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American Morning

Iran's Nuclear Restart; Students Returning to New Orleans Universities; Saving Baby Noor

Aired January 10, 2006 - 06:29   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Samuel Alito in the spotlight. Senators lining up with some tough questions for the Supreme Court nominee.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A startling discovery at the Starbucks in San Francisco. Police want to know who planted an explosive device in a locked bathroom.

And a successful first surgery for baby Noor. Now what's next for the little Iraqi girl?

ANNOUNCER: You're watching AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.

S. MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It looks like it's going to be another nice day in New York City. We see a little traffic outside our window this morning.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. It was a beautiful day yesterday. We went running in shorts, you know, in January. That's not bad.

S. O'BRIEN: No, not so bad at all.

M. O'BRIEN: No complaints at all.

S. O'BRIEN: We'll get some more weather in just a minute. Let's get to Carol first, though, with an update on what's happening in the news.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks and good morning to all of you.

San Francisco authorities are trying to figure out who left an explosive in a Starbucks bathroom. An employee found the device in a locked bathroom at the coffee shop. The building was evacuated, and a bomb squad managed to detonate the explosive without anyone getting hurt. Police say they're following some pretty good leads, but they have not identified any suspects. This happened in San Francisco.

The questions begin today for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. He faced the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first time Monday. He told lawmakers he has no agenda. But some Democrats say they want to know exactly where he stands on abortion and on domestic spying. CNN will have live coverage of today's hearings. It begins at 9:30 Eastern in a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. Friends and family plan to gather today for the funerals of two miners killed in West Virginia. It's the third day of services. Officials confirmed Monday that 12 of the miners died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

In the meantime, the sole survivor, Randy McCloy, is in stable but critical condition. We're expecting the doctors to give us more details today. An update should actually come in about two hours.

We may now know why that vintage plane crashed off of Miami Beach. A preliminary report has found fatigue cracks in both wings of the 58-year-old airplane. The National Transportation Safety Board earlier found cracks in just the right wing. That's the wing that broke off shortly after takeoff back in December. All 20 people aboard were killed.

Andrea Yates is using the insanity plea in the drowning deaths of three of her children. Yates pleaded not guilty Monday at a pretrial hearing in Houston. It was her first appearance in court since her capital murder conviction was overturned last year. The trial is set to begin in March. Attorneys say a possible plea deal is now in the works.

A message for Colorado residents: Don't even think about burning any trash. Governor Bill Owens has banned most open fires. He wants to reduce the wildfire threat. Five homes have been burned in a community south of Denver. Dozens of residents, though, may be allowed back home later today. But I guess that would depend on the winds, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: And now another chapter in Iran's nuclear standoff with the rest of the world. Iran broke the seals on a nuclear plant today and restarted its nuclear program. So far it's just research, but it's very troubling in Washington and in Europe.

Chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour on the line now from Tehran.

Christiane, that's a big development.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, Miles, because Iran has been threatening this now for the last several months, ever since the new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, came to power in June.

And, in fact, they have announced that today, with the inspectors from the IAEA, they have broken the seals on the facility at Natanz. And they have not told us exactly what they plan to do. And apparently they have not told the IAEA yet in full detail, but they say that it is their right to continue research and development in technological aspects of the nuclear program.

Now, Iran says that this is not in violation of its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And technically that is correct. But what it does violate is the so-called Paris Agreement that Iran made more than two years ago with the so-called EU3 -- France, Britain and Germany -- who had been trying to negotiate (AUDIO GAP) of the international impact over Iran's nuclear program.

As you know, the United States and many Western countries believe that Iran is trying to acquire a nuclear weapon, whereas Iran says that its only aim is to make nuclear energy -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Tehran, Iran. Thank you -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Updating now a story that we brought you a couple of weeks ago about a 65-year-old man who rode out Hurricane Katrina in Slidell, Louisiana. Kennard Jackley (ph) managed to capture these incredible images while the floodwater was rising to the second floor of his home. You'll recall that Jackley (ph) had no flood insurance, and he was trying to recoup some of his losses by selling some of the dramatic videotape. This is a videotape right here of the water basically rushing into his front door.

Well, we've got a little bit of good news to report for you. We just heard from Mr. Jackley (ph) and his wife. They were able to get an additional $25,000 from their insurance company. And now they're going to be able to repair their home.

Students are now returning to universities in New Orleans, those that were forced to shut down following Hurricane Katrina. And as AMERICAN MORNING's Alino Cho tell us, some see it as their way of helping the city in its time of need.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When Cortez Watkins left Dillard University just before Katrina hit, there was no doubt he'd be back.

CORTEZ WATKINS, DILLARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Actually I just went to another school and just said, hey, I'm not going back to New Orleans. But just something wasn't right here if I would have done that.

CHO: Dillard University closed after the storm because the campus was under eight feet of water. So, Cortez spent the semester at the University of Memphis in the city where he was raised.

His mom, Gloria Watkins, was hoping he'd stay there.

(on camera): What did you say to him?

GLORIA WATKINS, PARENT OF DILLARD STUDENT: I said, 'You're not going back, right?' And he said, "I don't know, mama, I may finish here."

CHO (voice over): Post-Katrina, she was worried New Orleans wouldn't be clean and that Cortez wouldn't have enough food. C. WATKINS: What I told my mom is that, 'Mom, believe me, trust me. You know, I started something at Dillard four years ago now, and I want to finish it.'

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you.

CHO: Mom wasn't convinced. She wanted to see it for herself. So, she drove six hours with her son to the Hilton Hotel where Dillard is holding classes this semester.

C. WATKINS: There's no place like home.

CHO: Cortez, along with the rest of the students and faculty, are living at the hotel, too.

G. WATKINS: I wanted to come and see could he stay here? So, now I feel a little better. I feel -- I thought, oh, so many people are here.

CHO: At Tulane University, graduate student Adam Frick is back after spending the semester at Columbia University in New York. He was desperate to get back to New Orleans.

ADAM FRICK, TULANE UNIVERSITY STUDENT: I felt as though this city was getting kind of -- how do you say it, a short shrift?

CHO: Adam, who is from Indiana, had just started at Tulane when the hurricane hit. But he immediately fell in love with the city, so much so he spent New Year's at a candlelight vigil in the Lower Ninth Ward. He admits, though, life post-Katrina is not always easy.

FRICK: I am going from couch to couch, staying with friends of friends, you know, hoping that I find a place where I can live long term. The grocery store is open, you know, at different hours. There are not as many amenities.

CHO: Even so, Adam says he was so moved by what happened here he may want to stay permanently and help the city rebuild.

FRICK: There's no better place in the United States right now to feel idealistic, because this is a city that is going to require faith. And if you have a certain amount of faith in what you're doing and believe the city can get better, then this is the place to do it.

CHO: A place where lessons are learned outside the classrooms.

Alina Cho, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Recovery is going to cost some big bucks. Dillard University suffered nearly $400 million in damage from Hurricane Katrina. Tulane nearly $200 million.

Coming up later this morning, the search for a western journalist. She's been kidnapped in Iraq. Did a raid on a mosque turn up any leads? We're going to take you live to Baghdad this morning.

M. O'BRIEN: Plus, the latest on little baby Noor, her first operation and apparent success. But she might not be out of the woods just yet. We'll talk to her doctor about her long-term prognosis ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Little baby Noor, isn't she cute? She's out of surgery. The question is, is she out of the woods? Doctors will scan her today to see if there's any fluid buildup on her brain. And that could mean more surgery down the road for the little girl with spina bifida. As for Monday's operation on this Iraqi girl, apparently a big success.

Joining us now from Atlanta is Dr. Roger Hudgins, a pediatric neurosurgeon and the man who did the operating, or led the team at least.

Dr. Hudgins, good to have you with us.

DR. ROGER HUDGINS, CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA: It's good to be here.

M. O'BRIEN: I get the sense from just hearing from you that you're a little bit smitten by this little girl.

HUDGINS: Yes, she's a delight, as you can see from the pictures. I mean, she's just engaging, smiling, cooing. She's just a delight to be around.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. All right, let's talk about, first of all, how things went yesterday. Was it just the way you'd hope a surgery like that would go?

HUDGINS: It actually went very smoothly. We were concerned about the skin having grown up over the spinal cord, and it certainly did. But under the microscope we were actually able to dissect it off very readily, get everything closed as best as we could hope for. So it went well.

M. O'BRIEN: And no big complications and nothing as far as that related specifically to that surgery that would mean trouble down the road.

HUDGINS: Well, nothing so far. But after we close something like this in the next few days there's a critical period where we're making to see -- waiting to see if the wound will heal, making sure that there's no spinal fluid leakage. So there are some complications that could still happen. But everything went well yesterday, and we're hoping that those will not happen.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, let's talk about what lies ahead. Fluid on the brain is another problem for people who have spina bifida.

HUDGINS: Right. M. O'BRIEN: Are you concerned that baby Noor has that? And do you have any indication? Or will you not know until you do this CAT scan?

HUDGINS: She already has some fluid. We know that from a scan that we got last week as a baseline. I would anticipate that with closure of this sac that the fluid will now begin to build up inside the brain. The scan today will either confirm or disabuse us of that. But we tentatively have her on for a procedure Wednesday in case she needs it.

M. O'BRIEN: And that procedure is a shunt is put in, is that -- if you could explain it that would be...

HUDGINS: Yes, it would probably be a shunt. Yes, a shunt is...

M. O'BRIEN: How does that work?

HUDGINS: A shunt is a drainage tube. It goes from the brain underneath the skin and down to the abdomen. We're considering doing another procedure, which is called a third ventriculostomy, which is to create an internal opening for drainage. The downside to that is that it typically does not work as well in infants as it does in older children. But it could potentially keep her from needing a shunt, which would be a great advantage when she does go back to Iraq.

M. O'BRIEN: Because there's less maintenance down the road, and that's got to be a concern of yours. You know, in a couple of months or so she goes back to Iraq, and the follow-up care there is not what you would get necessarily in Atlanta.

HUDGINS: Probably true. And we're concerned with putting a shunt in, because a shunt has a likelihood of blocking up usually within the first few months of going in, of having put it in. But there's an ongoing risk. And I would be concerned about sending her back to Iraq with a shunt. It may be what we have to do, but certainly there's always a concern with that until she gets good neurosurgical care there.

M. O'BRIEN: Looking at the big picture here, are you concerned about her long-term prognosis given the fact that she will be living in Iraq away from U.S. medical care?

HUDGINS: Yes, and I think it is important that we make sure before we send her back that she had adequate care for all of her needs.

M. O'BRIEN: And what sorts of support will she need then?

HUDGINS: The primary thing that she's going to need is she's going to have to have access to a neurosurgeon who can take care of shunt problems if they arise. The other major issue is going to be her bowl and bladder. So, she'll also need to be in contact with a neurologist to help the family manage those issues.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. And just so people know, she is paralyzed. That was something you knew going into it.

HUDGINS: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: And that's going to have all of the side effects and care that is required for that.

HUDGINS: That's correct.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, doctor, thank you very much. Congratulations on success in the first round of surgery, and we wish you well as you continue her care. Dr. Roger Hudgins is a pediatric neurosurgeon, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Thanks again -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: And he's right. That baby is so cute and engaging, isn't she?

M. O'BRIEN: A cutie, yes.

S. O'BRIEN: She's great.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead. What do you got coming up?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

Airline executives are at it again, reaping million-dollar bonuses. Only this time they might deserve it. Stay tuned for that on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MYERS: Oh, it's time to drink your orange juice now. The "Cold and Flu Report" for today has widespread flu activity across the southwestern part of the country. Look at the red states from California and Nevada right on through Colorado and into Texas. That is all widespread influenza activity. The East Coast is going a little better, only sporadic and local activity. But take care of yourself. Keep yourself nice and warm there across the Northeast today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: You see Michael there queue the shot.

M. O'BRIEN: And it worked. A little special (INAUDIBLE).

S. O'BRIEN: Look, it happened. Amazing. Welcome back, everybody.

M. O'BRIEN: When I do it nothing happens.

S. O'BRIEN: Not a thing.

(CROSSTALK)

S. O'BRIEN: No, nothing, nothing.

M. O'BRIEN: Nothing, nothing.

S. O'BRIEN: Andy is going to mind your business in just a moment. First, let's get a look at the headlines with Carol.

Good morning again.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

We're following that developing story out of Camden, New Jersey, right across from Philadelphia. A house fire there is still smoldering. At least two people were killed -- a baby and an adult man. Some 19 others are hurt. Two of them are believed to be in critical conviction -- condition, rather. No word on what caused this fire.

Ariel Sharon is stable but critical. Doctors continue to bring the Israeli prime minister out of a medically-induced coma meant to relieve pressure on his brain. The Israeli leader suffered a massive stroke last week. Doctors want to determine how the stroke affected his brain functions.

Do the math. Eighteen senators on the Judiciary Committee, and each one gets 30 minutes for questions. That is nine hours. Nine hours of questioning is possible today for Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito. It's going to be a long one. Wolf Blitzer opens the door to "THE SITUATION ROOM" at a special time today, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, 6:30 Pacific Time.

President Bush is talking about the war on terror today. He's speaking to a group of war vets in just about three hours. The White House says he'll talk about building democracy in Iraq and the importance of strengthening Iraqi security forces. The speech follows one of the deadliest weeks since the 2003 invasion.

Officials confirmed a new case of bird flu in Turkey. That makes 15 confirmed cases in that country. In the meantime, dozens more suspected and undergoing tests. At least three people have already died. Most of the patients were children. So far no evidence the virus is spreading from person to person though. Almost all of the cases have a direct link to dead poultry. Certain neighborhoods have been sealed off to allow for disinfection.

Let's head to the forecast center now to check in with Chad.

Good morning.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: But, Miles, if you were jogging in shorts yesterday, you can do it in a long pair of, I don't know, knickers or something today, because it's not going to be...

(CROSSTALK)

M. O'BRIEN: Knickers.

S. O'BRIEN: I'd pay money for that.

M. O'BRIEN: I'd like to see you run around in some Capri pants.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh!

MYERS: That would be even better.

M. O'BRIEN: I like (INAUDIBLE) actually, but I usually like to run in (INAUDIBLE). It just, you know...

(CROSSTALK)

SERWER: Like Payne Stewart.

M. O'BRIEN: And in New York no one notices.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: It's great. All right, thank you very much, Chad.

S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Chad.

M. O'BRIEN: Layoffs and store closures. This is not a good way to start the year if you're in the toy business.

Andy Serwer, good morning.

SERWER: Good morning to you, Miles.

A big case of after-Christmas fallout for Toys R Us. They're announcing they're closing 75 stores and converting 12 others to Babies R Us. There are 674 stores in total.

The big problem here is not that there are not enough toy stores out here. In fact, there's a lot, too many. You can buy tons of toys at Wal-Mart. But the problem is they're going to be laying off 3,000 people, or 11 percent of its workforce. So that is not good news there.

The big news in business this morning is Dow over 11000. We'll be talking more about that in the next half-hour. We do want to get to a couple of other stories to tell you about.

Unions at American Airlines are very concerned that executives there are taking home millions of dollars in bonuses. This is because the airline has lost $7 billion since 2001. But, but this is one major airline that has avoided going bankrupt, unlike United Airlines and U.S. Air, Delta Airlines Northwest. And the stock, look at that. It's more than doubled over the past year. So maybe the executives deserve a little good cheer there, wouldn't you say? M. O'BRIEN: The altitude of the bar a little lower because of all...

SERWER: Or something like that.

M. O'BRIEN: ... around them or something, I guess.

SERWER: I think that's right. And one final note here. The Securities and Exchange Commission is apparently considering revising the way companies report executive pay. Listen to this: The top five executives, they have to list how much total compensation they make. All of the goodies just listed there pure and simple.

S. O'BRIEN: right.

M. O'BRIEN: Just lay it out there.

SERWER: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Because usually they just put the base salary...

SERWER: Right.

S. O'BRIEN: ... which is way low.

SERWER: And they hide everything else.

S. O'BRIEN: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: Like those shower...

SERWER: How novel is that?

M. O'BRIEN: Those shower curtains will be there, right?

SERWER: Exactly.

S. O'BRIEN: Actually listing what they make.

SERWER: They make.

S. O'BRIEN: Huh.

SERWER: Amazing.

S. O'BRIEN: It will never work.

SERWER: Right.

S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

S. O'BRIEN: In a moment, we've got more on today's hearing for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. Will a job application from Alito's past come back to haunt him? Senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin is going to join us ahead live on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: You want to check out our Web site, CNN.com, for the latest on this morning's top stories, including this one: Samuel Alito back on the Hill for hearings in front of senators. The grilling will continue. We'll be following that on TV as well this morning.

Also at CNN.com, the most popular stories, including this one: That explosive device found at a Starbucks in San Francisco.

If you're about to head out the door for work or school you can stay in touch with CNN and AMERICAN MORNING by logging on to CNN.com and our pipeline video service. You can catch live commercial-free news updates all there are CNN.com/pipeline.

M. O'BRIEN: As we approach the top of the hour, let's check the forecast. Chad Myers back with that.

Good morning, Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: The next hour of AMERICAN MORNING starts right now.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad. Good morning. I'm Miles O'Brien.

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