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American Morning

Court and the 'Code'; Earphones and Hearing Loss; Breaking the Brotherhood

Aired March 14, 2006 - 06:30   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Shocking discoveries made in Iraq. More than 120 bodies have been found since Sunday.
The very private Dan Brown takes the witness stand to defend his bestseller, "The Da Vinci Code."

And some new information about iPods and maybe danger to your hearing.

Welcome back, everybody.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: They may not be buds for your ears, those earbuds, if you know what I mean.

S. O'BRIEN: I know exactly what you mean.

M. O'BRIEN: That's what they call the iPods.

All right. Let's get to some headlines now.

Carol Costello dashed back to the newsroom.

Not even out of breath, right?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: No, I'm in good shape these days, hopefully.

Good morning, everyone.

We begin in Iraq, where it's feared more sectarian violence is behind another shocking discovery. Iraqi police sources say they found the bodies of 15 bed in western Baghdad. This is in addition to 56 other bodies that have been found in the past 30 hours. It's believed that most of the men were tortured.

There will soon be fewer British troops in Iraq. British Defense Secretary John Reid says 800 troops will pull out of Iraq by the end of May. Reid says the draw-down is possible because Iraqi forces are becoming better equipped.

Democratic Senator Russ Feingold is not backing down from a resolution to censure President Bush over his domestic wire tapping program. But Senator Feingold is not getting much support from members of his own party. The proposal will be debated before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The White House maintains the program is necessary for fighting the war on terror. There is now a third case of mad cow in the U.S. A cow in Alabama has tested positive for the disease. Health officials say the meat from the cow did not enter the food supply. The first U.S. case was found back in 2003.

And remember this voice? I wish I could hear. Yes, that's Debbie Harry.

Blondie was among a new group of musicians inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne was there, even though his heavy metal band had been snubbed seven times before. The late Miles Davis was also honored.

The event held last night at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. You can see all the highlights on March 21 on VH1.

Debbie Harry sounded good.

S. O'BRIEN: She looked good, too.

M. O'BRIEN: You know, I kind of miss the blonde look, though.

S. O'BRIEN: She says she likes it better as a redhead.

M. O'BRIEN: How can Blondie be red?

S. O'BRIEN: She likes it better as a redhead.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. There you have it. Redheads have more fun maybe?

S. O'BRIEN: Apparently.

M. O'BRIEN: Maybe that's it.

Let's get a check of the forecast.

Chad Myers, Blondie is a redhead. What do you say?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, I wasn't prepared for that one. But I've kind of got a little trivia question for you...

M. O'BRIEN: You do?

MYERS: ... about Lynyrd Skynyrd. How many band members have ever played for Lynyrd Skynyrd total?

S. O'BRIEN: Seven.

M. O'BRIEN: Oh my gosh. Seven you say? Probably -- probably 12, I'd say.

MYERS: Twenty-two people have at one time or another played for Lynyrd Skynyrd.

M. O'BRIEN: That's right, I forgot. I was in the band for a little while.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, yes. And then I was in the band briefly.

M. O'BRIEN: I played maracas.

MYERS: And I was the roadie, right.

S. O'BRIEN: Wow, that's lot of people.

MYERS: I know. I know. Well, obviously, they had the tragedy, put the band back together, and it's come and gone ever since.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Chad.

Well, London's high court is learning a lot of private details about "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown. He's on the stand in the trial, and accusing him of stealing the premise for his bestseller from two British authors.

Malika Kapur is covering the trial in London this morning.

Good morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "THE DA VINCI CODE": Witness the biggest cover-up in history.

MALIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The movie is already in the can (ph), slated for release in May. In the meantime, the little matter of just who came up with the big ideas that have made "The Da Vinci Code" a global bestseller?

The book makes the case that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a family. The clues, according to the book, to be found in the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci.

So author Dan Brown takes a stand at London's high court this week to defend charges he stole his ideas from a book published 24 years ago called "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail." Brown says, "It's absurd to suggest that I have organized and presented my novel in accordance with the same general principles as that book." He told the court hat much of the research for his work was done by his wife, and that neither he nor his wife consulted "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" until "The Da Vince Code" storyline was well developed.

PETER KNIGHT, COPYRIGHT LAWYER: I think the key points will be bringing out which -- at what stage in the process he was aware of the Leigh and Baigent book and trying to make it clear that he was aware of that at a very early stage. And then casting doubt as to whether in fact he can really remember exactly what from that he took and what he didn't take from that.

KAPUR: Brown's lawyers questioned the originality of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," saying the authors are not alone in suggesting that Jesus had a family with a bloodline that continues to this day. They argue the ideas cannot be protected by copyright.

Certainly, plenty is at stake in this case. Not just Brown's reputation, but millions of dollars in future book sales, not to mention revenues from the film.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: That was Malika Kapur reporting for us on that trial, which goes on today. We're going to have more on that a little bit later on the program.

Coming up next, though, on AMERICAN MORNING, before you pop those -- the things -- you know, the ear phones -- those are the ones that pop right into your ear, they're called earbuds -- you might want to think about your ear health. Believe it or not, it could be causing some permanent damage. We're going to talk about that this morning.

M. O'BRIEN: Then, how a widely-used sleep aid could be behind mysterious weight gain.

S. O'BRIEN: And the size of Rhode Island, that's just how much land now has been charred in the Texas wildfires. We're going to have an update on the firefighters' battle to contain those fires just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Could your iPod be stealing your hearing? The experts say hours and hours of listening with those tiny little earphones called earbuds can actually cause shock and awe to your ears. Now, Congress not turning a deaf ear to the problem today.

Brianna Keilar live in Washington with more.

Good morning, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

There is so much portable listening technology out there, and while the convenience and sound quality may be great, it could be to the detriment of our ears.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR (voice over): It's the iPod era. Portable listening devices and MP3 players rule the sidewalks, the gyms and the subways.

AUSTIN DENNARD, IPOD USER: I don't know how I lived before I had my iPod, which is silly since I've only had it for about a year.

KEILAR: The popularity of these devices with earbuds or earphones have concerned hearing health experts for some time.

DR. DAVID HARTMAN, CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER: If you're listening to an iPod at its maximum setting, there's no doubt that that will cause hearing loss over time.

KEILAR: The American Speech Language Hearing Association is calling attention to a national survey showing portable listening devices can hurt hearing, especially for teenagers. But the ASHA also found adults aren't concerned about the problem even though they listen to music louder and longer than younger people.

Once hearing is gone, it's gone for good.

HARTMAN: The time when they start to have ringing in their ears or complain of hearing loss, it's far too late. There's nothing to be done about it at that point. So it has to be preventative.

KEILAR: And that means the music is fine, but turn down the volume.

HARTMAN: You want to get it below 90 decibels, which on these iPods, a good, safe gauge is between half and two-thirds maximum volume.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And just to give you a sense of what 90 decibels is, that's the intensity of a lawnmower. Continued exposure to sounds above that can cause gradual hearing loss.

Miles, back to you.

M. O'BRIEN: Brianna Keilar, thank you very much.

Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Good morning, Andy.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE": Good morning, you guys.

A new dangerous side-effect of major prescription drug. And hint: candy wrappers by your bedside. We'll explain coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: All right. We start you off with a little Talking Heads this morning.

Andy is "Minding Your Business" in a moment.

First, though, a check of the headlines. Carol has got that.

Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

Talk about your courtroom bombshells. There'll be a hearing today in the Zacarias Moussaoui case without a jury. The sentencing phase of the trial was suspended on Monday after it was found that a lawyer had e-mailed some of the witnesses' testimony, something the judge does not allow.

That lawyer will be at today's hearing. The federal judge could decide to suspend the death penalty for Moussaoui, which means he could automatically be sentenced to life in prison without parole because of that lawyer's actions.

Iraqi officials have found more bodies, perhaps as many as 71, in the past 30 hours. Families showing up at morgues to identify the victims. There's speculation sectarian violence may be behind the killings.

Medicare is on President Bush's agenda today as he heads to upstate New York. He'll be at a senior center near Rochester. The visit comes as hundreds of Medicare recipients have had trouble with the administration's new prescription drug plan. But the White House is calling the program a success.

Protests in Paris over a new jobs plan. Students took to the streets -- you see them there -- and boy did things get hairy. The job contracts would make it easier for employers to fire workers 26 years old and under during the first two years of their employment. The students say they are planning more protests, maybe less violent protests this week.

And parts of the Texas panhandle on the southern plains on fire. At least is 11 deaths being blamed on the flames. Some 700,000 acres have now been burned. Firefighters say they are making some progress, but, of course, Chad, it all depends on the weather.

MYERS: Yes, and it depends on the wind.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Chad. Thank you very much.

Business news -- oh, no, let's get to this story first. A really remarkable story about some of the most vicious felons in the country, members, alleged members, we should say, of a notorious prison gang facing some new charges as the feds are trying to end their reign of terror.

CNN's Kareen Wynter has our story this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Federal prosecutors are going after what they say is one of the deadliest criminal organizations in the country. But they won't have to go far to find them, as the defendants are already behind bars -- a notorious white prison gang called the Aryan Brotherhood, allegedly headed by kingpins Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham, who are accused of waging a bloody war, primarily against black inmates.

LAURIE LEVENSON, LEGAL ANALYST: And when the jurors hear the indictment itself, I expect eyes to be opened, because it really tells the story of a prison gang, the Aryan Brotherhood, and how they would conspire not just to deal drugs but to kill any of their enemies.

WYNTER: The group's alleged crimes span decades in state and federal prisons coast to coast. There are 40 Aryan Brotherhood members named in an indictment so large half of the defendants pleaded guilty.

Mills and Bingham are among those who pleaded not guilty. They're facing the death penalty.

JOHN MCDONALD, REPORTER, O.C. REGISTER: Murders and crimes that allegedly were masterminded by people who were in maximum security with almost no contact with each other and almost no contact at all with the outside world.

WYNTER: An attorney involved in the investigation discussed the graphic nature of the crimes.

GREG JESSNER, FMR. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: More than half of them involved stabbing with a prison-made knife of some sort. You also see some other types of murders, including some strangulations sometimes with instruments and sometimes with bare hands.

WYNTER: Witnesses for the prosecution include former Aryan Brotherhood members and inmates outside the gang. The attorney for Barry Mills says they plan to prove the witnesses' testimony is unreliable because, "The government is providing these informants with favors, freedom and cash to get their testimony. The defense will strongly suggest that the testimony is untrustworthy, lies and outright perjury."

The lawyers for Tyler Bingham did not return calls from CNN. Some legal analysts predict some people may fear sitting on the jury.

LEVENSON: Everybody is scared. These are very dangerous criminals. The indictment charges murders. Nobody wants to take a risk.

WYNTER: Authorities say it's the highest security level imposed in the region for one of the country's biggest capital murder cases.

(on camera): In fact, the defendants will be chained to the floor. A specially constructed table will hide that from the jury.

Four defendants go on trial here today. The others go to court later this year.

Kareen Wynter, CNN, Orange County, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Two of the three men charged in the dragging death of a black man in Jasper, Texas, eight years ago claim to be members of the Aryan Brotherhood -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: In a moment, top stories, including a gruesome discovery. Dozens of bodies found in Baghdad. President Bush sinks even further in the polls.

Then, the case against confessed terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui jeopardized.

And, a bartender's quick thinking saves lives in those deadly Midwest tornadoes.

Plus, hundreds of thousands of acres scorched in Texas. We're live on the scene with the latest.

Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk business news and a sleeping pill.

SERWER: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Kind of a weird story, isn't it? Ambien is what's the focus.

SERWER: It is, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Andy's "Minding Your Business," we should say.

SERWER: Good morning to you.

This is a very intriguing story in "The New York Times" this morning. We're all worried about the side-effects of prescription drugs, but how about eating when you're asleep?

This story talks about a soon-to-be-released scientific paper from the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorder Center that says some users of Ambien, that sleep medicine, sleepwalk to the refrigerator and go on eating binges. Here are symptoms in the story: mouth-fulls of peanut butter, Tostitos in beds, kitchen counters overflowing with flour, missing food, candy wrappers next to the bed, popsicle sticks on the floor near the refrigerator.

But it's really no joke. One woman in the story gained 100 pounds and didn't realize why until researchers say they linked the weight gain to this particular disorder of eating while she was asleep.

M. O'BRIEN: So people have no recollection of this? They just sleepwalk their way...

S. O'BRIEN: In this article...

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: ... she blamed her husband and her son until -- and she said her husband...

SERWER: For the food. M. O'BRIEN: Oh, for having the stuff all around.

S. O'BRIEN: Her son would sit there and watch her while she ate because he was so worried that she would choke because she was asleep.

M. O'BRIEN: Right.

SERWER: Right. Now, there's no -- there's no real hard numbers in this study yet. They just say...

S. O'BRIEN: That's just fascinating.

SERWER: The researchers have found several dozens of people who exhibited these symptoms.

S. O'BRIEN: So a small percentage.

SERWER: A small percentage. Twenty-six million prescriptions of Ambien in the United States last year. The company says that it's aware of this type of work being done on this drug, and it's turned over the -- the study to the -- or has notified the FDA that there is this study out there.

S. O'BRIEN: That's amazing. That's weird.

M. O'BRIEN: All right.

SERWER: It is.

Another thing we want to talk about this morning. The survey says, let there be jobs.

A new survey out this morning say employers are looking to hire Americans at a pretty good clip in the second quarter. That would be your April, May, June quarter of this year. Thirty percent, that's about what we had last year. And that's good news, it's pretty optimistic.

Two hundred forty-three thousand jobs created in February. The strongest hiring patterns in the West, the weakest in the Northeast.

S. O'BRIEN: Huh.

SERWER: So, if you are looking for a job, go west, young people.

S. O'BRIEN: And even old people.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.

SERWER: Right. And old people, too.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. Andy, thank you very much.

M. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Andy Serwer.

SERWER: You're welcome. M. O'BRIEN: Let's get the forecast in. Chad Myers with that.

Chad, good morning.

MYERS: Good morning, guys.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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