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American Morning

Some Lawmakers Accusing President Bush of Backtracking on His Pledge; Proper Way to Evacuate a Subway Train

Aired July 19, 2005 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, a hurricane warning is in effect this hour for parts of lower of Texas. People in the region are boarding up windows and stacking sandbags ahead of a possible hit from Hurricane Emily. Emily is now a strong category one, packing winds of about 90 miles per hour. But the storm could pick up again. Emily slammed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula early Monday with strong winds, leaving behind flooding and downed trees.
Now Taiwan is mopping up after a powerful typhoon there. Heavy winds and rain flooded roads, knocked out power to some 1.5 million homes. At least two deaths are reportedly blamed on the weather.

Israeli troops have killed two Palestinians in a raid in the West Bank. Sources tell CNN the men were senior members of an Islamic militant group.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops are trying to stop some 10,000 demonstrators from gathering in Gaza. The crowds are protesting Israel's plans to withdraw from that region. Israel has deployed 20,000 police and soldiers to keep the protesters from crossing into Gaza.

Now to the Natalee Holloway case. The FBI is planning to conduct its own tests after strands of blond hair were found on a beach in Aruba. Aruba authorities have agreed to share that sample with the FBI. Now the search for the Alabama teen has been under way since the end of may. An Aruba park spokesman says a ranger found several strands of hair stuck to duct tape on the opposite side of the island where Holloway was last seen.

And listen to this, Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers has another run-in with a cameraman. Rogers turned himself in to police on Monday. He faces assault charges for a confrontation with a couple of photographers last month, and he just couldn't stay quiet while being booked. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNY ROGERS, TEXAS RANGERS: Dude, you're getting really close, you know that? Do you hear me? You must be pretty proud of yourself, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my job, Kenny.

ROGERS: Yes, good job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Rogers was released on a $1,500 bond. He could face up to a year in prison if convicted. He is also appealing a 20-game suspension and $50,000 fine. Miles, apparently, this gambler not ready to fold them and walk away.

O'BRIEN: Wow. He's got some issues, doesn't he? Anger management time.

All right, thank you, Betty. Appreciate it.

On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers are accusing President Bush of backtracking on his pledge last year to fire whomever leaked the identity of a CIA operative.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know all the facts, and I want to know all the facts. Best place for the facts to be done is by somebody who's spending time investigating it. I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts. And if someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, there's word the president could announce his Supreme Court nominee as early as today. Could that take some of the media heat off of the president's top adviser Karl Rove? Issues that are swirling around inside the beltway, and with which Bill Schneider is intimately familiar.

Mr. Schneider, Good to see you, sir.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST: Good to see you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: That was a significant shift there, parsing through that language. If someone committed a crime. That's different, isn't it?

SCHNEIDER: It is different. The president had said earlier, that if anyone in the White House was involved in leaking classified information, that person should be fired. Now he's saying, if someone committed a crime. It's a much higher standard, because the law is very complicated about the crime of leaking classified information or identifying a covert agent. There are some very tough standards that have to be met. So a lot of people think, well, yes, maybe they leaked, if not the name, at least the role of secret agent. But it wasn't necessarily a crime.

O'BRIEN: You know, it gets back to -- I keep saying this. It goes back -- reminds me of the Clinton days when we were talking about what the definition of "is" is. All this, you know, kind of...

SCHNEIDER: Parsing.

O'BRIEN: Yes, the parsing of the language. I wonder how that plays among the populous here.

SCHNEIDER: Well, it's not playing very well. I think there's, shall we say, leak damage that's occurring in the White House. And there's a new poll from ABC News that actually shows evidence of that damage. Only 25 percent of Americans believe that the White House is fully cooperating with the leak investigation. That's very low. Almost twice as many say they're not cooperating.

O'BRIEN: Does that number surprise you?

SCHNEIDER: Well, yes, it does actually, because about a third of the country are Republicans. And clearly, it means even the Republicans are not lined up solidly behind the White House.

Another answer in that poll was also very damaging. Should Karl Rove be fired if he leaked classified information? By five to one, 75 percent of Americans say, yes, he should be fired. And on this point, Democrats and Republicans agree he should be fired, which means this issue isn't just politics. And the reason it's not just politics is it has to do with national security.

O'BRIEN: This is important stuff, after all.

Let's talk about the fact that yet another name has surfaced, the vice president's chief of staff, Scooter Libby. Does that in any way change things for Karl Rove, take a little heat off him?

SCHNEIDER: Well, I think it broadens the issue. Look, Scooter Libby is the chief of staff to the vice president. He's a very high- ranking White House official. And what that suggests is any leak of classified information may not have been a mistake or misjudgment. If a lot of people did it, at least more than one, maybe it was a deliberate policy.

O'BRIEN: All right. So if you're at the White House today and you say, geez, all things being equal, this might be a good day to announce a supreme court nominee, right?

SCHNEIDER: You got it. That's what a lot of people are suspecting. The more devious minds here in Washington, of whom there are quite a few, are saying that the White House may have speeded up its schedule for announcing a Supreme Court nominee simply to change the story. That's bound to make the front pages. It's bound to create a certain amount of controversy. And for at least a while, that could take the heat off.

But remember, there is a grand jury meeting. There may be indictments handed down. That grand jury will not expire until October. So the Karl Rove CIA leak story has some time to go.

O'BRIEN: The story has legs, doesn't it?

SCHNEIDER: It does. It has legs. And most of all, it's being driven by a press corps which doesn't appreciate being stonewalled by the White House. It's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. O'BRIEN: All right. And it's important for the White House to get this nomination out probably before Congress disappears into their summer recess, right?

SCHNEIDER: Well, they want to get the nomination out, because they want a new justice in place, they hope, by the beginning of the term, October 3rd. The problem is, by naming a justice now and Congress going into recess at the end of next week, that leaves about a month for critics of whoever the president nominates to bat the nominee around a little bit.

Let me tell you something, Miles, we know one part of this game that's probably fairly new since the Bork nomination. The second the president announces his nomination, today, tomorrow, whenever, within hours key senators are going to be out trying to define this person who's pretty unknown to the American public. We know that the game -- Kennedy did this with Bork -- is to define the nominee very, very quickly.

O'BRIEN: All right, lots of definitions that lie ahead. And Bill Schneider will be there for us, thank you very much.

Let's get right over to the White House. Bob Franken is there, where he can give us a little insights.

Is this a good day to announce a Supreme Court nominee, Mr. Franken?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You cynical people in the news media. Well, here's what I can tell you. CNN is engaging in what some stations like to call team coverage. And I can tell you the chief national correspondent John King has been told that the president has not locked in on someone, but was getting there. That's a quote. Of course, that could happen today. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash told by a variety of sources that it could come today. I've been hearing the same thing. And I'm, of course, aware of the meeting that Senator Arlen Specter had here at the White House last night. Specter the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. We're told he actually sat down with the president. But most public, what a coincidence, that he and Karl Rove were available to make sure the cameras got shots of him. Karl Rove, you remember him. He was certainly yesterday's story. Will he be today's story? Well, The focus is certainly switching, as you point out, to the Supreme Court.

Now here's what to watch for: After 11:00 this morning, President Bush will be appearing with the Australian prime minister, and that will mean questions that have nothing to do with relations with Australia. What you want to watch is to see if the questions switch from the matter of Karl Rove to the questions of a Supreme Court nominee, and I have a prediction that's exactly what's going to happen.

O'BRIEN: Once again, way out on a limb goes Bob Franken. Thank you very much. Appreciate it -- Carol. CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: During the London terror attacks, many people who were stuck in the underground described a scene of panic and chaos as people tried to get out. Prompts the question. What could you do in that situation?

In a CNN Security Watch, CNN's Kimberly Osias set out to learn the proper way to evacuate a subway train.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An underground terrorist attack hasn't happened in the U.S., but alert levels in metro's underground and on mass transit above have been raised, from yellow to orange, signs of vigilance are everywhere.

In Washington, 700,000 passengers are going about their business every day. With that kind of volume, second only to New York, officials say preparedness is key. Victor Size (ph) has been working the subway lines for 23 years. For him, evacuation protocol is secondhand, but he says for a novice, when the power goes out, fear can set in.

(on camera): Well, it's definitely dark.

VICTOR SIZE, METRO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: It gets very dark and the emergency lighting would kick up. You'd have a light on every other door: One in the middle, one at either end of the car.

If you hadn't heard anything in maybe the last few minutes from a train operator, so we'd go to the intercom.

OSIAS: Totally eerie.

SIZE: As you can see, there's glow-in-the-dark material on the intercom. So, even in total darkness, you can find that.

OSIAS: Yes, I do see that, but you have to know what you're looking for.

SIZE: It's at either end of every car.

OSIAS: The lights are out in our cab. Should we evacuate?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you should evacuate it, please.

OSIAS: It's dark. How do you know which doors to hit?

SIZE: You go to the middle of the car. You're going to have judge that the best you can.

OSIAS: So you get to the middle of the car and then the doors are closed, so now what?

SIZE: This will illuminate even in total darkness. You raise the cover and you pull the red handle.

OSIAS: That opens the door -- or enables us to open the door?

SIZE: That releases the door; it unlocks it.

OSIAS: It's a little bit tough. OK. Just walk on out?

SIZE: And then out to safety.

OSIAS (voice-over): That's if you're on the landing. If you're actually in the tunnel, a bit dicier. Like Chicago and New York, D.C. has a third rail.

SIZE: The third rail will be away from the catwalk.

OSIAS: With 750 volts of electricity coursing through it, any miss-step can be lethal.

(on camera): It's a bit like that game "Operation." You want to be careful, really careful.

SIZE: The main concern is, if you're evacuating the train, is to get personnel out.

OSIAS (voice-over): By following the lights, looking for signs, and taking the first exit you see.

SIZE: Get out when you can.

OSIAS: The stairs take you up to street level and out to safety. For victor Size...

SIZE: I don't have time to be frightened while you're doing your job.

OSIAS: ... Fear sets in only after everyone else is safe.

Kimberly Osias, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In our next hour, tips on what to do in the event of a terrorist attack on mass transit or in other public places. Stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING: tips on cutting your health care costs. We're "Minding Your Business."

O'BRIEN: And next, the debate over whether there's really a link between cell phones and brain cancer. We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" for both sides of this controversial issue. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Millions of Americans use cell phones without a second thought, but could there be a hidden danger? While there's no conclusive evidence, some doctors still believe there could be a link between cell phones and brain cancer. We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" on this, who reports the family of famed attorney Johnnie Cochran wonders if a cell phone had something to do with his death.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The news of her father's illness opened a well spring of sadness and fear in Johnnie Cochran's doctor Tiffany. Her father, relatively young and healthy, struck suddenly by a brain tumor.

TIFFANY COCHRAN, JOHNNIE COCHRAN'S DAUGHTER: It was traumatic because I thought, well, biopsy, that's not good. Spot on the MRI. You know, I put two and two together, and I knew it wasn't good.

GUPTA: So she turned to her father's physician, renowned Los Angeles neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Black, to answer the question by so many of when cancer strikes, why? And he offered the family an opinion they found stunning.

COCHRAN: He explained that this type of cancer is a balance between environment and genetics, but he thought for my dad it was more environment. And he said perhaps cell phone usage.

DR. KEITH BLACK, CEDAR SINAI HOSPITAL: It's my own belief that there probably is a correlation between the use of cell phones and brain cancer, even though there's no scientific proof.

GUPTA: Dr. Black, who's the head of neurosurgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, believes one day science will catch up to what he's already seen with his own patients.

BLACK: We know that people who use cell phones a lot also complain of headaches, difficulty with concentration, with memory. You know, this is a microwave antenna, so you're essentially cooking the brain when you hold the receiver right next to your brain.

GUPTA: That's a hypothesis that Dr. Howard Frumkin, who studies the relationship between cancer and cell phone use, vehemently disputes.

DR. HOWARD FRUMKIN, EMORY UNIV.: The level of energy is so different with a cell phone than it is with a microwave oven or with some of the other big sources of energy, that there's really no way to equate the two. They're completely different phenomena.

GUPTA: Still Dr. Black points out something else that troubles him: Cochran's tumor was on the left side of his brain. He was known to hold the cell phone on that same side. Dr. Black's experience with his own patients...

BLACK: We do know that there is a significant correlation between the side that one uses their cell phone on and the side that you develop the brain tumor on.

GUPTA: Today in the United States, 175 million people use cell phones. Worldwide, the number is 1.6 billion. And according to the FDA, they say this: There is no hard evidence of adverse health effects on the general public from exposure to radio frequency energy, while using wireless communication devices.

Dr. Frumkin insists there's no way cell phones could have led to Cochran's or anyone else's death given the scientific evidence.

FRUMKIN: I'm worried that, if people hear claims like that, they'll be unduly concerned. This is a very low probability kind of a thing, approaching a zero probability. So I think that there's no evidence to support the idea that Mr. Cochran's brain tumor resulted from cell phone use.

GUPTA: While the FDA says no study has definitively drawn a connection between cancer and cell phone use, the agency points out there haven't been any studies to rule one out either. The FDA and Dr. Frumkin agree that more studies should be done protectively.

COCHRAN: That was my wedding day.

GUPTA: Tiffany Cochran realizes the question of whether cell phone use was a factor in her father's illness cannot be answered today. And Cochran's friend and doctor, Keith Black, stresses cell phone moderation and using an earpiece to be on the safe side.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Now Sanjay mentions one more important thing about Johnny Cochran's situation. He used an old style analog cell phone for many years. Today most of us use digital phones. Dr. Black says that's an important distinction. Those old phones gave off much more microwave radiation and may, may, have been more dangerous.

Now here's what the cell phone industry has to say. "Unfortunately," -- this is a quote now -- "Unfortunately, this type of claim is not new. This is an issue that should be guided by science, and public statements that ignore the enormous body of available scientific research or fail to contribute to it do not serve the public's interest."

Just last month, the American Cancer Society, in conjunction with Discovery Health Channel and Prevention Magazine published its top ten cancer myths. Wireless phone use ranked eighth -- Carol.

COSTELLO: More health news still to come on AMERICAN MORNING. Up next, tips on what you can do to keep your health care spending down. We're "Minding Your Business." Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Americans are spending more on health care every year. With tips on how to cut your costs, Gerri Willis is here. She's in for Andy Serwer. She's "Minding Your Business" this morning. That's a tall order.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm telling you, it's a lot of work to cut health care costs. But we've got some great ideas today.

Tip number one, get a flexible spending account. It's a great way to start. If your employer offers one, you can set aside pre-tax dollars. People typically set aside $4,000 to $5,000 and pay for things like prescription drugs, co-pays. And here's the good news. Congress is allowing you to roll over some of that money, but beyond December 31st, all the way to March 15th. Because, Carol, you probably remember, if you didn't spend it by the end of the year, you lost it.

COSTELLO: You lost it, right.

WILLIS: So not anymore. But you do have to spend it by March 15.

COSTELLO: OK, your next tip is just say no.

WILLIS: Sounds tough, doesn't it?

COSTELLO: I'm not going to get sick, I'm not going to get sick, no.

WILLIS: No, what we're talking about here is you really need to take a good look at how much money you're spending. Pharmaceutical companies, they're spending a lot of money promoting these drugs, as much as $7 billion every year. Don't buy the on-patent most expensive drug possible. You might want to shop around, think about the best drug for your problem. Go to crbestbuydrug.org. This is the Web site of Consumer Reports, and they've actually compiled information on all kinds of drugs that will allow you to you compare other drugs that might not cost as much.

A couple other places to go. Costco.com, familymeds.com. Now, these are Web sites that will actually see -- help you to see prices in the stores so you know what you're getting.

COSTELLO: OK, screen yourself, which is kind of a frightening thought.

WILLIS: Well, you...

COSTELLO: You mean take your own blood pressure and stuff?

WILLIS: No. Actually, what I mean is -- what we're saying, Carol, is, you know, screening helps you cut your costs because you catch disease early. It can save your life and save you money.

COSTELLO: So go to the doctor.

WILLIS: Go to the doctor and get pre-screening. In some cases, cancer -- the American Cancer Society gives out some free screening if you meet certain criteria. Go to cancer.org for more information. Also, the National Center for Disease Control, if you go to their Web site, you can get free screening, too. So that just lets you save on money that you don't have to spend if you try to get at these problems early.

COSTELLO: Got it now. Generic drugs.

WILLIS: Generics, of course, save you money. Big deal. $1,200 to $2,000 a year. I'm telling you, you can save a ton of money doing this. And of course, remember to deduct your expenses if they are more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Good advice, and simple things to do.

WILLIS: Simple.

COSTELLO: Gerri Willis, thank you -- Miles?

O'BRIEN: In a moment, Hurricane Emily turns across the Gulf of Mexico. We've got the latest on its path as AMERICAN MORNING continues. -Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Strong indications this hour President Bush could name a Supreme Court nomination as early as today. We are, of course, live in Washington on this Supreme speculation.

Keeping a close eye on Hurricane Emily, meanwhile. Getting stronger and heading toward Mexico, but the U.S., not out of the woods. A live report from the Texas Coast ahead.

And blistering heat, all across the U.S. Most of the country in the '90s. In some states, temperatures reaching well into the triple digits, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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