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American Morning

Deadly Plane Skid; Winter Weather Watch; Call for Clemency

Aired December 09, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you and happy Friday. Soledad has the day off. I'm Carol Costello.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien.

The scene this morning in Chicago, there it is, live pictures there, investigating a deadly airplane accident there. A 737 Southwest Airlines skidding off the runway into traffic. A child is dead. A live report from the scene is straight ahead.

That dangerous winter weather is now hitting the East Coast as we speak. What can you expect? We have your forecast.

COSTELLO: And are the health risks from Vioxx even worse than we thought? New charges that a study funded by Merck left out some critical information.

Also, what's next for a teacher who admits to having sex with her teenage student now that a judge has refused her plea deal? We've got all the details for you ahead.

O'BRIEN: We begin in Chicago where the weather will figure heavily in the crash of an investigation of a 737. Heavy snow, at least eight inches on the ground, when the plane skidded off the Midway Airport runway last night. The jet hit two cars. A 6-year-old boy was killed. Midway is the second largest airport in Chicago. It's right in the middle of a heavily populated neighborhood. Very short runways there.

Sean Callebs live in Chicago with more -- Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

Indeed, the situation, the conditions out here outside Midway Airport were dramatically different last night when this accident occurred. It was snowing heavily and had been for hours. We talked about the foul weather all morning yesterday on AMERICAN MORNING.

And when this jet came in, it skidded off the end of a runway, crashing through a fence at the end of a runway before hitting two cars. The wing coming down on one vehicle carrying four people. Three of those people were injured seriously. And the front of the aircraft coming down on a vehicle carrying a family, killing the 6- year-old boy and injuring four other people in that car, including the father, who was seriously injured.

And we know federal investigators are on the scene. They are poring over the information. There is so much to go through. The chief of which looking at that landing. How fast was the aircraft moving at the time that it came down? And was there a tailwind?

Now the reason this is significant, because this plane came in at dark, after dark. And even though they use instruments to land, often pilots go through what is called a long landing and they won't touch down on the very end of the runway but a little bit further where the lights are.

Aircraft like this needs at least 4,500 feet to land safely. That's under perfect conditions. Now consider the way the runways were last night. We know that authorities here say the runways were cleaned and they were groomed, but they don't know the exact condition when this aircraft came in. Now if there was a tailwind and this aircraft landed a little further on the runway, it could have easily skidded off.

Now a lot of runways do have a protection area at the end of the runway, some foam that will block an aircraft if it indeed goes through the runway. That is not the case here at Midway Airport.

Also, we know investigators also look at pilot fatigue. There were delays at here at Midway, at Chicago O'Hare, both jets taking off and those landing. Now this aircraft took off from Baltimore, Maryland and landed about three hours later. We know they were -- their landing was delayed at least a half an hour. So we're not saying pilot fatigue did play a role in that, but, Miles, that is certainly one aspect investigators will look at.

O'BRIEN: Lots of factors to consider and awfully early, too.

Sean Callebs, back with you in a little bit -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You saw that nasty weather in Chicago. Well, this huge storm crossing the country. It's going to be a nightmare for you this morning.

Take a look at Indianapolis. This is what it looked like overnight. That fast moving storm already blamed for more than a dozen deaths in the midwest. The snow started falling here in New York just about three hours ago. Up to a foot expected in parts of the northeast and mid-Atlantic states by late this afternoon. In fact, kids all over the New York area are asking mom and dad right now, do we have to go to school today?

Let's find out how bad it is out there. CNN's Chris Huntington joins us live from a truck stop on the New Jersey Turnpike near Secaucus.

Good morning.

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

No school today, at least for me and the folks around here in Secaucus, New Jersey. But it is dumping already. We're near the Jersey Turnpike, which, of course, is one of the major arteries up and down the northeast coast here, and particularly feeding into New York City. We're about 15 miles due west of New York right now. It is a 45-mile-per-hour speed limit imposed the full length of the Jersey Turnpike. That, of course, an abundance of caution ahead of what promises to be a steady dumping all day long.

And then, as you get closer to the coast, you get a nasty mix of snow, sleet and rain. So, all in all, a tough situation. You go further inland, you're going to get a fair bit of accumulation. They're predicting, as you said, up to a foot in some places.

Again, though, we are December in the northeast, so in many respects this is just what the doctor ordered, but this is going to make a mess of today's commute. The only good news is it's expected to stop by mid-afternoon -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, Chris, we got so spoiled in November because it was so unusually warm and now we're getting blasted in December.

HUNTINGTON: That's true. And this is, again, pretty early in the season for a snowfall of this magnitude. But considering what we have had over the last decade in terms of pretty steady dumpings, the folks around here, the towns are prepared for this. The salt spreaders are out. The plows are out. The folks who make extra money plowing driveways are quite happy about this. But indeed this is something to be careful about. And we'll be keeping an eye on it for you all day.

COSTELLO: All right, we appreciate it.

Chris Huntington live in Secaucus this morning.

O'BRIEN: For the latest on what's to come, let's check in now with Bonnie Schneider in the Weather Center.

Good morning -- Bonnie.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: So it's just a short period of suffering?

SCHNEIDER: Yes.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you -- Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

COSTELLO: We'll get back to you.

On the subject of your health this morning, some potentially devastating information about Merck and the way it reported the health risks of its drug Vioxx. It's all coming out in an editorial published in "The New England Journal of Medicine." "The Journal's" editor was reviewing data from a study that Merck funded. He claims that study completely left out critical information about three people who had heart attacks while on Vioxx, as well as other serious health problems. And this was an important study. It keeps getting used in court in the Vioxx lawsuits. Even today in Texas, a federal jury is deliberating one of those lawsuits. We'll keep you posted.

O'BRIEN: Will Stanley "Tookie" Williams die on Tuesday? That question must now be answered by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger after a clemency hearing.

CNN's Chris Lawrence has details from Sacramento.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Governor Schwarzenegger has heard all the arguments as to why Tookie Williams should live or die. Now the decision is in his hands. Right now we're all just waiting for an e-mail announcement from the governor, which is how he will communicate once he's come to that decision.

He doesn't have long to make it, Tookie Williams is scheduled to be executed just after midnight on Tuesday, which means the latest that this decision could come down is late Monday night. But the governor's office tells us don't expect some kind of Hollywood ending at the last minute, that he will make the decision well before the deadline.

Now he did hear arguments here, right here in this building, on Thursday from both sides. One arguing that Tookie Williams is a man who has changed his life. He has redeemed himself on death row. That after founding the Crips gang, he's written books urging children to stay out of gangs and tried to broker peace deals.

The other side says here is a man who has been convicted of brutally murdering four people and yet he's never admitted to those crimes or shown any remorse for it. They argue that Williams' conviction and execution date should stand.

The governor will make the final decision some time before Monday night.

I'm Chris Lawrence reporting from outside the state capitol in Sacramento, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: So the wait continues.

O'BRIEN: I wonder if the governor heard that interview yesterday with the victim's mother. That was...

COSTELLO: Lora Owens.

O'BRIEN: ... so emotional and so dramatic and really makes you think about all of the statements that have been made so far.

COSTELLO: Yes, exactly, so we'll keep you posted on that.

Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, though, the latest on that Florida schoolteacher. You remember her, she's accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student. She thought she had that deal that would keep her out of prison, but there's a new twist in the case.

O'BRIEN: Also, more on what looks like allegations of a cover-up against the maker of Vioxx. Are doctors getting biased and possibly dangerous information from these medical journals we tell you so much about?

COSTELLO: And also next, you know those cheaper prices at the pump, well they may be short-lived. We've got the details next on AMERICAN MORNING.

O'BRIEN: Boy, good thing I don't have a car like that, whoa.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Where is that?

COSTELLO: And all young Americans are freezing today.

O'BRIEN: That's...

COSTELLO: This is a live shot of Torrington, Connecticut from our affiliate WFSB. It looks like Christmas, but it's making life miserable for commuters this morning.

O'BRIEN: That's the home of David Bowie, Torrington, Connecticut, isn't it? Just kidding, no.

COSTELLO: Somehow I don't think so.

O'BRIEN: How many programs give you David Bowie at this hour? That's -- this is the full range of things going on.

We have a plane crash in Chicago which we're following this morning. Short runway, bad weather and the question is, was it bad judgment on the part of the pilot? Lots of questions this morning as we digest all this.

Kelly Wallace is in with the headlines.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and hello to you, and hello to all of you.

We are talking about that crash. Federal officials opening their investigation in Chicago this morning, looking into just, as what Miles was saying, what went wrong at Midway International Airport. A Southwest plane skidded off the runway, through a fence and crashed into two cars. Sadly, a child in one of the cars was killed, 11 other people are injured. Officials say the weather, especially condition of the runway, could be the focus of today's investigation. Of course we'll be following that story throughout the morning here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Well here is a name you have probably heard of before, Valerie Plame. Well today is her last day at the CIA. Friends say she wants to spend more time with her family. But one former co-worker said she didn't have much of a career left after her covert identity was blown back in 2003.

Meanwhile, there's a new reporter being questioned in the CIA leak investigation. She's "TIME" magazine's Viveca Novak, no relation to Bob Novak. She's been asked to testify about conversations she had with Karl Rove's attorney back in 2004.

A Florida judge rejecting a plea deal for a teacher who admitted having sex with a 14-year-old student. Lawyers for 25-year-old Debra Lafave were trying to spare her a prison sentence, but the judge said the agreement went below sentencing guidelines. Trial is now set for April. Lafave's lawyers did get a plea deal in another county where she was also charged.

And we have just learned a former congressman who pleaded guilty to accepting millions in bribes has sold his mansion. You may remember former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. You see him there. That's when he broke down in tears when announcing his resignation from Congress last week. The San Diego home sale was part of a plea deal. It sold for $2.6 million. Cunningham's share of the proceeds will go to the government. His wife is trying to keep her share.

And big news for new parents, pacifiers may be a good thing, at least when it comes to preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. There is new evidence that a pacifier at bedtime reduces the risk of SIDS by 90 percent. Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that parents consider using a pacifier. You can find that study in the British "Medical Journal" online.

And three, two, one, there you go. With a flick of a switch, there it is.

O'BRIEN: Quick, get a picture, quick.

WALLACE: Yes, get a picture.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert lighting up this year's Capitol Christmas Tree. Note it is no longer called the Holiday Tree, a name it has had since the '90s. House Speaker Hastert wanted to return to the old tradition, saying there are other ways to make holiday displays inclusive.

Well another major story we're all following today, a monster of a snowstorm headed right here for the East Coast.

Bonnie Schneider at the CNN Center with a look at the forecast.

Bonnie, what is it looking like for all of us today? SCHNEIDER: Well, Kelly, it's starting off with Washington. There is snow falling. So with that Christmas tree lit up, it's certainly going to look beautiful.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All be over by this afternoon, I can't wait.

Let's talk about gas prices, because you know it's kind of a grim forecast. And we thought that gas prices were going down -- Carrie Lee.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They have been, Carol, for two months. But some people say, at least one analyst says, gas prices may have hit their low. We saw a post Katrina low of $2.12. Well, AAA now says gas prices about $2.15, so could be on the upswing. Usually gas prices hit their high around mid May. That's when driving picks up.

Take a look at these prices. You can see today $2.15. This down from a month ago $2.36, but still up from a year ago $1.89.

Now it's not just gasoline but natural gas and oil prices on the rise as well. Natural gas used to heat over half of the homes in the U.S. Well, we saw a new high there yesterday, natural gas prices up 9 percent. And oil prices continue to climb as well. We're about $2 to the upside, $61 a barrel. And of course oil prices an indication of where gas prices may be going forward because oil used to make gasoline.

Also, Carol, keep in mind that about a third of the Gulf of Mexico oil production still hasn't resumed, so there's a supply issue as well as demand.

COSTELLO: Great, something to look forward to.

LEE: Well, yes, you see the cold weather and that's part of it. Psychologically the oil traders get nervous when they see a cold snap like this.

COSTELLO: Yes. I'm just more nervous about my heating bills this year than I am about the gas tank right now.

LEE: You are not the only one.

COSTELLO: I know. I feel sorry for people.

LEE: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Carrie Lee.

LEE: Sure.

COSTELLO: We appreciate it.

Coming up, your "Morning Coffee." You want your kids to speak a second language, well you better be careful, because if they speak a second language in school, it could get them suspended. That's ahead on "Morning Coffee."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Coming up, more on a brand new controversy facing the makers of Vioxx. Did they leave out critical information when reporting on the drug's risks? And how will that affect all those lawsuits? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: U2. U2.

WALLACE: Miles, you know who that is?

O'BRIEN: U2. I just got it.

WALLACE: You got it.

O'BRIEN: I got dimmed. I got dimmed. U2 baby. Yes.

COSTELLO: You didn't know that was U2? I'm going to smack you in the head, boy.

WALLACE: I don't know that I would have...

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: Yes, I actually...

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: You want to get to "Morning Coffee" now?

O'BRIEN: My music brain cells don't start until about 7:00, so I'm fine.

COSTELLO: That's because we love Bono.

WALLACE: Exactly (ph).

O'BRIEN: Let's do coffee, shall we?

COSTELLO: OK, let's do "Morning Coffee," shall we, because...

O'BRIEN: That will help, that will get me going.

COSTELLO: ... there is quite a controversy in Kansas. We've been talking a lot about Kansas lately, haven't we?

O'BRIEN: There's always a controversy in Kansas.

COSTELLO: It seems to be.

WALLACE: It is that way lately, yes. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes.

COSTELLO: I know. Well this is a new controversy that is creating quite a buzz. A high school principal suspended 16-year-old Zach Rubio after he was heard speaking Spanish in the hallway to another student. He wasn't saying anything nasty, he was just talking in Spanish to another student. And as you might imagine,...

O'BRIEN: Really?

COSTELLO: ... the suspension ruffled quite a few feathers.

WALLACE: Yes, it seems hard to believe.

O'BRIEN: Because you're not supposed to speak Spanish in Kansas, is that it?

COSTELLO: Well not in this school anyway.

O'BRIEN: Apparently not.

COSTELLO: Anyway, newspapers and radio shows rallied around the student, Rubio Zach, and the school board cancelled the one-day suspension. They sank into the pressure. Of course it is not over yet, the family is now considering a civil rights lawsuit. The teenager's father says they need to speak up for all Mexican families that have no voice.

O'BRIEN: Spanish or otherwise.

COSTELLO: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Wow! All right. Interesting.

COSTELLO: Yes, so that was a strange story.

WALLACE: Yes, absolutely.

COSTELLO: And also there are some new interesting numbers on workplace discrimination and who is the target. The biggest disparity in the Gallup Poll is between men and women. Kelly and I laugh.

O'BRIEN: Let me just take a little walk here.

WALLACE: We just laugh, Miles, I don't know. Are you surprised about that?

O'BRIEN: No, I'm not. And I don't think it's anything we should be proud of in this country at all.

WALLACE: Right. No.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

WALLACE: Great.

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE).

O'BRIEN: No, really, I'm a feminist. I truly am.

WALLACE: No, I know.

O'BRIEN: I really do. I think it should be...

COSTELLO: You go, boy.

O'BRIEN: I do, I really believe that. I'm in touch with my inner Alan Alda.

WALLACE: No, at this point in time -- inner Alan.

COSTELLO: Anyway, let's get to the numbers, shall we?

O'BRIEN: Yes, let's do that.

COSTELLO: Twenty-two percent of women say they are treated unfairly over promotions and pay. That's compared to only 9 percent of men.

Now let's take a look at ethnic groups, because these are really interesting numbers. Thirty-one percent of Asians say they are discriminated against. Twenty-six percent of African Americans allege some form of bias and that's followed by 18 percent for Hispanics and 12 percent for whites. So some food for thought there.

WALLACE: Yes.

O'BRIEN: All right, the top and the bottom numbers are what get you, 31 percent of Asians.

COSTELLO: That's a lot.

O'BRIEN: It's a surprising number. And then 12 percent of whites, I mean, what, discrimination on what basis?

COSTELLO: Well I think women are included in that.

O'BRIEN: I see.

COSTELLO: Yes.

O'BRIEN: I see.

COSTELLO: But just...

O'BRIEN: So it's kind of a double criteria there.

COSTELLO: ... a big percentage though, 31 percent.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: Twenty-six percent. That's crazy.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: Anyway, so that's "American Coffee" for this morning.

O'BRIEN: Excellent.

WALLACE: Coffee for thought.

COSTELLO: Yes.

WALLACE: As they say food for thought.

O'BRIEN: Or was it Colombian coffee?

COSTELLO: Pardon?

O'BRIEN: Wasn't it? I think is it Colombian coffee or American coffee? I don't know.

All right, coming up...

COSTELLO: "Morning Coffee."

O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, a powerful wintry storm covering the East Coast in snow right now. What does that mean for you if you're driving somewhere this morning, say, Vermont?

COSTELLO: Yes, I don't think I'm going to do that now.

O'BRIEN: Bring a sleeping bag, Carol Costello.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Live pictures, that's Midway Airport, Chicago, Illinois. WFLD providing those pictures. We thank them for that. Coming up, we're going to tell you about that plane, Southwest, skidding off the runway, bad weather, bad conditions, possibly bad judgement, one child is dead. We have a live report on that.

Some potentially dangerous winter weather. Well we know it's dangerous. We just saw how dangerous it can be, but it's coming toward the East Coast now. We'll tell you what to expect on the East Coast.

And then, a study funded by Merck ignore damaging information about the health risks of Vioxx. We'll look at that latest controversy on Vioxx ahead.

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