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CNN Live Today

Screener Training Gap; Weekend Movies

Aired March 04, 2005 - 10:30   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are right at the half hour. Good morning once again, I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Almost looked like that Florida State chop.

And I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: That was the Atlanta Braves chop.

SANCHEZ: That's right. That's right. I'm no lodger in Florida, Dorothy.

Martha Stewart is a free woman today, sort of. Here she is at her sprawling estate in Bedford, New York just hours after finishing her five-month prison sentence for lying to investigators about a stock deal. She will now serve another five months under house arrest there.

The Vatican spokesperson is a saying today that they can confirm the likelihood that Pope John Paul II will return to that hospital window where he was last seen on Sunday. A decision over whether he'll deliver a Sunday blessing, that will be made tomorrow. The frail 84-year-old pontiff underwent surgery last week for breathing problems, and there's how he's being received.

In Virginia, U.S. attorney John Brownlee is expected to announce indictments today in a family's gruesome murder. You may recall this one. Just about 2 1/2 years ago, 9-year-old Jennifer Short was discovered missing when the bodies of her slain parents were found in the family's home, both shot. The little girl's body was eventually found more than a month later. All had been, in fact, shot by a single gunshot to tend.

In Homosassa Springs, Florida, this will probably be the last day that search teams will employ dogs in the hunt for little Jessica Lunsford. She's that 9-year-old that disappeared from her bedroom last week. There have been no leads, but a new campaign gets under way today. Officials will distribute flyers to homes and businesses in this particular area.

In news about your security today, the Department of Homeland Security's former inspector general is warning that air travelers are at risk. There are concerns that screeners aren't getting updated anti-terrorist training.

Jeanne Meserve has this report for CNN's America Bureau. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More people fly through Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport than any other airport in the world. Some screeners say the heavy workload is preventing them from getting the required weekly training.

JOHN SUMMEROUR, SECURITY SCREENER: Well we're required to have three hours, and I'm getting about 25 minutes a week.

MESERVE: Security experts say that training is critical for screeners to keep up with the latest terrorist methods for concealing weapons.

CLARK KENT ERVIN, SECURITY ANALYST: We all know that terrorists will try to sneak weapons past the screener work force. They are going to do so in the most innovative way that they can think of. So the training is absolutely essential.

MESERVE (on camera): Do you think that it puts the traveling public at risk if screeners aren't having this recurrent training?

ERVIN: Absolutely.

MESERVE (voice-over): The Transportation Security Administration says in Atlanta last year only 3 screeners out of 1,100 failed their re-certification exam, an indication that training is adequate. It is not always done in a classroom or at a computer.

MARK HATFIELD, TSA SPOKESMAN: But some of that takes place actually on the job where they are being tested by computer projected images of threat items while they're working the X-ray machine, while they're being tested by covert operatives who attempt to get items through the checkpoint. And so all of those various things, the morning meetings when they have roll call.

MESERVE: But the screeners maintain the definition of training should be much narrower.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How to recognize a prohibited item, what to look for, but we're not being trained on it.

MESERVE: The screeners also allege that they are asked to sign paperwork saying that they have gotten the required training even when they feel they have not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you don't train, if you don't sign, they threaten you and saying that you know something may happen to you, you may lose your job.

MESERVE: TSA officials say no Atlanta screener has ever been ordered to falsify a document or has been threatened with discipline or dismissal.

The three screeners with whom we spoke are all members of the American Federation of Government Employees. They acknowledge the training issue could help recruit new members. But they say their real concern is the safety of more than the 83 million people who fly through Hartsfield each year.

For CNN's America Bureau, Jeanne Meserve, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Here's a story that affects a company. The makers of Zippo lighters are burned up, you might say, about some new air travel security measures that are being established. The lighters are going to be among the new items banned from aircraft beginning in April. Passengers, as you may know, had been allowed to take two lighters in their carry-on bags. Zippo says this new restriction could cut their sales by 30 percent. Why?

Well, Zippo is saying that millions of their lighters were sold in either duty-free stores at airports or in vacation spots, and that's why they're saying now that they're going to appeal this decision. By the way, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

KAGAN: This one is about animal security. A terrifying and grotesque attack at an animal refuge near Bakersfield, California. Now two chimpanzees are dead, a man is undergoing reconstructive surgery for massive injuries to his face, body and his limbs.

St. James Davis and his wife, Madonna, regularly visit their own chimpanzee Mo, and they brought him a cup to the sanctuary to celebrate his birthday. Then this is what happened:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CMDR. HAL CHEALANDER, KERN COL. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Apparently while Mr. Davis and his wife were visiting their chimpanzee, named Mo, four other chimpanzees got out of the cage, and one of them attacked Mr. Davis, and was mauling him rather savagely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Among other injuries Davis' nose and his foot were mauled off. Authorities had to shoot the male chimps in order to stop the attack.

SANCHEZ: Let's do this now, let's take a look at some of the other stories that are making news from coast to coast. First, New York, the faces behind the numbers. Syracuse University is exhibiting portraits of U.S. troops killed in Iraq. More than 250 local artists, students and staffers created the images. The school says it's not a political statement, simply a tribute for those who have died for their country.

KAGAN: In Bedford, Virginia, a simple traffic stop for loud music turned into a wild ride for a police officer. Buckle your seatbelts and watch this one. You're going to see the patrol car videotape as the officer jumps into the bed of the pickup truck when the driver tries to speed away. Well, here is the traffic stop, and there he goes, and there goes the officer into the bed of the pickup truck. The officer's gun eventually convinced the man to pull over. Nobody was injured.

SANCHEZ: Talk about a wild ride.

Also, the one-time pride of the Poconos is going on the auction block this weekend. In fact, it is going on the auction block piece by piece. The now closed honeymoon destination, the Mount Airy Lodge, is auctioning off nearly everything -- the sinks, the heart shaped tub, the kitschy items hearken back to the hey day in the 1960s and '70s. Wow, Bobby Hope and Tony Bennett used to headline there. Engelbert Humperdinck (ph), remember him? He had a permanent suite as a matter of act. He had one with the heart-shaped tub.

KAGAN: Lovely.

It is the new assignment for a disgraced Navy Seal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIN DIESEL, ACTOR: What is it?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It's a minivan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me, Mr. Wolf? If you don't hurry up, we're going to be late for sure.

DIESEL: Not on my watch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How fast is your watch?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Baby toting muscleman Vin Diesel forced to bond with the kiddies. But will viewers bond with the movie. Mr. Moviefone, we'll be bond with him coming up?

SANCHEZ: Also, how is the life for Stewart during these past five months, being in that confined space? One of her prison pals will share with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "BE COOL")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You in town for some kind of convention?

JOHN TRAVOLTA, ACTOR: No, but if I was, you'd be the man to see, am I right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why would you say something stupid like that?

TRAVOLTA: The way you're dressed, you're either a pimp or a limo driver.

(END VIDEO CLIP FROM "BE COOL") KAGAN: It's been about ten years since we met Chili Palmer in "Get Shorty." How do you like him now? The sequel, is it all cool? Our weekend movie preview scopes out the Shorty sequel. Also, the adventures of a Navy SEAL turned baby-sitter and a Gulf War vet on a mind-bending journey the future. Mr. Moviefone, also known to some people out there, I don't know who, but some people call him Russ Leatherman. Hi, Russ, how are you doing?

RUSS LEATHERMAN, MR. MOVIEFONE: What's going on, Daryn?

KAGAN: I'm doing really good this morning. Let's talk about this John Travolta movie. Wasn't that last one -- this was kind of his big comeback?

LEATHERMAN: It was. In fact, "Get Shorty" was such a fantastic movie. I really loved it. I don't know if you remember seeing it, but it really was the movie that launched his career again. And now he's back with the sequel. It's called "Be Cool." And he stars as -- you know, he was a loan shark. And he wanted to get into the movie business, he got into the movie business. Well, now he wants to get into the music business. He got into the business. Well, now he wants to get into the music business.

And Christine Milian is in the movie, Danny DeVito, Vince Vaughn is in the movie. And we showed a tiny clip earlier. He steals this movie. He is so unbelievably good and unbelievably funny. But I have to tell you, "Get Shorty" was a whole lot better, I think, than "Be Cool." "Be Cool" is sort of cool, but the satire isn't really sort of pointed. It's much more broad comedy. And I think it's worth seeing, I think it's worth checking out. But if you're expecting "Get Shorty," you're not going to get that, but it's cool.

KAGAN: All right. OK. We'll be cool about that. Let's talk about one that might be for the kids, "The Pacifier." Vin Diesel in a kiddie movie. This is an interesting match-up.

LEATHERMAN: It is an interesting match-up. And Vin Diesel, like Arnold Schwarzenegger before him and really all of the other acting stars, want to get into broader comedy. So here he comes in the movie in "The Pacifier." He plays an ex-Navy SEAL who is actually assigned to babysit these kids because their father has been assassinated.

KAGAN: That's a nice thing to tell your kids about.

LEATHERMAN: No kidding. And the comedy mayhem ensues when he gets with the kids. And that's not enough, they throw a duck in the movie. I have tell you, this movie is actually -- it's pretty lame. And it's interesting because you look at what Vin Diesel has done. And he's trying to do what the other action stars have done, really broaden his career and get into company. It doesn't really work in this movie. Where you look at The Rock, who's in "Be Cool," who has really made fantastic career choices and done really smart movies. It's not working with Vin Diesel in this comedy. I didn't like it so much.

KAGAN: All right. Well, it wouldn't be a Mr. Movifone segment if you didn't bring a bad dream movie along. So let's talk about "The Jacket."

LEATHERMAN: "The Jacket." Now, this movie is weird, Daryn. It's a total head trip, stars Adrien Brody. He's this ex-war dude who gets framed for murder. He gets thrown in a mental institution, he gets put in a straitjacket, locked in a morgue locker. And to me, that's a bad day.

KAGAN: I'm telling you, I saw the trailer for this movie when I went to see something else a couple weeks ago. The trailer alone gave me bad dreams.

LEATHERMAN: This movie will freak you out. And at some point you may feel like you're the one in the straitjacket because it really is claustrophobic. It's very dark. Adrian Brody's a brilliant actor and it's got a really good cast. But the movie's a little bit messy. We've had so many horror films recently, I really don't get it. But this one's OK, it's not great but it will creep you out. So you'd probably be better off with "The Pacifier," Daryn.

KAGAN: It will not be creeping me out. I will not be seeing that one.

LEATHERMAN: I know. But I did like "Be Cool." I didn't think it was great, but there are a lot of cute moments. So go see that.

KAGAN: All right. Thank you so much. Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviefone. Thank you.

LEATHERMAN: Always my pleasure. Bye, Daryn. You keep an eye on entertainment 24/7 at cnn.com/entertainment. Among the highlights you'll find there, Hollywood relationships on the rocks and the Backstreet Boys. They are back on the circuit.

SANCHEZ: We are going to have something for you, live from Westfield, New Jersey. The armory there, as a matter of fact. You're looking at it. That's where President Bush will be promoting his Social Security overhaul plan. And boy, he has some work cut out for him if you believe some of the polls that have been taken recently. We're going to monitor the speech and we'll bring it to you live once it gets going. And we'll have full details on his plan.

KAGAN: Plus, cleaning floors and chatting with Martha Stewart. One woman talks about what really happened behind the doors and bars of Camp Cupcake.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We want to share something with you now. This is live pictures that we're looking at, as a matter of fact. This is where the president is expected to speak in Westfield, New Jersey. The first stop on a 60-day, 60-stop blitz to promote Social Security reform. And here's part of the reason the president is doing this.

You look at some of the polls that have been taken recently, like this one that appeared yesterday in a CBS/"New York Times" poll. When Americans are asked you are you confident or uneasy about the president's plans for Social Security, 31 percent said confident, 63 percent said that they were uneasy. So no doubt the president does have his work cut out for him.

Let's tell you what's going to go on. It's the president, the vice president and some other administration officials. Going to be taking part in a massive effort to try and rally public support for this plan. The plan, essentially, would privatize part of Social Security, but obviously there are a whole lot of questions left. As soon as the president makes an entrance, you will hopefully see it right here live on CNN.

KAGAN: Making her grand entrance live on CNN right now.

SANCHEZ: As soon as the president makes an entrance, you will hopefully see it right here live on CNN.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Five months might not seem like a long time to you, so a little perspective on what it was like for Martha Stewart. We put together a list of events that have happened while she was behind bars. Only a couple of weeks after Martha went to prison, on October 5th, the Red Sox won the World Series. She didn't get to vote in the November presidential elections. Days later, the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. And then the guilty verdict and death sentence for Scott Peterson. She spent Christmas in prison. Then the tsunami devastated south Asia. Johnny Carson died. Landmark elections brought millions out in Iraq. And, of course, no Oscars for Martha last weekend.

SANCHEZ: Didn't even get to go.

KAGAN: So what happens to Martha Stewart now? You can tune in tonight when CNN presents a special edition of "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS." We go inside Camp Cupcake where Stewart spent the last five months of her life, and you'll meet the man that wants to make Stewart a reality television star, "MARTHA'S MAKEOVER," tonight, only here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: Camp cupcake? Who came up with that? It is now 52 minutes after 10:00 on the East Coast, 52 after 7:00 a.m. on the West Coast. Stay with us, because we're coming right back. Among the things we will do for you is a check of the morning forecast. Got to find out what that weekend weather is going to be like.

KAGAN: Also, cheers to a major aviation milestone. Up next, Steve Fossett shares his global experience.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here's something we're going to be monitoring for you. There's the president. He's in New Jersey. He's going to be speaking to a crowd of folks there. The emphasis, of course, is to try to get people to understand or buy into his plan to partially privatize Social Security.

Two perspectives just for the sake of balance here. The president is quoted today as saying, look, the beginning is working, because people are starting to realize that there's a problem. The next thing they're going to do is they're going to realize we need a solution. Other side of the coin, Senator minority leader Harry Reid quoted as saying, "Privatization will not help the stability of Social Security." And he says, "This president has never seen a crisis that he hasn't created." Two perspectives, one story. We'll stay on top of it for you.

KAGAN: Steve Fossett on top of the world today. Not resting on his laurels. He tells CNN he plans even more record attempts, this after becoming the first airplane pilot to fly nonstop around the world. Fossett landed his Globalflyer in Salina, Kansas yesterday, 67 hours after he took off from there. There was talk Wednesday of abandoning the mission due to a fuel shortage. But with favorable tailwinds, Fossett was able to make history. He discounted speculation the fuel shortage was made up to increase interest in the flight.

SANCHEZ: Who would have thought that?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE FOSSETT, HOLDS 102 RECORDS: It was a serious problem to me. I mean, this was all about having enough fuel to fly around the world, and to come up short 2,000 pounds of fuel, I just didn't know how I would make it to the finish. But we worked on it, and I flew very fuel efficiently, and somehow or another managed to make it all the way back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And on his left there you saw Sir Richard Branson. He bankrolled the flight. He suggested a space travel record might be in Fossett's future.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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Aired March 4, 2005 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are right at the half hour. Good morning once again, I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Almost looked like that Florida State chop.

And I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: That was the Atlanta Braves chop.

SANCHEZ: That's right. That's right. I'm no lodger in Florida, Dorothy.

Martha Stewart is a free woman today, sort of. Here she is at her sprawling estate in Bedford, New York just hours after finishing her five-month prison sentence for lying to investigators about a stock deal. She will now serve another five months under house arrest there.

The Vatican spokesperson is a saying today that they can confirm the likelihood that Pope John Paul II will return to that hospital window where he was last seen on Sunday. A decision over whether he'll deliver a Sunday blessing, that will be made tomorrow. The frail 84-year-old pontiff underwent surgery last week for breathing problems, and there's how he's being received.

In Virginia, U.S. attorney John Brownlee is expected to announce indictments today in a family's gruesome murder. You may recall this one. Just about 2 1/2 years ago, 9-year-old Jennifer Short was discovered missing when the bodies of her slain parents were found in the family's home, both shot. The little girl's body was eventually found more than a month later. All had been, in fact, shot by a single gunshot to tend.

In Homosassa Springs, Florida, this will probably be the last day that search teams will employ dogs in the hunt for little Jessica Lunsford. She's that 9-year-old that disappeared from her bedroom last week. There have been no leads, but a new campaign gets under way today. Officials will distribute flyers to homes and businesses in this particular area.

In news about your security today, the Department of Homeland Security's former inspector general is warning that air travelers are at risk. There are concerns that screeners aren't getting updated anti-terrorist training.

Jeanne Meserve has this report for CNN's America Bureau. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More people fly through Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport than any other airport in the world. Some screeners say the heavy workload is preventing them from getting the required weekly training.

JOHN SUMMEROUR, SECURITY SCREENER: Well we're required to have three hours, and I'm getting about 25 minutes a week.

MESERVE: Security experts say that training is critical for screeners to keep up with the latest terrorist methods for concealing weapons.

CLARK KENT ERVIN, SECURITY ANALYST: We all know that terrorists will try to sneak weapons past the screener work force. They are going to do so in the most innovative way that they can think of. So the training is absolutely essential.

MESERVE (on camera): Do you think that it puts the traveling public at risk if screeners aren't having this recurrent training?

ERVIN: Absolutely.

MESERVE (voice-over): The Transportation Security Administration says in Atlanta last year only 3 screeners out of 1,100 failed their re-certification exam, an indication that training is adequate. It is not always done in a classroom or at a computer.

MARK HATFIELD, TSA SPOKESMAN: But some of that takes place actually on the job where they are being tested by computer projected images of threat items while they're working the X-ray machine, while they're being tested by covert operatives who attempt to get items through the checkpoint. And so all of those various things, the morning meetings when they have roll call.

MESERVE: But the screeners maintain the definition of training should be much narrower.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How to recognize a prohibited item, what to look for, but we're not being trained on it.

MESERVE: The screeners also allege that they are asked to sign paperwork saying that they have gotten the required training even when they feel they have not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you don't train, if you don't sign, they threaten you and saying that you know something may happen to you, you may lose your job.

MESERVE: TSA officials say no Atlanta screener has ever been ordered to falsify a document or has been threatened with discipline or dismissal.

The three screeners with whom we spoke are all members of the American Federation of Government Employees. They acknowledge the training issue could help recruit new members. But they say their real concern is the safety of more than the 83 million people who fly through Hartsfield each year.

For CNN's America Bureau, Jeanne Meserve, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Here's a story that affects a company. The makers of Zippo lighters are burned up, you might say, about some new air travel security measures that are being established. The lighters are going to be among the new items banned from aircraft beginning in April. Passengers, as you may know, had been allowed to take two lighters in their carry-on bags. Zippo says this new restriction could cut their sales by 30 percent. Why?

Well, Zippo is saying that millions of their lighters were sold in either duty-free stores at airports or in vacation spots, and that's why they're saying now that they're going to appeal this decision. By the way, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

KAGAN: This one is about animal security. A terrifying and grotesque attack at an animal refuge near Bakersfield, California. Now two chimpanzees are dead, a man is undergoing reconstructive surgery for massive injuries to his face, body and his limbs.

St. James Davis and his wife, Madonna, regularly visit their own chimpanzee Mo, and they brought him a cup to the sanctuary to celebrate his birthday. Then this is what happened:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CMDR. HAL CHEALANDER, KERN COL. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Apparently while Mr. Davis and his wife were visiting their chimpanzee, named Mo, four other chimpanzees got out of the cage, and one of them attacked Mr. Davis, and was mauling him rather savagely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Among other injuries Davis' nose and his foot were mauled off. Authorities had to shoot the male chimps in order to stop the attack.

SANCHEZ: Let's do this now, let's take a look at some of the other stories that are making news from coast to coast. First, New York, the faces behind the numbers. Syracuse University is exhibiting portraits of U.S. troops killed in Iraq. More than 250 local artists, students and staffers created the images. The school says it's not a political statement, simply a tribute for those who have died for their country.

KAGAN: In Bedford, Virginia, a simple traffic stop for loud music turned into a wild ride for a police officer. Buckle your seatbelts and watch this one. You're going to see the patrol car videotape as the officer jumps into the bed of the pickup truck when the driver tries to speed away. Well, here is the traffic stop, and there he goes, and there goes the officer into the bed of the pickup truck. The officer's gun eventually convinced the man to pull over. Nobody was injured.

SANCHEZ: Talk about a wild ride.

Also, the one-time pride of the Poconos is going on the auction block this weekend. In fact, it is going on the auction block piece by piece. The now closed honeymoon destination, the Mount Airy Lodge, is auctioning off nearly everything -- the sinks, the heart shaped tub, the kitschy items hearken back to the hey day in the 1960s and '70s. Wow, Bobby Hope and Tony Bennett used to headline there. Engelbert Humperdinck (ph), remember him? He had a permanent suite as a matter of act. He had one with the heart-shaped tub.

KAGAN: Lovely.

It is the new assignment for a disgraced Navy Seal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIN DIESEL, ACTOR: What is it?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It's a minivan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me, Mr. Wolf? If you don't hurry up, we're going to be late for sure.

DIESEL: Not on my watch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How fast is your watch?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Baby toting muscleman Vin Diesel forced to bond with the kiddies. But will viewers bond with the movie. Mr. Moviefone, we'll be bond with him coming up?

SANCHEZ: Also, how is the life for Stewart during these past five months, being in that confined space? One of her prison pals will share with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "BE COOL")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You in town for some kind of convention?

JOHN TRAVOLTA, ACTOR: No, but if I was, you'd be the man to see, am I right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why would you say something stupid like that?

TRAVOLTA: The way you're dressed, you're either a pimp or a limo driver.

(END VIDEO CLIP FROM "BE COOL") KAGAN: It's been about ten years since we met Chili Palmer in "Get Shorty." How do you like him now? The sequel, is it all cool? Our weekend movie preview scopes out the Shorty sequel. Also, the adventures of a Navy SEAL turned baby-sitter and a Gulf War vet on a mind-bending journey the future. Mr. Moviefone, also known to some people out there, I don't know who, but some people call him Russ Leatherman. Hi, Russ, how are you doing?

RUSS LEATHERMAN, MR. MOVIEFONE: What's going on, Daryn?

KAGAN: I'm doing really good this morning. Let's talk about this John Travolta movie. Wasn't that last one -- this was kind of his big comeback?

LEATHERMAN: It was. In fact, "Get Shorty" was such a fantastic movie. I really loved it. I don't know if you remember seeing it, but it really was the movie that launched his career again. And now he's back with the sequel. It's called "Be Cool." And he stars as -- you know, he was a loan shark. And he wanted to get into the movie business, he got into the movie business. Well, now he wants to get into the music business. He got into the business. Well, now he wants to get into the music business.

And Christine Milian is in the movie, Danny DeVito, Vince Vaughn is in the movie. And we showed a tiny clip earlier. He steals this movie. He is so unbelievably good and unbelievably funny. But I have to tell you, "Get Shorty" was a whole lot better, I think, than "Be Cool." "Be Cool" is sort of cool, but the satire isn't really sort of pointed. It's much more broad comedy. And I think it's worth seeing, I think it's worth checking out. But if you're expecting "Get Shorty," you're not going to get that, but it's cool.

KAGAN: All right. OK. We'll be cool about that. Let's talk about one that might be for the kids, "The Pacifier." Vin Diesel in a kiddie movie. This is an interesting match-up.

LEATHERMAN: It is an interesting match-up. And Vin Diesel, like Arnold Schwarzenegger before him and really all of the other acting stars, want to get into broader comedy. So here he comes in the movie in "The Pacifier." He plays an ex-Navy SEAL who is actually assigned to babysit these kids because their father has been assassinated.

KAGAN: That's a nice thing to tell your kids about.

LEATHERMAN: No kidding. And the comedy mayhem ensues when he gets with the kids. And that's not enough, they throw a duck in the movie. I have tell you, this movie is actually -- it's pretty lame. And it's interesting because you look at what Vin Diesel has done. And he's trying to do what the other action stars have done, really broaden his career and get into company. It doesn't really work in this movie. Where you look at The Rock, who's in "Be Cool," who has really made fantastic career choices and done really smart movies. It's not working with Vin Diesel in this comedy. I didn't like it so much.

KAGAN: All right. Well, it wouldn't be a Mr. Movifone segment if you didn't bring a bad dream movie along. So let's talk about "The Jacket."

LEATHERMAN: "The Jacket." Now, this movie is weird, Daryn. It's a total head trip, stars Adrien Brody. He's this ex-war dude who gets framed for murder. He gets thrown in a mental institution, he gets put in a straitjacket, locked in a morgue locker. And to me, that's a bad day.

KAGAN: I'm telling you, I saw the trailer for this movie when I went to see something else a couple weeks ago. The trailer alone gave me bad dreams.

LEATHERMAN: This movie will freak you out. And at some point you may feel like you're the one in the straitjacket because it really is claustrophobic. It's very dark. Adrian Brody's a brilliant actor and it's got a really good cast. But the movie's a little bit messy. We've had so many horror films recently, I really don't get it. But this one's OK, it's not great but it will creep you out. So you'd probably be better off with "The Pacifier," Daryn.

KAGAN: It will not be creeping me out. I will not be seeing that one.

LEATHERMAN: I know. But I did like "Be Cool." I didn't think it was great, but there are a lot of cute moments. So go see that.

KAGAN: All right. Thank you so much. Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviefone. Thank you.

LEATHERMAN: Always my pleasure. Bye, Daryn. You keep an eye on entertainment 24/7 at cnn.com/entertainment. Among the highlights you'll find there, Hollywood relationships on the rocks and the Backstreet Boys. They are back on the circuit.

SANCHEZ: We are going to have something for you, live from Westfield, New Jersey. The armory there, as a matter of fact. You're looking at it. That's where President Bush will be promoting his Social Security overhaul plan. And boy, he has some work cut out for him if you believe some of the polls that have been taken recently. We're going to monitor the speech and we'll bring it to you live once it gets going. And we'll have full details on his plan.

KAGAN: Plus, cleaning floors and chatting with Martha Stewart. One woman talks about what really happened behind the doors and bars of Camp Cupcake.

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SANCHEZ: We want to share something with you now. This is live pictures that we're looking at, as a matter of fact. This is where the president is expected to speak in Westfield, New Jersey. The first stop on a 60-day, 60-stop blitz to promote Social Security reform. And here's part of the reason the president is doing this.

You look at some of the polls that have been taken recently, like this one that appeared yesterday in a CBS/"New York Times" poll. When Americans are asked you are you confident or uneasy about the president's plans for Social Security, 31 percent said confident, 63 percent said that they were uneasy. So no doubt the president does have his work cut out for him.

Let's tell you what's going to go on. It's the president, the vice president and some other administration officials. Going to be taking part in a massive effort to try and rally public support for this plan. The plan, essentially, would privatize part of Social Security, but obviously there are a whole lot of questions left. As soon as the president makes an entrance, you will hopefully see it right here live on CNN.

KAGAN: Making her grand entrance live on CNN right now.

SANCHEZ: As soon as the president makes an entrance, you will hopefully see it right here live on CNN.

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KAGAN: Five months might not seem like a long time to you, so a little perspective on what it was like for Martha Stewart. We put together a list of events that have happened while she was behind bars. Only a couple of weeks after Martha went to prison, on October 5th, the Red Sox won the World Series. She didn't get to vote in the November presidential elections. Days later, the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. And then the guilty verdict and death sentence for Scott Peterson. She spent Christmas in prison. Then the tsunami devastated south Asia. Johnny Carson died. Landmark elections brought millions out in Iraq. And, of course, no Oscars for Martha last weekend.

SANCHEZ: Didn't even get to go.

KAGAN: So what happens to Martha Stewart now? You can tune in tonight when CNN presents a special edition of "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS." We go inside Camp Cupcake where Stewart spent the last five months of her life, and you'll meet the man that wants to make Stewart a reality television star, "MARTHA'S MAKEOVER," tonight, only here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: Camp cupcake? Who came up with that? It is now 52 minutes after 10:00 on the East Coast, 52 after 7:00 a.m. on the West Coast. Stay with us, because we're coming right back. Among the things we will do for you is a check of the morning forecast. Got to find out what that weekend weather is going to be like.

KAGAN: Also, cheers to a major aviation milestone. Up next, Steve Fossett shares his global experience.

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SANCHEZ: Here's something we're going to be monitoring for you. There's the president. He's in New Jersey. He's going to be speaking to a crowd of folks there. The emphasis, of course, is to try to get people to understand or buy into his plan to partially privatize Social Security.

Two perspectives just for the sake of balance here. The president is quoted today as saying, look, the beginning is working, because people are starting to realize that there's a problem. The next thing they're going to do is they're going to realize we need a solution. Other side of the coin, Senator minority leader Harry Reid quoted as saying, "Privatization will not help the stability of Social Security." And he says, "This president has never seen a crisis that he hasn't created." Two perspectives, one story. We'll stay on top of it for you.

KAGAN: Steve Fossett on top of the world today. Not resting on his laurels. He tells CNN he plans even more record attempts, this after becoming the first airplane pilot to fly nonstop around the world. Fossett landed his Globalflyer in Salina, Kansas yesterday, 67 hours after he took off from there. There was talk Wednesday of abandoning the mission due to a fuel shortage. But with favorable tailwinds, Fossett was able to make history. He discounted speculation the fuel shortage was made up to increase interest in the flight.

SANCHEZ: Who would have thought that?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE FOSSETT, HOLDS 102 RECORDS: It was a serious problem to me. I mean, this was all about having enough fuel to fly around the world, and to come up short 2,000 pounds of fuel, I just didn't know how I would make it to the finish. But we worked on it, and I flew very fuel efficiently, and somehow or another managed to make it all the way back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And on his left there you saw Sir Richard Branson. He bankrolled the flight. He suggested a space travel record might be in Fossett's future.

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