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American Morning
World Waits for New Pope; 'Minding Your Business'; '90-Second Pop'
Aired April 18, 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: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Bill Hemmer's in Oklahoma City for tomorrow's 10-year anniversary of the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. Miles O'Brien, though, is helping us out. We certainly appreciate.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It good to be here. Thanks very much.
Good morning to you. History is in the making at the Vatican. In a matter of hours, the College of Cardinals begins the process of electing the next pope. The cardinals have already gathered once this morning. We'll get a report.
Also, we're going to focus specifically on the American cardinals in the conclave. Will they work together as a voting block? What are their priorities? And how much power do they hold in picking the next pope?
S. O'BRIEN: A lot to talk about this morning. Before any of that, though, let's get right to the headlines. Carol Costello this morning.
Good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News."
A convicted sex offender charged with killing a 13-year-old girl in Florida is expected to appear in court today. David Onstott apparently confessed to killing Sarah Lunde after an argument. The girl's partially-clothed body was found in an abandoned fish pond on Saturday. Officials are combing the area for additional clues.
A somber opening to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Last night a ceremony remembering Holocaust victims. Survivors of the Holocaust stood alongside victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. A candlelight vigil was held near the Reflecting Pool at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. It's the first of a series of events to remember the 1995 bombing.
Dozens of cruise ship passengers are relieved to be on terra firma after a huge freak wave smashed into their ship. The wave broke windows and flooded dozens of cabins. The Norwegian cruise liner was diverted to Charleston, South Carolina, for repairs, the Norwegian Dawn -- that's what the ship is called. It was returning to New York from the Bahamas when the rough weather hit. Some passengers who disembarked in Charleston described the experience as pure hell!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES FRALEY, CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER: We're talking 47-foot waves hitting the 10th floor, knocking Jacuzzis on the 12TH floor overboard, people sleeping in hallways with life preservers on. Just pure, pure pandemonium.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It was. We'll talk to that passenger, James Fraley, live in the next hour.
Some good news for Acela express passengers. Amtrak is putting at least one of its high-speed trains back into service today. The train service was pulled on Friday because of brake problems. A spokeswoman says the 8:00 a.m. Eastern express from New York to Washington will run today, and then turn around for the 2:00 p.m. run from Washington to Boston, although the other Acela trains are not running. So, it could be a little dicey this morning for train travelers.
Back to you.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, Carol.
In just a few hours, 115 cardinals will enter the Vatican Sistine Chapel to begin the process of choosing the next pope.
Chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour live in Rome with more on that.
Good morning, Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
You're exactly right. In about three hours from now, the conclave starts. And there, the cardinals from 52 different countries will get to the serious business now of electing the new pope.
Now, we will see the cardinals in some extraordinarily live footage. The Vatican has never provided this before. But we'll see them processing to the conclave in the Sistine Chapel.
Just earlier today, though, we saw them all celebrate a special Mass, asking, in essence, for divine guidance as they prepare for the most important moment in any cardinal's life, and that is the opportunity to elect the next pope.
The very orthodox doctrinaire, dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, celebrated this Mass. And looking for clues about his instructions to electing the next pope was his homily, in which he made very pointed references that the Catholics needed to stick to tradition, needed to do stick to truth with a capital "T" and should not be swayed by the fashions or the different ideas going on at any given time, even right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL JOSEPH RATZINGER, GERMANY (through translator): We are moving towards a dictatorship of relativism, which recognizes nothing as definitive and certain, and has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Well, that was a very blunt message from Cardinal Ratzinger, calling it a dictatorship of relativism. He was alluding, of course, to the fact that many Catholics are looking for reform, would like to see certain changes in the tradition of the Catholic Church, if not in its true doctrine. But he was basically saying that adult Christians needed to stick to the faith with a capital "F," and that there was no room in the Catholic Church for any changes or any fashionable adaptations to the modern world. We'll see how that pans out in the actual conclave.
What we're going to be looking for is a message that will be delivered publicly via the chimney stack above the Sistine Chapel. CNN has its cameras trained on that. The Vatican also has its cameras trained on that. And they may even get to their first vote this afternoon. It will be black smoke if they haven't reached a conclusion yet and white smoke when they finally do reach a conclusion on who the next pope will be. But at this moment, it's really anybody's guess -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Christiane Amanpour in Rome, thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: More than a billion Catholics around the world are waiting to find out who the next pope will be.
Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete is a professor of theology at St. Joseph's Seminary right here in New York.
Nice to see you again. Thanks for coming back to talk to us.
MSGR. LORENZO ALBACETE, PROF., ST. JOSEPH'S SEMINARY: Good to see you. Thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: You heard the Mass that Cardinal Ratzinger said this morning.
ALBACETE: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: He talked a lot about the church being rooted in traditional teachings.
ALBACETE: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: What did you make of his comments?
ALBACETE: It was very typical Ratzinger, and he got to the bottom line. After all, these people are about to elect someone whose main job is somehow to continue being the -- doing the work of St. Peter, but to know how to do it in the context of today's world.
Much has been said about this dictator of relativism that he mentioned. You know, the last book that Ratzinger wrote was with a complete atheist secularist, and it was him who introduced this problem; that in the name of relativism, liberty of thought is being lost around the world.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, so for those of us who are not students of theology, with all due respect, explain to me what is the theory of relativism?
ALBACETE: Relativism is that you cannot say anything with certainty and the attempt to do it threatens people who disagree with you. So, therefore, you have to hold back. You can never -- everything is relative, your opinion, my opinion and...
S. O'BRIEN: And they're all equal?
ALBACETE: Yes. But you don't even make that statement, equal. It's just they're all valid. Put that it way. The problem with that is that it's interesting, but when it has political power, hence dictatorship, it just crushes, challenging the very authority. If I can't think freely, I cannot challenge authority.
S. O'BRIEN: So, he's listing that as one of the biggest problems in the church.
ALBACETE: Oh, for him, this is one of the biggest problems in the world.
S. O'BRIEN: What do you think overall is the biggest issue that whoever is the new pope has to come in and grapple with?
ALBACETE: The biggest issue, I think, is the fact that the proposal of Christianity comes in a language that is no longer understood and in a way of life that doesn't convince anyone that is really full human life.
S. O'BRIEN: It's not relevant to a lot of people, certainly here in the United States.
ALBACETE: It's not convincing.
S. O'BRIEN: So, who then do you think would be a great pope who -- because it doesn't sound like you're thinking about Ratzinger, who is very -- what? You're about to say...
ALBACETE: No, no, I was going to say that he's both...
S. O'BRIEN: He's very orthodox. He is known as being very hard- line on issues. You're saying maybe someone a little more flexible. ALBACETE: Yes, flexibility, style. Ratzinger is a German, for god's sakes, so he has a German style. He's not one of us, for example.
S. O'BRIEN: Does it need to be a Latin American?
ALBACETE: Oh, that would help immensely.
S. O'BRIEN: Who do you think is a leading candidate?
ALBACETE: Well, since I turned it down, I would say the man in Honduras. The last time I saw him, he was in El Paso, for example. And instead of a speech, which was the keynote, he says, I have composed a song. I want to teach it to you, how to sing it and dance it. It was unbelievable, the rapport he had with the people in El Paso, Texas. And at the same time, he's a bright intellectual. But I don't think he's got a chance.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, don't Latin American cardinals make up 40 percent of the cardinals?
ALBACETE: Yes, you would think...
S. O'BRIEN: All get together, you vote?
ALBACETE: ... that would be a powerful voting block.
S. O'BRIEN: It doesn't work that way?
ALBACETE: Well, they don't necessarily agree that each one -- you know, this one will be the best or anything. In the end, they may be looking for an outsider.
S. O'BRIEN: What's the biggest issue for the Latin American church?
ALBACETE: The biggest issue with the Latin American church is continuing the decay of the way of life, because of misery under which many people live.
S. O'BRIEN: So poverty is a huge problem?
ALBACETE: Absolutely, yes. And to Catholicism is the attack from two extremes, the kind of fundamentalist Christianity and a radical relativist thinking at the other end.
S. O'BRIEN: So very similar with here in the United States.
ALBACETE: Exactly, but the United States comes from another kind of Christian tradition, which is not Catholic. That America comes from the Catholic thing, and although it faces the same challenges, it plays out differently there.
S. O'BRIEN: Would you be willing to tell me who you think will end up -- I was going to say win, but I guess you don't win.
ALBACETE: Well, it's not that kind of contest, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: He won! No, but in all seriousness, who do you think?
ALBACETE: Really, I have no idea. Right now, I was thinking Ratzinger was the biggest possibility after all, but it's because we have seen him, because the man is the dean of the College of Cardinals. So...
S. O'BRIEN: He's the frontrunner only because...
ALBACETE: ... maybe overexposure will kill him.
S. O'BRIEN: We'll see.
ALBACETE: I have no idea.
S. O'BRIEN: Obviously, you're not a fan of his.
ALBACETE: You know, I turned it down.
S. O'BRIEN: Monsignor Albacete, nice to see you again.
ALBACETE: Thank you very much.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks for being with us -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, let's check the weather one more time.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Well, you may or may not have been helped by the president's tax cuts. But how much did they help Mr. Bush himself? Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead.
M. O'BRIEN: Plus, Michael Jackson could use a little tax help, relief perhaps. Money problems all the way around. Insiders say they're so bad he might have to sell off one of his biggest musical assets. "90-Second Pop" will give you the scoop on that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: The "Question of the Day." It's about snitching.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed. Thanks, Miles.
A growing number of public schools are starting something called snitch programs. Students are being paid to tattle on their buddies. A hundred bucks for tips on vandalism, theft or drugs, up to $500 for tips on guns.
According to "USA Today," some schools have had these programs in place since the 1980s. But last month's school shooting up in Red Lake, Minnesota, has created renewed interest.
This morning's question is this: Should students be paid to tell on their classmates?
Johnny in Vicksburg, Mississippi, says: "This plan is wrought with the potential for danger, inciting students to frame other students for money or vengeance and does little to encourage good, old-fashioned honesty and citizenship."
Fred in Erie, Michigan: "I think paying students to be rats is inviting an escalation of violence. In this day and age, it doesn't seem like people need much of an excuse to act stupid, and having snitches on the payroll is just going to add to the stupidity."
George in Virginia writes: "Why not? It worked for the Gestapo and the KGB."
Rhonda in Ontario: "Of course not. It's bad enough to have to watch our politicians tattle and snitch each other out. Do we have to encourage such behavior in our youth? Nobody likes a snitch."
And Paul in Pennsylvania writes: "When I was in school, a kid might tattle once. But by the end of the day, the problem was taken care of, and he'd never make that mistake again. Money would have no bearing on the problem whatsoever."
Although I think in the schools where these programs exist, the people who provide the information, it's kept anonymous.
S. O'BRIEN: But, you know, none of these e-mails are raising the issue that in the cases where you've had these school shootings, you really -- people knew, and you really wanted -- I mean, snitch was not such a bad thing. Snitch would have been a great thing and could have saved some of those teenagers from being killed, frankly.
CAFFERTY: So, we should put you in the column of being in favor of this, right?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. But I'm just saying...
CAFFERTY: But, no, no, that's a good point. It absolutely is.
M. O'BRIEN: Where is the money going to come from, though? These are schools that, you know, they can't buy textbooks. They are cutting out extracurricular stuff. And they're paying off kids to snitch.
CAFFERTY: One of the...
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Bake sales.
M. O'BRIEN: Bake sales for snitches. There you go. Rice Krispy Treats, right?
CAFFERTY: Well, that's one of the things...
M. O'BRIEN: Our economy is built on it.
CAFFERTY: One of things I read is they use some of the money that they get out of the vending machines to fund this program.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: We call them whistleblowers, by the way, in corporate America, not rats or snitches or, you know....
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: Really, it's the American way, I guess.
SERWER: Whistleblowers. Let's call them whistleblowers. It makes it sound better.
S. O'BRIEN: It's a very -- yes, let's call them whistleblowers.
SERWER: Whistleblowers.
S. O'BRIEN: I think my idea would sell better if it were a whistleblower issue.
SERWER: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, taxes were due on Friday. Remember? Huh? But how much did the president and the vice president give back to the government?
Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning.
SERWER: Good morning, Soledad.
These guys did pretty well, surprise, surprise, both on the income side and the tax rate side. Let's talk about the president first. Tax report -- tax return, I should say, was made public on Friday. Here's how el presidente did. Income there, and you can see the difference between salary, that's the presidential salary is the 392. And the difference is a lot of income from trusts and such. And the 207 is the tax that was paid. That's a 26 percent tax rate, which isn't bad, because the top federal rate is, what, 36 percent...
CAFFERTY: Yes.
SERWER: ... at this point. Seventy-seven thousand in charity. He overpaid 38,000. He decided to apply that to this year's taxes rather than getting a refund. That would kind of look bad if the president got a refund.
The vice president, he did even better. Get that up again. His income was 217, you can see here, and a lot of that, $194,000 in deferred income from Halliburton. Also his wife, Lynne Cheney, is the director of "Reader's Digest." She got some money. And they also sold $15 million of securities last year from their portfolio. So that's why he made a little bit more. A 23 percent tax rate there. Maybe a lot of tax-free municipal bonds, Soledad. I think that might be the trick.
S. O'BRIEN: Is that the reason why there's a low tax rate?
SERWER: I think it could be the trick. Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: The Halliburton income is not linked to his performance, right?
SERWER: Apparently not, which is -- yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Apparently?
SERWER: Apparently not. I'll leave it at that. We'll leave it at that.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thanks.
SERWER: You're welcome.
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, why being a couch potato could be the best career move you ever made. "90-Second Pop" is up next on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome everybody. It's time for a Monday edition of "90-Second Pop" with our esteemed panel of pop stars. Andy Borowitz from borowitzreport.com. Jessica Shaw from "Entertainment Weekly." And Toure, CNN's pop culture correspondent.
Good morning. Good morning.
TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I'm still worn out from that song. Oh, god.
S. O'BRIEN: Right. The Beatles, you don't love it?
TOURE: I don't love that song.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, it's appropriate.
TOURE: Yes, but it's not the jewel of the catalog.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: You like Maxwell's "Silver Hammer?"
TOURE: Much better. Much better, actually.
S. O'BRIEN: But then, it wouldn't go with our segment.
TOURE: I like that song.
S. O'BRIEN: We need to get back around to our segment, because of course, we're talking about Michael Jackson with some financial woes. He might actually sell off the catalog.
TOURE: Well, we've been hearing this rumor for a long time that Michael is going to sell his share in the catalog. He doesn't actually own the catalog. He owns a company that owns much of the Beatles catalog, which he shares this company with Sony. His share in the Beatles catalog is worth about half a billion, with a "B". He owes Bank of America 300 to 400 million. So, the numbers are about the same. But he doesn't want to sell it. I mean, it's like owning, you know, Park Place and Broadway. So, this is like, you know...
S. O'BRIEN: But isn't the point that things could be so dire?
TOURE: Things are dire.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Well, I don't want to give him financial advice. But, like, wouldn't you...
S. O'BRIEN: Go ahead.
BOROWITZ: Wouldn't you sell the giraffes first? I mean, that's what I would do.
JESSICA SHAW, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": I mean, the guy needs an image makeover.
BOROWITZ: Hold onto the Beatles songs.
SHAW: Like, he's -- I don't know that, like, selling this stuff...
S. O'BRIEN: That cost money, Jessica.
SHAW: I know. But you know what? Like Neverland, get rid of Neverland. There's like this huge staff that he has to pay, and he owes all of this money to these creditors for those, like, hideous, gold, lavish statues that he bought in Las Vegas.
S. O'BRIEN: But couldn't he just tour and make back this money in a second?
TOURE: No. Where is the Michael Jackson market?
S. O'BRIEN: I guarantee...
TOURE: Not in America.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
TOURE: There is no market in America.
SHAW: It's in Soledad's house. That's where it is.
S. O'BRIEN: No, it's not that I'm just a big Michael Jackson fan. I just think that there is a market for people who, one, want to go out and see Michael Jackson on tour. TOURE: But I think the main thing that makes people go to a tour is a new record that they're excited about hearing. He hasn't given us any new music in years and years and years.
S. O'BRIEN: You don't think Michael Jackson just doing Michael Jackson's greatest hits would have an audience?
SHAW: Well, you know...
TOURE: Not in America.
S. O'BRIEN: How about in Japan, where he's huge?
BOROWITZ: A lot of his fans really are testifying against him now. So that's a problem.
S. O'BRIEN: Then there's that.
BOROWITZ: They're all busy. They're busy. They're unavailable.
S. O'BRIEN: That is a problem, isn't it? Well, I disagree with you.
TOURE: How many dates in Japan can you do?
S. O'BRIEN: A month. You can make your money back.
TOURE: You know, but even 30 dates, we're not talking about $300 million. Thirty dates wouldn't even pay off his legal bills that he owes right now.
SHAW: And of course, he has the trial. You know, the scheduling could be difficult.
(CROSSTALK)
TOURE: Can he leave the country right now? I bet not.
SHAW: No.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, then there's that. This whole legal thing is just really complicating the issue.
BOROWITZ: It's turning into a terrible idea.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, let's move on, can we? Jimmy Kimmel is looking for a few good men and women. What's he looking for?
BOROWITZ: He wants couch potatoes. Jimmy Kimmel has couple of people that are full-time staffer who watch TV to come up with jokes for his monologues. And he is offering $500 for this position. All you have to do is sit around and watch TV. I'm actually interested in the job, because it's pretty much all I do anyway, watch television. So, anyway I'll take the $500. I would charge extra for "American Idol," though
S. O'BRIEN: He's not kidding about this, is he?
BOROWITZ: No, it's for real.
S. O'BRIEN: There's, like, a real serious application.
BOROWITZ: Yes. You go to, like, the network...
SHAW: You go to ABC. But you know what? This is actually -- this is very much like the American Idol-ification of late-night TV, because...
TOURE: Wow, that's a big word.
S. O'BRIEN: Wow!
SHAW: It is.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAW: But you know what? He's going to audition these people on the air. It's just going to turn into, like, a kind of reality show, and he's going to have, you know...
TOURE: Oh.
S. O'BRIEN: And then they'll do the talk shows when they get bumped from winning.
BOROWITZ: Exactly.
SHAW: Exactly.
TOURE: The show has been dreadful. So whoever they pull out...
S. O'BRIEN: It won't get it.
TOURE: ... can't make it worse.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh.
TOURE: I mean, this show is basically unwatchable. Am I wrong?
BOROWITZ: What, "The Jimmy Kimmel Show?"
TOURE: Yes.
BOROWITZ: Well, it's not...
SHAW: It's pretty good because he's narcoleptic when he falls asleep.
BOROWITZ: It's watchable if you're being paid $500 to watch it.
TOURE: Exactly.
S. O'BRIEN: See? Apply and suddenly you could really like it. "Amityville Horror," the remake.
SHAW: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: I think it's the ninth remake, because it's that good.
SHAW: Yes. You know what? There was a lot of -- it made all sorts of money this weekend, you know, almost $25 million. And it's a horrible movie. There has been all of this talk about, like, is "Amityville Horror" based on a real story? And, you know, this is really going to shock all of you, but the story that there was green ooze, you know, coming out of the ceilings and demonic footprints turns out not true.
BOROWITZ: But, you see, I hate it, like, when you go to a movie and it's supposed to be based on a true story and it's not. Like, that happened to me with "The Matrix." I was so, so annoyed.
S. O'BRIEN: The story is, of course -- I'm from Long Island. We all know that.
TOURE: Long Island?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. You have a problem with that?
TOURE: No. But shouldn't you say it as one word? Long Island?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I did. I think I did as well. Ron DeFao (ph), I mean, in all seriousness, he killed his entire family.
SHAW: Yes, right.
S. O'BRIEN: He spent up to a zillion years in prison for that. That's the part that's true.
SHAW: Right. There is one part that's true. You know, in Amityville, Long Island, he murdered his parents and all of his siblings. And, you know, where things got a little weird was the family that moved in after the DeFeo (ph) family, and they were the ones who were claiming that there was all of this demonic activity.
S. O'BRIEN: They were haunted. Haunting, haunting. Who is not haunted, is what I say? You guys, as always, I thank you. Nice to see you.
TOURE: Who's not haunted?
S. O'BRIEN: Your apartment's not haunted?
TOURE: No, not yet.
S. O'BRIEN: I'll have to check that out then. All right, you guys, thank you -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Doesn't everybody have a poltergeist? All right, today's top stories coming up, plus the man who is probably the richest train conductor in the world, we bet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New York, Pennsylvania station. Final stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: He could give money away as he goes along. Why a multimillionaire collects tickets on a train instead of living a life of luxury. He'll join us ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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Aired April 18, 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: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Bill Hemmer's in Oklahoma City for tomorrow's 10-year anniversary of the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. Miles O'Brien, though, is helping us out. We certainly appreciate.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It good to be here. Thanks very much.
Good morning to you. History is in the making at the Vatican. In a matter of hours, the College of Cardinals begins the process of electing the next pope. The cardinals have already gathered once this morning. We'll get a report.
Also, we're going to focus specifically on the American cardinals in the conclave. Will they work together as a voting block? What are their priorities? And how much power do they hold in picking the next pope?
S. O'BRIEN: A lot to talk about this morning. Before any of that, though, let's get right to the headlines. Carol Costello this morning.
Good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News."
A convicted sex offender charged with killing a 13-year-old girl in Florida is expected to appear in court today. David Onstott apparently confessed to killing Sarah Lunde after an argument. The girl's partially-clothed body was found in an abandoned fish pond on Saturday. Officials are combing the area for additional clues.
A somber opening to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Last night a ceremony remembering Holocaust victims. Survivors of the Holocaust stood alongside victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. A candlelight vigil was held near the Reflecting Pool at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. It's the first of a series of events to remember the 1995 bombing.
Dozens of cruise ship passengers are relieved to be on terra firma after a huge freak wave smashed into their ship. The wave broke windows and flooded dozens of cabins. The Norwegian cruise liner was diverted to Charleston, South Carolina, for repairs, the Norwegian Dawn -- that's what the ship is called. It was returning to New York from the Bahamas when the rough weather hit. Some passengers who disembarked in Charleston described the experience as pure hell!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES FRALEY, CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER: We're talking 47-foot waves hitting the 10th floor, knocking Jacuzzis on the 12TH floor overboard, people sleeping in hallways with life preservers on. Just pure, pure pandemonium.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: It was. We'll talk to that passenger, James Fraley, live in the next hour.
Some good news for Acela express passengers. Amtrak is putting at least one of its high-speed trains back into service today. The train service was pulled on Friday because of brake problems. A spokeswoman says the 8:00 a.m. Eastern express from New York to Washington will run today, and then turn around for the 2:00 p.m. run from Washington to Boston, although the other Acela trains are not running. So, it could be a little dicey this morning for train travelers.
Back to you.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, Carol.
In just a few hours, 115 cardinals will enter the Vatican Sistine Chapel to begin the process of choosing the next pope.
Chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour live in Rome with more on that.
Good morning, Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
You're exactly right. In about three hours from now, the conclave starts. And there, the cardinals from 52 different countries will get to the serious business now of electing the new pope.
Now, we will see the cardinals in some extraordinarily live footage. The Vatican has never provided this before. But we'll see them processing to the conclave in the Sistine Chapel.
Just earlier today, though, we saw them all celebrate a special Mass, asking, in essence, for divine guidance as they prepare for the most important moment in any cardinal's life, and that is the opportunity to elect the next pope.
The very orthodox doctrinaire, dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, celebrated this Mass. And looking for clues about his instructions to electing the next pope was his homily, in which he made very pointed references that the Catholics needed to stick to tradition, needed to do stick to truth with a capital "T" and should not be swayed by the fashions or the different ideas going on at any given time, even right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL JOSEPH RATZINGER, GERMANY (through translator): We are moving towards a dictatorship of relativism, which recognizes nothing as definitive and certain, and has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Well, that was a very blunt message from Cardinal Ratzinger, calling it a dictatorship of relativism. He was alluding, of course, to the fact that many Catholics are looking for reform, would like to see certain changes in the tradition of the Catholic Church, if not in its true doctrine. But he was basically saying that adult Christians needed to stick to the faith with a capital "F," and that there was no room in the Catholic Church for any changes or any fashionable adaptations to the modern world. We'll see how that pans out in the actual conclave.
What we're going to be looking for is a message that will be delivered publicly via the chimney stack above the Sistine Chapel. CNN has its cameras trained on that. The Vatican also has its cameras trained on that. And they may even get to their first vote this afternoon. It will be black smoke if they haven't reached a conclusion yet and white smoke when they finally do reach a conclusion on who the next pope will be. But at this moment, it's really anybody's guess -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Christiane Amanpour in Rome, thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: More than a billion Catholics around the world are waiting to find out who the next pope will be.
Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete is a professor of theology at St. Joseph's Seminary right here in New York.
Nice to see you again. Thanks for coming back to talk to us.
MSGR. LORENZO ALBACETE, PROF., ST. JOSEPH'S SEMINARY: Good to see you. Thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: You heard the Mass that Cardinal Ratzinger said this morning.
ALBACETE: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: He talked a lot about the church being rooted in traditional teachings.
ALBACETE: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: What did you make of his comments?
ALBACETE: It was very typical Ratzinger, and he got to the bottom line. After all, these people are about to elect someone whose main job is somehow to continue being the -- doing the work of St. Peter, but to know how to do it in the context of today's world.
Much has been said about this dictator of relativism that he mentioned. You know, the last book that Ratzinger wrote was with a complete atheist secularist, and it was him who introduced this problem; that in the name of relativism, liberty of thought is being lost around the world.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, so for those of us who are not students of theology, with all due respect, explain to me what is the theory of relativism?
ALBACETE: Relativism is that you cannot say anything with certainty and the attempt to do it threatens people who disagree with you. So, therefore, you have to hold back. You can never -- everything is relative, your opinion, my opinion and...
S. O'BRIEN: And they're all equal?
ALBACETE: Yes. But you don't even make that statement, equal. It's just they're all valid. Put that it way. The problem with that is that it's interesting, but when it has political power, hence dictatorship, it just crushes, challenging the very authority. If I can't think freely, I cannot challenge authority.
S. O'BRIEN: So, he's listing that as one of the biggest problems in the church.
ALBACETE: Oh, for him, this is one of the biggest problems in the world.
S. O'BRIEN: What do you think overall is the biggest issue that whoever is the new pope has to come in and grapple with?
ALBACETE: The biggest issue, I think, is the fact that the proposal of Christianity comes in a language that is no longer understood and in a way of life that doesn't convince anyone that is really full human life.
S. O'BRIEN: It's not relevant to a lot of people, certainly here in the United States.
ALBACETE: It's not convincing.
S. O'BRIEN: So, who then do you think would be a great pope who -- because it doesn't sound like you're thinking about Ratzinger, who is very -- what? You're about to say...
ALBACETE: No, no, I was going to say that he's both...
S. O'BRIEN: He's very orthodox. He is known as being very hard- line on issues. You're saying maybe someone a little more flexible. ALBACETE: Yes, flexibility, style. Ratzinger is a German, for god's sakes, so he has a German style. He's not one of us, for example.
S. O'BRIEN: Does it need to be a Latin American?
ALBACETE: Oh, that would help immensely.
S. O'BRIEN: Who do you think is a leading candidate?
ALBACETE: Well, since I turned it down, I would say the man in Honduras. The last time I saw him, he was in El Paso, for example. And instead of a speech, which was the keynote, he says, I have composed a song. I want to teach it to you, how to sing it and dance it. It was unbelievable, the rapport he had with the people in El Paso, Texas. And at the same time, he's a bright intellectual. But I don't think he's got a chance.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, don't Latin American cardinals make up 40 percent of the cardinals?
ALBACETE: Yes, you would think...
S. O'BRIEN: All get together, you vote?
ALBACETE: ... that would be a powerful voting block.
S. O'BRIEN: It doesn't work that way?
ALBACETE: Well, they don't necessarily agree that each one -- you know, this one will be the best or anything. In the end, they may be looking for an outsider.
S. O'BRIEN: What's the biggest issue for the Latin American church?
ALBACETE: The biggest issue with the Latin American church is continuing the decay of the way of life, because of misery under which many people live.
S. O'BRIEN: So poverty is a huge problem?
ALBACETE: Absolutely, yes. And to Catholicism is the attack from two extremes, the kind of fundamentalist Christianity and a radical relativist thinking at the other end.
S. O'BRIEN: So very similar with here in the United States.
ALBACETE: Exactly, but the United States comes from another kind of Christian tradition, which is not Catholic. That America comes from the Catholic thing, and although it faces the same challenges, it plays out differently there.
S. O'BRIEN: Would you be willing to tell me who you think will end up -- I was going to say win, but I guess you don't win.
ALBACETE: Well, it's not that kind of contest, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: He won! No, but in all seriousness, who do you think?
ALBACETE: Really, I have no idea. Right now, I was thinking Ratzinger was the biggest possibility after all, but it's because we have seen him, because the man is the dean of the College of Cardinals. So...
S. O'BRIEN: He's the frontrunner only because...
ALBACETE: ... maybe overexposure will kill him.
S. O'BRIEN: We'll see.
ALBACETE: I have no idea.
S. O'BRIEN: Obviously, you're not a fan of his.
ALBACETE: You know, I turned it down.
S. O'BRIEN: Monsignor Albacete, nice to see you again.
ALBACETE: Thank you very much.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks for being with us -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, let's check the weather one more time.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Well, you may or may not have been helped by the president's tax cuts. But how much did they help Mr. Bush himself? Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead.
M. O'BRIEN: Plus, Michael Jackson could use a little tax help, relief perhaps. Money problems all the way around. Insiders say they're so bad he might have to sell off one of his biggest musical assets. "90-Second Pop" will give you the scoop on that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: The "Question of the Day." It's about snitching.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed. Thanks, Miles.
A growing number of public schools are starting something called snitch programs. Students are being paid to tattle on their buddies. A hundred bucks for tips on vandalism, theft or drugs, up to $500 for tips on guns.
According to "USA Today," some schools have had these programs in place since the 1980s. But last month's school shooting up in Red Lake, Minnesota, has created renewed interest.
This morning's question is this: Should students be paid to tell on their classmates?
Johnny in Vicksburg, Mississippi, says: "This plan is wrought with the potential for danger, inciting students to frame other students for money or vengeance and does little to encourage good, old-fashioned honesty and citizenship."
Fred in Erie, Michigan: "I think paying students to be rats is inviting an escalation of violence. In this day and age, it doesn't seem like people need much of an excuse to act stupid, and having snitches on the payroll is just going to add to the stupidity."
George in Virginia writes: "Why not? It worked for the Gestapo and the KGB."
Rhonda in Ontario: "Of course not. It's bad enough to have to watch our politicians tattle and snitch each other out. Do we have to encourage such behavior in our youth? Nobody likes a snitch."
And Paul in Pennsylvania writes: "When I was in school, a kid might tattle once. But by the end of the day, the problem was taken care of, and he'd never make that mistake again. Money would have no bearing on the problem whatsoever."
Although I think in the schools where these programs exist, the people who provide the information, it's kept anonymous.
S. O'BRIEN: But, you know, none of these e-mails are raising the issue that in the cases where you've had these school shootings, you really -- people knew, and you really wanted -- I mean, snitch was not such a bad thing. Snitch would have been a great thing and could have saved some of those teenagers from being killed, frankly.
CAFFERTY: So, we should put you in the column of being in favor of this, right?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. But I'm just saying...
CAFFERTY: But, no, no, that's a good point. It absolutely is.
M. O'BRIEN: Where is the money going to come from, though? These are schools that, you know, they can't buy textbooks. They are cutting out extracurricular stuff. And they're paying off kids to snitch.
CAFFERTY: One of the...
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Bake sales.
M. O'BRIEN: Bake sales for snitches. There you go. Rice Krispy Treats, right?
CAFFERTY: Well, that's one of the things...
M. O'BRIEN: Our economy is built on it.
CAFFERTY: One of things I read is they use some of the money that they get out of the vending machines to fund this program.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: We call them whistleblowers, by the way, in corporate America, not rats or snitches or, you know....
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: Really, it's the American way, I guess.
SERWER: Whistleblowers. Let's call them whistleblowers. It makes it sound better.
S. O'BRIEN: It's a very -- yes, let's call them whistleblowers.
SERWER: Whistleblowers.
S. O'BRIEN: I think my idea would sell better if it were a whistleblower issue.
SERWER: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, taxes were due on Friday. Remember? Huh? But how much did the president and the vice president give back to the government?
Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Good morning.
SERWER: Good morning, Soledad.
These guys did pretty well, surprise, surprise, both on the income side and the tax rate side. Let's talk about the president first. Tax report -- tax return, I should say, was made public on Friday. Here's how el presidente did. Income there, and you can see the difference between salary, that's the presidential salary is the 392. And the difference is a lot of income from trusts and such. And the 207 is the tax that was paid. That's a 26 percent tax rate, which isn't bad, because the top federal rate is, what, 36 percent...
CAFFERTY: Yes.
SERWER: ... at this point. Seventy-seven thousand in charity. He overpaid 38,000. He decided to apply that to this year's taxes rather than getting a refund. That would kind of look bad if the president got a refund.
The vice president, he did even better. Get that up again. His income was 217, you can see here, and a lot of that, $194,000 in deferred income from Halliburton. Also his wife, Lynne Cheney, is the director of "Reader's Digest." She got some money. And they also sold $15 million of securities last year from their portfolio. So that's why he made a little bit more. A 23 percent tax rate there. Maybe a lot of tax-free municipal bonds, Soledad. I think that might be the trick.
S. O'BRIEN: Is that the reason why there's a low tax rate?
SERWER: I think it could be the trick. Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: The Halliburton income is not linked to his performance, right?
SERWER: Apparently not, which is -- yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Apparently?
SERWER: Apparently not. I'll leave it at that. We'll leave it at that.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thanks.
SERWER: You're welcome.
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, why being a couch potato could be the best career move you ever made. "90-Second Pop" is up next on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome everybody. It's time for a Monday edition of "90-Second Pop" with our esteemed panel of pop stars. Andy Borowitz from borowitzreport.com. Jessica Shaw from "Entertainment Weekly." And Toure, CNN's pop culture correspondent.
Good morning. Good morning.
TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I'm still worn out from that song. Oh, god.
S. O'BRIEN: Right. The Beatles, you don't love it?
TOURE: I don't love that song.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, it's appropriate.
TOURE: Yes, but it's not the jewel of the catalog.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: You like Maxwell's "Silver Hammer?"
TOURE: Much better. Much better, actually.
S. O'BRIEN: But then, it wouldn't go with our segment.
TOURE: I like that song.
S. O'BRIEN: We need to get back around to our segment, because of course, we're talking about Michael Jackson with some financial woes. He might actually sell off the catalog.
TOURE: Well, we've been hearing this rumor for a long time that Michael is going to sell his share in the catalog. He doesn't actually own the catalog. He owns a company that owns much of the Beatles catalog, which he shares this company with Sony. His share in the Beatles catalog is worth about half a billion, with a "B". He owes Bank of America 300 to 400 million. So, the numbers are about the same. But he doesn't want to sell it. I mean, it's like owning, you know, Park Place and Broadway. So, this is like, you know...
S. O'BRIEN: But isn't the point that things could be so dire?
TOURE: Things are dire.
ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Well, I don't want to give him financial advice. But, like, wouldn't you...
S. O'BRIEN: Go ahead.
BOROWITZ: Wouldn't you sell the giraffes first? I mean, that's what I would do.
JESSICA SHAW, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": I mean, the guy needs an image makeover.
BOROWITZ: Hold onto the Beatles songs.
SHAW: Like, he's -- I don't know that, like, selling this stuff...
S. O'BRIEN: That cost money, Jessica.
SHAW: I know. But you know what? Like Neverland, get rid of Neverland. There's like this huge staff that he has to pay, and he owes all of this money to these creditors for those, like, hideous, gold, lavish statues that he bought in Las Vegas.
S. O'BRIEN: But couldn't he just tour and make back this money in a second?
TOURE: No. Where is the Michael Jackson market?
S. O'BRIEN: I guarantee...
TOURE: Not in America.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
TOURE: There is no market in America.
SHAW: It's in Soledad's house. That's where it is.
S. O'BRIEN: No, it's not that I'm just a big Michael Jackson fan. I just think that there is a market for people who, one, want to go out and see Michael Jackson on tour. TOURE: But I think the main thing that makes people go to a tour is a new record that they're excited about hearing. He hasn't given us any new music in years and years and years.
S. O'BRIEN: You don't think Michael Jackson just doing Michael Jackson's greatest hits would have an audience?
SHAW: Well, you know...
TOURE: Not in America.
S. O'BRIEN: How about in Japan, where he's huge?
BOROWITZ: A lot of his fans really are testifying against him now. So that's a problem.
S. O'BRIEN: Then there's that.
BOROWITZ: They're all busy. They're busy. They're unavailable.
S. O'BRIEN: That is a problem, isn't it? Well, I disagree with you.
TOURE: How many dates in Japan can you do?
S. O'BRIEN: A month. You can make your money back.
TOURE: You know, but even 30 dates, we're not talking about $300 million. Thirty dates wouldn't even pay off his legal bills that he owes right now.
SHAW: And of course, he has the trial. You know, the scheduling could be difficult.
(CROSSTALK)
TOURE: Can he leave the country right now? I bet not.
SHAW: No.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, then there's that. This whole legal thing is just really complicating the issue.
BOROWITZ: It's turning into a terrible idea.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, let's move on, can we? Jimmy Kimmel is looking for a few good men and women. What's he looking for?
BOROWITZ: He wants couch potatoes. Jimmy Kimmel has couple of people that are full-time staffer who watch TV to come up with jokes for his monologues. And he is offering $500 for this position. All you have to do is sit around and watch TV. I'm actually interested in the job, because it's pretty much all I do anyway, watch television. So, anyway I'll take the $500. I would charge extra for "American Idol," though
S. O'BRIEN: He's not kidding about this, is he?
BOROWITZ: No, it's for real.
S. O'BRIEN: There's, like, a real serious application.
BOROWITZ: Yes. You go to, like, the network...
SHAW: You go to ABC. But you know what? This is actually -- this is very much like the American Idol-ification of late-night TV, because...
TOURE: Wow, that's a big word.
S. O'BRIEN: Wow!
SHAW: It is.
(CROSSTALK)
SHAW: But you know what? He's going to audition these people on the air. It's just going to turn into, like, a kind of reality show, and he's going to have, you know...
TOURE: Oh.
S. O'BRIEN: And then they'll do the talk shows when they get bumped from winning.
BOROWITZ: Exactly.
SHAW: Exactly.
TOURE: The show has been dreadful. So whoever they pull out...
S. O'BRIEN: It won't get it.
TOURE: ... can't make it worse.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh.
TOURE: I mean, this show is basically unwatchable. Am I wrong?
BOROWITZ: What, "The Jimmy Kimmel Show?"
TOURE: Yes.
BOROWITZ: Well, it's not...
SHAW: It's pretty good because he's narcoleptic when he falls asleep.
BOROWITZ: It's watchable if you're being paid $500 to watch it.
TOURE: Exactly.
S. O'BRIEN: See? Apply and suddenly you could really like it. "Amityville Horror," the remake.
SHAW: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: I think it's the ninth remake, because it's that good.
SHAW: Yes. You know what? There was a lot of -- it made all sorts of money this weekend, you know, almost $25 million. And it's a horrible movie. There has been all of this talk about, like, is "Amityville Horror" based on a real story? And, you know, this is really going to shock all of you, but the story that there was green ooze, you know, coming out of the ceilings and demonic footprints turns out not true.
BOROWITZ: But, you see, I hate it, like, when you go to a movie and it's supposed to be based on a true story and it's not. Like, that happened to me with "The Matrix." I was so, so annoyed.
S. O'BRIEN: The story is, of course -- I'm from Long Island. We all know that.
TOURE: Long Island?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. You have a problem with that?
TOURE: No. But shouldn't you say it as one word? Long Island?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I did. I think I did as well. Ron DeFao (ph), I mean, in all seriousness, he killed his entire family.
SHAW: Yes, right.
S. O'BRIEN: He spent up to a zillion years in prison for that. That's the part that's true.
SHAW: Right. There is one part that's true. You know, in Amityville, Long Island, he murdered his parents and all of his siblings. And, you know, where things got a little weird was the family that moved in after the DeFeo (ph) family, and they were the ones who were claiming that there was all of this demonic activity.
S. O'BRIEN: They were haunted. Haunting, haunting. Who is not haunted, is what I say? You guys, as always, I thank you. Nice to see you.
TOURE: Who's not haunted?
S. O'BRIEN: Your apartment's not haunted?
TOURE: No, not yet.
S. O'BRIEN: I'll have to check that out then. All right, you guys, thank you -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Doesn't everybody have a poltergeist? All right, today's top stories coming up, plus the man who is probably the richest train conductor in the world, we bet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New York, Pennsylvania station. Final stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: He could give money away as he goes along. Why a multimillionaire collects tickets on a train instead of living a life of luxury. He'll join us ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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