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American Morning
Iraq Bloodshed; Bolton Debate; The Pilots
Aired May 12, 2005 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And on Capitol Hill at this hour, a huge controversy coming to a head. Will John Bolton be America's next U.S. ambassador? A key vote could happen within hours there.
The mad dash in Washington when a -- a plane, rather, flew too close. What have authorities learned about protecting the capital as a result?
And that freeway chase with a deadly end. Now some tough questions about live television on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody.
Also ahead this morning, actor Macaulay Culkin testifying on Wednesday in the Michael Jackson trial. The key question now, did he help the defense?
HEMMER: Defense attorney Anne Bremner in the courtroom, saw the whole thing. We'll talk to her about the impact of Culkin's testimony. It may surprise you if you have been listening for Anne on our show over the past several weeks, though. So we'll get to her thoughts in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Hi, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: They may actually get around to voting on the nomination of John Bolton to be the next U.N. ambassador. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee scheduled to vote up or down on him today and whether or not it will go on to the full Senate.
He's a controversial figure, a bit of a lightning rod. So the question this morning is, do you think John Bolton is the right guy to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations?
HEMMER: Looks like it's going to happen, though.
CAFFERTY: It looks like.
O'BRIEN: Does it?
CAFFERTY: Yes, if they vote on party lines, he will get approved 10-8. And they can even get one defection, I think. But -- but it looks like he's -- it's going to happen.
HEMMER: We'll see. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the headlines with Carol Costello.
Good morning again.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," at least a dozen people killed in new attacks in eastern Baghdad this morning. Iraqi police say a car bomb exploded in a crowded marketplace earlier today. Another bomb struck a few hours later, possibly targeting a U.S. military convoy in the area. No word on American casualties.
Iran may be planning to resume some nuclear activities in the very near future. The announcement could lead to a potential showdown with Europe.
According to "The Washington Post," key European diplomats are planning to deliver a letter to Iran as early as today. It warns that any move to unfreeze Iran's nuclear program would end international talks.
In house news this morning, get this: a woman's birthday could determine when she hits menopause, seriously. Italian researches say women born in the spring may go into menopause at the age of 48, while those born in the fall may go into menopause at age 50. The study implies that temperature and sunlight may affect fetal growth, and, therefore, future reproduction all the way into adulthood. Much more work is needed to find out why the apparent link exists.
And there is word comedian Dave Chappelle has checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa. The magazine "Entertainment Weekly" claims Chappelle has been in treatment since last month. His rep has denied rumors Chappelle's problems are drug- related.
The third season of "Chappelle's Show" has been put on hold. And remember, he got a $50 million contract for a third season?
HEMMER: Sure. Rich guy. Funny guy. Wish him the best.
O'BRIEN: Oh, the pressure, though. Super tough for him. All right.
COSTELLO: Must have been.
O'BRIEN: Carol, thanks.
COSTELLO: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's take you right to Baghdad now. Solomon Moore of the "Los Angeles Times" is on the phone us with. He is embedded with the U.S. Marines, who are engaged with the fighting that we've been talking about this morning near the Syrian border.
Solomon, thanks for talking with us. Give me an indication if you can about the strength of the resistance Marines are encountering.
SOLOMON MOORE, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": Well, the Marines are encountering a whole lot of strength these past couple of days. On Sunday, they did get a -- they did get into a big firefight with insurgents who were in the city of Ubaydi. But since then, since Sunday, they have really been on the run. And Marines have been sweeping through several cities along the shores of the Euphrates, near Syria, but they haven't turned up many insurgents.
What they have found are fighting positions, they've found weapons caches, they've found different evidence that insurgents had been in the area, but they haven't found the insurgents yet. They seem to be on the run. Some say that they have gone into Syria.
O'BRIEN: So, then, is that a sense that -- is there any evidence that in fact they're on the run heading into Syria, or is there evidence that maybe they're just melting back temporarily as they did in Falluja?
MOORE: Yes. I mean, it's hard to tell. Of course these are guerrilla fighters. They do blend in with the populations of these -- these villages.
I've talked to a couple of villagers who say that, in fact, they -- the insurgents have commandeered their homes from time to time to fire upon American positions. So, it's difficult for the Marines to weed out, you know, who's a -- who's an insurgent and who is just a person caught in the middle here. But there is some indication that they have been kind of moving from village to village, retreating as the Marines have swept through the area.
The Marines do think that perhaps some cities closer to the Syrian border may still have some insurgent forces in them. And they're continuing to press from the east to the west.
O'BRIEN: You write, Solomon, with great description about a roadside bomb that blew up a vehicle that you had been riding in and not much before it blew up. How vulnerable are the Marines that you are embedded with?
MOORE: I'm sorry, can you say that one more time?
O'BRIEN: I wanted to ask you about the -- the article that you wrote for the "Los Angeles Times." You describe in great depth the explosion, the blowing up of a vehicle by a roadside bomb. And this vehicle, my understanding is, that you were in it not long before it blew up.
How vulnerable to the Marines to these kinds of attacks?
MOORE: Well, the Marines do sweep for mines. This wasn't a roadside bomb, it appeared to be a mine, a landmine.
And they do sweep for mines, they do use armored vehicles, but in this case it appears that it was a double-stacked mine, two mines stacked upon each other. And a shape charge, meaning that they shaped the pit that they put the mine in so that it will blast in one direction and really punch even a hole even into this armored vehicle that they were riding in yesterday.
O'BRIEN: Solomon Moore of the "Los Angeles Times," embedded with the U.S. Marines. Solomon, thanks.
And we're going to continue, of course, to check in with him. Operation Matador in its fifth day today.
HEMMER: Later today, Soledad, a crucial Senate committee vote on whether or not John Bolton should be the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Will the nominee get the votes he needs?
CNN State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel standing by live on the Hill.
It's been a delay of several weeks now. Do we expect it today, Andrea? Good morning there.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Yes, we do expect a vote. The delay that's gone on during the time that the -- since the delay began last month, committee staffers in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have been interviewing quite literally dozens of both current and former U.S. officials to find out whether or not there's any kind of a pattern over allegations that Bolton bullied subordinates and sought to either replace or fire those intelligence analysts who disagreed with what his take was on weapons programs in North Korea, Iraq and Cuba.
A lot of Senate democrats I spoke with, at least committee staffers last night, are saying that they are not getting and have not gotten the cooperation that they had requested, additional documents from the State Department. But the vote is expected to go forward.
And in an interview with CNN's Larry King, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed allegations that Bolton was abusive to some subordinate, and said there are a lot of colleagues who are actually inspired by him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: John is hard-charging. There's no doubt about that. But he has been very successful in managing people. He's been very successful in his diplomacy. I expect that when John leads the mission at the United -- at the U.N., that he's going to do it in a way that is respectful of the people who work for him, and that he'll get the best out of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KOPPEL: Rice said that she expected the Bolton nomination to go forward and felt that he was imminently qualified for the job. But a lot of that depends on one man's vote, and that is the Senate Republican from Ohio, George Voinovich, who really shocked everyone on the committee last month when he said that he needed more time.
And he was really the one who basically convinced the other committee members that they were going to have to wait because there are 10 Republicans and eight Democrats. And if Voinovich had voted against the nomination, it would have been a 9-9 vote.
So, right now, according to one staffer, Voinovich still has not made up his mind which way he's going to go. He likes to call it the kitchen test, Bill, whether or not he would like to sit down with the guy at his kitchen table and talk with him. And as of late last night, he was saying he was still undecided whether or not John Bolton passed that test for him -- Bill.
HEMMER: We'll be watching from here. Thanks, Andrea. Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: In our CNN "Security Watch" this morning, questions about how a small plane strayed into restricted airspace in Washington on Wednesday. The White House and Capitol were alerted to the security breach. Both buildings were quickly evacuated.
The plane was escorted to the ground by F-16s and a Homeland Security helicopter. Pilots Jim Shaeffer and Troy Martin have not yet been charged with anything. Their trip began in Smokestown, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday morning, but they got lost, and they ended up on a straight line to Washington.
Let's get right to Alina Cho. She's in Smoketown this morning.
Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you. And given what we know now, it is almost pretty easy to -- to see how this could have happened.
The Smoketown Airport really couldn't be smaller. There's just one runway, no control tower, and as little as five take-offs and landings in any given day.
There's no real check-in policy either. Pilots here generally come and go as they please, and it looks like that's exactly what happened yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): A beautiful, clear day, a mid-morning take- off. The two men, friends say, were headed to an air show in North Carolina.
PHIL BOYER, AIRCRAFT OWNERS PILOT ASSOCIATION: They obviously then didn't plot their course on the map properly. A straight line between those two points takes you right by the capital.
CHO: The men took off in their Cessna 150 from this single runway airport in Smoketown, Pennsylvania. Mel Glick is the airport's owner.
MEL GLICK, OWNER, SMOKETOWN AIRPORT: Out in the country here you can fly anywhere you want to, any time you want to, pretty much, as long as the weather's good enough. And you don't have to report in to anyone.
CHO: The men were identified as pilot Jim Shaeffer, a retired trucker, and student pilot Troy Martin, a 35-year-old father. Mel Martin says this was his son's first cross-country flight.
MEL MARTIN, FATHER OF PILOT: When I heard it come across the news, I never even thought that it was him. And then even they said, "Oh, two pilots from Smoketown."
And so I was going to call his wife and say, "Hey, there's going to be excitement in Smokestown because somebody from Smokestown, you know, got into the no-fly area," never thinking it was my son. And then I called my wife to tell her and she says, "It was Troy!"
CHO: The FBI and Secret Service detained and questioned the two men, and then released them, calling the incident a mistake. Glick, who says he knows the men, says he was questioned too.
GLICK: Local police, state police, FBI, Secret Service and news people. Lots of news people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Smoketown is population 119. So you can imagine this is very, very big news around here.
As for the pilots, Soledad, there will be no criminal charges against them, as I mentioned. But there could be a civil case against them. And Jim Shaeffer, the pilot, could have his pilot's license either suspended or revoked -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Alina Cho for us this morning. Alina, thanks.
Coming up, we're going to speak to CNN's Kyra Phillips. She has spoken to those F-16 pilots who were forced the plane down.
You'll want to stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.
HEMMER: About 13 minutes past the hour. To the Michael Jackson trial.
Actor Macaulay Culkin on the stand on Wednesday. He called the molestation charges against Jackson absolutely ridiculous.
Attorney Anne Bremner was in the courtroom yesterday. She's back with us today live in Santa Maria. Good morning out there, Anne.
ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Did Culkin give Jackson's defense a boost yesterday in your estimation?
BREMNER: He gave the defense a huge boost. He was a five-star witness. It was a five-star day for the defense. He couldn't have been better.
HEMMER: How so? How so, Anne?
BREMNER: Well, what he did, you know, he's -- first of all, he's charming, he's adorable. He came in, he was a little bit nervous. And he talked right to the jurors, and he said, "I was never molested by Michael Jackson. I heard about this on CNN."
And no one came to me and said, 'Were you molested by him or not?' And I want to basically come in and set the record straight."
He was -- he was very appropriate. He was not -- he didn't overreach to help Jackson. He didn't look at Jackson a lot.
And he said that he -- they understood each other. He said -- he had a great line. He said, "There is no self-help group for child performers." And that was a special bond that they had.
HEMMER: How did he then explain the testimony the prosecution put on about these two prosecution witnesses who claim, anyway, that they saw Culkin -- Macaulay Culkin, rather, molested by Michael Jackson?
BREMNER: Yes, what he said was, he stayed with Michael Jackson, his family stayed with Michael Jackson. That he had slept in the same bed with him maybe a handful of times.
He always slept in his clothes. He was a kid back then, jeans and a T-shirt. Nothing ever happened, and that these people were completely wrong.
HEMMER: How did he describe...
BREMNER: And he talked about...
HEMMER: ... how did he describe those sleepovers then? What did he say, something about a dozen times or so?
BREMNER: Right, but that was over many years, because they knew each other -- well, they've known each other for a long time and they're still friends. But what he talked about was, you know, at Neverland it was fun all the time, he would flop down anywhere and sleep. And then there were some times he slept in the same bed with Jackson with other members of his family.
He was never unclothed. And none of this happened. And he also said, you know, "We celebrities are targets. And the bigger the celebrity, the bigger the target."
And basically, he was saying Michael Jackson is the biggest target of all for people who that want his money, that want to make false claims. So, you know, he talked about just some times that he fell asleep in the bed, nothing ever happened. And he was adamant about that.
HEMMER: And the prosecution then comes up to the stand there, and they keep on asking this consistent question about, well, what happened when you were sleeping?
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: Was there a possibility it happened then? Culkin said at one point -- we can show our viewers this -- "As far as I know, he has never molested me. I find it unlikely." Which I believe was the response he gave about whether or not he was asleep at the time. "I think I'd realize if something like that would be happening."
When the prosecution goes back to that point time and time again with these witnesses, how do jurors react? Or can you gauge that?
BREMNER: Well, the jurors were, you know, very interested in what he had to say. And he was -- you know, when he said, "I think I would know that," he was very adamant and clear about that.
And here's in terms of the case what the witnesses said. What the witnesses in the state's case said was, "He was awake" at the times that they saw molestation. There were two occasions, one seen by a maid, and one seen by a chef.
So, even to suggest it happened when he was asleep doesn't comport with what the testimony was in the prosecution's case in chief.
HEMMER: Give me a one-word answer here. Yesterday you said that this witness could turn the case in Jackson's favor. Do you think he did?
BREMNER: Yes.
HEMMER: Wow. More today. Thanks, Anne.
Anne Bremner, Santa Maria, California.
BREMNER: Thank you.
HEMMER: You got it. Talk to you later.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, one mother's surgical nightmare. She underwent a mastectomy she never needed all because of a lab mix-up. She'll share her emotional story ahead this morning.
HEMMER: Also, this scene caught on live television, a high-speed chase ending in a deadly hail of bullets. And if you were in California yesterday you could watch it live. O'BRIEN: And Dr. Sanjay Gupta makes a house call to the set of "CSI Miami." Just how real is everything you see on that show? The scoop inside ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Last February, Molly Akers was told she had breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, but then a week later her doctor told her the hospital had made a mistake. The surgery had been unnecessary.
Molly Akers joins us this morning from Chicago. She's with her attorney, Robert Clifford.
Nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us this morning.
ROBERT CLIFFORD, AKERS' ATTORNEY: Good morning, Soledad.
MOLLY AKERS, HAD NEEDLESS SURGERY: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Molly, let's back up a little bit and talk about your diagnosis. You were first diagnosed, though, with neck cancer back in 2004. You were getting treated for that. Then in February of 2005, your doctor says, a biopsy shows you have breast cancer.
You have the mastectomy, as we mentioned, and then you get this news from your doctor it was a mistake. First of all, what did they tell you had happened?
AKERS: Well -- I'm sorry, you can repeat that question?
O'BRIEN: I'm curious to know, what did they tell you? How did your doctor tell you, oops, we made a mistake?
AKERS: Oh, how did they tell you. Yes, I was called into the doctor's office early, and I knew something was up. And my doctor carefully explained to me that my slides had been mistaken with another patient's slides.
O'BRIEN: And what was your reaction?
AKERS: Well, I was upset and I was shocked. I was relieved, too.
I mean, I was upset about the mistake. I was relieved that I didn't have breast cancer. But I didn't really stay in that time moment very long because I had to concentrate on getting better and start my treatment for my neck cancer.
O'BRIEN: Here's what the hospital said. They said, "We can confirm that in a very unfortunate incident, the patient's biopsy was mislabeled with the name and number of another patient. As a consequence, she had an operation that was not necessary. We deeply regret that this occurred."
They're not denying that it happened. What do you make of how the hospital has responded to this massive mistake?
AKERS: Well, they were very honest. And, like I said, I didn't spend much time in that moment, because since those dates I started my treatment for my neck and have been concentrating on getting well with that.
O'BRIEN: And how are you concerned -- or, are you concerned, that, in fact, the mastectomy and the treatment that you had for the breast cancer you thought you had is going to impact your recovery and your treatment for your neck cancer?
AKERS: Well, you know, a lot is unknown at this point. I mean, I -- there was a delay in my treatment, and I still have a lot of other unknowns.
I have reconstruction that I need to have done from the mastectomy, but my neck treatment has been going well. And I'm going for the cure here. And I'm staying focused and positive, and concentrating on getting well.
O'BRIEN: I bet. And we're glad to hear all of that. How has your family been through what's been a pretty traumatic ordeal for you?
AKERS: Yes, it's been tough. But I think any time your family and friends see you go through a hard time, it's tough for everybody. So -- but we're a close network and we're getting through it. And like I said, just trying to get betterment.
O'BRIEN: Before we run out of time, a quick question for your attorney. How much money are you suing for, Mr. Clifford?
CLIFFORD: Well, Soledad, about the time that Molly was being told that her breast was needlessly taken off, President Bush was in Illinois telling people like Molly that she was entitled to $250,000 and no more. And that's the debate that's currently taking place in the Illinois general assembly.
And it's our view and Molly's view and that of many legislators that our constitutional right to have a jury tell us how much is involved is what is foremost. And that's particularly true when somebody like Molly is being asked to give up her rights in exchange for giving doctors relief on their insurance premiums when the insurance companies tell them that they are not going to lower their premiums and, in fact, they're going to continue to raise the premiums even with caps. So it's a big policy debate.
O'BRIEN: Well, that's certainly your focus. Molly obviously focused on getting well.
Molly, we wish you the very -- the very best. Good luck with your treatment and your recovery. Thanks for talking with us, both of you, this morning.
CLIFFORD: Thank you.
AKERS: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: In a moment here, CNN has spoken with those pilots who flew alongside the wayward plane yesterday trying to decide if it was friend or foe. That conversation and what we learned in a moment here as we continue after this on a Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. Here is Jack looking at the U.N. and more.
CAFFERTY: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bill, scheduled to vote today on John Bolton's nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to that (INAUDIBLE) body over there on the East River. The vote's been delayed for a while. Some controversy around this man.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell actually expressed reservations about Mr. Bolton, saying he was an intelligent guy but a problematic government official who treated State Department subordinates harshly. We want to know if you think he is the right guy for the job.
Diane in California writes, "Absolutely no. We've had enough of the sanctimonious, hypocritical nastiness of this administration. Bolton is just another of Bush's minions, another DeLay Republican supported by Rove and Cheney. We need a team player to deal with the problems we create in the world, not another cowboy."
Hal in Missouri writes, "John Bolton is the kind of man you would use as a blueprint to build an idiot. He shouldn't be allowed near the U.N."
I don't know why that's funny to me, but it is.
"The kind of man you would use as blueprint to build an idiot." We have some of those here.
Jeff in Washington writes, "Well, another pathetically-slanted question from you, Jack. The reason he should not be our U.N. ambassador is because Bolton, like you do with your 'Question of the Day,' was guilty of slanting intelligence and running end-arounds at anyone who disagreed with his ideological stance on how intelligence should be."
And Des in Aiken, South Carolina, "Jack Cafferty, clearly the most tactful person on your panel, endorses John Bolton to head our diplomatic corps. I say, why pussyfoot around with someone who may be tough? Mike Tyson is the man for the job."
(LAUGHTER)
HEMMER: You know, I'm tired of your pathetic, slanted ways, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Well, you have to deal with it. I'm here for 16 more months.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Fifteen.
CAFFERTY: Well, soon to be 15, yes.
HEMMER: Who's counting?
CAFFERTY: I am.
HEMMER: Talk to you later. I know you are.
In a moment here, Dr. Gupta is back, talking about "CSI Miami" in our "House Call" today. Ever wonder why everything on that hit show looks so real? Well, so do we. The secrets behind "CSI" after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 12, 2005 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. And on Capitol Hill at this hour, a huge controversy coming to a head. Will John Bolton be America's next U.S. ambassador? A key vote could happen within hours there.
The mad dash in Washington when a -- a plane, rather, flew too close. What have authorities learned about protecting the capital as a result?
And that freeway chase with a deadly end. Now some tough questions about live television on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody.
Also ahead this morning, actor Macaulay Culkin testifying on Wednesday in the Michael Jackson trial. The key question now, did he help the defense?
HEMMER: Defense attorney Anne Bremner in the courtroom, saw the whole thing. We'll talk to her about the impact of Culkin's testimony. It may surprise you if you have been listening for Anne on our show over the past several weeks, though. So we'll get to her thoughts in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Hi, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: They may actually get around to voting on the nomination of John Bolton to be the next U.N. ambassador. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee scheduled to vote up or down on him today and whether or not it will go on to the full Senate.
He's a controversial figure, a bit of a lightning rod. So the question this morning is, do you think John Bolton is the right guy to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations?
HEMMER: Looks like it's going to happen, though.
CAFFERTY: It looks like.
O'BRIEN: Does it?
CAFFERTY: Yes, if they vote on party lines, he will get approved 10-8. And they can even get one defection, I think. But -- but it looks like he's -- it's going to happen.
HEMMER: We'll see. Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the headlines with Carol Costello.
Good morning again.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," at least a dozen people killed in new attacks in eastern Baghdad this morning. Iraqi police say a car bomb exploded in a crowded marketplace earlier today. Another bomb struck a few hours later, possibly targeting a U.S. military convoy in the area. No word on American casualties.
Iran may be planning to resume some nuclear activities in the very near future. The announcement could lead to a potential showdown with Europe.
According to "The Washington Post," key European diplomats are planning to deliver a letter to Iran as early as today. It warns that any move to unfreeze Iran's nuclear program would end international talks.
In house news this morning, get this: a woman's birthday could determine when she hits menopause, seriously. Italian researches say women born in the spring may go into menopause at the age of 48, while those born in the fall may go into menopause at age 50. The study implies that temperature and sunlight may affect fetal growth, and, therefore, future reproduction all the way into adulthood. Much more work is needed to find out why the apparent link exists.
And there is word comedian Dave Chappelle has checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa. The magazine "Entertainment Weekly" claims Chappelle has been in treatment since last month. His rep has denied rumors Chappelle's problems are drug- related.
The third season of "Chappelle's Show" has been put on hold. And remember, he got a $50 million contract for a third season?
HEMMER: Sure. Rich guy. Funny guy. Wish him the best.
O'BRIEN: Oh, the pressure, though. Super tough for him. All right.
COSTELLO: Must have been.
O'BRIEN: Carol, thanks.
COSTELLO: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's take you right to Baghdad now. Solomon Moore of the "Los Angeles Times" is on the phone us with. He is embedded with the U.S. Marines, who are engaged with the fighting that we've been talking about this morning near the Syrian border.
Solomon, thanks for talking with us. Give me an indication if you can about the strength of the resistance Marines are encountering.
SOLOMON MOORE, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": Well, the Marines are encountering a whole lot of strength these past couple of days. On Sunday, they did get a -- they did get into a big firefight with insurgents who were in the city of Ubaydi. But since then, since Sunday, they have really been on the run. And Marines have been sweeping through several cities along the shores of the Euphrates, near Syria, but they haven't turned up many insurgents.
What they have found are fighting positions, they've found weapons caches, they've found different evidence that insurgents had been in the area, but they haven't found the insurgents yet. They seem to be on the run. Some say that they have gone into Syria.
O'BRIEN: So, then, is that a sense that -- is there any evidence that in fact they're on the run heading into Syria, or is there evidence that maybe they're just melting back temporarily as they did in Falluja?
MOORE: Yes. I mean, it's hard to tell. Of course these are guerrilla fighters. They do blend in with the populations of these -- these villages.
I've talked to a couple of villagers who say that, in fact, they -- the insurgents have commandeered their homes from time to time to fire upon American positions. So, it's difficult for the Marines to weed out, you know, who's a -- who's an insurgent and who is just a person caught in the middle here. But there is some indication that they have been kind of moving from village to village, retreating as the Marines have swept through the area.
The Marines do think that perhaps some cities closer to the Syrian border may still have some insurgent forces in them. And they're continuing to press from the east to the west.
O'BRIEN: You write, Solomon, with great description about a roadside bomb that blew up a vehicle that you had been riding in and not much before it blew up. How vulnerable are the Marines that you are embedded with?
MOORE: I'm sorry, can you say that one more time?
O'BRIEN: I wanted to ask you about the -- the article that you wrote for the "Los Angeles Times." You describe in great depth the explosion, the blowing up of a vehicle by a roadside bomb. And this vehicle, my understanding is, that you were in it not long before it blew up.
How vulnerable to the Marines to these kinds of attacks?
MOORE: Well, the Marines do sweep for mines. This wasn't a roadside bomb, it appeared to be a mine, a landmine.
And they do sweep for mines, they do use armored vehicles, but in this case it appears that it was a double-stacked mine, two mines stacked upon each other. And a shape charge, meaning that they shaped the pit that they put the mine in so that it will blast in one direction and really punch even a hole even into this armored vehicle that they were riding in yesterday.
O'BRIEN: Solomon Moore of the "Los Angeles Times," embedded with the U.S. Marines. Solomon, thanks.
And we're going to continue, of course, to check in with him. Operation Matador in its fifth day today.
HEMMER: Later today, Soledad, a crucial Senate committee vote on whether or not John Bolton should be the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Will the nominee get the votes he needs?
CNN State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel standing by live on the Hill.
It's been a delay of several weeks now. Do we expect it today, Andrea? Good morning there.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Yes, we do expect a vote. The delay that's gone on during the time that the -- since the delay began last month, committee staffers in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have been interviewing quite literally dozens of both current and former U.S. officials to find out whether or not there's any kind of a pattern over allegations that Bolton bullied subordinates and sought to either replace or fire those intelligence analysts who disagreed with what his take was on weapons programs in North Korea, Iraq and Cuba.
A lot of Senate democrats I spoke with, at least committee staffers last night, are saying that they are not getting and have not gotten the cooperation that they had requested, additional documents from the State Department. But the vote is expected to go forward.
And in an interview with CNN's Larry King, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed allegations that Bolton was abusive to some subordinate, and said there are a lot of colleagues who are actually inspired by him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: John is hard-charging. There's no doubt about that. But he has been very successful in managing people. He's been very successful in his diplomacy. I expect that when John leads the mission at the United -- at the U.N., that he's going to do it in a way that is respectful of the people who work for him, and that he'll get the best out of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KOPPEL: Rice said that she expected the Bolton nomination to go forward and felt that he was imminently qualified for the job. But a lot of that depends on one man's vote, and that is the Senate Republican from Ohio, George Voinovich, who really shocked everyone on the committee last month when he said that he needed more time.
And he was really the one who basically convinced the other committee members that they were going to have to wait because there are 10 Republicans and eight Democrats. And if Voinovich had voted against the nomination, it would have been a 9-9 vote.
So, right now, according to one staffer, Voinovich still has not made up his mind which way he's going to go. He likes to call it the kitchen test, Bill, whether or not he would like to sit down with the guy at his kitchen table and talk with him. And as of late last night, he was saying he was still undecided whether or not John Bolton passed that test for him -- Bill.
HEMMER: We'll be watching from here. Thanks, Andrea. Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: In our CNN "Security Watch" this morning, questions about how a small plane strayed into restricted airspace in Washington on Wednesday. The White House and Capitol were alerted to the security breach. Both buildings were quickly evacuated.
The plane was escorted to the ground by F-16s and a Homeland Security helicopter. Pilots Jim Shaeffer and Troy Martin have not yet been charged with anything. Their trip began in Smokestown, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday morning, but they got lost, and they ended up on a straight line to Washington.
Let's get right to Alina Cho. She's in Smoketown this morning.
Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you. And given what we know now, it is almost pretty easy to -- to see how this could have happened.
The Smoketown Airport really couldn't be smaller. There's just one runway, no control tower, and as little as five take-offs and landings in any given day.
There's no real check-in policy either. Pilots here generally come and go as they please, and it looks like that's exactly what happened yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): A beautiful, clear day, a mid-morning take- off. The two men, friends say, were headed to an air show in North Carolina.
PHIL BOYER, AIRCRAFT OWNERS PILOT ASSOCIATION: They obviously then didn't plot their course on the map properly. A straight line between those two points takes you right by the capital.
CHO: The men took off in their Cessna 150 from this single runway airport in Smoketown, Pennsylvania. Mel Glick is the airport's owner.
MEL GLICK, OWNER, SMOKETOWN AIRPORT: Out in the country here you can fly anywhere you want to, any time you want to, pretty much, as long as the weather's good enough. And you don't have to report in to anyone.
CHO: The men were identified as pilot Jim Shaeffer, a retired trucker, and student pilot Troy Martin, a 35-year-old father. Mel Martin says this was his son's first cross-country flight.
MEL MARTIN, FATHER OF PILOT: When I heard it come across the news, I never even thought that it was him. And then even they said, "Oh, two pilots from Smoketown."
And so I was going to call his wife and say, "Hey, there's going to be excitement in Smokestown because somebody from Smokestown, you know, got into the no-fly area," never thinking it was my son. And then I called my wife to tell her and she says, "It was Troy!"
CHO: The FBI and Secret Service detained and questioned the two men, and then released them, calling the incident a mistake. Glick, who says he knows the men, says he was questioned too.
GLICK: Local police, state police, FBI, Secret Service and news people. Lots of news people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Smoketown is population 119. So you can imagine this is very, very big news around here.
As for the pilots, Soledad, there will be no criminal charges against them, as I mentioned. But there could be a civil case against them. And Jim Shaeffer, the pilot, could have his pilot's license either suspended or revoked -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Alina Cho for us this morning. Alina, thanks.
Coming up, we're going to speak to CNN's Kyra Phillips. She has spoken to those F-16 pilots who were forced the plane down.
You'll want to stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.
HEMMER: About 13 minutes past the hour. To the Michael Jackson trial.
Actor Macaulay Culkin on the stand on Wednesday. He called the molestation charges against Jackson absolutely ridiculous.
Attorney Anne Bremner was in the courtroom yesterday. She's back with us today live in Santa Maria. Good morning out there, Anne.
ANNE BREMNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Did Culkin give Jackson's defense a boost yesterday in your estimation?
BREMNER: He gave the defense a huge boost. He was a five-star witness. It was a five-star day for the defense. He couldn't have been better.
HEMMER: How so? How so, Anne?
BREMNER: Well, what he did, you know, he's -- first of all, he's charming, he's adorable. He came in, he was a little bit nervous. And he talked right to the jurors, and he said, "I was never molested by Michael Jackson. I heard about this on CNN."
And no one came to me and said, 'Were you molested by him or not?' And I want to basically come in and set the record straight."
He was -- he was very appropriate. He was not -- he didn't overreach to help Jackson. He didn't look at Jackson a lot.
And he said that he -- they understood each other. He said -- he had a great line. He said, "There is no self-help group for child performers." And that was a special bond that they had.
HEMMER: How did he then explain the testimony the prosecution put on about these two prosecution witnesses who claim, anyway, that they saw Culkin -- Macaulay Culkin, rather, molested by Michael Jackson?
BREMNER: Yes, what he said was, he stayed with Michael Jackson, his family stayed with Michael Jackson. That he had slept in the same bed with him maybe a handful of times.
He always slept in his clothes. He was a kid back then, jeans and a T-shirt. Nothing ever happened, and that these people were completely wrong.
HEMMER: How did he describe...
BREMNER: And he talked about...
HEMMER: ... how did he describe those sleepovers then? What did he say, something about a dozen times or so?
BREMNER: Right, but that was over many years, because they knew each other -- well, they've known each other for a long time and they're still friends. But what he talked about was, you know, at Neverland it was fun all the time, he would flop down anywhere and sleep. And then there were some times he slept in the same bed with Jackson with other members of his family.
He was never unclothed. And none of this happened. And he also said, you know, "We celebrities are targets. And the bigger the celebrity, the bigger the target."
And basically, he was saying Michael Jackson is the biggest target of all for people who that want his money, that want to make false claims. So, you know, he talked about just some times that he fell asleep in the bed, nothing ever happened. And he was adamant about that.
HEMMER: And the prosecution then comes up to the stand there, and they keep on asking this consistent question about, well, what happened when you were sleeping?
BREMNER: Right.
HEMMER: Was there a possibility it happened then? Culkin said at one point -- we can show our viewers this -- "As far as I know, he has never molested me. I find it unlikely." Which I believe was the response he gave about whether or not he was asleep at the time. "I think I'd realize if something like that would be happening."
When the prosecution goes back to that point time and time again with these witnesses, how do jurors react? Or can you gauge that?
BREMNER: Well, the jurors were, you know, very interested in what he had to say. And he was -- you know, when he said, "I think I would know that," he was very adamant and clear about that.
And here's in terms of the case what the witnesses said. What the witnesses in the state's case said was, "He was awake" at the times that they saw molestation. There were two occasions, one seen by a maid, and one seen by a chef.
So, even to suggest it happened when he was asleep doesn't comport with what the testimony was in the prosecution's case in chief.
HEMMER: Give me a one-word answer here. Yesterday you said that this witness could turn the case in Jackson's favor. Do you think he did?
BREMNER: Yes.
HEMMER: Wow. More today. Thanks, Anne.
Anne Bremner, Santa Maria, California.
BREMNER: Thank you.
HEMMER: You got it. Talk to you later.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, one mother's surgical nightmare. She underwent a mastectomy she never needed all because of a lab mix-up. She'll share her emotional story ahead this morning.
HEMMER: Also, this scene caught on live television, a high-speed chase ending in a deadly hail of bullets. And if you were in California yesterday you could watch it live. O'BRIEN: And Dr. Sanjay Gupta makes a house call to the set of "CSI Miami." Just how real is everything you see on that show? The scoop inside ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Last February, Molly Akers was told she had breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, but then a week later her doctor told her the hospital had made a mistake. The surgery had been unnecessary.
Molly Akers joins us this morning from Chicago. She's with her attorney, Robert Clifford.
Nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us this morning.
ROBERT CLIFFORD, AKERS' ATTORNEY: Good morning, Soledad.
MOLLY AKERS, HAD NEEDLESS SURGERY: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Molly, let's back up a little bit and talk about your diagnosis. You were first diagnosed, though, with neck cancer back in 2004. You were getting treated for that. Then in February of 2005, your doctor says, a biopsy shows you have breast cancer.
You have the mastectomy, as we mentioned, and then you get this news from your doctor it was a mistake. First of all, what did they tell you had happened?
AKERS: Well -- I'm sorry, you can repeat that question?
O'BRIEN: I'm curious to know, what did they tell you? How did your doctor tell you, oops, we made a mistake?
AKERS: Oh, how did they tell you. Yes, I was called into the doctor's office early, and I knew something was up. And my doctor carefully explained to me that my slides had been mistaken with another patient's slides.
O'BRIEN: And what was your reaction?
AKERS: Well, I was upset and I was shocked. I was relieved, too.
I mean, I was upset about the mistake. I was relieved that I didn't have breast cancer. But I didn't really stay in that time moment very long because I had to concentrate on getting better and start my treatment for my neck cancer.
O'BRIEN: Here's what the hospital said. They said, "We can confirm that in a very unfortunate incident, the patient's biopsy was mislabeled with the name and number of another patient. As a consequence, she had an operation that was not necessary. We deeply regret that this occurred."
They're not denying that it happened. What do you make of how the hospital has responded to this massive mistake?
AKERS: Well, they were very honest. And, like I said, I didn't spend much time in that moment, because since those dates I started my treatment for my neck and have been concentrating on getting well with that.
O'BRIEN: And how are you concerned -- or, are you concerned, that, in fact, the mastectomy and the treatment that you had for the breast cancer you thought you had is going to impact your recovery and your treatment for your neck cancer?
AKERS: Well, you know, a lot is unknown at this point. I mean, I -- there was a delay in my treatment, and I still have a lot of other unknowns.
I have reconstruction that I need to have done from the mastectomy, but my neck treatment has been going well. And I'm going for the cure here. And I'm staying focused and positive, and concentrating on getting well.
O'BRIEN: I bet. And we're glad to hear all of that. How has your family been through what's been a pretty traumatic ordeal for you?
AKERS: Yes, it's been tough. But I think any time your family and friends see you go through a hard time, it's tough for everybody. So -- but we're a close network and we're getting through it. And like I said, just trying to get betterment.
O'BRIEN: Before we run out of time, a quick question for your attorney. How much money are you suing for, Mr. Clifford?
CLIFFORD: Well, Soledad, about the time that Molly was being told that her breast was needlessly taken off, President Bush was in Illinois telling people like Molly that she was entitled to $250,000 and no more. And that's the debate that's currently taking place in the Illinois general assembly.
And it's our view and Molly's view and that of many legislators that our constitutional right to have a jury tell us how much is involved is what is foremost. And that's particularly true when somebody like Molly is being asked to give up her rights in exchange for giving doctors relief on their insurance premiums when the insurance companies tell them that they are not going to lower their premiums and, in fact, they're going to continue to raise the premiums even with caps. So it's a big policy debate.
O'BRIEN: Well, that's certainly your focus. Molly obviously focused on getting well.
Molly, we wish you the very -- the very best. Good luck with your treatment and your recovery. Thanks for talking with us, both of you, this morning.
CLIFFORD: Thank you.
AKERS: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: In a moment here, CNN has spoken with those pilots who flew alongside the wayward plane yesterday trying to decide if it was friend or foe. That conversation and what we learned in a moment here as we continue after this on a Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. Here is Jack looking at the U.N. and more.
CAFFERTY: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bill, scheduled to vote today on John Bolton's nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to that (INAUDIBLE) body over there on the East River. The vote's been delayed for a while. Some controversy around this man.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell actually expressed reservations about Mr. Bolton, saying he was an intelligent guy but a problematic government official who treated State Department subordinates harshly. We want to know if you think he is the right guy for the job.
Diane in California writes, "Absolutely no. We've had enough of the sanctimonious, hypocritical nastiness of this administration. Bolton is just another of Bush's minions, another DeLay Republican supported by Rove and Cheney. We need a team player to deal with the problems we create in the world, not another cowboy."
Hal in Missouri writes, "John Bolton is the kind of man you would use as a blueprint to build an idiot. He shouldn't be allowed near the U.N."
I don't know why that's funny to me, but it is.
"The kind of man you would use as blueprint to build an idiot." We have some of those here.
Jeff in Washington writes, "Well, another pathetically-slanted question from you, Jack. The reason he should not be our U.N. ambassador is because Bolton, like you do with your 'Question of the Day,' was guilty of slanting intelligence and running end-arounds at anyone who disagreed with his ideological stance on how intelligence should be."
And Des in Aiken, South Carolina, "Jack Cafferty, clearly the most tactful person on your panel, endorses John Bolton to head our diplomatic corps. I say, why pussyfoot around with someone who may be tough? Mike Tyson is the man for the job."
(LAUGHTER)
HEMMER: You know, I'm tired of your pathetic, slanted ways, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Well, you have to deal with it. I'm here for 16 more months.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Fifteen.
CAFFERTY: Well, soon to be 15, yes.
HEMMER: Who's counting?
CAFFERTY: I am.
HEMMER: Talk to you later. I know you are.
In a moment here, Dr. Gupta is back, talking about "CSI Miami" in our "House Call" today. Ever wonder why everything on that hit show looks so real? Well, so do we. The secrets behind "CSI" after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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