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CNN Live Sunday
Baby Noor's Treatment; More Baby Noors; Randy McCloy's Condition Updated; Ariel Sharon Improving; Alito Hearings to Begin Tomorrow; Filling DeLay's Leadership Post
Aired January 08, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN HOST: Some signs of improvement -- that's the latest word on the condition of Randy McCloy, the only survivor of the mining tragedy in West Virginia.
And in a matter of hours, the little Iraqi girl known as Baby Noor will undergo potentially life-saving surgery right here in the U.S. There's a lot at stake. This hour I'll speak with the lead surgeon.
Just as Baby Noor is getting a new chance at life, what happens to babies just like her left in Iraq?
Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Gerri Willis, filling in for Fredricka Whitfield.
Those stories in a moment -- first, other headlines "Now in the News."
Ohio Representative John Boehner wants to hold the reins of power in the U.S. House. He announced plans today to seek the majority leader's post being permanently vacated by Tom DeLay. But Boehner will have some competition: House Majority Whip Roy Blunt is also interested in the job.
The deadly strain of the Asian bird flu is apparently moving farther west in Turkey. Three Turks tested positive today for the H5N1 virus in the capital city of Ankara. Four other people east of Ankara have also tested positive for the disease.
A powerful earthquake rattled southern Greece today. Three people were injured slightly, but only minor damage is being reported. The epicenter of the magnitude 6.7 quake was deep in the Mediterranean Ocean.
Ahead this hour, a Black Hawk helicopter goes down in Iraq, killing everyone on board. We'll have the very latest on the investigation.
And a half world away, Iraq's Baby Noor prepares for delicate surgery.
From Jerusalem, doctors treating Israel's prime minister plan to start bringing him out of his coma soon, as do physicians caring for Randy McCloy, the sole survivor of the Sago Mine blast. We begin this hour in Iraq where 12 people -- all believed to be Americans -- have been killed in a military helicopter crash. They were on a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that went down late last night, reportedly in bad weather.
CNN's Michael Holmes brings us the latest on what has been a very deadly past few days for Americans in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twenty-eight -- that's the four-day death toll for the U.S. military in Iraq after a series of incidents. The worst came early Sunday. Communications with a Black Hawk helicopter lost just west of Mosul in the northwest of the country. Twelve hours later, the crash site was found -- four crew, eight passengers dead.
The chopper was one of two flying between bases when it went down. But the military says it does not yet know what caused the crash. It was the worst accident of its kind since January last year, when a transport helicopter crashed in western Iraq, killing 30 Marines and one sailor.
Also Sunday, three Marines were killed in the hot bed city of Fallujah, west of the capital, all in separate incidents involving small arms fire. A local says he witnessed one of the killings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The U.S. soldiers were walking here with a patrol. They went in this street and we were waiting in that cafeteria. We were trying to go home. When we looked at them, we saw one of them was killed. Gunmen attacked them. They were carrying RPGs and different kinds of weapons.
HOLMES: Two Marines were killed Saturday in separate roadside bomb attacks, and on a bloody Thursday, a U.S. soldier and a Marine died in one of two suicide bombings that killed more than 100 Iraqis. Two other Marines killed that day by gunfire in Fallujah. And roadside bombs claimed the lives of seven soldiers.
The loss of life made Thursday the deadliest single day in Iraq in nearly four months. Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: New information now about the sole survivor of the Sago Mine disaster. Randy McCloy is back in West Virginia. He was transported from a Pittsburgh hospital last night. And today, his doctors had some news about his condition.
For that, we go live to Morgantown, West Virginia, and CNN's Chris Huntington. Chris, is it fair to say that doctors are being cautiously optimistic?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): That's a very fair way to put it, Gerri. What they told us this morning is that they hope to see Randy McCloy, Jr. emerge from his medically-induced coma sometime over the next couple of days. What the doctors both here in West Virginia and back in Pittsburgh have told us pretty consistently is that they have seen Randy gain strength every single day. The fact that he is now back here in West Virginia, after spending a couple of days in Pittsburgh for specialized oxygen treatment is another very positive sign.
(on camera): Randy McCloy is back in his home state. Saturday night, he left Pittsburgh's Allegheny General Hospital by helicopter, after his doctors determined he was stable enough to make the trip. And no one is happier about Randy's return, than his wife, Anna.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNA MCCLOY, WIFE OF SAGO MINE SURVIVOR: We are glad to have Randy back home in West Virginia, where he will receive the best care and be surrounded by people who care about us and our children, which is so important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTINGTON (VOICE-OVER): McCloy's doctors in West Virginia say the two days Randy spent at Allegheny General were crucial to his recovery. His vital organ functions gained strength, and they say that three 90-minute treatments he received in a high-pressure oxygen chamber will hopefully help his brain recover from the damage done by carbon monoxide poisoning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. LARRY ROBERTS, W. VIRGINIA UNIV. MEDICAL CTR.: They took fantastic care of Randy. They did exactly what was the intended plan, which was to give him three days of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
We accomplished that. We brought him back to West Virginia, and now we're providing his continued on going care, which was our treatment plan all along.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTINGTON: Dr. Roberts says McCloy is still breathing with the help of a ventilator, but is strong enough now to be taken off the sedative that has kept in a medically-induced coma for days. The doctors say it could take some time, perhaps days, for that sedative to fully wear off, because McCloy's liver is weak and cannot rapidly filter the drug out of his blood stream.
But once that occurs, the doctors hope to get a better read on his mental condition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JULIAN BALES, W. VIRGINIA UNIV. MEDICAL CTR.: We're looking for him to begin to arouse and open his eyes. He was beginning to do that a little bit before we had to sedate him. So we're looking for a progressive awakening and neurological improvement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTINGTON: While McCloy's doctors and family are obviously focused on Randy, they are ever mindful of what the Sago Mine explosion took from others in their community.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCLOY: Our families' thoughts this morning continue to be with Randy's co-workers and their families. We are thinking of them today and throughout this difficult time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTINGTON (on camera): Now, of course, Gerri, there are funerals going on today for some of the miners who perished in that terrible accident nearly a week ago.
We expect to hear an update from the doctors here at West Virginia University tomorrow morning at about 8 a.m. And hopefully, it will be good news, because again, what they hoped to do today was to stop the sedative that was keeping Randy in the medically-induced coma, and allow his liver time to process the remaining drug in his system and hopefully -- hopefully -- show signs of awakening. That would be the most hoped for news and indeed, that's what everybody's anticipating.
WILLIS: Chris, thank you for that report.
And now to Ariel Sharon and his struggle to survive. The Israeli prime minister remains in critical but stable condition after suffering a massive stroke on Wednesday. Doctors plan to start bringing Mr. Sharon out of his medically-induced coma tomorrow. They say his vital signs are normal and they had positive news today about his most recent brain scan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SHLOMO MOR-YOSEF, HADASSAH HOSPITAL DIRECTOR: We see in the CT scans slight improvement in the edema of the brain. There is reduction in the size of the brain ventricle. And the drainage of the cerebral spinal fluid is within normal limits. All these signs show slight improvement in the imaging of the prime minister's brain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: Making an exclusive appearance on CNN's LATE EDITION with Wolf Blitzer, Mr. Sharon's main political rival, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had this to say about his working relationship with Mr. Sharon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We've had the ability to work together over many, many things. On many things we saw eye to eye, and a few things we didn't. He served in my government and I served in his government. We had, I think, a stellar success in rescuing the Israeli economy in the last three years, really to make it one of the great successes of the developed economies of the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: While the political impact of Mr. Sharon's illness is unclear, a recent poll shows his new centrist party is expected to win elections in March, even if he isn't at the helm.
Later in the show, we'll hear from another past Israeli prime minister on how Mr. Sharon's condition is affecting Israel and the effort to achieve peace with Palestinians.
Also, just one day after Tom DeLay announced he wouldn't try to regain his spot as House majority leader, there seems to be no lack of candidates for the position.
And you remember Baby Noor from Iraq. She's in the U.S. to undergo surgery to save her life. How difficult will this operation be, and what will it mean for her future? I'll ask the lead surgeon live, right here, right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIS: Tomorrow morning, doctors in Atlanta will perform life- saving surgery on Baby Noor, an Iraqi infant suffering from spina bifida. The girl was brought to the U.S. for treatment after Georgia National Guardsmen discovered her in Baghdad.
Dr. Roger Hudgins is chief of neurosurgery at Children's Health Care of Atlanta. He will lead the team performing Baby Noor's surgery. Good to see you, Doctor.
DR. ROGER HUDGINS, PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGEON: Good to be here.
WILLIS: Let's talk about the surgery tomorrow. What's your objective, what do you want to accomplish and how long will that surgery take?
HUDGINS: Baby Noor has the spinal cord out on the surface at the top of this very large sac. So our objective tomorrow is to find that spinal cord, clean it off as much as possible, put it back down where it belongs and then close multiple layers over the top of it.
At the same time, we will be getting rid of that mass on her back.
WILLIS: How long will that take? How many doctors will be on hand to help you?
HUDGINS: Should probably take about three hours. An anesthesiologist will be in the room, and as we finish, Dr. Fernando Burstein (ph) of pediatric plastic surgery is going to help close skin over this very large lesion. WILLIS: What's the prognosis? What's the outlook for Baby Noor? This baby is so adorable. And your heart can't help but just go out to this baby. Will she be okay?
HUDGINS: She's going to be -- she will do okay. She's a sweetheart. You're absolutely right. Unfortunately, at this point, we've not seen any movement in the legs. I suspect that will remain that way. This surgery unfortunately doesn't fix that problem.
WILLIS: So she will probably never walk -- is that what you're saying?
HUDGINS: That's probably true. On the other hand, getting this closed and getting everything back where it belongs will reduce her risk of life-threatening meningitis type of infection to zero.
WILLIS: Let's talk a little bit about that, because bringing her over from Baghdad certainly had its risks. We're lucky she's still alive even now. She's outlived the basic doctor's prognosis when she was in Baghdad.
What were the major risks then, and what will be the major risks tomorrow?
HUDGINS: The biggest risk when she was a newborn was that that sac, which was much thinner at that point, would rupture -- spinal fluid would leak out and bacteria could get in. That would be life- threatening and probably would have taken her life.
Other issues that would arise would be urinary tract infections and so forth. But she has weathered all of that very well.
WILLIS: Unbelievably. Unbelievably come through this. How common is spina bifida, this condition?
HUDGINS: Spina bifida in the United States occurs about 1 in 2,000 births. So it's probably much more common than you would think.
WILLIS: Is there a way to prevent it?
HUDGINS: You can reduce your chances of having a baby with spina bifida, a pregnant woman can, by taking folic acid before she knows that she's pregnant.
WILLIS: That's iron, basically, right?
HUDGINS: It's a vitamin, yes.
WILLIS: It's a vitamin.
So tomorrow, you'll be getting underway. This will be three hours long. What kinds of follow-up care will be required?
HUDGINS: There's the likelihood actually that within a couple of days, she's going to need another surgery once we close this over. This surgery will be a shunt surgery, because I would anticipate that fluid will begin to back up inside the brain, once we've closed this lesion. So we've actually tentatively scheduled that for Wednesday.
Following that, there will be urology and orthopedic evaluations. I would anticipate she will be in the hospital two or three weeks.
WILLIS: Takes quite some time. I assume there's follow-up care even after that.
HUDGINS: Oh, yes.
WILLIS: It continues for sometime.
HUDGINS: Right.
WILLIS: I imagine that there are people out there -- and we've certainly heard reports -- but even in the U.S. here who may have these kinds of issues who don't have the advantage of having a Dr. Roger Hudgins to call up on the telephone. What should they do? What can you do if you're in this situation, and like the parents of Baby Noor, you can't afford to get help?
HUDGINS: I've heard that, but to me it's almost astounding because every child that I've ever heard of in the United States with spina bifida is taken care of regardless of their ability to pay. We, in our practice, see 20 or 30 newborn babies a year. It does not matter to us whether they have money, whether they don't have money. We take care of everyone.
WILLIS: And you do a lot of this pro bono work already here in the States.
HUDGINS: Oh, yes.
WILLIS: So taking care of Baby Noor is nothing new for you.
HUDGINS: No, but it is challenging and exciting. And the thing that makes it special for me is, number one, the connection with our soldiers in Iraq and what they've done to make this happen. And I feel honored to be a part of that.
And as you mentioned, she is just such an enchanting baby that just being around her makes you feel good. So I'm happy and overjoyed to be participating in this.
WILLIS: She's completely adorable. I wish you all the luck in the world tomorrow -- you and your team, as well as Baby Noor. Good luck to you. Thanks for coming in, Doctor.
HUDGINS: My pleasure.
WILLIS: Baby Noor's story is an inspiration to many desperate parents in Iraq, where countless children are dying from a lack of advanced medical care. Mothers and fathers across the country are frantically praying their child will be the next one to be rescued. Jennifer Eccleston reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Baby Hajjer's (ph) serene demeanor belies a deadly condition. The 6-week- old has cerebral atrophy. Her brain is shrinking. Hajjer (ph) means, nomad, wanderer, traveler. So fitting these days as mother, father and baby are living a nomadic existence, wandering from hospital to hospital, seeking treatment that will save her life.
But this Baghdad children's hospital is their final stop.
MAHMOOD JAWAD HUSSEIN, FATHER: The doctor tell in Iraq, no care here. Must be go to outside.
ECCLESTON: But Mahmood can't afford to go abroad, so they'll go home.
HUSSEIN: Where to die.
ECCLESTON: Mahmood's heartache etched across the faces of nearly every family in this ward. Their infants, toddlers, kids, crammed three to a bed, desperately ill, unable to get life-saving, life- sustaining treatment in this hospital, in this country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just give them the basic treatment only. But they need more treatment, more investigation, but many of it not present in this hospital.
ECCLESTON: Sanctions, war, neglect and the insurgency -- they've crippled Iraq's once-exemplary medical care, says Dr. Yedala (ph). Now there's only one way to ensure her young patients survive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They need to go outside of Iraq.
ECCLESTON: But only a handful do. The obstacles -- government red tape and lack of funds -- often insurmountable.
But then one story gave many Iraqis new reason for hope -- the story of Baby Noor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope Abdullah will become like Baby Noor.
ECCLESTON: Abdullah has leukemia. The hospital often runs out of his medicine. When his mother heard we were from America, she begged us to make him another Baby Noor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope when to see him go to Europe or America.
ECCLESTON: As word spread, other families approached us with medical records, giving us cellphone numbers. Could we help Abdullah, whose legs are paralyzed, or Moj (ph), who has cancer?
In quiet anguish, Hudda Hraham (ph) watched the procession of desperate families. Her 8-month-old son has heart disease; he's barely conscious. She's already lost two children to the same illness. I would do anything to help him, she says. But it's too late. He's dying. Doctors agree -- without surgery, he won't make it another week.
Jennifer Eccelston, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: A sobering story. Baby Noor, obviously, is one of the lucky ones, who was able to get proper medical attention. But how did she get to the U.S.? We'll tell you about the troops who found her and made it their mission to get her help.
Plus, more than two million Muslims will raise their hands to heaven and chant as Islam's annual sacred pilgrimage begins today. We'll go live to Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for the latest on the preparations.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIS: As doctors get ready here in Atlanta to operate on Baby Noor, a group of American soldiers are anxiously awaiting the results. The Georgia National Guardsmen were searching Noor's parents' house in Baghdad when her grandmother thrust the sick infant into their arms. As Michael Holmes reports, they aren't forgetting about her, no matter how busy they get.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): Just days ago, their focus was a tiny baby named Noor. Soldiers from Georgia found her while on a search for insurgents. She had spina bifida and would not have survived in Iraq for long. Those soldiers arranged to have her sent to the U.S. for state-of-the-art treatment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay, roger, be advised: audible small arms fire.
HOLMES: But today, back to business. Another mission for the men of 1st Brigade 10th Mountain Division, including those men from the Georgia National Guard, who took on Baby Noor as if she were their own. They're west of Baghdad, a rural area, seemingly quiet, but intelligence sources say a refuge for insurgents and kidnappers -- a place where car bombs and roadside bombs are built before being sent to cities and towns.
And a growing trend, Iraqis are leading this mission, Americans largely in the background.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I worry about this because that is the strategic area to use from the terrorists.
HOLMES: It's a big operation, too: troops, bomb-sniffing dogs, metal detectors, searchers of humble country homes, even a chicken farm, where several men are detained. The bounty ranges from an old man's rifle -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know you're not supposed to have this.
HOLMES: -- to literally truckloads of suspects --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: C-4.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These batteries, for IEDs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This bullet (ph) for IED.
HOLMES: -- to this, in the grounds of a village mosque, an informant tells the soldiers where to dig. They find pipes used for launching rockets, homemade bases from which to launch them, explosives, automatic weapons, artillery shells, batteries. The digging continues. Tense moments as more explosives are found. Also grenades and more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Standing by. We just found another Italian mine.
HOLMES (on camera): This mission is the result of months of intelligence gathering, mainly by the Iraqis. But this is an area that they have not been able to sweep into in force until now. So today, with several hundred troops involved, is a day that both the Iraqis and the Americans have long been waiting for.
LT.COL. KEVIN BROWN, U.S. ARMY: It went very well. This is a huge success for the Iraqi army. Huge success for us, because as you know, what's important right now is that we transition the Iraqi security to the Iraqi Security Forces.
HOLMES (voice-over): The mission, a morale booster for a nascent Iraqi army. The Americans, one military operation in a dangerous place complete, as they wait for the results of a medical operation on Baby Noor in the next few days.
BROWN: The emotions are high because some of the individuals really have taken to this very personally and they want to see that young baby come out of it in good shape.
HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN, west of Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito will be in the hot seat tomorrow. His hearings begin. We'll have a preview of what he can expect from senators.
And on the House side, a pair of congressmen want to take Tom DeLay's old spot as majority leader. More on these candidates coming up.
And while DeLay is losing his leadership role, we've got some winners in Las Vegas -- tech winners, that is. The best of the best gadgets. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIS: "Now in the News:" U.S. investigators are trying to figure out what caused the deadly crash overnight of a black hawk helicopter. All 12 people aboard were killed when the chopper went down in northern Iraq.
And doctors in West Virginia say they're planning to stop sedating mining survivor Randy McCloy Jr., they want him to wake up so they can determine the extent of his brain damage. The process could take a matter of hours or even several days.
And some bad news for drivers. Your cost at the pump is going up again. The National Lumberg Survey shows prices have risen nearly nine cents a gallon over the past three weeks. Right now self-serve regular unleaded is averaging $2.30 a gallon.
More than 2 million Muslims are heading to Mecca. Today marks the beginning of the Hajj that is the annual pilgrimage to the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed. Security is tight. CNN's Hala Gorani is on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia watching the people arrive. Hala, tell us what you're seeing.
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Gerri. We're actually going to be in Mount Arafat in a few hours. Right now we're still in Mecca. The grand mosque behind me the holiest site in Islam is emptying. Pilgrims from the grand mosque here will be traveling to Mount Arafat as you just mentioned there. That's where the prophet Mohammed made his last sermon. From there, they will gather pebbles and spend the night there. Take those pebbles and engage in a ritual of the stoning of the devil. And this is where there have been incidents in the past because you mentioned two million. But according to some estimates, if you include the official pilgrims, if you add to those there are pilgrims who come perhaps without some official authorization, you sometimes reach up to three million people congregating on the city that normally has a population of one million.
That's three times the normal population of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. So what happens now is that for the next three days, pilgrims will reflect on their faith, they will say prayers. They're in a state of the ritual wakening. They will walk the several miles from Mecca to Mount Arafat and back. This includes a five-day ritual, which for many pilgrims is a lifetime experience, something they've been looking forward to for a long time.
Security again you mentioned very tight. There are 60,000 security personnel fanned out across Mecca. They're trying of course, to prevent violence, but also to make sure that people walk around in a peaceful manner and things develop smoothly.
Gerri back to you.
WILLIS: Hala that you for that report, you've really got a bird's eye view there. Thank you so much.
Back in this country, tough confirmation hearings are ahead this week for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. Democrats and at least one prominent Republican are planning to quiz Alito on delicate issues now swirling around Washington. CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry offers a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Democrats think the NSA domestic spy controversy has given them new ammunition to stop the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito who has frequently pushed for a muscular executive branch.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, (D) JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Does he believe in any checks in presidential power? Does he believe that warrant less wiretapping of Americans is constitutional? And if so, when?
HENRY: Democrats point to Alito's days in the Reagan justice department, especially in 1984 memo arguing the attorney general should be immune from prosecution for authorizing illegal wiretaps. Adding fuel to the fire is the Republican chairman of the judiciary committee, Arlen Specter who has warned Alito he will aggressively question him at the confirmation hearings about whether President Bush has the authority to "conduct domestic surveillance on international communications without first obtaining a warrant."
SCHUMER: Judge Alito refuses to answer these questions; I believe it will be extremely difficult to vote for him. Indeed, I believe it could jeopardize his nomination.
HENRY: Alito's supporters insist the Reagan memo has little relevance to the current spying flap and conservatives say the nominee's qualifications will trump the attacks. Especially after the American Bar Association gave him it's highest rating for competence and integrity.
WENDY WRIGHT, CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA: The portrait that is drawn of him by those who know him and know his writings is a man of great intelligence, integrity, fairness, humility and justice.
HENRY: Judge Alito will face tough questions next week and will not necessarily be the slam-dunk the White House was hoping for. But for now, it will be politically difficult for Democrats to sustain a filibuster. So it appears Alito is in good shape.
Ed Henry, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: Stay with CNN for extensive live coverage and analysis of Alito's confirmation hearings. Now, our coverage begins in "The Situation Room" at noon Eastern tomorrow.
Another big story out of Washington, the race for the coveted and powerful post of house majority leader. Throwing his hat in the ring today, Ohio representative John Boehner he will likely go up against house majority Roy Blunt who's indicated interest in succeeding embattled Congressman Tom Delay. Now, delay announced yesterday he was permanently vacating his leadership post. With more on that, here's Elaine Quijano.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wounded by two political scandals, Congressman Tom Delay decided the time had come for him to step aside for good as house majority leader.
REP. TOM DELAY, (R) TEXAS: It has been a really great honor these last three-years. But the job of majority leader is too important to be ham strung by personal distractions.
QUIJANO: It was last fall when Congressman Delay first stepped down from his post as majority leader in what he thought would be a temporary move after being indicted on charges in Texas relating to a campaign finance case. As late as Friday night, Delay through his spokesman insisted he would return to his position. But the political environment changed dramatically this week after the once powerful lobbyist Jack Abramoff pled guilty to three charges including conspiracy to bribe public officials.
Republicans in general and Delay in particular were rocked by the news as well as Abramoff's agreement to testify against lawmakers and staffers. And although some Democrats and Republicans have returned contributions to Abramoff in the wake of the scandal, some say -
NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPROSE INSTITUTE: The way the Congress has operated in the last several years has left them prone to a kind of institutional corruption that's starting to emerge now. It's not all one party but when one party's in charge, they're going to bear the brunt of it.
QUIJANO: House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Delay stepping down is not enough to clean up a "culture of corruption." still on the Texas charges, Delay has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
DELAY: In the 21 years I have been in Congress, I have always acted in an ethical manner within the rules of the house and the laws of our land and time, once again, will bear that -- bear out that truth.
QUIJANO: Even so, with congressional midterm elections coming up in November, some Republicans had feared Delay had become the face of GOP ethics problems.
REP. JEFF FLAKE, (R) ARIZONA: I'm pleased that this is happening as soon as it is. There's plenty of time for us to right the ship, but we've got to take some bold action and fast.
QUIJANO: As for the White House, this weekend, a spokeswoman said the administration respects Congressman's Delays decision to put the "interests of the American people, the House of Representatives and the Republican party first." That's a ship from last month when President Bush said he believed Congressman Delay was innocent and said he hoped Delay would return as house majority leader.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: Why is Great Britan's Prince William making news again? I'll tell you about his latest career move after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WILLIS: All eyes are on Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon continues to fight for his life after suffering a massive stroke. Many are wondering about the country's political future. Mr. Sharon's new Kadima Party is expected to do well in March elections regardless of its candidate for prime minister. The picture became a little clearer today when former Prime Minister Shimon Peres said on CNN's "Late Edition" that he would back acting Prime Minister Edhud Olmert.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON PERES, FORMER PRIME MINISTER: My real interest is not the (INAUDIBLE) a member of the government all my life. I fought for peace and I'm looking for the right opportunity to solve peace further. In spite of all the pessimistic views about what's taking place in the Palestinian camp, about the problems in Israel, I remain a believer in the continuation of peace. On the contrary, maybe that out of those crises that have assembled together right now, there emerges a great opportunity to go further after Gaza and try to look for a perfect -- or a possible solution in the West Bank in accordance with the road map.
If Hamas will not change its ideology and its practice, there will be an [inaudible] and they will either come to the negotiating table with bombs and rifles, we shall not come with smiles and happiness. So they have to give up the terror, and then again, if they really win the elections, which I don't believe they will, do we imagine any country in the world that will finance a Hamas-like government, that will support their policies? It's impossible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: With Mr. Sharon's future in question, what's in store for the Middle East peace process is also uncertain. But the chief Palestinian negotiator is urging whoever wins this month's Palestinian elections to resume talks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAEB EREKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: The fact of the matter where Mr. Sharon knowing him, he was strict looking person, very candid. Sometimes undiplomatic. His [inaudible] was very low and unfortunately, he's not taking us as partners. He went for the battle of unilaterallyism. This is a Democratic choice of Palestinians. Mark my words; let those who are running for these elections know that democracy is a two-way street. Yes, have you the right to go to the ballots. Choose your representative, but those who participate in these elections must understand that these elections are the way to the one authority, the rule of law, and the world legal. [Inaudible]
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WILLIS: Other stories making news around the world, a strong earthquake shook up residents in southern Greece today. Only minor damage reported from the magnitude 6.7 quake. Three people were injured. One woman broke her leg and two men suffered cuts from shattered glass. The quake was felt as far east as Sicily, Italy. Residents there were dealing with two minor earthquakes that were not related to the larger trembler. No damage or injuries are reported.
In Britain, Prince William is carrying on a tradition of military service; he has enrolled in Sand Hurst Academy and began his training at the elite school today. His younger brother enrolled there last year, but the two royals will be at different parts of the school.
Gadgets, gadgets and more gadgets. Which ones are best? We know. We're going to tell you. That's up next.
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WILLIS: OK. If you are a techie, you probably already know the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was the place to be this week. If you missed it, don't worry. CNN's Renay San Miguel shows us which gadgets were declared best in show.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to the Best of CES Awards. For International CES 2006.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Every year at the International Consumer Electronics Show, the technology Website CNET and the Consumer Electron Association name the devices and technologies they think are the most innovative. Wouldn't you know the best of show award winner for 2006 Creative Labs Zen Vision portable mp3 and video player sure looks familiar.
It looks like an ipod. It looks like the best selling media player out there right now.
BRIAN COOLEY, CNET EDITOR: It's a little chunkier, it is thicker from front to back, a little more hefty in your hand. We find it feels better. Sometimes slimmer and more smelt is not always good for your hand it is just good for your eye. We like actually holding that Zen Vision a little better than its competing ipod rival.
SAN MIGUEL: Other than that case of digital imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, it seems to be the year of living in high definition. The winner in the digital photo and video category, Sanyo's Xacti-HD-1 a camera that records video in high def on to a hard drive. No more tapes or disks.
In the television category, the winner is the Samsung HL 5679 w. This is a high def. big screen rear projection TV that uses digital like processing, that is millions of tiny mirrors on a computer chip and they mean better color quality.
In home video, it was Pioneer's DVD player that uses blue ray technology. It beat out another player using the competing HD DVD technology. Players using both new standards will fight over your consumer dollars starting this spring.
But this is a long race. These are the earliest entrants in it. Look for an exciting '06 and an exciting '07 for the establishment of high def DVD.
SAN MIGUEL: So which cell phone did the CNN editors deem the coolest?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Samsung ZX 20.
SAN MIGUEL: It receives data at faster speeds than other phones and holds a camera and music downloads.
Pioneer wins again in the car technology category with its Avic Z 1. It is a car stereo that connects to your cell phone that provides detailed traffic navigation from XM Satellite radio. Speaking of satellite radio, CNET's web audience voted the Pioneer Inno it's people's voice award. It receives live XM signals and records 50 hours worth of satellite programming. You can download your favorite mp3 music files.
Just a few of the tech products cutting through the clutter of the cutting edge. From the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Renay San Miguel, CNN.
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WILLIS: Taking a look at a few other stories making news, police have captured two men accused of brutally killing seven people from two Richmond, Virginia families over the past week. Police believe robbery was the motive in one case and is likely to be in the other. The suspects were tracked down in Philadelphia yesterday. They're charged with conspiracy to commit murder and auto theft.
And in New York, union officials say a retired police officer's death is linked to the cleanup at Ground Zero after 9/11. Thirty-four year-old James Adroga (ph) died Thursday from a respitory illness. His family says he spent a month breathing in dust and debris during cleanup efforts.
And in Texas, the battle to control spreading grass fires rages on. Two volunteer firefighters were thrown from the backs of fire trucks while trying to escape the flames yesterday. The story is much the same in Oklahoma. Here's a look at one of 20 new fires. Look at that. To make matters worse, the region has been hit by drought like conditions and gusting winds.
Monica McNeal is joining us now for a little weather update. Boy that is a tragic situation in Texas and Oklahoma.
MONICA MCNEAL, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes it definitely is. You know what, there is a glimmer of hope we're going to see a very small chance of rain. So certainly good news. But it will mainly be across the panhandle. The chances are extremely slim. First off let's talk about the biggest threat across the -- across parts of Oklahoma back into Texas. Now we've encompassed Arkansas as well as Louisiana. We have the arc la tech. Included in this wind threat, take a look at Texarkana's winds to the south and west at 16 miles per hour. But they are gusting up to about 30 miles per hour. Down in Lufkin, Texas, winds are out of the south and west at 17 gusting up to 25 miles per hour.
Still dealing with very, very strong winds. But got high pressure just to the east of the region. You can certainly see high pressure right around parts of Florida. We have an area, a cold front that is moving on through. You can certainly see it. It has increased some of the cloud coverage. There's -- I want to show you radar, a glimmer of rain. We talk about -- it evaporates in the atmosphere before it hits the ground. The next storm system that is moving out of the Rockies will move across the Panhandle, and that could give the Panhandle of Texas a very slim chance of some rainfall.
But the air is so very dry; that it's going to take at least about a foot of rainfall to catch up in terms of how much moisture is need. You can certainly see as we take a look at the radar, you can see light rain moving across Dallas. But believe me it is certainly not reaching the ground at this point. Very, very dry across most of the southeast once again. A very strong ridge of high pressure is dominant across the southeast and that is helping to keep the winds very strong across parts of Texas.
As we shift our attention across the Pacific Northwest, you can certainly see they're dealing with lots of rainfall. Another big storm is going to be pushing into parts of Seattle tomorrow and into Portland, bringing in some heavy rainfall for you. Rainfall in the forecast today. As we work through the next couple days, you'll see rainfall in the forecast on Tuesday, a temperature of 52 degrees.
Taking a look at the big picture on Monday, what are the chances of rain in the middle of the country across the southern plains? There's the boundary that I was telling you that is going to move through Panhandle of Texas. We'll give a very slim chance of rain, not a big chance.
Gerri.
WILLIS: Well Monica we'll keep our fingers crossed that the southwest gets some rain. Thank you so much for that. Monica McNeil.
It's time for a quick break. But I'll be back for another hour of news. The U.S. has been after Osama Bin Laden for years, but did the CIA and military miss their chance at catching him early in their search? You'll hear from one of the team leaders in charge of finding him that is coming up next.
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