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Pope's Health; Defining the Agenda
Aired February 25, 2005 - 11:00 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.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And here we go with hour two and a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."
The Vatican is saying that Pope John Paul II is breathing on his own and is resting well today after undergoing a tracheotomy to relieve breathing problems. An update is just ahead. Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to explain what this procedure actually involves.
A winter storm leaves a blanket of snow form the mid Atlantic to the Northeast. Snow coated the region from Virginia and Maryland to New York and Pennsylvania. Several cities reported accumulations of six inches or more.
The family of a missing Florida girl today is pleading for any information that might help them find her. Authorities say that 9- year-old Jessica Marie Lunsford disappeared sometime early yesterday. Searchers have been combing the area around her home in Homosassa. That's just north of Tampa, right along that western coast of Florida. It's where Jessica lives with her grandparents and her father.
Also, the Iraqi government is saying a terrorist believed to be responsible for a string of beheadings has been captured. The government says that he was caught near Baquba. That's north of Baghdad, but it doesn't say when. Authorities are saying the man has ties to wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
And here we go. We welcome you back. 8:00 a.m. in the West Coast, 11:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Rick Sanchez.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
He is the voice of millions of Catholics worldwide, but the Vatican says Pope John Paul II will be unable to speak for at least a few days. The pope is said to be resting well and breathing on his own today following a tracheotomy to relieve his respiratory problems.
For more on the pontiff's condition and the implications of the latest health challenge, let's go first to CNN Vatican analyst John Allen in Rome.
JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Hi, Daryn.
Well, what we're hearing today from Vatican officials, as you say, is largely good news. The pope apparently came through his tracheotomy last evening in pretty good shape. They say he never needed artificial or mechanical respiration, that he is resting comfortably, and actually feeling much relieved, able to breathe much more openly and naturally than he was yesterday. That he actually had a light breakfast this morning, had some coffee with milk, a few cookies and some yogurt, and was writing notes, you know, to his aides, joking with them a little bit.
So the news there is good. Obviously the note of caution that's in order here is they were also telling us just recently that he made a full and complete recovery from a bout of the flu and breathing difficulties that took him into Rome's Gemelli Hospital in the beginning of the month. And obviously that proved to be a little overly optimistic.
So we're going to have to keep a close eye on the situation in the next few days to see how things develop. But at least as of today the news appears fairly reassuring -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John, let's talk about some of the functions of the church while the pope is recovering. First of all, if he can't speak, who speaks for him?
ALLEN: Well, that's a great question. I mean, there are sort of two levels of that question.
I mean, one is, who's running the church? And at that level, as long as the pope can indicate his wishes one way or another, that is, if he can sign something or even with a gesture, a nod of his head, if he can say yes or no to decisions, then the church, the machinery of the church can keep clanking ahead.
But there's the other level of which the church -- the pope is not just the governor of the Catholic Church. He's also a voice of conscience for humanity.
You know, we expect to hear from the pope on major questions of war and peace, global justice, inter-religious relations, humanitarian questions. And at that level, you know, other people can read the messages for the pope, of course, such as his -- the so-called substitute and the secretary of state, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, who has read messages for the pope in the past.
But it obviously doesn't have quite the same effect. And so the question there is, will the pope be able to, if you like, realize the bully pulpit of the papacy if he cannot speak in his own voice? And that's a question we're going to have to see how it plays out -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And for people don't understand why the pope continues, why this pope continues to go, why he doesn't retire, who are actually uncomfortable by watching his suffering, if you can explain how suffering is part of what he believes is his message to Catholics around the world?
ALLEN: Yes. It really depends on how you look at the Catholic Church. I mean, if you look at it as a Fortune 500 company, or a secular government, then obviously when the CEO, in effect, is not capable of governing in a traditional sense, the logical thing would be for him to step aside. But from the Catholic point of view, the pope is fundamentally the father of a spiritual family, which is how the Catholic Church understands itself. And you don't depose your father when he gets sick.
Moreover, you know, we're in the season of Lent. And from a Catholic point of view, Lent is about recalling the suffering of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
You can make an argument that John Paul, in his physical condition today, the obvious suffering that he is carrying, is better able to symbolically communicate that message than he's ever been. So if you try to see this thing through a spiritual, rather than a kind of political or corporate prism, you can understand why this pope believes that it's god's will that he can continue.
KAGAN: John Allen live from Rome. Thank you.
ALLEN: You bet.
SANCHEZ: Let's do this now, let's break this down from a medical standpoint. We're joined by Dr. Sanjay Gupta and a friend that he has brought along.
Take us through the beginning. What did they actually do for the pope?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When someone comes to a hospital, mission number one is to try and secure the breathing. Get a breathing tube in, if necessary.
Typically, as you probably know -- a lot of people do -- they put a breathing tube in through the mouth. In the pope's case, that was impossible, they say, because of significant inflammation.
SANCHEZ: So they literally had to make a hole right in the trachea?
GUPTA: Make an incision through the skin, and then a hole or a stoma right into the trachea. This is a tracheotomy device. This actually goes straight into the trachea, and it actually will sit something like that, Rick, with a little -- with a little device coming right out of the middle of the neck.
SANCHEZ: So this morning they said that he had eaten something like 10 biscuits. One would wonder how was he able to do that if he had this on.
GUPTA: Yes. And so this is going into the trachea, which is the windpipe sitting in front of the esophagus, which is the food pipe just behind that. So, in fact, you can still eat through your esophagus. You know, it's a separate pipe altogether.
SANCHEZ: So two different pipes. One's the esophagus, one's the trachea.
GUPTA: Exactly.
SANCHEZ: He's got a hard time breathing. Can't speak at all. But he is able to eat.
GUPTA: They talk about the speaking, which is such an important thing, obviously, for him. And he cannot speak with this device in currently right now.
But, interesting to point out that people can speak if they actually put their finger over the device, allowing air to still go through their mouth instead of coming out this hole here. That won't happen right away, but that can be a few days, weeks down the line.
SANCHEZ: When we were listening to Mr. Valls this morning, it seemed like the prognosis was very good. From your experience -- he has Parkinson's Disease, he is 84 years old, and now on top of the flu-like symptoms, and everything else that we've heard, he's dealing with a tracheotomy -- what's his real prognosis, as far as you're able to tell, just given the information you know?
GUPTA: You know, if you were anybody else -- an 84-year-old man with significant medical problems and now this history, I'd be very concerned. And we talk about the flu a lot. We say tens of thousands of people die from the flu.
They're not really dying from the flu per se. They're dying from the complications of the flu, pneumonia, other sorts of bacterial infections.
Who are those people? They're typically elderly, and they're people with other medical problems. So, yes, I think any doctor would be very concerned. At this point they're saying he doesn't have pneumonia. I'm sure they're going to be monitoring that over the next several days.
SANCHEZ: And finally, did his Parkinson's lead to this because of the contractions that he's often forced to go through? Involuntary, I suppose, right?
GUPTA: Involuntary, the contractions, not only of your arms and legs, which most people know, the tremor that they see, but also other muscles in the body, including maybe some of the upper muscles of the airway. I don't think it led to this. I think it may have been a factor in making it worse, and it's also going to be a factor in terms of how quickly he recovers.
SANCHEZ: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much. We certainly appreciate it.
GUPTA: All right. Appreciate it.
KAGAN: The frail health of Pope John Paul II has been a concern for some time. The pope is 84 years old, he suffers from several chronic conditions, including Parkinson's Disease and arthritis. You just heard Sanjay mention a bunch of this.
He is unable to stand without support. Illnesses and surgeries over the years have contributed to the pontiff's weakened condition. He did have his appendix removed in 1996 and underwent hip replacement surgery two years earlier. In 1992 he had an intestinal tumor removed, and he was shot during an assassination attempt in 1981.
SANCHEZ: It is for those reasons that Catholics all over the world are now praying for the 84-year-old pontiff. In Poland, people gathered at a special mass in Krakow, where the pope was born. And in other cities throughout Poland people went to their churches to offer their own get well prayers.
In Mexico City, a mass was held at the Basilica of Guadeloupe. Many people gathered around the large statue of Pope John Paul II which watches over the church.
And in New York City, prayers are being offered at St. Patrick's Cathedral. A special mass is going to be held there this morning. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of the Archdiocese of Washington also helped explain why so many are praying for this pope, John Paul II.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK, ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON: He's the only pope many people have known in all their lives. And so there's a -- the fact that he's suffering, the fact that he's had the operation, the fact they see him weak and hurting, I think that's what -- that's what gets to us.
You know, and we say, well, gee, we want the holy father to be well, we want him to be happy, we want him to be -- to be joyful. We want him to be this great athlete that strode over the stage of the world 25 years ago. We realize that's not going to happen.
You know, and so I think the -- I think maybe more than anything else, personally, I feel sorry for the fact that he must be so frustrated. Because he was such a great preacher and such -- and he could -- with his face, he could -- he could give a message. But now with that Parkinson's mask, he can't even really smile as he used to be able to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: President Bush is among the world leaders also sending well wishes to the pope. In a statement, the president said -- and we quote -- "On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I send our heartfelt best wishes to Pope John Paul II. The holy father is in our thoughts and prayers, and we wish him a speedy recovery and return to the service of his church and all humanity."
We will keep you updated on the pope's health on the air and on our Web site as well. There you can also see an interactive timeline and a photo gallery of Pope John Paul II. All you've got to do is log onto cnn.com/world. KAGAN: In other news today, a massive search is on this morning for a missing 9-year-old girl along central Florida's west coast. Jessica Lunsford disappeared from her home sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
The third grader lived in this home with father and grandparents. Dozens of officers and volunteers are scouring the woods in the area. The father reported Jessica missing after he returned home at about 5:00 in the morning. He had been out all night with a friend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK LUNSFORD, FATHER: I really need as much help as I can get right now. I just -- I want my daughter home. And if there's anything that anybody knows, there's a lot of numbers that you can call. And I just ask you to please help me find my daughter and bring her home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Police haven't yet officially labeled this a kidnapping, but Jessica's grandmother says the girl is not the type to wander away from home on her own.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUTH LUNSFORD, GRANDMOTHER: Whoever is out there that knows anything about Jessie, I'm her grandmother. And this is her grandfather and her daddy. We all live together in a very knit family. And if you know anything at all where she might be or who she communicated with, anything, please, let the authorities know. We need her home, and she needs us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Police seem generally baffled by this one. They say there's no sign of forced entry, and the girl's room does not indicate a struggle. Police say they have questioned the father and grandfather as a matter of routine. They are by no means suspects at this point.
SANCHEZ: A Los Angeles city worker is jailed this morning facing murder charges. Police say he opened fire on the job, killing his supervisor and a fellow employee. Now, the mayor's office says the suspect then turned himself in. The shooting took place at a city asphalt plant. Officials say the shooter apparently had a beef with his boss.
Also, a wild west-style courthouse shoot-out. This is in Tyler, Texas. This is what it looked like inside the building while the shooter was firing away outside with an AK-47. Now, watch this video to get a sense what was going on in that courthouse at the time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just start going off.
(GUNSHOTS) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down! Stay down!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: What you were actually hearing there was the gunshots ringing out. Two people were killed in that gunfight.
The shooter, who wore a bulletproof vest, is identified as David Arroyo. He took off in his car and exchanged shots with police in a running gun battle over several miles. He was finally shot and killed. A reporter for KLTV was working the story at the courthouse when the mayhem suddenly erupted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GILLIAN SHERIDAN, WITNESS: We heard the pop, pop, pops, all turned around, ran to the window, and saw the suspect, David Arroyo, shooting a deputy, his wife, and then his son, and then an innocent bystander that was actually trying to intervene. We saw him reload his AK-47, and he was just continually relentlessly firing.
And what was so chilling is he was very calm about it. It was like he had already planned out what he was going to do. And after he had hit his intended targets, he continued firing rounds indiscriminately. One of those bullets came through the front door of the salon right where we were all standing watching this all happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Now, police say they do believe that the shooter was furious about a court ruling on child support. The dad, his ex-wife and a bystander who was just there, and according to police, was trying to help. Among the wounded, the shooter's son.
KAGAN: Bringing you news now from central California. Michael Jackson has arrived at the courthouse in Santa Maria, California. The judge in the child molestation case will be hearing motions today.
The jury is all set. Twelve jurors, eight alternates, opening statements are set to begin Monday.
SANCHEZ: Another big story that we're following on this day has to do with a case in Kansas. The attorney general, is he investigating crime or is he intruding into private information? Why the tug-of-war for some women's medical records from previous years is being called to question.
KAGAN: Addressing what he calls the state of the black union. We're going to talk with Tavis Smiley about his work for an agenda for African-Americans.
SANCHEZ: Also, can you hear the Oscar buzz out there? It's a preview of the biggest and best from the Oscars, live from the red carpet, and it's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: The Tuskegee Airmen made history during World War II and blazed a trail through the skies, becoming the first black fighter pilots. Now, a permanent memorial is being built in their honor. The groundbreaking ceremony took place yesterday, in, of course, Tuskegee, Alabama, where the airmen trained. The Tuskegee Airmen escorted more than 200 combat missions during the war without losing a single bomber.
SANCHEZ: Something exciting going on in our country. Less than a month after the president's State of the Union speech a symposium, and it's this weekend. It's going to focus on the state of the black union.
Public television host Tavis Smiley is good enough to join us. He's organizing the event, which is going to focus, at least part of it, on defining the African-American agenda and drawing particular attention to health care issues.
Tavis, always good to have you.
TAVIS SMILEY, PBS TELEVISION HOST: Rick, nice to see.
SANCHEZ: Likewise. Good to have you here.
SMILEY: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Let me ask you, when you say the road to health and defining the African-American agenda, which, by the way, is a plug, because it's the title of the symposium, what's the focus? What are we actually trying to do?
SMILEY: Trying to do two things. Our morning panel, we have been fortunate for six years to have these conversations every Black History Month. But we try to bring together the thought leaders, opinion makers in black America to dissect and dialogue about these issues. C-SPAN has always been kind enough, as they will tomorrow, to air it live around the country.
That said, we're talking in the morning about the road to health. The African-American community disproportionately is at the top of every negative stat where health is concerned. Certainly HIV-AIDS, diabetes, prostate cancer, et cetera, et cetera.
We have a conversation in this country right now, thanks to President Bush, where we're talking about reforming Social Security. What the president does not talk about -- and I'm not casting aspersion on him.
SANCHEZ: Right.
SMILEY: I'm just saying the reality is that black and brown people, quite frankly, disproportionately never live along enough to draw down on Social Security because of all of the health disparities that exist that we have to confront.
SANCHEZ: Some of them... SMILEY: Yes?
SANCHEZ: Some of them are issues that they need to deal with in terms of their own internal lifestyle issues, for example.
SMILEY: No question. Yes.
SANCHEZ: Others, though -- and you can't help but get into this part of the conversation -- is economics. It's hard to find an employer out there today who is willing to pay at least for the health care that some of these want, or many would argue deserve.
SMILEY: And all those issues are going to be covered from what we can do as a people to live healthier and better lives. We've got an all-star panel of former surgeon generals, Olympic athlete, all kinds of people coming together to talk about how we can live more healthy lives.
On the other hand, there is a role for government to play in this process, what is that role and how ought it be talked about in the context of this Social Security reform debate.
SANCHEZ: Well, that's interesting, because now we're talking about health care, which mingles suddenly into economy, which now mingles into politics, I just heard you say.
SMILEY: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: What do African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans need to do to get politicians to start listening to them, for example?
SMILEY: Well, I think the Hispanic community is onto something. In this last election, like or loathe how this turned out, the Hispanic vote, as you well know, was split. It made the Democrats wake up and pay attention.
Mr. Rove and the Republicans did a good job of siphoning off a significant amount of the Hispanic vote. Now, the Hispanic community, I don't speak for them, I don't tell them what to do, obviously. They've got to figure out what they think they get for splitting, for dividing their vote.
The black community a little bit different. Black people still disproportionately give their vote to the Democratic Party. The question is, what do you get in return for that?
I believe that the black community still, quite frankly, is taken for granted by the Democrats for all intents and purposes, ignored by the Republicans. So the conversation tomorrow is this: can we create a contract with black America, built around things that we can agree on, things that we can consensus on, and say to the body politic, the powers that be in advance of the next national election cycle, either you sign the contract and do these things or you don't get our votes.
SANCHEZ: But you've got to be careful when you do that, don't you, because you could split your own group. I mean, you can't make demands or requests that are so terse and so limited. For example, some of the issues, as you well know, gay marriage.
SMILEY: Yes. Well, the president and the White House did a good job this time of going through the black church, through certain black pastors to siphon off some of the African-American vote. And you're right, the black community is not a monolith, we don't think or act same. But there are things that we can agree on.
SANCHEZ: Common ground.
SMILEY: Exactly. There are things that we can agree on. Let's talk about those things, put those things in a contract and start to leverage the black vote.
SANCHEZ: Interesting. Tavis Smiley, always a pleasure to have you.
SMILEY: Nice to see you, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Good luck. Sounds wonderful. It's The Road to Health and Defining the African-American Agenda with Tavis Smiley.
SMILEY: Thanks, sir.
SANCHEZ: Religion making news. Daryn standing by to tell us more about what's coming up with that.
KAGAN: Yes. We're not only talking about the pope's health, so are the Anglican and Episcopal churches. What is behind the rift with those churches?
And after all the rain in California, now the Northeast is getting a good dose of snow. A weather update is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Incase you're wondering, yes, it is still winter. The latest snowstorm is moving out of New England today. It spread several inches from Washington to Boston. Another storm is expected to move up the East Coast early next week.
SANCHEZ: Orelon Sidney now will put some graphics and words to those pictures for us.
KAGAN: Explain it all.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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Aired February 25, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And here we go with hour two and a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."
The Vatican is saying that Pope John Paul II is breathing on his own and is resting well today after undergoing a tracheotomy to relieve breathing problems. An update is just ahead. Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to explain what this procedure actually involves.
A winter storm leaves a blanket of snow form the mid Atlantic to the Northeast. Snow coated the region from Virginia and Maryland to New York and Pennsylvania. Several cities reported accumulations of six inches or more.
The family of a missing Florida girl today is pleading for any information that might help them find her. Authorities say that 9- year-old Jessica Marie Lunsford disappeared sometime early yesterday. Searchers have been combing the area around her home in Homosassa. That's just north of Tampa, right along that western coast of Florida. It's where Jessica lives with her grandparents and her father.
Also, the Iraqi government is saying a terrorist believed to be responsible for a string of beheadings has been captured. The government says that he was caught near Baquba. That's north of Baghdad, but it doesn't say when. Authorities are saying the man has ties to wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
And here we go. We welcome you back. 8:00 a.m. in the West Coast, 11:00 a.m. here on the East Coast. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Rick Sanchez.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
He is the voice of millions of Catholics worldwide, but the Vatican says Pope John Paul II will be unable to speak for at least a few days. The pope is said to be resting well and breathing on his own today following a tracheotomy to relieve his respiratory problems.
For more on the pontiff's condition and the implications of the latest health challenge, let's go first to CNN Vatican analyst John Allen in Rome.
JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Hi, Daryn.
Well, what we're hearing today from Vatican officials, as you say, is largely good news. The pope apparently came through his tracheotomy last evening in pretty good shape. They say he never needed artificial or mechanical respiration, that he is resting comfortably, and actually feeling much relieved, able to breathe much more openly and naturally than he was yesterday. That he actually had a light breakfast this morning, had some coffee with milk, a few cookies and some yogurt, and was writing notes, you know, to his aides, joking with them a little bit.
So the news there is good. Obviously the note of caution that's in order here is they were also telling us just recently that he made a full and complete recovery from a bout of the flu and breathing difficulties that took him into Rome's Gemelli Hospital in the beginning of the month. And obviously that proved to be a little overly optimistic.
So we're going to have to keep a close eye on the situation in the next few days to see how things develop. But at least as of today the news appears fairly reassuring -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John, let's talk about some of the functions of the church while the pope is recovering. First of all, if he can't speak, who speaks for him?
ALLEN: Well, that's a great question. I mean, there are sort of two levels of that question.
I mean, one is, who's running the church? And at that level, as long as the pope can indicate his wishes one way or another, that is, if he can sign something or even with a gesture, a nod of his head, if he can say yes or no to decisions, then the church, the machinery of the church can keep clanking ahead.
But there's the other level of which the church -- the pope is not just the governor of the Catholic Church. He's also a voice of conscience for humanity.
You know, we expect to hear from the pope on major questions of war and peace, global justice, inter-religious relations, humanitarian questions. And at that level, you know, other people can read the messages for the pope, of course, such as his -- the so-called substitute and the secretary of state, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, who has read messages for the pope in the past.
But it obviously doesn't have quite the same effect. And so the question there is, will the pope be able to, if you like, realize the bully pulpit of the papacy if he cannot speak in his own voice? And that's a question we're going to have to see how it plays out -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And for people don't understand why the pope continues, why this pope continues to go, why he doesn't retire, who are actually uncomfortable by watching his suffering, if you can explain how suffering is part of what he believes is his message to Catholics around the world?
ALLEN: Yes. It really depends on how you look at the Catholic Church. I mean, if you look at it as a Fortune 500 company, or a secular government, then obviously when the CEO, in effect, is not capable of governing in a traditional sense, the logical thing would be for him to step aside. But from the Catholic point of view, the pope is fundamentally the father of a spiritual family, which is how the Catholic Church understands itself. And you don't depose your father when he gets sick.
Moreover, you know, we're in the season of Lent. And from a Catholic point of view, Lent is about recalling the suffering of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
You can make an argument that John Paul, in his physical condition today, the obvious suffering that he is carrying, is better able to symbolically communicate that message than he's ever been. So if you try to see this thing through a spiritual, rather than a kind of political or corporate prism, you can understand why this pope believes that it's god's will that he can continue.
KAGAN: John Allen live from Rome. Thank you.
ALLEN: You bet.
SANCHEZ: Let's do this now, let's break this down from a medical standpoint. We're joined by Dr. Sanjay Gupta and a friend that he has brought along.
Take us through the beginning. What did they actually do for the pope?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When someone comes to a hospital, mission number one is to try and secure the breathing. Get a breathing tube in, if necessary.
Typically, as you probably know -- a lot of people do -- they put a breathing tube in through the mouth. In the pope's case, that was impossible, they say, because of significant inflammation.
SANCHEZ: So they literally had to make a hole right in the trachea?
GUPTA: Make an incision through the skin, and then a hole or a stoma right into the trachea. This is a tracheotomy device. This actually goes straight into the trachea, and it actually will sit something like that, Rick, with a little -- with a little device coming right out of the middle of the neck.
SANCHEZ: So this morning they said that he had eaten something like 10 biscuits. One would wonder how was he able to do that if he had this on.
GUPTA: Yes. And so this is going into the trachea, which is the windpipe sitting in front of the esophagus, which is the food pipe just behind that. So, in fact, you can still eat through your esophagus. You know, it's a separate pipe altogether.
SANCHEZ: So two different pipes. One's the esophagus, one's the trachea.
GUPTA: Exactly.
SANCHEZ: He's got a hard time breathing. Can't speak at all. But he is able to eat.
GUPTA: They talk about the speaking, which is such an important thing, obviously, for him. And he cannot speak with this device in currently right now.
But, interesting to point out that people can speak if they actually put their finger over the device, allowing air to still go through their mouth instead of coming out this hole here. That won't happen right away, but that can be a few days, weeks down the line.
SANCHEZ: When we were listening to Mr. Valls this morning, it seemed like the prognosis was very good. From your experience -- he has Parkinson's Disease, he is 84 years old, and now on top of the flu-like symptoms, and everything else that we've heard, he's dealing with a tracheotomy -- what's his real prognosis, as far as you're able to tell, just given the information you know?
GUPTA: You know, if you were anybody else -- an 84-year-old man with significant medical problems and now this history, I'd be very concerned. And we talk about the flu a lot. We say tens of thousands of people die from the flu.
They're not really dying from the flu per se. They're dying from the complications of the flu, pneumonia, other sorts of bacterial infections.
Who are those people? They're typically elderly, and they're people with other medical problems. So, yes, I think any doctor would be very concerned. At this point they're saying he doesn't have pneumonia. I'm sure they're going to be monitoring that over the next several days.
SANCHEZ: And finally, did his Parkinson's lead to this because of the contractions that he's often forced to go through? Involuntary, I suppose, right?
GUPTA: Involuntary, the contractions, not only of your arms and legs, which most people know, the tremor that they see, but also other muscles in the body, including maybe some of the upper muscles of the airway. I don't think it led to this. I think it may have been a factor in making it worse, and it's also going to be a factor in terms of how quickly he recovers.
SANCHEZ: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much. We certainly appreciate it.
GUPTA: All right. Appreciate it.
KAGAN: The frail health of Pope John Paul II has been a concern for some time. The pope is 84 years old, he suffers from several chronic conditions, including Parkinson's Disease and arthritis. You just heard Sanjay mention a bunch of this.
He is unable to stand without support. Illnesses and surgeries over the years have contributed to the pontiff's weakened condition. He did have his appendix removed in 1996 and underwent hip replacement surgery two years earlier. In 1992 he had an intestinal tumor removed, and he was shot during an assassination attempt in 1981.
SANCHEZ: It is for those reasons that Catholics all over the world are now praying for the 84-year-old pontiff. In Poland, people gathered at a special mass in Krakow, where the pope was born. And in other cities throughout Poland people went to their churches to offer their own get well prayers.
In Mexico City, a mass was held at the Basilica of Guadeloupe. Many people gathered around the large statue of Pope John Paul II which watches over the church.
And in New York City, prayers are being offered at St. Patrick's Cathedral. A special mass is going to be held there this morning. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of the Archdiocese of Washington also helped explain why so many are praying for this pope, John Paul II.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK, ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON: He's the only pope many people have known in all their lives. And so there's a -- the fact that he's suffering, the fact that he's had the operation, the fact they see him weak and hurting, I think that's what -- that's what gets to us.
You know, and we say, well, gee, we want the holy father to be well, we want him to be happy, we want him to be -- to be joyful. We want him to be this great athlete that strode over the stage of the world 25 years ago. We realize that's not going to happen.
You know, and so I think the -- I think maybe more than anything else, personally, I feel sorry for the fact that he must be so frustrated. Because he was such a great preacher and such -- and he could -- with his face, he could -- he could give a message. But now with that Parkinson's mask, he can't even really smile as he used to be able to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: President Bush is among the world leaders also sending well wishes to the pope. In a statement, the president said -- and we quote -- "On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I send our heartfelt best wishes to Pope John Paul II. The holy father is in our thoughts and prayers, and we wish him a speedy recovery and return to the service of his church and all humanity."
We will keep you updated on the pope's health on the air and on our Web site as well. There you can also see an interactive timeline and a photo gallery of Pope John Paul II. All you've got to do is log onto cnn.com/world. KAGAN: In other news today, a massive search is on this morning for a missing 9-year-old girl along central Florida's west coast. Jessica Lunsford disappeared from her home sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
The third grader lived in this home with father and grandparents. Dozens of officers and volunteers are scouring the woods in the area. The father reported Jessica missing after he returned home at about 5:00 in the morning. He had been out all night with a friend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK LUNSFORD, FATHER: I really need as much help as I can get right now. I just -- I want my daughter home. And if there's anything that anybody knows, there's a lot of numbers that you can call. And I just ask you to please help me find my daughter and bring her home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Police haven't yet officially labeled this a kidnapping, but Jessica's grandmother says the girl is not the type to wander away from home on her own.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUTH LUNSFORD, GRANDMOTHER: Whoever is out there that knows anything about Jessie, I'm her grandmother. And this is her grandfather and her daddy. We all live together in a very knit family. And if you know anything at all where she might be or who she communicated with, anything, please, let the authorities know. We need her home, and she needs us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Police seem generally baffled by this one. They say there's no sign of forced entry, and the girl's room does not indicate a struggle. Police say they have questioned the father and grandfather as a matter of routine. They are by no means suspects at this point.
SANCHEZ: A Los Angeles city worker is jailed this morning facing murder charges. Police say he opened fire on the job, killing his supervisor and a fellow employee. Now, the mayor's office says the suspect then turned himself in. The shooting took place at a city asphalt plant. Officials say the shooter apparently had a beef with his boss.
Also, a wild west-style courthouse shoot-out. This is in Tyler, Texas. This is what it looked like inside the building while the shooter was firing away outside with an AK-47. Now, watch this video to get a sense what was going on in that courthouse at the time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just start going off.
(GUNSHOTS) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down! Stay down!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: What you were actually hearing there was the gunshots ringing out. Two people were killed in that gunfight.
The shooter, who wore a bulletproof vest, is identified as David Arroyo. He took off in his car and exchanged shots with police in a running gun battle over several miles. He was finally shot and killed. A reporter for KLTV was working the story at the courthouse when the mayhem suddenly erupted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GILLIAN SHERIDAN, WITNESS: We heard the pop, pop, pops, all turned around, ran to the window, and saw the suspect, David Arroyo, shooting a deputy, his wife, and then his son, and then an innocent bystander that was actually trying to intervene. We saw him reload his AK-47, and he was just continually relentlessly firing.
And what was so chilling is he was very calm about it. It was like he had already planned out what he was going to do. And after he had hit his intended targets, he continued firing rounds indiscriminately. One of those bullets came through the front door of the salon right where we were all standing watching this all happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Now, police say they do believe that the shooter was furious about a court ruling on child support. The dad, his ex-wife and a bystander who was just there, and according to police, was trying to help. Among the wounded, the shooter's son.
KAGAN: Bringing you news now from central California. Michael Jackson has arrived at the courthouse in Santa Maria, California. The judge in the child molestation case will be hearing motions today.
The jury is all set. Twelve jurors, eight alternates, opening statements are set to begin Monday.
SANCHEZ: Another big story that we're following on this day has to do with a case in Kansas. The attorney general, is he investigating crime or is he intruding into private information? Why the tug-of-war for some women's medical records from previous years is being called to question.
KAGAN: Addressing what he calls the state of the black union. We're going to talk with Tavis Smiley about his work for an agenda for African-Americans.
SANCHEZ: Also, can you hear the Oscar buzz out there? It's a preview of the biggest and best from the Oscars, live from the red carpet, and it's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAGAN: The Tuskegee Airmen made history during World War II and blazed a trail through the skies, becoming the first black fighter pilots. Now, a permanent memorial is being built in their honor. The groundbreaking ceremony took place yesterday, in, of course, Tuskegee, Alabama, where the airmen trained. The Tuskegee Airmen escorted more than 200 combat missions during the war without losing a single bomber.
SANCHEZ: Something exciting going on in our country. Less than a month after the president's State of the Union speech a symposium, and it's this weekend. It's going to focus on the state of the black union.
Public television host Tavis Smiley is good enough to join us. He's organizing the event, which is going to focus, at least part of it, on defining the African-American agenda and drawing particular attention to health care issues.
Tavis, always good to have you.
TAVIS SMILEY, PBS TELEVISION HOST: Rick, nice to see.
SANCHEZ: Likewise. Good to have you here.
SMILEY: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Let me ask you, when you say the road to health and defining the African-American agenda, which, by the way, is a plug, because it's the title of the symposium, what's the focus? What are we actually trying to do?
SMILEY: Trying to do two things. Our morning panel, we have been fortunate for six years to have these conversations every Black History Month. But we try to bring together the thought leaders, opinion makers in black America to dissect and dialogue about these issues. C-SPAN has always been kind enough, as they will tomorrow, to air it live around the country.
That said, we're talking in the morning about the road to health. The African-American community disproportionately is at the top of every negative stat where health is concerned. Certainly HIV-AIDS, diabetes, prostate cancer, et cetera, et cetera.
We have a conversation in this country right now, thanks to President Bush, where we're talking about reforming Social Security. What the president does not talk about -- and I'm not casting aspersion on him.
SANCHEZ: Right.
SMILEY: I'm just saying the reality is that black and brown people, quite frankly, disproportionately never live along enough to draw down on Social Security because of all of the health disparities that exist that we have to confront.
SANCHEZ: Some of them... SMILEY: Yes?
SANCHEZ: Some of them are issues that they need to deal with in terms of their own internal lifestyle issues, for example.
SMILEY: No question. Yes.
SANCHEZ: Others, though -- and you can't help but get into this part of the conversation -- is economics. It's hard to find an employer out there today who is willing to pay at least for the health care that some of these want, or many would argue deserve.
SMILEY: And all those issues are going to be covered from what we can do as a people to live healthier and better lives. We've got an all-star panel of former surgeon generals, Olympic athlete, all kinds of people coming together to talk about how we can live more healthy lives.
On the other hand, there is a role for government to play in this process, what is that role and how ought it be talked about in the context of this Social Security reform debate.
SANCHEZ: Well, that's interesting, because now we're talking about health care, which mingles suddenly into economy, which now mingles into politics, I just heard you say.
SMILEY: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: What do African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans need to do to get politicians to start listening to them, for example?
SMILEY: Well, I think the Hispanic community is onto something. In this last election, like or loathe how this turned out, the Hispanic vote, as you well know, was split. It made the Democrats wake up and pay attention.
Mr. Rove and the Republicans did a good job of siphoning off a significant amount of the Hispanic vote. Now, the Hispanic community, I don't speak for them, I don't tell them what to do, obviously. They've got to figure out what they think they get for splitting, for dividing their vote.
The black community a little bit different. Black people still disproportionately give their vote to the Democratic Party. The question is, what do you get in return for that?
I believe that the black community still, quite frankly, is taken for granted by the Democrats for all intents and purposes, ignored by the Republicans. So the conversation tomorrow is this: can we create a contract with black America, built around things that we can agree on, things that we can consensus on, and say to the body politic, the powers that be in advance of the next national election cycle, either you sign the contract and do these things or you don't get our votes.
SANCHEZ: But you've got to be careful when you do that, don't you, because you could split your own group. I mean, you can't make demands or requests that are so terse and so limited. For example, some of the issues, as you well know, gay marriage.
SMILEY: Yes. Well, the president and the White House did a good job this time of going through the black church, through certain black pastors to siphon off some of the African-American vote. And you're right, the black community is not a monolith, we don't think or act same. But there are things that we can agree on.
SANCHEZ: Common ground.
SMILEY: Exactly. There are things that we can agree on. Let's talk about those things, put those things in a contract and start to leverage the black vote.
SANCHEZ: Interesting. Tavis Smiley, always a pleasure to have you.
SMILEY: Nice to see you, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Good luck. Sounds wonderful. It's The Road to Health and Defining the African-American Agenda with Tavis Smiley.
SMILEY: Thanks, sir.
SANCHEZ: Religion making news. Daryn standing by to tell us more about what's coming up with that.
KAGAN: Yes. We're not only talking about the pope's health, so are the Anglican and Episcopal churches. What is behind the rift with those churches?
And after all the rain in California, now the Northeast is getting a good dose of snow. A weather update is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Incase you're wondering, yes, it is still winter. The latest snowstorm is moving out of New England today. It spread several inches from Washington to Boston. Another storm is expected to move up the East Coast early next week.
SANCHEZ: Orelon Sidney now will put some graphics and words to those pictures for us.
KAGAN: Explain it all.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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