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American Morning
Arctic Blast; Rising Tide; Massive Mudslide; Hunt Over?
Aired February 17, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, I'm Miles O'Brien.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Zain Verjee in for Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Harsh winter weather on the way. Heavy snow is blowing across the Midwest and now the seesaw of warm and cold moves east.
Plus, rescue efforts under way after a massive mudslide buries hundreds. We're live on a very desperate situation.
VERJEE: An Olympic dream in tatters as an American hopeful watches his medal melt away. We're live in Torino.
And how would you spend $365 million? A record lottery jackpot up for grabs this morning.
O'BRIEN: But first, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute, it'll change. An Arctic blast is heading east. It's going to change spring to winter in a hurry. For example, it'll reach 58 degrees today in New York City, by tomorrow, 35. Same will happen in Washington, 57 today; Saturday's highest temperature only 38. A 20- degree drop expected in Atlanta as well. Prepare to go from T-shirts to winter coats, 65 today, 45 tomorrow. It's a trend we're starting to get used to.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): When extreme cold butts heads with unseasonable warmth, well, let's just say they don't get along. Now those hardheaded competing weather titans are ready to rumble. First came the winter bob and weave. After the warmest January on record with temperatures 8.5 degrees above average, a snowstorm of historic proportions blanketed the northeast. Nearly 27 inches fell in New York City. Days later, it was positively spring-like, temperatures in the 50s and 60s.
Just as Punxsutawney Phil predicted, winter may be here, but just a shadow of its former self.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my shadow I see, six more weeks of mild winter weather there will be. O'BRIEN: Indeed it was raining ice in Chicago, mild temperatures melting chunks of ice off the 100-story John Hancock building. And in Minnesota, ice fishing became just plain fishing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is one of the worst years that I have seen out here in quite a while for this time of year. O'BRIEN: But back to your corner, Phil, the gloves are now off and the fireworks have begun. In Utah, they're digging out from nearly a foot of new snow. High winds and bone-chilling cold across the upper Midwest. Storms and high winds knocked out power to thousands of homes in Michigan overnight. The Chicago airport is a mess. And storms created havoc across parts of Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Now those squall lines are headed east, so enjoy the warm weather while you can, that terror from the north, Arctic cold, is closing in fast.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So let's get right to the Weather Center.
Good morning -- Bonnie Schneider.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles.
(WEATHER REPORT)
VERJEE: We will.
Thanks, Bonnie.
It may be cold in Minnesota, but it's hot in Greenland, and scientists are saying that it's a catastrophic problem. An international study just out warns that ice from the Arctic and Greenland is melting very, very fast. By the end of the century, the rising oceans will cover south Florida and drown New York City. Some say nothing can be done to stop it.
CNN's Jacqui Jeras reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): It may be called Greenland, but much of the world's largest island is actually white. More than 80 percent of it is covered with ice. And, according to a new study, more and more of that ice is winding up in the Atlantic.
ERIC RIGNOT, CAL TECH: The most direct impact this evolution of Green has is on sea level rise.
JERAS: Rignot and his partners studied the flow of Greenland's glaciers over 10 years. They say it has increased, especially in the southeastern part of the country. And as the glaciers flow faster, they dump more of their ice into the ocean.
RIGNOT: Glaciers are speeding up as a result of climate warming. This is especially true in eastern part of Greenland, where it has been a pronounced warming of air temperatures in the last 20 years.
JERAS: The study says that's resulted in the rate of which Greenland's glaciers are losing mass doubling between 1996 and 2005. And they say that trend means Greenland will be a bigger factor in rising sea levels...
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: Our apologies for that.
A massive mudslide has literally erased an entire village this morning in the Philippines. It happened in the eastern part of the country. Right now it's feared that as many as 300 people are dead. The mudslide comes after two weeks of steady rain.
Journalist Maria Ressa joins us now on the phone from Manila with the latest.
Maria, give us an update on the situation right now.
MARIA RESSA, CNN JOURNALIST: We're seeing the first pictures of the area have come in in the last few hours. It's affected about three villages. Eyewitnesses and local officials at the site actually put the death toll at higher than that. They're saying that there could be as many 3,000 people buried alive by this thick mud which now has covered as many as three villages.
He said days of heavy rain, followed by a small earthquake, seemed to have triggered this tragedy. The areas are covered in thick, unstable mud as high as 30 meters, according to at least one eyewitness. There are areas where no homes or trees are left standing -- Zain.
VERJEE: How hard is it for rescuers to get to this area?
RESSA: It's very hard, and that's part of the problem that they are having now. The thick mud, as well as the collapse of some main roads and bridges, are making it very difficult for rescuers to get to the affected areas.
Aside from that, it's a pretty remote location. From Manila, for example, it's an hour-and-a-half plane ride to the main city of Tacloban in southern Leyte. In addition to that, it's a two-and-a- half hour ride, plus a long walk to get to the area that's been affected.
VERJEE: Does the Philippine government, do local authorities have the right kind of equipment to try and help rescue survivors?
RESSA: Well there certainly have been many tragedies like these. The Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, went on nationwide television, has already ordered rescue efforts under way. The Philippine Red Cross has already asked for help from U.S. troops who are in the area. And the U.S. troops say that they will wait for a formal letter of request. However, local companies, private companies are moving in, foundations moving in, but the main problem really right now are logistics -- Zain.
VERJEE: Maria Ressa reporting to us from Manila.
Thanks, Maria -- Miles. O'BRIEN: Vice President Dick Cheney is clear of criminal charges in the shooting of his hunting companion, Harry Whittington. Local police made the announcement shortly after wrapping up their investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF DEP. GILBERTO SAN MIGUEL JR., KENEDY CO. SHERIFF'S OFFICE: At this time, through our investigation, it is over, but there's going to be no criminal charges filed. This was just a mere hunting accident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Doctors say Harry Whittington is doing extremely well. He's joking around with the staff. And they expect to send him home in just the next couple of days.
So is the hunt over? The vice president is moving on. He'll be speaking today in friendly territory, his home state of Wyoming.
And as CNN's Dana Bash reports, President Bush would like to move on as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A day after the vice president broke his silence, the president did too.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine. He heard a bird flush and he turned and pulled the trigger and saw his friend get wounded.
BASH: Cheney associates are now trying to deflect intense criticism about why it took nearly a day to reveal news of the incident by playing it as a human drama about a man traumatized after shooting his friend.
Mr. Bush joined in by offering this observation about a vice president not known to show emotion.
BUSH: It profoundly affected him. When he was here in the Oval Office, I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded.
BASH: Still, senior administration sources tell CNN not talking early on irritated the president and top aides who make no secret they believe confusion and stubbornness made a bad situation worse.
And in what appeared to be a telling exchange, the president was asked directly about the timing of Mr. Cheney's explanation and would not answer. He clearly wanted to move on.
QUESTION: But are you satisfied with the timing?
BUSH: I'm satisfied with the explanation he gave.
BASH: But some Republicans say not so fast, one interview may not be enough.
TORIE CLARK, FMR. PENTAGON SPOKESWOMAN: Stand up in front of as many cameras as you can find, and you can find those easily in Washington, and say what you are going to say and answer all the questions until there aren't any more.
BASH: A Cheney adviser tells CNN there actually was a plan for the vice president to talk to reporters Sunday at the hospital, but he didn't, primarily because he did not have staff there to deal with it.
Now these sources say there are discussions about changing what some insiders call Cheney World, perhaps having more aides travel with him. But those who know this vice president doubt more staff would have changed anything, noting he ignored pressure from top presidential aides to talk sooner.
Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: It looks like the White House will escape a Senate investigation into the president's secret wiretap program. But a federal judge's ruling could force the administration to go public with certain details of the NSA eavesdropping program. Meanwhile, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee says there won't be an investigation, but members of Congress will get extra briefings on the program.
The Bush administration denies claims of torture at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. A U.N. report released on Thursday called for the facility to be closed. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan echoed that sentiment. The White House says those being held are all dangerous terrorists.
More money for operations in Iraq and in Afghanistan, the White House is asking Congress for an additional $65 billion. Now that would be added to the $50 billion Congress already approved. That was just two months ago. The Pentagon says that that should support a force in Iraq of 138,000 troops through the end of September.
O'BRIEN: Now some big numbers for you, $365 million. How does that suit you?
VERJEE: That suits me just fine, a million a day.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it'd probably make you miserable.
VERJEE: No, it wouldn't.
O'BRIEN: But I'd like to try. Anyhow, start thinking, because the estimated record jackpot for Saturday's Power Ball lottery drawing is just that, a million a day for the year, that's before taxes. The Power Ball is played in 28 states, plus Washington and the Virgin Islands.
And as a service to you, we're going to do a little bit of math. The immediate cash value of that prize, $365 million, once the tax bite is taken out, $177.3 million. Now would you guys go for the annuity or do you take the cash?
VERJEE: Take the cash.
O'BRIEN: Always take the cash.
VERJEE: Always take the cash.
O'BRIEN: Thank you. Excellent answer, everybody, take the cash. Thank you.
VERJEE: We're all in agreement on that.
O'BRIEN: All right.
VERJEE: If you stack all that cash up, it weighs 401 tons. I was up very late...
O'BRIEN: Four hundred and one tons?
VERJEE: Right around 401 tons.
O'BRIEN: Wow!
VERJEE: One dollar bills stacked up. I was crunching numbers last night.
O'BRIEN: Boy, you were up late.
VERJEE: Coming up, a U.S. figure skater...
O'BRIEN: Need to get you a good book.
VERJEE: ... comes up with a weird excuse for failing to medal at the Olympics. Now he blamed it on missing his bus.
O'BRIEN: There's an excuse for you. The dog ate my homework, you know, it all works.
Also, is Oprah's new deal with XM Radio in jeopardy? A board member at XM steps down and there is a warning of a cash crisis there.
VERJEE: And scary news for millions of woman using a popular birth control patch. A new warning about its dangerous side effects.
That's ahead here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Now that is Friday music.
VERJEE: That is Friday music.
O'BRIEN: Yes, the Boss.
VERJEE: Let's go to our other boss in the newsroom -- Carol Costello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I like that. Thank you.
Good morning to you, and good morning, everyone.
Vice President Dick Cheney is back at home in Wyoming. He's set to promote the Bush agenda before state lawmakers. The speech was planned months ago, but now happens to be his first public appearance since last week's hunting accident. Aides say he's expected to mention Harry Whittington. Authorities closed the investigation into the shooting and say they are not planning to file any charges.
Not guilty, that is the plea entered on behalf of accused killer Neil Entwistle. Entwistle was silent during his brief arraignment on Thursday. He is charged with fatally shooting his wife and their 9- month-old daughter in Massachusetts last month. After the hearing, Entwistle's lawyer complained that all the publicity will make it difficult for his client to get a fair trial.
Another deadly mining accident to report this morning, this time in Hazard, Kentucky. That's in eastern Kentucky. Thirty-three-year- old Tim Caudal (ph) died when a layer of rock caved in on him. He is the 20th person to die in the nation's mines this year. This latest accident coming just as federal officials were getting ready to announce efforts to toughen mine safety laws.
A dramatic development in the case of Natalee Holloway, her parents are suing one of the three teens questioned in her disappearance. Joran van der Sloot is accused of malicious, wanton and willful disregard. He's described as the predator who spends his free time trolling for victims. Van der Sloot and his dad were slapped with the lawsuit while visiting New York.
And carpe diem meets von tem rulay (ph). New Orleans seize the day and let the good times roll. Fat Tuesday just 11 days away, but the party kicks off tomorrow. Marchers stepping out for the first of a dozen Mardi Gras parades over the next week and a half. The theme this year, may God bless New Orleans.
Let's head to the Forecast Center to check in with Bonnie Schneider in for Chad this morning.
Hello -- Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Hello, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Isn't that nice.
Thank you.
Excuse me, sorry, I just got a little gift from Carrie, and I was about to say isn't that sweet...
VERJEE: (INAUDIBLE) chocolate. O'BRIEN: ... and there was my microphone.
Thank you, Bonnie.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A few days late, but...
VERJEE: Breakfast.
O'BRIEN: This is, what, we're being re-gifted on Valentine's chocolate, is that it?
LEE: Leftover, no, I just don't want a big pile of candy at home, so I'm sharing it.
O'BRIEN: Very kind of you.
LEE: And I thought I'd wait until Friday.
O'BRIEN: There's nothing better at 6:18 in the morning...
LEE: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: ... than chocolate.
LEE: Sugar helps.
O'BRIEN: Good to have you with us.
LEE: Thanks.
O'BRIEN: But we're going to do this first, right?
LEE: XM.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about XM Radio first, shall we?
LEE: Yes, the stock took a big hit yesterday.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEE: Well you know they're spending a lot of money. Sirius, XM Satellite Radio spending serious money to bring talent in. XM recently $55 million deal with Oprah Winfrey. That actually dwarfs the half a billion, $500 million, so half-a-billion-dollar deal with Howard Stern.
Well, what happened yesterday, one of the company's directors, Pierce Roberts, stepped down after XM reported wider losses than the year ago period. He basically says the company is facing a crisis, a cash crisis we could say. The company is not making money yet. It's really a land grab, both of these names trying to get as much talent as they can, spending a lot of money to do so.
XM's customer acquisition costs in the recent quarter, $89 a person, which is unbelievable.
O'BRIEN: Wow! Just...
LEE: They said it was a one-time thing. But still, they're really spending a lot of...
O'BRIEN: Start paying people individually to listen or something.
LEE: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: It's really a war of attrition between these two, who can outlast the other and...
LEE: It is. It is. XM about twice the size, six million subscribers. They hope to have nine million by the end of the year. But still, right now they are spending serious money to get out there.
O'BRIEN: Serious money, I get it.
VERJEE: Wow, they are.
(CROSSTALK)
LEE: (INAUDIBLE) today, by the way.
O'BRIEN: They are?
LEE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: In spite of the Howard Stern deal?
LEE: Well, the quarterly profit report, we'll see if they actually make money...
O'BRIEN: I'm sorry, reporting financials.
LEE: ... but quarterly profits.
O'BRIEN: We don't know what there are profits.
LEE: Exactly. Exactly.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
LEE: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Got to be -- I got to clear out the ears this hour.
LEE: OK.
O'BRIEN: Thank you -- Carrie.
LEE: Sure.
VERJEE: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Thanks for the candy. LEE: All right.
O'BRIEN: The big search at New York's JFK Airport for Vivy the wayward Whippet has been called off. Police say they'll still watch for the dog during routine patrols. The award winning dog, as we told you yesterday, escaped while waiting to be loaded onto a plane for her return to California after appearing in the Westminster Dog Show. Her owners are understandably frantic. One of Vivy's owners says it's likely she fled into a marshy area near JFK.
We will talk to one of the owners in a little more than an hour, 7:50 Eastern Time, see how they're doing, see what they suggest for people who may be on the lookout for Vivy.
VERJEE: Carol, we got chocolate, you didn't, but you're going to get "Morning Coffee," though.
COSTELLO: Yes, but I'll be up in the studio soon to get some of that chocolate, don't you worry, Zain.
Good morning, here's a look at what's coming up in "Morning Coffee."
Johnny Weir, the American skating star at the Olympics, but it is not his performance that's got people talking, it's his sex life. We'll tell you all about it next in "Morning Coffee."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Good morning, I've got my tea, Miles has his coffee and Carol has got some good stories for us.
COSTELLO: Good stories.
O'BRIEN: It's just the three of us this morning.
COSTELLO: Just the three of us. It's so cozy, isn't it?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: It is.
But in the "Daily News," you know the skater Johnny Weir, the American Olympic skater, he dropped to fifth in the competition. Larry Smith (ph) was going to tell us about that live from Turin in a little bit. But on the front page, actually on the back page of the "Daily News" there is this, ice storm. And it has nothing to do with Johnny Weir's performance, but his sex life.
Apparently he's in quite the feud with Rudy Galindo, you know, the Olympic skater from years past, the gold medal winner. And they're talking about whether or not he's gay. Rudy says that Johnny Weir should just come right out and say he's gay. And some of the quotes are just astounding I'm going to read to you.
This is from the "Chicago Tribune" who interviewed Rudy Galindo. Rudy says, he's drinking tea with his pinkie finger in the air. And he's so over the top and feminine. Why is everybody asking him about his style and not just ask him if he's gay?
The "Chicago Tribune" actually ran a poll in the newspaper asking its readers if it really cared if Johnny Weir was gay. Ninety-two percent said no they didn't care.
But this kid has to deal with this. He's 21 years old.
VERJEE: Yes.
COSTELLO: He's dropped to fifth in the competition. He says he doesn't really care, like whatever, but it's got to affect his performance.
VERJEE: Well, he missed a bus, also, that took him down to the rink, as well, and he's blaming that on affecting his performance, too.
COSTELLO: Well, I don't know, but he has said some things that probably has fueled this fire. And this is from this article in the "Daily News" this morning. Weir has called himself princessy (ph) during a press conference and also talked about how he is not a jock but an athlete dressed in rhinestones and sequins. But nobody felt the need at that press conference to ask him about the gay issue. He said this in a press conference.
And apparently has this feud with Galindo. And Rudy Galindo is just fueling the fire for some apparent reason. We don't know why.
O'BRIEN: I just don't care. You know, really, I just think it's such a terrible distraction for his...
COSTELLO: It's tacky, isn't it?
O'BRIEN: The whole thing. Yes.
COSTELLO: It's tacky.
VERJEE: I feel bad for his performance, you know.
COSTELLO: Yes. Let's talk about the...
VERJEE: There were so many hopes pinned on him, but unfortunately. The Russian was amazing.
COSTELLO: Yes.
VERJEE: You know Yevgeny Plushenko, amazing.
COSTELLO: Yes, but Johnny Weir is only 21 years old and he'll be back.
VERJEE: Hopefully.
COSTELLO: That's what he says in this article, at least. The Olympic ratings, let's talk about that, because they're not doing so hot. In fact, I think "American Idol" beat them two to one.
O'BRIEN: That's pathetic.
COSTELLO: Isn't it?
O'BRIEN: Isn't that awful?
VERJEE: Sad. And you know people can go...
O'BRIEN: Terrible.
VERJEE: ... online, too, and watch the Olympics. You know go on the Internet, get the scores...
O'BRIEN: A lame talent show beats out the best athletes in the world.
COSTELLO: Two to one. But you know the Olympics...
O'BRIEN: Yes.
VERJEE: What's wrong with "American Idol?"
O'BRIEN: Well, it's all right, but I mean, you know, trying to compare the two.
VERJEE: I know.
COSTELLO: But the Olympics are on tape delay. A lot of people, as you said, already know who the winner is, so why watch. And a lot of the sports involved in the Olympics you never watch them except at Olympic time.
VERJEE: And there's so many other good shows that the networks are programming in you know on the same...
COSTELLO: "Desperate Housewives."
VERJEE: "Desperate Housewives," "Gray's Anatomy."
COSTELLO: Yes.
VERJEE: So.
O'BRIEN: I don't know. That snowboard cross, I'm a fan now. That is something. That's fun to watch.
COSTELLO: Well you watch, Miles, and drive those ratings up. You...
O'BRIEN: That's fun to -- I was watching at 3:00 this morning. And I think it was live action.
VERJEE: You don't watch "Desperate Housewives?" O'BRIEN: No, no, sorry. Snowboard cross that's my...
VERJEE: Miles.
O'BRIEN: I'm a new fan.
The morning's top stories are...
VERJEE: Thanks, Carol.
O'BRIEN: ... straight ahead, including more Olympic coverage. Remember skier Lindsey Kildow's brutal wipeout. We told you all about that. Well, incredibly she will hit the slopes once again today. She had another gutsy performance after that fall. She finished eighth. Maybe this time, though, she'll be in the medals. We'll go live to Turin for a preview.
And we're having flashbacks from Freedom Fries, remember that. After the Mohammed cartoon controversy, Iranians have a new nickname for danishes, you know the treat danish, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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