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American Morning
Amazing Awakening; '90-Second Pop'
Aired February 11, 2005 - 07:29 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: A beautiful, chilly morning here in New York City, a wonderful shot of Central Park. And that place is going to be a hot spot over the weekend. Christo is going to unveil his latest, what, his art, right?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Art.
HEMMER: Seventy-five hundred of these orange horseshoes, going to drape it in, what, orange chiffon? And we're going to...
O'BRIEN: I'm going to miss it.
HEMMER: You are?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Well, it's going to be up for a couple weeks, so you have enough time.
O'BRIEN: No, I'm probably still going to miss it.
HEMMER: Oh. I'm not. I'm going to take my mountain bike through there.
O'BRIEN: Good for you.
HEMMER: In a few moments, we're going to get you out to Kansas, a great story here. A woman speaking for the first time after spending 20 years in a coma-like state. Her parents, as you can imagine, are just ecstatic. And we'll have a look at what happened with her, and whether or not this qualifies as a medical miracle. I think her parents would say yes, no question about that. So, Sanjay's coming up to talk about that in a few moments here.
O'BRIEN: Also ahead this morning, "90-Second Pop." We're talking all about the Grammys. One of the great storylines this year is Rod Stewart. He's been nominated 13 times. He has never won. He's like the Susan Lucci of the Grammys.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I knew you were going to say that.
O'BRIEN: You know, not a stretch that at all. I think he's even said it. In his family they talk about it, and they kind of mock him for not winning.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: So, maybe this is going to be his year. Let's hope so.
COSTELLO: I hope so. He's singing those cheesy love songs right now, and people like those.
O'BRIEN: They love that.
COSTELLO: They love that.
O'BRIEN: He should win. Let's get right to the headlines. Carol Costello made it over here.
Hey, good morning.
COSTELLO: I have. Good morning. Good morning, everyone.
"Now in the News."
More violence to tell you about this morning out of Baghdad. In the past hour, word of a deadly car bombing at a Shiite mosque northeast of Baghdad. Iraqi police say at least 12 people were killed, more than 20 others injured in that blast. And at least nine people were killed after gunmen attacked a pair of bakeries in southern Baghdad. That happened earlier this morning.
The attacks come as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq for a surprise visit. He met with troops in Mosul earlier this morning and is now in Baghdad.
Police are scrambling this morning to identify and locate 32 people who apparently agreed to commit suicide on Valentine's Day. A 26-old man, this man, in Klamath Falls, Oregon, is suspected of orchestrating the online pact. Among the people who apparently agreed to take part is a mother, who plans to kill her two children as well. Authorities say finding them, even if it is a hoax, is a top priority.
Pope John Paul II may attend mass at St. Peter's Basilica today. The pope arrived at the Vatican from a Rome hospital yesterday, waving to cheering crowds from his brightly-lit pope-mobile. He may take part today in a mass for the sick. It's scheduled to begin in about three hours.
And hundreds of volunteers are putting the finishing touches today on "The Gate," Soledad's favorite work of art.
O'BRIEN: Can you tell?
COSTELLO: I know. It is a massive $20 million art project due to be unveiled officially in New York Central Park tomorrow. The installation was designed by the artist Christo and his wife, Jeanne- Claude. Seventy-five hundred of the gates are set up over more than 20 miles of park pathways. The gates will be up through the end of the month, and the gates, and then there will big, flowing orange-like curtains coming off of them. And you can go right through them.
O'BRIEN: Twenty miles, $20 million.
HEMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: All volunteers offered to put up those things from which the curtains will hang.
O'BRIEN: Bill Hemmer is going to go experience those gates.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And then he is going to come back and report on that.
HEMMER: A lot of people are saying it looks like dominoes throughout the entire park.
COSTELLO: I think it will be beautiful.
HEMMER: I think it will be cool, too.
COSTELLO: Get with the program.
O'BRIEN: Obviously, I'm not appreciating the art.
HEMMER: I'll get a picture for you.
O'BRIEN: But, you know what? You guy go, and let me know how it is, OK?
COSTELLO: OK.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
HEMMER: A great story this morning to talk about. Twenty years ago, a hit-and-run accident left 18-year-old Sara Scantlin with massive brain injuries, unable to speak with anyone. Until now.
Here's David Mattingly this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The last time Sara Scantlin was able to speak it was more than 20 years ago, the moment she walked into the glaring lights of a drunk driver. The hit- and-run left her battered, broken and unable to speak.
BETSY SCANTLIN, MOTHER: She knows who we are, and she can't communicate with us.
MATTINGLY: John Moore, now a police detective, was a witness to Sara's hit-and-run.
JOHN MOORE, POLICE DETECTIVE: We saw her fly through the air probably at least 20 feet into the air and landed on her head.
MATTINGLY: It happened here, on a dark, two-lane road outside their hometown at Hutchinson, Kansas, as they left a party.
(on camera): When you saw that accident, did you think that there was any way she could survive?
MOORE: No, I thought she was probably -- if she wasn't dead, she was going to probably die.
JIM SCANTLIN, FATHER: The phone rings about midnight. My wife answers it, pulls my big toe and says, "We've got to get to the hospital. Something bad has happened to Sara."
MATTINGLY (voice over): But now, more than 20 years later, and 38 years old, her family calls her a medical miracle, as she suddenly regained the ability to talk.
J. SCANTLIN: I got on the phone, and she said, "Hi, Dad." And she's, again, 100 percent Sara. She's using of all her capacity to the maximum. And that's a real inspiration. Sara is back. And that's the best gift in the world.
MATTINGLY: David Mattingly, CNN, Hutchinson, Kansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Which takes us to some obvious questions this morning. How could such an amazing awakening come about?
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with us now at the CNN center.
Sanjay, good morning to you. Answer that first question first. How does this happen?
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Bill, I think what this tells us more than anything else is there are a lot of things about the brain that we just still don't know.
Certainly what happens is after a brain injury, the brain is constantly trying to use other parts of the brain other than the part that was damaged to try and reprogram itself, to re-circuit itself, to try and compensate. Typically that takes place over 18 months to two years, which is why a lot of doctors will say, you don't expect a lot of gains after that two-year mark.
Twenty years later, I think this is remarkable. Certainly, any doctor would say this is something to be written up in the journals.
HEMMER: It has been reported, though, she has been able to communicate with hand gestures or some sort of signs over the past two decades. How many signs? And what more have you found out about that?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, a couple things here. First of all, a coma is a more specific term. Being that she was aware of people around her, being that she was able to communicate although not through the spoken word, she really wasn't in a coma the way that most people think of it. She actually had a condition known as aphasia, which is a sort of a big term. But basically neurosurgeons use that to say -- describe people who can't speak. Why again she would start to get some of that function back, a little bit of a mystery. But the fact that she could communicate to some extent beforehand, maybe a little bit of a better prognostic indicator than someone who just wasn't even aware of people even around her.
HEMMER: So, you're talking about two decades here, Sanjay. What about brain damage now? What about chances for full recovery?
GUPTA: Yes.
HEMMER: Is it even a possibility?
GUPTA: You know, it's interesting. I would normally say, I think, in good conscience, that it would be unlikely that you would have a full recovery even now. But, you know, this is a girl who has broken some rules here. You know, nobody expected this. So, it's hard to say what's she's going to look like a year or two years from now. I would describe her as someone who clearly had a severe brain injury to the left side her brain, starting to make some gains 20 years later. She could continue to do that, Bill.
HEMMER: We asked this question a few moments ago. You're a neurosurgeon. Do you consider this a miracle?
GUPTA: You know, everyone in medicine, I think, is hesitant to use the word "miracle." It's certainly very remarkable, although I think it's the closest thing that we see in terms of miracles in terms of the patients that we see every day -- Bill.
HEMMER: Thank you, Sanjay.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: A good story this morning. Next hour, we'll talk to the parents of Sara, Jim and Betsy Scantlin, live here on AMERICAN MORNING -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Baseball star Jason Giambi says he's sorry, but he never actually used the word "steroid" at yesterday's news conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON GIAMBI, N.Y. YANKEES FIRST BASEMAN: I know there's been a lot of distractions over the past year, and I wanted to apologize for all of those, you know, distractions from the bottom of my heart. You know, I take full responsibility for it, and I'm sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Giambi did say that he told the truth in his grand jury testimony. Giambi admitted to steroid use in that testimony that was leaked to the "San Francisco Chronicle." The grand jury is investigating the Balco steroid scandal. Giambi has four years and, more importantly, $82 million left on his contract with the New York Yankees. Indiana pacers are also doing some image polishing. The team announcing yesterday that it will donate $2.4 million to Indianapolis Children's Charities. The money comes from the fines that were levied against five Pacers players for their roles in last November's brawl with Detroit Pistons fans.
HEMMER: The world is getting its first look at Julia Roberts' new twins today. Photos of mom and her 12-week-old babies are now appearing in "People" magazine. it hits newsstands this morning. The man behind the camera is the husband, Danny Moder. The couple sold the photos to "People," and all proceeds from the sale go to charity. It doesn't hurt when the husband's a photographer. He's right there in the hospital ready to go for hire, too.
O'BRIEN: I also think that they felt like it would avoid the paparazzi...
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... which, of course, I'm sure is camped out at their home, you know, hanging out in the bushes trying to snap a picture of these poor, little babies.
HEMMER: Best to them.
O'BRIEN: So, they took the picture, and they gave it to "People."
HEMMER: Their lives are about to get even busier now, too.
A check of the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, it sounds like a former CEO got caught trying to cover up a multibillion dollar fraud. It's all on tape. Andy is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
HEMMER: Also, what's everyone going to be talking about Monday morning when the Grammys go down Sunday night? J.Lo and Marc Anthony. They have something planned that could grab a big buzz this weekend. "90-Second Pop" has a shot at that as we continue live in New York City here on a Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. The "Question of the Day" is about North Korea.
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
For the first time, North Korea announced they have nuclear weapons. Now, they're demanding bilateral talks with the U.S., saying only then will they consider resuming multinational negotiations. In an interview with South Korea's " Hankyoreh" (ph) newspaper, a North Korean diplomat said that bilateral talks with the U.S. would be a signal the United States is changing its hostile policy towards us.
The United States says any talks must include the neighbors of North Korea: China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
The question this morning: Should the U.S. hold bilateral talks with North Korea?
Jim in Monroe, Michigan: "What will it hurt to at least try to meet with North Korea? We should do whatever it takes to get the final results necessary. The U.S. needs to quit playing like we are the ones to make all of the rules for everybody else in the world."
J.R. in Vicksburg, Mississippi: "Should we? Yes. Will we? Probably not. This president has demonstrated that he has neither the patience nor courage to take advantage of the efforts of diplomacy."
Stoker in Costa Rica: "Since when is dialogue a bad thing? Sitting down with an adversary in private and hammering out your disagreements is a sign of intelligence, not weakness."
Alvin in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia: "No. But on the other hand the U.S. will never attack North Korea, because Bush knows he would have China to deal with."
And Jose in College Station, Texas: "Our leadership needs to recognize that we're about fed up at the price of bravado and unilateralism. If the North Korean people could be convinced that a Western invasion would bring heat, food and Wal-Mart, Mr. Kim would be out of a job."
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Heat, food and Wal-Mart?
O'BRIEN: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: The ambassador you had last hour was very interesting. He was saying he's not crazy. He's not maniacal. Yet, 90 percent of the world sees him that way.
O'BRIEN: He has sort of that crazy-as-a-fox, I think, theory of leadership.
SERWER: Right, right. Yes.
HEMMER: Interesting stuff.
Andy Serwer is back here. It's time to go the audiotape, right? This is the HealthSouth trial continued yesterday. With that and a check of the markets, good morning.
SERWER: Good morning to you. A nice day on Wall Street, at least if you owned the Dow Jones industrials, up 85 points yesterday. Positive jobs report doing the trick also. And insurance stocks are strong.
This morning, futures are up a little bit. Some questions about Dell, which reported after the bell. I love saying that. There is really nothing wrong with Dell.
HEMMER: Dell after the bell, dude.
SERWER: Yes, yes, dude. It's selling more computers than it can even make at this point. And it's an amazing company right now.
Yes, let's talk about the HealthSouth trial down in Birmingham. The ever-colorful Richard Scrushy, of course, is the CEO of this company. And yesterday, jurors got to hear testimony on audiotape. Unfortunately for Mr. Scrushy, his chief financial officer was wearing a wire.
These quotes are just too good to do anything but just read them, because they're really fabulous.
Here's Richard Scrushy, talking to his chief financial officer: "Let's don't take ourselves out. Let's don't throw all these people to the wolves. Let's don't destroy this. All right, well, just remember, I've got eight kids. I've got a bunch of babies at home, and they need their daddy".
And then one time Owens walks into his office and Scrushy asks him an operative question, which is, "You're not wired, are you?"
And then finally, "I pray every day that God will give us time to get to the other side."
HEMMER: Don't we all?
SERWER: So, yes.
O'BRIEN: The other side being what, like, Rio?
SERWER: I'm not sure. Yes, right. It's like organized crime down there.
HEMMER: Smoking gun?
SERWER: Yes, I would say so.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about music this morning. Usher was music's man of the year back in 2004. But an artist that many people have never even heard of could steal the Grammy spotlight. "90-Second Pop" is just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: There's only 10 words in that song. One of them is "yeah, yeah, yeah." Good morning. A special Grammy edition of "90-Second Pop". Joining us this morning are a couple of pop newcomers. Karyn Bryant, she is the host of "Showbiz Tonight," which, by the way, is premiering on "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" a little bit later this month.
Welcome to you.
KARYN BRYANT, CNN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Welcome to the CNN family. It's nice to have you.
BRYANT: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Ken Tucker is "New York" magazine's film critic. He's also the author of "Kissing Bill O'Reilly, Roasting Miss Piggy." And I notice in that book I read you like "Silk Stockings," a show that no one but you and I have seen, by the way.
Also, pop veteran, Crystal McCrary Anthony. She is the author of "Gotham Diaries."
Nice to have you all joining us this morning.
Karyn, we're going to begin with you as our newcomer dejure (ph).
BRYANT: OK.
O'BRIEN: Kanye West, yes, he is, like, the latest, hottest coolest, greatest. "College Dropout" is the name of his debut CD.
BRYANT: Right.
O'BRIEN: But beyond the fact that, OK, we get it, he's a college dropout...
BRYANT: Sure.
O'BRIEN: ... what else do we know about him?
BRYANT: Well, Kanye West was a producer for a lot of other people, and he's one of those guys who finally said, you know what? I'm going to get out from behind the boards and get behind the mic instead. He produced a number of hits for big artists like Jay-Z, written for, you know, Alicia Keys, Ludacris.
But in 2000 he, you know, decided, I'm going to start to do my own thing. He got in a really bad car accident in 2002, had his jaw wired shut. Then recorded a song called "Through the Wire" about his experience literally with his jaw shut (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
O'BRIEN: How did it sound?
BRYANT: It's actually fantastic, and it turned into a great big hit for him. And he then had more hits with "Slow Jamz."
KEN TUCKER, AUTHOR, KISSING BILL O'REILLY, ROASTSING MISS PIGGY": "Jesus Walks," that song...
BRYANT: It was fantastic.
TUCKER: ... a little-known fact, that song was actually called "Some Guy Walks," but Mel Gibson called him up and said, go with "Jesus." It worked with me.
BRYANT: Jesus, right, right.
CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY, AUTHOR, "GOTHAM DIARIES": That's a little-known story.
O'BRIEN: Do you guys predict he's going to walk away with...
ANTHONY: Yes.
BRYANT: Well, the thing is, he's extremely talented, and he's the first person to let you know that. And he'll probably win a couple of things.
O'BRIEN: A rapper with a big ego? What?
BRYANT: It's outrageous.
ANTHONY: You know, what's unique also about Kanye West is that he has the trifecta appeal.
TUCKER: Right.
ANTHONY: He appeals to the critics...
TUCKER: Yes.
ANTHONY: ... other musicians, and he has the record sales to back him up.
O'BRIEN: Yes. It seems like he has a lot of credibility certainly with the artists that he's worked with.
BRYANT: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: He is a real musician instead of a fake-o (ph) rapper.
BRYANT: And a hit-maker for sure.
O'BRIEN: A fake-o (ph) wrapper.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: J. Lo and Marc Anthony, have they even admitted they're married yet? I mean, the last time I saw them, you know, holding out the ring but, like, we're not talking about our marriage/non-marriage.
ANTHONY: Well, they've never really been seen in public together, have they? I mean, they always go in separate entrances.
O'BRIEN: No, right. OK.
ANTHONY: Well, this is their official appearance together. They're going to be performing a duet at the Grammys. But, you know, with Queen Latifah hosting and Stevie Wonder, Bono, Alicia Keys performing together for a special tsunami relief...
O'BRIEN: So it's a huge lineup.
ANTHONY: It's an extravaganza. I mean, quite frankly, I don't know really who is going be talking about J.Lo and Mark Anthony. Everybody will be talking about Stevie Wonder.
TUCKER: I worry about this poor, thin Marc Anthony. I think one good hip shake from J.Lo and he's going to go flying across that stage.
BRYANT: Well, you know, the thing is too, is Marc Anthony is a terrific performer. He's a fantastic singer. Jennifer is a...
O'BRIEN: I want to hear how you're going to put this, because I was going to raise this question. I want to hear how you're going to say this.
BRYANT: Jennifer, she's a performer as well, but she's a show person. You know what I mean? And I think...
O'BRIEN: Oh, very tastefully done to say that she actually...
BRYANT: Sure.
O'BRIEN: ... is not quite as talented as her husband.
BRYANT: Well, but, she's extremely talented, maybe not as much as a singer, but as a performer I think she really has a lot going for her. I just don't think she's going to come out and, you know, wave a pregnancy test and say I'm pregnant. And, I mean, what are people really waiting for? This big announcement from them at the end of their song? I don't really know.
O'BRIEN: As you said, you've got Bono, you've got Alicia, come on.
(CROSSTALK)
ANTHONY: I think Monday morning people are going to be talking about Stevie Wonder. If anybody has seen him in concert, I mean, he doesn't get tired. The audience gets tired.
TUCKER: An unseen presence, Ray Charles, I think, could be a presence, nominated for a lot of awards.
O'BRIEN: Could we talk about the Susan Lucci of the Grammys, which, I think...
TUCKER: You mean Rod Stewart, who is beginning to look like Susan Lucci? O'BRIEN: Yes, it's true. You know...
TUCKER: You know...
BRYANT: In more ways than one, right?
TUCKER: You know, Rod never won a Grammy when he should have, i.e., 30 years ago. So, now he's doing the last refuge of the rock- and-roll washed-up, which is, you know, recording standards, "Embraceable You."
O'BRIEN: OK. I love him, first of all, so...
TUCKER: Well, but he's...
BRYANT: Look at her, back off!
TUCKER: Yes, but listen...
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Rod.
TUCKER: He's croaking through "Baby, It's Cold Outside," you know, things like that. It's kind of sad.
BRYANT: But he had surgery.
TUCKER: Well, who could tell with Rod Stewart? But I think he really stands a chance of winning.
O'BRIEN: I was going to say, because the Grammys, like, are often the Academy Awards. It's like even after the...
TUCKER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... window closes, someone wins an award. And you're like, they should have won that.
BRYANT: It's a lifetime achievement award for him, I think it's going to be.
TUCKER: It's kind of a gimme, and if you can't beat, you know, Ronny Milsap, who can you not beat?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love Ronny Milsap.
ANTHONY: You know, he's also up against Bette Midler...
TUCKER: Yes.
ANTHONY: ... and Barbra Streisand.
BRYANT: Right. But in the traditional pop category, he's up against Manseeni Milsap (ph).
TUCKER: Right, right. BRYANT: And...
TUCKER: Barbara Cook (ph)...
BRYANT: Right, right, right.
TUCKER: ... who really deserves to win.
BRYANT: But people do love Rod Stewart, and he has a cross- generational appeal. And I think he probably will finally get it.
TUCKER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Any wardrobe malfunctions?
TUCKER: A possibility.
BRYANT: Only hair problems.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Or a weave might fall out.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: We will see. I will watch for that, right?
BRYANT: Yes, right.
O'BRIEN: You guys, as always, thank you very much. And welcome to you, Karyn.
BRYANT: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Again, we should mention is one of the hosts of "Showbiz Tonight." It's TV's only live nightly entertainment news show. It debuts on February 21 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on "CNN HEADLINE NEWS." Look at that picture you got.
TUCKER: Wow!
ANTHONY: Wow!
O'BRIEN: That's the serious journalist shot.
TUCKER: That's right.
O'BRIEN: Yummy. Thanks. It's nice to see you guys -- Bill.
HEMMER: Welcome, Karyn. Best of luck to you.
Top stories in a moment here, top of the hour, including new developments out of Baghdad today. Deadly violence again, just hours after an unannounced visit by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Live in Baghdad with Nic Robertson in a moment here as we continue right after this. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 11, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A beautiful, chilly morning here in New York City, a wonderful shot of Central Park. And that place is going to be a hot spot over the weekend. Christo is going to unveil his latest, what, his art, right?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Art.
HEMMER: Seventy-five hundred of these orange horseshoes, going to drape it in, what, orange chiffon? And we're going to...
O'BRIEN: I'm going to miss it.
HEMMER: You are?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Well, it's going to be up for a couple weeks, so you have enough time.
O'BRIEN: No, I'm probably still going to miss it.
HEMMER: Oh. I'm not. I'm going to take my mountain bike through there.
O'BRIEN: Good for you.
HEMMER: In a few moments, we're going to get you out to Kansas, a great story here. A woman speaking for the first time after spending 20 years in a coma-like state. Her parents, as you can imagine, are just ecstatic. And we'll have a look at what happened with her, and whether or not this qualifies as a medical miracle. I think her parents would say yes, no question about that. So, Sanjay's coming up to talk about that in a few moments here.
O'BRIEN: Also ahead this morning, "90-Second Pop." We're talking all about the Grammys. One of the great storylines this year is Rod Stewart. He's been nominated 13 times. He has never won. He's like the Susan Lucci of the Grammys.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I knew you were going to say that.
O'BRIEN: You know, not a stretch that at all. I think he's even said it. In his family they talk about it, and they kind of mock him for not winning.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: So, maybe this is going to be his year. Let's hope so.
COSTELLO: I hope so. He's singing those cheesy love songs right now, and people like those.
O'BRIEN: They love that.
COSTELLO: They love that.
O'BRIEN: He should win. Let's get right to the headlines. Carol Costello made it over here.
Hey, good morning.
COSTELLO: I have. Good morning. Good morning, everyone.
"Now in the News."
More violence to tell you about this morning out of Baghdad. In the past hour, word of a deadly car bombing at a Shiite mosque northeast of Baghdad. Iraqi police say at least 12 people were killed, more than 20 others injured in that blast. And at least nine people were killed after gunmen attacked a pair of bakeries in southern Baghdad. That happened earlier this morning.
The attacks come as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq for a surprise visit. He met with troops in Mosul earlier this morning and is now in Baghdad.
Police are scrambling this morning to identify and locate 32 people who apparently agreed to commit suicide on Valentine's Day. A 26-old man, this man, in Klamath Falls, Oregon, is suspected of orchestrating the online pact. Among the people who apparently agreed to take part is a mother, who plans to kill her two children as well. Authorities say finding them, even if it is a hoax, is a top priority.
Pope John Paul II may attend mass at St. Peter's Basilica today. The pope arrived at the Vatican from a Rome hospital yesterday, waving to cheering crowds from his brightly-lit pope-mobile. He may take part today in a mass for the sick. It's scheduled to begin in about three hours.
And hundreds of volunteers are putting the finishing touches today on "The Gate," Soledad's favorite work of art.
O'BRIEN: Can you tell?
COSTELLO: I know. It is a massive $20 million art project due to be unveiled officially in New York Central Park tomorrow. The installation was designed by the artist Christo and his wife, Jeanne- Claude. Seventy-five hundred of the gates are set up over more than 20 miles of park pathways. The gates will be up through the end of the month, and the gates, and then there will big, flowing orange-like curtains coming off of them. And you can go right through them.
O'BRIEN: Twenty miles, $20 million.
HEMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: All volunteers offered to put up those things from which the curtains will hang.
O'BRIEN: Bill Hemmer is going to go experience those gates.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And then he is going to come back and report on that.
HEMMER: A lot of people are saying it looks like dominoes throughout the entire park.
COSTELLO: I think it will be beautiful.
HEMMER: I think it will be cool, too.
COSTELLO: Get with the program.
O'BRIEN: Obviously, I'm not appreciating the art.
HEMMER: I'll get a picture for you.
O'BRIEN: But, you know what? You guy go, and let me know how it is, OK?
COSTELLO: OK.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
HEMMER: A great story this morning to talk about. Twenty years ago, a hit-and-run accident left 18-year-old Sara Scantlin with massive brain injuries, unable to speak with anyone. Until now.
Here's David Mattingly this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The last time Sara Scantlin was able to speak it was more than 20 years ago, the moment she walked into the glaring lights of a drunk driver. The hit- and-run left her battered, broken and unable to speak.
BETSY SCANTLIN, MOTHER: She knows who we are, and she can't communicate with us.
MATTINGLY: John Moore, now a police detective, was a witness to Sara's hit-and-run.
JOHN MOORE, POLICE DETECTIVE: We saw her fly through the air probably at least 20 feet into the air and landed on her head.
MATTINGLY: It happened here, on a dark, two-lane road outside their hometown at Hutchinson, Kansas, as they left a party.
(on camera): When you saw that accident, did you think that there was any way she could survive?
MOORE: No, I thought she was probably -- if she wasn't dead, she was going to probably die.
JIM SCANTLIN, FATHER: The phone rings about midnight. My wife answers it, pulls my big toe and says, "We've got to get to the hospital. Something bad has happened to Sara."
MATTINGLY (voice over): But now, more than 20 years later, and 38 years old, her family calls her a medical miracle, as she suddenly regained the ability to talk.
J. SCANTLIN: I got on the phone, and she said, "Hi, Dad." And she's, again, 100 percent Sara. She's using of all her capacity to the maximum. And that's a real inspiration. Sara is back. And that's the best gift in the world.
MATTINGLY: David Mattingly, CNN, Hutchinson, Kansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Which takes us to some obvious questions this morning. How could such an amazing awakening come about?
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with us now at the CNN center.
Sanjay, good morning to you. Answer that first question first. How does this happen?
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Bill, I think what this tells us more than anything else is there are a lot of things about the brain that we just still don't know.
Certainly what happens is after a brain injury, the brain is constantly trying to use other parts of the brain other than the part that was damaged to try and reprogram itself, to re-circuit itself, to try and compensate. Typically that takes place over 18 months to two years, which is why a lot of doctors will say, you don't expect a lot of gains after that two-year mark.
Twenty years later, I think this is remarkable. Certainly, any doctor would say this is something to be written up in the journals.
HEMMER: It has been reported, though, she has been able to communicate with hand gestures or some sort of signs over the past two decades. How many signs? And what more have you found out about that?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, a couple things here. First of all, a coma is a more specific term. Being that she was aware of people around her, being that she was able to communicate although not through the spoken word, she really wasn't in a coma the way that most people think of it. She actually had a condition known as aphasia, which is a sort of a big term. But basically neurosurgeons use that to say -- describe people who can't speak. Why again she would start to get some of that function back, a little bit of a mystery. But the fact that she could communicate to some extent beforehand, maybe a little bit of a better prognostic indicator than someone who just wasn't even aware of people even around her.
HEMMER: So, you're talking about two decades here, Sanjay. What about brain damage now? What about chances for full recovery?
GUPTA: Yes.
HEMMER: Is it even a possibility?
GUPTA: You know, it's interesting. I would normally say, I think, in good conscience, that it would be unlikely that you would have a full recovery even now. But, you know, this is a girl who has broken some rules here. You know, nobody expected this. So, it's hard to say what's she's going to look like a year or two years from now. I would describe her as someone who clearly had a severe brain injury to the left side her brain, starting to make some gains 20 years later. She could continue to do that, Bill.
HEMMER: We asked this question a few moments ago. You're a neurosurgeon. Do you consider this a miracle?
GUPTA: You know, everyone in medicine, I think, is hesitant to use the word "miracle." It's certainly very remarkable, although I think it's the closest thing that we see in terms of miracles in terms of the patients that we see every day -- Bill.
HEMMER: Thank you, Sanjay.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: A good story this morning. Next hour, we'll talk to the parents of Sara, Jim and Betsy Scantlin, live here on AMERICAN MORNING -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Baseball star Jason Giambi says he's sorry, but he never actually used the word "steroid" at yesterday's news conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON GIAMBI, N.Y. YANKEES FIRST BASEMAN: I know there's been a lot of distractions over the past year, and I wanted to apologize for all of those, you know, distractions from the bottom of my heart. You know, I take full responsibility for it, and I'm sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Giambi did say that he told the truth in his grand jury testimony. Giambi admitted to steroid use in that testimony that was leaked to the "San Francisco Chronicle." The grand jury is investigating the Balco steroid scandal. Giambi has four years and, more importantly, $82 million left on his contract with the New York Yankees. Indiana pacers are also doing some image polishing. The team announcing yesterday that it will donate $2.4 million to Indianapolis Children's Charities. The money comes from the fines that were levied against five Pacers players for their roles in last November's brawl with Detroit Pistons fans.
HEMMER: The world is getting its first look at Julia Roberts' new twins today. Photos of mom and her 12-week-old babies are now appearing in "People" magazine. it hits newsstands this morning. The man behind the camera is the husband, Danny Moder. The couple sold the photos to "People," and all proceeds from the sale go to charity. It doesn't hurt when the husband's a photographer. He's right there in the hospital ready to go for hire, too.
O'BRIEN: I also think that they felt like it would avoid the paparazzi...
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... which, of course, I'm sure is camped out at their home, you know, hanging out in the bushes trying to snap a picture of these poor, little babies.
HEMMER: Best to them.
O'BRIEN: So, they took the picture, and they gave it to "People."
HEMMER: Their lives are about to get even busier now, too.
A check of the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, it sounds like a former CEO got caught trying to cover up a multibillion dollar fraud. It's all on tape. Andy is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
HEMMER: Also, what's everyone going to be talking about Monday morning when the Grammys go down Sunday night? J.Lo and Marc Anthony. They have something planned that could grab a big buzz this weekend. "90-Second Pop" has a shot at that as we continue live in New York City here on a Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. The "Question of the Day" is about North Korea.
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
For the first time, North Korea announced they have nuclear weapons. Now, they're demanding bilateral talks with the U.S., saying only then will they consider resuming multinational negotiations. In an interview with South Korea's " Hankyoreh" (ph) newspaper, a North Korean diplomat said that bilateral talks with the U.S. would be a signal the United States is changing its hostile policy towards us.
The United States says any talks must include the neighbors of North Korea: China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
The question this morning: Should the U.S. hold bilateral talks with North Korea?
Jim in Monroe, Michigan: "What will it hurt to at least try to meet with North Korea? We should do whatever it takes to get the final results necessary. The U.S. needs to quit playing like we are the ones to make all of the rules for everybody else in the world."
J.R. in Vicksburg, Mississippi: "Should we? Yes. Will we? Probably not. This president has demonstrated that he has neither the patience nor courage to take advantage of the efforts of diplomacy."
Stoker in Costa Rica: "Since when is dialogue a bad thing? Sitting down with an adversary in private and hammering out your disagreements is a sign of intelligence, not weakness."
Alvin in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia: "No. But on the other hand the U.S. will never attack North Korea, because Bush knows he would have China to deal with."
And Jose in College Station, Texas: "Our leadership needs to recognize that we're about fed up at the price of bravado and unilateralism. If the North Korean people could be convinced that a Western invasion would bring heat, food and Wal-Mart, Mr. Kim would be out of a job."
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Heat, food and Wal-Mart?
O'BRIEN: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: The ambassador you had last hour was very interesting. He was saying he's not crazy. He's not maniacal. Yet, 90 percent of the world sees him that way.
O'BRIEN: He has sort of that crazy-as-a-fox, I think, theory of leadership.
SERWER: Right, right. Yes.
HEMMER: Interesting stuff.
Andy Serwer is back here. It's time to go the audiotape, right? This is the HealthSouth trial continued yesterday. With that and a check of the markets, good morning.
SERWER: Good morning to you. A nice day on Wall Street, at least if you owned the Dow Jones industrials, up 85 points yesterday. Positive jobs report doing the trick also. And insurance stocks are strong.
This morning, futures are up a little bit. Some questions about Dell, which reported after the bell. I love saying that. There is really nothing wrong with Dell.
HEMMER: Dell after the bell, dude.
SERWER: Yes, yes, dude. It's selling more computers than it can even make at this point. And it's an amazing company right now.
Yes, let's talk about the HealthSouth trial down in Birmingham. The ever-colorful Richard Scrushy, of course, is the CEO of this company. And yesterday, jurors got to hear testimony on audiotape. Unfortunately for Mr. Scrushy, his chief financial officer was wearing a wire.
These quotes are just too good to do anything but just read them, because they're really fabulous.
Here's Richard Scrushy, talking to his chief financial officer: "Let's don't take ourselves out. Let's don't throw all these people to the wolves. Let's don't destroy this. All right, well, just remember, I've got eight kids. I've got a bunch of babies at home, and they need their daddy".
And then one time Owens walks into his office and Scrushy asks him an operative question, which is, "You're not wired, are you?"
And then finally, "I pray every day that God will give us time to get to the other side."
HEMMER: Don't we all?
SERWER: So, yes.
O'BRIEN: The other side being what, like, Rio?
SERWER: I'm not sure. Yes, right. It's like organized crime down there.
HEMMER: Smoking gun?
SERWER: Yes, I would say so.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little bit about music this morning. Usher was music's man of the year back in 2004. But an artist that many people have never even heard of could steal the Grammy spotlight. "90-Second Pop" is just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: There's only 10 words in that song. One of them is "yeah, yeah, yeah." Good morning. A special Grammy edition of "90-Second Pop". Joining us this morning are a couple of pop newcomers. Karyn Bryant, she is the host of "Showbiz Tonight," which, by the way, is premiering on "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" a little bit later this month.
Welcome to you.
KARYN BRYANT, CNN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Welcome to the CNN family. It's nice to have you.
BRYANT: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Ken Tucker is "New York" magazine's film critic. He's also the author of "Kissing Bill O'Reilly, Roasting Miss Piggy." And I notice in that book I read you like "Silk Stockings," a show that no one but you and I have seen, by the way.
Also, pop veteran, Crystal McCrary Anthony. She is the author of "Gotham Diaries."
Nice to have you all joining us this morning.
Karyn, we're going to begin with you as our newcomer dejure (ph).
BRYANT: OK.
O'BRIEN: Kanye West, yes, he is, like, the latest, hottest coolest, greatest. "College Dropout" is the name of his debut CD.
BRYANT: Right.
O'BRIEN: But beyond the fact that, OK, we get it, he's a college dropout...
BRYANT: Sure.
O'BRIEN: ... what else do we know about him?
BRYANT: Well, Kanye West was a producer for a lot of other people, and he's one of those guys who finally said, you know what? I'm going to get out from behind the boards and get behind the mic instead. He produced a number of hits for big artists like Jay-Z, written for, you know, Alicia Keys, Ludacris.
But in 2000 he, you know, decided, I'm going to start to do my own thing. He got in a really bad car accident in 2002, had his jaw wired shut. Then recorded a song called "Through the Wire" about his experience literally with his jaw shut (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
O'BRIEN: How did it sound?
BRYANT: It's actually fantastic, and it turned into a great big hit for him. And he then had more hits with "Slow Jamz."
KEN TUCKER, AUTHOR, KISSING BILL O'REILLY, ROASTSING MISS PIGGY": "Jesus Walks," that song...
BRYANT: It was fantastic.
TUCKER: ... a little-known fact, that song was actually called "Some Guy Walks," but Mel Gibson called him up and said, go with "Jesus." It worked with me.
BRYANT: Jesus, right, right.
CRYSTAL MCCRARY ANTHONY, AUTHOR, "GOTHAM DIARIES": That's a little-known story.
O'BRIEN: Do you guys predict he's going to walk away with...
ANTHONY: Yes.
BRYANT: Well, the thing is, he's extremely talented, and he's the first person to let you know that. And he'll probably win a couple of things.
O'BRIEN: A rapper with a big ego? What?
BRYANT: It's outrageous.
ANTHONY: You know, what's unique also about Kanye West is that he has the trifecta appeal.
TUCKER: Right.
ANTHONY: He appeals to the critics...
TUCKER: Yes.
ANTHONY: ... other musicians, and he has the record sales to back him up.
O'BRIEN: Yes. It seems like he has a lot of credibility certainly with the artists that he's worked with.
BRYANT: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: He is a real musician instead of a fake-o (ph) rapper.
BRYANT: And a hit-maker for sure.
O'BRIEN: A fake-o (ph) wrapper.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: J. Lo and Marc Anthony, have they even admitted they're married yet? I mean, the last time I saw them, you know, holding out the ring but, like, we're not talking about our marriage/non-marriage.
ANTHONY: Well, they've never really been seen in public together, have they? I mean, they always go in separate entrances.
O'BRIEN: No, right. OK.
ANTHONY: Well, this is their official appearance together. They're going to be performing a duet at the Grammys. But, you know, with Queen Latifah hosting and Stevie Wonder, Bono, Alicia Keys performing together for a special tsunami relief...
O'BRIEN: So it's a huge lineup.
ANTHONY: It's an extravaganza. I mean, quite frankly, I don't know really who is going be talking about J.Lo and Mark Anthony. Everybody will be talking about Stevie Wonder.
TUCKER: I worry about this poor, thin Marc Anthony. I think one good hip shake from J.Lo and he's going to go flying across that stage.
BRYANT: Well, you know, the thing is too, is Marc Anthony is a terrific performer. He's a fantastic singer. Jennifer is a...
O'BRIEN: I want to hear how you're going to put this, because I was going to raise this question. I want to hear how you're going to say this.
BRYANT: Jennifer, she's a performer as well, but she's a show person. You know what I mean? And I think...
O'BRIEN: Oh, very tastefully done to say that she actually...
BRYANT: Sure.
O'BRIEN: ... is not quite as talented as her husband.
BRYANT: Well, but, she's extremely talented, maybe not as much as a singer, but as a performer I think she really has a lot going for her. I just don't think she's going to come out and, you know, wave a pregnancy test and say I'm pregnant. And, I mean, what are people really waiting for? This big announcement from them at the end of their song? I don't really know.
O'BRIEN: As you said, you've got Bono, you've got Alicia, come on.
(CROSSTALK)
ANTHONY: I think Monday morning people are going to be talking about Stevie Wonder. If anybody has seen him in concert, I mean, he doesn't get tired. The audience gets tired.
TUCKER: An unseen presence, Ray Charles, I think, could be a presence, nominated for a lot of awards.
O'BRIEN: Could we talk about the Susan Lucci of the Grammys, which, I think...
TUCKER: You mean Rod Stewart, who is beginning to look like Susan Lucci? O'BRIEN: Yes, it's true. You know...
TUCKER: You know...
BRYANT: In more ways than one, right?
TUCKER: You know, Rod never won a Grammy when he should have, i.e., 30 years ago. So, now he's doing the last refuge of the rock- and-roll washed-up, which is, you know, recording standards, "Embraceable You."
O'BRIEN: OK. I love him, first of all, so...
TUCKER: Well, but he's...
BRYANT: Look at her, back off!
TUCKER: Yes, but listen...
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Rod.
TUCKER: He's croaking through "Baby, It's Cold Outside," you know, things like that. It's kind of sad.
BRYANT: But he had surgery.
TUCKER: Well, who could tell with Rod Stewart? But I think he really stands a chance of winning.
O'BRIEN: I was going to say, because the Grammys, like, are often the Academy Awards. It's like even after the...
TUCKER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: ... window closes, someone wins an award. And you're like, they should have won that.
BRYANT: It's a lifetime achievement award for him, I think it's going to be.
TUCKER: It's kind of a gimme, and if you can't beat, you know, Ronny Milsap, who can you not beat?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love Ronny Milsap.
ANTHONY: You know, he's also up against Bette Midler...
TUCKER: Yes.
ANTHONY: ... and Barbra Streisand.
BRYANT: Right. But in the traditional pop category, he's up against Manseeni Milsap (ph).
TUCKER: Right, right. BRYANT: And...
TUCKER: Barbara Cook (ph)...
BRYANT: Right, right, right.
TUCKER: ... who really deserves to win.
BRYANT: But people do love Rod Stewart, and he has a cross- generational appeal. And I think he probably will finally get it.
TUCKER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Any wardrobe malfunctions?
TUCKER: A possibility.
BRYANT: Only hair problems.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Or a weave might fall out.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: We will see. I will watch for that, right?
BRYANT: Yes, right.
O'BRIEN: You guys, as always, thank you very much. And welcome to you, Karyn.
BRYANT: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Again, we should mention is one of the hosts of "Showbiz Tonight." It's TV's only live nightly entertainment news show. It debuts on February 21 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on "CNN HEADLINE NEWS." Look at that picture you got.
TUCKER: Wow!
ANTHONY: Wow!
O'BRIEN: That's the serious journalist shot.
TUCKER: That's right.
O'BRIEN: Yummy. Thanks. It's nice to see you guys -- Bill.
HEMMER: Welcome, Karyn. Best of luck to you.
Top stories in a moment here, top of the hour, including new developments out of Baghdad today. Deadly violence again, just hours after an unannounced visit by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Live in Baghdad with Nic Robertson in a moment here as we continue right after this. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
