can't define pornography, but I know it when I see it?

SETMAYER: Yes, well you know, this is typical of the Democrats, because this country has been pro-family values, which was demonstrated by President Bush's overwhelming election in November. Enough is enough. The Super Bowl was just the tip of the iceberg, and after that people said, enough is enough. And I think this is absolutely correct. We need to stop somewhere, because promiscuity and violence just set stage for a continuing moral degradation in this country. So they're doing the right thing.

O'BRIEN: What do you think, Mike?

GIBBONS: You know, it's such a joke. It's so subjective. There's a double standard. I'd say what I really feel about it, but I'd be fined about $1.5 million.

O'BRIEN: Then please don't, because actually we'd be fined about $1.5 million.

Tara, we're going to start with you for our third question. What the heck are you going to wear to the wedding, you know, Charles and Camilla? I assume you got an invitation? We're going to go together, you and me.

SETMAYER: All right, you know, this is such a joke, and it's really a disgrace to the memory of Princess Diana, who was such a classy lady. She had to go through a lot. It was an unfortunate situation. I mean, it's about time, I guess, Charles marries Camilla. I mean, he wore a name bracelet of hers during the honeymoon when he married Princess Diana. So he's always been in love with her, so I guess that's great for them, but I think it's a disgrace.

O'BRIEN: Doug, Tara sounds just resigned and not so happy. What do you think?

HATTAWAY: Well, hey, I think it's bound to last since they've been dating for 40 years. I think it's too bad that when Charles takes the throne, she's not going to be called the queen, because I can't see the British singing "God save the princess consort."

O'BRIEN: Yes, doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Mike, God save the princess consort -- you don't love it either?

GIBBONS: You know, She's the people's home wrecker, and I think, you know, they may have a chance. They're both divorced, both have children, and they both haven't worked a single day in their lives. So it might work out.

O'BRIEN: It's a marriage made in heaven, as they say.

Let's talk about the under-covered story of the week. Doug, we're going to starting with you for this. What do you think we missed? HATTAWAY: Yes, I was happy to see that all the Democrats in the Senate sent a letter to President Bush calling him to account for the White House orchestrated smear campaign against Harry Reid. The Republicans have been ganging up on Reid like they did against Tom Daschle. It's nice to see the Democrats standing by their leader.

O'BRIEN: Tara, what do you think?

SETMAYER: I think the blatant hypocrisy and hysteria of the Democratic leadership and the congressional black caucus, concerning Social Security reform and how it benefits African-Americans. It's clear that this party -- they claim they're pro-choice and pro- diversity, but not when it comes to people making a decision about their future and owning their -- and ownership of society.

O'BRIEN: Mike, we're going to give you the final word this morning.

GIBBONS: You know, it might be the difficulty finding the Michael Jackson jury. I mean, Michael's peers, good luck finding the Jackson 12. That's a lot of sequestered llamas.

O'BRIEN: That is our final word this morning. You guys, as always, thank you very much. Nice to see you. Have a fantastic weekend. Thanks -- Bill.

HEMMER: 20 minutes before the hour now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Well, you know a broken bone might land you in the hospital, but now doctors say a broken heart could also land you in the hospital. We're "Paging Dr. Gupta," talking about broken heart syndrome.

HEMMER: Also, Usher's expected to have a big night on Sunday night at the Grammys. Will his biggest competition be a rapper whose whole album bashed higher education? We'll look at that in a moment. Toure is live in L.A. this morning. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: It has been said that a broken heart can send someone to their grave. Well, it turns out that may actually be true. We're paging the good doctor about this, broken heart syndrome. Good morning, Sanjay.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Yes, you know the term broken heart, heartache, all those sorts of terms may have new meaning as doctors try and figure out what exactly is happening inside the body when we're under extreme stress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Sharon Lawson had kidney cancer, then 12 years later, doctors found another tumor. She feared her cancer was back. This new stress hit just six months before a very important day. Her daughter's wedding.

SHARON LAWSON, "BROKEN HEART" PATIENT: There was nothing more important than my being able to get to the wedding and be in good shape.

GUPTA: Then in the middle of her biopsy, she suddenly had what appeared to be a massive heart attack. But it wasn't. Instead, she had what doctors at Johns Hopkins refer to as broken heart syndrome, or officially, stress cardiomyopathy. In a new study, these doctors reported broken heart syndrome in 20 patients over nearly four years.

DR. HUNTER CHAMPION, JOHNS HOPKINS MED. INSTITUTION: These patients had what appeared to be a massive heart attack, but really had no coronary disease to speak of.

GUPTA: Instead, doctors believe the body was suddenly flooded with so much of the stress hormone adrenaline that blood flow to the heart stopped. But unlike a heart attack, after a few days, the heart recovers completely, with no long-term damage. However, in severe cases, like Lawson's, it can be fatal if not treated immediately, because the heart doesn't pump enough blood to the organs. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, even fainting.

Doctors report that grief from the loss of a loved one, the stress of a job interview or even a surprise party can be triggers. The American Heart Association says this broken heart syndrome demonstrates once again the strong link between body and mind.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: Sort of think of it as a stunning of the heart. That was a small study for sure, but I think it raises questions again about the significance of the mind/body connection. One of the questions also, most of the people in the study were women over the age of 50, as well. So that needs to be investigated further.

HEMMER: That's interesting, too. Yes, what are we to take away from this, Sanjay?

GUPTA: A couple of things. One is that, you know, if somebody has an overwhelming stress, overwhelming bad news, loss of a loved one, suddenly develops chest pain, heart attack is something to be considered, but it could also be the stunning of the heart, which is reversible, which is treatable. Need to raise awareness about that.

And I also think again this mind/body connection. How do you manage stress? How do you manage the stress in you mind that can sometimes affect your body? If you recognize that your body's being affected, maybe that helps. I think that's what people are hoping, as well.

HEMMER: Maybe some exercise, some yoga?

GUPTA: Anything to relax the mind, that's right. HEMMER: Thank you, Sanjay. Valentine's Day's Monday. Another reminder. Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: It is the music industry's biggest night. The Grammy Awards will be handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles. Our pop culture correspondent, Toure, is on the left coast with a little preview. Toure, this is the second day in a row we've hauled you out of bed early.

TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: I know.

O'BRIEN: Thank you. Good morning.

TOURE: Oh, god. Soledad, the 47th annual Grammy Awards are on Sunday, and while it's sure to be great television, may not be the perfect way to figure out what was best in music this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE (voice-over): It's so fitting the Grammys are on Black History Month this year, because this year the show is an unintentional celebration of black music. The artists with the motherlode of nominations are the ubiquitous Usher, with eight. Alicia Keys with eight.

And Kanye West grabbed ten nominations. Kanye is the rapper/producer from Chicago with a preppy sartorial style and clever rhymes. His debut album "The College Drop-Out," repeatedly bashed higher education while Kanye, the son of an educator, showed off his intelligence.

Alicia Keys is a singer and pianist from Harlem whose sophomore album, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," nourished those who missed the raw talent and bone-deep soulfulness of 70s stars like Gladys Knight.

Usher Raymond of Atlanta, GA should be getting out of his seat quite often Sunday night. His album "Confessions" is a slickly produced suite of hit after hit. "Confessions" was 2004's best- selling album, purchased eight million times.

Usher's biggest competition could be Ray Charles. Everybody loves Ray, and we all know that in big awards shows, the recently deceased have a tremendous advantage over the living, which bodes well for the late, great soul man.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TOURE: Now if your favorite artist doesn't win, don't fret, the Grammys often feel like a father judging his son's music collection. They're chosen by 8,000 music industry professional, who tend to lean strongly toward mainstream pop, rather than the edgier stuff. You could make a fantastic iPod singing just to artist whose have never won the record of the year Grammy -- Elvis, Stevie, Bruce -- the Boss -- Aretha -- the Queen of Soul -- the Stones, and The Beatles.

And the artist who never won a Grammy of any sort, that list is incredible, Jimmy Hendrix, Guns and Roses, the Pretenders, the sublime Pretenders, and the amazing Curtis Mayfield. Unbelievable.

O'BRIEN: Kind of a nice list, yes. All right, Toure, thanks.

TOURE: Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Once again, we should remember that the 47th Annual Grammy Awards can be seen this Sunday 8:00 p.m. On Monday, Toure is going to be back again from the West Coast, where it's really, really early. And he's going to take us through some of the highlights, and maybe some of the low-lights as well from the music industry's big, big night.

HEMMER: How about that picture?

O'BRIEN: I know, boy.

HEMMER: Not that one, the other one.

O'BRIEN: He looks like he's been out dancing around or something.

HEMMER: Toure is laughing out in L.A. He gets a kick out of that.

Let's get a break here. In a moment, why a court would try to protect a sex offender who's been a fugitive for 27 years. That's in "The Cafferty File," when we come back, right after this.

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JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for "The Cafferty File." Britain's highest court has ruled that film director Roman Polanski can testify via videophone from Paris when his libel lawsuit against "Vanity Fair" magazine is heard in an English court. Polanksi's a convicted felon. He's a fugitive from the United States, where he pleaded guilty to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977. He's been on the run ever since. He fled to France, where else, after pleading guilty of the crime, where he cannot be extradited back to the United States under their laws.

But he can still apparently sue an American magazine from France, thanks to the British high court. If he went to Britain to testify in the lawsuit, he could be extradited to the U.S., which is what ought to happen to him. But instead, the Brits are going to make it OK for this wanted felon to proceed with his lawsuit even though he has unsatisfied prison time pending here in the United States. There ought to be a law.

The Cincinnati Zoo has welcomed its newest member. This is a great picture. This is a baby okapi.

O'BRIEN: Oh, cute.

CAFFERTY: The okapi is a relative of the giraffe, can be found in the nature of the rain forests in central Africa. This was the last large mammal ever discovered by humans, but that's not the reason we're telling you about the okapi.

Besides being a bit of a weird-looking dude, the okapi is the only animal in the world that can clean its ears with its tongue. And if that's not newsworthy, what the hell is?

TGIF, here's something that illustrates the way most of us feel every Monday.

Heading for the office Monday morning, right?

Now, Fridays, Fridays like today, it's a little more like this.

HEMMER: Let's get out of here!

CAFFERTY: There you go. You got your Monday, got your Friday.

O'BRIEN: That's very cute.

HEMMER: Told by the animals.

Thank you, Jack.

Top stories in a moment here. Also a look at the man behind North Korea's tough talk these days. What makes Kim Jong-Il tick? And some revealing insight, too. We're back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.

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