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American Morning
Deadly Storms; Interview With Jamie Rubin; 'Minding Your Business'
Aired February 23, 2005 - 07:00 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: Southern California taking another beating. The rainiest season in more than a century, and it's still coming down this morning.
The president and his charm offensive. Another stop in Europe today. But will the art of reconciliation now stop with the German chancellor?
And Barry Bonds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY BOND, GIANTS OUTFIELDER: I don't know what cheating is. I don't think -- I don't know if cheating -- if steroids is going to help you in baseball.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Bonds slugging it out with the media and trying to put steroids behind him. A pre-emptive strike in spring training on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. And welcome back, Mr. Hemmer. Did you have a nice vacation?
HEMMER: Thank you. I had a wonderful time.
O'BRIEN: A couple of days off?
HEMMER: Still in one piece, too.
O'BRIEN: I'm glad to hear it. You didn't break anything?
HEMMER: That's right. Not yet.
O'BRIEN: I got that e-mail.
Well, stories we're following this morning, in California it is not a pretty sight. The rain is pouring. It's only going to make matters worse for the folks there, of course. Families have been losing their homes. Emergency workers are just pushed to their limits. We'll take a look this morning at the latest problems, also talk to a battalion fire chief in one very hard-hit area. HEMMER: They have a mess again today, don't they?
Also this morning, the story about a possible plot to kill the president. A 23-year-old American, who is being held now in a Saudi prison for almost two years. He says he was tortured there. We'll look at what prosecutors say he was planning and his defense in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Ms. O'Brien.
It's called the death with dignity law. Oregon is the only state that has one. If you live in Oregon and the going gets too tough, you can go to your doctor and enlist his help to shuffle off this mortal coil. The Justice Department says doctor-assisted suicide is illegal. They want the law overturned. And the Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear arguments. We will help them make their decision here in the next three hours.
HEMMER: We will. Thank you, Jack.
Heidi Collins is also here with the headlines now.
Good morning -- Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I've got to mention the cup. Check it out.
HEMMER: It's wonderful.
COLLINS: We've got AMERICAN MORNING cups. We're going to bring up the other anchors' cups in a bit. What do you think?
HEMMER: Did you bring our collection?
COLLINS: Yes, 7.50.
HEMMER: It looks terrific. It beats the daylights out of that thing on "DAYBREAK," too, don't you think?
COLLINS: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes, but the key to that story is where that came from. CNN had nothing to do with those cups.
COLLINS: That's true.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Guess where they came from? The crew.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COLLINS: We love our crew. All right, we do need to get to the news, guys. Thanks so much. "Now in the News" this morning.
President Bush in Germany at this hour on the second leg of his five-day European tour. The president holding a news conference with Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder. That event wrapping up just 15 minutes ago in Mainz. It is the same city that hosted President Bush's father back in 1989. Today's talks between the two leaders focusing on Iraq, NATO and tensions over Iran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile, a national day of mourning today in Iran after a deadly earthquake. Iranian officials say at least 420 were killed in the 6.4 quake. But the death toll could go even higher. The quake struck the central part of the country, flattening dozens of villages. Rescue efforts have been tough due to some bad weather.
In Florida, today could be a crucial day in the right-to-die case involving Terri Schiavo. She is the brain-damaged woman in the middle of a 15-year legal battle. Her husband wants her feeding tube removed. Her parents so no. A circuit court yesterday issued a stay until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time today. Schiavo's parents want an extension. They say they will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
And some so-called royal watchers calling it the big snub this morning after word the queen will not be attending her son's upcoming wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles. Queen Elizabeth II will miss the civil ceremony on April 8. A palace spokesman says the queen is respecting the couple's wishes to keep the event low key. The queen will attend a religious service for Prince Charles and Camilla, which will be held later in the day and host a reception at Windsor Castle. All going to be very, very low key, I'm sure.
HEMMER: Something tells me that was arranged before the announcement came out, don't you think?
COLLINS: Yes, I think so, yes.
HEMMER: Thanks, Heidi.
O'BRIEN: All right, thanks.
In California, soaked by a long stretch of deadly storms, waking up to more this morning.
For the latest on the massive damage being caused by all of that rain, let's go right to CNN's Chris Lawrence. He's live for us in Highland Park in California.
Hey, Chris, good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Soledad. Four homes in this neighborhood have been red-tagged, which means the ground is so unstable it's too dangerous for the families to stay here.
But the woman who lives here didn't need anyone to tell her that. Patricia Prole (ph) took one look outside, where her children actually play, and saw her swimming pool and part of the deck sliding down the mountain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice over): About the only thing worse than watching your back yard disappear is hearing it happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It sounded like between an earthquake and thunder.
LAWRENCE: Patricia Prole (ph) says she could feel the ground give way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a very strong smell of wet earth.
LAWRENCE: The rain had been chipping away at the foundation until her back yard finally broke loose.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a horrible sound It was a horrible, horrible sound. And I looked out over the deck and -- to see if we had lost anymore land, and we realized we lost all of it.
LAWRENCE: Many parts of California have seen six straight days of rain. And with the storm still sitting over Los Angeles, it's already the third-wettest year in history.
The water has flooded roads, carved out sinkholes and sent runoff rushing down the canyons.
The weather has killed at least six people in Southern California, which puts even the loss of property into perspective.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're lucky. We're alive.
LAWRENCE: As Patricia packed up and left so did her next-door neighbor. As if losing the back yards wasn't bad enough, Mark Lacanilao is worried about their home's cement foundation.
MARK LACANILAO, TOLD TO EVACUATE: Our houses share the same slab, so they have a big crack running right along the middle, and it runs right straight into my kitchen, too.
LAWRENCE: He's hoping it can all hold together just long enough to let the last of the storm blow through.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And a lot of folks sure hope that will be sometime in the next day or so, especially Mark. His family and his wife grew up in that home. So obviously, it means a lot to the family -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes, and all of the homeowners there. Chris Lawrence for us this morning. Chris, thank you very much.
HEMMER: In the Highland Park neighborhood of L.A., sliding hillsides now are forcing officials to red-tag at least four homes. That means those homes have been deemed completely unsafe for residents, who have been told to get out.
John Vidovich is battalion chief for the L.A. Fire Department in District 2. He's my guest now in Highland Park.
And, Chief, good morning to you. It's 4:00 a.m. local time where you are. What are you up against when the day breaks there in about two and a half hours?
BATT. CHIEF JOHN VIDOVICH, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: Sir, what we're looking at is the hillsides here in Los Angeles continue to move at a significant rate. We've had 30 homes currently red-tagged, and those are condemned for the families. They cannot live in there.
Our concern is that in other parts of the city, we're going to have continued movement. Overnight, we were dispatched to three additional areas here in the Eagle Rock area of the city of the Los Angeles, where we have three homes that are on the verge of being condemned.
HEMMER: You say in that area, then, 30 homes have been red- tagged. You also have yellow-tagged a number of homes, too. How many have yellow tags? And what does that mean, the difference between a red and a yellow, Chief?
VIDOVICH: The red-tagged homes are homes that have been deemed unsafe and uninhabitable at this time. Yellow-tagged homes are -- we have 70 to 80 homes currently yellow-tagged. That's for restricted entry, where we can escort the tenants into their homes to procure certain belongings for them. But we do not advise them to stay in those as well.
HEMMER: Chief, how do residents respond and react when they're told to leave everything behind?
VIDOVICH: Obviously, these residents, these are a lifelong dream to own a home. They're very upset, but they do understand that their safety is of paramount importance to us, and that the homes can be replaced but a life cannot. So, we've had very good cooperation with the citizens of this community.
HEMMER: More rain is expected in your area later today. In fact, it was coming down overnight again. What does more rain mean for your part of the state, Chief?
VIDOVICH: More rain means more damage. Currently, since last Thursday, we've had approximately nine inches of rain here in Los Angeles, 34 inches for the year. We're approaching the record of 38 inches set in the late 1800s.
Our concern is once the sun does come out again, the threat has not subsided. The Earth is going to continue to move for several weeks. So, we're not out of the woods, even after we get our sunshine back.
HEMMER: Good luck to you today, Battalion Chief John Vidovich there in Highland Park near L.A. VIDOVICH: Thank you.
HEMMER: Thank you. Good luck to you.
Also, is there relief in the forecast? Some say some sunshine may hit tomorrow. Let's check with Chad Myers right now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, Barry Bonds may be recovering from knee surgery, but he can still handle reporters' fastballs. Yesterday, Bonds arrived for spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona. The seven-time national league MVP angrily avoided inquiries about his role in baseball's steroid scandal.
He was also asked if using steroids is cheating.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BONDS: I don't know what cheating is. I don't think -- I don't know cheating is going to -- steroids is going to help you in baseball. I just don't believe it. I don't believe steroids can help you -- eye/hand coordination technically hit a baseball. I just don't believe it, and that's just my opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Bonds also scolded the media for what he described as its relentless coverage of the issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BONDS: I'm an adult, and I take responsibilities for what I do. But, you know what? I'm not going to allow you guys to ruin my joy. This is the only business that allows you guys in our office to begin with. You can't just go Bank of America and walk in the office, start interviewing employees. This is the sports world. What for?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Bonds says he also doesn't put much stake in a new tell-all book from Jose Canseco. He says Canseco is just out to quote -- "make a buck."
HEMMER: It's going to be one interesting season, is it not? And it's just the beginning, too.
In a moment here, from a Saudi prison to a U.S. courthouse, prosecutors say a Texas man was part of a possible plot to kill the president. His parents say that is not the real reason why he is being held. We'll get to that story this morning.
O'BRIEN: Also, was it sexism or was it just the blunt truth? A campus controversy sparks a nationwide debate over women and science.
HEMMER: Also, are U.S./European relations warming up, or is this all just show? A former State Department spokesperson, Jamie Rubin, is our guest live here in New York City as we continue after this on a Wednesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: It's 15 minutes past the hour. The European tour for the president continues. Today, he's in Mainz, Germany, meeting with Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder. The two talked about lingering differences on post-war Iraq, NATO and its future, and also how to deal with Iran's nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will continue to talk tactics to make sure that we achieve the objective. Iran must not have a nuclear weapon for the sake of security and peace. They must not have a nuclear weapon. And that is the goal shared by Germany, France, Great Britain and the United States. And working together, we can get this accomplished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That was from a short time ago in Mainz, Germany. Next hour, we'll see the president again in Germany. We'll take you there live when that event occurs.
Now Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, President Bush says the world has to speak with one voice on Iran's nuclear program. Former Secretary of State spokesman Jamie Rubin talked to me a little while ago. And I asked him how the president's comments are going over with European leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE RUBIN, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE SPOKESMAN: I think the president's trip has been basically good news for Europe and America. There seems to be a new realism on the part of the Bush administration, that it's helpful to have the European support for American objectives and, frankly, a new realism on the part of the Europeans that, like it or not, they're going to be dealing with George Bush for the next four years.
On Iran, the president is trying to signal that the use of military force is not likely in the near term, while also holding in reserve the possibility that if all of these negotiations don't work, if diplomacy doesn't succeed, if even sanctions are imposed and they don't succeed, that that's still possible.
When he says Iran is not Iraq, what he means is that Iraq was subjected to 10 years of international sanctions before ultimately force was used to overthrow Saddam Hussein, while Iran is now only beginning to be subjected to international scrutiny for its violations of its agreements on international nuclear inspections.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk now about Russia, sort to preview the meeting with President Putin. President Bush has said that Russia needs to renew a commitment to democracy. He's also being pushed, frankly, not only the administration is pushing for this but also some key lawmakers as well, are saying the president needs to be a little bit harder on Russia. Do you think, in fact, we'll hear that tomorrow?
RUBIN: I think we'll probably hear a little more from President Bush about discussions that were held in private. And I think one of the problems is that George Bush has given great credence and importance to his personal relationship with Vladimir Putin from the day several years ago when he said he looked into Putin's soul and that he was a good man. It makes it kind of hard for him to now read him the riot act.
I do think, however, the Bush administration is feeling pressure from members of Congress and others that this has really gone too far with the crackdown on democratic developments in Russia, with the continuing violence in Chechnya, with the stripping of the assets of a major oil company. The feeling really is that Putin is going off in the wrong direction. And I think the Bush administration realizes that its policy was off track, and they will try to calibrate it now.
O'BRIEN: I want to play a little bit of what President Putin had to say yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The fundamental principles of democracy and institutions of democracy must be adapted to the realities of Russian life today to our traditions and our history. And we will do this ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: He has also made it very clear, along with some of his ministers, President Putin this is, that they have their own issues with some of the things that the United States has done. In other words, you blame us. You highlight things that you think we've done. We're happy to turn the tables and point out things that we think you've done inappropriately. What kind of a risk is that for President Bush?
RUBIN: Well, it's beginning to sound a little bit like the kind of stale rhetoric we used to have during the Cold War, where a communist leader would come to the United States and want to talk about the Indians, or the large percentage of African-Americans in our prisons, or the welfare system as a way of comparing the two societies. And essentially this comparison is nonsense.
Vladimir Putin was elected in a free and fair election. But since being president, he has taken steps to consolidate power in the office of the president, put some of his cronies in hand-picked, selected spots across the country, has scaled back many of the steps that his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, made to ensure free press, to ensure open opposition, to ensure that democratic reforms would be here to stay. And that has not been happening in Russia. And there's really no plausible comparison to the United States except in that kind of Cold War talking point mode that Putin seems to be in right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Former Secretary of State Jamie Rubin talking with us a little bit earlier.
Later today, the president heads to the Slovak Republic. You want to stay with CNN for continuing coverage of President Bush's European tour -- Bill.
HEMMER: A question this morning: Is there new reason to be worried about inflation? Andy is "Minding Your Business" next here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. Rising oil prices are scaring investors, and yesterday's stock market showed that loud and clear. Here's Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business," the first check this morning.
We were down yesterday, weren't we?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes. Investors really taking it on the chin yesterday, Bill. And if you guess how much the Dow dropped yesterday, we'll give you one of those free coffee mugs. No, that's a different show. We don't do that here.
The Dow was down 174 points. All of the indexes down about 1.5 percent yesterday. The biggest drop for the Dow since May of 2003. The big question is why? Bill mentioned higher oil prices. The price of crude spiking 6 percent yesterday. Concerns about OPEC cutting back on production. You can see here, a crude awakening. Boy, they are working those banners today. That's pretty good.
The high back in October, you may remember, was almost $56. We're about getting close to it. We've got to as low as 40 back at the turn of the year.
The other problem is the dollar. The dollar was in real trouble yesterday. That's because the Central Bank of South Korea has suggested -- now, this is important stuff, actually -- has suggested it will stop buying dollar-denominated assets as much as it has previously, meaning it will no longer be buying stocks and bonds in the U.S. That helped precipitate the sell-off.
So, sort of an unsettling day yesterday for investors. And typically when that happens, there's a bit of a hangover the next day as well.
HEMMER: Where will they go? Will they go to Europe?
SERWER: That's right. They can do that. They can go to the yen. They can go to Europe. They can go to China, all kinds of things.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
HEMMER: You'll watch it today.
O'BRIEN: Well, the "Question of the Day" involves assisted suicide.
CAFFERTY: Yes, it does. Before we get to that, does it bother anybody besides me to have our beloved president going around Europe talking about nuclear weapons? I mean, it's just one word. If he's going to talk -- I mean, Iran and North Korea aren't going away, you know.
O'BRIEN: Actually, yes...
CAFFERTY: It's going to be required to discuss this probably for some time.
O'BRIEN: In a speech yesterday, he nailed it.
CAFFERTY: Oh, he did?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Did he say nuclear?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Check the tape.
CAFFERTY: So that's one in a row.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Cool.
O'BRIEN: A good start. Hope springs eternal.
CAFFERTY: There's hope, yes.
All right, the Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to take up the issue of physician-assisted suicide when it hears "Gonzalez v. Oregon" in October. The Bush administration wants to block Oregon's Death With Dignity Act, which allows physicians to prescribe drugs to help terminally-ill people commit suicide. Oregon is the only state that allows physician-assisted suicide.
The Justice Department argues that prescribing a lethal drug for the purpose of suicide is not a legitimate medical purpose under U.S. drug laws. Since the law was passed in 1997, fewer than 25 people a year in Oregon have used it to end their lives. Here's the question: Should doctor-assisted suicide be legal? Am@cnn.com.
O'BRIEN: Interesting question, emotional debate. Especially with the Terri Schiavo case that's going on, I think people are discussing all of these issues.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Well, we'll see what happens. You know, there is a religious interpretation, I suppose, to the Justice Department's position, and that is that suicide is against some forms of Christian religion.
O'BRIEN: And the Hippocratic Oath itself.
CAFFERTY: The opposition was first voiced by John Ashcroft.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: And so, there's that dimension of it. And then there's the Kevorkian thing, where, you know, he was just running around willy-nilly helping gas station attendants inhale the hose, you know, with some...
SERWER: Well!
O'BRIEN: Well, that's one way to put it.
SERWER: It's time to wake up.
O'BRIEN: And you know what? We're out of time.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: So we're going to go to the break.
SERWER: That's a great question them.
O'BRIEN: There's much more AMERICAN MORNING, in fact, right after this short break.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Ahead on "90-Second Pop", the mother of all beauty pageants gets a reality show makeover. Call it Miss America meets American Idol.
Plus, celebrities are real people, too. A new special shows the world what the stars look like in their off-hours. That's later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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Aired February 23, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Southern California taking another beating. The rainiest season in more than a century, and it's still coming down this morning.
The president and his charm offensive. Another stop in Europe today. But will the art of reconciliation now stop with the German chancellor?
And Barry Bonds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY BOND, GIANTS OUTFIELDER: I don't know what cheating is. I don't think -- I don't know if cheating -- if steroids is going to help you in baseball.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Bonds slugging it out with the media and trying to put steroids behind him. A pre-emptive strike in spring training on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. And welcome back, Mr. Hemmer. Did you have a nice vacation?
HEMMER: Thank you. I had a wonderful time.
O'BRIEN: A couple of days off?
HEMMER: Still in one piece, too.
O'BRIEN: I'm glad to hear it. You didn't break anything?
HEMMER: That's right. Not yet.
O'BRIEN: I got that e-mail.
Well, stories we're following this morning, in California it is not a pretty sight. The rain is pouring. It's only going to make matters worse for the folks there, of course. Families have been losing their homes. Emergency workers are just pushed to their limits. We'll take a look this morning at the latest problems, also talk to a battalion fire chief in one very hard-hit area. HEMMER: They have a mess again today, don't they?
Also this morning, the story about a possible plot to kill the president. A 23-year-old American, who is being held now in a Saudi prison for almost two years. He says he was tortured there. We'll look at what prosecutors say he was planning and his defense in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty, good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Ms. O'Brien.
It's called the death with dignity law. Oregon is the only state that has one. If you live in Oregon and the going gets too tough, you can go to your doctor and enlist his help to shuffle off this mortal coil. The Justice Department says doctor-assisted suicide is illegal. They want the law overturned. And the Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear arguments. We will help them make their decision here in the next three hours.
HEMMER: We will. Thank you, Jack.
Heidi Collins is also here with the headlines now.
Good morning -- Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I've got to mention the cup. Check it out.
HEMMER: It's wonderful.
COLLINS: We've got AMERICAN MORNING cups. We're going to bring up the other anchors' cups in a bit. What do you think?
HEMMER: Did you bring our collection?
COLLINS: Yes, 7.50.
HEMMER: It looks terrific. It beats the daylights out of that thing on "DAYBREAK," too, don't you think?
COLLINS: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes, but the key to that story is where that came from. CNN had nothing to do with those cups.
COLLINS: That's true.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Guess where they came from? The crew.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COLLINS: We love our crew. All right, we do need to get to the news, guys. Thanks so much. "Now in the News" this morning.
President Bush in Germany at this hour on the second leg of his five-day European tour. The president holding a news conference with Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder. That event wrapping up just 15 minutes ago in Mainz. It is the same city that hosted President Bush's father back in 1989. Today's talks between the two leaders focusing on Iraq, NATO and tensions over Iran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile, a national day of mourning today in Iran after a deadly earthquake. Iranian officials say at least 420 were killed in the 6.4 quake. But the death toll could go even higher. The quake struck the central part of the country, flattening dozens of villages. Rescue efforts have been tough due to some bad weather.
In Florida, today could be a crucial day in the right-to-die case involving Terri Schiavo. She is the brain-damaged woman in the middle of a 15-year legal battle. Her husband wants her feeding tube removed. Her parents so no. A circuit court yesterday issued a stay until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time today. Schiavo's parents want an extension. They say they will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
And some so-called royal watchers calling it the big snub this morning after word the queen will not be attending her son's upcoming wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles. Queen Elizabeth II will miss the civil ceremony on April 8. A palace spokesman says the queen is respecting the couple's wishes to keep the event low key. The queen will attend a religious service for Prince Charles and Camilla, which will be held later in the day and host a reception at Windsor Castle. All going to be very, very low key, I'm sure.
HEMMER: Something tells me that was arranged before the announcement came out, don't you think?
COLLINS: Yes, I think so, yes.
HEMMER: Thanks, Heidi.
O'BRIEN: All right, thanks.
In California, soaked by a long stretch of deadly storms, waking up to more this morning.
For the latest on the massive damage being caused by all of that rain, let's go right to CNN's Chris Lawrence. He's live for us in Highland Park in California.
Hey, Chris, good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Soledad. Four homes in this neighborhood have been red-tagged, which means the ground is so unstable it's too dangerous for the families to stay here.
But the woman who lives here didn't need anyone to tell her that. Patricia Prole (ph) took one look outside, where her children actually play, and saw her swimming pool and part of the deck sliding down the mountain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice over): About the only thing worse than watching your back yard disappear is hearing it happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It sounded like between an earthquake and thunder.
LAWRENCE: Patricia Prole (ph) says she could feel the ground give way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a very strong smell of wet earth.
LAWRENCE: The rain had been chipping away at the foundation until her back yard finally broke loose.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a horrible sound It was a horrible, horrible sound. And I looked out over the deck and -- to see if we had lost anymore land, and we realized we lost all of it.
LAWRENCE: Many parts of California have seen six straight days of rain. And with the storm still sitting over Los Angeles, it's already the third-wettest year in history.
The water has flooded roads, carved out sinkholes and sent runoff rushing down the canyons.
The weather has killed at least six people in Southern California, which puts even the loss of property into perspective.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're lucky. We're alive.
LAWRENCE: As Patricia packed up and left so did her next-door neighbor. As if losing the back yards wasn't bad enough, Mark Lacanilao is worried about their home's cement foundation.
MARK LACANILAO, TOLD TO EVACUATE: Our houses share the same slab, so they have a big crack running right along the middle, and it runs right straight into my kitchen, too.
LAWRENCE: He's hoping it can all hold together just long enough to let the last of the storm blow through.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And a lot of folks sure hope that will be sometime in the next day or so, especially Mark. His family and his wife grew up in that home. So obviously, it means a lot to the family -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Yes, and all of the homeowners there. Chris Lawrence for us this morning. Chris, thank you very much.
HEMMER: In the Highland Park neighborhood of L.A., sliding hillsides now are forcing officials to red-tag at least four homes. That means those homes have been deemed completely unsafe for residents, who have been told to get out.
John Vidovich is battalion chief for the L.A. Fire Department in District 2. He's my guest now in Highland Park.
And, Chief, good morning to you. It's 4:00 a.m. local time where you are. What are you up against when the day breaks there in about two and a half hours?
BATT. CHIEF JOHN VIDOVICH, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: Sir, what we're looking at is the hillsides here in Los Angeles continue to move at a significant rate. We've had 30 homes currently red-tagged, and those are condemned for the families. They cannot live in there.
Our concern is that in other parts of the city, we're going to have continued movement. Overnight, we were dispatched to three additional areas here in the Eagle Rock area of the city of the Los Angeles, where we have three homes that are on the verge of being condemned.
HEMMER: You say in that area, then, 30 homes have been red- tagged. You also have yellow-tagged a number of homes, too. How many have yellow tags? And what does that mean, the difference between a red and a yellow, Chief?
VIDOVICH: The red-tagged homes are homes that have been deemed unsafe and uninhabitable at this time. Yellow-tagged homes are -- we have 70 to 80 homes currently yellow-tagged. That's for restricted entry, where we can escort the tenants into their homes to procure certain belongings for them. But we do not advise them to stay in those as well.
HEMMER: Chief, how do residents respond and react when they're told to leave everything behind?
VIDOVICH: Obviously, these residents, these are a lifelong dream to own a home. They're very upset, but they do understand that their safety is of paramount importance to us, and that the homes can be replaced but a life cannot. So, we've had very good cooperation with the citizens of this community.
HEMMER: More rain is expected in your area later today. In fact, it was coming down overnight again. What does more rain mean for your part of the state, Chief?
VIDOVICH: More rain means more damage. Currently, since last Thursday, we've had approximately nine inches of rain here in Los Angeles, 34 inches for the year. We're approaching the record of 38 inches set in the late 1800s.
Our concern is once the sun does come out again, the threat has not subsided. The Earth is going to continue to move for several weeks. So, we're not out of the woods, even after we get our sunshine back.
HEMMER: Good luck to you today, Battalion Chief John Vidovich there in Highland Park near L.A. VIDOVICH: Thank you.
HEMMER: Thank you. Good luck to you.
Also, is there relief in the forecast? Some say some sunshine may hit tomorrow. Let's check with Chad Myers right now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, Barry Bonds may be recovering from knee surgery, but he can still handle reporters' fastballs. Yesterday, Bonds arrived for spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona. The seven-time national league MVP angrily avoided inquiries about his role in baseball's steroid scandal.
He was also asked if using steroids is cheating.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BONDS: I don't know what cheating is. I don't think -- I don't know cheating is going to -- steroids is going to help you in baseball. I just don't believe it. I don't believe steroids can help you -- eye/hand coordination technically hit a baseball. I just don't believe it, and that's just my opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Bonds also scolded the media for what he described as its relentless coverage of the issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BONDS: I'm an adult, and I take responsibilities for what I do. But, you know what? I'm not going to allow you guys to ruin my joy. This is the only business that allows you guys in our office to begin with. You can't just go Bank of America and walk in the office, start interviewing employees. This is the sports world. What for?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Bonds says he also doesn't put much stake in a new tell-all book from Jose Canseco. He says Canseco is just out to quote -- "make a buck."
HEMMER: It's going to be one interesting season, is it not? And it's just the beginning, too.
In a moment here, from a Saudi prison to a U.S. courthouse, prosecutors say a Texas man was part of a possible plot to kill the president. His parents say that is not the real reason why he is being held. We'll get to that story this morning.
O'BRIEN: Also, was it sexism or was it just the blunt truth? A campus controversy sparks a nationwide debate over women and science.
HEMMER: Also, are U.S./European relations warming up, or is this all just show? A former State Department spokesperson, Jamie Rubin, is our guest live here in New York City as we continue after this on a Wednesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: It's 15 minutes past the hour. The European tour for the president continues. Today, he's in Mainz, Germany, meeting with Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder. The two talked about lingering differences on post-war Iraq, NATO and its future, and also how to deal with Iran's nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will continue to talk tactics to make sure that we achieve the objective. Iran must not have a nuclear weapon for the sake of security and peace. They must not have a nuclear weapon. And that is the goal shared by Germany, France, Great Britain and the United States. And working together, we can get this accomplished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That was from a short time ago in Mainz, Germany. Next hour, we'll see the president again in Germany. We'll take you there live when that event occurs.
Now Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, President Bush says the world has to speak with one voice on Iran's nuclear program. Former Secretary of State spokesman Jamie Rubin talked to me a little while ago. And I asked him how the president's comments are going over with European leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE RUBIN, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE SPOKESMAN: I think the president's trip has been basically good news for Europe and America. There seems to be a new realism on the part of the Bush administration, that it's helpful to have the European support for American objectives and, frankly, a new realism on the part of the Europeans that, like it or not, they're going to be dealing with George Bush for the next four years.
On Iran, the president is trying to signal that the use of military force is not likely in the near term, while also holding in reserve the possibility that if all of these negotiations don't work, if diplomacy doesn't succeed, if even sanctions are imposed and they don't succeed, that that's still possible.
When he says Iran is not Iraq, what he means is that Iraq was subjected to 10 years of international sanctions before ultimately force was used to overthrow Saddam Hussein, while Iran is now only beginning to be subjected to international scrutiny for its violations of its agreements on international nuclear inspections.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk now about Russia, sort to preview the meeting with President Putin. President Bush has said that Russia needs to renew a commitment to democracy. He's also being pushed, frankly, not only the administration is pushing for this but also some key lawmakers as well, are saying the president needs to be a little bit harder on Russia. Do you think, in fact, we'll hear that tomorrow?
RUBIN: I think we'll probably hear a little more from President Bush about discussions that were held in private. And I think one of the problems is that George Bush has given great credence and importance to his personal relationship with Vladimir Putin from the day several years ago when he said he looked into Putin's soul and that he was a good man. It makes it kind of hard for him to now read him the riot act.
I do think, however, the Bush administration is feeling pressure from members of Congress and others that this has really gone too far with the crackdown on democratic developments in Russia, with the continuing violence in Chechnya, with the stripping of the assets of a major oil company. The feeling really is that Putin is going off in the wrong direction. And I think the Bush administration realizes that its policy was off track, and they will try to calibrate it now.
O'BRIEN: I want to play a little bit of what President Putin had to say yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The fundamental principles of democracy and institutions of democracy must be adapted to the realities of Russian life today to our traditions and our history. And we will do this ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: He has also made it very clear, along with some of his ministers, President Putin this is, that they have their own issues with some of the things that the United States has done. In other words, you blame us. You highlight things that you think we've done. We're happy to turn the tables and point out things that we think you've done inappropriately. What kind of a risk is that for President Bush?
RUBIN: Well, it's beginning to sound a little bit like the kind of stale rhetoric we used to have during the Cold War, where a communist leader would come to the United States and want to talk about the Indians, or the large percentage of African-Americans in our prisons, or the welfare system as a way of comparing the two societies. And essentially this comparison is nonsense.
Vladimir Putin was elected in a free and fair election. But since being president, he has taken steps to consolidate power in the office of the president, put some of his cronies in hand-picked, selected spots across the country, has scaled back many of the steps that his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, made to ensure free press, to ensure open opposition, to ensure that democratic reforms would be here to stay. And that has not been happening in Russia. And there's really no plausible comparison to the United States except in that kind of Cold War talking point mode that Putin seems to be in right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Former Secretary of State Jamie Rubin talking with us a little bit earlier.
Later today, the president heads to the Slovak Republic. You want to stay with CNN for continuing coverage of President Bush's European tour -- Bill.
HEMMER: A question this morning: Is there new reason to be worried about inflation? Andy is "Minding Your Business" next here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. Rising oil prices are scaring investors, and yesterday's stock market showed that loud and clear. Here's Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business," the first check this morning.
We were down yesterday, weren't we?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes. Investors really taking it on the chin yesterday, Bill. And if you guess how much the Dow dropped yesterday, we'll give you one of those free coffee mugs. No, that's a different show. We don't do that here.
The Dow was down 174 points. All of the indexes down about 1.5 percent yesterday. The biggest drop for the Dow since May of 2003. The big question is why? Bill mentioned higher oil prices. The price of crude spiking 6 percent yesterday. Concerns about OPEC cutting back on production. You can see here, a crude awakening. Boy, they are working those banners today. That's pretty good.
The high back in October, you may remember, was almost $56. We're about getting close to it. We've got to as low as 40 back at the turn of the year.
The other problem is the dollar. The dollar was in real trouble yesterday. That's because the Central Bank of South Korea has suggested -- now, this is important stuff, actually -- has suggested it will stop buying dollar-denominated assets as much as it has previously, meaning it will no longer be buying stocks and bonds in the U.S. That helped precipitate the sell-off.
So, sort of an unsettling day yesterday for investors. And typically when that happens, there's a bit of a hangover the next day as well.
HEMMER: Where will they go? Will they go to Europe?
SERWER: That's right. They can do that. They can go to the yen. They can go to Europe. They can go to China, all kinds of things.
HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
HEMMER: You'll watch it today.
O'BRIEN: Well, the "Question of the Day" involves assisted suicide.
CAFFERTY: Yes, it does. Before we get to that, does it bother anybody besides me to have our beloved president going around Europe talking about nuclear weapons? I mean, it's just one word. If he's going to talk -- I mean, Iran and North Korea aren't going away, you know.
O'BRIEN: Actually, yes...
CAFFERTY: It's going to be required to discuss this probably for some time.
O'BRIEN: In a speech yesterday, he nailed it.
CAFFERTY: Oh, he did?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Did he say nuclear?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Check the tape.
CAFFERTY: So that's one in a row.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Cool.
O'BRIEN: A good start. Hope springs eternal.
CAFFERTY: There's hope, yes.
All right, the Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to take up the issue of physician-assisted suicide when it hears "Gonzalez v. Oregon" in October. The Bush administration wants to block Oregon's Death With Dignity Act, which allows physicians to prescribe drugs to help terminally-ill people commit suicide. Oregon is the only state that allows physician-assisted suicide.
The Justice Department argues that prescribing a lethal drug for the purpose of suicide is not a legitimate medical purpose under U.S. drug laws. Since the law was passed in 1997, fewer than 25 people a year in Oregon have used it to end their lives. Here's the question: Should doctor-assisted suicide be legal? Am@cnn.com.
O'BRIEN: Interesting question, emotional debate. Especially with the Terri Schiavo case that's going on, I think people are discussing all of these issues.
CAFFERTY: Yes. Well, we'll see what happens. You know, there is a religious interpretation, I suppose, to the Justice Department's position, and that is that suicide is against some forms of Christian religion.
O'BRIEN: And the Hippocratic Oath itself.
CAFFERTY: The opposition was first voiced by John Ashcroft.
SERWER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: And so, there's that dimension of it. And then there's the Kevorkian thing, where, you know, he was just running around willy-nilly helping gas station attendants inhale the hose, you know, with some...
SERWER: Well!
O'BRIEN: Well, that's one way to put it.
SERWER: It's time to wake up.
O'BRIEN: And you know what? We're out of time.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: So we're going to go to the break.
SERWER: That's a great question them.
O'BRIEN: There's much more AMERICAN MORNING, in fact, right after this short break.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Ahead on "90-Second Pop", the mother of all beauty pageants gets a reality show makeover. Call it Miss America meets American Idol.
Plus, celebrities are real people, too. A new special shows the world what the stars look like in their off-hours. That's later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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