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CNN Live Today
Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Airstrike Fallout; Beat The 3 PM Blahs Tips
Aired January 16, 2006 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: "New You."
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Put a fork in me, I'm done. That's all the time we have for AMERICAN MORNING and thank God.
COSTELLO: Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center to take you through the next couple of hours.
Take it away, Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, you guys have a great day in New York City.
We do have a lot to get to in the next two hours on this Martin Luther King Day. Let's start by taking a look at what's happening "Now In The News."
Officials in Afghanistan say a suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed at least 20 people this morning. Twenty others were injured. It happened in the town of Spinboldak near the Pakistani boarder. We'll bring you more details on this developing story as they come in.
Iran's nuclear plans topped the agenda at a meeting in London this morning. Officials from the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China are at that meeting. The U.S. and the three European countries want the issue turned over to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions. Russia and China may veto such a resolution. Our Suzanne Malveaux will have much more on the standoff later in the hour.
An update this morning on Israeli Leader Ariel Sharon's recovery. A hospital statement quotes the prime minister's family as saying he moved his eyelids. Sharon suffered a massive stroke nearly two weeks ago. He had a tracheotomy on Sunday to help wean him off of a respirator. Sharon's centrist Kadima party named Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as it's acting party leader today. That was the groups first meeting since Sharon was hospitalized.
Vice President Dick Cheney is in Egypt this morning, the first stop of a middle eastern trip that will include stops in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. His visit to Kuwait will be a show of respect for yesterday's death of it's Emir Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah.
And thank you for joining us on this Monday morning. I know it's a holiday for many of you. I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. A dream revisited today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday celebrating what would have been the 77th birthday of the civil rights icon. One event is underway this hour at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church. That is where Dr. King preached the last eight years of his life. This year, though, the legacy faces new challenges, including cracks within the King family itself. Our Rusty Dornin is here to explain.
Rusty, good morning.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, as you said, Dr. Martin Luther King preached here. He not only preached here, he gave some of his fieriest sermon here inspiring some of the heroes of the civil rights movement. Very heavy police presence here this morning. Inside the church, they have gathered by invitation only here for this ceremony that will feature speakers and ceremonies honoring the 20th anniversary of naming Martin Luther King as a national holiday here.
But sort of shadowing this celebration today is a controversy over Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Now it was founded by his wife in 1968 but has been run by his sons and daughters over the last few years. There's a division. One half, his oldest son Dexter and sister Yolanda want to sell it to the National Park Service and have them run it. The other son, Martin Luther King III and his sister Bernice say to do that would dilute their father's message of social justice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN LUTHER KING III, SON: Bernice and I stand to differ with those who would sell our father's legacy and barter our mother's vision, whether it is for 30 pieces of silver or $30 million.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Now, the National Park Service is no stranger to Doctor King's legacy. They have been running a historic preservation site across the street also that feature's an Ebenezer Baptist Church, a newer church, but also it features many programs, has a civil rights museum. They also have tours of Martin Luther King's birth place, his home, which is just down the street here on Auburn Avenue. Following this celebration today, and it is believed that all four of the children are here today, there will be an assembly in downtown Atlanta and then they will march back to the King Center and there will be a rally this afternoon.
Daryn.
KAGAN: Rusty Dornin live in downtown Atlanta. Thank you.
Other news of the holiday. Over the weekend, King's widow made her first public appearance since suffering a stroke and a heart attack in August. This was a huge event here in Atlanta as Coretta Scott King was greeted with rousing applause when she made a surprise appearance at Saturday night's Salute to Greatness Dinner here in Atlanta. Her children say she is making a slow and steady recovery. So this is, by the way, the 20th year that the nation marks the MLK holiday. It's the first time in Greenville County, South Carolina. That county was the last in the state to honor the slain civil rights leader with a holiday. Weekend events included a speech by former King aid Jesse Jackson, who spent years trying to convince his home county to establish the holiday.
A little more than an hour ago, President Bush also recognized the King holiday. Here's what he had to say after viewing the original emancipation proclamation. That's a document that proclaims all slaves free in the confederate states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Abraham Lincoln recognized that all men were created equal. Martin Luther King lived on that admonition to call our country to a higher calling and today we celebrate the life of an American who called Americans to account when we didn't live up to our ideals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Later today, Mr. Bush will attend Georgetown University celebration "Let Freedom Ring" honoring Martin Luther King. Our live coverage begins at 3:30 Eastern.
And now on to other news of the day. The U.S.-led war on terror has ignited a new wave of anti-American protest in Pakistan. Pakistan being a key ally in that campaign. Pakistani officials, their political opponents and out raged citizens are condemning the U.S. airstrike that killed 18 civilians, including women and children. But was the intended target Osama bin Laden's right hand man, Ayman al- Zawahiri, even there? Our National Correspondent David Ensor joins us with more on the fall-out.
David, good morning.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Well, here's what we know this morning. U.S. counterterrorism officials say the intelligence they had before the strike was that there was going to be a dinner, a feast, in the houses in Damadola celebrating the end of the Muslim holiday of Eid and that Ayman al- Zawahiri had been invited to that dinner. Officials say they're very confident that a group of al Qaeda senior personnel were in the houses when they were hit, perhaps five or more, but they just don't know where Zawahiri was among them.
They predict that if he was not killed, the world is likely to know within a week or so, either because Zawahiri will prove it with a tape like this one or because other intelligence will make it clear. If he's dead, however, officials say it may take a while to be sure. Whether that comes from human intelligence or from gathering forensic evidence at the site.
Now news of the CIA airstrike has prompted protests in Pakistan, as you mentioned, complicating the life of President Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan. But there were signs over the weekend it will not create political problems for the Bush administration. An Intelligence Committee member, Democratic Senator Evan Bayh, had this to say on "Late Edition."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EVAN BAYH, (D) INDIANA: It's a regrettable situation, but what else are we supposed to do. It's like the wild, wild west out there. The Pakistani border is a real problem. We have solid information that the top al Qaeda leadership is being harbored in that part of Pakistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: So the CIA and the rest of the Bush administration are in a waiting mode to find out what really happened. Whether they got Zawahiri or whether they missed him.
Daryn.
KAGAN: Any word on where this intelligence came from?
ENSOR: The intelligence about the dinner?
KAGAN: Uh-huh.
ENSOR: You know, they are very cautious about revealing their sources and methods, how they knew that. But you can assume that there was a variety of different types of intelligence. That would mean probably some human intelligence on the ground, possibly through Pakistani intelligence, possibly not. But also some signals intelligence. In other words, things gathered, communications that would have been gathered probably by the National Security Agency.
So it would have been a mix for such an important decision to be made, after all there's political risk in this kind of an attack. So they would have felt fairly confident, according to the officials I've spoken to. They were quite confident that senior al Qaeda people would be killed in the attack and they were hoping to get Zawahiri but they don't know if they have yet or not.
KAGAN: David Ensor live from D.C. Thank you. More with you in the next hour. Appreciate it.
Also on the subject of intelligence, the Bush administration faces renewed scrutiny for electronically eavesdropping on people in the U.S. who are suspected to have ties to terrorism. Less than two hours from now, former Vice President Al Gore will deliver a speech attacking that policy and what his aids calls other administration threats to the Constitution. Gore wants Congress to act.
Meanwhile, Senator Arlen Specter says his Judiciary Committee will look into the matter next month. Specter says Congress is unlikely to give the president what he call as blank check of authority. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R) JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN: I'm not suggesting remotely that there's any basis, but you're asking really a theory what's the remedy. Impeachment is a remedy. After impeachment, you could have a criminal prosecution. But the principle remedy, George (ph), of our society is to pay a political price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: President Bush says that anti-terror laws enacted after 9/11 authorized the wiretaps without getting a special warrant.
Also in Washington today, a Republican congressman is stepping aside from his leadership post. It is amid a growing scandal over lobbying abuses. Six-term Ohio Representative Bob Ney says he will temporarily resign as chairman of the powerful House Administration Committee. Now in that post, he would have overseen his party's efforts to carry out lobbying reform. Disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff pled guilty this month to three felonies and swore that he courted Ney with lavish gifts and campaign donations. Ney has denied any wrongdoing.
Can diplomacy prevail or will it take a tougher approach? Ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, the nuclear standoff with Iran. World leaders gather today to talk about that step and what it might cost to you if the sanctions are put in play.
Also, a teenager shot to death by police after he refused their order to drop his weapon. His father says the whole thing could have ended differently.
And it's video that disgusted everyone who saw it. The homeless senselessly beaten in one Florida city. A look at the two men now under arrest when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Let's bring you up to date on a couple of stories we've been following live here over the last week or so on CNN LIVE TODAY.
In Florida, mourners are remembering a troubled boy during a memorial service for the teenager. The boy, 15-year-old Christopher Penley, was shot at his Orlando middle school on Friday. We were watching this as a school evacuation situation. It turned out the gun he had was a pellet gun and he pointed that at police. It wasn't until after the shooting the police realized the gun wasn't real. The boy's father said he told authorities it wasn't a real gun and begged them to let him talk to his son but they ignored him. Penley died yesterday. He had been declared brain dead and was kept alive so that his organs could be donated. His family attorneys says four families have received those organs.
The savage beating of a homeless man caught on tape by a surveillance camera generated so many tips that Florida police were able to track down the teen suspects in just a single day. Family members and attorneys for the Ft. Lauderdale teens, 18-year-old Brian Hooks and 17-year-old Thomas Daugherty, reportedly negotiated a deal for the boys to surrender to police. They surrendered yesterday. They now face murder and aggravated battery charges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPTAIN MICHAEL GREGORY, FT. LAUDERDALE POLICE: They are best classified probably by the description of teenagers. I have not seen them to be anything beyond what you would expect out of -- in the little bit of time that I've spent with them, what you would expect out of an average, everyday teenager. I have been to both of their homes and there's nothing that would have immediately alarmed you or stand out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: And violence marred the end of a New Orleans parade aimed at pulling the hurricane damaged city together. Shots ringing out just as the parade was ending. Three people were wounded and hospitalized. Thousands had gathered to show their determination to return to New Orleans from temporary housing in other states. One person who's been living in Houston said the violence is "not what I came back here to see."
To Oklahoma now. Firefighters and wild fires are still raging across the state. Officials say that 18 fires have charred more than 2,700 acres and destroyed at least one home. High winds and dry conditions are giving the flames plenty of fuel to keep burning but help may be on the way. Forecasters say a cold front is moving into the area. It's expected to bring scattered showers and lower temperatures.
Which brings us to the subject of today's weather and Jacqui Jeras.
Hello, Jacqui.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Well, ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY, he has come a long way since playing a heartthrob on "The Facts of Life." George Clooney. Yes, he was on "Facts of Life." He is now one of Hollywood's biggest names. Tonight he is up for three Golden Globe awards. He talks about his work, what's important to him now. That's all coming up ahead this hour.
First, though, the day just getting started, but are you already thinking about a nap? It works for me. Gerri Willis is here to talk about the midday, that kind of dip in the energy.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know that 3:00 p.m. slump.
Daryn, good to see you.
That George Clooney picture woke me right up, but we've got unconventional ways to fire yourself up at 3:00 in the afternoon. "Five Tips" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Well here's a great Monday morning topic. It's routine for most working Americans. That alarm clock goes off, you're pumped, you're ready to tackle the day. But by mid afternoon, you're ready to curl up under your desk. Does it sound like you? Today's "Top Five Tips," we're going to help you beat those midday blahs.
And, Gerri, this kind of is midday for people on this schedule, isn't it?
WILLIS: That's right. You betcha. Good to see you, Daryn.
Hitting the snooze alarm. You just mentioned it. It's a bad thing. Don't go there. It interrupts your sleep and it makes you even more tired. In the morning, if you're hitting that snooze button constantly, it means that you're getting less restful sleep. Look, one hour's worth of snooze button sleep is worth 15 minutes of uninterrupted sleep. So you want to make sure that you're doing it right. And when you hear that alarm, feet on the floor. Don't use the snooze button.
KAGAN: I'm so guilty of that. I set it early so that I can hit it.
Are you one of those people who has to have a cup of coffee to get going?
WILLIS: Yes.
KAGAN: You are?
WILLIS: Guilty as charged.
KAGAN: OK.
WILLIS: Yes. But here's the news. If you drink a lot of coffee, it actually depletes your energy. Four or more cups a day is going to make you more tired, raise your stress hormones, promote fatigue instead of making your feel better, nervous tremors, irritability. None of this is good, I'm telling you.
KAGAN: No.
WILLIS: And, of course, dehydration, which makes you tired, too. So the alternative here, when you want to have that second, third, fourth cup of coffee, think about green tea. It also has caffeine but not as much and it won't make you so nervous.
KAGAN: You know people who are going for the cup of coffee are not going to be interested in green tea, but we will move on.
WILLIS: It's just a suggestion.
KAGAN: It was, yes, and well meaning, I know. Other basic thing you can do. You say mint is a pick-me-up.
WILLIS: Peppermint is a great thing because it's a natural kind of thing that boosts your energy level, perks you up. You can have peppermint tea or you can put peppermint oils on your wrist. Just the smell alone is enough to make your brain wake up and say, hey, it's time to get going.
KAGAN: And as you do, you might want to sit up straight as well.
WILLIS: Oh, yes. Yes, definitely. Don't slouch. Your mother was right. If you slouch, you decrease the amount of blood and oxygen going to your brain, hey, as much as 30 percent. So you want to make sure that you're sitting up straight. It also constrains all of your organs in your middle and that's not good either because things don't work right if you're not sitting up straight. Mom had it right. Sit up straight, it's going to make you feel better and perkier.
KAGAN: All right, let's talk about another body part. Your ears. I have never heard this one.
WILLIS: Well, OK.
KAGAN: You rub your ears.
WILLIS: This is from traditional Chinese medicine. We had a different -- yes -- source (ph). It's hard to do with your earrings on, Daryn. But you rub your ears all over. And there's so many nerve endings in them, it kind of -- it makes you wake up, get going and feel just a little bit more energetic.
What do you think of that?
KAGAN: I think it's kind of relaxing me.
WILLIS: Don't go there. We need you awake, Daryn.
KAGAN: All right. OK. Then there's always a slap in the face.
Gerri, thank you.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
KAGAN: Good to see you. You're always a pick-me-up to the show.
Well, history is being made today in Africa. The first elected female president of an Africa nation has taken office. How a woman plans to run a nation that has deep connections to the United States. That's just ahead.
Plus, a nuclear standoff with Iran intensifies. Can diplomacy prevail or will a tougher approach be necessary?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: We're very close to the half hour on this Monday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
We're following a developing story this hour out of Afghanistan. A suicide bomber on a motorcycle struck down the downtown area of Spinboldak today. The death toll is now up to 22 with another 20 being injured.
This hour here in Atlanta, an event marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A live picture from Ebenezer Baptist Church. This is the 20th year for the national holiday celebrating the works and the sacrifices of the civil leader. The tribute service is being held at the church where Dr. King preached the last eight years of his life.
Iraqi officials say that fraud at the ballot box has forced them to throw out thousands of votes from last months parliamentary elections. Election officials say they annulled the vote counts from 227 ballot boxes, but the number represent a tiny percentage of the overall vote. The final election results are expected to be announced as early as tomorrow.
Doctors in West Virginia have upgraded the condition of Randy McCloy Jr., the sole survivor of the Sago Mine tragedy. Doctors now say his condition has improved from critical to serious. McCloy was remembered at a memorial service yesterday, along with his 12 fellow miners who died in a disaster. McCloy's wife was the first person to light one of the 13 candles.
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