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American Morning
Silicone Breast Implants; Picking a Pope; Interview With Bo Jackson
Aired April 14, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Coming up, this question of spies in the conclave to elect the next pope. The Vatican is now looking for bugs, for lasers, even spy planes. We're going to find out what's at stake and who is going to go after these secrets? I mean, they're going to know eventually. Why try to break out the secret?
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You know, the one thing that's really interesting about this, the last time we had this was 1978. There was no Internet. There were no cell phones. There was no 24-hour cable.
O'BRIEN: People just can't wait until the conclave gets together and makes their decision.
HEMMER: I mean, well that, and it's possible that some of this information gets out, and it's never happened like that before. Intriguing, I think so anyway.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I agree.
HEMMER: Also in a moment here, Bo Jackson is up in a few moments here. When he was playing football and baseball, no one wanted to take this guy. But a California newspaper has, accusing him of using steroids. They may be regretting that now. We'll talk to Bo in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Before that, though, let's get right to the headlines. Carol Costello is at our bureau in New York this morning.
Hey, Carol, good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad. Good morning to all of your.
"Now in the News."
A pair of deadly bombings in southern Baghdad. Sources say two car bombs targeting an Iraqi police convoy went off almost simultaneously. At least 11 people are dead, dozens more are wounded.
In the meantime, U.S. officials are trying to win the release of an American abducted in Iraq on Monday. Video of Jeffrey Ake was shown on the Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera. We have new images this morning of a missing Florida girl, 13- year-old Sarah Michelle Lunde. Home video shows the girl with friends family in December of last year. The search for her resumes this morning. Hillsborough County sheriff telling CNN just a half hour ago that the department has gotten a few more calls with possible leads. Sarah Lunde has been missing since early Sunday.
Smokers may have to deal with a little more inconvenience if they're planning to fly. Beginning today, it is against the law to carry a lighter in your carry-on baggage. Officials say the new ban makes air travel safer. Passengers are told to leave the lighters at home, but they can still carry as many as four packs of matchbooks on board.
And Prince Charles and his new wife, Camilla, are taking part their first public event together since their wedding. Look at them there. The royal couple breaking away from their honeymoon to attend the opening of a school playground in Scotland. Camilla now carries the title of Duchess of Cornwall. The two were married last Saturday. They seemed to have gotten a very warm reception -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, you know, schoolchildren.
COSTELLO: They don't know any better.
O'BRIEN: Oh, I'm just kidding. Congratulations to the happy couple. We're thrilled for them. Thanks, Carol.
Well, after three days of hearings, federal health advisors are recommending the return of silicone breast implants to the U.S. market. An FDA panel voted on Wednesday to lift the ban on one type of implant. Mentor Corporation made the case that its newer silicone implants are safer and more durable than the older versions. The same FDA panel rejected a rival company's product on Tuesday.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is at the CNN center to explain the surprising decision and also some of the conditions as well.
Good morning, Sanjay. It kind of was a shock. Many people thought the company, Mentor, going in had less of a chance, in fact, than the company that had been shot down.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a newer company with fewer data in terms of length of data. So, a lot of people were skeptical about whether Mentor would actually be able to get their silicone implants through. Very interesting sort of the way that this has been playing out, Soledad, over the last couple of days.
As you mentioned, a couple days ago, Inamed, they said no. It was close vote, 5-4. The FDA advisory committee saying no to Inamed but yes, 7-2 I should say, with Mentor.
But it does come with strings, as you mentioned, Soledad. Here's a couple of them. Educational programs are mandatory for the doctor and for the patients. They're hoping they can cut down on rupture rates with the doctors, and patients will be able to detect ruptures more quickly. They have to continue to study it. That's almost always a recommendation. Five-year data by the FDA. And also independent data monitoring. They want to make sure that they have that monitoring separate from the agency itself and separate from the company. Patient tracking. And also really important and controversial to some extent, MRIs to detect silent leaking.
Now, this is really interesting. One of the big questions is, who is going to pay for this?
Now, even with all these recommended conditions, this is just a FDA advisory committee making this recommendation. What's been interesting about this, Soledad, is we always say that the FDA almost always follows the advisory committee. Well, they haven't done that in the past when it comes to these silicone breast implants. The FDA advisory committee recommended in '03 that they put them back on the market. The FDA said no, the same thing might happen again.
We're going to have to see how this plays out -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Sanjay, you know, you talk about some of these stringent conditions. And I can see how the doctors could be forced to follow them. But how can you force the patients, who aren't in any kind of trial or anything, to get an MRI every five years and then every two years after that? An MRI cost, you know, $2,000 or something like that. I mean, how are they going to force the patients to agree with these stringent conditions, which are the conditions for giving approval in the first place?
GUPTA: The same question that I had actually about that, because who is going to pay for these MRIs is a big question. And this is not considered an investigational device either. So, there are some specific guidelines you can get with an investigational device.
But, again, you know, as far as why they recommend this particular Mentor versus the Inamed implant, there were some specific reasons, and they want to make sure those reasons continue to play out by following the patients. Is there, in fact, a lower rupture rate for the Mentor Corporation versus Inamed? It does appear so, at least in short-term data. And I also thought that the Mentor Corporation presented more clear data as well.
It's interesting. I don't know how they're going to do that, Soledad. And I think that's why the FDA is still going to have to decide whether or not you make these MRIs mandatory. That's a long time, you know, every two years, every five years and every two years. And who is going to pay for that? Those are questions everyone is still trying to get answered.
O'BRIEN: Yes, lot of questions. And as you say, advisory committee only. So, we'll see really where it goes from there. Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: It's about 25 minutes now before the hour.
We are four days from Monday's conclave to begin the secret process of electing a new pope. It has been 26 years since the world has witnessed this. That was before 24-hour cable, before the Internet. And Vatican officials now are on guard to keep it secret.
Here's Chris Burns in Italy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the Vatican, as the leaders of the new church prepare to choose a new pontiff, the saints watch over the secrets of the inner sanctum. So do the Vatican police, trying to stay one step ahead of spying technology.
Security experts say the sky is the limit, from monitoring cell phone conversations to eavesdropping from high above. Look how close satellites can peak.
ANDREA MARGELLETTI, CTR. FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Surely many intelligence agencies in the world are trying to penetrate inside the Holy See with special aircraft, for example, spy planes, eavesdropping or lasers.
BURNS: Lasers that could be pointed at windows of the Sistine Chapel to pick up conversations where the cardinals will cast their votes, or the windows of the Vatican Santa Monta (ph) Hotel, where the cardinals are staying.
Vatican experts say the church's security force is expected to sweep the grounds for bugs and other gadgets during the conclave.
MIRIAM TAMPONZI, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: There is a microphone.
BURNS: Private detective Miriam Tamponzi displays some of the classic tricks, the lighter that's a camera, another that converts into a bug, the pen that's a microphone.
TAMPONZI (through translator): There's absolutely no doubt we could spy on the Vatican and the conclave.
BURNS: But the security for this conclave has been years in the making.
(on camera): Pope John Paul II himself issued counterintelligence orders for conclaves -- banning cell phones, recorders, radios, televisions, electronic organizers -- to protect the cardinals from, in his words, threats to their independent judgment.
(voice over): More than that, experts say, a pope spied on for years under communist regimes in Poland helps better sensitize the Vatican to espionage.
MARGELLETTI: I think that now we have a Holy See much less vulnerable than ever. BURNS: Less vulnerable to outside spying, perhaps. But experts also say that won't make the Vatican free of internal intrigue as rivals jockey for power in the shadows of the saints.
Chris Burns, CNN, Vatican City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Well, we will be watching next week.
And tomorrow night, "NEWSNIGHT" has a special look at the conclave, the preps, the politicking and all the rest of the intrigue that goes into picking the next pope. Tomorrow night, "NEWSNIGHT", 10:00 Eastern here on CNN.
We want to get another check over the weather right now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: A pretty rough day on Wall Street. Andy has got a recap, also look at the day ahead when he minds your business this morning.
HEMMER: Also, Bo Jackson is fighting to clear his name. The former two sports star is our guest live after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Bo Jackson says he has never used steroids and is suing the newspaper that reported he did. Jackson was one the most celebrated athletes in the 1980s, a standout in football and in baseball until a hip injury ended his career in 1991.
The "Inland Valley Daily Bulletin" in southern California printed a quote last month that said Jackson lost his hip due to steroid use. The paper has retracted that story. They've apologized too. But Bo Jackson and his attorney, Dan Beadaman (ph), are still continuing their case. They're with us this morning in Chicago.
Gentlemen, good morning to both of you.
BO JACKSON, FMR. MLB AND NFL PLAYER: Good morning.
Good morning.
HEMMER: Bo, here's what the paper said, the "Inland Valley Daily Bulletin." It said in a very short line here, "Bo Jackson lost his hip because of anabolic steroid use." That was in late March of this past year. What was your reaction when you heard that, Bo?
JACKSON: It made me numb for a second, and then I become furious, because to be honest with you, I've never heard of the "Inland Valley Daily News." And I've never heard of the person that claimed to have made the statement or I haven't heard of the person that published the article. So, it was like getting hit in the chest with a sledgehammer.
HEMMER: Yes. You care a lot. I can tell you're a bit irked about it again today. But their circulation is so small, 67,000 in California.
JACKSON: Well, that's in California, but it was posted over their Web site, which went around the planet. And that's one thing that bothered me. It irked me to the point to where I had to leave my office and go home that day, just because I wasn't in the mood to be social. I wasn't in the mood to work with my partners. I just told them that I was going to taken a early day. And I went home, stewed over this, and then I made some phone calls.
HEMMER: Well, they've issued a retraction, three days ago in fact. Reading in part: "Jackson has stated publicly he has never used steroids. We retract the quote and the further statement that the speaker personally witnessed this damage to his life," referring to a convention in which this was spoken. "We apologize to Mr. Jackson without reservation."
Why is that not good enough?
JACKSON: Why is that not -- why that's not good enough? Well, let me ask you a question. What if I were to go out and print an article about you, run it over the net, and make some ludicrous statement that I saw you doing drugs and molesting a child. Would that be enough with me just me saying, I'm sorry? And like my attorney said...
HEMMER: I would not be happy about it either. That's right.
JACKSON: Yes. Well, but you can't unring a bell.
HEMMER: You're suing for defamation. What would make you happy as this lawsuit continues, Bo?
JACKSON: What would -- what would make me happy?
HEMMER: Yes. What would satisfy you?
JACKSON: What would satisfy me would be simple: to set an example to where this will never happen again. To make it to where the next time a writer or news publisher is going to print something about a certain person, he or she needs to have their facts in order. They need to confirm what they're writing with the person that they're writing the article. And just to make a simple statement is that you can't do this. You cannot do this ever again.
HEMMER: Bo, do you think, without this enormous controversy for steroids in baseball today, if that were not present almost every day in the sports page today, would we even be talking about this?
JACKSON: Yes, we would. Yes, we would, because I have spent my whole life building my name, my family name, my reputation, touring around the country, in the past dozen or so years, preaching to kids about the importance of staying off drugs, staying in school and doing the right thing. And it seems like it took me 20 some odd years to build this house with this reputable reputation, and it only took this guy 15 to 20 minutes to write this article, hit send, and send it all around the planet, and burn that house down.
HEMMER: Good luck to you, Bo. Bo Jackson and your attorney to your right, Dan Beadaman (ph) there in the city of Chicago.
JACKSON: Thank you very much, Bill.
In a moment here, it was tough day on Wall Street yesterday. Andy looks back to yesterday and the day ahead, "Minding Your Business" right after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. Good news, oil prices keep tumbling yesterday, but the stock market ignored that news. It took a tumble, too.
Here's Andy, "Minding Your Business." What's happening?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It was focusing on the wrong news apparently yesterday, focusing on a weak retail sales report for the month of March. Stocks tumbled on Wednesday. Tuesday's rally gone with the wind. The Dow down over 100 points here you can see. Nasdaq now down 9 percent for the year. Thanks. Broader markets down 3 percent for the year.
One stock to watch today, Apple Computer announcing its results after the bell. Profits up six-fold. Of course, it's all about the iPod. Also, jacking up sales of Mac. They're selling about four million iPods each quarter right now. The stock may dip because, you know, they announced the news and then traders sell it off. And now...
HEMMER: We did not buy that stock a year ago because?
SERWER: Because you should have, could have, would have.
HEMMER: Yes.
SERWER: I told you. We were all talking about this one.
Listen, I'm going to give everyone a moment to set their DVRs. OK, are you ready? OK, we're going to roll the tape here. Myron Candell (ph), CNN's own, was down at the closing bell yesterday, ringing the closing bell. There he is. He's retiring after 25 years. What a great honor. There he is with his wife, Thelma. And we certainly wish Myron (ph) all the best. And Jack and I are jealous, because we said yesterday it's probably never going to happen for us, for the others honors maybe for us, Jack.
O'BRIEN: He's a very snazzy dresser.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: Yes, good for him.
SERWER: A great guy.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's great.
HEMMER: Good stuff. Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: English is now the official language of West Virginia. Think about that. State legislators inadvertently passed an amendment over the weekend when it was quietly inserted into a bill on a totally different subject. Congress has debated the idea of English as the official language ever since 1981, but it's never happened.
The question this morning is: Should the rest of the country follow West Virginia's lead and make English the official language?
Emily in Gloucester, Massachusetts, writes: "Yes, yes, yes, of course we should. Only here are we so politically correct that we spend hundreds of millions each year in schools for kids who don't speak English."
Dean in New Jersey writes: "It would be too easy and would make far too much sense if the rest of the country made English the official language. Therefore, it would not fit in with the left-wing agenda to promote chaos and confusion."
Johnny in Mississippi: "Perhaps, put institute it gradually in order to allow those that are legal residents who don't speak English to learn."
Doug in New Jersey writes: "I don't believe the other states need to promote English as the language. The official national language is very obvious to those of is who recite The Pledge of Allegiance, which is a requirement for citizenship."
And D.W. writes, my favorite so far, which is: "Let's follow the progress of the folks in West Virginia first. If they can learn English, we can consider it for the rest of the country."
HEMMER: Oh, boy! Oh, boy!
SERWER: I knew those were coming.
HEMMER: Look at you just laughing and chucking over there.
CAFFERTY: Well, it's funny. Come on. I understand...
HEMMER: There you go.
O'BRIEN: I'm glad to know we're not just insulting the native other foreign-born speakers... SERWER: Well, right.
O'BRIEN: ... but also the fine people in West Virginia this morning.
CAFFERTY: The native other foreign-born speakers?
O'BRIEN: The foreign-born speakers.
CAFFERTY: Who would those be?
O'BRIEN: People who come to this country who don't necessarily speak English.
CAFFERTY: You mean the millions of illegal aliens that pour into this country?
O'BRIEN: No, my family. They were not illegal aliens. My grandmother...
CAFFERTY: You speak English, don't you?
O'BRIEN: Yes, I do. But my grandmother doesn't.
CAFFERTY: Does she speak English?
O'BRIEN: No, she's dearly departed, so she doesn't speak anything.
CAFFERTY: That sounds dead.
O'BRIEN: But she never spoke English.
SERWER: Game over.
O'BRIEN: My mother came to this country legally, never spoke English at first, and took a long time to learn.
CAFFERTY: Where did they come from?
O'BRIEN: From Cuba.
CAFFERTY: Do you think if you or I went to Cuba with our families that they would set up special schools to teach our kids in English because they didn't want to learn Spanish?
O'BRIEN: Cuba is kind of a strange exception.
CAFFERTY: No, no, no.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: I' mean, that's a legit question. If you moved to another country, do you they would set up special schools to teach our children in English because we were too lazy or refused to learn the native language?
SERWER: But there are hundreds of thousands of people, Spanish speakers.
O'BRIEN: Who is lazy or...
CAFFERTY: Yes, there are there are people in this city who have lived here for generations who don't speak the English language. And you know that as well as I do.
O'BRIEN: Which is a very -- I understand that some people do not struggle as hard to learn the...
CAFFERTY: Should the American taxpayer have to subsidize...
O'BRIEN: How about children that come to this country...
CAFFERTY: ... that refusal to learn the language when it cost money?
O'BRIEN: How about sending children to school to learn, which would be the ultimate goal, and at the end of the day hoping that -- yes, I think it actually would make it much easier for children who speak English to assimilate.
CAFFERTY: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: But there has got to be time for them to learn.
CAFFERTY: Well, how many generations should be required?
O'BRIEN: They've got these classes in English.
SERWER: Yes. And the question is, do we have to make English the official language to do that?
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
CAFFERTY: Well, it isn't happening now.
O'BRIEN: Not to make it...
SERWER: But would a law make that happen? I mean, would become the law.
O'BRIEN: We should talk about it the next time. The legislators, the fact that you said inadvertently, they didn't even realize they were passing it.
SERWER: Because they don't speak English.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Of course they realized it.
HEMMER: They run this... CAFFERTY: It was one of those amendments that was snuck in probably at 2:00 in the morning before the vote was taken..
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: That's a different issue.
SERWER: They speak some funny English in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Mississippi and New Jersey, where all those letter writers come from, too.
O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: Right?
HEMMER: Good morning, my friends.
SERWER: Right. Well, it's...
CAFFERTY: , I'm glad I brought this up.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I'm not talking about this anymore.
CAFFERTY: Yes, you are.
O'BRIEN: No, I'm not.
CAFFERTY: I'm going to be here until 10:00.
O'BRIEN: I realize that, and I'm not going to be your punching bag today.
CAFFERTY: I'm not punching on you. I mean, this is a legitimate subject of discussion.
SERWER: A spirited debate.
CAFFERTY: I would never hit you. I would hit Hemmer. I would hit Serwer. I would never lay a glove on you.
O'BRIEN: All right. We're done.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: For now.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: For now.
In a moment here, top stories coming up, including testimony from the mother of Michael Jackson's accuser. Experts say some of it was rather bizarre. Did it make her more credible or less? That's ahead at the top of the hour here on AMERICAN MORNING. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired April 14, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Coming up, this question of spies in the conclave to elect the next pope. The Vatican is now looking for bugs, for lasers, even spy planes. We're going to find out what's at stake and who is going to go after these secrets? I mean, they're going to know eventually. Why try to break out the secret?
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You know, the one thing that's really interesting about this, the last time we had this was 1978. There was no Internet. There were no cell phones. There was no 24-hour cable.
O'BRIEN: People just can't wait until the conclave gets together and makes their decision.
HEMMER: I mean, well that, and it's possible that some of this information gets out, and it's never happened like that before. Intriguing, I think so anyway.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I agree.
HEMMER: Also in a moment here, Bo Jackson is up in a few moments here. When he was playing football and baseball, no one wanted to take this guy. But a California newspaper has, accusing him of using steroids. They may be regretting that now. We'll talk to Bo in a moment here.
O'BRIEN: Before that, though, let's get right to the headlines. Carol Costello is at our bureau in New York this morning.
Hey, Carol, good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad. Good morning to all of your.
"Now in the News."
A pair of deadly bombings in southern Baghdad. Sources say two car bombs targeting an Iraqi police convoy went off almost simultaneously. At least 11 people are dead, dozens more are wounded.
In the meantime, U.S. officials are trying to win the release of an American abducted in Iraq on Monday. Video of Jeffrey Ake was shown on the Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera. We have new images this morning of a missing Florida girl, 13- year-old Sarah Michelle Lunde. Home video shows the girl with friends family in December of last year. The search for her resumes this morning. Hillsborough County sheriff telling CNN just a half hour ago that the department has gotten a few more calls with possible leads. Sarah Lunde has been missing since early Sunday.
Smokers may have to deal with a little more inconvenience if they're planning to fly. Beginning today, it is against the law to carry a lighter in your carry-on baggage. Officials say the new ban makes air travel safer. Passengers are told to leave the lighters at home, but they can still carry as many as four packs of matchbooks on board.
And Prince Charles and his new wife, Camilla, are taking part their first public event together since their wedding. Look at them there. The royal couple breaking away from their honeymoon to attend the opening of a school playground in Scotland. Camilla now carries the title of Duchess of Cornwall. The two were married last Saturday. They seemed to have gotten a very warm reception -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, you know, schoolchildren.
COSTELLO: They don't know any better.
O'BRIEN: Oh, I'm just kidding. Congratulations to the happy couple. We're thrilled for them. Thanks, Carol.
Well, after three days of hearings, federal health advisors are recommending the return of silicone breast implants to the U.S. market. An FDA panel voted on Wednesday to lift the ban on one type of implant. Mentor Corporation made the case that its newer silicone implants are safer and more durable than the older versions. The same FDA panel rejected a rival company's product on Tuesday.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is at the CNN center to explain the surprising decision and also some of the conditions as well.
Good morning, Sanjay. It kind of was a shock. Many people thought the company, Mentor, going in had less of a chance, in fact, than the company that had been shot down.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a newer company with fewer data in terms of length of data. So, a lot of people were skeptical about whether Mentor would actually be able to get their silicone implants through. Very interesting sort of the way that this has been playing out, Soledad, over the last couple of days.
As you mentioned, a couple days ago, Inamed, they said no. It was close vote, 5-4. The FDA advisory committee saying no to Inamed but yes, 7-2 I should say, with Mentor.
But it does come with strings, as you mentioned, Soledad. Here's a couple of them. Educational programs are mandatory for the doctor and for the patients. They're hoping they can cut down on rupture rates with the doctors, and patients will be able to detect ruptures more quickly. They have to continue to study it. That's almost always a recommendation. Five-year data by the FDA. And also independent data monitoring. They want to make sure that they have that monitoring separate from the agency itself and separate from the company. Patient tracking. And also really important and controversial to some extent, MRIs to detect silent leaking.
Now, this is really interesting. One of the big questions is, who is going to pay for this?
Now, even with all these recommended conditions, this is just a FDA advisory committee making this recommendation. What's been interesting about this, Soledad, is we always say that the FDA almost always follows the advisory committee. Well, they haven't done that in the past when it comes to these silicone breast implants. The FDA advisory committee recommended in '03 that they put them back on the market. The FDA said no, the same thing might happen again.
We're going to have to see how this plays out -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Sanjay, you know, you talk about some of these stringent conditions. And I can see how the doctors could be forced to follow them. But how can you force the patients, who aren't in any kind of trial or anything, to get an MRI every five years and then every two years after that? An MRI cost, you know, $2,000 or something like that. I mean, how are they going to force the patients to agree with these stringent conditions, which are the conditions for giving approval in the first place?
GUPTA: The same question that I had actually about that, because who is going to pay for these MRIs is a big question. And this is not considered an investigational device either. So, there are some specific guidelines you can get with an investigational device.
But, again, you know, as far as why they recommend this particular Mentor versus the Inamed implant, there were some specific reasons, and they want to make sure those reasons continue to play out by following the patients. Is there, in fact, a lower rupture rate for the Mentor Corporation versus Inamed? It does appear so, at least in short-term data. And I also thought that the Mentor Corporation presented more clear data as well.
It's interesting. I don't know how they're going to do that, Soledad. And I think that's why the FDA is still going to have to decide whether or not you make these MRIs mandatory. That's a long time, you know, every two years, every five years and every two years. And who is going to pay for that? Those are questions everyone is still trying to get answered.
O'BRIEN: Yes, lot of questions. And as you say, advisory committee only. So, we'll see really where it goes from there. Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: It's about 25 minutes now before the hour.
We are four days from Monday's conclave to begin the secret process of electing a new pope. It has been 26 years since the world has witnessed this. That was before 24-hour cable, before the Internet. And Vatican officials now are on guard to keep it secret.
Here's Chris Burns in Italy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the Vatican, as the leaders of the new church prepare to choose a new pontiff, the saints watch over the secrets of the inner sanctum. So do the Vatican police, trying to stay one step ahead of spying technology.
Security experts say the sky is the limit, from monitoring cell phone conversations to eavesdropping from high above. Look how close satellites can peak.
ANDREA MARGELLETTI, CTR. FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Surely many intelligence agencies in the world are trying to penetrate inside the Holy See with special aircraft, for example, spy planes, eavesdropping or lasers.
BURNS: Lasers that could be pointed at windows of the Sistine Chapel to pick up conversations where the cardinals will cast their votes, or the windows of the Vatican Santa Monta (ph) Hotel, where the cardinals are staying.
Vatican experts say the church's security force is expected to sweep the grounds for bugs and other gadgets during the conclave.
MIRIAM TAMPONZI, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: There is a microphone.
BURNS: Private detective Miriam Tamponzi displays some of the classic tricks, the lighter that's a camera, another that converts into a bug, the pen that's a microphone.
TAMPONZI (through translator): There's absolutely no doubt we could spy on the Vatican and the conclave.
BURNS: But the security for this conclave has been years in the making.
(on camera): Pope John Paul II himself issued counterintelligence orders for conclaves -- banning cell phones, recorders, radios, televisions, electronic organizers -- to protect the cardinals from, in his words, threats to their independent judgment.
(voice over): More than that, experts say, a pope spied on for years under communist regimes in Poland helps better sensitize the Vatican to espionage.
MARGELLETTI: I think that now we have a Holy See much less vulnerable than ever. BURNS: Less vulnerable to outside spying, perhaps. But experts also say that won't make the Vatican free of internal intrigue as rivals jockey for power in the shadows of the saints.
Chris Burns, CNN, Vatican City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Well, we will be watching next week.
And tomorrow night, "NEWSNIGHT" has a special look at the conclave, the preps, the politicking and all the rest of the intrigue that goes into picking the next pope. Tomorrow night, "NEWSNIGHT", 10:00 Eastern here on CNN.
We want to get another check over the weather right now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: A pretty rough day on Wall Street. Andy has got a recap, also look at the day ahead when he minds your business this morning.
HEMMER: Also, Bo Jackson is fighting to clear his name. The former two sports star is our guest live after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Bo Jackson says he has never used steroids and is suing the newspaper that reported he did. Jackson was one the most celebrated athletes in the 1980s, a standout in football and in baseball until a hip injury ended his career in 1991.
The "Inland Valley Daily Bulletin" in southern California printed a quote last month that said Jackson lost his hip due to steroid use. The paper has retracted that story. They've apologized too. But Bo Jackson and his attorney, Dan Beadaman (ph), are still continuing their case. They're with us this morning in Chicago.
Gentlemen, good morning to both of you.
BO JACKSON, FMR. MLB AND NFL PLAYER: Good morning.
Good morning.
HEMMER: Bo, here's what the paper said, the "Inland Valley Daily Bulletin." It said in a very short line here, "Bo Jackson lost his hip because of anabolic steroid use." That was in late March of this past year. What was your reaction when you heard that, Bo?
JACKSON: It made me numb for a second, and then I become furious, because to be honest with you, I've never heard of the "Inland Valley Daily News." And I've never heard of the person that claimed to have made the statement or I haven't heard of the person that published the article. So, it was like getting hit in the chest with a sledgehammer.
HEMMER: Yes. You care a lot. I can tell you're a bit irked about it again today. But their circulation is so small, 67,000 in California.
JACKSON: Well, that's in California, but it was posted over their Web site, which went around the planet. And that's one thing that bothered me. It irked me to the point to where I had to leave my office and go home that day, just because I wasn't in the mood to be social. I wasn't in the mood to work with my partners. I just told them that I was going to taken a early day. And I went home, stewed over this, and then I made some phone calls.
HEMMER: Well, they've issued a retraction, three days ago in fact. Reading in part: "Jackson has stated publicly he has never used steroids. We retract the quote and the further statement that the speaker personally witnessed this damage to his life," referring to a convention in which this was spoken. "We apologize to Mr. Jackson without reservation."
Why is that not good enough?
JACKSON: Why is that not -- why that's not good enough? Well, let me ask you a question. What if I were to go out and print an article about you, run it over the net, and make some ludicrous statement that I saw you doing drugs and molesting a child. Would that be enough with me just me saying, I'm sorry? And like my attorney said...
HEMMER: I would not be happy about it either. That's right.
JACKSON: Yes. Well, but you can't unring a bell.
HEMMER: You're suing for defamation. What would make you happy as this lawsuit continues, Bo?
JACKSON: What would -- what would make me happy?
HEMMER: Yes. What would satisfy you?
JACKSON: What would satisfy me would be simple: to set an example to where this will never happen again. To make it to where the next time a writer or news publisher is going to print something about a certain person, he or she needs to have their facts in order. They need to confirm what they're writing with the person that they're writing the article. And just to make a simple statement is that you can't do this. You cannot do this ever again.
HEMMER: Bo, do you think, without this enormous controversy for steroids in baseball today, if that were not present almost every day in the sports page today, would we even be talking about this?
JACKSON: Yes, we would. Yes, we would, because I have spent my whole life building my name, my family name, my reputation, touring around the country, in the past dozen or so years, preaching to kids about the importance of staying off drugs, staying in school and doing the right thing. And it seems like it took me 20 some odd years to build this house with this reputable reputation, and it only took this guy 15 to 20 minutes to write this article, hit send, and send it all around the planet, and burn that house down.
HEMMER: Good luck to you, Bo. Bo Jackson and your attorney to your right, Dan Beadaman (ph) there in the city of Chicago.
JACKSON: Thank you very much, Bill.
In a moment here, it was tough day on Wall Street yesterday. Andy looks back to yesterday and the day ahead, "Minding Your Business" right after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. Good news, oil prices keep tumbling yesterday, but the stock market ignored that news. It took a tumble, too.
Here's Andy, "Minding Your Business." What's happening?
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It was focusing on the wrong news apparently yesterday, focusing on a weak retail sales report for the month of March. Stocks tumbled on Wednesday. Tuesday's rally gone with the wind. The Dow down over 100 points here you can see. Nasdaq now down 9 percent for the year. Thanks. Broader markets down 3 percent for the year.
One stock to watch today, Apple Computer announcing its results after the bell. Profits up six-fold. Of course, it's all about the iPod. Also, jacking up sales of Mac. They're selling about four million iPods each quarter right now. The stock may dip because, you know, they announced the news and then traders sell it off. And now...
HEMMER: We did not buy that stock a year ago because?
SERWER: Because you should have, could have, would have.
HEMMER: Yes.
SERWER: I told you. We were all talking about this one.
Listen, I'm going to give everyone a moment to set their DVRs. OK, are you ready? OK, we're going to roll the tape here. Myron Candell (ph), CNN's own, was down at the closing bell yesterday, ringing the closing bell. There he is. He's retiring after 25 years. What a great honor. There he is with his wife, Thelma. And we certainly wish Myron (ph) all the best. And Jack and I are jealous, because we said yesterday it's probably never going to happen for us, for the others honors maybe for us, Jack.
O'BRIEN: He's a very snazzy dresser.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: Yes, good for him.
SERWER: A great guy.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's great.
HEMMER: Good stuff. Thanks, Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: English is now the official language of West Virginia. Think about that. State legislators inadvertently passed an amendment over the weekend when it was quietly inserted into a bill on a totally different subject. Congress has debated the idea of English as the official language ever since 1981, but it's never happened.
The question this morning is: Should the rest of the country follow West Virginia's lead and make English the official language?
Emily in Gloucester, Massachusetts, writes: "Yes, yes, yes, of course we should. Only here are we so politically correct that we spend hundreds of millions each year in schools for kids who don't speak English."
Dean in New Jersey writes: "It would be too easy and would make far too much sense if the rest of the country made English the official language. Therefore, it would not fit in with the left-wing agenda to promote chaos and confusion."
Johnny in Mississippi: "Perhaps, put institute it gradually in order to allow those that are legal residents who don't speak English to learn."
Doug in New Jersey writes: "I don't believe the other states need to promote English as the language. The official national language is very obvious to those of is who recite The Pledge of Allegiance, which is a requirement for citizenship."
And D.W. writes, my favorite so far, which is: "Let's follow the progress of the folks in West Virginia first. If they can learn English, we can consider it for the rest of the country."
HEMMER: Oh, boy! Oh, boy!
SERWER: I knew those were coming.
HEMMER: Look at you just laughing and chucking over there.
CAFFERTY: Well, it's funny. Come on. I understand...
HEMMER: There you go.
O'BRIEN: I'm glad to know we're not just insulting the native other foreign-born speakers... SERWER: Well, right.
O'BRIEN: ... but also the fine people in West Virginia this morning.
CAFFERTY: The native other foreign-born speakers?
O'BRIEN: The foreign-born speakers.
CAFFERTY: Who would those be?
O'BRIEN: People who come to this country who don't necessarily speak English.
CAFFERTY: You mean the millions of illegal aliens that pour into this country?
O'BRIEN: No, my family. They were not illegal aliens. My grandmother...
CAFFERTY: You speak English, don't you?
O'BRIEN: Yes, I do. But my grandmother doesn't.
CAFFERTY: Does she speak English?
O'BRIEN: No, she's dearly departed, so she doesn't speak anything.
CAFFERTY: That sounds dead.
O'BRIEN: But she never spoke English.
SERWER: Game over.
O'BRIEN: My mother came to this country legally, never spoke English at first, and took a long time to learn.
CAFFERTY: Where did they come from?
O'BRIEN: From Cuba.
CAFFERTY: Do you think if you or I went to Cuba with our families that they would set up special schools to teach our kids in English because they didn't want to learn Spanish?
O'BRIEN: Cuba is kind of a strange exception.
CAFFERTY: No, no, no.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: I' mean, that's a legit question. If you moved to another country, do you they would set up special schools to teach our children in English because we were too lazy or refused to learn the native language?
SERWER: But there are hundreds of thousands of people, Spanish speakers.
O'BRIEN: Who is lazy or...
CAFFERTY: Yes, there are there are people in this city who have lived here for generations who don't speak the English language. And you know that as well as I do.
O'BRIEN: Which is a very -- I understand that some people do not struggle as hard to learn the...
CAFFERTY: Should the American taxpayer have to subsidize...
O'BRIEN: How about children that come to this country...
CAFFERTY: ... that refusal to learn the language when it cost money?
O'BRIEN: How about sending children to school to learn, which would be the ultimate goal, and at the end of the day hoping that -- yes, I think it actually would make it much easier for children who speak English to assimilate.
CAFFERTY: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: But there has got to be time for them to learn.
CAFFERTY: Well, how many generations should be required?
O'BRIEN: They've got these classes in English.
SERWER: Yes. And the question is, do we have to make English the official language to do that?
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
CAFFERTY: Well, it isn't happening now.
O'BRIEN: Not to make it...
SERWER: But would a law make that happen? I mean, would become the law.
O'BRIEN: We should talk about it the next time. The legislators, the fact that you said inadvertently, they didn't even realize they were passing it.
SERWER: Because they don't speak English.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Of course they realized it.
HEMMER: They run this... CAFFERTY: It was one of those amendments that was snuck in probably at 2:00 in the morning before the vote was taken..
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: That's a different issue.
SERWER: They speak some funny English in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Mississippi and New Jersey, where all those letter writers come from, too.
O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: Right?
HEMMER: Good morning, my friends.
SERWER: Right. Well, it's...
CAFFERTY: , I'm glad I brought this up.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I'm not talking about this anymore.
CAFFERTY: Yes, you are.
O'BRIEN: No, I'm not.
CAFFERTY: I'm going to be here until 10:00.
O'BRIEN: I realize that, and I'm not going to be your punching bag today.
CAFFERTY: I'm not punching on you. I mean, this is a legitimate subject of discussion.
SERWER: A spirited debate.
CAFFERTY: I would never hit you. I would hit Hemmer. I would hit Serwer. I would never lay a glove on you.
O'BRIEN: All right. We're done.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: For now.
SERWER: Yes.
HEMMER: For now.
In a moment here, top stories coming up, including testimony from the mother of Michael Jackson's accuser. Experts say some of it was rather bizarre. Did it make her more credible or less? That's ahead at the top of the hour here on AMERICAN MORNING. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
