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American Morning

Two Teenaged Murder Suspects Escape From Alabama Prison; Surprising Comments From New Orleans' Mayor Ray Nagin

Aired January 17, 2006 - 08:00   ET

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


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.

Two teenaged murder suspects escape from an Alabama prison. Police believe they are armed and dangerous. We're going to take you there live for the very latest on that story.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Miles O'Brien.

From Crescent City to Chocolate City? Surprising comments from New Orleans' Mayor Ray Nagin about the future of his city. More on that ahead.

S. O'BRIEN: And award season isn't all about those gold statues. We're going to take a look at who made their mark with what they wore to the Golden Globes.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

We're back in a moment.

Welcome, everybody.

Good morning.

M. O'BRIEN: Good to have you with us.

We begin with that manhunt along the Alabama-Georgia border. Police there are looking for two teenaged suspects who broke out of a jail over the weekend.

Rusty Dornin live from the site of the prison.

That's in Phenix City, Alabama, right on that state line, as we said -- Rusty, how are things going on this search?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, they've been, quite literally, beating the brush in the heavily wooded areas in the are of Phenix City, Alabama, which is right across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, Georgia.

Now, there are some concerns, perhaps, that these suspects may have been able to cross the river into Columbus, Georgia. So they are using dogs, they are using thermal infrared devices, just anything they can to try to find these suspects. Sheriff Tommy Boswell did tell CNN's Anderson Cooper that it's really difficult to figure out exactly how big of an area this manhunt should be right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF TOMMY BOSWELL, RUSSELL COUNTY POLICE: They usually travel further on foot than you think that they do, because of the hours that are involved in their search. And the perimeters can be set up, usually it's a larger perimeter than you think is necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: And what's interesting, as well, is the sheriff did say that they're not sure if they're traveling together it, of course, depends on the relationship that the two had, perhaps, inside, as to whether they split up or are traveling together.

And to go over again just how they escaped, it was very early Saturday morning. There were three of them, all suspected murder suspects. They apparently overpowered two guards, stabbed one of them 15 times with what they call a shank. That was a homemade device with reinforced wire.

They went, took the keys from him, went to the next area, overcame a female guard, took her keys, and that's how they got out of the front area.

They did catch one of the suspects about six hours later in a wooded area using the dogs, using a helicopter with thermal infrared devices. So they were able to take him back into custody. But they are still warning the community, of course, that these men are on the loose. They are perhaps armed and very dangerous -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Rusty, that escapee in custody, is he talking?

DORNIN: Well, so far the sheriff says they've spoken with him twice and he is giving some information. They will not say what that information is. We don't know whether the tip that they went into Columbus, Georgia came from that inmate or perhaps came from someone in the outside community.

They are talking to all of their neighbors, friends, that sort of thing. And they're going over the visitor logs, as well, inside the jail, of course, and going back and talking with them.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh, so they think they might have had some help possibly from people on the outside?

DORNIN: They're not saying.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh.

DORNIN: They're not saying at this point.

M. O'BRIEN: Rusty Dornin, Phenix City, thanks a lot. That interview you saw in Rusty's piece was with the sheriff. It aired last night on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." We invite you to watch it tonight for the latest on this developing story. It comes your way at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time right here on CNN.

At the other end of Georgia a hostage situation going on almost 24 hours now. A man and a woman claim to have a bomb. They are holding a lawyer hostage in his office in Statesboro. That's about 200 miles southeast of Atlanta. Police and cordoned off part of downtown Statesboro. The stand-off forced the city to cancel a King Day parade yesterday. The city's police chief says the hostage taker, Robert Eugene Brower, is upset over how the attorney handled his criminal case.

We had reports a couple of hours ago of some sort of loud boom or explosion in the vicinity of that building. We're still trying to get some information on that. We'll have an update for you as soon as we get it -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, this might be some more firepower for critics of the White House domestic spying program. The "New York Times" this morning citing FBI officials who say the program is nearly useless and also legally iffy. Also, the "Times" reports that the ACLU is planning to sue the government on behalf of 10 journalists who suspect that they've been targeted by warrantless snooping.

All this on top of comments by former Vice President Al Gore. He says President Bush is flat out breaking the law.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales responded last night on CNN's "Larry King Live."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE")

ALBERTO GONZALES, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: With respect to comments by the former vice president, it's my understanding that during the Clinton administration there was activity regarding the physical searches without warrants. Aldrich Ames as an example.

I can also say that it's my understanding that the deputy attorney general testified before Congress that the president does have the inherent authority under the constitution to engage in physical searches without a warrant.

And so those would certainly seem to be inconsistent with what the former vice president was saying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: Gonzalez also rejected Al Gore's calls for a special prosecutor to investigate the program.

"LARRY KING LIVE," of course, airs every night on CNN, 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Headlines now. Carol's got those -- good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.

Good morning to all of you.

Russia is advising caution over Iran's nuclear program. The country's foreign minister says sanctions are not the best or the only way to force Iran to take notice. Last week, Iran said it resumed nuclear activity. Some European Union countries are pushing the United Nations nuclear watchdog to hold a special meeting next month. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful means only.

What could possibly motivate anyone to beat up homeless people? Well, we could soon have some answers. A third person now in custody. The "Miami Herald" reporting William Ammons has been arrested in the Florida beatings case. He's set to appear in court in the next hour. Two other suspects turned themselves over to authorities over the weekend. A surveillance tape shows one of the attacks in Fort Lauderdale. This man survived the attack, but another homeless man did not.

Just about a month after the execution of Crips gang co-founder "Tookie" Williams, California has another high profile execution. Clarence Allen died by lethal injection overnight. The 76-year-old was legally blind, nearly deaf and in a wheelchair. Allen is now the second oldest person executed in the United States since capital punishment started up again.

Last month, Mississippi executed a 77-year-old convicted murderer.

And classes back in session in New Orleans. The paint just drying on some of the hallways, but many classes also being relocated to trailers and hotel conference rooms while repairs continue. Students are already back at Loyola and Dillard Universities. Classes resumed this morning at Tulane, Xavier and Southern.

Let's head to Atlanta now to check in with Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: "Brokeback Mountain" is now the morning live favorite for best picture at the Oscars. The cowboy love story cleaned up at the Golden Globes Monday night.

CNN's Sibila Vargas was there.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The big winner of the night? "Brokeback Mountain." The film about two gay cowboys took the Golden Globe Award in four out of the seven categories in which it has received nominations, including best dramatic picture.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE 3RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS," COURTESY HFPA AND DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS, INC.)

JAMES SCHAMUS, PRODUCER, "BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN": We are stunned in thanks to the Hollywood foreign press.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: Also stunned, Hoffman and Huffman, the winning actors in the dramatic film category. Philip Seymour Hoffman won for his portrayal of novelist Truman Capote in "Capote."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CAPOTE," COURTESY UNITED ARTISTS AND SONY PICTURES CLASSICS)

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN, ACTOR: In cold blood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: And Felicity Huffman for her role as a transsexual in "Transamerica."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "TRANSAMERICA," COURTESY THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY)

FELICITY HUFFMAN, "TRANSAMERICA": I can't handle this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE 3RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS," COURTESY HFPA AND DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS, INC.)

HUFFMAN: Well, I would like to salute the men and women who brave ostracism, alienation and a life lived on the margins to become who they really are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: In the musical or comedy film category, "Walk The Line" won top honors for best picture.

(VIDEO CLIP FROM "WALK THE LINE," COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX)

VARGAS: While costars Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix took home best actor and best actress awards in a musical or comedy for their portrayals of Johnny and June Carter Cash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE 3RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS," COURTESY HFPA AND DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS, INC.)

JOAQUIN PHOENIX "WALK THE LINE": To John and June for sharing their life with all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VARGAS: George Clooney, who had three individual nominations in three different categories, including best supporting actor in a drama for "Syriana," was the first award of the night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE 3RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS," COURTESY HFPA AND DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS, INC.)

GEORGE CLOONEY, "SYRIANA": This is early. I haven't had a drink yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: British actress Rachel Weisz earned the prize for best supporting actress in a drama for "The Constant Gardener."

The winners in the Golden Globe film categories are closely watched as leading contenders for Academy Awards in two months.

Meanwhile, ABC was television's big winner of the evening. The thriller "Lost" won best TV drama while fan favorite "Desperate Housewives" won for best comedy or musical TV show. The best comedic actress award went to "Weeds" star, Mary-Louise Parker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE 3RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS," COURTESY HFPA AND DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS, INC.)

MARY-LOUISE PARKER, "WEEDS": I thought we were all kind of desperate housewives, so mine was just a little bit more desperate than theirs were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: Best actor in a TV comedy went to Steve Carell for "The Office." His acceptance speech, he said, was written by his wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE 3RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS," COURTESY HFPA AND DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS, INC.)

STEVE CARELL, "THE OFFICE": I would also like to thank my wife, Nancy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: And "Commander-In-Chief" star Geena Davis won best actress in a TV drama for her portrayal as the first female U.S. president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE 3RD ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS," COURTESY HFPA AND DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS, INC.)

GEENA DAVIS, "COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF": This is really wonderful for a fledgling little show like ours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: A golden night for all the Golden Globe winners. Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: And in just a few minutes, we're going to check in with a style expert, right?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, Lloyd Boston, who always watches and usually dresses many people for these events.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes?

S. O'BRIEN: He's going to talk to us about the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful.

M. O'BRIEN: So, will he assess his own efforts?

S. O'BRIEN: I'm sure his were all perfect because he is the man with the golden touch.

M. O'BRIEN: He's got it.

S. O'BRIEN: But, yes.

M. O'BRIEN: He's got it, huh?

S. O'BRIEN: He's got a new book out, too. So we're going to talk with him about that, too.

M. O'BRIEN: All right.

All right.

S. O'BRIEN: He's fabulous.

We're going to talk this morning also about the author of a new book on Martin Luther King, Jr. It's about the final years, really, the last four years of Martin Luther King's life, including some of his conflicts with civil rights leaders like Jesse Jones, for example. We'll talk about that ahead this morning.

M. O'BRIEN: And take a look now. Can you tell which gun is fake and which gun is real? Most people, even cops, cannot, without really taking a close look. What every parent needs to know about an alarming trend.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Well, here's a question for you. Is this real or is it a fake?

It's hard to tell without really taking a close look at it. And it can be a life and death decision that must often be answered, and a question that must be answered, in a split second. (BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TANIA CRAWFORD, PENLEY FAMILY'S NEIGHBOR: I think everybody's shocked because he was -- I understand he's 15 years old, but that's somebody's baby.

M. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Friends and family mourning the death of Christopher Penley. Police shot the Florida eighth grader Friday during a stand-off at his middle school. He died two days later.

Police say he pointed what appeared to be a .9 millimeter pistol at officers. In fact, it was a pellet gun.

LT. MIKE WEIPPERT, SEMINOLE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: This is the actual firearm that was held by the subject inside of the one that I'm holding during the incident. And as you can see, it looks almost identical to the one that Zack Dawee (ph) is holding, which is the actual real .9 millimeter handgun.

M. O'BRIEN: And use of these dangerously accurate replicas is a real problem all across the country.

In the past year-and-a-half, authorities in 11 states report more than 50 armed robberies with menacing looking B.B. guns. In Oklahoma, this surveillance tape shows a store owner staring down the barrel of a very real looking gun before he grabbed it and pushed it aside. It turns out it was a B.B. gun. The law requires replica guns have a bright orange tip on the barrel to make it clear they are not the real thing. But many B.B. gun owners paint them black and they look very real, with all too real consequences.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Police in Miami are cracking down on the sale of replica guns and B.B. guns to teenagers.

Chief John Timoney is Miami's top cop.

He joins us from Miami.

Chief, good to have you with us.

CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE: Good morning, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: You have your real Glock .9 millimeter there, right?

TIMONEY: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, hold it up, would you?

TIMONEY: Absolutely. Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Hold it up.

But we're having some problems with the shot...

TIMONEY: No, no.

M. O'BRIEN: ... so bear with us. And I just want to...

TIMONEY: Yes...

M. O'BRIEN: I want to put it on as a comparison and just get a shot here of this compared to that.

You can't -- you don't have it?

TIMONEY: Oh, yes, I have it, but I couldn't unholster it for you. Trust me, it looks just like the guns you just showed.

M. O'BRIEN: All right.

All right, we get the point.

There you go. There's a full screen which shows it.

TIMONEY: Yes, OK.

M. O'BRIEN: To the right is the real gun. To the left is a B.B. gun, which we got easily procured, even here in new year, where the laws are very tough.

Give us a sense, what is the problem? Is the problem the B.B. guns, the replicas, or both?

TIMONEY: It's both, and about a month ago or two months ago, we held a press conference down here. We had three incidents in Miami in the course of a week-and-a-half where the replica guns looked just like Glocks and were used in situations, one where a police officer almost killed a kid, a 17-year-old kid holding it up.

The law requires, federal law requires the orange tip at the top of the barrel. Thousands of these weapons, these replicas, come in from China, are in lots of stores in Miami and the Miami area, pose a real threat.

And so the Miami Police Department, along with the federal government, have been cracking down, if you will, on the very stores that sell these replicas in and around Miami.

But the same thing happens, by the way, with the B.B. guns. In the olden days, the B.B. guns, they were kind of obvious, sleek, the barrel...

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, the Daisy, right? We all had that then.

TIMONEY: Not nowadays.

M. O'BRIEN: They don't have them like that anymore, right? They look like real guns.

TIMONEY: Exactly.

Yes, I mean...

M. O'BRIEN: Now, let me ask you this, Chief.

Why do these kids, unless they have some criminal intent, why are they painting that orange tip over? Or are these guns coming in without the orange tip?

TIMONEY: Well, that's a -- my understanding is, and I don't know too much about that case, but my understanding was this young 15-year- old may have been bullied in school and brought it with him to school just to kind of fend off bullies. That's the underlying story.

Other kids, we've seen a few situations, not just in Miami, but I've spoken to my colleagues in Philadelphia, where teenagers in their early 20s are using these replica guns in stickups because they know it's a lesser charge than a real gun. And so they'll pick a weak target, produce this replica gun and have the same effect as a real gun.

M. O'BRIEN: You know...

TIMONEY: The unfortunate part of it, you see -- go ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, but, I mean if you're at the business end of a fake gun and you think it's a real gun, that still might as well be a real gun, right? So why should the charge be any less, you know?

TIMONEY: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And they don't use them too much in sticking up bodegas because the possibility of a bodega owner being armed is real.

M. O'BRIEN: Right.

TIMONEY: But they will use them on soft targets, on women, on younger men that they would accost on the street. And it looks like a real gun. A police officer could never tell -- even if you put them side by side you can't tell until you lift them up, Miles, where the weight difference.

M. O'BRIEN: So, what's to be done about it, Chief? Is this a matter of clamping down on the import of these things? Is this a parental issue? Is it all of the above?

TIMONEY: It's actually both. It's cracking down on the import, making sure that those that come in have, in fact, have the orange tip, and then maybe most important, that the parents know what their kids, what they're buying, what they have in the apartment and the house, that these guns can -- and they have time and time again ended in tragic circumstances.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, Chief Timoney, thank you very much.

TIMONEY: Miles, good seeing you.

M. O'BRIEN: Chief John Timoney is the Miami police chief.

And let's hope that this doesn't lead to another tragedy. It's a terrible thing.

TIMONEY: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much -- Soledad.

TIMONEY: Thanks, Miles.

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has got an update on our New You Resolution. Our lobbyist friends are now one week into the program. How are they holding up?

Then coming up next, the red carpet winners and losers from last night's Golden Globes. We'll run down all the fashion hits and some misses, too.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Mariah never covers up a lot.

LLOYD BOSTON, STYLE EXPERT, "BEFORE YOU PUT THAT ON": Yes, no.

S. O'BRIEN: At any event.

BOSTON: No. Just a touch.

S. O'BRIEN: She lets it all hang out. Forget the winners. Let's talk for a moment about who turned heads at the Golden Globes.

Star maven Lloyd Boston staked out the stars on the red carpet.

He's also the author, of course, of "Before You Put That On"...

BOSTON: Absolutely.

S. O'BRIEN: Lloyd Boston joins us.

Nice to see you.

BOSTON: Good to see you, too.

S. O'BRIEN: Gosh, it's been a long time.

BOSTON: It has.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's get right to it.

BOSTON: Absolutely.

S. O'BRIEN: Queen Latifah kicked everything off and she looked perfection.

BOSTON: The color was gorgeous. The fit was perfect. And that's a challenge when you're a woman of curves. And she embraces the curves. She doesn't look matronly, she doesn't try to hide her skin. And I think this dress was a perfect choice, great fit, great color. And the nude makeup really did fit everyone for the night. Very fresh.

S. O'BRIEN: She looked absolutely beautiful.

Natalie Portman's no longer bald. But what -- tell me what you thought of her dress?

Let's pop her picture up.

BOSTON: You know what? She made a really smart choice. She did the Vintage Chanel, which was smart because you're not going to see yourself coming and going. The hair is growing in gorgeously. She gave a very respectful nod...

S. O'BRIEN: Not a lot of makeup, though. I mean...

BOSTON: No. Well, you know what? There's probably more than you can see, but it's a nude, sheer approach, which is definitely a trend for the night. And she's giving you the...

S. O'BRIEN: And then in the California sun...

BOSTON: ... Audrey Hepburn done so perfectly.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, you like that, huh?

BOSTON: Gorgeous.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Eva Longoria. I thought they -- a lot of the local papers have been showing her dress, which was fabulous.

BOSTON: Absolutely. That flaming red was gorgeous.

S. O'BRIEN: Who did this dress?

BOSTON: Collette Denigen (ph). And, again, you know, we're not talking a huge name, but she's got a beautiful figure. She's a petite gal. And notice the rooshing (ph) around the back really does look tastefully sexy.

S. O'BRIEN: I saw Sandra O. (ph) in a lot of the shots and I wasn't sure about her dress, because the front is sort of strange. But the back is just drop dead gorgeous.

BOSTON: She won me over. I thought it was really kind of sophisticated and understated, playing into that new trend of the night. And, again, oh, I'm sorry, she's wearing Collette Denigen (ph). Eva Longoria was actually in Bob Mackey (ph). So she went to the classic.

But for someone like Sandra (ph) to do a newer designer, again, the back was really understated. And, again, nudes and sheers... S. O'BRIEN: But I wasn't sure I liked the front part. It looked a little, you know, sort of spacey.

BOSTON: Yes, well, she wanted to look good coming and going, I think. But I love the tossled hair, understated, which kind of plays into that sexy role.

S. O'BRIEN: See, that's great. The back is absolutely gorgeous.

BOSTON: Yes, it's really great. And her sister looked so proud. I loved that.

S. O'BRIEN: A lot of basic black. And sometimes basic black, it seems like you just kind of mush into the background.

BOSTON: It's a tricky one because when you think about basic black, anything that's basic is going to put you to sleep visually. And these ladies that chose black last night did it with a touch of pizzazz, just in the right places. You saw a little shimmer...

S. O'BRIEN: All right, let's run through...

BOSTON: Absolutely.

S. O'BRIEN: Renee Zellweger's, I think, is...

BOSTON: Renee Zellweger -- gorgeous. And she's coming around again. I mean for a while she looked a little sour, pardon the pun. But she was a little sour...

S. O'BRIEN: Well, she had that messy break-up. Give her a break.

BOSTON: Yes, I know.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh my goodness.

BOSTON: But she really did it the right way here.

And Carolina Herrera, again...

S. O'BRIEN: She always -- she looks fabulous in Carolina Herrera.

BOSTON: And she has a wonderful partnership with Carolina.

S. O'BRIEN: Gorgeous.

BOSTON: Really gorgeous here. One shoulder. I love that look on her.

S. O'BRIEN: OK, Sarah Jessica Parker.

BOSTON: You know what? She's coming, rising from the style ashes of "Sex And The City," where she was known for a really quirky style. S. O'BRIEN: That's gorgeous.

BOSTON: Again, here, she took it understated, strapless. Again, she has new movies coming out, so she's keeping it fresh and simple.

The hair, the goddess hair, was a big trend, as well, last night.

S. O'BRIEN: Hillary Swank (ph).

BOSTON: Hillary Swank, again, backless trend, which we love on her ever since she did it two years ago at the Oscars.

S. O'BRIEN: If you've got a good back, show it off.

BOSTON: Absolutely. And I loved the fact that last night she said she's fighting for her marriage. She's not single. She's really staying sexy...

S. O'BRIEN: Good. I was so sad when she and Chad broke up.

BOSTON: Absolutely. She's trying to make it work.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, good for her.

BOSTON: And I think this is a great way to make him stand up straight.

S. O'BRIEN: Chad, I'm wearing a sexy dress.

And then we have -- who else? Oh, that's our Geena Davis in red.

BOSTON: Yes, that's our black group. Geena Davis, again.

S. O'BRIEN: I love the dress.

BOSTON: Love the dress, great curves. She chose Ascona (ph), so, again, she went to a traditional house. But she's always been a tall gal with amazing curves. She shows them off.

S. O'BRIEN: Do we have any time to get to who we didn't love last night?

BOSTON: Ah, well, you know what? I hate to give thumbs down.

S. O'BRIEN: I know you do, but whatever. Let's talk about it. Come on.

Gwyneth Paltrow (ph), I get that she's pregnant, but you didn't love her look.

BOSTON: Some are saying Little Bo Peep. Some are saying she's kind of caught in the night -- in the kind of period piece clothing. But I think, you know, she gets a get out of jail free card. She's got a lot to deal with...

S. O'BRIEN: When you're pregnant, exactly. BOSTON: It's hard to get up.

S. O'BRIEN: You can wear whatever you want.

BOSTON: Absolutely.

S. O'BRIEN: Gwyneth, you go, girl.

BOSTON: Just glad to you have you there.

S. O'BRIEN: Drew Barrymore you didn't love?

BOSTON: No, I thought it aged her. She tried to do the Julianne Moore (ph) trick, doing that wonderful emerald green with the red hair.

S. O'BRIEN: Right.

BOSTON: But I think it just added years to her.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, you didn't love it.

BOSTON: Yes. Not good.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, we love her anyway, even if maybe she missed on this one.

Lloyd Boston, always nice to see you.

The book is called "Before You Put That On."

BOSTON: That's right.

S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Lloyd.

BOSTON: Thank you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to join us for a New You checkup. Today, an update on our lobbyists friends. Remember them? Exercising together, how sweet is that? They're one week into the program. Are they sticking to it? We'll take a look on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Good morning.

We're glad you're with us this morning.

We're going to tell you about those homeless beatings in Fort Lauderdale.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, that videotape was just brutal to watch.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it was very difficult to watch.

Three homeless people beaten, two within an inch of their life, one dead as a result of them. Two were arrested, we told you, earlier this week. There is a third arrest and this third suspect in custody with police not being charged in the fatal beating, but nonetheless yet another -- as one of the questions we had when they were arrested, were there accomplices? And police seem to think so.

S. O'BRIEN: And why? Why?

M. O'BRIEN: Well, this is the question that we haven't gotten an answer to -- why? Why would this happen?

So we will delve into that in just a little bit.

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