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CNN Live At Daybreak

Pope John Paul II Takes a Turn for the Worse

Aired April 01, 2005 - 06:00   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.


KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are following breaking news this morning. Pope John Paul II takes a turn for the worse and parishioners worldwide are kneeling and praying. We are live from Rome with the latest. And our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us to explain the pope's worsening condition.
It is Friday, April 1, and you are watching DAYBREAK.

And good Friday morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace, in today for Carol Costello.

Let's get right to this breaking news that we have been following all morning, the failing health of Pope John Paul II.

CNN's Jim Bittermann is live in Rome -- and, Jim, we heard from the Vatican spokesman just about 30 minutes ago describing the pope as still being in "very serious condition."

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very serious condition, indeed, Kelly.

One of the things that Joaquin Navarro-Valls said, that in his 26 years with the pope -- and it should be remembered, he was a Vatican reporter before he became the Vatican spokesman -- in his 26 years, he's never seen the pope in such a condition. And Navarro-Valls, who is also a medical doctor, had this to say about the pope's exact condition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS, VATICAN SPOKESMAN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): At the moment, the situation is stationary. The conditions are still very serious. The biological parameters have, are altered. Blood pressure is unstable. The pope continues to be lucid, fully conscious and he's very serene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: Two other things that Navarro-Valls said that seem to indicate they're very worried over at the Vatican this morning, indeed, after a very difficult night for the pope, and that is that a number of people have gathered at the pope's bedside. And they include all of the key players who come together for a papal passing. Angelo Sedano, the cardinal who is the secretary of state, he's the number two at the Vatican; Leonardo Sandri, who is the assistant to the secretary of state but the guy who is in charge of running the day to day operations of the Vatican; Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is the dean of the College of Cardinals; and, probably most significantly, Camilio Ruini, the cardinal who is the person who will actually make any kind of death announcement to the outside world.

So all the key players have gathered around the pope's beside this morning. And the other thing that indicates the situation is being taken very seriously, indeed, is that the Vatican press office has announced that it will remain open for 24 hours a day until this situation is resolved. That, as far as I know, has never happened before, that they've kept the press office open.

So I think there is a great feeling around the Vatican that we're approaching an end game situation here -- Kelly.

WALLACE: And, also, Jim, we were talking about this in the last hour, the fact that the pope has decided to remain at his Vatican apartment as opposed to going to the hospital.

What did the Vatican spokesman say when he was asked about that?

BITTERMANN: Well, he said it was the pope's decision to stay at the hospital -- rather, stay at the Vatican, and that he decided not to go to the hospital. That can be read a number of different ways. I mean, for one thing, the pope's condition may be so fragile that they don't think it's a very good idea to move him. The other thing that should be said is that the Vatican has an area now within it that is almost like a hospital intensive care unit, because they've, over the last few years, moved in an enormous amount of medical equipment and machinery. They have the top specialists who are gathered there at the Vatican.

So, really, there's probably not a lot of need for the pope to go to the hospital. Doctors here told me that about the only reason they would take him to the hospital would be for the operating room, if it was necessary to take some kind of surgical intervention. And, at the moment, that does not look like it's going to be necessary. They're trying to treat, more importantly, this urinary infection -- Kelly.

WALLACE: And, Jim, of course, you've covered the Vatican for a good long time.

Have you ever seen anything as serious as what we're seeing right now?

BITTERMANN: Well, you know, one of the things that they always say around the Vatican -- and I was here when Paul VI died and when John Paul I died -- that, you know, they always say a pope's health is improving until they make the announcement of his death. It's kind of a sarcastic expression. But it means to say that they are usually very, very upbeat about the pope's condition. They don't want to indicate any weakness, any sort of instability at the top of the church.

And this time we're not seeing that. I mean we're seeing some pretty frank admissions about a pope who is in what could be the last stages of his life -- Kelly.

WALLACE: All right, Jim, we'll be talking to you again throughout the morning here on DAYBREAK.

Jim Bittermann reporting for us from Rome.

Thanks so much.

And we want to now talk more about the pope's medical problems.

We are joined by CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- Sanjay, thanks for joining us.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

WALLACE: First, give us a sense, Sanjay, you've been listening to what you heard from Dr. Navarro-Valls and what's been coming out of the Vatican.

What is your take on what you've been hearing so far?

GUPTA: Yes, and since yesterday, really, we have been saying just how concerning this potentially is.

A couple of things to keep in mind. One is that since February 1, when he was admitted to the hospital for 10 days with a significant flu like illness, it doesn't really seem like he's ever recovered. He subsequently had the breathing tube then just a couple of days ago he had the feeding tube, then the high fevers. This sort of spiraling course over the last couple of months has been concerning, especially given someone of advanced age and someone who has all these pre- existing medical conditions, including Parkinson's.

So it was concerning yesterday when they mentioned the drop in blood pressure. Yesterday, that was the first suggestion that perhaps he had some spread of his infection from the urinary tract to his bloodstream. And, again, that's very concerning, as well.

You've seen the statement now, Kelly. A couple of things to keep in mind. They're saying that he is lucid and conscious at the same time that his blood pressure is unstable and the condition is very serious. As a doctor, that doesn't all fit together exactly. What happens is when this infection spreads to the bloodstream, the blood pressure starts to drop, as does the blood flow to various organs, including the brain. And typically people may still be conscious, but not lucid in the sense that they're completely, you know, lucid, able to conduct activities, able to think straight as they were before. So that's a little inconsistent in terms of the statement.

Also, if you talk about his history over the past couple of months, again, you'll see there on February 1, admitted to the hospital for 10 days and then the breathing tube, then the feeding tube and now this high fever.

WALLACE: And, Sanjay, we've been talking in the early morning hours, the Vatican letting us know that the pope suffering a cardio circulatory collapse and septic shock.

Describe for all of us what that means.

GUPTA: Yes, those two things are sort of, go hand in hand. Septic shock, what that means is a fancy term for overwhelming infection. Basically the infection has either begun or it has spread to the rest of his body now from his urinary tract. Again, we had some first early indicators that yesterday, based on some drops in his blood pressure. Cardio circulatory collapse just refers to that extremely low blood pressure and, probably more importantly, the low blood flow to his organs, to his kidneys, to his liver, to his heart and to his brain. And that is something that is very concerning to medical professionals. It gives a sense that the antibiotics that were starting yesterday did not probably do their job. This infection continued to spread despite that. And that is extremely concerning for any medical person.

WALLACE: And, Sanjay, what would the pope's doctors be looking for right now, the key signs they would be monitoring at this very hour?

GUPTA: For the improvement, they would be looking for the infection to go away in terms of lower fever. They might also be looking for his blood pressure to improve, hit heart rate to go back down. I'm sure his heart rate is very high right now. His pulse is probably thready. They'll want to make sure that that improves, as well. Those are the things that they would be hoping for at this point.

Again, given his age, given his pre-existing medical conditions, given the progression over the last couple of days now, that doesn't look very favorable.

WALLACE: All right, Sanjay, I was going to just ask you that. Eighty-four years old, other conditions, including suffering from Parkinson's Disease on top of what you've been describing over the past two months.

As a doctor, what does that look like to you?

GUPTA: You know what's interesting about the Parkinson's Disease is that it can actually make you more likely to develop these infections. Most people don't see that, but what happens is with Parkinson's you develop significant immobility. You just can't move. And that makes you a little bit more likely to get infections. He may have also had a bladder catheter placed when he was in the hospital recently.

It's concerning. When I first heard the high fevers yesterday, I thought that this was more likely going to be a pneumonia, an infection of the chest. But a urinary tract infection also common.

The urinary tract infection, the fevers can make his Parkinson's' symptoms much worse and turn his Parkinson's, set him up for the infections. So it's sort of a vicious cycle. If anybody, Kelly, of this age with these existing medical conditions who has now had this course over the last couple of days, in this country, he'd probably be in an intensive care unit. He'd probably have various medications hanging to -- going into his I.V. to basically increase his blood pressure. He'd probably have I.V. antibiotics hanging, as well. And you'd have a ventilator in the room in case that was necessary.

I don't know all the medical capabilities at the Vatican. I know they're quite good. But I'm not sure that all those things are being done right now -- Kelly.

WALLACE: All right, Sanjay, we're going to leave it there right now.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, our CNN senior medical correspondent, giving us the latest.

And, of course, you can see Sanjay throughout the day here on CNN and coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

And we will, of course, continue to keep you informed of any developments we get on the pope's health. We will bring them to you as soon as we can.

Other stories now, though, in the news on this Friday.

Former Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger expected to plead guilty today to removing classified documents from the National Archives. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Prince Albert taking over the royal powers of Monaco while his father is sick. Eighty-one-year-old Prince Rainier has been hospitalized for weeks, suffering from breathing, kidney and heart problems.

The Washington Monument scheduled to reopen in just three hours. It has been closed since September for security upgrades. Visitors will be able to go to the top of the monument today, but the ground around the landmark will remain closed until next month.

To Chad Myers in Atlanta.

A check of the weather -- Chad, what is it going to look like for all of us this weekend?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not good.

WALLACE: Not good.

MYERS: No.

WALLACE: I knew you were going to say that.

MYERS: I couldn't tell what that picture was. WALLACE: I couldn't either.

MYERS: It said Washington Monument, but that was obviously the scaffolding around it. I went that's not what the Washington Monument looks like. Look at that. It's encased.

WALLACE: Well, there's been so much construction.

MYERS: Yes, it's completely...

WALLACE: That's really what you've seen seeing there for so long.

MYERS: ... encased in that -- wow! Can you imagine being on top of there? Not for long. I would really want to be buckled in pretty well.

Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: Still to come here on Friday's edition of DAYBREAK, we will go live to Florida. Our Bob Franken has the day after developments regarding the Schiavo controversy.

Plus, you can rely on CNN to have new developments on the pope's medical condition. Plus, those behind-the-scenes who are stepping in to fill the void.

And on a lighter note, we will go to the movies with Tom O'Neil. A visit to "Sin City" in just 16 minutes.

But first, here is a look at what else is making news this Friday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And welcome back.

An autopsy is being done on Terri Schiavo that may finally determine the full extent of her brain damage. But will knowing help heal the deep wounds that divide her husband and her blood relatives?

CNN's Bob Franken is outside the medical examiner's office in Largo, Florida -- and, Bob, thanks for joining us.

The first question, any idea of when the results from this autopsy will be released?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not for weeks, Kelly. They made a real point of this, of saying that while they would probably complete the autopsy today and turn the remains over to Michael Schiavo, her husband, the results will be very thoroughly analyzed before they are released weeks from now.

They are insisting on treating this as a routine matter, although as we have all noticed, this is not a routine matter.

When the body is turned over to Michael Schiavo, his plan is to take the remains, to have them cremated and then taken to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he will have them buried. This is just a continuation of the fight with the family. The family would rather have her buried here and not be cremated, citing religious reasons.

So the fight goes on. The autopsy itself, most medical experts will tell us, do not really determine the full extent of the damage to the brain, but they will give people an insight into this argument over whether she was in a persistent vegetative state or some other lesser degree of brain damage -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Bob, will the autopsy also look into any broken bones in her body? And, of course, as you know, you've been on the scene, allegations coming from some of the Schindlers that perhaps Terri Schiavo was abused by Michael Schiavo.

FRANKEN: That's the kind of argument that has been made over the years, some of it based on very, very flimsy, if any, evidence. And I think that what this really does is it points up just how incredibly bitter this battle was. It was an intensely emotional, raw wound kind of family battle which spilled over into the public arena and just captured the attention of the whole world.

WALLACE: And you saw it all, as you said, firsthand. And you, of course, said it's ultimately a human tragedy.

I wonder if you can tell us any chance at all of reconciliation between these families?

FRANKEN: You know, it's funny about that, Kelly. These are people who are quite religious, particularly the Schindlers. And many of their counselors, that is to say, their spiritual leaders, the priests around them, are reminding them very delicately that at some point forgiveness is part of the doctrine that they follow.

But at the moment, no. The feelings are very high. The anger is very deep. As we know, it was there until the actual moment of death and it goes on after that.

WALLACE: All right, Bob, we'll leave it there.

You've done an incredible job.

Bob Franken reporting for us from Largo, Florida.

We appreciate it.

Well, you know the media brought you this battle over Terri Schiavo blow by blow. But here's the question this morning -- was it too much?

Here to talk about it all is media specialist, Professor Paul Levinson, a professor and chairman of communication and media studies at Fordham University. Professor, always great to see you.

PAUL LEVINSON, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY: The same here.

WALLACE: So, was it too much?

LEVINSON: No, it wasn't too much. The issue is so serious, so excruciating. It's, of course, literally life and death, pitting family member against family member, family against the government, one part of the government against another part of the government.

I can't think of a more significant issue that the media should be covering wall to wall. It's an issue that affects all Americans. Sooner or later everyone, sadly, dies. And the media do need to be on top of this.

WALLACE: I mean is this a case -- because I have heard more than one person say in this case, having so much media coverage really helped because you have thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, maybe even more, families across the country having life and death discussions with their loved ones. That wouldn't have happened had the media not been covering the story as extensively as it was, perhaps.

LEVINSON: Exactly. And I think even now, most Americans still don't understand what a living will is. And it seems like a contradiction in terms, a little something that has to do with death. But it's a way that you can let your wishes be known. And if even that message gets out, I think it's a very helpful thing.

I didn't agree with all of the media coverage. I thought that the constant replaying of that 2002 tape was unfortunate because, first of all, it wasn't a current tape; and, second of all, I think most people can't judge the medical condition of a person just on the basis of a five second tape. So in that case, I think an image was not worth a thousand words. But by and large I think the discussion by the experts that's been going on in all the media and the coverage of the various sides of the issue have been excellent.

WALLACE: I want to switch gears, if I can, because I know you have written extensively on many other issues, including Pope John Paul II. As a professor of communication and media studies, he's certainly viewed in some way as perhaps one of the greatest communicators, when it comes to a pope, that we've ever seen.

LEVINSON: Well, he was a very -- he is a very modern pope and he's been pope at a time in history when there have been incredible revolutions in communications. Marshall McLuhan talked about the global village in the 1960s and through the '70s, '80s, '90s and the last couple of years, the world has become, in many ways, a single interconnected village. And the pope has played a crucial role in that. In many ways, he's must more of a world leader than previous popes have been because of his skills as a communicator.

WALLACE: Does he -- just very quickly here -- does he benefit, also, being pope for 26 years as cable channels came into swing, so we have 24 hour news? We certainly didn't have that in the '60s, the '50s, before that.

LEVINSON: Yes, that's completely correct. So when he speaks, he has an instant worldwide audience.

WALLACE: All right, we'll leave it there.

Thank you so much.

Professor Paul Levinson of Fordham University.

Always great to see you.

LEVINSON: Same here.

WALLACE: Thanks for coming early on DAYBREAK.

Well, being a shy young woman to becoming an international figure -- Terri Schiavo's legacy creates a software surge. The explanation just ahead.

This is DAYBREAK for a Friday morning.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And a favorite time here at DAYBREAK, time for a little "Business Buzz" right now.

The Terri Schiavo saga certainly has led a lot of people to evaluate their own lives and many of them seem to be writing living wills.

Carrie Lee joins us now with more.

The debate definitely getting people to think.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, thinking and acting, Kelly.

This whole Terri Schiavo case has put a lot of focus on living wills and people are starting to act. Several software makers say their living will programs have seen strong sales recently. According to the Associated Press, Intuit, which makes Quicken Will Maker Plus 2005, said sales were up 63 percent during the five days after Schiavo's feeding tube was removed compared to the five days prior. And H&R Block says sales for its Will Power program nearly doubled last week.

So, Kelly, a lot of focus on this and I think it's safe to assume legal offices across the country, or perhaps around the world, are getting similar queries, as well.

WALLACE: Advice for people in the sense of looking around on software for living wills? LEE: I think it's just a matter of trying to figure out exactly what your parameters are, really, what you would be interested in. Talk to your family about this. I think that that's probably the most important thing to figure out, rather than going from one program to another.

WALLACE: And turning to the markets.

How are futures looking today?

LEE: Futures looking very strong for this first trading day of the second quarter. That would be a relief, because the Dow, the Nasdaq and S&P are all pretty solidly underwater for Q1. Today we will get the most important economic report of the month. The big March jobs report comes out an hour before trading. So that's certainly going to give us some direction. And the big three auto makers report their March sales today, so we'll be keeping an eye on General Motors, which is in the Dow; as well as Ford and DaimlerChrysler.

WALLACE: Let's see if the bulls have something to smile about today, right?

LEE: It looks that way so far.

WALLACE: All right, Carrie, great to see you.

LEE: You, too.

Thanks.

WALLACE: We'll see you in the next half hour.

Thanks so much.

Still to come here on DAYBREAK, big business at the box office. Our movie reviewer, Tom O'Neil, will be along for a visit to "Sin City." But will the stylish movie and its many big stars be able to draw crowds this weekend?

We'll have that when DAYBREAK continues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "SIN CITY," COURTESY DIMENSION FILMS)

BRUCE WILLIS, ACTOR: What does it do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It kicks like a mule.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "SIN CITY," COURTESY DIMENSION FILMS)

WILLIS: Skinny little Nancy Callahan. She grew up. She filled out. And here I was expecting a skinny little bookworm. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Ooh, that should wake you up this morning.

Comic heroes have been making the successful jump to the big screen in record numbers. But now, a darker image is coming.

Frank Miller's graphic novels about Sin City are hugely popular and now they're larger than live.

"In-Touch Weekly's" Tom O'Neil joins us with more on the big movie.

Good to see you, Tom.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": The same here, Kelly.

WALLACE: So, what do you think of "Sin City?"

O'NEIL: So, well, first of all, let's give you the set up. This is a dark cartoon world, very film noirish, that's overrun by criminals and three decent guys who are trying to save scantily clad chicks. The bad guys are Bruce Willis, Clive Owen and Jessica Alba.

Now, for my actual review, let me quote your producer...

WALLACE: Love it.

O'NEIL: Chess Pansiansan (ph), who we all know is a big fan of these "Sin City" books. Chess: "I love it. The chicks are so hot, it's practically pornographic."

WALLACE: Whoa!

O'NEIL: "I can't take my wife to see this." I'm getting him in a lot of trouble this morning.

WALLACE: I think so.

O'NEIL: And he said, and, he said: "I can't take her to see it because it's so violent, but it's very, very thrilling." Kelly, this brings me to you. You're here early in the morning with Chess, it's dark around here, he's got that steely look in his eye.

WALLACE: Yes, he does.

O'NEIL: I used to think it was hangovers. Now I'm a little worried.

WALLACE: Now you're worried.

All right, women of CNN, we're not safe.

O'NEIL: No, but let me quote Chess in a finale here...

WALLACE: No, no, no. O'NEIL: ... which is, I and agree with him about this entirely: "This movie has such a wonderfully exotic look to it and it's very, very thrilling, that it needs to be seen because it's an important film, but it's not a date movie."

WALLACE: Yes, he did say that. You had to go in with the right perspective when you're going in to this flick.

All right, we've got a lot more to talk about.

Charlie Sheen's marriage?

O'NEIL: Wow!

WALLACE: And there's lots of intrigue. Denise Richards, seven months pregnant.

O'NEIL: Seven months pregnant. Unbelievable. And she booted him out. And there's some back story here that must be very intriguing because we hear that his parents, Martin Sheen, are on her side. Now, he has just counter-sued her, asking for joint custody of their children and no alimony, which is his slap back at her, because she's so mad, she's asking for sole custody and close to $10 million.

There's something going on behind-the-scenes here...

WALLACE: Do we know what it is?

O'NEIL: Yes. Well, we think. If the tabloids are right, which he's denying, it's the floozy ladies, it's the gambling, that he's back to his bad boy ways.

WALLACE: Everyone thought...

O'NEIL: I know, that he cleaned it up. Yes.

WALLACE: Really sad.

Something else that's really sad, Dr. Carter...

O'NEIL: I know.

WALLACE: ... leaving "E.R."

O'NEIL: Checking out of "E.R.."

WALLACE: After 11 years.

What's up with that?

O'NEIL: Isn't that sick?

WALLACE: Say it isn't so.

O'NEIL: I know. Well, he'll be back for four episodes per year for the next two years. But after 11 years, the one cast member who's stuck around as the heart and soul of one of the most successful dramas in TV history is leaving on May 19. He's going to run off to pursue his love in Africa. And it's a shame because he was -- everybody else on "E.R." was passing through, trying to become a movie star. Some made it, like George Clooney. And some didn't and had to come back, like Sherry Stringfield. No one knew why he was there. He stuck it out.

WALLACE: A lovely actor and a lovely person, I understand, as well.

O'NEIL: Yes.

WALLACE: Tom O'Neil, "In-Touch Weekly," thanks for giving us something to smile about today.

O'NEIL: Thanks, Kelly.

WALLACE: Have a great weekend.

We appreciate it.

This is DAYBREAK for a Friday.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired April 1, 2005 - 06:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are following breaking news this morning. Pope John Paul II takes a turn for the worse and parishioners worldwide are kneeling and praying. We are live from Rome with the latest. And our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us to explain the pope's worsening condition.
It is Friday, April 1, and you are watching DAYBREAK.

And good Friday morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace, in today for Carol Costello.

Let's get right to this breaking news that we have been following all morning, the failing health of Pope John Paul II.

CNN's Jim Bittermann is live in Rome -- and, Jim, we heard from the Vatican spokesman just about 30 minutes ago describing the pope as still being in "very serious condition."

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very serious condition, indeed, Kelly.

One of the things that Joaquin Navarro-Valls said, that in his 26 years with the pope -- and it should be remembered, he was a Vatican reporter before he became the Vatican spokesman -- in his 26 years, he's never seen the pope in such a condition. And Navarro-Valls, who is also a medical doctor, had this to say about the pope's exact condition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS, VATICAN SPOKESMAN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): At the moment, the situation is stationary. The conditions are still very serious. The biological parameters have, are altered. Blood pressure is unstable. The pope continues to be lucid, fully conscious and he's very serene.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: Two other things that Navarro-Valls said that seem to indicate they're very worried over at the Vatican this morning, indeed, after a very difficult night for the pope, and that is that a number of people have gathered at the pope's bedside. And they include all of the key players who come together for a papal passing. Angelo Sedano, the cardinal who is the secretary of state, he's the number two at the Vatican; Leonardo Sandri, who is the assistant to the secretary of state but the guy who is in charge of running the day to day operations of the Vatican; Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is the dean of the College of Cardinals; and, probably most significantly, Camilio Ruini, the cardinal who is the person who will actually make any kind of death announcement to the outside world.

So all the key players have gathered around the pope's beside this morning. And the other thing that indicates the situation is being taken very seriously, indeed, is that the Vatican press office has announced that it will remain open for 24 hours a day until this situation is resolved. That, as far as I know, has never happened before, that they've kept the press office open.

So I think there is a great feeling around the Vatican that we're approaching an end game situation here -- Kelly.

WALLACE: And, also, Jim, we were talking about this in the last hour, the fact that the pope has decided to remain at his Vatican apartment as opposed to going to the hospital.

What did the Vatican spokesman say when he was asked about that?

BITTERMANN: Well, he said it was the pope's decision to stay at the hospital -- rather, stay at the Vatican, and that he decided not to go to the hospital. That can be read a number of different ways. I mean, for one thing, the pope's condition may be so fragile that they don't think it's a very good idea to move him. The other thing that should be said is that the Vatican has an area now within it that is almost like a hospital intensive care unit, because they've, over the last few years, moved in an enormous amount of medical equipment and machinery. They have the top specialists who are gathered there at the Vatican.

So, really, there's probably not a lot of need for the pope to go to the hospital. Doctors here told me that about the only reason they would take him to the hospital would be for the operating room, if it was necessary to take some kind of surgical intervention. And, at the moment, that does not look like it's going to be necessary. They're trying to treat, more importantly, this urinary infection -- Kelly.

WALLACE: And, Jim, of course, you've covered the Vatican for a good long time.

Have you ever seen anything as serious as what we're seeing right now?

BITTERMANN: Well, you know, one of the things that they always say around the Vatican -- and I was here when Paul VI died and when John Paul I died -- that, you know, they always say a pope's health is improving until they make the announcement of his death. It's kind of a sarcastic expression. But it means to say that they are usually very, very upbeat about the pope's condition. They don't want to indicate any weakness, any sort of instability at the top of the church.

And this time we're not seeing that. I mean we're seeing some pretty frank admissions about a pope who is in what could be the last stages of his life -- Kelly.

WALLACE: All right, Jim, we'll be talking to you again throughout the morning here on DAYBREAK.

Jim Bittermann reporting for us from Rome.

Thanks so much.

And we want to now talk more about the pope's medical problems.

We are joined by CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- Sanjay, thanks for joining us.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

WALLACE: First, give us a sense, Sanjay, you've been listening to what you heard from Dr. Navarro-Valls and what's been coming out of the Vatican.

What is your take on what you've been hearing so far?

GUPTA: Yes, and since yesterday, really, we have been saying just how concerning this potentially is.

A couple of things to keep in mind. One is that since February 1, when he was admitted to the hospital for 10 days with a significant flu like illness, it doesn't really seem like he's ever recovered. He subsequently had the breathing tube then just a couple of days ago he had the feeding tube, then the high fevers. This sort of spiraling course over the last couple of months has been concerning, especially given someone of advanced age and someone who has all these pre- existing medical conditions, including Parkinson's.

So it was concerning yesterday when they mentioned the drop in blood pressure. Yesterday, that was the first suggestion that perhaps he had some spread of his infection from the urinary tract to his bloodstream. And, again, that's very concerning, as well.

You've seen the statement now, Kelly. A couple of things to keep in mind. They're saying that he is lucid and conscious at the same time that his blood pressure is unstable and the condition is very serious. As a doctor, that doesn't all fit together exactly. What happens is when this infection spreads to the bloodstream, the blood pressure starts to drop, as does the blood flow to various organs, including the brain. And typically people may still be conscious, but not lucid in the sense that they're completely, you know, lucid, able to conduct activities, able to think straight as they were before. So that's a little inconsistent in terms of the statement.

Also, if you talk about his history over the past couple of months, again, you'll see there on February 1, admitted to the hospital for 10 days and then the breathing tube, then the feeding tube and now this high fever.

WALLACE: And, Sanjay, we've been talking in the early morning hours, the Vatican letting us know that the pope suffering a cardio circulatory collapse and septic shock.

Describe for all of us what that means.

GUPTA: Yes, those two things are sort of, go hand in hand. Septic shock, what that means is a fancy term for overwhelming infection. Basically the infection has either begun or it has spread to the rest of his body now from his urinary tract. Again, we had some first early indicators that yesterday, based on some drops in his blood pressure. Cardio circulatory collapse just refers to that extremely low blood pressure and, probably more importantly, the low blood flow to his organs, to his kidneys, to his liver, to his heart and to his brain. And that is something that is very concerning to medical professionals. It gives a sense that the antibiotics that were starting yesterday did not probably do their job. This infection continued to spread despite that. And that is extremely concerning for any medical person.

WALLACE: And, Sanjay, what would the pope's doctors be looking for right now, the key signs they would be monitoring at this very hour?

GUPTA: For the improvement, they would be looking for the infection to go away in terms of lower fever. They might also be looking for his blood pressure to improve, hit heart rate to go back down. I'm sure his heart rate is very high right now. His pulse is probably thready. They'll want to make sure that that improves, as well. Those are the things that they would be hoping for at this point.

Again, given his age, given his pre-existing medical conditions, given the progression over the last couple of days now, that doesn't look very favorable.

WALLACE: All right, Sanjay, I was going to just ask you that. Eighty-four years old, other conditions, including suffering from Parkinson's Disease on top of what you've been describing over the past two months.

As a doctor, what does that look like to you?

GUPTA: You know what's interesting about the Parkinson's Disease is that it can actually make you more likely to develop these infections. Most people don't see that, but what happens is with Parkinson's you develop significant immobility. You just can't move. And that makes you a little bit more likely to get infections. He may have also had a bladder catheter placed when he was in the hospital recently.

It's concerning. When I first heard the high fevers yesterday, I thought that this was more likely going to be a pneumonia, an infection of the chest. But a urinary tract infection also common.

The urinary tract infection, the fevers can make his Parkinson's' symptoms much worse and turn his Parkinson's, set him up for the infections. So it's sort of a vicious cycle. If anybody, Kelly, of this age with these existing medical conditions who has now had this course over the last couple of days, in this country, he'd probably be in an intensive care unit. He'd probably have various medications hanging to -- going into his I.V. to basically increase his blood pressure. He'd probably have I.V. antibiotics hanging, as well. And you'd have a ventilator in the room in case that was necessary.

I don't know all the medical capabilities at the Vatican. I know they're quite good. But I'm not sure that all those things are being done right now -- Kelly.

WALLACE: All right, Sanjay, we're going to leave it there right now.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, our CNN senior medical correspondent, giving us the latest.

And, of course, you can see Sanjay throughout the day here on CNN and coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

And we will, of course, continue to keep you informed of any developments we get on the pope's health. We will bring them to you as soon as we can.

Other stories now, though, in the news on this Friday.

Former Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger expected to plead guilty today to removing classified documents from the National Archives. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Prince Albert taking over the royal powers of Monaco while his father is sick. Eighty-one-year-old Prince Rainier has been hospitalized for weeks, suffering from breathing, kidney and heart problems.

The Washington Monument scheduled to reopen in just three hours. It has been closed since September for security upgrades. Visitors will be able to go to the top of the monument today, but the ground around the landmark will remain closed until next month.

To Chad Myers in Atlanta.

A check of the weather -- Chad, what is it going to look like for all of us this weekend?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not good.

WALLACE: Not good.

MYERS: No.

WALLACE: I knew you were going to say that.

MYERS: I couldn't tell what that picture was. WALLACE: I couldn't either.

MYERS: It said Washington Monument, but that was obviously the scaffolding around it. I went that's not what the Washington Monument looks like. Look at that. It's encased.

WALLACE: Well, there's been so much construction.

MYERS: Yes, it's completely...

WALLACE: That's really what you've seen seeing there for so long.

MYERS: ... encased in that -- wow! Can you imagine being on top of there? Not for long. I would really want to be buckled in pretty well.

Good morning, everybody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: Still to come here on Friday's edition of DAYBREAK, we will go live to Florida. Our Bob Franken has the day after developments regarding the Schiavo controversy.

Plus, you can rely on CNN to have new developments on the pope's medical condition. Plus, those behind-the-scenes who are stepping in to fill the void.

And on a lighter note, we will go to the movies with Tom O'Neil. A visit to "Sin City" in just 16 minutes.

But first, here is a look at what else is making news this Friday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And welcome back.

An autopsy is being done on Terri Schiavo that may finally determine the full extent of her brain damage. But will knowing help heal the deep wounds that divide her husband and her blood relatives?

CNN's Bob Franken is outside the medical examiner's office in Largo, Florida -- and, Bob, thanks for joining us.

The first question, any idea of when the results from this autopsy will be released?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not for weeks, Kelly. They made a real point of this, of saying that while they would probably complete the autopsy today and turn the remains over to Michael Schiavo, her husband, the results will be very thoroughly analyzed before they are released weeks from now.

They are insisting on treating this as a routine matter, although as we have all noticed, this is not a routine matter.

When the body is turned over to Michael Schiavo, his plan is to take the remains, to have them cremated and then taken to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he will have them buried. This is just a continuation of the fight with the family. The family would rather have her buried here and not be cremated, citing religious reasons.

So the fight goes on. The autopsy itself, most medical experts will tell us, do not really determine the full extent of the damage to the brain, but they will give people an insight into this argument over whether she was in a persistent vegetative state or some other lesser degree of brain damage -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Bob, will the autopsy also look into any broken bones in her body? And, of course, as you know, you've been on the scene, allegations coming from some of the Schindlers that perhaps Terri Schiavo was abused by Michael Schiavo.

FRANKEN: That's the kind of argument that has been made over the years, some of it based on very, very flimsy, if any, evidence. And I think that what this really does is it points up just how incredibly bitter this battle was. It was an intensely emotional, raw wound kind of family battle which spilled over into the public arena and just captured the attention of the whole world.

WALLACE: And you saw it all, as you said, firsthand. And you, of course, said it's ultimately a human tragedy.

I wonder if you can tell us any chance at all of reconciliation between these families?

FRANKEN: You know, it's funny about that, Kelly. These are people who are quite religious, particularly the Schindlers. And many of their counselors, that is to say, their spiritual leaders, the priests around them, are reminding them very delicately that at some point forgiveness is part of the doctrine that they follow.

But at the moment, no. The feelings are very high. The anger is very deep. As we know, it was there until the actual moment of death and it goes on after that.

WALLACE: All right, Bob, we'll leave it there.

You've done an incredible job.

Bob Franken reporting for us from Largo, Florida.

We appreciate it.

Well, you know the media brought you this battle over Terri Schiavo blow by blow. But here's the question this morning -- was it too much?

Here to talk about it all is media specialist, Professor Paul Levinson, a professor and chairman of communication and media studies at Fordham University. Professor, always great to see you.

PAUL LEVINSON, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY: The same here.

WALLACE: So, was it too much?

LEVINSON: No, it wasn't too much. The issue is so serious, so excruciating. It's, of course, literally life and death, pitting family member against family member, family against the government, one part of the government against another part of the government.

I can't think of a more significant issue that the media should be covering wall to wall. It's an issue that affects all Americans. Sooner or later everyone, sadly, dies. And the media do need to be on top of this.

WALLACE: I mean is this a case -- because I have heard more than one person say in this case, having so much media coverage really helped because you have thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, maybe even more, families across the country having life and death discussions with their loved ones. That wouldn't have happened had the media not been covering the story as extensively as it was, perhaps.

LEVINSON: Exactly. And I think even now, most Americans still don't understand what a living will is. And it seems like a contradiction in terms, a little something that has to do with death. But it's a way that you can let your wishes be known. And if even that message gets out, I think it's a very helpful thing.

I didn't agree with all of the media coverage. I thought that the constant replaying of that 2002 tape was unfortunate because, first of all, it wasn't a current tape; and, second of all, I think most people can't judge the medical condition of a person just on the basis of a five second tape. So in that case, I think an image was not worth a thousand words. But by and large I think the discussion by the experts that's been going on in all the media and the coverage of the various sides of the issue have been excellent.

WALLACE: I want to switch gears, if I can, because I know you have written extensively on many other issues, including Pope John Paul II. As a professor of communication and media studies, he's certainly viewed in some way as perhaps one of the greatest communicators, when it comes to a pope, that we've ever seen.

LEVINSON: Well, he was a very -- he is a very modern pope and he's been pope at a time in history when there have been incredible revolutions in communications. Marshall McLuhan talked about the global village in the 1960s and through the '70s, '80s, '90s and the last couple of years, the world has become, in many ways, a single interconnected village. And the pope has played a crucial role in that. In many ways, he's must more of a world leader than previous popes have been because of his skills as a communicator.

WALLACE: Does he -- just very quickly here -- does he benefit, also, being pope for 26 years as cable channels came into swing, so we have 24 hour news? We certainly didn't have that in the '60s, the '50s, before that.

LEVINSON: Yes, that's completely correct. So when he speaks, he has an instant worldwide audience.

WALLACE: All right, we'll leave it there.

Thank you so much.

Professor Paul Levinson of Fordham University.

Always great to see you.

LEVINSON: Same here.

WALLACE: Thanks for coming early on DAYBREAK.

Well, being a shy young woman to becoming an international figure -- Terri Schiavo's legacy creates a software surge. The explanation just ahead.

This is DAYBREAK for a Friday morning.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And a favorite time here at DAYBREAK, time for a little "Business Buzz" right now.

The Terri Schiavo saga certainly has led a lot of people to evaluate their own lives and many of them seem to be writing living wills.

Carrie Lee joins us now with more.

The debate definitely getting people to think.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, thinking and acting, Kelly.

This whole Terri Schiavo case has put a lot of focus on living wills and people are starting to act. Several software makers say their living will programs have seen strong sales recently. According to the Associated Press, Intuit, which makes Quicken Will Maker Plus 2005, said sales were up 63 percent during the five days after Schiavo's feeding tube was removed compared to the five days prior. And H&R Block says sales for its Will Power program nearly doubled last week.

So, Kelly, a lot of focus on this and I think it's safe to assume legal offices across the country, or perhaps around the world, are getting similar queries, as well.

WALLACE: Advice for people in the sense of looking around on software for living wills? LEE: I think it's just a matter of trying to figure out exactly what your parameters are, really, what you would be interested in. Talk to your family about this. I think that that's probably the most important thing to figure out, rather than going from one program to another.

WALLACE: And turning to the markets.

How are futures looking today?

LEE: Futures looking very strong for this first trading day of the second quarter. That would be a relief, because the Dow, the Nasdaq and S&P are all pretty solidly underwater for Q1. Today we will get the most important economic report of the month. The big March jobs report comes out an hour before trading. So that's certainly going to give us some direction. And the big three auto makers report their March sales today, so we'll be keeping an eye on General Motors, which is in the Dow; as well as Ford and DaimlerChrysler.

WALLACE: Let's see if the bulls have something to smile about today, right?

LEE: It looks that way so far.

WALLACE: All right, Carrie, great to see you.

LEE: You, too.

Thanks.

WALLACE: We'll see you in the next half hour.

Thanks so much.

Still to come here on DAYBREAK, big business at the box office. Our movie reviewer, Tom O'Neil, will be along for a visit to "Sin City." But will the stylish movie and its many big stars be able to draw crowds this weekend?

We'll have that when DAYBREAK continues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "SIN CITY," COURTESY DIMENSION FILMS)

BRUCE WILLIS, ACTOR: What does it do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It kicks like a mule.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "SIN CITY," COURTESY DIMENSION FILMS)

WILLIS: Skinny little Nancy Callahan. She grew up. She filled out. And here I was expecting a skinny little bookworm. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Ooh, that should wake you up this morning.

Comic heroes have been making the successful jump to the big screen in record numbers. But now, a darker image is coming.

Frank Miller's graphic novels about Sin City are hugely popular and now they're larger than live.

"In-Touch Weekly's" Tom O'Neil joins us with more on the big movie.

Good to see you, Tom.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": The same here, Kelly.

WALLACE: So, what do you think of "Sin City?"

O'NEIL: So, well, first of all, let's give you the set up. This is a dark cartoon world, very film noirish, that's overrun by criminals and three decent guys who are trying to save scantily clad chicks. The bad guys are Bruce Willis, Clive Owen and Jessica Alba.

Now, for my actual review, let me quote your producer...

WALLACE: Love it.

O'NEIL: Chess Pansiansan (ph), who we all know is a big fan of these "Sin City" books. Chess: "I love it. The chicks are so hot, it's practically pornographic."

WALLACE: Whoa!

O'NEIL: "I can't take my wife to see this." I'm getting him in a lot of trouble this morning.

WALLACE: I think so.

O'NEIL: And he said, and, he said: "I can't take her to see it because it's so violent, but it's very, very thrilling." Kelly, this brings me to you. You're here early in the morning with Chess, it's dark around here, he's got that steely look in his eye.

WALLACE: Yes, he does.

O'NEIL: I used to think it was hangovers. Now I'm a little worried.

WALLACE: Now you're worried.

All right, women of CNN, we're not safe.

O'NEIL: No, but let me quote Chess in a finale here...

WALLACE: No, no, no. O'NEIL: ... which is, I and agree with him about this entirely: "This movie has such a wonderfully exotic look to it and it's very, very thrilling, that it needs to be seen because it's an important film, but it's not a date movie."

WALLACE: Yes, he did say that. You had to go in with the right perspective when you're going in to this flick.

All right, we've got a lot more to talk about.

Charlie Sheen's marriage?

O'NEIL: Wow!

WALLACE: And there's lots of intrigue. Denise Richards, seven months pregnant.

O'NEIL: Seven months pregnant. Unbelievable. And she booted him out. And there's some back story here that must be very intriguing because we hear that his parents, Martin Sheen, are on her side. Now, he has just counter-sued her, asking for joint custody of their children and no alimony, which is his slap back at her, because she's so mad, she's asking for sole custody and close to $10 million.

There's something going on behind-the-scenes here...

WALLACE: Do we know what it is?

O'NEIL: Yes. Well, we think. If the tabloids are right, which he's denying, it's the floozy ladies, it's the gambling, that he's back to his bad boy ways.

WALLACE: Everyone thought...

O'NEIL: I know, that he cleaned it up. Yes.

WALLACE: Really sad.

Something else that's really sad, Dr. Carter...

O'NEIL: I know.

WALLACE: ... leaving "E.R."

O'NEIL: Checking out of "E.R.."

WALLACE: After 11 years.

What's up with that?

O'NEIL: Isn't that sick?

WALLACE: Say it isn't so.

O'NEIL: I know. Well, he'll be back for four episodes per year for the next two years. But after 11 years, the one cast member who's stuck around as the heart and soul of one of the most successful dramas in TV history is leaving on May 19. He's going to run off to pursue his love in Africa. And it's a shame because he was -- everybody else on "E.R." was passing through, trying to become a movie star. Some made it, like George Clooney. And some didn't and had to come back, like Sherry Stringfield. No one knew why he was there. He stuck it out.

WALLACE: A lovely actor and a lovely person, I understand, as well.

O'NEIL: Yes.

WALLACE: Tom O'Neil, "In-Touch Weekly," thanks for giving us something to smile about today.

O'NEIL: Thanks, Kelly.

WALLACE: Have a great weekend.

We appreciate it.

This is DAYBREAK for a Friday.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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