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American Morning
New Moms Too Old?; Sony May Delay PS3; Smaller E-Mail Cell; New You Resolution
Aired February 21, 2006 - 08:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The sun rising over Central Park, a beautiful day here in New York. Certainly warmer than it's been over the last couple of days. We're happy about that. Not that I'm whining to the weatherman...
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Might even -- you know just look at that, a little haze, almost could look like summer, kind of, sort of, in a way.
O'BRIEN: In a really fuzzy, out of focus shot, maybe, possibly.
MARCIANO: It will be warmer for a lot of folks around the country.
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Miles is on a little vaca, but Rob has been helping us out. We appreciate that very much.
MARCIANO: It's been fun, thanks.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right to Carol. She's got an update on some of the top stories this morning.
Hey -- Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I do. Good morning, everyone.
The California execution of Michael Morales pushed back until tonight. Prison officials say two anesthesiologists backed out of the monitoring of the execution over ethical concerns. They were called in after Morales' lawyers argued that unless he was completely unconscious, the injection of chemicals would cause an extreme pain. Morales was convicted of raping and killing a teenaged girl in 1981.
More accusations of government secrecy, parts of the National Archives once public and available to historians and researchers have been reclassified. According to "The New York Times," some 55,000 pages have been taken from the open shelves since 1999 back during the Clinton administration. Some experts say the CIA is driving the program and not the White House.
Fears of landslides in the Philippines again. The Red Cross is beginning to shift focus to relief efforts there four days after the initial disaster. Rescue crews thought they heard tapping sounds on Monday, but now they say they found no signs of life around that elementary school. More than 1,000 people still missing this morning. One of the world's most outspoken Holocaust skeptics plans to appeal a three-year prison sentence. David Irving admitted in court that he had broken Austrian law 17 years ago by denying the murder of six million Jews. But he says he had a change of heart since then. Irving has been in custody since his arrest last November.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco unveiling a $7.5 billion housing plan. The governor's plan would provide money to rebuild homes damaged by Rita and Katrina. For those who don't want to stay in Louisiana, the plan would buy them out at 60 percent of the pre- storm home value. Registration for the housing aid is expected to begin in March.
And a family reunion more than 60 years in the making and it was just kind of a coincidence. Florence Kenter (ph) is in her 90s. Her brother Joe (ph) is in his 80s. They last saw each other back in 1942. Joe traveled with the Merchant Marines and then he ended up at a Pennsylvania nursing home. And guess what, it turns out his sister lives right down the hallway. So they're visiting again.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I bet they are.
Well look...
COSTELLO: What is that?
O'BRIEN: This is a baby on our set, Carol. This is Francesca. Francesca, girl, you were so good for me about two minutes ago and then you started crying as soon as we came to you. As you well know, science now makes it possible for a woman to have a baby when she is well past the usual childbearing age. Is it a good idea?
We told you the story yesterday, the 62-year-old woman, Janice Wulf, just had a baby Friday. She used in-vitro fertilization. She's had 10 kids. The oldest is now 40. She has got 20 grandchildren. She's got three great grandchildren. She is retired. Just got remarried. Legally blind.
Aleta St. James is the author of "Life Shift." And Francesca is her little girl. She's also got a little boy named Gian.
And you had your babies just a couple days shy of being 57 years old.
ALETA ST. JAMES, AUTHOR, "LIFE SHIFT": Yes, I did.
O'BRIEN: First of all, they're so cute. And my twins are just about this age, a couple of months older, so I know this...
ST. JAMES: Aren't they amazing?
O'BRIEN: Amazing in that kind of crazy nightmarish sometimes way.
(CROSSTALK) O'BRIEN: I'll give you that. You know in a lot of ways, I'm curious to know your response when you heard about Janice Wulf and being...
ST. JAMES: I thought it was like totally amazing. I mean she has the best support group.
O'BRIEN: Amazing in a good way or amazing in a bad...
ST. JAMES: In a totally good way.
O'BRIEN: Really?
ST. JAMES: Because I'm all about manifesting your dreams. That is what "Life Shift" is about. It's not necessarily about having a baby when you're older. It's like whatever you really want to do. And the fact that she is 62, she is blind, she has had 12 children -- this is her 12th child.
O'BRIEN: Twelve, and some did not survive, right.
ST. JAMES: But you know, I mean it's an amazing thing and she's happy. And the most important thing I find is love that you give to the children.
O'BRIEN: You're...
ST. JAMES: And the support. I mean she has got all of her children, 20 grandchildren.
O'BRIEN: If we were talking about men, I don't even think we'd be having this discussion.
ST. JAMES: Exactly.
O'BRIEN: There are plenty of fathers who have their kids at 50. Now you're 58.
ST. JAMES: Yes.
O'BRIEN: One of the babies is Francesca.
ST. JAMES: David Letterman being one of them.
O'BRIEN: Girl, you've got to help me out here. Come on, honey!
ST. JAMES: Would you like this?
O'BRIEN: She was so good -- here, look who I have.
ST. JAMES: Look.
O'BRIEN: Look, a little fuzzy. A book.
ST. JAMES: Francesca.
O'BRIEN: "Three Little Pigs." That's one of my favorites. I know I can do this juggle and talk at the same time, no problem.
ST. JAMES: But that's the whole...
O'BRIEN: But you know what the -- here is a question.
ST. JAMES: Yes.
O'BRIEN: When it's the mom, there are people who say, you know what, the reality is you probably are not going to see Francesca walk down the aisle.
ST. JAMES: That's not true. Look, I'm 58. I climbed Mt. Chupichu (ph) when I -- you know...
O'BRIEN: You're in better shape...
ST. JAMES: And I have more energy now than I ever had. I have more reasons to live.
O'BRIEN: Really, because I'm wiped out with my twins, I've got to tell you.
ST. JAMES: But only because you know when you're at a certain age, it hits you in at a different way, totally different way. Because you've done everything that you want in your life and you want to give everything -- now it's Gian, too, now (ph).
O'BRIEN: You see now the funny thing is this is what twins do...
ST. JAMES: Right.
O'BRIEN: ... I'd say 96 percent of the time.
ST. JAMES: Right.
O'BRIEN: Francesca, you know I love you.
ST. JAMES: Watch this. Watch this, we'll do the achoo! OK, achoo.
O'BRIEN: Francesca is like I want my own show, baby!
Listen, you -- I mean I can see that you can do -- the kids -- but isn't there something that a 24-year-old can do better?
ST. JAMES: Maybe run faster. But I have a great support group. And the fact of the matter is I'm keeping up. I have more energy now than I ever had and I use all the techniques in my book "Life Shift," and I'm a you know life coach with the book (ph). Come on, Francesca,...
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: You know what's so funny, I'm reliving my life right now. This is my life at home. I want to thank you for coming in to talk to us about it. We certainly appreciate it. And we want to turn to Bonnie Steinbock. She is a professor of philosophy at the University of Albany.
Bonnie, I hope that you can hear me. You guys, I'm going to hand off little Francesca. Who wants to take little Francesca because she doesn't like me very much today.
ST. JAMES: No, she's just...
O'BRIEN: Francesca. All right.
But, Bonnie, let me ask you a question, do you think that in fact there is a mom who is too old? Do you think that there is something inappropriate for a woman who is 62 years old or a woman who is 58 years old or a 56-year-old having a baby?
BONNIE STEINBOCK, N.Y.S. UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY: No, I don't. I think that, of course, there are more risks to a woman's health when she gets over 40. There's more risks in terms of the baby's health as well.
But I think that these things are very individual and there could be a woman who is 62 who is capable of caring a healthy baby to term and have fewer risks than a much younger woman who had other health risks such as diabetes. So I think that in terms of the risk to the mom and the risk to the baby, I don't think that you can have a cutoff point. The most important thing is that both doctor and woman have a clear understanding of what those risks are.
O'BRIEN: You know we wouldn't be having this argument probably about a 14-year-old mother who decided to go ahead and have a baby who maybe financially shouldn't be having a baby because they're not in a position to take care of a child or maybe maturity wise shouldn't be taking care of a child. Do you think it's a little bit schizophrenic the way we deal with this in society?
STEINBOCK: Well I think the big difference between the 14-year- old and very few 14-year-olds are either physically or emotionally ready to be mothers. But the main difference between the 14-year-old and the post-menopausal woman is that the 14-year-old can wait and have a child when she's 18 or 20 or 22 or whatever and she will have another baby and she will have another baby and she will not be deprived.
And the thing about many women who are in their 50s who decide to have a child is this is their only chance to have a child. Now, when you talk about having a 12th child, that is really a much different situation. But, generally, I think, we think that people should make their own decisions about whether or when to have children. I certainly wouldn't want to see the state making those decisions for people.
O'BRIEN: But biologically. I mean I remember looking at my chart when I had my twins and I was 39. And the doctor said -- I was like what is advanced maternal age? I'm advanced. I'm 39, I'm advanced maternal age. So 62 is like ridiculously advanced maternal age. I mean the body is not really you know biologically speaking, supposed to be having children at that age, isn't that fair to say? STEINBOCK: Well I think that's completely fair to say. And I certainly wouldn't do it. I can't even imagine being pregnant at this age. It was hard enough when I was in my 30s. But, again, as the life span increases, I think we probably will be seeing more. It seems to me quite clear, although I do not have the information. I assume she had to use donor eggs because I assume that those were not her own eggs. But what they have found is that with donor eggs older women are capable of giving birth.
And so then the only question is, as you were saying before, you know, you certainly don't want a woman giving birth who isn't going to be around for when her child needs a mother. But given that you can expect her to have 20 or 25 or maybe even 30 years of life expectancy, it doesn't seem that that's going to be a problem.
O'BRIEN: Professor Bonnie Steinbock of the New York State University at Albany, thanks for talking with us this morning.
STEINBOCK: You're welcome.
O'BRIEN: I want to point out that Francesca, the little baby who I was holding, the minute we handed her off to Pete (ph), our floor director, stopped crying. Obviously, in love with Pete.
Aleta St. James also talking with us this morning.
Thanks to both of you.
ST. JAMES: I thank you...
O'BRIEN: Let's get a check of the weather now.
Bonnie Schneider at the CNN Center.
Bonnie, when you're 62, are you going to you know think about having a baby?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No, I hope to do it before then, yes, hopefully.
O'BRIEN: It is so exhausting, I've got to tell you, definitely before then.
SCHNEIDER: Well you looked so natural. You were just talking and the baby was crying. No problem, but you are used to it.
O'BRIEN: No, that baby was screaming. That baby was screaming.
SCHNEIDER: I did hear it in my earpiece. All right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: I'm sure they miss the cold, so bring it back to us. Yes, one of those clippers (ph).
Thanks, Bonnie. O'BRIEN: The weekends. Why are the weekends always colder? What is that about?
MARCIANO: Will you stop, please!
O'BRIEN: I'm sorry. I know...
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: They're trying to get you -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: I totally...
SERWER: They're trying to get you.
O'BRIEN: I know. Poor, Rob, he's -- and suddenly he becomes like the weather, you know, guy we pummel.
SERWER: Yes.
MARCIANO: OK, I'll take it, it's winter. Hi honey (ph).
O'BRIEN: It's said with love.
Good morning.
SERWER: Hey you guys.
A couple of business stories coming up. First of all, Sony stubbing its toe again. Plus, a cell phone with e-mail that doesn't weigh like a brick. You need that one. Coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SERWER: You're a big fan, Rob, huh?
MARCIANO: Of Kelsey Grammer, yes, yes, yes.
SERWER: And Jennifer Love Hewitt, come on.
O'BRIEN: And Jennifer Love Hewitt is -- she's all right.
SERWER: Yes. Come on now.
MARCIANO: It's not, I was a little bit distracted.
O'BRIEN: He's all hot and bothered now.
MARCIANO: I was a little bit distracted by that.
SERWER: Yes.
MARCIANO: OK, let's talk gamers, Soledad being one of them. She's a little upset that the PS2 is not happening.
O'BRIEN: No, I'm not. I'm not. But you know from a business perspective, what a big screw up by Sony, huh?
SERWER: Yes. Yes, we're talking about the PlayStation 3, the PS3, that was supposed to be coming out right about now. It turns out that Sony now is saying it won't be out for, well, they're being kind of vague.
O'BRIEN: Oops.
SERWER: Bad, bad news in this business, because you know they are letting Microsoft, which, of course, makes the Xbox, make major inroads here. Nintendo, which is coming out with its Revolution Box, those two only have about 15 percent market share each. Sony has 70 percent. They really dominate this.
And where would Sony be without the PlayStation, the PS2? You know they used to dominate the entire consumer electronics business. You think back to the Walkman and boom boxes radios, everything else. That's really sort of gone by the buy. They make TVs. They have a strong share there and they have a strong share in the game business with the PS2.
And if they let this erode, really bad news, Soledad. You know their new chief, Sir Howard Stringer, has got to be biting his fingernails. And they are talking about well this thing might not be out for 6 to 12 months. There's a possibility they might miss next Christmas. I doubt that's going to happen.
MARCIANO: Wow.
SERWER: But you know that's coming up.
O'BRIEN: They've got to fix that.
SERWER: That's coming up. I mean you've got to have that thing ready to go in September, so...
O'BRIEN: Right, right, right. Just the bad PR alone is going to cost them lots.
SERWER: Yes, and letting the other guys in like that is really bad news.
O'BRIEN: What is the cell phone thing, brick thing...
SERWER: The brick thing?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: Well people complain about the trios and the BlackBerrys that you know they're really wonderful devices but they are kind of big to carry around and use as phones.
O'BRIEN: Well then they don't remember the old cell phones which were like this.
SERWER: Well those used to really be like shoeboxes, right? O'BRIEN: Come on, your BlackBerry is not that heavy.
SERWER: What have you done for me lately in the consumer products business? That's what...
O'BRIEN: I know.
MARCIANO: But at some point you have to be able to type all that...
SERWER: That's also true.
O'BRIEN: I know. I know.
SERWER: There is this new phone I wanted to tell you about. This is something that Cingular and AT&T are rolling out. It's a new Nokia phone. Check this out, it has Web access. You can't really tell, I guess, from this picture, but it's really the size of a regular phone and you have Internet access only if you have Yahoo! Well it goes to a Yahoo! page. So if you have Yahoo! Mail, you can do e-mail off of your Yahoo! account there.
O'BRIEN: You can do e-mail.
SERWER: So could be good.
O'BRIEN: Maybe they should send it to us and we could try it out.
MARCIANO: Yes.
SERWER: Yes, and sign us up and pay the $250 that the phone will cost plus the $20 a month for the data program plus the phone.
O'BRIEN: I have no problem with my BlackBerry except the whole legal issue.
MARCIANO: They need to combine all of them.
SERWER: And then you have two phones, the story we did earlier.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
SERWER: Or three phones. Five phones.
O'BRIEN: Everyone should carry a handbag, just throw them in, it'll be fine. You'd look cute like that.
(CROSSTALK)
SERWER: You got that, Rob?
O'BRIEN: Got that, guys?
Ahead this morning, we're going to do a checkup for the new you. It's week seven. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to show us who has made progress, who hasn't. And then a little bit later in "AM Pop," guess what, one of my favorite people in the whole world, there she is, Queen Latifah is going to join us live in the studio.
SERWER: Yes, good.
O'BRIEN: You know she's got that new movie out.
SERWER: That's -- yes.
O'BRIEN: It's just called "Last Holiday." Just saw that. Her career has never been hotter. And she is just an amazing person, though today she is honoring other women who are making a difference. It's a really amazing program. We're going to talk about that on AMERICAN MORNING in fact in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: We call it the "New You Resolution," the power of pairs. It's time to check in on all our participants. It's week seven.
MARCIANO: Week seven. They're getting closer to their personal goals.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been taking stock, keeping track. He's live in the CNN Center in Atlanta with the latest.
O'BRIEN: Hey, Sanjay.
MARCIANO: Hi -- Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Hey, good morning, guys.
They are shaping up quite well, no question about it. This week's new you focuses on the Rasch twins. Mark and Stuart are both nearing their weight loss goals and both are feeling better about how they look themselves.
Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): This week, the twins are in a New York state of mind.
MARK RASCH, NEW YOU PARTICIPANT: Here with are, 7:00 in the morning, Central Park.
GUPTA: Mark traveled to New York City for business but he still got up early to squeeze in a morning run.
M. RASCH: In my pre-new you days, right now I'd be sitting there looking at the inside of my eyelids dreaming about a nice croissant and a hot cup of coffee.
GUPTA: And he's found some new workout techniques.
M. RASCH: Most hotels have a health club where you can work out. And I've actually learned to visit them and work out at least on the treadmill. And while I'm doing that I'm not hitting the breakfast buffet.
GUPTA: We also met him for lunch in between appointments.
M. RASCH: The old Mark would have come to a place like this and gotten probably a Cuban sandwich or a BLT sandwich.
GUPTA: Mark has lost 14 pounds so far.
M. RASCH: For the eight weeks, I'm probably about three pounds from my goal.
GUPTA: Meanwhile, Stuart traveled to the Big Apple for pleasure.
STUART RASCH, NEW YOU PARTICIPANT: My wife and I are going to celebrate our anniversary. We're going to go down to Madison Square Garden and see the Billy Joel concert.
GUPTA: But he's also been celebrating some new you milestones.
S. RASCH: I feel a little bit better on the treadmill. I don't get winded and I don't feel short of breath and I don't feel as tired.
GUPTA: And learning to eat healthy on the run.
S. RASCH: I eat plain almonds and raisins. And I'll keep that in my pocket.
GUPTA: And he's seeing the difference.
S. RASCH: I can see that I have lost weight when I look at myself in the mirror or when I look at my face.
GUPTA: He has got just four more pounds to go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
I think they're going to get there. I don't know. You know they're looking really good. A little guidance we provided, a little support, lots of inspiration. I think they're doing pretty well.
Let's check in on the other two new you pairs as well. The Rampollas, remember them, they're a military family. They are inching towards their New You goals, working hard to solidify those new eating habits. It can be difficult. Also a lobbyist from D.C. They started keeping tabs on each other, maximizing the power of pairs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DENISE RAMPOLLA, NEW YOU PARTICIPANT: Very quickly. PEDRO RAMPOLLA, NEW YOU PARTICIPANT: Quarter to one.
GUPTA (voice-over): Their days may be fast-paced, but after seven weeks, the Rampollas find themselves slowing down just long enough to make healthy eating a priority.
D. RAMPOLLA: OK, I brought oranges.
GUPTA: Denise is making strides for making sure she actually eats.
D. RAMPOLLA: It's still been a challenge. It's been very difficult to find time to work it in.
GUPTA: Meanwhile, Pedro is conquering the portion size problems and eating less.
P. RAMPOLLA: It's just that concerted effort that got to do it. I got to do it.
GUPTA: And the Rampollas have had some unexpected success losing weight. Denise has dropped to a size 10 and Pedro says his clothes are fitting better.
DONNA BRIGHTHAUPT, NEW YOU PARTICIPANT: I come right after school and just before they close, 9:00, almost every night.
GUPTA: These two lobbyists are taking their new you resolution seriously. They literally never stop.
FRANK PURCELL, NEW YOU PARTICIPANT: This is painful.
GUPTA: Except at meal time.
BRIGHTHAUPT: We danced all night, but I did eat. I ate!
GUPTA: And she ratted out her boss and new you partner.
BRIGHTHAUPT: He had four whopping cookies. Yes, I told on you -- Frank!
PURCELL: And it was a celebration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you do something you weren't supposed to do?
PURCELL: Yes! I did!
GUPTA: But Frank is still losing weight, 27 pounds so far, and Donna is down two cigarettes and...
BRIGHTHAUPT: I have lost a dress size.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Really amazing. And you've got to admit, 100 percent success really for all of our participants so far. And for those of you that are following along, with the new you resolution participants, here are some take home tips that have been helping the Rasch twins in particular specifically stick to their diet and exercise plans.
First of all, pack healthy snacks with you when you know you are going to be prepared so that you can be -- when pressed for time to eat.
Also keep pre-measured servings of dried fruit and almonds in a plastic bag to quiet hunger pains and stave off junk food cravings in between meals.
Also, when traveling, don't forget to pack those workout clothes and sneakers so you'll be more inclined to exercise even when you're away from home.
Also, try dipping your fork into the salad dressing instead of pouring it on the salad. A simple tip, but the flavor will still be there and the calories will be kept to a minimum.
Also, for more, logon to cnn.com/newyou. You can follow along with our participants. You can vote for which pair is your biggest inspiration all the way through.
Also make sure you join us next Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. for the last glimpse of the pairs before they join us live in New York for the finale with all of you on March 7.
O'BRIEN: You know I've got to tell you, I just love seeing Frank jogging with his son, Ian.
MARCIANO: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Because I mean you know that really says it all which is he is making big changes and nearly losing 30 pounds you know but showing his son the way to live a healthy lifestyle. I think that's really important.
MARCIANO: A good role model.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: Great attitude.
Sanjay, you know, with all the success, I'm afraid you're going to quit your job here and open up a clinic somewhere and you know make tons of money that way.
GUPTA: I'll become a new personal trainer.
O'BRIEN: Don't tell him that. Don't tell him that.
GUPTA: We're telling them what they already know and then it's really working out for them. So we're real happy about it. O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, they've done great. You know we should also mention you have started this whole new weekly medical series called "30, 40, 50." It's about what you need to know at sort of those key medical issues whether you're talking about your 30s, you're talking about your 40s or you're talking about you 50s. And you have got some big plans for that.
MARCIANO: Yes, on Friday, we're planning to bring you a special hour featuring some of the topics we've discussed so far, fertility, protecting your...
O'BRIEN: That's 60s and 70s, apparently.
MARCIANO: Protecting your eyesight as well and the medical tests you may need to get. The whole medical team is on it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Elizabeth Cohen, they're going to be here to answer your questions.
O'BRIEN: Yes, that will be great.
If you have a question, make sure you send us an e-mail. Obviously send it before Friday. Go right to the Web site, CNN.com/AM. And then you can join us Friday, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on AMERICAN MORNING, we're going to answer your questions. So get the e-mails right into us.
Short break, we're back in just a moment. Top stories just ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano in for Miles. He's taking a couple of days off.
O'BRIEN: Lucky guy.
Execution on hold, it's one of the stories we're telling you this morning. A moral problem with lethal injection has now left the state of California looking for some other options in dealing with an inmate. We'll explain ahead.
MARCIANO: And rescue crews still searching for signs of life in the Philippines, but bad weather now threatens to make search efforts more dangerous.
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