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American Morning
Stormy California; Bush in Germany; Sobriety Checkpoints
Aired February 23, 2005 - 08:59 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: Hills and homes crumbling away in southern California. Another pounding rainstorm hitting at this hour.
And the president's diplomatic challenge of finding common ground with Germany. Did he do it today with a warning to Iran?
And Barry Bonds...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY BONDS, BASEBALL PLAYER: I don't know what cheating is. I don't think -- I don't know what cheating is going to -- steroids are going to help you in baseball.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Bonds now in a slugfest with the media and trying to put steroids behind him. His own preemptive strike 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 back, everybody.
Coming up this morning, we're going to take you back to California. Destruction there really just getting worse and worse as these storms plow through the southern part of that state. Forecast not good either, not for a day, even ahead in the next couple of weeks.
We'll take a look at that. Also, a look at just what is happening with those hillsides, where the homes are now literally teetering right on the brink.
HEMMER: And that couple you talked to last hour, too, really felt it, the misery they're going through.
Also this hour, Rhode Island debating a police technique that's legal almost everywhere in the country. Police sobriety checkpoints, do they violate civil rights? We'll talk to a state congresswoman about her controversial stand on that issue. That's coming up this hour also.
O'BRIEN: Back to Jack with our "Question of the Day."
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Oregon is the only state in the country that has legalized physician-assisted suicide. The voters out there have passed it twice. It's called the Death With Dignity Law. People with terminal illnesses under a rigid set of restrictions are able to commit suicide with the help of their doctors.
The Bush administration and U.S. Justice Department want that law overturned. And the Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear arguments on this subject in October.
Should it be legal or not? AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: We'll see what the court looks like in October, too.
CAFFERTY: That's true. That's a very interesting point.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. To the headlines now. Here's Heidi Collins back with us.
Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And good morning to you, everybody.
"Now in the News" this morning, rescue workers trying to reach any remaining survivors after a strong earthquake hit southeastern Iran. The death toll has risen past 400 now as emergency crews pull more bodies from the rubble. Iranian officials say bad weather is getting in the way of rescue and recovery efforts. Today, the people of Iran are observing a national day of mourning.
In Texas, a suspect is in custody this morning, charged with killing a pregnant woman and her 7-year-old son. Stephen Barbee faces one count of capital murder. He apparently confessed to suffocating Lisa Underwood and her son Jayden in their home.
The mother and her son were reported missing Saturday night. Their SUV was found nose down in a creek on Monday. The police are working to positively identify the bodies.
There could potentially be a decision today in the right to die case involving Terri Schiavo. Schiavo's parents are trying to keep their daughter's feeding tube from being pulled. A Florida judge has agreed to hear more arguments in the case. The parents say they will continue to appeal the case it necessary.
And Britain's Buckingham Palace doing some damage control this morning after word the queen will not attend her son's wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles. It seems Queen Elizabeth II will miss the civil ceremony coming up on April 8. A palace spokesman says the queen is respecting the couple's wishes to keep the event low key. She will, though, attend a religious event later in the day. That will be a reception -- or host a reception, that is, at Windsor castle. Low key.
O'BRIEN: As you said, a very low-key reception at the castle, with only 10,000 people invited.
COLLINS: They're just going to have mints and coffee.
O'BRIEN: And civilians lining the streets.
COLLINS: Yes, probably.
O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks, Heidi.
Let's get right back to those storms now in southern California. The region not seeing as much rain in a single season for 115 years. The deluge so damaging in Highland Park, California, some people were told to get right out of their homes. And that, in fact, is where we find CNN's Chris Lawrence this morning.
Hey, Chris. Good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Soledad.
You know, four homes in this neighborhood alone have been red- tagged, which means the ground here is so unstable that it's just too dangerous for the families to stay. You know, we had been spending most of the morning in the backyard with the family until the fire department finally said, "Hey, look, guys, this is just getting a little bit too dangerous back here," and trying to move everybody out, saying that the ground really could give way at anytime.
And in any case, you know, Patricia Prole didn't need anybody to tell her that. They took one look outside their house the other night and literally saw their swimming pool and deck just sliding right down the mountain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): About the only thing worse than watching your backyard disappearing is hearing it happen.
PATRICIA PROLE, TOLD TO EVACUATE: It sounded like between an earthquake and thunder.
LAWRENCE: Patricia Prole says she could feel the ground give way.
PROLE: And there was a very strong smell of wet earth.
LAWRENCE: The rain had been chipping away at the foundation until their backyard finally broke loose.
PROLE: It was a horrible sound. It was a horrible, horrible sound. And I looked out over the deck and -- to see if we 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 this 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 backyards wasn't bad enough, Mark Lacanilao is worried about their home's cement foundation.
MARK LACANILAO, TOLD TO EVACUATE: Our house 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)
LAWRENCE: Yes, a lot of folks here sure hope that will be sometime in the next day or so. But, again, there's no real guarantee that any of these families will ever be allowed to come back in their homes. The mayor of Los Angeles is asking President Bush to declare the entire city a federal disaster area. He says he's got nearly 100 homes that are right now uninhabitable -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: What a mess, and how horrible for the folks who are dealing with this. Chris Lawrence, thanks for that update.
A look at the forecast now for California. Let's get right back to the weather and Chad Myers at the CNN Center.
It is going to let up in the short term but not in the long term, right, Chad?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No, exactly. We have the same pattern set up like today for next week. And, in fact, all -- all through the weekend is going to dry out.
This entire storm is going to move to the East, and then the four corners are going to get wet. But the storm is actually going to get replaced by the next storm that arrives next Wednesday, and it could be just as big.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Chad, thanks for that.
From overseas now, President Bush meeting earlier today with the German chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, who has been an outspoken critic of the administration's policy in Iraq. However, today, they found common ground on the resolve to keep nuclear weapons from Iran. Our senior White House correspondent is John King, traveling with the president. He's live in Mainz, Germany, now.
John, hello.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Bill. A beautiful snowy day here in Mainz. Significant just that Mr. Bush is here.
Back in 2003, he went for more than seven months when he refused to even speak with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder because of the chancellor's vocal opposition to the Iraq war. Both met today, promising a new chapter in their relation. But there still are some disagreements between the United States and Germany, the United States and other key European partners.
So as Mr. Bush met here, one of the subjects up for discussion, as you noted, was Iran. Both leaders stressing that they agree on the fundamental goal that Iran should not have a nuclear weapons program. But Mr. Bush did acknowledge some tactical agreements with the Europeans. They want to give Iran some financial and perhaps diplomatic incentives to come to the negotiating table.
The president could barely contain his contempt for Iran's leaders at a news conference with Chancellor Schroeder. But Mr. Bush did make a concerted effort to allay the fears of many Europeans that Iran might soon be a military target.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iran is not Iraq. We just started the diplomatic efforts. And I want to thank our friends for taking the lead. And we will work with them to convince the mullahs that they need to give up their nuclear ambitions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, Syria, another subject of discussion in the more than hour-long meeting between the president and the German chancellor, Mr. Bush had been trying to build up international pressure on Syria since the recent assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister in Lebanon. Mr. Bush saying Syria must withdraw its troops from Lebanon, also must pull out its secret police. But the president also made clear today that even as he tries to build international pressure, he will not try to seek any new sanctions against Syria, waiting instead to see if Syria will do that, pull its troops from Lebanon, before elections scheduled for this spring.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: The charge is out there for the Syrian government to hear loud and clear. And we will see how they respond before there's any further discussions about going back to the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: On the streets today, even as the leaders said they wanted to put the Iraq war dispute behind them, more evidence that the Iraq war is one of the main sources of anti-Bush and, to some degree, anti- American sentiment here in Europe. The demonstrators taking to the streets, making clear their displeasure with Mr. Bush.
One recent poll in Germany found more than eight in 10 citizen in this country had an unfavorable opinion of President Bush. An interesting remark from the president just moments ago at a roundtable here in Germany.
He seemed to attribute much of this disagreement to differing views of 9/11. Mr. Bush said that some viewed the 9/11 attacks as a horrible day, but just a passing moment. While he views them as a mission, a mission, a calling to his government to seek out and destroy terrorist networks around the world. Mr. Bush said because of those disagreements people with a differing view sometimes talk past each other, is how he put it, and the president said, "I plead guilty at times" -- Bill.
HEMMER: John King. Thanks, live in Mainz, Germany.
Back in this country now, Barry Bonds is talking. A lot, in fact. But he is not answering every question.
Yesterday, Bonds arrived for spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona. The seven-time National League MVP side-stepped questions about his role in baseball's steroid scandal. Here's what he said when 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 if cheating is going -- 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. Now, that's just my opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: So that was one comment from yesterday. Bonds then scolded the media for what he describe as its relentless coverage of the steroid issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BONDS: I'm an adult, and I take responsibilities for what I do. But, you know, 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 to bank America and walk in the office and start interviewing employees. This is sports world. What for?
(END VIDEO CLIP) HEMMER: Bonds says he does not put much stake in a new tell-all book, too, from Jose Canseco that's been in headlines now for two weeks. He says Canseco is just out to "make a buck." Barry Bonds from yesterday.
O'BRIEN: Well, you know, there's no Bank of America pages at the back of the newspaper. It's the sports page. I mean, it's all -- that was a little bit of a strange press conference, wasn't it?
HEMMER: I would say. You know, I think there's a chance you may actually get into the baseball season this year. Because of all the sideline stories that's going on.
O'BRIEN: Oh, that I'm going to personally be into it?
HEMMER: That you may perhaps get into it.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes. I've interviewed him a few times. So we've had our own strange conversations.
Anyway, the Pentagon acknowledging a rape investigation involving a U.S. soldier and an Iraqi prisoner. Why, though, didn't it come out any sooner? We're going to take you live to the Pentagon for that.
HEMMER: Also, Soledad, what is more important, your privacy or your safety? A controversial measure involving roadside sobriety checkpoints. We'll look at that in a moment here next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Should police be allowed to randomly pull over drivers to check if they're drunk? The question is up for debate in Rhode Island, where sobriety checks have been illegal since 1989. The state's attorney general wants the state Supreme Court to revisit the issue. But two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would keep sobriety checkpoints illegal.
Rhode Island Representative Charlene Lima is the bill's prime sponsor. She's in Watertown, Massachusetts, this morning.
Nice to see you. Thank you very much for being with us this morning. Why did you introduce this bill?
STATE REP. CHARLENE LIMA (D), RHODE ISLAND: Thank you, Soledad. Thank you for having me.
I introduced this bill because of my concerns for individual rights and freedoms. While I'm a strong advocate for stronger and tougher drunk driving laws, what I do not find acceptable is abridging the rights of the law-abiding citizen in order to catch drunk drivers.
O'BRIEN: And you think that the checkpoints would abridge the rights of the law-abiding citizens. I want to ask you a question. Rhode Island, according to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, has the highest percentage of alcohol-related fatalities in the United States. Is that accurate?
We're obviously having some satellite problems with Representative Charlene Lima. We're going to see if we can get her back up again from our bureau there and bring her back in just a moment.
We're going to take a short break. We're back in just a moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: A woman who was mauled by a mountain lion last summer in California lived to tell her tale. The attack left Shannon Parker without her right eye and other wound to her legs. Doctors have performed a series of reconstructive surgeries for the injuries that she sustained.
Shannon Parker's with us this morning.
It's nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us. We appreciate it.
Obviously beside the injuries that I've just mentioned, there must be severe emotional trauma that you've been dealing with as well over the last year. You went back to the site. I was surprised to read that. How was that experience?
SHANNON PARKER, MOUNTAIN LION VICTIM: You know, I think it was just very therapeutic for me, you know, in a way. It was definitely a little bit scary. But after it was done, I was -- you know, I was really happy I went back up there and, you know, told the story. And don't plan on going back anytime soon, but glad I did.
O'BRIEN: What do you remember of that day?
PARKER: The day of the attack?
O'BRIEN: Of the attack, yes.
PARKER: You know, I remember everything.
O'BRIEN: Really?
PARKER: Everything -- very -- yes, vividly. Detailed, I mean.
O'BRIEN: You were going back to get something.
PARKER: Right -- well...
O'BRIEN: So you got separated from your group a little bit?
PARKER: Correct, yes.
O'BRIEN: And then what happened? PARKER: I got separated from the group, and so I was alone, heading back to the vehicles, park lot. And right in front of me there was, you know, this mountain lion, hunched down, on the trail directly in front of me. Ready, getting ready to pounce, basically.
And, you know, I didn't have time to -- my reaction was just, you know, I made eye contact with it. It pounced. And I went -- I turned to the left and it just grabbed on to the right side of my face.
O'BRIEN: Did you fight? What were you trying to do the whole time?
PARKER: Oh, of course, I did. You know, if I -- if I wouldn't have fought, I would not be here. I fought.
Actually, I was very angry when it -- when it first, you know, got on me. And I just fought and hit it, and actually did a lot of the things you're supposed to when you're attacked by a mountain lion.
O'BRIEN: Not knowing that?
PARKER: Not...
O'BRIEN: Not having any idea of what you're supposed to do?
PARKER: Correct.
O'BRIEN: Because I was going to say, I'm not sure, what do you do when you're attacked by a mountain lion?
PARKER: Yes. . Well, I mean, if you have -- if you have time and you come into contact with a mountain lion, you're supposed to make yourself look bigger, you know, throw rocks at it.
But in my situation, it was stalking me, waiting. And I had no time whatsoever to do anything but turn my head.
O'BRIEN: Your friends threw rocks at the mountain lion. Your boyfriend stabbed the mountain lion.
PARKER: Correct. .
O'BRIEN: Do you remember that?
PARKER: I remember everything. I remember them walking up, and I actually had fallen down the trail -- or down the mountain some. And so -- he did walk up, he looked down and went, you know, directly to my side.
And, you know, we all three, we worked together as a team. And, you know, I know both of them. I've watched them in a couple of interviews. And it's just -- it's really tough.
You know, we all worked together. And I'm here.
O'BRIEN: Saved your life. PARKER: Yes, definitely.
O'BRIEN: And you're here to talk about it. How are you doing now? We mentioned some of your injuries. We mentioned your eye.
How many surgeries have you had? And how are you feeling, both emotionally and physically?
PARKER: Right. Physically, I'm feeling pretty good. You know, I've come a long way.
O'BRIEN: You look fabulous.
PARKER: Yes, I've come -- oh, it's just amazing. I have an amazing plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Schwartz. And I've had three major surgeries so far, a total of 20 hours of surgery. And I have, you know, still, surgeries ahead.
Actually, one of them, an eye surgery, scheduled March 4. So physically I'm doing all right. You know, I'm exercising, that sort of thing.
Emotionally, that's, you know, the toughest part, probably. Well, it is, for sure. You know, it was traumatic, it is traumatic.
And so, yes, every day, I struggle with it. But, you know, I'm here. And that's the most important thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Parker says she wants to raise awareness about the dangers of mountain lions and also help educate people on what to do if they encounter one.
Let's go back to Bill.
HEMMER: Good luck to her, too. Thanks, Soledad.
Back to Jack now and the "Question of the Day."
CAFFERTY: Doctor-assisted suicide, it's legal in Oregon. The Supreme Court is going to hear arguments in October because the Justice Department thinks it ought to be illegal.
Doctor-assisted suicide under strict regulations has been passed by the voters in Oregon twice. But the Justice Department says, no, doctors shouldn't be allowed to do this. So we want to know what you think, whether it ought to be legal or not.
Albert in Maryland writes: "Doctor-assisted suicide contradicts the very essence of being a physician, to preserve life. We're also charged with relieving pain and suffering whenever we can. That effort does not including killing or assisting suicide."
Edith in Florida writes: "I find it critical that a group which approves of death by lethal injection to use the drug laws argument to bolster their position in this instance. If that's true, then shouldn't death by lethal injection be outlawed as well?"
This, from Portland, Oregon, where the -- state where the law's in effect. "Of course it should be permitted when the patient is suffering and no hope remain. What is it about conservatives who say they hate big government but are happy as hell to let the same said government determine their reproductive rights and the right to end their suffering?"
And Theresa in Pennsylvania writes: "Suicide in any form will eventually have to be legalized. By the time Mr. Bush gets finished with the economy, taxes and Social Security, suicide will be the only retirement option available to the poor and middle class."
HEMMER: She says tongue in cheek. Just Oregon, right, nowhere else?
CAFFERTY: I don't know if she -- I don't know if it's tongue in cheek. Maybe she's serious.
HEMMER: Maybe she's on to something. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Here's Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, Andre Agassi hasn't won a major tournament in two years, but he is on top of the world literally. You're going to see some death-defying pictures to believe it. That and much more is ahead right after the break.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): 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 VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It's shaping up to be a beautiful day here in New York City. Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
In just a few minutes, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld promising to get to the bottom of new allegations of prisoner abuse in Iraq. These are some of the most serious claims yet, claims that a U.S. soldier raped a female Iraqi prisoner. Jamie McIntyre has got a report ahead.
HEMMER: Much different topic. An old friend stops by in a few moments. Paula Zahn is here today. A special later tonight on breast cancer. Medical science continues to advance, and a lot of -- a lot of information not only women need to know, but also some inspiring stories, too, from survivors, and one that hits very close to Paula's own family, too. So we'll check in with her in a few minutes right here.
O'BRIEN: Yes. That's just ahead.
First, though, the headlines with Heidi Collins.
Good morning.
COLLINS: Good morning. And good morning once again, everyone.
"Now in the News" this morning, President Bush appears to be offering a somewhat softer approach toward Iran. During a news conference in Germany last hour, the president voiced support for diplomatic means, but reiterated that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon. Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, voiced his agreement. The president's next stop, the Slovak Republic, where he's expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
People in parts of California bracing for a new round of rainstorms. The record wet weather is causing some flooding and sending some homes tumbling down. We spoke with one family earlier today who got caught in the landslide.
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Aired February 23, 2005 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hills and homes crumbling away in southern California. Another pounding rainstorm hitting at this hour.
And the president's diplomatic challenge of finding common ground with Germany. Did he do it today with a warning to Iran?
And Barry Bonds...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY BONDS, BASEBALL PLAYER: I don't know what cheating is. I don't think -- I don't know what cheating is going to -- steroids are going to help you in baseball.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Bonds now in a slugfest with the media and trying to put steroids behind him. His own preemptive strike 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 back, everybody.
Coming up this morning, we're going to take you back to California. Destruction there really just getting worse and worse as these storms plow through the southern part of that state. Forecast not good either, not for a day, even ahead in the next couple of weeks.
We'll take a look at that. Also, a look at just what is happening with those hillsides, where the homes are now literally teetering right on the brink.
HEMMER: And that couple you talked to last hour, too, really felt it, the misery they're going through.
Also this hour, Rhode Island debating a police technique that's legal almost everywhere in the country. Police sobriety checkpoints, do they violate civil rights? We'll talk to a state congresswoman about her controversial stand on that issue. That's coming up this hour also.
O'BRIEN: Back to Jack with our "Question of the Day."
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Oregon is the only state in the country that has legalized physician-assisted suicide. The voters out there have passed it twice. It's called the Death With Dignity Law. People with terminal illnesses under a rigid set of restrictions are able to commit suicide with the help of their doctors.
The Bush administration and U.S. Justice Department want that law overturned. And the Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear arguments on this subject in October.
Should it be legal or not? AM@CNN.com.
HEMMER: We'll see what the court looks like in October, too.
CAFFERTY: That's true. That's a very interesting point.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. To the headlines now. Here's Heidi Collins back with us.
Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And good morning to you, everybody.
"Now in the News" this morning, rescue workers trying to reach any remaining survivors after a strong earthquake hit southeastern Iran. The death toll has risen past 400 now as emergency crews pull more bodies from the rubble. Iranian officials say bad weather is getting in the way of rescue and recovery efforts. Today, the people of Iran are observing a national day of mourning.
In Texas, a suspect is in custody this morning, charged with killing a pregnant woman and her 7-year-old son. Stephen Barbee faces one count of capital murder. He apparently confessed to suffocating Lisa Underwood and her son Jayden in their home.
The mother and her son were reported missing Saturday night. Their SUV was found nose down in a creek on Monday. The police are working to positively identify the bodies.
There could potentially be a decision today in the right to die case involving Terri Schiavo. Schiavo's parents are trying to keep their daughter's feeding tube from being pulled. A Florida judge has agreed to hear more arguments in the case. The parents say they will continue to appeal the case it necessary.
And Britain's Buckingham Palace doing some damage control this morning after word the queen will not attend her son's wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles. It seems Queen Elizabeth II will miss the civil ceremony coming up on April 8. A palace spokesman says the queen is respecting the couple's wishes to keep the event low key. She will, though, attend a religious event later in the day. That will be a reception -- or host a reception, that is, at Windsor castle. Low key.
O'BRIEN: As you said, a very low-key reception at the castle, with only 10,000 people invited.
COLLINS: They're just going to have mints and coffee.
O'BRIEN: And civilians lining the streets.
COLLINS: Yes, probably.
O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks, Heidi.
Let's get right back to those storms now in southern California. The region not seeing as much rain in a single season for 115 years. The deluge so damaging in Highland Park, California, some people were told to get right out of their homes. And that, in fact, is where we find CNN's Chris Lawrence this morning.
Hey, Chris. Good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Soledad.
You know, four homes in this neighborhood alone have been red- tagged, which means the ground here is so unstable that it's just too dangerous for the families to stay. You know, we had been spending most of the morning in the backyard with the family until the fire department finally said, "Hey, look, guys, this is just getting a little bit too dangerous back here," and trying to move everybody out, saying that the ground really could give way at anytime.
And in any case, you know, Patricia Prole didn't need anybody to tell her that. They took one look outside their house the other night and literally saw their swimming pool and deck just sliding right down the mountain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): About the only thing worse than watching your backyard disappearing is hearing it happen.
PATRICIA PROLE, TOLD TO EVACUATE: It sounded like between an earthquake and thunder.
LAWRENCE: Patricia Prole says she could feel the ground give way.
PROLE: And there was a very strong smell of wet earth.
LAWRENCE: The rain had been chipping away at the foundation until their backyard finally broke loose.
PROLE: It was a horrible sound. It was a horrible, horrible sound. And I looked out over the deck and -- to see if we 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 this 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 backyards wasn't bad enough, Mark Lacanilao is worried about their home's cement foundation.
MARK LACANILAO, TOLD TO EVACUATE: Our house 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)
LAWRENCE: Yes, a lot of folks here sure hope that will be sometime in the next day or so. But, again, there's no real guarantee that any of these families will ever be allowed to come back in their homes. The mayor of Los Angeles is asking President Bush to declare the entire city a federal disaster area. He says he's got nearly 100 homes that are right now uninhabitable -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: What a mess, and how horrible for the folks who are dealing with this. Chris Lawrence, thanks for that update.
A look at the forecast now for California. Let's get right back to the weather and Chad Myers at the CNN Center.
It is going to let up in the short term but not in the long term, right, Chad?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No, exactly. We have the same pattern set up like today for next week. And, in fact, all -- all through the weekend is going to dry out.
This entire storm is going to move to the East, and then the four corners are going to get wet. But the storm is actually going to get replaced by the next storm that arrives next Wednesday, and it could be just as big.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: Chad, thanks for that.
From overseas now, President Bush meeting earlier today with the German chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, who has been an outspoken critic of the administration's policy in Iraq. However, today, they found common ground on the resolve to keep nuclear weapons from Iran. Our senior White House correspondent is John King, traveling with the president. He's live in Mainz, Germany, now.
John, hello.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Bill. A beautiful snowy day here in Mainz. Significant just that Mr. Bush is here.
Back in 2003, he went for more than seven months when he refused to even speak with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder because of the chancellor's vocal opposition to the Iraq war. Both met today, promising a new chapter in their relation. But there still are some disagreements between the United States and Germany, the United States and other key European partners.
So as Mr. Bush met here, one of the subjects up for discussion, as you noted, was Iran. Both leaders stressing that they agree on the fundamental goal that Iran should not have a nuclear weapons program. But Mr. Bush did acknowledge some tactical agreements with the Europeans. They want to give Iran some financial and perhaps diplomatic incentives to come to the negotiating table.
The president could barely contain his contempt for Iran's leaders at a news conference with Chancellor Schroeder. But Mr. Bush did make a concerted effort to allay the fears of many Europeans that Iran might soon be a military target.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iran is not Iraq. We just started the diplomatic efforts. And I want to thank our friends for taking the lead. And we will work with them to convince the mullahs that they need to give up their nuclear ambitions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, Syria, another subject of discussion in the more than hour-long meeting between the president and the German chancellor, Mr. Bush had been trying to build up international pressure on Syria since the recent assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister in Lebanon. Mr. Bush saying Syria must withdraw its troops from Lebanon, also must pull out its secret police. But the president also made clear today that even as he tries to build international pressure, he will not try to seek any new sanctions against Syria, waiting instead to see if Syria will do that, pull its troops from Lebanon, before elections scheduled for this spring.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: The charge is out there for the Syrian government to hear loud and clear. And we will see how they respond before there's any further discussions about going back to the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: On the streets today, even as the leaders said they wanted to put the Iraq war dispute behind them, more evidence that the Iraq war is one of the main sources of anti-Bush and, to some degree, anti- American sentiment here in Europe. The demonstrators taking to the streets, making clear their displeasure with Mr. Bush.
One recent poll in Germany found more than eight in 10 citizen in this country had an unfavorable opinion of President Bush. An interesting remark from the president just moments ago at a roundtable here in Germany.
He seemed to attribute much of this disagreement to differing views of 9/11. Mr. Bush said that some viewed the 9/11 attacks as a horrible day, but just a passing moment. While he views them as a mission, a mission, a calling to his government to seek out and destroy terrorist networks around the world. Mr. Bush said because of those disagreements people with a differing view sometimes talk past each other, is how he put it, and the president said, "I plead guilty at times" -- Bill.
HEMMER: John King. Thanks, live in Mainz, Germany.
Back in this country now, Barry Bonds is talking. A lot, in fact. But he is not answering every question.
Yesterday, Bonds arrived for spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona. The seven-time National League MVP side-stepped questions about his role in baseball's steroid scandal. Here's what he said when 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 if cheating is going -- 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. Now, that's just my opinion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: So that was one comment from yesterday. Bonds then scolded the media for what he describe as its relentless coverage of the steroid issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BONDS: I'm an adult, and I take responsibilities for what I do. But, you know, 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 to bank America and walk in the office and start interviewing employees. This is sports world. What for?
(END VIDEO CLIP) HEMMER: Bonds says he does not put much stake in a new tell-all book, too, from Jose Canseco that's been in headlines now for two weeks. He says Canseco is just out to "make a buck." Barry Bonds from yesterday.
O'BRIEN: Well, you know, there's no Bank of America pages at the back of the newspaper. It's the sports page. I mean, it's all -- that was a little bit of a strange press conference, wasn't it?
HEMMER: I would say. You know, I think there's a chance you may actually get into the baseball season this year. Because of all the sideline stories that's going on.
O'BRIEN: Oh, that I'm going to personally be into it?
HEMMER: That you may perhaps get into it.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes. I've interviewed him a few times. So we've had our own strange conversations.
Anyway, the Pentagon acknowledging a rape investigation involving a U.S. soldier and an Iraqi prisoner. Why, though, didn't it come out any sooner? We're going to take you live to the Pentagon for that.
HEMMER: Also, Soledad, what is more important, your privacy or your safety? A controversial measure involving roadside sobriety checkpoints. We'll look at that in a moment here next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Should police be allowed to randomly pull over drivers to check if they're drunk? The question is up for debate in Rhode Island, where sobriety checks have been illegal since 1989. The state's attorney general wants the state Supreme Court to revisit the issue. But two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would keep sobriety checkpoints illegal.
Rhode Island Representative Charlene Lima is the bill's prime sponsor. She's in Watertown, Massachusetts, this morning.
Nice to see you. Thank you very much for being with us this morning. Why did you introduce this bill?
STATE REP. CHARLENE LIMA (D), RHODE ISLAND: Thank you, Soledad. Thank you for having me.
I introduced this bill because of my concerns for individual rights and freedoms. While I'm a strong advocate for stronger and tougher drunk driving laws, what I do not find acceptable is abridging the rights of the law-abiding citizen in order to catch drunk drivers.
O'BRIEN: And you think that the checkpoints would abridge the rights of the law-abiding citizens. I want to ask you a question. Rhode Island, according to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, has the highest percentage of alcohol-related fatalities in the United States. Is that accurate?
We're obviously having some satellite problems with Representative Charlene Lima. We're going to see if we can get her back up again from our bureau there and bring her back in just a moment.
We're going to take a short break. We're back in just a moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: A woman who was mauled by a mountain lion last summer in California lived to tell her tale. The attack left Shannon Parker without her right eye and other wound to her legs. Doctors have performed a series of reconstructive surgeries for the injuries that she sustained.
Shannon Parker's with us this morning.
It's nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us. We appreciate it.
Obviously beside the injuries that I've just mentioned, there must be severe emotional trauma that you've been dealing with as well over the last year. You went back to the site. I was surprised to read that. How was that experience?
SHANNON PARKER, MOUNTAIN LION VICTIM: You know, I think it was just very therapeutic for me, you know, in a way. It was definitely a little bit scary. But after it was done, I was -- you know, I was really happy I went back up there and, you know, told the story. And don't plan on going back anytime soon, but glad I did.
O'BRIEN: What do you remember of that day?
PARKER: The day of the attack?
O'BRIEN: Of the attack, yes.
PARKER: You know, I remember everything.
O'BRIEN: Really?
PARKER: Everything -- very -- yes, vividly. Detailed, I mean.
O'BRIEN: You were going back to get something.
PARKER: Right -- well...
O'BRIEN: So you got separated from your group a little bit?
PARKER: Correct, yes.
O'BRIEN: And then what happened? PARKER: I got separated from the group, and so I was alone, heading back to the vehicles, park lot. And right in front of me there was, you know, this mountain lion, hunched down, on the trail directly in front of me. Ready, getting ready to pounce, basically.
And, you know, I didn't have time to -- my reaction was just, you know, I made eye contact with it. It pounced. And I went -- I turned to the left and it just grabbed on to the right side of my face.
O'BRIEN: Did you fight? What were you trying to do the whole time?
PARKER: Oh, of course, I did. You know, if I -- if I wouldn't have fought, I would not be here. I fought.
Actually, I was very angry when it -- when it first, you know, got on me. And I just fought and hit it, and actually did a lot of the things you're supposed to when you're attacked by a mountain lion.
O'BRIEN: Not knowing that?
PARKER: Not...
O'BRIEN: Not having any idea of what you're supposed to do?
PARKER: Correct.
O'BRIEN: Because I was going to say, I'm not sure, what do you do when you're attacked by a mountain lion?
PARKER: Yes. . Well, I mean, if you have -- if you have time and you come into contact with a mountain lion, you're supposed to make yourself look bigger, you know, throw rocks at it.
But in my situation, it was stalking me, waiting. And I had no time whatsoever to do anything but turn my head.
O'BRIEN: Your friends threw rocks at the mountain lion. Your boyfriend stabbed the mountain lion.
PARKER: Correct. .
O'BRIEN: Do you remember that?
PARKER: I remember everything. I remember them walking up, and I actually had fallen down the trail -- or down the mountain some. And so -- he did walk up, he looked down and went, you know, directly to my side.
And, you know, we all three, we worked together as a team. And, you know, I know both of them. I've watched them in a couple of interviews. And it's just -- it's really tough.
You know, we all worked together. And I'm here.
O'BRIEN: Saved your life. PARKER: Yes, definitely.
O'BRIEN: And you're here to talk about it. How are you doing now? We mentioned some of your injuries. We mentioned your eye.
How many surgeries have you had? And how are you feeling, both emotionally and physically?
PARKER: Right. Physically, I'm feeling pretty good. You know, I've come a long way.
O'BRIEN: You look fabulous.
PARKER: Yes, I've come -- oh, it's just amazing. I have an amazing plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Schwartz. And I've had three major surgeries so far, a total of 20 hours of surgery. And I have, you know, still, surgeries ahead.
Actually, one of them, an eye surgery, scheduled March 4. So physically I'm doing all right. You know, I'm exercising, that sort of thing.
Emotionally, that's, you know, the toughest part, probably. Well, it is, for sure. You know, it was traumatic, it is traumatic.
And so, yes, every day, I struggle with it. But, you know, I'm here. And that's the most important thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Parker says she wants to raise awareness about the dangers of mountain lions and also help educate people on what to do if they encounter one.
Let's go back to Bill.
HEMMER: Good luck to her, too. Thanks, Soledad.
Back to Jack now and the "Question of the Day."
CAFFERTY: Doctor-assisted suicide, it's legal in Oregon. The Supreme Court is going to hear arguments in October because the Justice Department thinks it ought to be illegal.
Doctor-assisted suicide under strict regulations has been passed by the voters in Oregon twice. But the Justice Department says, no, doctors shouldn't be allowed to do this. So we want to know what you think, whether it ought to be legal or not.
Albert in Maryland writes: "Doctor-assisted suicide contradicts the very essence of being a physician, to preserve life. We're also charged with relieving pain and suffering whenever we can. That effort does not including killing or assisting suicide."
Edith in Florida writes: "I find it critical that a group which approves of death by lethal injection to use the drug laws argument to bolster their position in this instance. If that's true, then shouldn't death by lethal injection be outlawed as well?"
This, from Portland, Oregon, where the -- state where the law's in effect. "Of course it should be permitted when the patient is suffering and no hope remain. What is it about conservatives who say they hate big government but are happy as hell to let the same said government determine their reproductive rights and the right to end their suffering?"
And Theresa in Pennsylvania writes: "Suicide in any form will eventually have to be legalized. By the time Mr. Bush gets finished with the economy, taxes and Social Security, suicide will be the only retirement option available to the poor and middle class."
HEMMER: She says tongue in cheek. Just Oregon, right, nowhere else?
CAFFERTY: I don't know if she -- I don't know if it's tongue in cheek. Maybe she's serious.
HEMMER: Maybe she's on to something. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Here's Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, Andre Agassi hasn't won a major tournament in two years, but he is on top of the world literally. You're going to see some death-defying pictures to believe it. That and much more is ahead right after the break.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): 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 VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: It's shaping up to be a beautiful day here in New York City. Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
In just a few minutes, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld promising to get to the bottom of new allegations of prisoner abuse in Iraq. These are some of the most serious claims yet, claims that a U.S. soldier raped a female Iraqi prisoner. Jamie McIntyre has got a report ahead.
HEMMER: Much different topic. An old friend stops by in a few moments. Paula Zahn is here today. A special later tonight on breast cancer. Medical science continues to advance, and a lot of -- a lot of information not only women need to know, but also some inspiring stories, too, from survivors, and one that hits very close to Paula's own family, too. So we'll check in with her in a few minutes right here.
O'BRIEN: Yes. That's just ahead.
First, though, the headlines with Heidi Collins.
Good morning.
COLLINS: Good morning. And good morning once again, everyone.
"Now in the News" this morning, President Bush appears to be offering a somewhat softer approach toward Iran. During a news conference in Germany last hour, the president voiced support for diplomatic means, but reiterated that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon. Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, voiced his agreement. The president's next stop, the Slovak Republic, where he's expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
People in parts of California bracing for a new round of rainstorms. The record wet weather is causing some flooding and sending some homes tumbling down. We spoke with one family earlier today who got caught in the landslide.
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