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American Morning
Terri Schiavo Near Death; Disease Outbreak at Florida Petting Zoo
Aired March 31, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
There are newly released videotapes of Terri Schiavo with her parents at her side, doctors there, too, listening to music at times. What they might reveal about her condition.
Outside the hospice, though, new frustrations as family members are turned away from seeing her and turned away again by the U.S. Supreme Court. Where that fight goes now, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: Good morning, everyone.
8:00 here in New York.
I'm Bill Hemmer.
Good to have you along with us today.
Soledad is on vacation this week, enjoying a good time with her family -- hello.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello.
And I'm Kyra Phillips.
Good to be here.
Good morning, everyone.
A lot to talk about on the Terry Schiavo case, with more overnight developments, including these new pictures released by a Florida court, pictures made in 2002 and used to determine her medical condition. We're going to talk about it with Sanjay Gupta. He'll tell us what they mean.
HEMMER: Also, a troubling story about Joan Kennedy. The former wife of Senator Ted Kennedy found lying in a Boston street unconscious, some bones broken. She's been battling alcoholism for years. Former Senator George McGovern knows a lot about those struggles. We'll talk to him about that coming up here this hour.
PHILLIPS: Quite a history, Joan Kennedy, the Kennedy family. I mean it's been a while since we've heard about her in the news. HEMMER: Wish her the best.
PHILLIPS: It's sad. Yes.
HEMMER: Yes, sure.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is sad.
Coming up in "The Cafferty File," E-Television has decided that what the world needs more of is Michael Jackson. You know that stupid thing they do with the actors? They're going to make it longer. Just what we need. A random survey among members of the crew here on AMERICAN MORNING has revealed that what the world does need is more lingerie bowls. And they're coming, see? Yes. Ooh. Yes.
PHILLIPS: What's a lingerie bowl? Should I know this?
CAFFERTY: We'll show you later.
And there's a survey out where a significant number of women, almost half, suggest that their pets are better looking than their men. And there's some other pretty funny stuff in there, too.
HEMMER: Interesting.
CAFFERTY: So that'll be coming along in less than an hour.
HEMMER: I bet. Cool "File."
Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: To the headlines this hour.
Here's Kelly Wallace back with us -- good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again.
And good morning again, everyone.
Here are some of the other stories now in the news.
A CNN "Security Watch" for you. A report on weapons of mass destruction being released this morning is harshly critical of U.S. intelligence agencies. The 600-page report also casts doubt on the United States' ability to infiltrate hot spots such as Iran and North Korea. CNN's Elaine Quijano has reaction from the White House. That's coming up. And, of course, be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
At least one Iraqi soldier killed this morning in a suicide bombing. It happened just as an Iraqi military convoy was passing near the town of Kirkuk. At least eight people are wounded.
And the State Department is calling for the release of a U.S. citizen abducted in Iraq along with three Romanians. The Al Jazeera network broadcast video of what it said showed the three Romanian journalists and an unidentified fourth person.
The U.S. Supreme Court is making it easier for roughly half the country's workforce to sue for age discrimination. In a 5-3 decision, the court ruled workers 40 years old and over can file some age bias suits even if the employers never intended any harm. Critics say the move will just create more lawsuits.
And a dramatic rescue caught on tape. Look at this. A woman trapped in her car after a crash with a truck. The vehicle wrapped around a utility pole. A fire chief breaks the driver's side window and pulls the woman to safety just seconds before the car was engulfed by flames. And we'll hear from the man being called a hero later in the hour. A hero, indeed. That woman very lucky -- back to you.
HEMMER: Yes, Kelly, thanks.
WALLACE: Sure.
HEMMER: Developments now in the Terry Schiavo case.
Late last night, the U.S. Supreme Court once again rejecting a request by Terri's parents to intervene. Also this morning, we're getting a look at new videotapes never before seen publicly of Terri Schiavo and her mother, nine of 11 tapes from the summer of 2002, released by the Pinellas County Probate Court last night. We're going to try and gauge, as best we can, her reaction on these tapes and her condition.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is at the CNN Center to walk us through this -- good morning, Sanjay.
There are two tapes that we want to play for our viewers here. Just give us a guide as you go through here and tell us from your perspective as a neurosurgeon what you're able to gauge and what you cannot see from this first tape with some music.
Listen here and watch.
(VIDEO TAPE OF TERRI SCHIAVO)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously, you're seeing some of Terri making some of the motions both with what appears to be a smile, a blinking of the eyes. Some of that that we've seen so much of before, as well.
What is hard to tell, and it's important to say here, although we're getting a chance now for our viewers to see some tapes that they haven't seen before, is that it's hard to make a conclusion as to exactly what she's reacting to on these tapes. You know, it's hard to make any kind of definitive judgment as to whether or not she's not in a persistent vegetative state or if she's in a minimally conscious state. Obviously, you know, for anybody to look at those tapes, it would seem that she is having some sort reaction there, some sort of awareness. But I caution our viewers and caution everybody to not take that information literally from these videotapes. It's hard to make that assessment.
What you can see here are some shots of Terri, some interaction of Terri that you haven't seen before -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, that is one tape.
Now there's another tape here with her mother present. And you will hear Terri making noises on this tape.
You believe that's significant.
Let's listen a little bit and then take us through, Sanjay.
(VIDEO TAPE OF TERRI SCHIAVO)
GUPTA: The real question here, Bill, as you watch these tapes, as you listen -- and they are startling to listen to in some ways. These are some of the first sounds that we've heard from Terri Schiavo. The question really -- and you see an exam now here, sort of a behind-the-scenes look at one of the neurologists examining her.
I'll point out a couple of things here. Her arms are in a very spastic state. They're sort of very tight there. You can see he's exerting some force to be able to try and pull those apart. He just gave her a little pinch there, Bill, thought that she wasn't quite awake enough, gave her a little pinch there to try and get a response, which he did.
Again, with regards to these sounds you asked me about, Bill, the question really becomes she obviously makes sounds. They're not something that you can comprehend any language from. The question is does she make different sounds in reaction to different people?
We listened to a lot of the tapes. It's hard to gauge that. The importance -- does she change the amplitude, the tone, the pitch of her noise. We don't see that. And that's important because it doesn't appear, at least on these tapes -- and they're just tapes -- to be able to tell that she's reacting differently to one person versus another -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, two quick questions here.
You talked about islands of consciousness in these tapes.
What is that?
GUPTA: Well, you know, this is an important concept. I've talked to some of the doctors on background and they talk about persistent vegetative state patients having islands of consciousness, meaning that they may have times when they do seem to be a little bit more aware, a little bit more conscious than other times.
Typically, when you talk about PVS, you're talking about a wakeful unawareness. And that's going to be the state most of the time. But every now and then you may see a glimmer of something else -- Bill. HEMMER: But if there is a glimmer at times, does that tell you that she's in and out of consciousness? Does it tell you that she could be aware at some points and not at others? And, if so, how is that a persistent vegetative state? Can you answer that question, I guess?
GUPTA: Yes, I mean, you know, the thing about it is a persistent vegetative state in and of itself is defined as a state of wakeful unawareness. Is that going to be the same exact state every single minute? Most of the neurologists we've talked to said there might be these islands of consciousness. The brain is somewhat complicated when it comes to these things and none of the neurologists I've spoken to talk in absolutes, which is part of the difficulty here, obviously.
But the islands of consciousness, intermittent times when maybe there's a flicker of something. Still could be in a persistent vegetative state, though -- Bill.
HEMMER: One more thing here. Fourteen days, no food, no water. I know this was the outside chance that doctors said she would live.
Is it possible Terri Schiavo's fighting for her own life?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, we've talked to end of life specialists about this, as well. You know, people have told me they have had patients who have gone three, even three and a half weeks before, as well. It's hard to say, Bill, the fighting for her life. Clearly, she's a young, healthy woman, and I think that's the most important thing. And she's had immaculate care for so long. She was 25 years old. The rest of her organs, short of her brain, seem to have worked very well for a long time -- Bill.
HEMMER: Let's talk more about that in about a half hour.
GUPTA: All right.
HEMMER: Sanjay, thanks, at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: All right, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Well, the numbers are up. There are five new confirmed cases of children with bacterial illnesses in Florida. That brings the number of infections to 22. Inspectors are still investigating the source of the outbreak. But Department of Health officials say that initial reports seem to implicate petting zoos at two different festivals earlier this month.
Charles Bronson is the commissioner of Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
He joins us live from Tallahassee.
Commissioner, good to see you.
The last time we talked, it was about storm damage. Now we're switching gears.
CHARLES BRONSON, FLORIDA AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES: Yes, we are, and unfortunately it's a situation that I hope we can get and the Department of Health can get under control very quickly.
PHILLIPS: All right, well, let's talk about what you've done. Tell me the type of inspections you've done to this point, the type of testing that you've done and where we stand.
BRONSON: Well, we always check the animals coming into the state fair, as well as other fairs in the State of Florida. And we know that most of the people that have petting zoos make sure that animals that exhibit any type of stress or any type of potential for disease, take those animals out of contact with children.
So we have a good system here. And we also have a system where we set up sanitizing stations at the fairs so that people can wash their hands.
PHILLIPS: OK, well, tell me what you've done.
Have you taken samples, sent them to the Department of Health? Have you sent in veterinarians, inspectors, because, of course, as these petting zoos travel around, parents are going to wonder, should I even take my kids to the fair or to the petting zoo?
BRONSON: Well, of course, yes. We have tested -- sent over 150 samples to the Department of Health. They're going through all those samples right now. They're running their tests. They're trying to find out the commonality between animals and between people. All of that is being investigated by the Department of Health. And I think there may be a combination of issues going on here, not just any one animal or any group of animals.
So I think the Department of Health is doing a very good job of systematically going through all the potentials here to find out where our problem really is.
PHILLIPS: And we're talking about E. coli contamination. So it's possible it could have come from food or water, right?
BRONSON: It's possible. I know New York a few, a couple of years ago, where they thought it was petting zoo animals there. They found out it actually was a water contamination problem that caused their problem.
So it could be other things other than just petting zoo animals. And unfortunately because of the potential scare here, petting zoos all over Florida have had schools cancel trips. And most of these petting areas have never had a single problem.
PHILLIPS: Well, where the contamination is coming from, what's happened to those animals?
BRONSON: Well, any animal that we have deemed may be a potential problem is totally segregated and separated from all the other animals and is not available for any contact with children or humans.
PHILLIPS: Now, these petting zoos also have to a license, right? And if, indeed, they have a license, there are supposed to be regular inspections.
BRONSON: Yes. And there are regular inspections. USDA inspections, in many cases, when it's interstate crossing of animals. Also, our department does inspection of all animals, horses and all included, to make sure animals going to any area that there is exposure to humans meet a test of being safe for people to be around.
PHILLIPS: Charles Bronson, the commissioner of Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Thanks for your time again today.
BRONSON: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's check back on the weather.
Chad Myers is at the CNN Center with the latest forecast -- hi, Chad.
Have things gotten any better?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No. Now the delays went from 57 minutes to 84, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Oh.
MYERS: So we're going the wrong direction, and so is the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, hundreds of patients at one hospital could be at risk for HIV after a potential mistake in a lab. We'll explain that in a moment.
PHILLIPS: Plus, the ex-wife of a famous senator found lying unconscious in the street with a broken shoulder. The battle she and her family now face, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: This morning, the three children of Joan Kennedy are trying to figure out what to do next. Kennedy, the ex-wife of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, was found unconscious on a Boston street and is now in the hospital.
More on what happened, in Boston, he's Jason Carroll.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The once glamorous former wife of Senator Ted Kennedy is now recovering in a hospital with a concussion and a broken shoulder. This, after a passerby found her unconscious, lying on a Boston street. There is no police report. Authorities and family have not explained what happened.
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: This has been a sad time. But I think she's -- we're all hoping for the best.
CARROLL: Just last month, Joan Kennedy's children were named her legal guardian, citing concern for her medical care. Kennedy has been battling alcohol addiction for years. Her son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, widely known to be close to his mother, announced Wednesday he would not run for Senate. In the same announcement, he thanked everyone for supporting his mother, saying: "My family means everything to me and I would appreciate you respecting my family's privacy at this time."
Over the past few decades, Kennedy has been in and out of courtrooms and treatment centers.
JOAN KENNEDY, FORMER WIFE OF SENATOR TED KENNEDY: Stopping drinking is wonderful for my self-esteem, you know, just to begin with. But trying to go back to school and realize that I could think and feel and do homework and succeed in something, that was wonderful for my self-esteem.
CARROLL: The hospital is not releasing any information about her condition. As guardians, Joan Kennedy's three children will decide what happens when she's released.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: And one update on that story since Jason filed that story. Police have located that good Samaritan in Boston. Apparently, she is telling police that Ms. Kennedy did not appear to be intoxicated at the time that she found her -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: A fire chief is being called a hero for saving a woman from a burning car. He pulled her out of the car just seconds before it was engulfed in flames. These pictures are amazing. The accident happened Tuesday in a suburb of Buffalo, New York.
Lale Lewis is the firefighter who saved the woman's life.
He is the fire chief of Cleveland Hills Fire Department.
He joins us live from Buffalo.
Chief, good to see you.
CHIEF LALE LEWIS, CLEVELAND HILLS, NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: All right, tell us how it happened, how you got the call and how you were the one to get there quickly. LEWIS: Well, like you said, I'm the fire chief. So our radios went off and they told us we had a accident with injuries, possible people trapped in a, possibly a car on fire. So I responded directly there with the chief's vehicle.
And when I got there I saw the fire and I asked if anybody was still in there and all the citizens in the area started yelling that she was trapped in there.
PHILLIPS: Now, Chief, when you came to the scene, you obviously saw someone was trapped in there, but usually you have to give some type of medical exam, make sure you're not pulling somebody out that might have broken bones. You have to assess the situation and make sure the car is not about to blow up.
But did you just not have time for anything and the only thing on your mind was I've got to save this woman right now?
LEWIS: You're right, normally we would immobilize the patient. But by the time I broke the window open and got her seat belt off her, the flames were already coming into the passenger compartment. So there was no time to immobilize her at all. I just had to pull her out through the window.
PHILLIPS: Oh my gosh.
Was she saying anything to you?
LEWIS: No, she was just screaming. I don't know if she was in severe pain, but she was covered in blood and she was just screaming. So she wasn't talking to me at all.
PHILLIPS: Now, at the same time, when you're trying to obviously extract someone and save their life, you all -- there's a mental part that you have to play and try to relax her and calm her down.
What were you saying to her to try to get her to just, I guess, not to panic? Obviously she was.
LEWIS: Well, there was other people on the passenger side yelling and trying to calm her down, citizens that just happened to be going by. And I have to give the citizens the credit. They're the ones that kept the fire away long enough that I could get her out, because everybody from the surrounding area was running over there and trying to keep the fire back with fire extinguishers.
PHILLIPS: So, Chief, you pulled her out.
Was it just in the nick of time? What happened to the car as soon as you got her out of that window?
LEWIS: Well, I got her out within a minute. The whole interior compartment was engulfed in flames. And by the time I first drug her out there, the whole interior was really in a blaze.
PHILLIPS: Do we know her condition now? LEWIS: No, I don't. They won't release any information to me no more than they would anybody else.
PHILLIPS: Well, Chief Lale Lewis from the Cleveland Hills Fire Department, I hope you go pay her a visit. Let us know her condition. We sure are proud of you, Chief.
LEWIS: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: A pleasure.
HEMMER: Well done.
Twenty-one minutes past the hour now.
We're going to go back to these videotapes. There are nine tapes of Terri Schiavo just released late yesterday by a court in Florida. What do they reveal, if anything, about her current condition? Sanjay is back with a greater explanation as we continue after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: We're going to check in with Jack and the Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: Yes, we have some breaking news. General Don Shepherd has been demoted to sergeant. Stop trying to help me here. I'm in enough trouble.
PHILLIPS: Cactus Jack?
CAFFERTY: Don't start that.
PHILLIPS: I understand the call sign is Cactus Jack.
CAFFERTY: The United States Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that people over the age of 40 can sue for age discrimination even if employers never intend any bias. It's a big deal. It means expanded job protection for half of this country's workforce. That's 73 million of us. The court said employers can still defend their practices on reasonable grounds beyond age, things like cost cutting.
The question today is this, do employers discriminate against older workers?
Jessica in Atlanta writes: "I work for a division of a large financial services company. I'm only 25 and I make twice as much as my coworkers who have been here for over 10 years. This decision will level the field for those who are loyal to their employer and ensure that I'll be treated fairly as I get older."
Tom in Quebec: "Employers don't discriminate against older workers. They discriminate against bad workers. And many times an older worker has his reputation already well-founded, therefore will not be an asset to the company." Ruie in Michigan writes: "In my personal experience being a secretary at a medical facilities company, I have not found older workers to be discriminated against. We girls are needed so much and paid so little they tend to accept us just as we are."
And finally, Joe in New Jersey writes: "Jack, as a man well into his 80s, I'm sure you as well as anyone would know if employers discriminate against older workers."
That's not funny.
HEMMER: True or false?
PHILLIPS: He's not 80. Come on. Do we even talk about television, or do we not even go there?
CAFFERTY: What's that? Sixty-two.
PHILLIPS: Age.
CAFFERTY: I'm 62.
PHILLIPS: Oh, wow, I wasn't even asking your age.
CAFFERTY: Well, it's...
PHILLIPS: Sixty-two?
CAFFERTY: No, but this guy is suggesting I'm in my 80s, I mean...
HEMMER: Come on.
PHILLIPS: Shame on him, Cactus Jack. Are you going give us the scoop or not?
CAFFERTY: The way I've lived, I've got no chance of making 82, OK? There's a lot of miles on this old truck.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
PHILLIPS: So we don't even bring in the heaven/hell issue either?
CAFFERTY: Hmm?
PHILLIPS: Do we even bring in the heaven and hell issue?
HEMMER: You may. I don't know if he's going to answer it.
CAFFERTY: I would -- you can do whatever you want. You're the anchor here. Go ahead.
PHILLIPS: Oh, no. I'm told to do whatever you say. I'm minding my own business. I think that's Andy Serwer.
HEMMER: That's right. He's up, too, in a moment.
PHILLIPS: Sorry.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in a moment.
You told us this story last week about this finger, right, found in this bowl of chili?
CAFFERTY: I did not tell you that story.
HEMMER: I think it was Wendy's. We were talking about that here about a week ago.
CAFFERTY: It was widely reported that there was a digit in a bowl of...
HEMMER: Yes, that's right. Jay Leno...
CAFFERTY: Somebody said that he didn't know they had -- they made takeout of finger food.
HEMMER: That's right. Jay Leno was talking about that last night.
CAFFERTY: Oh, OK.
HEMMER: Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
JAY LENO, HOST: Well, you know what's amazing about this finger in the chili at Wendy's story, it's been, what, a week now? How come no one's come forward to say hey, that was my finger? I mean it's not like you misplaced your sunglasses. Someone going hey, you know what? Ahhhh! I mean how do you not know? I mean how do we not know who it is?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: He's right. You don't leave the restaurant without your sunglasses.
CAFFERTY: Or your finger.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, exactly.
HEMMER: Try digit.
Jay Leno from last night. Good stuff.
PHILLIPS: All right, well, smile, you're on candid camera. Or, in our case, you're on CNN television.
Prince Charles gets caught mumbling something nasty under his breath. Jack, have you been talking to him again?
CAFFERTY: No, ma'am.
PHILLIPS: Details straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired March 31, 2005 - 08:00 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.
There are newly released videotapes of Terri Schiavo with her parents at her side, doctors there, too, listening to music at times. What they might reveal about her condition.
Outside the hospice, though, new frustrations as family members are turned away from seeing her and turned away again by the U.S. Supreme Court. Where that fight goes now, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: Good morning, everyone.
8:00 here in New York.
I'm Bill Hemmer.
Good to have you along with us today.
Soledad is on vacation this week, enjoying a good time with her family -- hello.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello.
And I'm Kyra Phillips.
Good to be here.
Good morning, everyone.
A lot to talk about on the Terry Schiavo case, with more overnight developments, including these new pictures released by a Florida court, pictures made in 2002 and used to determine her medical condition. We're going to talk about it with Sanjay Gupta. He'll tell us what they mean.
HEMMER: Also, a troubling story about Joan Kennedy. The former wife of Senator Ted Kennedy found lying in a Boston street unconscious, some bones broken. She's been battling alcoholism for years. Former Senator George McGovern knows a lot about those struggles. We'll talk to him about that coming up here this hour.
PHILLIPS: Quite a history, Joan Kennedy, the Kennedy family. I mean it's been a while since we've heard about her in the news. HEMMER: Wish her the best.
PHILLIPS: It's sad. Yes.
HEMMER: Yes, sure.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is sad.
Coming up in "The Cafferty File," E-Television has decided that what the world needs more of is Michael Jackson. You know that stupid thing they do with the actors? They're going to make it longer. Just what we need. A random survey among members of the crew here on AMERICAN MORNING has revealed that what the world does need is more lingerie bowls. And they're coming, see? Yes. Ooh. Yes.
PHILLIPS: What's a lingerie bowl? Should I know this?
CAFFERTY: We'll show you later.
And there's a survey out where a significant number of women, almost half, suggest that their pets are better looking than their men. And there's some other pretty funny stuff in there, too.
HEMMER: Interesting.
CAFFERTY: So that'll be coming along in less than an hour.
HEMMER: I bet. Cool "File."
Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: To the headlines this hour.
Here's Kelly Wallace back with us -- good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again.
And good morning again, everyone.
Here are some of the other stories now in the news.
A CNN "Security Watch" for you. A report on weapons of mass destruction being released this morning is harshly critical of U.S. intelligence agencies. The 600-page report also casts doubt on the United States' ability to infiltrate hot spots such as Iran and North Korea. CNN's Elaine Quijano has reaction from the White House. That's coming up. And, of course, be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
At least one Iraqi soldier killed this morning in a suicide bombing. It happened just as an Iraqi military convoy was passing near the town of Kirkuk. At least eight people are wounded.
And the State Department is calling for the release of a U.S. citizen abducted in Iraq along with three Romanians. The Al Jazeera network broadcast video of what it said showed the three Romanian journalists and an unidentified fourth person.
The U.S. Supreme Court is making it easier for roughly half the country's workforce to sue for age discrimination. In a 5-3 decision, the court ruled workers 40 years old and over can file some age bias suits even if the employers never intended any harm. Critics say the move will just create more lawsuits.
And a dramatic rescue caught on tape. Look at this. A woman trapped in her car after a crash with a truck. The vehicle wrapped around a utility pole. A fire chief breaks the driver's side window and pulls the woman to safety just seconds before the car was engulfed by flames. And we'll hear from the man being called a hero later in the hour. A hero, indeed. That woman very lucky -- back to you.
HEMMER: Yes, Kelly, thanks.
WALLACE: Sure.
HEMMER: Developments now in the Terry Schiavo case.
Late last night, the U.S. Supreme Court once again rejecting a request by Terri's parents to intervene. Also this morning, we're getting a look at new videotapes never before seen publicly of Terri Schiavo and her mother, nine of 11 tapes from the summer of 2002, released by the Pinellas County Probate Court last night. We're going to try and gauge, as best we can, her reaction on these tapes and her condition.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is at the CNN Center to walk us through this -- good morning, Sanjay.
There are two tapes that we want to play for our viewers here. Just give us a guide as you go through here and tell us from your perspective as a neurosurgeon what you're able to gauge and what you cannot see from this first tape with some music.
Listen here and watch.
(VIDEO TAPE OF TERRI SCHIAVO)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously, you're seeing some of Terri making some of the motions both with what appears to be a smile, a blinking of the eyes. Some of that that we've seen so much of before, as well.
What is hard to tell, and it's important to say here, although we're getting a chance now for our viewers to see some tapes that they haven't seen before, is that it's hard to make a conclusion as to exactly what she's reacting to on these tapes. You know, it's hard to make any kind of definitive judgment as to whether or not she's not in a persistent vegetative state or if she's in a minimally conscious state. Obviously, you know, for anybody to look at those tapes, it would seem that she is having some sort reaction there, some sort of awareness. But I caution our viewers and caution everybody to not take that information literally from these videotapes. It's hard to make that assessment.
What you can see here are some shots of Terri, some interaction of Terri that you haven't seen before -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, that is one tape.
Now there's another tape here with her mother present. And you will hear Terri making noises on this tape.
You believe that's significant.
Let's listen a little bit and then take us through, Sanjay.
(VIDEO TAPE OF TERRI SCHIAVO)
GUPTA: The real question here, Bill, as you watch these tapes, as you listen -- and they are startling to listen to in some ways. These are some of the first sounds that we've heard from Terri Schiavo. The question really -- and you see an exam now here, sort of a behind-the-scenes look at one of the neurologists examining her.
I'll point out a couple of things here. Her arms are in a very spastic state. They're sort of very tight there. You can see he's exerting some force to be able to try and pull those apart. He just gave her a little pinch there, Bill, thought that she wasn't quite awake enough, gave her a little pinch there to try and get a response, which he did.
Again, with regards to these sounds you asked me about, Bill, the question really becomes she obviously makes sounds. They're not something that you can comprehend any language from. The question is does she make different sounds in reaction to different people?
We listened to a lot of the tapes. It's hard to gauge that. The importance -- does she change the amplitude, the tone, the pitch of her noise. We don't see that. And that's important because it doesn't appear, at least on these tapes -- and they're just tapes -- to be able to tell that she's reacting differently to one person versus another -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, two quick questions here.
You talked about islands of consciousness in these tapes.
What is that?
GUPTA: Well, you know, this is an important concept. I've talked to some of the doctors on background and they talk about persistent vegetative state patients having islands of consciousness, meaning that they may have times when they do seem to be a little bit more aware, a little bit more conscious than other times.
Typically, when you talk about PVS, you're talking about a wakeful unawareness. And that's going to be the state most of the time. But every now and then you may see a glimmer of something else -- Bill. HEMMER: But if there is a glimmer at times, does that tell you that she's in and out of consciousness? Does it tell you that she could be aware at some points and not at others? And, if so, how is that a persistent vegetative state? Can you answer that question, I guess?
GUPTA: Yes, I mean, you know, the thing about it is a persistent vegetative state in and of itself is defined as a state of wakeful unawareness. Is that going to be the same exact state every single minute? Most of the neurologists we've talked to said there might be these islands of consciousness. The brain is somewhat complicated when it comes to these things and none of the neurologists I've spoken to talk in absolutes, which is part of the difficulty here, obviously.
But the islands of consciousness, intermittent times when maybe there's a flicker of something. Still could be in a persistent vegetative state, though -- Bill.
HEMMER: One more thing here. Fourteen days, no food, no water. I know this was the outside chance that doctors said she would live.
Is it possible Terri Schiavo's fighting for her own life?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, we've talked to end of life specialists about this, as well. You know, people have told me they have had patients who have gone three, even three and a half weeks before, as well. It's hard to say, Bill, the fighting for her life. Clearly, she's a young, healthy woman, and I think that's the most important thing. And she's had immaculate care for so long. She was 25 years old. The rest of her organs, short of her brain, seem to have worked very well for a long time -- Bill.
HEMMER: Let's talk more about that in about a half hour.
GUPTA: All right.
HEMMER: Sanjay, thanks, at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: All right, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Well, the numbers are up. There are five new confirmed cases of children with bacterial illnesses in Florida. That brings the number of infections to 22. Inspectors are still investigating the source of the outbreak. But Department of Health officials say that initial reports seem to implicate petting zoos at two different festivals earlier this month.
Charles Bronson is the commissioner of Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
He joins us live from Tallahassee.
Commissioner, good to see you.
The last time we talked, it was about storm damage. Now we're switching gears.
CHARLES BRONSON, FLORIDA AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES: Yes, we are, and unfortunately it's a situation that I hope we can get and the Department of Health can get under control very quickly.
PHILLIPS: All right, well, let's talk about what you've done. Tell me the type of inspections you've done to this point, the type of testing that you've done and where we stand.
BRONSON: Well, we always check the animals coming into the state fair, as well as other fairs in the State of Florida. And we know that most of the people that have petting zoos make sure that animals that exhibit any type of stress or any type of potential for disease, take those animals out of contact with children.
So we have a good system here. And we also have a system where we set up sanitizing stations at the fairs so that people can wash their hands.
PHILLIPS: OK, well, tell me what you've done.
Have you taken samples, sent them to the Department of Health? Have you sent in veterinarians, inspectors, because, of course, as these petting zoos travel around, parents are going to wonder, should I even take my kids to the fair or to the petting zoo?
BRONSON: Well, of course, yes. We have tested -- sent over 150 samples to the Department of Health. They're going through all those samples right now. They're running their tests. They're trying to find out the commonality between animals and between people. All of that is being investigated by the Department of Health. And I think there may be a combination of issues going on here, not just any one animal or any group of animals.
So I think the Department of Health is doing a very good job of systematically going through all the potentials here to find out where our problem really is.
PHILLIPS: And we're talking about E. coli contamination. So it's possible it could have come from food or water, right?
BRONSON: It's possible. I know New York a few, a couple of years ago, where they thought it was petting zoo animals there. They found out it actually was a water contamination problem that caused their problem.
So it could be other things other than just petting zoo animals. And unfortunately because of the potential scare here, petting zoos all over Florida have had schools cancel trips. And most of these petting areas have never had a single problem.
PHILLIPS: Well, where the contamination is coming from, what's happened to those animals?
BRONSON: Well, any animal that we have deemed may be a potential problem is totally segregated and separated from all the other animals and is not available for any contact with children or humans.
PHILLIPS: Now, these petting zoos also have to a license, right? And if, indeed, they have a license, there are supposed to be regular inspections.
BRONSON: Yes. And there are regular inspections. USDA inspections, in many cases, when it's interstate crossing of animals. Also, our department does inspection of all animals, horses and all included, to make sure animals going to any area that there is exposure to humans meet a test of being safe for people to be around.
PHILLIPS: Charles Bronson, the commissioner of Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Thanks for your time again today.
BRONSON: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's check back on the weather.
Chad Myers is at the CNN Center with the latest forecast -- hi, Chad.
Have things gotten any better?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No. Now the delays went from 57 minutes to 84, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Oh.
MYERS: So we're going the wrong direction, and so is the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment here, hundreds of patients at one hospital could be at risk for HIV after a potential mistake in a lab. We'll explain that in a moment.
PHILLIPS: Plus, the ex-wife of a famous senator found lying unconscious in the street with a broken shoulder. The battle she and her family now face, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: This morning, the three children of Joan Kennedy are trying to figure out what to do next. Kennedy, the ex-wife of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, was found unconscious on a Boston street and is now in the hospital.
More on what happened, in Boston, he's Jason Carroll.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The once glamorous former wife of Senator Ted Kennedy is now recovering in a hospital with a concussion and a broken shoulder. This, after a passerby found her unconscious, lying on a Boston street. There is no police report. Authorities and family have not explained what happened.
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: This has been a sad time. But I think she's -- we're all hoping for the best.
CARROLL: Just last month, Joan Kennedy's children were named her legal guardian, citing concern for her medical care. Kennedy has been battling alcohol addiction for years. Her son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, widely known to be close to his mother, announced Wednesday he would not run for Senate. In the same announcement, he thanked everyone for supporting his mother, saying: "My family means everything to me and I would appreciate you respecting my family's privacy at this time."
Over the past few decades, Kennedy has been in and out of courtrooms and treatment centers.
JOAN KENNEDY, FORMER WIFE OF SENATOR TED KENNEDY: Stopping drinking is wonderful for my self-esteem, you know, just to begin with. But trying to go back to school and realize that I could think and feel and do homework and succeed in something, that was wonderful for my self-esteem.
CARROLL: The hospital is not releasing any information about her condition. As guardians, Joan Kennedy's three children will decide what happens when she's released.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: And one update on that story since Jason filed that story. Police have located that good Samaritan in Boston. Apparently, she is telling police that Ms. Kennedy did not appear to be intoxicated at the time that she found her -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: A fire chief is being called a hero for saving a woman from a burning car. He pulled her out of the car just seconds before it was engulfed in flames. These pictures are amazing. The accident happened Tuesday in a suburb of Buffalo, New York.
Lale Lewis is the firefighter who saved the woman's life.
He is the fire chief of Cleveland Hills Fire Department.
He joins us live from Buffalo.
Chief, good to see you.
CHIEF LALE LEWIS, CLEVELAND HILLS, NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: All right, tell us how it happened, how you got the call and how you were the one to get there quickly. LEWIS: Well, like you said, I'm the fire chief. So our radios went off and they told us we had a accident with injuries, possible people trapped in a, possibly a car on fire. So I responded directly there with the chief's vehicle.
And when I got there I saw the fire and I asked if anybody was still in there and all the citizens in the area started yelling that she was trapped in there.
PHILLIPS: Now, Chief, when you came to the scene, you obviously saw someone was trapped in there, but usually you have to give some type of medical exam, make sure you're not pulling somebody out that might have broken bones. You have to assess the situation and make sure the car is not about to blow up.
But did you just not have time for anything and the only thing on your mind was I've got to save this woman right now?
LEWIS: You're right, normally we would immobilize the patient. But by the time I broke the window open and got her seat belt off her, the flames were already coming into the passenger compartment. So there was no time to immobilize her at all. I just had to pull her out through the window.
PHILLIPS: Oh my gosh.
Was she saying anything to you?
LEWIS: No, she was just screaming. I don't know if she was in severe pain, but she was covered in blood and she was just screaming. So she wasn't talking to me at all.
PHILLIPS: Now, at the same time, when you're trying to obviously extract someone and save their life, you all -- there's a mental part that you have to play and try to relax her and calm her down.
What were you saying to her to try to get her to just, I guess, not to panic? Obviously she was.
LEWIS: Well, there was other people on the passenger side yelling and trying to calm her down, citizens that just happened to be going by. And I have to give the citizens the credit. They're the ones that kept the fire away long enough that I could get her out, because everybody from the surrounding area was running over there and trying to keep the fire back with fire extinguishers.
PHILLIPS: So, Chief, you pulled her out.
Was it just in the nick of time? What happened to the car as soon as you got her out of that window?
LEWIS: Well, I got her out within a minute. The whole interior compartment was engulfed in flames. And by the time I first drug her out there, the whole interior was really in a blaze.
PHILLIPS: Do we know her condition now? LEWIS: No, I don't. They won't release any information to me no more than they would anybody else.
PHILLIPS: Well, Chief Lale Lewis from the Cleveland Hills Fire Department, I hope you go pay her a visit. Let us know her condition. We sure are proud of you, Chief.
LEWIS: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: A pleasure.
HEMMER: Well done.
Twenty-one minutes past the hour now.
We're going to go back to these videotapes. There are nine tapes of Terri Schiavo just released late yesterday by a court in Florida. What do they reveal, if anything, about her current condition? Sanjay is back with a greater explanation as we continue after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: We're going to check in with Jack and the Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: Yes, we have some breaking news. General Don Shepherd has been demoted to sergeant. Stop trying to help me here. I'm in enough trouble.
PHILLIPS: Cactus Jack?
CAFFERTY: Don't start that.
PHILLIPS: I understand the call sign is Cactus Jack.
CAFFERTY: The United States Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that people over the age of 40 can sue for age discrimination even if employers never intend any bias. It's a big deal. It means expanded job protection for half of this country's workforce. That's 73 million of us. The court said employers can still defend their practices on reasonable grounds beyond age, things like cost cutting.
The question today is this, do employers discriminate against older workers?
Jessica in Atlanta writes: "I work for a division of a large financial services company. I'm only 25 and I make twice as much as my coworkers who have been here for over 10 years. This decision will level the field for those who are loyal to their employer and ensure that I'll be treated fairly as I get older."
Tom in Quebec: "Employers don't discriminate against older workers. They discriminate against bad workers. And many times an older worker has his reputation already well-founded, therefore will not be an asset to the company." Ruie in Michigan writes: "In my personal experience being a secretary at a medical facilities company, I have not found older workers to be discriminated against. We girls are needed so much and paid so little they tend to accept us just as we are."
And finally, Joe in New Jersey writes: "Jack, as a man well into his 80s, I'm sure you as well as anyone would know if employers discriminate against older workers."
That's not funny.
HEMMER: True or false?
PHILLIPS: He's not 80. Come on. Do we even talk about television, or do we not even go there?
CAFFERTY: What's that? Sixty-two.
PHILLIPS: Age.
CAFFERTY: I'm 62.
PHILLIPS: Oh, wow, I wasn't even asking your age.
CAFFERTY: Well, it's...
PHILLIPS: Sixty-two?
CAFFERTY: No, but this guy is suggesting I'm in my 80s, I mean...
HEMMER: Come on.
PHILLIPS: Shame on him, Cactus Jack. Are you going give us the scoop or not?
CAFFERTY: The way I've lived, I've got no chance of making 82, OK? There's a lot of miles on this old truck.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
PHILLIPS: So we don't even bring in the heaven/hell issue either?
CAFFERTY: Hmm?
PHILLIPS: Do we even bring in the heaven and hell issue?
HEMMER: You may. I don't know if he's going to answer it.
CAFFERTY: I would -- you can do whatever you want. You're the anchor here. Go ahead.
PHILLIPS: Oh, no. I'm told to do whatever you say. I'm minding my own business. I think that's Andy Serwer.
HEMMER: That's right. He's up, too, in a moment.
PHILLIPS: Sorry.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in a moment.
You told us this story last week about this finger, right, found in this bowl of chili?
CAFFERTY: I did not tell you that story.
HEMMER: I think it was Wendy's. We were talking about that here about a week ago.
CAFFERTY: It was widely reported that there was a digit in a bowl of...
HEMMER: Yes, that's right. Jay Leno...
CAFFERTY: Somebody said that he didn't know they had -- they made takeout of finger food.
HEMMER: That's right. Jay Leno was talking about that last night.
CAFFERTY: Oh, OK.
HEMMER: Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
JAY LENO, HOST: Well, you know what's amazing about this finger in the chili at Wendy's story, it's been, what, a week now? How come no one's come forward to say hey, that was my finger? I mean it's not like you misplaced your sunglasses. Someone going hey, you know what? Ahhhh! I mean how do you not know? I mean how do we not know who it is?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: He's right. You don't leave the restaurant without your sunglasses.
CAFFERTY: Or your finger.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, exactly.
HEMMER: Try digit.
Jay Leno from last night. Good stuff.
PHILLIPS: All right, well, smile, you're on candid camera. Or, in our case, you're on CNN television.
Prince Charles gets caught mumbling something nasty under his breath. Jack, have you been talking to him again?
CAFFERTY: No, ma'am.
PHILLIPS: Details straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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