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American Morning

Saddam Hussein Calls Trial 'A Comedy'; Texas Wildfires; Strong Talk About Shakeup at White House

Aired March 15, 2006 - 08:59   ET

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

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

S. O'BRIEN: Drama in the courtroom to tell you about. Saddam Hussein takes the stand, lashes out at the judge. The media is ordered out.

We're live with all the details coming up.

M. O'BRIEN: On the fire lines in Texas. Wildfires spreading fast. Today's weather forecast looks like it will make matters worse.

We're live on that story.

S. O'BRIEN: And take a look at this picture. What happened right before this hug? Two mothers on opposite sides of the 9/11 tragedy come face to face. Their emotional story is straight ahead.

Plus, a case that shocked the nation. The man who raped and murdered Carlie Brucia faces a death sentence today.

We'll bring you that report.

M. O'BRIEN: Strong talk about a shakeup at the White House. What's behind it? Who is behind it?

We'll have some answers for you.

S. O'BRIEN: All of that is ahead this morning.

First, though, some breaking news out of Baghdad. Saddam Hussein testifying -- well, really lecturing the court, the media. It didn't happen for long, though, because the judge, after cutting him off nine times, finally kicked the reporters out of the proceedings after the former Iraqi leader's continued outbursts. Eventually, he called for attacks on the occupying troops.

That seemed to be it. It all ended.

CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson has been covering this trial, there when it happened.

Hey, Nic. Exactly what happened?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Saddam Hussein when he came into the courtroom didn't appear to be setting out initially to give any trouble to the judge. But as he got further and further into his testimony, after about 15 minutes or so, he called on the people of Iraq to stop fighting amongst themselves and fight against the occupying forces. And he continued in this -- in this way, incendiary speeches against the United States, against America.

The judge cutting off the -- Saddam Hussein's microphone on several occasions, perhaps more than nine occasions, before finally telling Saddam Hussein that the court was no longer going to continue in public session, it would happen behind closed doors, that the media would be kicked out.

The judge had challenged Saddam Hussein on several occasions. The exchanges becoming very heated. The judge telling Saddam Hussein to stick to the facts of the trial, not to give political speeches. He said this was not a forum to vent his anger and give his opinions about the United States -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson with an update for us on what's happening in the Saddam Hussein trial right now.

The trial goes on, but journalists kicked out of the proceedings as the situation inside the courtroom disintegrates. Saddam Hussein really carrying on a giant fuss. The judge eventually yanked the media, kicking everybody out and continuing on with the proceedings -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: In the Texas panhandle this morning, farmers, ranchers and firefighters tense and on edge. They fear gusting winds today will kick up yet another round of fires -- 840,000 acres of Texas landscape now charred, and that's just since Sunday.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is at the Fire Command Center in Amarillo.

Ed, how's it look from there?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's definitely a chilly morning here. The winds much stronger than they were yesterday. And the authorities that we've spoken with over the last couple of days say they expect today to be very similar to what they saw on Sunday. And, of course, that is very harrowing news for many of the firefighters who are already taxed and worn out from around- the-clock work that they've had to do throughout the Texas panhandle.

But the call has gone out for reinforcements to help out these firefighters from 13 surrounding states. The state of Texas is also bringing in air support to help out in some of these hot spots if they flare up again today. But higher -- high winds and low humidity is expected, and of course that is a dreadful combination when there has been no significant rainfall in this area for three months. So firefighters on high alert today throughout the region.

As you mentioned, Miles, 840,000 acres of land have burned here since Sunday morning. And the firefighters continue to say that they've got most of it under control, even though only 50 percent of these fires are -- are contained. But they say that the movement and the progress of these fires has slowed down significantly, so they're confident about that, but they're definitely very weary about today -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: I should say.

Ed Lavandera, who is in Amarillo at the Fire Command Center.

Let's bring in Chad Myers now.

And give us a sense of where things are headed. Lots of concern today. You said yesterday...

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: ... that this would be the day. Actually, you said the day before. You've been warning about this. Tell us what's going to happen.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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

MYERS: You're welcome.

S. O'BRIEN: Today in Florida, a judge is going to decide life or death for the killer of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia. Her kidnapping, you'll recall, was caught on a surveillance videotape two years ago. Joseph Smith is now convicted of abducting, raping and killing the little girl.

John Zarrella live for us in Sarasota, Florida.

Hey, John. Good morning.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

By anyone's estimations, by any accounts, what Joseph Smith did and is convicted of was a brutal, awful crime. The jury found 10-2, recommended 10-2 that he be sentenced to death for his crimes, and by law here in Florida, the judge has to place great weight on that decision by the jury.

It was two years ago on February 1 that Carlie Brucia, 11 years old, was kidnapped by Joseph Smith. That kidnapping captured on a surveillance tape at a car wash here in Sarasota.

It was a grainy 10 seconds of video, but that 10 seconds of video led to Joseph Smith's arrest. The -- many, many tips came in. People recognizing Smith on that video, led to his arrest a couple of days later, and then Carlie Brucia's body was found four days after his abduction.

One month ago in court, Joseph Smith sat, and then Joseph Smith, in an impassioned plea that went on for several minutes, pleaded for his life. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH SMITH, CARLIE BRUCIA'S KILLER: Judge Owens, I do not ask for mercy for myself. As you have heard, there have been many times that I did not care whether I lived or died.

The only reason that I can see to ask to you give me a life sentence is for the sake of my family. I do not want to see my children hurt any further. I'm hopeful that I can still be a positive influence to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Legal experts say that if Smith is sentenced to die, the road to his execution will be shorter than the 16 years it normally takes here in Florida, because, Soledad, he's admitted to the crime -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: John Zarrella for us this morning.

John, thanks -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: President Bush talking about that controversial, complicated Medicare prescription drug program today. But there's a lot of buzz in and around the west wing about a possible staff shakeup. Would some new blood at the White House offer a transfusion for the president's anemic poll numbers?

CNN's White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joining us live with more on what's going on behind closed doors at the White House -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, the buzz is all about this coming from friends of the White House, confidants of the White House essentially reaching out to chief of staff Andy Card, making suggestions that they bring somebody in, perhaps a fresh face or two, someone with experience, perhaps a former senator-type who can reach out to members of Congress and really kind of bounce some ideas off of them, really to create a better link between the White House and members of Congress.

All of this coming at a time, of course, when there's been a series of missteps by this administration. The president's approval numbers very, very low, and even Republicans, of course, rebelling on many, many issues.

There also has been some talk for months now that Andy Card himself would leave his position and go to Treasury. Sources say that is not correct, that he plans to stay in his position.

Sources also saying that the president is not entertaining a shakeup, but these are simply friends of the White House who are reaching out to Andy Card, making these suggestions they believe to try to turn the corner -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Of course, you know, the second-term presidency, as I can remember, Nixon, Reagan and Clinton, there were always sort of mid, second-term shakeups. So this is not a new thing, is it?

MALVEAUX: It's not a new thing. I mean, there's no suggestion that there'll be a shakeup here, but certainly we saw back with President Clinton he brought in David Gergen after the health care problems they were having. He's a White House veteran. And, of course, we saw it with President Reagan as well, bringing in Howard Baker after the Iran-Contra scandal.

So it would not be a new page from Presidential Politics 101, but simply, you know, they think that this is a good idea. We'll have to see if the president is really going to sign off on something like this.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, I've got to wonder one thing. If we are talking about it right now, Suzanne, that might diminish its likelihood.

What do you think?

MALVEAUX: Well, you know, sources are saying, the more you talk about it, the less likely it is to happen.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, I think so.

Suzanne Malveaux, north lawn of the White House, where this is some intrigue not too far away.

Let's get to Carol Costello in the newsroom.

Carol, good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Miles.

Good morning to all of you.

At a time when military commanders are considering cutting U.S. troops in Iraq, the Pentagon is sending more in. CNN has learned that some 700 U.S. troops are heading to Iraq from their base in Kuwait. Their mission is to keep the peace ahead of two major events. The new Iraqi parliament convenes this week and a Shiite religious holiday is this weekend.

The trial of Zacarias Moussaoui on hold until Monday. The judge is giving prosecutors some time to sort out their options now that several key witnesses are barred from taking the stand. A government attorney violated the rules by sending those witnesses court transcripts via e-mail.

Robert F. Kennedy's killer is up for parole. Sirhan Sirhan serving a life sentence for the 1968 shooting of RFK. His possible parole could be a conflict of interest for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. If the board recommends parole, the final decision would go to the governor, and of course he's married to Kennedy's niece, Maria Shriver.

The whistleblower in the Enron trial poised to take the stand. Sherron Watkins is a former vice president at Enron. She's known for an anonymous letter written to Enron founder Kenneth Lay in which she predicted that the company would implode in a wave of accounting scandals. And she was right.

And Mike Wallace stepping down this spring as a regular on "60 Minutes." The veteran newsman has been with the show since it started in 1968. Wallace will retain the title of "Correspondent Emeritus." He says he'll never officially retire. Oh, no.

The 87-year-old reporter says he's slowing down, but not to a halt. So expect to still see him on "60 Minutes" with some big interviews. In fact, he already has some in the bag.

M. O'BRIEN: Forever young he is. Isn't he?

COSTELLO: He is.

M. O'BRIEN: I think we'll still be seeing his pieces, fortunately.

Thanks, Carol.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a terrifying condition can be deadly, of course. Insurance companies putting a limit, though, on how much treatment people with anorexia can get. Debate ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: And some answers on what caused the levees to fail in New Orleans. And we have some interesting video recreating what investigators believe happened. You'll want to see it.

S. O'BRIEN: Before that, though, two mothers on opposite sides of tragedy. One lost her son on 9/11, the other son is now an admitted al Qaeda conspirator. We'll tell you about their emotional meeting.

Their story's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Her son is an admitted al Qaeda conspirator, and a federal judge is going to decide if he lives or if he dies. But the mother of Zacarias Moussaoui received a warm welcome on Sunday at a church service in suburban New York. She was even embraced by a mother who lost her son on 9/11.

That mother, Connie Taylor, along with her husband, Bruce, and their pastor, Joe Agne, who invited Aicha El Wafi to intend -- attend, rather, joined us a little while ago. And I asked Connie Taylor to tell us about that hug.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CONNIE TAYLOR, MOTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM: She was in such pain. Oh, when I -- when I first met her, Bruce and I went there a little early, after Joe had asked us to come to meet her before everybody else came. And she was so, so sad, and so apologetic. And the tears were just streaming down her face. And I asked her if I could hug her, and somebody in the mob said, "You better," or something, and I did. And...

S. O'BRIEN: Did you tell her about your son, 37 years old when he died on 9/11?

TAYLOR: Well, I had an opportunity...

S. O'BRIEN: She knew you were a mother, but did you -- did you talk...

TAYLOR: ... to do that a little later on, yes.

S. O'BRIEN: You did?

There is a lot of people who would say, how could you hug the woman whose son stands accused, who has confessed to being an al Qaeda conspirator, who many people think is the "20th hijacker?" How could you, who lost a son on 9/11, hug that woman? You know people say that.

TAYLOR: I know, but I did it because I was just really interested in talking to her. That's the main reason. I never even thought to -- that she's in any way to blame for who what her son has done.

I mean, she's here to support him, just like any mother would be, and will do anything because of her love for her son. It doesn't matter what he's done. She still loves him just like you or I or any mother would still love their son.

S. O'BRIEN: Let me ask the pastor a question.

What's the reaction been in the community? Has everybody been as supportive that you invited -- that the church invited her to come and to really take a break from the trial for a couple of days? Which is essentially what was behind this.

REV. JOE AGNE, MEM. UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Right. She was with us for four days. And everybody who has spoken to me in the community has been very positive.

I've not heard anything negative. Not a single word negative.

There's even a family in our church that has a child -- their daughter flies helicopters in Baghdad, and they said, "This is the right thing to do, Joe. This is what our church means, that we're supposed to welcome people who other people might marginalize." So it's been -- everyone's been very supportive.

S. O'BRIEN: Connie, do you think anything's changed in you from this meeting? I mean, do you see anything differently? Do you feel more forgiving? Do you feel like, you know, I did it, I've met her and I'm -- you know, got some kind of closure at all? TAYLOR: Well, actually, it's just kind of an extension of the way I felt before. Because I know everyone who has had this horrible thing happen to them has faced it differently. But I'm not big on hatred.

In fact, I think hatred is more harmful to the person hating than the other, the person they are hating. And I've seen that in a lot of the people I've found since 9/11 that have shared stories and things. And she is -- and what she is suffering, I think I have more compassion really, maybe. Maybe that's the answer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Connie Taylor, her husband, Bruce, Pastor Joe Agne joining us a short time ago.

Let's get right to some breaking news that we have for you. We're being told now that the media has just been allowed back into the trial of Saddam Hussein.

You'll recall today is the first day that Saddam Hussein took the stand in his own defense, and then not long into the trial, today's version of it, at least, the judge shut down proceedings for a moment, kicked the media out, turned off the audio, essentially, nine times while Saddam Hussein went on quite a bit of a tirade, where he talked about how he was a representative of the Iraqi people, the true representative, with God-given rights.

After many warnings from the judge, finally he was cut off. The proceedings, at least the televised version of them, shut down and everyone kicked out.

Now we're told that journalists being allowed back in to monitor the proceedings. And, in fact, Saddam Hussein is still on the stand.

So what's passed, what has happened in all that time while the journalists have been out? It is unclear. We're going to talk to some of our reporters who are there this morning about that -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, presumably, he's cooled down a little bit. We'll find out very shortly when we check in with Nic Robertson.

Still to come on the program in this morning's "House Call," why some anorexic patients are prevented from getting the help they need.

Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: "House Call" time.

It's a terrifying condition that kills many of the women afflicted with it. It is degenerative and its signs are painfully obvious. So why are some women having trouble getting treatment for anorexia? CNN's Elizabeth Cohen found one woman and one family suffering through not only the nightmare of the disease, but also a nightmare of bureaucracy.

She joins us from Atlanta.

Hello, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

Miles, this family that you're about to meet, they thought, well, our daughter is sick, we have insurance, the insurance will stick with us and pay for everything we need until our daughter is healthy. What they found out is that that's not necessarily true.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN (voice-over): When most people exercise, it's a sign of health. For Megan Cunningham, it's the opposite, because she exercises compulsively.

Megan weighs 84 pounds, but she thinks that's too much. A few months ago, she went 12 days without eating. Megan is frightened to take even one bite of dinner. Her parents don't know what to do. Neither does she.

(on camera): Are you afraid of dying?

MEGAN CUNNINGHAM, ANOREXIA SUFFERER: yes.

COHEN: What do you think will kill you?

M. CUNNINGHAM: I don't ultimately know. I think, in times of severe desperation, I would almost even consider killing myself, just to escape.

COHEN (voice-over): Megan is 20, and she's had anorexia nervosa since she was 12, when, at five feet tall, she dropped to 54 pounds.

M. CUNNINGHAM: I would just pray every night. I would say, you know, "God, if you just get me through this night, I will eat something tomorrow. I promise. But don't let me die yet."

COHEN (on camera): And did you eat something the next day?

M. CUNNINGHAM: No.

COHEN (voice-over): Very little has changed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That doesn't sound like it's going to help you eat them.

COHEN: Her dietitian's challenge, keep sunflower seeds on the table at every meal and try to eat one, just one.

M. CUNNINGHAM: My fear is that, if I eat that fat, if I have those many more calories, I'm going to feel it on my body. I'm going to gain weight really fast and just bloat up.

COHEN (on camera): But even just one sunflower seed?

M. CUNNINGHAM: It terrifies me.

COHEN (voice-over): Anorexia kills more women than any other psychiatric disorder. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, one out of five anorexics will die from medical complications or suicide.

Megan's parents are scared. They want her in the hospital, where she would get constant therapy and monitoring.

(on camera): Do you see progress when she's in the hospital?

TAMMY CUNNINGHAM, MOTHER OF MEGAN CUNNINGHAM: Oh, definitely. When you get there, You know, you can see there's two or three pounds on her, and you realize maybe things are going to get better. And, then, so much sooner than you expect, they're releasing her, and they're bringing her home. And you don't know what to do.

COHEN (voice-over): Megan recently had to leave the hospital, after a 24-day stay. She had exhausted the 60 days a year covered by her health insurance. She now has to wait four months until she can get back into the hospital.

(on camera): What's going to happen to you between now and July?

M. CUNNINGHAM: If I falter, I'm done. If I fall, and I can't pick myself back up, I don't have any place to turn.

DR. DOUG BUNNELL, CLINICAL DIRECTOR, THE RENFREW CENTER OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT: It's a gut-wrenching discussion to have with a family, to tell them that their daughter can't stay in treatment anymore because their insurance company has denied treatment, or they have run out of benefits.

COHEN (voice-over): Typically, insurance companies cover, at least in part, 30 to 60 days a year of hospital care. Eating disorder experts, like Dr. Doug Bunnell, say, that's almost never enough.

Even with insurance coverage, Megan's parents said they paid tens of thousands of dollars in co-payments for her two months in the hospital. Now that her benefits have run out, they would have to pay at least $30,000 or more per month out of pocket.

T. CUNNINGHAM: This past Christmas, my husband said, "I can't do this anymore. Cash in the rest of our mutual funds. I want her in a hospital now. I am so scared she will die before she ever gets the treatment that she needs."

COHEN (on camera): Have you spent your life savings on Megan's care?

T. CUNNINGHAM: Oh, definitely. COHEN (voice-over): Megan's insurance now pays for her to see a therapist once a week, a psychiatrist once a month, and her family doctor every other month. Her insurance company declined to speak on camera and referred us to an industry group, America's Health Insurance Plans.

(on camera): How can you tell someone who weighs 84 pounds, "You don't need to be in the hospital anymore"?

SUSAN PISANO, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS: Well, I guess I would ask the question a different way. Is there evidence that being in the hospital longer will be the thing that will work? I don't know of anything that says those patients would be helped if they had a 60- or 90- or a 120-day stay in the hospital.

COHEN: But how do you get that evidence, when insurance companies won't pay for anything longer, and people can't afford anything longer?

PISANO: You get the evidence through well-designed studies.

COHEN (voice-over): The fact is, there never has been a well- designed study to establish the best level of care. But the Cunninghams say, they don't need a study to tell them what does and doesn't work.

T. CUNNINGHAM: She can't ever get a long enough stay to get over it. She knows she will have a relapse.

COHEN: The insurance industry points out that families like the Cunninghams could ask their employers to purchase policies with unlimited coverage for anorexia. Tammy Cunningham says, the policy she has is all her company offers.

Brian and Mary Smith thought their daughter, Janell, had the best coverage money could buy.

BRIAN SMITH, FATHER OF JANELL SMITH: You can see it. When you open the first sheet on the inside, it refers to inpatient, and it says "unlimited coverage."

COHEN: Like Megan, Janell battled anorexia for years. In 2003, when she went into this treatment facility, she was 5'3'' and weighed 68 pounds.

MARY SMITH, MOTHER OF JANELL SMITH: She was afraid, because she said, "Mom, I almost died."

This was not just a -- you know, a place to -- to try to learn how to eat again. This was a place that was going to -- to save her life.

COHEN: Janell was slowly getting better. She was gaining weight and confidence. She wrote her parents from the hospital. B. SMITH: "Please know that I see in my mind a green pasture, where the disorder does not rule. I am willing to do what it takes, dad."

COHEN: Five weeks into her stay, her father got a call from Janell's insurance company. They were discharging her into outpatient care. The insurance company said it was medically safe for her to leave the hospital.

B. SMITH: I vehemently protested. Basically, I just said, don't do this. She's not ready. Even being out of the hospital for a day or two worried me. COHEN: Her own doctor protested, too. He wrote it was "premature to transition" her out of the hospital, that it put her at "greater risk for regression and relapse."

B. SMITH: I didn't expect it to ever end the way it ended.

COHEN: Six days after she left the hospital, Janell took her own life. Her father found her in her apartment. Janell died from an overdose of pills and alcohol.

B. SMITH: The day she got out of the hospital, the disorder took over right away. I think it does say that she wasn't ready to be let out.

COHEN: In a statement to CNN, Janell's insurance company, Magellan, said, "We recognize that conditions such as Janell's can be complex to treat and often require comprehensive long-term therapy. What we can tell you unequivocally is that Magellan authorized all the care that was requested by Janell's treating providers and that additional services could have been authorized if they had been requested by providers."

Despite his concerns, Janell's doctor indeed did not appeal the insurance company's decision to discharge her from the hospital. Janell passed away three years ago. Her parents are convinced that if she had stayed in the hospital, she'd be with them today. They sued the insurance company. Their case was dismissed and it is now under appeal.

M. SMITH: I don't think they realized how sick she was. I think they just discharged her for monetary reasons.

COHEN: Megan Cunningham knows there's no easy road to recovery. But she's convinced that with better coverage, she would have a better chance.

M. CUNNINGHAM: I want to be happy. I want to know what that feels like more than anything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Once her hospital insurance ran out for the year, Megan started calling around to different in-patient treatment centers to see how much her family would have to pay. One wanted $20,000 up front for the first month and $5,000 a week after that. Another wanted $84,000 up front for the first six weeks.

She and her family cannot afford that -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Wow. Those are such big numbers, Elizabeth, but we're talking about a life and death situation.

What -- statistically, how well do people do who go into these programs?

COHEN: Well, unfortunately, there really is no one terrific treatment for anorexia, if you look at it that way. They really have tried to come up with different ways to treat these women, but they -- they use the word "recalcitrant" a lot.

It takes years and years often to get women out of anorexia. So, unfortunately, as you heard the woman from the health insurance plan say, they say, you know, if someone could tell us three months in the hospital will do it, they'll be better, we might consider paying for that. But there's no study that says that three months is better than two months or four months is better than two months.

M. O'BRIEN: Boy, but if something bad were to happen, you know, then what -- then what would they say, I wonder?

COHEN: Well, I think they would say that this is just a disease that is very difficult to treat, and that, again, there's no proof that the more treatment the better. But these families say, look, I know my daughter, and when she's in the hospital she gains weight and she does better. When she comes home she does worse. So for these families it's really pretty simple.

M. O'BRIEN: It sounds simple put that way.

All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

Tonight on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," we'll have the story of another young woman with anorexia who was discharged from the hospital, even though her parents thought they had the very best insurance coverage possible. That's tonight, 10:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, remember J-Mac, the little boy, young man, really, who captured our hearts with his inspiring basketball performance and that four minutes he was on the court? Now, he's got a new friend. J-Mac, meet George W.

Then later, a different kind of dating service for women only. It's not about sex in the city. It's about fun and friendship.

We'll tell you about that just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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