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American Morning
Gruesome Discovery; New Low in Poll; Moussaoui Mistrial?; Milosevic Mysteries; Tornado Terror
Aired March 14, 2006 - 06:00 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. Welcome, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien. Good morning to you.
The sectarian violence in Iraq takes an even more gruesome turn. Late details this morning from Nic Robertson in Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, people in Baghdad have been turning up to collect the bodies of their loved ones. For 15 bodies were discovered this morning in the back of a pickup truck on the western side of Baghdad in a Sunni neighborhood, they'd all been strangled. On the eastern side of Baghdad, 14 people were discovered in a short grave there.
M. O'BRIEN: We'll have more in just a moment.
Also ahead, a rare appearance by best selling author Dan Brown. "The Da Vinci Code" author on the witness stand. Had some surprising things to say.
S. O'BRIEN: Plus, high risk for hearing loss. There's some new information about iPods and your ears.
Then there's this. Blondie is performing, but there was some snubbing, too, to tell you about. Lots of infighting, as well, at the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame induction. We're going to bring that to you live this morning as well.
M. O'BRIEN: Straight now to the shocking discoveries in Iraq. The Interior Ministry reporting 71 bodies found around Baghdad just in the last 30 hours.
Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is there.
Nic, what can you tell us?
ROBERTSON: Well, Miles, this morning, families who have lost loved ones recently have been turning up at the morgue to identify bodies. Fifteen bodies were discovered this morning in the back of a pickup truck in Baghdad on the western side of the city in a Sunni neighborhood. They'd all been strangled, according to police.
On the eastern side of the city, in a Shia neighborhood, in a shallow grave, 14 bodies were discovered there. Their hands tied behind their backs. They appeared to have been shot in the head.
Elsewhere in Baghdad, on the southern side, two more bodies discovered there. Forty bodies turned up yesterday.
I put it to the prime minister that sectarian violence is now outpacing the violence of the insurgency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IBRIHAM AL-JAAFARI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): If you are asking if we are in the midst of a civil war or not, of course a civil war is the most dangerous thing for a country to go through, like this happened in America during the times of Abraham Lincoln in 1861. But we are now in a civil war? There is the risk of it. There has been an escalation of violence, but we are not in a civil war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Now police say they are investigating these murders, the bodies that are being discovered. But with barely two dozens police assigned to that task, they really say that they just don't have the resources to match the task -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Nic, is it your sense that the victims are more or less equally divided between Sunni and Shiite? In other words, are these tit-for-tat attacks?
ROBERTSON: Miles, that's very, very difficult to gauge. I mean the official stance of the government here is that these attacks aren't sectarian, but that's not what's believed by most people in Baghdad. And the police just say they are not in a position to provide this sort of information.
The only way you can determine this is go to the morgue, talk to the families when they turn up. That, obviously, is a very, very big task. Nobody really seems to have a handle how many Sunnis, how many Shias being killed, just the very real sense that that's what is going on -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson in Baghdad, thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Growing dissatisfaction with the war is driving President Bush's approval rating to a new low of 36 percent.
White House correspondent Dana Bash now takes a look at what's behind the nation's disapproval of the president's performance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Today, President Bush heads to upstate New York to talk about a prescription drug benefit for Medicare he signed into law that seniors call confusing and many call a political debacle. But that is just one challenge for the president at a time where a new CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup Poll shows he is at his lowest point ever. Mr. Bush's approval now at just 36 percent and this poll shows that it is Iraq that is dragging down the country's mood and Mr. Bush's approval rating.
Only about a third of Americans in this new poll think that Mr. Bush has a clear plan in Iraq and an overwhelming two-thirds say he does not. Fifty-seven percent of Americans say it was a mistake to send troops at all to Iraq. That is an all-time high for that measure.
Mr. Bush has had tough sledding for months on a range of issues, from hurricane relief, to the ports controversy. But this poll shows it is Iraq, more than anything else, that will define this president. A stunning number from this new poll, 64 percent say that will determine President Bush's legacy, much more than any other issue, even terrorism. In fact, others don't even come close.
Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: The death penalty case against al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui is in jeopardy. This, after a government lawyer violated the judge's court order. The trial is now recessed until Wednesday. There will be a hearing today about these startling developments.
We get details from CNN's Jeanne Meserve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Today, seven current and former aviation officials scheduled to testify in this trial will appear before Judge Leonie Brinkema who will determine if their testimony has been tainted and what she should do about it. Her options include limiting their testimony, excluding it altogether or potentially throwing out the government's request for the death penalty against Zacarias Moussaoui.
The situation arose because the seven received transcripts of court proceedings and e-mails from a Transportation Security Administration lawyer in violation of a court order prohibiting coaching of witnesses. The judge, yesterday, said it was an egregious violation of her court order and said it was difficult to see this trial proceeding.
This is, of course, the only trial to grow out of the 9/11 hijackings.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Adding to the mystery surrounding the death of Slobodan Milosevic, a political battle appears to be brewing over his funeral arrangements. The former Yugoslav president's son arriving in The Hague today to pick up his father's remains. Not clear, though, where the funeral and the burial exactly will take place.
Correspondent Alessio Vinci is on the phone for us from Belgrade this morning.
Alessio, good morning.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well the debate here rages on on where and when to bury the former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and whether to allow his widow to attend.
What we do know from Serbian officials is that there will be no state funeral, no military honors, no flags at half-staff and no special tomb at Belgrade Main Cemetery (ph). Such treatment, they are saying, given Milosevic's role in the history of this country would be totally inappropriate. But they will not prevent a regular burial here in this country.
And this, despite the son of Mr. Milosevic, Marko Milosevic, who just flew to The Hague to collect the remains of his late father, that Serb officials are preventing the funeral from taking place here. But Serbia officials here in Belgrade and members of Mr. Milosevic's Socialist Party saying they plan to have a funeral here over the weekend -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Well outside of the son and outside of some of the members of the party, what do the people in Belgrade want, do they want him buried there?
VINCI: Well certainly those who support Mr. Milosevic would like to see a burial here and possibly even an honorable burial. But you know there's a lot of people in this country, of course, who are opposing this.
But at the end of the day, if you talk to the people here in the streets of Belgrade, they really would like the story to just go away altogether. They really hope that once the burial takes place, then this story will go away and people will start focusing on this country for other issues than for its war crimes task.
S. O'BRIEN: Well not sure that's going to happen anytime soon.
Alessio Vinci for us this morning, joining us by phone, from Belgrade.
Thanks, Alessio -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: In West Virginia today, a crucial test underground. Some are trying to test new safety mine equipment as the Sago Mine gets closer to reopening. Government safety officials are checking out wireless communication devices that have never been tested underground. It's part of an effort to head off the kind of disaster that killed a dozen miners at the Sago Mine in January.
In California's Santa Monica Bay, the host of the 1980's game show "Press Your Luck" and his wife were killed in a small plane crash. Peter Tomarken and his wife were on their way to San Diego, Monday, when the plane apparently had engine trouble, went down just off the coast.
Fire fighting crews in Texas now say they are making some progress against those massive wildfires burning across the panhandle and the south plains. There's been an awful lot of damage, as you can see. The flames have charred more than 600,000 acres. That's about two-thirds the size of Rhode Island, to give you some perspective. So far, 11 deaths are linked to those fires.
S. O'BRIEN: Look at that.
Time for a check of the forecast this morning. Chad is watching that for us from the CNN Center.
Hello, -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Back to you guys.
S. O'BRIEN: That's a bummer.
All right, Chad, thank you.
MYERS: You're welcome.
S. O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.
Last weekend was fine. We're still happy from that.
Still to come this morning, going to find out how you can snag 10 to 15 more inches of precious legroom on your next flight. You're going to like that -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: You've got to pay, though.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, you do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAT KUSTER, TORNADO VICTIM: Last night in the dark it was one thing, but when you come in this morning and actually see it with the light and how little is left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Remember this house from yesterday? Keith Oppenheim took us on an early tour. We're going to follow-up today with the family that endured this and lost nearly everything in those terrible tornadoes that whipped through the Midwest.
S. O'BRIEN: Saved their lives though.
Later this morning, they're a vicious gang waging a bloody war from behind bars, apparently. We're going to take a closer look at the battle to take down the Aryan Brotherhood.
Those stories are all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOM LENAR (ph): And the rest of these will be in Cleveland at the Hall of Fame. And should they come and want them, they can have them, or come and smash them to bits, they can do that, too. Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Sex Pistols.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, well that was Yom Lenar. He was trying to convince the Sex Pistols to come and pick up their award.
M. O'BRIEN: A little late, they weren't coming.
S. O'BRIEN: They weren't coming.
And actually the performance, a pretty good performance by Debbie Harry of the band Blondie at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. She was singing "Call Me." A pretty good production, I got to tell you. But what she probably should have been singing, don't call me at all, because of course there's all that drama with some of the old band members.
M. O'BRIEN: Exactly. A little -- of course this has nothing to do with the pictures you are seeing here, by the way. I'm sorry, we're kind of confusing you here. That's not Deborah Harry. There was an old feud that spilled onto the stage during Blondie's induction. Of course you know it wouldn't be the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame...
S. O'BRIEN: Right, exactly. This year was pretty bad no matter how things go.
M. O'BRIEN: Things got a little ugly. Three members who are...
S. O'BRIEN: They're suing.
M. O'BRIEN: ... suing.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: They are suing Blondie. Who, by the way, is now "Red-ie."
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, she's got -- she -- actually,...
M. O'BRIEN: Got red hair.
S. O'BRIEN: ... she likes it better as a redhead.
M. O'BRIEN: And got a little bit of a snub from Ms. Harry.
S. O'BRIEN: A little bit of a snub, she actually kicked them off the stage.
And of course that wasn't the Sex Pistols, as we mentioned, no shows whatsoever. Instead, they sent this nasty letter off. Basically, we can't repeat it, but essentially saying...
M. O'BRIEN: Well they called it urine in wine.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Whatever that means.
S. O'BRIEN: And much more. Saying that no thank you, we're not coming. And of course there was the message that you heard at the beginning from Yom Lenar who was basically begging them to show up, and they declined.
Others inducted, as well, at the Waldorf-Astoria. It's kind of hard to imagine all this happening at the Waldorf. Black Sabbath and the front man, Ozzy Osbourne, as well, Miles Davis the trumpeter, a little late.
M. O'BRIEN: Rock 'n' Roll great, Miles Davis. I guess you know he had his little rock 'n' roll tracks, I don't know.
S. O'BRIEN: And then Lynyrd Skynyrd who...
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: ... I didn't realize that Lynyrd Skynyrd was named after a teacher they hated in high school.
M. O'BRIEN: Deliberately misspelled, but apparently so...
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, as a tribute to someone they hated. Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Carol Costello, good morning to you.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm loving that. And I like Lynyrd Skynyrd, too. You can jam to that.
Good morning, everyone.
It is just like a twist out of the TV series "Law & Order." The death penalty could be tossed out in the Zacarias Moussaoui case because of alleged misconduct. Moussaoui is the only person charged in connection with the September 11 attacks in the United States. The federal judge in the case says it is tough to move forward after a lawyer apparently coached witnesses and then e-mailed them testimony. We're expecting to learn more after today's hearing.
Israeli forces have surrounded a jail in the West Bank town of Jericho. A roadblock has been setup because of the situation. Palestinian officials say the raid sparked a shootout that left at least one Palestinian police officer dead. The Israeli forces were calling for six prisoners being held at that jail to surrender. We're now hearing some of those prisoners may have since surrendered. We'll keep our eye on this.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Indonesia this morning. She's pushing for cooperation between the U.S. and Indonesia in the global fight against terror. It's Rice's first visit to the Muslim nation as Secretary of State. The U.S. recently restored military ties with Indonesia. The country has been the target of attacks from al Qaeda-linked terrorists.
It is not looking good for three missing college students. They disappeared after getting into a rowboat in Narragansett Bay off of Rhode Island. Searchers at the scene said there was heavy fog overnight. The boat was found about 1,000 yards offshore, no sign of the students onboard.
And from the I could have told you that file, is your iPod making you deaf? Well hearing health experts are concerned about the possible effect that earbuds or earphones from iPods or other MP3 players have on people, so they have actually gone ahead and looked into it. They have done a study. The American Speech-Language- Hearing Association is releasing its findings today.
And we suspect, Chad,...
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... they're going to say something like you know you might want to turn that iPod down.
MYERS: Yes. And also the bass in your car at the same time, because I can hear it over here three lanes over.
Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.
In the Midwest this morning, many folks taking the first steps toward rebuilding their lives, this, after that massive storm system that spawned killer tornadoes over the weekend. Although many escaped with their lives, some families have lost everything else.
Keith Oppenheim has one family's amazing story of survival.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Pat Kuster came back to her house, the emotions poured out. The tornado left her home completely exposed. Just about everything she and her husband, Dana, had inside was damaged.
P. KUSTER: Last night in the dark it was one thing. But when you come in this morning and actually see it with the light and how little is left just -- I just can't -- I just can't tell you what my heart feels like. I just can't.
OPPENHEIM: It was a traumatic night. The house has no basement, so Pat, Dana and their 8-year-old grandson took refuge in the bathroom. As they huddled, the entire roof blew away.
DANA KUSTER, TORNADO VICTIM: My grandson, he was scared to death. He says hold me, hold me, hold me. We were squeezing him as hard as we could to calm him down, because -- and the insulation was just flying everywhere. It just -- it's just like a snowstorm in here with that insulation was flying around. It's just unbelievable.
OPPENHEIM: The Kusters suffered some of the worst damage in their neighborhood, but they weren't alone. The National Weather Service reported this Springfield twister was the biggest storm to pass through central Illinois in a decade and part of a storm that spawned dozens of tornadoes in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. At one point, 65,000 customers were without power.
But as residents cleaned up and utility crews scrambled to turn the lights back on, Pat and Dana Kuster were assessing their own damage.
(on camera): Are you hurt at all today?
P. KUSTER: I don't think so. I just -- just inside.
OPPENHEIM: Yes.
P. KUSTER: Just trying to figure out what plan B is now.
OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Springfield, Illinois.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Gosh, how heartbreaking, what a terrible story.
Let's turn to business news now, Google and the government going at it in court.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Going at it in court at a hearing in San Jose, California today. And there's a big privacy concern surrounding this.
What's happening is the Justice Department wants to boost an online child protection law that's been blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. So the Bush administration is demanding the results of millions of searches on Google during a random week just to find out how people search.
Now Justice lawyers say no individual information is going to be identified or traceable, but there are a lot of privacy concerns here. And Google is basically saying no, we don't want to give you the information.
They are the standout. AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo! are all cooperating with the government, but Google says no. So they're going to a hearing today and they're going to determine, I guess, whether they are going to have to give the information. We could get a ruling as early as today.
M. O'BRIEN: So they're taking a stand on principle. What's the legal precedent in this case? There probably isn't, right?
LEE: You know I guess that's what we're going to find out.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes.
LEE: Interesting, "USA Today" did a survey, this is an Internet survey, but they found that 61 percent of people say this does set a bad precedent for Internet privacy. You can see here, 30 percent say no, I don't want the government to snoop on me. So individuals, if that means anything, certainly don't like this. And you can understand that.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm surprised that only 30 percent say I don't want the government to snoop on me.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, really.
S. O'BRIEN: I would have thought that number would be a little higher.
LEE: Well, if the government wants to bolster child protection things, well then you can argue well maybe people would support that as well.
M. O'BRIEN: It's how you ask the question, right?
S. O'BRIEN: Right.
LEE: Exactly.
M. O'BRIEN: If you'd say this will protect children, right?
LEE: Yes, that's a good point. That's a good point.
M. O'BRIEN: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: Interesting.
LEE: Also, Northwest Airlines, would you pay an extra 15 bucks for an exit row seat?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, lord, I would, absolutely.
LEE: You would, OK.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEE: If you fly Northwest, you're going to have to do that.
S. O'BRIEN: All the difference in the world.
M. O'BRIEN: But here's the thing, you get in those exit row seats, they don't recline. So it's a tradeoff.
S. O'BRIEN: They don't recline?
M. O'BRIEN: A lot of them don't, yes.
LEE: Well sometimes they do. I guess it depends on the airline.
M. O'BRIEN: If it butts another exit row, it doesn't recline.
LEE: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: That's another $10.
LEE: The front row, the exit row.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: You want to recline, yes, that's 20...
LEE: You want the legroom and recline, that's an extra $5. No, just kidding. Just kidding.
S. O'BRIEN: Did you want the meal?
M. O'BRIEN: No, I don't want their meals.
LEE: Northwest charging an extra 15 bucks starting today.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
LEE: They call it Choice Coach. Well, you know you don't really have a choice there. They say they're...
S. O'BRIEN: Or rip off.
LEE: They're trying to raise money, obviously. The bankrupt airline trying to raise money. And they say they want to give business travelers who book at the last minute more flexibility. Well, you know these seats are the first to go anyway, so they want to make more money.
S. O'BRIEN: Right.
Carrie Lee, thank you very much.
LEE: OK.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Carrie.
S. O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.
Let's get to Carol. She's got a look at what's in "Morning Coffee" this morning.
COSTELLO: I do. Isaac Hayes calls it quits on "South Park." Why the voice of Chef says the series has finally gone too far. Some say hypocrite.
And how Howard Stern got away with attacking the head of CBS while on CBS. Wouldn't you like to trash that old boss you didn't like? Howard is doing it.
Stay with us for "Morning Coffee."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Bruce whispers in my ear Kenny Rogers.
S. O'BRIEN: That's Kenny Rogers.
Thank you, Bruce.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: Appreciate that.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Bruce.
COSTELLO: Say thanks for that.
M. O'BRIEN: I know when to walk away.
S. O'BRIEN: You know when to run.
M. O'BRIEN: If I don't know Kenny Rogers, that's when I'm walking away.
S. O'BRIEN: Run, run.
M. O'BRIEN: You know what I mean, I'm running.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Time for "Morning Coffee."
COSTELLO: And, boy, do I have a cup of Joe for you this morning. Isaac Hayes is fed up and he is quitting "South Park." Hayes has been the voice of Chef, the lady's man school cook, on the raunchy animated series for 10 years. Hayes, in case you didn't know, is a Scientologist, and he's now complaining that the show has finally crossed the line on religion.
He's released this statement. Allow me to read it for you, please.
M. O'BRIEN: Wait a minute, just now they crossed the line?
COSTELLO: Just now after 10 years they have crossed the line. M. O'BRIEN: I mean they have been pretty raunchy.
COSTELLO: That's right.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
COSTELLO: He says, "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins."
Now he's really...
S. O'BRIEN: Well what time would be -- when it's your own religion, that's bad...
COSTELLO: Right, because...
M. O'BRIEN: I think that might be the issue, right?
COSTELLO: ... "South Park" did a whole episode making fun of Tom Cruise and Scientology. And they had this whole out-of-the-closet thing that was actually pretty funny.
M. O'BRIEN: Very funny. It was very funny.
COSTELLO: And Isaac Hayes of course is a Scientologist and he couldn't take that.
Matt Stone, by the way, the co-creator of "South Park," says Isaac Hayes never had a problem with the show satirizing other religions. You know I think they make fun of every Christians, Muslims, Jews, everybody.
M. O'BRIEN: No one is spared and that is the beauty of that program.
COSTELLO: Yes, well, Isaac Hayes is out as Chef.
Let's move on to Howard Stern, because he was on CBS last night trashing CBS. He was on CBS trashing CBS. Stern took his I hate Les Moonves onto the David Letterman show. Moonves is the head of CBS, and he's now suing Stern for promoting his move to Satellite Radio while still on the air for CBS, because you know Howard Stern used to broadcast for CBS Radio.
Well here's Howard letting it all out against Moonves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD STERN, RADIO HOST: He tells you one thing, that you're doing a great job. He talks out of both sides of his mouth. What he likes to do is tell you you're doing a great job.
And he said to me in a meeting, he sat with me, and he -- you know he's got the big caps and he's got a great tan and he's got a great suit. And he sat there and he went, you know, I left you -- he's picking crap out of his teeth -- he goes -- he's real twitchy this guy -- and he goes -- he goes, you know the reason I left you on the air and told you you were doing a good job because I knew I could sue you later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now haven't you known people like that? I don't know if Les Moonves is actually like that, but I have seen people do that, kind of like sucking their teeth as they are talking.
S. O'BRIEN: Why are they doing this lawsuit anyway, you know, because it just seems like it just gives publicity, gives them an opportunity to go around and do the -- it literally is.
COSTELLO: Well Howard Stern...
S. O'BRIEN: And doesn't his T-shirt say the I hate Les Moonves tour?
COSTELLO: Yes, he's on tour.
S. O'BRIEN: I mean he's on tour.
COSTELLO: And he is on tour.
S. O'BRIEN: Like...
COSTELLO: Some people say it's personal between them, it's not business, it's personal, at least according to Howard Stern.
M. O'BRIEN: It is interesting we saw that on Les Moonves' network, isn't it?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
COSTELLO: It's very interesting.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm sure he loved that.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
Morning's top...
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Carol, thanks.
M. O'BRIEN: Morning's top stories are straight ahead. Plus, listen up, if you like to crank tunes on your iPod, you may end up deaf as an old rock star. And then 40 million copies can't be wrong, right? Why Dan Brown says there is no merit to charges he stole ideas for "The Da Vinci Code." Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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