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American Morning
Resistance in Gaza; Memorial Objection; Pope's Appeal; Truth About Hybrids
Aired August 18, 2005 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Miles O'Brien.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Costello in for Soledad. Thank you for joining us.
Coming up, Pope Benedict XVI is in Germany this morning, where pilgrims, very young pilgrims, are gathering for World Youth Day.
O'BRIEN: I don't see any there, though. But nevertheless...
COSTELLO: There they are.
O'BRIEN: There they are. There are the young pilgrims.
COSTELLO: See, they're excited to see him.
O'BRIEN: It's a big task for the pope, but I think he seems to be doing well with the crowd right now. It's his first foreign trip. He's going home. He is German, of course. He will inevitably be compared, of course, to his predecessor, John Paul II, who loved these settings, loved young people. And we'll look at what's ahead for him.
COSTELLO: Remember when John Paul did the break dance?
O'BRIEN: He watched the break dance. He didn't do the break dance.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Revisionist history.
COSTELLO: Yes.
O'BRIEN: We're going to have to put lightning rods in our next suite here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Let's get a check of the headlines. And bail us out quickly please, Kelly Wallace.
WALLACE: All right, moving on. Hello. Great to see both of you. And good morning, everyone.
We begin with some tough news coming out of Iraq. More American soldiers have been killed in that country today. The U.S. military says four soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Samarra. That's about 60 miles outside Baghdad. This brings the number of American troops deaths in Iraq to more than 1,860; 63 soldiers have died this month alone.
And there has also been a roadside bombing in Afghanistan. A coalition commander saying a military armored vehicle was attacked in the southern part of the country north of Kandahar. At least two American soldiers were killed in that attack. Two others are wounded and are listed in stable condition.
Some family members of the victims of confessed serial killer Dennis Rader will have a chance to confront him, really for the first time, in court today. The 60-year-old Rader, who called himself BTK for bind, torture and kill, could also make a statement. He faces 10 life sentences, but not the death penalty. And that's because Kansas did not have a death penalty at the time of the murders.
Coretta Scott King remains in an Atlanta hospital this morning, recovering from what her family says was a stroke. A hospital spokeswoman says King was conscious and that her vital signs were stable. The King family has issued a statement thanking supporters. King is 78 years old. And she, of course, is the widow of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. No word on when she will be allowed to go home.
And a new study suggests a possible link -- get this -- between eating French fries early on in life and developing breast cancer. A study of American nurses found that girls between the ages of 3 and 5 who ate French fries regularly...
COSTELLO: Oh, come on!
WALLACE: Carol Costello is skeptical.
COSTELLO: Come on!
WALLACE: Had a 27 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer as an adult. Details appear in the "International Journal of Cancer."
COSTELLO: Like, how many people were involved in that study?
WALLACE: I don't know. But I wanted to call my mother and say, did I did eat a lot of French fries between the ages of 3 and 5? I love them now.
O'BRIEN: It's a little late.
WALLACE: Did I like them as a little girl?
O'BRIEN: Yes, yes.
COSTELLO: Oh!
O'BRIEN: I've got a daughter at home. You know, it's super-size fries all the time.
WALLACE: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Stop her now!
O'BRIEN: It's too late. She's 11.
WALLACE: It's too late. It's between 3 and 5.
O'BRIEN: Missed her chance.
COSTELLO: I don't know. We should look into this, though. I'm skeptical.
WALLACE: We'll investigate and get back to you.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Kelly.
O'BRIEN: All right.
COSTELLO: All right. Let's talk about what's happening in the Gaza Strip. The standoff on day two forced evacuations of Jewish settlements in Gaza. Less than a thousand of some 9,000 residents are still refusing to leave. Many of the settlers who have left burned and vandalized the places they once called home, vowing to leave nothing behind for the Palestinians who will eventually move in.
CNN's Guy Raz now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're inside one of the evacuated homes here in Neve Dekalim, the largest of the 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza. And clearly, you can see some of the vandalism that has been left behind by the family that once lived here. Overturned couches, graffiti on the walls saying, Goosh Katif (ph) will live forever. That is the name of these settlement blocks, the Goosh Katif (ph) settlement blocks.
This family clearly left in a hurry with quite a bit of anger. Throughout the house, you can see trash strewn about, things left behind -- beds, shoes, toothbrushes, toiletries. On the upper floors of the house, burned-out rooms.
Now, the people who left here were also clearly very emotional. The door here has been completely destroyed. Inside the kitchen, we find the oven here, totally smashed in.
Many of the people who lived in these homes in this community for many years, very, very angry, very emotional over the government's decision to remove all of its citizens from the Gaza Strip after 38 years. But the army says the process is moving forward. It's moving quicker than it expected, and it hopes by the end of next week the entire process will be over.
Guy Raz, CNN, Neve Dekalim settlement, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Of course, we'll keep following this story. So far, Israeli defense forces have completely evacuated six of 21 settlements. Right now, forced evacuations are under way in three settlements. About 700 of some 9,000 settlers are still holding out along with thousand of young, nonresident protesters.
O'BRIEN: Thousands of antiwar protesters are showing support for Cindy Sheehan this morning. Solidarity vigils were held from coast to coast last night. Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed in Iraq. His name is on one of the white crosses put up in Crawford, Texas. Those crosses were knocked down briefly, then put back up.
Debbie Argel Bastian's son, Derrick, was also killed in Iraq. And she objects to his name being used in a similar memorial in California.
Debbie Argel Bastian joins us now from Pensacola.
Good to have you with us this morning.
DEBBIE ARGEL BASTIAN, SON DIED IN IRAQ: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: What concerns did you have when you heard that your son's name was on one of these crosses, not in Crawford, a different location, but a similar kind of thing? What were your concerns?
BASTIAN: Because our family had no choice in the matter. My son, Derrick, fully believed that everyone has the right to protest and express their opinion. But our family very much objects to the fact that, you know, after my son's death, that his name be used in this way. He would never have participated in any sort of an antiwar protest.
And it's our understanding that there is a name on the cross -- on a cross in Crawford, Texas, as well. It came up on a Web site.
My son was very much in favor of President Bush and the Bush administration, and had great respect for him as commander-in-chief. Derrick was a special escort for Mrs. Bush when she made her trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, and for the president and for the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. And it's just inappropriate not to ask the families.
O'BRIEN: And you, in the case of the California memorial, you asked for and they removed that particular cross. Will you do the same for the Crawford cross? Are you going to try to reach out and get them to take your son's name off the cross or remove that particular cross?
BASTIAN: Our family would very respectfully request that my son's name be removed from all of these antiwar memorials. And that is exactly what they are. They have claimed that they're not an antiwar outfit, but that is definitely an antiwar protest going on across from President Bush's ranch.
O'BRIEN: What are your thoughts in general, taking this specific instance of this cross out of the picture for just a moment, what are your thoughts in general about Cindy Sheehan's cause down there? As a mother who has lost a son, you must -- you clearly have some empathy for her plight?
BASTIAN: Oh, I certainly do. I mean, this is very new for us. My son's plane went down on Memorial Day. So this is just two-and-a- half months-old for us. I very much sympathize with Ms. Sheehan and her loss, and all of the other parents and wives and brothers and sisters who have lost a loved one in Iraq. But I'm -- I really am not clear about what her purpose is.
And although I sympathize with her, you know, as a mother that's grieving, I don't see that this is boosting the morale for the troops that we have left over there. I think they need all of our support, and they don't need to see antiwar protests coming out of their -- out of their country right now.
O'BRIEN: Of course, one of Cindy Sheehan's stated goals is simply to meet with the president. Do you think the president should meet with her?
BASTIAN: No. I don't see that it would do any good. If the president set a precedent for meeting with each of us that has lost a loved one in Iraq the president simply would not be able to do his job. Ms. Sheehan has met with the president one time. And, you know to be very candid, I don't think that the administration or our men, our troops and men and women in uniform are going to be pulling out of Iraq simply because Ms. Sheehan requests it.
O'BRIEN: Has the president personally expressed his condolences to you and your family?
BASTIAN: Yes, they have.
O'BRIEN: And did you find that to be enough?
BASTIAN: Yes. You know, I reiterate, my son worked from the time that he was in fifth grade to get to the Air Force Academy, to get to an academy. He went through two prep schools, worked very, very hard. And we haven't had a draft in this country since Vietnam. He raised his right hand and swore allegiance to the United States of America and meant whatever that took, that that's what he would do. And my son died doing his job.
O'BRIEN: Debbie Argel Bastian thank you very much for your time.
BASTIAN: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Carol.
COSTELLO: Pope Benedict XVI speaking to young Catholics in Germany this morning. He arrived in Cologne earlier for World Youth Day. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend. It's an event founded by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, to inspire the next generation of Roman Catholics.
Pope Benedict XVI says the event has extra special meaning for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE BENEDICT, XVI (through translator): That providence has seem to it that my first visit outside Italy should be to my own motherland and to be here in Cologne and exactly to a time and for an occasion where I can meet young people from the whole world, from all continents, where the borders and the frontiers between continents and between cultures and between races and nations disappear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Not only is this Benedict's first trip back home to his homeland as pope, it's also his first chance to really appeal to Roman Catholic youth.
As Dan Lothian reports, he's got some big shoes to fill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For father Paul O'Brien it was electrifying, his first World Youth Day, the crush of the crowd and the spiritual high. O'Brien and the cheering masses inspired by the words of a charismatic pope, John Paul II, who founded the event 20 years ago.
REV. PAUL O'BRIEN, ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH: There was always a sense that this pope had done something that no other pope in history had done, called together all of the young people from around the world to come together and pray and grow in their faith.
LOTHIAN (on camera): Father O'Brien was already in the ministry when he attended his first World Youth Day eight years ago. He would make two other pilgrimages. While the events did not inspire him to become a priest, they did impact his life in a big way.
(voice over): And the way he ministers at his parish in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
O'BRIEN: I don't look to just people who have been Catholics for 70 years or for 50 years for new ideas in my parish. I look to the youngest people in my parish to ask them what is it that we should be doing to build the body of Christ in this community.
LOTHIAN: The question now: Can this new pope, Benedict XVI, equally inspire the youth and future leaders of the Catholic Church, having the kind of rock star appeal many saw in his predecessor?
O'BRIEN: Of course, his role is to try to connect with these young people. But I doubt that anyone is expecting him to be John Paul II.
LOTHIAN: Experts say it's an unrealistic comparison.
REV. BRIAN HEHIR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: No one would have been elected pope from anywhere that would sort of duplicate his kind of magnetism. He was a professional actor and never lost any of that when he was in the papacy.
LOTHIAN: Instead, the challenge for Pope Benedict, some say, is to be comfortable, warm and relevant.
HEHIR: People will expect the pope to talk about a range of issues that relate directly to where they are in life.
LOTHIAN: But make no mistake. The issue of star quality can't be completely discounted. Already, a German teen magazine, which usually gives away posters of pop stars like Britney Spears, is giving away posters of the German pope. They are so popular it's reported some are being sold on Internet auction sites.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Lawrence, Massachusetts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We'll take you live to Germany in the next hour as hundreds of thousands gather for World Youth Day -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Let's check back on the weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: A lot of military ceremonies, very serious, some are just plain silly. And here's one that defies all categories. This is colonel in chief, Neil Olaf (ph). What is the appropriate music to play for this?
COSTELLO: I don't know.
O'BRIEN: I don't know. He has now been promoted to one of the most senior ranks of the Norwegian army.
COSTELLO: Really?
O'BRIEN: But here's the thing. He's a confused penguin. It's a Scottish penguin.
COSTELLO: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Who knew they had them, right? Adopted by the Norwegian army. I guess they might have them. I think penguins are down in Antarctica, though. Given a full military ceremony in Edinburgh Wednesday, as you see there. He's very good at inspecting the troops, I think.
COSTELLO: Yes.
O'BRIEN: And I don't see any white gloves, but, look, he seems to be going over...
COSTELLO: He's saying, I'm out of here now.
O'BRIEN: It must a mackerel that way or something. Holy mackerel, those are fine troops there. Let's get some chow, guys. All right. I guess he didn't realize it wasn't a black tie event.
COSTELLO: Well, the penguin did.
O'BRIEN: Yes, but there he was in black tie. He was kind of overdressed wouldn't you say?
COSTELLO: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: Yes. I think he should be penalized in some way for that.
Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, why this time of year could be a great time to ask your boss for a raise.
O'BRIEN: Is there is a bad time to ask? I don't know. We'll find out.
Also ahead, you think those fuel-efficient hybrid cars will save you money on gas? Well, they might, but they're awfully expensive. And we'll help you do the calculus on whether to buy. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The dog days of summer probably have you focused on your next vacation. But this could be the perfect time to think about your job and asking for a raise.
Ellen McGirt from "Money" magazine is in for Andy Serwer. She's "Minding Your Business."
So, this is the best time to ask your boss for a raise. Why?
ELLEN MCGIRT, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: It is. Don't wait until fall, because most big companies begin their budget and planning process now. So, if you don't get on your boss's radar screen and be prepared to document what it is that you've been doing that merits all of this extra money, you're going to miss the boat. You're just not even going to be considered. Don't wait until October, November when we're all kicking into gear. It has to start now.
COSTELLO: OK. You said, document your accomplishments.
MCGIRT: That's exactly right, because, really, when asking for a raise, you're asking for a performance review, typically a time when your boss may not be expecting it. So, you need to come in with clearly documented just how brilliant and valuable you are. Have you saved the company money? Have you brought in new business? Have you met all of your deadlines cheerfully and on time, like I have? That would be something that would be worth mentioning and writing down.
COSTELLO: You know what I always think, though? Like, if the company has extra money, the boss is going to want to hoard that money so he gets the raise. MCGIRT: Well, that may very well be, which is why you need to start a paper trail and do other things, like kissing up, making sure that you're taking on extra projects.
COSTELLO: No, no, Ellen...
MCGIRT: Like I am.
COSTELLO: Ellen, the best tactic is to get another job offer. That always gets you a raise.
That really is absolutely true, which is why this is the perfect time to be networking, too. Setting up those meetings for fall that will get you the other job offer that will make sure that your boss understands just how brilliant and talented we are.
COSTELLO: I like that bit of advice. What is the best way to ask your boss for a raise?
MCGIRT: I think you just need to let them know that you understand what they're budgeting and the process is, and that they're on a schedule, and that you just want to make an appointment. And be clear. I want to talk about a raise, and I've got some ideas about, not only what I've done, but what I can do going forward.
COSTELLO: OK.
MCGIRT: You've got to solve the problems that you know that they have. Look at you laughing. This is good advice, Carol.
COSTELLO: No, it is good advice. It is. I shouldn't be so pessimistic, because I know that Miles just got a raise. Didn't you?
O'BRIEN: Oh, I was kissing up big time. Oh, yes. Oh, boss, you're a great boss.
MCGIRT: Miles, do you want to hear about kissing up? It's substituting for your friend, Andy Serwer, when you're technically on vacation this week. Watch and learn. Watch and learn, America. This is kissing up.
O'BRIEN: All right, good work, Ellen.
MCGIRT: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Good work. Keep up the kissing up. All right.
Still to come, thinking about buying a hybrid vehicle to save money on gas? Many Americans are. But do they really save money? We'll help you crunch the numbers ahead. It may be more of a statement.
Now, here's a question for you. What year was the first hybrid car built? Was it 1899, 1920 or 1973? The answer after the break. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Before the break, we asked you, in what year was the first hybrid car built. Well, it didn't like that one. That's a clue. The answer is, (a), 1899. Ferdinand Portia (ph) designed an automobile in which a gasoline engine powered two electric motors. And therein lies the theory on hybrid. Gas engine, electric engine, working side by side, hand in hand, to give you better performance, and perhaps save you some gas. Maybe.
Record gas prices are driving Americans to buy fuel-efficient hybrid cars in record numbers. But buyer beware. Not all hybrids are created equal.
Rik Paul, automotive editor for "Consumer Reports," is in New City, New York, right beside a Ford Escape there.
You look like a car dealer there, Rik, but you're not. Maybe we should make that very clear. You're not going to say, prices so low they're insane or anything like that. Let's talk...
RIK PAUL, "CONSUMER REPORTS": Or what would it take for you to cooperate with some deal?
Yes, right, right. I've got to go see the manager.
Let's talk about hybrids in general. I think if you're doing the math -- you know, I've been doing a little bit of homework on this myself. And generally speaking, they are much more expensive. How much more expensive?
PAUL: Typically they're about $2,000 to $3,000 more than a conventional competitor. And so, you know, when you're buying a hybrid, you have to take that into consideration. For instance, a Toyota Prius or the Ford Escape hybrid here, you can save about $500 to $600 a year in fuel. And at that rate you can pay off that extra premium in about four to five years.
Now, if you look at a model that doesn't provide such a significant improvement of fuel economy, it will take much longer to pay off that initial price premium.
O'BRIEN: OK. Of course, you're making your assumptions with gas at the current price. Gas could go up much more, and that could improve things.
PAUL: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the typical mileage situations. We've got a graphic here, which talks about some of the differences. Miles per gallon efficiency, 2005 Honda Accord hybrid, 29 and 37. That's city and highway. And then the Honda Accord V6, 21 and 30. That's a pretty good difference there. Is that a car that you can justify economically?
PAUL: Well, the Honda Accord hybrid is an example of a new wave of hybrids that puts more of an emphasis on performance rather than, you know, really high fuel economy. So, in our test we only got two miles per gallon more than the four cylinder -- excuse me -- than the V6 Accord and 1 mile per gallon better than the four-cylinder version.
O'BRIEN: Wait a minute. Rik, you said only two gallons more?
PAUL: Yes, two miles per gallon more than the V6...
O'BRIEN: Oh.
PAUL: ... and one mile per gallon more than the four-cylinder version. So, from a dollars and cents standpoint, it's hard to justify spending the extra money for the Accord hybrid if fuel economy is your main concern. Now, if you want more performance, then you may find it worthwhile.
O'BRIEN: Well, explain that to us. Why would you get better performance with a hybrid?
PAUL: Some of the new hybrids actually use the electric motor as kind of a turbo charger. And so they boost the gasoline engine to give you extra acceleration when you need it. So you actually go faster. You have quicker acceleration than the conventional gasoline- powered model.
O'BRIEN: All right. And so performance is a good play. Let's talk about, though, looking down the road. Resale, for example. It's kind of early in the hybrid world to really have a sense of this, I suppose. Do they hold their value as well?
PAUL: Well, that really again depends on the model. I think we have to remember that all hybrids can't be lumped together. They're all very different now. So you take a model like the Prius, which is in high demand, it's going to have a high resale value right now. If you look at an older model like the first generation Prius, something with older technology, it's not going to hold its value as well.
O'BRIEN: All right. If you're a consumer out there today, like me, and you're thinking about this going back and forth, are there some very fuel-efficient vehicles, just pure gas users, that you would recommend in lieu of a hybrid if you're just trying to make a decision based on economics?
PAUL: Oh, sure. If you're looking for fuel economy, don't get hung up on hybrids. Basically the smaller the better. If you're really looking for fuel economy, we've tested models like the Toyota Echo, the Scion models, the Honda Civic. And Accord, like I said, get very good fuel economy on their own. So you don't need a hybrid to get good fuel economy.
Our recommendation is whatever kind of vehicle you're looking for, get the one that gives the best fuel economy in its class. If you buy a mid-size SUV that gets 19 miles per gallon, for instance, you can save over $1,100 over one that gets only 12 miles per gallon.
O'BRIEN: All right. Final thought here. Insurance on the hybrids, we should mention that very quickly. We ran some numbers. This is based on a 32-year-old male living in suburban Chicago. Toyota Highlander is the vehicle. The cost is slightly more for the hybrid. Quickly, because we are running out of time, Rik, why?
PAUL: Well, hybrids cost more. You know, they're worth more. So you're probably going to pay a little more in premium.
And then there's also unknown factors we know about hybrids. Hybrid technology is still in its infancy, and there are things we don't know about how long the battery pack will last, how much it will cost to replace when that time comes. Right now, warranties cover that kind of stuff, so it's not an issue. But we need to let them age a little more to get the bigger picture.
O'BRIEN: Rik Paul, thanks for your time. He is the automotive editor for "Consumer Reports," and he joins us beside a Ford Escape, which he doesn't own but he looks good beside. We appreciate you being with us.
Top stories after a short break. Stay with us.
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