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American Morning
Indonesia Quake; No New Speaker Named in Iraq; Battle Over Terri Schiavo; Face-Off At The Pharmacy
Aired March 29, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. It's 7:30 here in New York City. Soledad has some vacation this week. Good morning to you.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A much-need vacation. I'm Carol Costello filling in.
Coming up, parts of Indonesia have been devastated again by a massive earthquake. We'll look at the destruction and the search for survivors this morning, also the early panic that another tsunami was on the way.
HEMMER: Also, in a moment here, in the battle over the fate of Terri Schiavo, her parents are expressing frustration over some of the protests being staged outside their daughter's hospice. Bob Franken is back in Florida this morning, as he has been now for about two weeks. We'll check in with Bob on that story.
COSTELLO: Much more news this morning on AMERICAN MORNING. Here is Kelly Wallace.
Good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol and Bill. And good morning to you, everyone.
Here are some of the stories "Now in the News."
We begin with an arrest in connection with the Red Lake Reservation shootings in Minnesota. According to local media reports, the teenage son of the tribal chairman has been taken into custody. CNN is working this morning to confirm those reports. A total of 10 people were killed in last Monday's rampage, including suspected shooter Jeff Weise.
An independent committee is expected to clear U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan of possible corruption linked to that oil-for-food program in Iraq. But the panel will criticize the secretary general for oversight. It will also criticize his son, Cojo (ph), for not revealing ties to a Swiss company linked with the aid program. The report is set to be out later today.
U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist back on the bench after a brief hospital stay. Justice Rehnquist checked into Arlington Hospital in Virginia Sunday after an apparent problem with a tracheotomy tube in his neck. He's due back in court when arguments resume in just over two hours.
And a case involving file-sharing will be on the docket this morning for the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices will be looking at the fine line between piracy and technology. The outcome could affect how TV shows, movies and songs are manufactured.
I don't know a lot about file-sharing, but we're talking big money, big dollars.
HEMMER: That's right.
WALLACE: The future of the Internet and how Hollywood markets its products.
COSTELLO: And a big inconvenience to those who file-share.
WALLACE: Exactly. They want to keep doing it.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Thank you, Kelly.
U.N. and Red Cross officials in Southeast Asia say the death toll from Monday's earthquake isn't going to be as high as they first feared. The Indonesian government says at least 330 people have died, but that number is expected to rise. The 8.7 quake was centered off the northern coast of Sumatra. That's about 100 miles southeast of the epicenter of December's quake.
With more now from the scene, Hugh Riminton is in Medan, Indonesia.
Hugh, describe what the damage like for us.
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the damage is, as you say, nothing like that that we saw with the December 26 earthquake, which triggered that tsunami. That is because there was no tsunami this time. It may some days before the scientists and geologists are able to explain why a quake that was very nearly as big didn't trigger the same wave effect.
But the earthquake itself was devastating, particularly to the two islands that were closest to the epicenter. The island of Nias, which is a heavily-populated island, it's fairly small, about 600,000 people live there, though. And a great number of the buildings on Nias have been destroyed.
There are people in shock, just wandering around the place. There were early reports that the death toll could run into the thousands. Officially, it's being put at 330.
But we must stress the assessment phase is still very much on at the moment. The Red Cross and the United Nations have been trying to get in to have a look at it. Damage is widespread. The death toll, as you say, is likely to rise as they can get in and have a better look in the days ahead -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Unlike that other quake, though, Hugh, tsunami warnings did go out. Loud alarms sounded. People were ringing bells. Did it seem like they were better prepared to deal with things after this quake?
RIMINTON: Certainly. And in the more sophisticated areas, for example the tourist areas of Thailand, the alarm systems from reports from Thailand were very effective, and people knew that it was coming. Everyone was much more alert to it. The thing was this time, there was no tsunami. There was a minor surge that was picked up in some of the islands, the Cocas islands, a very small isolated group picked up a small surge.
One of the suggestions was, is that the pulse this time was heading south and west. Now, that was away from the mainland areas and the populated areas.
Another effect is that the death toll along the Sumatran coast doesn't appear to have existed at all this time. That's partly because those areas have been depopulated as a result of the December 26 earthquake and tsunami.
COSTELLO: Hugh Riminton live in Indonesia this morning. Thank you.
HEMMER: It's about 26 minutes now before the hour. Iraq's road to a new government seems to be bit of a bumpy one. Once again today, the Transitional National Assembly failed to name a speaker.
Aneesh Raman is live in Baghdad with more from there.
What happened -- Aneesh? Tell us.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning.
Frustration is really starting to hit a boiling point among those within the National Assembly. They delayed their meeting by about an hour, and then convened only to announce that no vote would take place for the speaker; that, because negotiations had effectively had broken down among the Sunnis. Anger burst among members of the assembly, some demanding to know why this was happening, why no vote was taking place.
And then rather dramatically, the live signal was cut. It went to black for Iraqis watching at home. They went into an impromptu closed session that we now know has ended. It is likely they will meet again this weekend.
But Bill, they are all aware that this cannot happen again. The Iraqi people need a government to take shape. But they also need to see things happening in order. And chaotic days like this do not server see anyone any good.
So, if they do convene this weekend, all sides are hoping they can reach a consensus and finally elect a speaker -- Bill.
HEMMER: Aneesh, is this the growing signs of a fledgling democracy? Or is this true cause for concern? RAMAN: Well, at this point I think it's a mix of both. At the beginning, people on the ground were willing to forgive a lot of things as this being a new process for Iraq. But for Iraqis themselves, the process is inconsequential. They literally need a government to take shape as quickly as possible to deal with the insurgency, to deal with the services they need like water and electricity. And the longer this takes, the more confidence that was built after that historic election does begin to erode -- Bill.
HEMMER: Keep that momentum, too, coming back from the elections at the end of January. Aneesh, thanks for that in Baghdad -- Carol.
COSTELLO: The Reverend Jesse Jackson will be in Florida today to hold a vigil with the parents and siblings of Terri Schiavo. As you know, Schiavo's feeding tube was removed nearly 12 days ago now.
CNN's Bob Franken live in Pinellas Park, Florida, outside of Terri's hospice.
Good morning -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And both sides of this bitter fight say that they want an autopsy when she dies, if she dies, with that likelihood of increasing by the day. As a matter of fact, some are saying it's imminent. There is some disagreement among that.
As for Reverend Jackson, he's to appear later this morning. Of course, he comes from the left. Family members hope that he'll provide a counterpoint to those who are already here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice over): Family members of Terri Schiavo express their private but growing frustration at polls showing negative reactions to their fight. They say public opinion has been influenced more than they'd like by a perception that religious beliefs are being imposed on public policy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Holy Mary, mother of God.
FRANKEN: The vigil here has included almost exclusively participants who are intensely devout, from Catholic and evangelical Christian denominations, bringing images that have obscured the substance, they complain, of the battle to reconnect the feeding tube to Terri Schiavo.
At one point on Sunday, Terri's brother, Bobby Schindler, came out and tried to quiet down his family's supporters. But many in the crowd put up an argument.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who do I give it to to get it to you?
BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: We're not going to solve this problem today by getting arrested. We can change the laws, OK? But we have to -- it's not going to change today. Getting arrested doesn't help Terri.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't disagree. I don't disagree.
SCHINDLER: It doesn't help anybody.
FRANKEN: Many of the most active leaders here are well-known figures from the religious right, veterans of fights that range from public display of the Ten Commandments to the strongest anti-abortion battles.
LARRY KLAYMAN, FOUNDER, JUDICIAL WATCH: It's not just we Christian conservatives. It's not just people of faith. It's everybody in this country.
FRANKEN: But the Christian right and their conservative allies in politics have been the ones who have forced Terri Schiavo into the public consciousness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
But now, public support is beginning to wane. And family members worry, Carol, that it's partly because their cause is being distorted by other people's agendas -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, Randall Terry has been a spokesman for the family. How did they get together in the first place, the Schindlers?
FRANKEN: Well, the Schindlers have looked for help wherever they could get it. And people who are in the so-called right-to-life movement have feelings about pulling the plug, so to speak, as they would put it, have feelings about ending life. So, they were a natural fit.
And there's also, of course, the need for funding. And the people who come from these organized groups are able to provide the money that is needed for the legal and public relations fight.
COSTELLO: Bob Franken, live in Pinellas Park, Florida, this morning. Thank you.
HEMMER: It's 22 minutes now before the hour, Carol. A check of the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: A popular video game system could be forced off the market. Andy explains in "Minding Your Business."
HEMMER: Also this morning, pharmacist beliefs versus women's rights. The growing controversy over the refusal to fill prescriptions for birth control. That story when we continue on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Well, the world's best ski racer is in one piece. The same cannot be said for his crystal trophy. Earlier this month, Bode Miller (ph) became the first American to win the world cup since 1983, 22 years. The winner's cup is made of 18 pounds of cut crystal, and in that there is the problem. Miller could not carry it back on the plane to New Hampshire, so he shipped it. When Miller's father peeled back the protective bubble wrap, he found a box full of shattered crystal. Woody Miller, Bode Miller's (ph) father, is trying to glue it back together.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Glue?
COSTELLO: Glue? Why don't they just get another one?
HEMMER: Good luck.
SERWER: Think, think.
HEMMER: Bode Miller (ph) says he can get a replacement. We'll see.
COSTELLO: Well, it's nice of his dad to try to piece that together for him.
HEMMER: So much for the bubble wrap.
COSTELLO: It's time for the "Question of the Day."
CAFFERTY: The father doesn't have a lot to do, does he? It's not a real busy schedule.
SERWER: A lot of little pieces.
CAFFERTY: There are 30,000-plus registered sex offenders and predators living in the state of Florida alone. According to the "Miami Herald," authorities have no idea where 1,800 of them are. Vanished. They're in the state somewhere, but nobody knows where.
Nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford, kidnapped, raped and murdered by one of these missing sex offenders, John Couey. He confessed to the crime. This is a guy with a criminal record that spans 30 years. He's been arrested 26 times. What the hell was he doing out of jail?
The question is this: What should be done to keep track of sex offenders? Obviously, nothing is being done at the moment.
Tom in Quebec writes: "Of the more serious sex offenders, it would be thinkable to go forward with a complete elimination of the person's sex drive."
Robert in Washington writes: "Frankly, they don't belong back on the street. But maybe a big tattoo on their face might slow some of them down."
John in Florida writes: "As a retired prison warden, I know that child molesters are never cured. All should receive life sentences without parole or a death sentence. And for those already out on the streets, life on parole." John in Connecticut: "We all realize chemical castration only works if the offender takes his meds, which a lot of them don't. I'd like to see them have the choice between real castration and life in prison. But I guess that's too redneck for today's society."
And Brian in South Carolina writes: "It shouldn't be difficult to keep track of sexual predators. Here lies John Doe, sexual predator."
COSTELLO: Wow!
HEMMER: We know where they stand.
CAFFERTY: There's not a lot of sympathy for these people out there.
HEMMER: Clearly. Thank you, Jack.
If you want to buy toys, a bit of a transition here. Toys for the new "Star Wars" collection. You may come home a bit disappointed. Andy Serwer is lightening up things here.
Good morning, Andy. What's happening?
CAFFERTY: That's maybe the worst segue I've ever seen written into a script.
SERWER: And it's coming my way.
HEMMER: You're it, Andy.
SERWER: All right. It's the old empty box trick. And on May 19, the sixth "Star Wars" movie comes out. It's called episode 3, conveniently. It's the sixth movie, but it's episode 3, "Revenge of the Nerds" -- I mean, "Revenge of the Sith." "Revenge of the Sith," it's called.
And you may remember back in 1977 when the first one came out, Kenner was making the toys for the "Star Wars" movies. And they didn't realize how big a deal it was going to be, so they didn't make enough toys. They wanted to cash in, and so they sent empty boxes out with little vouchers in them.
And so, Hasbro, which has the license now, is going to repeat that trick. It's sort of a little gimmick.
And, Jack, you'll be happy to know that you can get boxes with vouchers in them to get Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and -- that was pretty good I thought -- and Princess Leia. No, that was my Chewbacca imitation.
CAFFERTY: Oh, I'm sorry.
SERWER: Come on. Anyway, and now we have some more toy news here, the Playstation. Sony is either going to have to pay $90 million or remove the Playstation off of the shelves if it loses a court case. It turns out, it may have infringed on a patent by a company called Immersion, which made dual-shock controllers.
I didn't know what dual-shock controllers were.
HEMMER: Neither do I.
SERWER: No, well, you're not gamer. Here is what happens. You are playing one of these games, and you're driving a vehicle in the game, and the thing goes off the road and the controls shake -- $90 million.
CAFFERTY: Wow!
COSTELLO: Wow!
SERWER: And that's it. Did I successfully make the turn and transition?
HEMMER: Yes, you were smooth as glass.
CAFFERTY: Just remember, Andy, we're all in this alone.
SERWER: Thank you. I just found that out.
COSTELLO: Well, let's listen to something good right now.
San Diego may have a bit of vertigo this morning. Legendary Irish rock band U2 kicked off its Vertigo world concert tour last night at the Sports Arena. We thought you'd like to listen in a bit.
As you can see, they're on fire. The band plays another show in San Diego tomorrow night.
In a moment, a pharmacist fired for refusing to fill a prescription for birth control pills. Why she says it has as much to do with women's health as her moral beliefs. That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Getting certain prescriptions filled at your neighborhood pharmacy may be getting a little more difficult. "The Washington Post" is reporting a growing number of pharmacists are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, because they say it violates their moral beliefs. About 1 percent of the nation's quarter-million pharmacists belong to a group called Pharmacists for Life.
My guest now from Cincinnati, the president of Pharmacists for Life, Karen Brauer, who herself has refused to give customers their prescriptions.
Good morning, Karen.
KAREN BRAUER, PHARMACISTS FOR LIFE INTERNATIONAL: Good morning.
COSTELLO: You were fired for refusing to fill a prescription for birth control pills. What did you say to the customer?
BRAUER: In the case with this customer, it was it was a refill, and I offered to transfer her prescription to the pharmacy of her choice, because the prescription is her property in the state of Ohio.
COSTELLO: But why not fill a prescription for birth control pills?
BRAUER: There are many reasons. One of the reasons is that there is no hormonal contraceptive on the market now which doesn't have the possibility of stopping human life. The other reason is that there are many health hazards associated with these drugs, given to a patient who is not sick. And I don't believe that women have been made aware of these adequately.
COSTELLO: Well there have been many studies about birth control pills. Most of them say they're perfectly safe for women to take. But what gives you the right to tell women what they can and cannot take? Birth control pills are legal.
BRAUER: The pharmacist holds clinical, ethical and legal liability for their dispensing decisions. They are the final checkpoint of patients' safety. Oftentimes, we're called upon to deny a prescription based upon the effect on a patient, on a woman, on a man, depending on what the prescription is. Sometimes there are drug interactions which are quite dangerous. And we stop...
COSTELLO: But don't you think, Karen...
BRAUER: ... the patient from obtaining this drug for this reason.
COSTELLO: Don't you think, Karen, the doctor of the patient has already determined those things?
BRAUER: No. We find that oftentimes we correct the work of doctors. And there is no human being who is incapable of error. There is too much medical knowledge for one practitioner to know everything.
COSTELLO: So, when the studies...
BRAUER: And a doctor can't be expected to know everything about drugs.
COSTELLO: So, Karen, when the studies came out about Vioxx, did you stop filling those prescriptions as well?
BRAUER: The Vioxx situation is quite complicated. It's given to patients who are ill. And it actually, in some cases, the risk is worthwhile to the patient because their pain is so bad that they're willing to take this risk. And they should be educated about this risk.
COSTELLO: Some might say...
BRAUER: However, Vioxx is not a black and white issue.
COSTELLO: Well, a lot of people might say a birth control pill is not a black and white issue either. But if a doctor prescribes this for a patient...
BRAUER: That's true, because sometimes birth control can be used to take care of a problem. Sometimes those pills are used to take care of a hormonal deficiency or an illness in the woman, and in which case they can be given for that reason.
COSTELLO: So, if a woman came in and said, you know, I'm not taking these for birth control, you would prescribe the birth control pills?
BRAUER: I would dispense if they are being given for another reason other than contraception. If the woman is ill and the risk does not outweigh the benefit, then it's appropriate.
COSTELLO: But, Karen, some might say that there's a real danger this, because where does it stop? Maybe a doctor would refuse to prescribe a certain medication to a patient because of his moral beliefs and endanger the patient.
BRAUER: What it seems to be the difficulty is not understanding that pharmacists have always intervened. This is part of the function of a pharmacist, and we hold liability for our decisions if we fail to intervene. Also, the pharmacist is an educator of patients. It's from the pharmacist that women are discovering that this drug has liabilities of which they were not aware.
COSTELLO: But, Karen, I think...
BRAUER: Now, they're learning that they have another thing to think about.
COSTELLO: I think there's a difference between a woman asking for your advice and you refusing to fill a prescription that she's gotten from a trusted doctor.
BRAUER: According to over 90, we are required to offer counseling. And we are really, according to our pharmacy regulations, required, and we are legally required to be responsible for the patient's well-being and to put our own professional expertise into the decision that a patient makes concerning their drugs. We're required...
COSTELLO: Then why were you fired?
BRAUER: And people don't seem to understand this.
COSTELLO: Then why were you fired?
BRAUER: Why was I fired? Apparently, my company did not understand the function of a pharmacist.
COSTELLO: Well, it's against state law not to dispense drugs. Not only that, if you don't dispense the drugs...
BRAUER: No, that's not true.
COSTELLO: ... you have to refer them to someone else who would dispense the drugs.
BRAUER: That's not true. The state laws vary, and there really is not a state now with a blanket requirement that a pharmacist must dispense a drug, because it really goes against what the job of a pharmacist is. What you need to do is be a little more accurate.
COSTELLO: I understand it is a state law that you must fill prescriptions. And if you don't fill the prescription, you must determine...
BRAUER: You understand incorrectly.
COSTELLO: You must determine another place in which the woman can get the prescription filled.
BRAUER: Your understanding is not correct.
COSTELLO: Well, then we have a difference of opinion here. Karen Brauer, thank you for joining AMERICAN MORNING this morning -- Bill.
HEMMER: Experts say the Indonesian earthquake looks like a twin of December's devastating quake. Why didn't this one, then, cause a tsunami? Answers from the U.S. Geological Survey, top of the hour here as we continue on AMERICAN MORNING after this.
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Aired March 29, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. It's 7:30 here in New York City. Soledad has some vacation this week. Good morning to you.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A much-need vacation. I'm Carol Costello filling in.
Coming up, parts of Indonesia have been devastated again by a massive earthquake. We'll look at the destruction and the search for survivors this morning, also the early panic that another tsunami was on the way.
HEMMER: Also, in a moment here, in the battle over the fate of Terri Schiavo, her parents are expressing frustration over some of the protests being staged outside their daughter's hospice. Bob Franken is back in Florida this morning, as he has been now for about two weeks. We'll check in with Bob on that story.
COSTELLO: Much more news this morning on AMERICAN MORNING. Here is Kelly Wallace.
Good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol and Bill. And good morning to you, everyone.
Here are some of the stories "Now in the News."
We begin with an arrest in connection with the Red Lake Reservation shootings in Minnesota. According to local media reports, the teenage son of the tribal chairman has been taken into custody. CNN is working this morning to confirm those reports. A total of 10 people were killed in last Monday's rampage, including suspected shooter Jeff Weise.
An independent committee is expected to clear U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan of possible corruption linked to that oil-for-food program in Iraq. But the panel will criticize the secretary general for oversight. It will also criticize his son, Cojo (ph), for not revealing ties to a Swiss company linked with the aid program. The report is set to be out later today.
U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist back on the bench after a brief hospital stay. Justice Rehnquist checked into Arlington Hospital in Virginia Sunday after an apparent problem with a tracheotomy tube in his neck. He's due back in court when arguments resume in just over two hours.
And a case involving file-sharing will be on the docket this morning for the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices will be looking at the fine line between piracy and technology. The outcome could affect how TV shows, movies and songs are manufactured.
I don't know a lot about file-sharing, but we're talking big money, big dollars.
HEMMER: That's right.
WALLACE: The future of the Internet and how Hollywood markets its products.
COSTELLO: And a big inconvenience to those who file-share.
WALLACE: Exactly. They want to keep doing it.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Thank you, Kelly.
U.N. and Red Cross officials in Southeast Asia say the death toll from Monday's earthquake isn't going to be as high as they first feared. The Indonesian government says at least 330 people have died, but that number is expected to rise. The 8.7 quake was centered off the northern coast of Sumatra. That's about 100 miles southeast of the epicenter of December's quake.
With more now from the scene, Hugh Riminton is in Medan, Indonesia.
Hugh, describe what the damage like for us.
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the damage is, as you say, nothing like that that we saw with the December 26 earthquake, which triggered that tsunami. That is because there was no tsunami this time. It may some days before the scientists and geologists are able to explain why a quake that was very nearly as big didn't trigger the same wave effect.
But the earthquake itself was devastating, particularly to the two islands that were closest to the epicenter. The island of Nias, which is a heavily-populated island, it's fairly small, about 600,000 people live there, though. And a great number of the buildings on Nias have been destroyed.
There are people in shock, just wandering around the place. There were early reports that the death toll could run into the thousands. Officially, it's being put at 330.
But we must stress the assessment phase is still very much on at the moment. The Red Cross and the United Nations have been trying to get in to have a look at it. Damage is widespread. The death toll, as you say, is likely to rise as they can get in and have a better look in the days ahead -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Unlike that other quake, though, Hugh, tsunami warnings did go out. Loud alarms sounded. People were ringing bells. Did it seem like they were better prepared to deal with things after this quake?
RIMINTON: Certainly. And in the more sophisticated areas, for example the tourist areas of Thailand, the alarm systems from reports from Thailand were very effective, and people knew that it was coming. Everyone was much more alert to it. The thing was this time, there was no tsunami. There was a minor surge that was picked up in some of the islands, the Cocas islands, a very small isolated group picked up a small surge.
One of the suggestions was, is that the pulse this time was heading south and west. Now, that was away from the mainland areas and the populated areas.
Another effect is that the death toll along the Sumatran coast doesn't appear to have existed at all this time. That's partly because those areas have been depopulated as a result of the December 26 earthquake and tsunami.
COSTELLO: Hugh Riminton live in Indonesia this morning. Thank you.
HEMMER: It's about 26 minutes now before the hour. Iraq's road to a new government seems to be bit of a bumpy one. Once again today, the Transitional National Assembly failed to name a speaker.
Aneesh Raman is live in Baghdad with more from there.
What happened -- Aneesh? Tell us.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning.
Frustration is really starting to hit a boiling point among those within the National Assembly. They delayed their meeting by about an hour, and then convened only to announce that no vote would take place for the speaker; that, because negotiations had effectively had broken down among the Sunnis. Anger burst among members of the assembly, some demanding to know why this was happening, why no vote was taking place.
And then rather dramatically, the live signal was cut. It went to black for Iraqis watching at home. They went into an impromptu closed session that we now know has ended. It is likely they will meet again this weekend.
But Bill, they are all aware that this cannot happen again. The Iraqi people need a government to take shape. But they also need to see things happening in order. And chaotic days like this do not server see anyone any good.
So, if they do convene this weekend, all sides are hoping they can reach a consensus and finally elect a speaker -- Bill.
HEMMER: Aneesh, is this the growing signs of a fledgling democracy? Or is this true cause for concern? RAMAN: Well, at this point I think it's a mix of both. At the beginning, people on the ground were willing to forgive a lot of things as this being a new process for Iraq. But for Iraqis themselves, the process is inconsequential. They literally need a government to take shape as quickly as possible to deal with the insurgency, to deal with the services they need like water and electricity. And the longer this takes, the more confidence that was built after that historic election does begin to erode -- Bill.
HEMMER: Keep that momentum, too, coming back from the elections at the end of January. Aneesh, thanks for that in Baghdad -- Carol.
COSTELLO: The Reverend Jesse Jackson will be in Florida today to hold a vigil with the parents and siblings of Terri Schiavo. As you know, Schiavo's feeding tube was removed nearly 12 days ago now.
CNN's Bob Franken live in Pinellas Park, Florida, outside of Terri's hospice.
Good morning -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And both sides of this bitter fight say that they want an autopsy when she dies, if she dies, with that likelihood of increasing by the day. As a matter of fact, some are saying it's imminent. There is some disagreement among that.
As for Reverend Jackson, he's to appear later this morning. Of course, he comes from the left. Family members hope that he'll provide a counterpoint to those who are already here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice over): Family members of Terri Schiavo express their private but growing frustration at polls showing negative reactions to their fight. They say public opinion has been influenced more than they'd like by a perception that religious beliefs are being imposed on public policy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Holy Mary, mother of God.
FRANKEN: The vigil here has included almost exclusively participants who are intensely devout, from Catholic and evangelical Christian denominations, bringing images that have obscured the substance, they complain, of the battle to reconnect the feeding tube to Terri Schiavo.
At one point on Sunday, Terri's brother, Bobby Schindler, came out and tried to quiet down his family's supporters. But many in the crowd put up an argument.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who do I give it to to get it to you?
BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: We're not going to solve this problem today by getting arrested. We can change the laws, OK? But we have to -- it's not going to change today. Getting arrested doesn't help Terri.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't disagree. I don't disagree.
SCHINDLER: It doesn't help anybody.
FRANKEN: Many of the most active leaders here are well-known figures from the religious right, veterans of fights that range from public display of the Ten Commandments to the strongest anti-abortion battles.
LARRY KLAYMAN, FOUNDER, JUDICIAL WATCH: It's not just we Christian conservatives. It's not just people of faith. It's everybody in this country.
FRANKEN: But the Christian right and their conservative allies in politics have been the ones who have forced Terri Schiavo into the public consciousness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
But now, public support is beginning to wane. And family members worry, Carol, that it's partly because their cause is being distorted by other people's agendas -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, Randall Terry has been a spokesman for the family. How did they get together in the first place, the Schindlers?
FRANKEN: Well, the Schindlers have looked for help wherever they could get it. And people who are in the so-called right-to-life movement have feelings about pulling the plug, so to speak, as they would put it, have feelings about ending life. So, they were a natural fit.
And there's also, of course, the need for funding. And the people who come from these organized groups are able to provide the money that is needed for the legal and public relations fight.
COSTELLO: Bob Franken, live in Pinellas Park, Florida, this morning. Thank you.
HEMMER: It's 22 minutes now before the hour, Carol. A check of the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: A popular video game system could be forced off the market. Andy explains in "Minding Your Business."
HEMMER: Also this morning, pharmacist beliefs versus women's rights. The growing controversy over the refusal to fill prescriptions for birth control. That story when we continue on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Well, the world's best ski racer is in one piece. The same cannot be said for his crystal trophy. Earlier this month, Bode Miller (ph) became the first American to win the world cup since 1983, 22 years. The winner's cup is made of 18 pounds of cut crystal, and in that there is the problem. Miller could not carry it back on the plane to New Hampshire, so he shipped it. When Miller's father peeled back the protective bubble wrap, he found a box full of shattered crystal. Woody Miller, Bode Miller's (ph) father, is trying to glue it back together.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Glue?
COSTELLO: Glue? Why don't they just get another one?
HEMMER: Good luck.
SERWER: Think, think.
HEMMER: Bode Miller (ph) says he can get a replacement. We'll see.
COSTELLO: Well, it's nice of his dad to try to piece that together for him.
HEMMER: So much for the bubble wrap.
COSTELLO: It's time for the "Question of the Day."
CAFFERTY: The father doesn't have a lot to do, does he? It's not a real busy schedule.
SERWER: A lot of little pieces.
CAFFERTY: There are 30,000-plus registered sex offenders and predators living in the state of Florida alone. According to the "Miami Herald," authorities have no idea where 1,800 of them are. Vanished. They're in the state somewhere, but nobody knows where.
Nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford, kidnapped, raped and murdered by one of these missing sex offenders, John Couey. He confessed to the crime. This is a guy with a criminal record that spans 30 years. He's been arrested 26 times. What the hell was he doing out of jail?
The question is this: What should be done to keep track of sex offenders? Obviously, nothing is being done at the moment.
Tom in Quebec writes: "Of the more serious sex offenders, it would be thinkable to go forward with a complete elimination of the person's sex drive."
Robert in Washington writes: "Frankly, they don't belong back on the street. But maybe a big tattoo on their face might slow some of them down."
John in Florida writes: "As a retired prison warden, I know that child molesters are never cured. All should receive life sentences without parole or a death sentence. And for those already out on the streets, life on parole." John in Connecticut: "We all realize chemical castration only works if the offender takes his meds, which a lot of them don't. I'd like to see them have the choice between real castration and life in prison. But I guess that's too redneck for today's society."
And Brian in South Carolina writes: "It shouldn't be difficult to keep track of sexual predators. Here lies John Doe, sexual predator."
COSTELLO: Wow!
HEMMER: We know where they stand.
CAFFERTY: There's not a lot of sympathy for these people out there.
HEMMER: Clearly. Thank you, Jack.
If you want to buy toys, a bit of a transition here. Toys for the new "Star Wars" collection. You may come home a bit disappointed. Andy Serwer is lightening up things here.
Good morning, Andy. What's happening?
CAFFERTY: That's maybe the worst segue I've ever seen written into a script.
SERWER: And it's coming my way.
HEMMER: You're it, Andy.
SERWER: All right. It's the old empty box trick. And on May 19, the sixth "Star Wars" movie comes out. It's called episode 3, conveniently. It's the sixth movie, but it's episode 3, "Revenge of the Nerds" -- I mean, "Revenge of the Sith." "Revenge of the Sith," it's called.
And you may remember back in 1977 when the first one came out, Kenner was making the toys for the "Star Wars" movies. And they didn't realize how big a deal it was going to be, so they didn't make enough toys. They wanted to cash in, and so they sent empty boxes out with little vouchers in them.
And so, Hasbro, which has the license now, is going to repeat that trick. It's sort of a little gimmick.
And, Jack, you'll be happy to know that you can get boxes with vouchers in them to get Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and -- that was pretty good I thought -- and Princess Leia. No, that was my Chewbacca imitation.
CAFFERTY: Oh, I'm sorry.
SERWER: Come on. Anyway, and now we have some more toy news here, the Playstation. Sony is either going to have to pay $90 million or remove the Playstation off of the shelves if it loses a court case. It turns out, it may have infringed on a patent by a company called Immersion, which made dual-shock controllers.
I didn't know what dual-shock controllers were.
HEMMER: Neither do I.
SERWER: No, well, you're not gamer. Here is what happens. You are playing one of these games, and you're driving a vehicle in the game, and the thing goes off the road and the controls shake -- $90 million.
CAFFERTY: Wow!
COSTELLO: Wow!
SERWER: And that's it. Did I successfully make the turn and transition?
HEMMER: Yes, you were smooth as glass.
CAFFERTY: Just remember, Andy, we're all in this alone.
SERWER: Thank you. I just found that out.
COSTELLO: Well, let's listen to something good right now.
San Diego may have a bit of vertigo this morning. Legendary Irish rock band U2 kicked off its Vertigo world concert tour last night at the Sports Arena. We thought you'd like to listen in a bit.
As you can see, they're on fire. The band plays another show in San Diego tomorrow night.
In a moment, a pharmacist fired for refusing to fill a prescription for birth control pills. Why she says it has as much to do with women's health as her moral beliefs. That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Getting certain prescriptions filled at your neighborhood pharmacy may be getting a little more difficult. "The Washington Post" is reporting a growing number of pharmacists are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, because they say it violates their moral beliefs. About 1 percent of the nation's quarter-million pharmacists belong to a group called Pharmacists for Life.
My guest now from Cincinnati, the president of Pharmacists for Life, Karen Brauer, who herself has refused to give customers their prescriptions.
Good morning, Karen.
KAREN BRAUER, PHARMACISTS FOR LIFE INTERNATIONAL: Good morning.
COSTELLO: You were fired for refusing to fill a prescription for birth control pills. What did you say to the customer?
BRAUER: In the case with this customer, it was it was a refill, and I offered to transfer her prescription to the pharmacy of her choice, because the prescription is her property in the state of Ohio.
COSTELLO: But why not fill a prescription for birth control pills?
BRAUER: There are many reasons. One of the reasons is that there is no hormonal contraceptive on the market now which doesn't have the possibility of stopping human life. The other reason is that there are many health hazards associated with these drugs, given to a patient who is not sick. And I don't believe that women have been made aware of these adequately.
COSTELLO: Well there have been many studies about birth control pills. Most of them say they're perfectly safe for women to take. But what gives you the right to tell women what they can and cannot take? Birth control pills are legal.
BRAUER: The pharmacist holds clinical, ethical and legal liability for their dispensing decisions. They are the final checkpoint of patients' safety. Oftentimes, we're called upon to deny a prescription based upon the effect on a patient, on a woman, on a man, depending on what the prescription is. Sometimes there are drug interactions which are quite dangerous. And we stop...
COSTELLO: But don't you think, Karen...
BRAUER: ... the patient from obtaining this drug for this reason.
COSTELLO: Don't you think, Karen, the doctor of the patient has already determined those things?
BRAUER: No. We find that oftentimes we correct the work of doctors. And there is no human being who is incapable of error. There is too much medical knowledge for one practitioner to know everything.
COSTELLO: So, when the studies...
BRAUER: And a doctor can't be expected to know everything about drugs.
COSTELLO: So, Karen, when the studies came out about Vioxx, did you stop filling those prescriptions as well?
BRAUER: The Vioxx situation is quite complicated. It's given to patients who are ill. And it actually, in some cases, the risk is worthwhile to the patient because their pain is so bad that they're willing to take this risk. And they should be educated about this risk.
COSTELLO: Some might say...
BRAUER: However, Vioxx is not a black and white issue.
COSTELLO: Well, a lot of people might say a birth control pill is not a black and white issue either. But if a doctor prescribes this for a patient...
BRAUER: That's true, because sometimes birth control can be used to take care of a problem. Sometimes those pills are used to take care of a hormonal deficiency or an illness in the woman, and in which case they can be given for that reason.
COSTELLO: So, if a woman came in and said, you know, I'm not taking these for birth control, you would prescribe the birth control pills?
BRAUER: I would dispense if they are being given for another reason other than contraception. If the woman is ill and the risk does not outweigh the benefit, then it's appropriate.
COSTELLO: But, Karen, some might say that there's a real danger this, because where does it stop? Maybe a doctor would refuse to prescribe a certain medication to a patient because of his moral beliefs and endanger the patient.
BRAUER: What it seems to be the difficulty is not understanding that pharmacists have always intervened. This is part of the function of a pharmacist, and we hold liability for our decisions if we fail to intervene. Also, the pharmacist is an educator of patients. It's from the pharmacist that women are discovering that this drug has liabilities of which they were not aware.
COSTELLO: But, Karen, I think...
BRAUER: Now, they're learning that they have another thing to think about.
COSTELLO: I think there's a difference between a woman asking for your advice and you refusing to fill a prescription that she's gotten from a trusted doctor.
BRAUER: According to over 90, we are required to offer counseling. And we are really, according to our pharmacy regulations, required, and we are legally required to be responsible for the patient's well-being and to put our own professional expertise into the decision that a patient makes concerning their drugs. We're required...
COSTELLO: Then why were you fired?
BRAUER: And people don't seem to understand this.
COSTELLO: Then why were you fired?
BRAUER: Why was I fired? Apparently, my company did not understand the function of a pharmacist.
COSTELLO: Well, it's against state law not to dispense drugs. Not only that, if you don't dispense the drugs...
BRAUER: No, that's not true.
COSTELLO: ... you have to refer them to someone else who would dispense the drugs.
BRAUER: That's not true. The state laws vary, and there really is not a state now with a blanket requirement that a pharmacist must dispense a drug, because it really goes against what the job of a pharmacist is. What you need to do is be a little more accurate.
COSTELLO: I understand it is a state law that you must fill prescriptions. And if you don't fill the prescription, you must determine...
BRAUER: You understand incorrectly.
COSTELLO: You must determine another place in which the woman can get the prescription filled.
BRAUER: Your understanding is not correct.
COSTELLO: Well, then we have a difference of opinion here. Karen Brauer, thank you for joining AMERICAN MORNING this morning -- Bill.
HEMMER: Experts say the Indonesian earthquake looks like a twin of December's devastating quake. Why didn't this one, then, cause a tsunami? Answers from the U.S. Geological Survey, top of the hour here as we continue on AMERICAN MORNING after this.
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