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American Morning

Cyclone Larry; 'Sleepless in America'

Aired March 21, 2006 - 06:29   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Relief comes quickly to Australians battered by a massive cyclone. Amazingly, no loss of life. How were they able to avoid an outcome like Hurricane Katrina?
Severe weather may be blamed for a tragedy in Texas. The roof of a crowded restaurant collapses. At least one person is dead.

And is our get anything any time mentality keeping us awake at night? We're going to look at how 24 hours may not be enough in a day in our special series "Sleepless in America."

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: I always figured that I would have a great life if I could sleep, you know, three, four hours a night and just, you know, work and do whatever I needed to for the rest of the 20 hours.

O'BRIEN: Yes, that whole sleep thing just kills all that time, doesn't it?

ROBERTS: Yes, it does.

O'BRIEN: If you could you cut sleep back to three hours you would be fine. See, I figure if they just extend the day to 28 hours, then I would be good.

ROBERTS: Yes, there you go.

O'BRIEN: It would work out just fine.

ROBERTS: Good idea.

O'BRIEN: See, thank you, Pete. Pete likes my idea.

ROBERTS: It might screw up the calendar a little bit. But if it would work for you...

O'BRIEN: Oh, peeshah (ph). Come on.

Let's get right to Carol. She's got a look at our top stories this morning..

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

Good morning to all of you. President Bush highlighting progress in Iraq and asking Americans to look past the bloodshed. The president delivering a speech in the mostly Democratic city of Cleveland on Monday. A big part of the event was question and answer time. It came as the U.S. marked three years since the invasion of Iraq.

The sentencing trial of Zacarias Moussaoui picks up again in Alexandria, Virginia, later this morning. On Monday, an FBI agent says he gave repeated warnings about Moussaoui but no action was taken. The agent arrested and interrogated Moussaoui four and a half years ago in Minnesota told a jury he believed at the time that Moussaoui was a terrorist intent on hijacking an airplane.

A bizarre story out of Ohio. Police say a man allegedly shot his teenage neighbor for walking on his lawn. Sixty-six-year-old Charles Martin is now behind bars. He apparently told police he's had trouble in the past with people walking on his lawn. The 15-year-old victim died after being shot in the chest with a shotgun.

Former vice president Al Gore won't be among the list of presidential contenders for 2008, but he's not ruling out a future in the political arena. During a speech on Monday, Gore did says he is not planning to be a candidate again, but he has been spending his time giving speeches on environmental issues.

And if you've ever had an airline lose your bags, listen to this. A new report finds airlines lost 30 million pieces of luggage last year. They lost them.

Two hundred thousand bags never made it back to their owners. The problem cost the airlines $2.5 billion in 2005. And, you know, maybe that's part of the reason why we won't be getting those snacks in coach anymore.

Who knows? But man -- so, I would say, carry-on bags are the best idea -- John.

ROBERTS: All right. Thanks very much, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

ROBERTS: Relief is already reaching victims of that strong cyclone in northeastern Australia. Some residents were greeted this morning by a large barbecue. Local merchants didn't want their meat and produce to go to waste, so they cooked it up for victims of the storm. Troops are brining in aid for the thousands of people left homeless and cleanup crews are already at work.

CNN's Rob Marciano has more on Cyclone Larry and the comparisons to Hurricane Katrina.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: (voice-over): When Cyclone Larry slammed into the northeast coast of Australia, it knocked out power for more than 100,000 households and left thousands homeless. Like Hurricane Katrina, here, residents near the town of Innisfail, where the storm made landfall, had all been warned. And, yet, they said, it was still terrifying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were just really scared for our life, to the stage where, at one stage, we were starting to feel sick, just through the worry of whether we were going to get through the night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And those who went outside, there was just like a noise like a -- a train was coming. And the ocean was roaring. And the wind was just unbelievable.

MARCIANO: No one was killed, and only about 30 were injured, remarkable, considering Larry was stronger than Hurricane Katrina, packing winds of up to 180 miles per hour. That compares to the 125 mile-per-hour gusts during Katrina.

It's likely lives were saved because most residents evacuated. Prime Minister John Howard reassured those in Larry's path that this would not be another New Orleans.

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: This is certainly a very fearful and challenging time for the people of far north Queensland. And I want them to know that their fellow Australians are with them, and we will respond in an appropriate fashion to any requests for help.

MARCIANO: Cyclone Larry was the strongest storm to hit Australia in 30 years. Back in 1974, a small, but very intense cyclone named Tracy destroyed the town of Darwin and killed 65. Cleanup costs will easily run into the millions. Along with homes and businesses, sugarcane and banana fields were flattened. Many people returned home to find not only their homes ruined, but their livelihoods gone as well.

Rob Marciano, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And Rob Marciano's report first aired on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," which you can catch weeknights at 10:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

The severe weather watch isn't over for eastern Australia, however. As we speak, Cyclone Wati is churning away off of the coast. But the current track has it taking an abrupt turn to the south and away from a direct hit.

As we speak another cyclone is churning off the coast of Australia. The current tracks that turning south and away from a direct hit.

Time now for a check of the forecast. Chad Myers is at the CNN Center.

And we were talking about the weather in Australia, but there's lots to talk about here -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And in -- really, in retrospect about this thing in Australia, very few people live where this hurricane hit. There wasn't a city. There wasn't New Orleans. I mean, just a couple of resort towns. So, yes, you can get those people out.

ROBERTS: And it wasn't below sea level either.

MYERS: Well, there you go. Exactly. And there weren't -- there weren't levees. There was not that thing like that. So it's -- it was a whole different category of where the storm was and where it hit.

And if this thing hit somewhere in northern Texas, it's obviously going to do a lot of damage. If Katrina would have turned left and went over Victoria, Texas, no one would have gotten hurt. So it's all a matter of where it goes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

Coming up this morning, got a pretty incredible story to tell you about. A pretty incredible discovery in a house that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. We'll tell you about a pair of college students who literally found hidden treasure.

ROBERTS: Our series "Sleepless in America" continues. Today, one of the big reasons for all of our sleepless nights. We'll look at how America has become the country that never closes.

O'BRIEN: Plus, police catch a suspected cross-dressing crook thanks to a pair of his pantyhose. Ooh, the that got your attention, didn't it? We'll tell you what happened coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A look at what's happening in America this morning.

Federal aviation investigators are going to comb through the wreckage of a plane crash in Branson, Missouri. All four people on board the twin engine plane were killed in that crash.

In Lubbock, Texas, one person dead -- at least one person -- nine others injured after a roof collapsed at a restaurant. Fire officials say strong winds may have been a factor.

And a pair of pantyhose leads police to a cross-dressing robber in California. The suspect is alleged to have held up a gas station on Monday. Police say they got their break when they saw the pantyhose hanging out of the tour of the getaway car. And that was the tip-off -- John.

ROBERTS: Do you ever get the sense that some people are just too stupid to be criminals? Did you just wake up already tired and you feel like you could jump right back into bed? Oh, it sounds like such a good idea, doesn't it?

All this week we're looking at why Americans are getting less sleep than ever before. One reason could be this: America has become the country that never closes.

AMERICAN MORNING'S Dan Lothian now with a look at our 24/7 nation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 28 northbound has delays now from 2A (ph) to 4 and 225.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Like clockwork, another day fades to black. Some shops close. The rush hour train is rolling. And commuter Tom Testa heads home.

TOM TESTA, COMMUTER: There are those you just dread. Like, it's obviously you just dread the long commute.

LOTHIAN: It's a 100-mile round trip from his job at Boston University to his home in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

TESTA: My day turns into however long I'm here at work, plus another three, four hours.

LOTHIAN: Beaten by the clock, Testa is just the right fit for a 24-hour nation, open for business long after sunset.

(on camera): In case you haven't noticed, it seems just about everything you need or want is available around the clock these days in cyberspace or on Main Street.

SUSAN SAMPSON, SIMMONS SCHOOL OF MGMT.: People need accessibility. Retailers are becoming a little bit more flexible in thinking about how they're going to serve their customers.

LOTHIAN: Twenty-four-hour fitness took the concept and turned into a global franchise.

MARK MASTROW, 24 HOUR FITNESS: People want to stay in shape, get in shape no matter when they can get it in, and they want to be able to come any time they want.

LOTHIAN: Walgreens keeps some of its stores and pharmacies open around the clock.

LISA COEHLO, WALGREENS PHARMACIST: Unfortunately, patients still get sick after 10:00 when most pharmacies are closed.

LOTHIAN: Want to bowl in Boston at 3:00 a.m.? This is right up your alley. You can get cash or groceries, a live volunteer to pray with you on the phone, or a member of the Geek Squad at your doorstep in the middle of the night to fix a frozen computer.

Simmons School of Management professor Susan Sampson says the marketplace changed when more business relationships went global, when working women became stressed for time, and when workplace hours became nontraditional.

SAMPSON: So I think it's two things happening at the same time: customers demanding more, and retailers going, wait a minute, I'm losing business. What's happening and what do I need to do to get the business back?

LOTHIAN: For many companies, 24 hours is the solution. Reaching out to a diverse band of night owls.

MASTROW: Stockbrokers, lawyers, doctors.

COEHLO: We see a lot of second and third shift customers.

MASTROW: Some of them are insomniacs.

COEHLO: Caregivers that seek over-the-counter relief for their loved ones.

LOTHIAN: For Testa, the commuter that finds living in Rhode Island more affordable, the "always open" sign could make his life easier.

TESTA: I would definitely take advantage of that in any way, whatever kind of business it was.

LOTHIAN: The sun may fade, but in a way the day never ends.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Wow.

Our "Sleepless in America" series continues tomorrow with the confessions of an insomniac. Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to a woman who has learned a few tricks over the years to help her get some shuteye. She's going to share those tricks with us tomorrow.

You know, anybody who's awake at this time of day knows what it's like to be sleep-deprived or to be working in that hectic world.

O'BRIEN: Yes. I'm not an insomniac. I mean, I could sleep under this table right now if I had to. It's just...

ROBERTS: OK. Come on. You're on.

O'BRIEN: I could do it. I could really do it.

ROBERTS: That's my problem. I can only sleep lying down in my bed.

O'BRIEN: Oh, no. No. Anywhere. Anywhere.

ROBERTS: I wish I could sleep anywhere.

O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, you think Congress doesn't work hard enough?

ROBERTS: Yes, it's not 24-7 for them.

O'BRIEN: Guess what? Nope. And you might be right about that.

Coming up, we're going to take a look at why this year's lawmakers are fast earning the name "Do-Nothing Congress."

Plus, more controversy for Tom Cruise. More controversy for Tom Cruise after a TV show pokes fun at him. Did he use his clout to keep a show from ever airing again? We'll take a look at that ahead this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

ROBERTS: Music from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

O'BRIEN: It doesn't quite scream "happy birthday," does it?

ROBERTS: It doesn't. But, you know, he is -- he's 44 years old today, Matthew Broderick. And happy birthday to him.

O'BRIEN: It kind of works.

ROBERTS: Yes.

Let's get a check of the headlines now with Carol Costello. She's in the newsroom for us.

Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning, John.

Good morning to all of you.

I have a developing story to tell you about out of the Middle East. Jerusalem on high alert now. Israeli police blocking traffic in and out of the city. They're looking for a car apparently involved in a terror plot. Earlier in the day, Israeli forces chased down a van transporting a group of Palestinians wearing an explosives belt.

A shootout today at an Iraqi police station happened north of Baquba. Some 100 insurgents hit the facility with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. They took weapons and freed dozens of detainees. At least 25 people killed, including 15 officers.

A high school student in Michigan has been charged with threatening another sort of Columbine-style attack. Daniel Ray Davis Jr. could face 20 years in prison if convicted. School officials found a threat written on the men's bathroom wall. It read, "Come Monday, you will be sorry. This will be like Columbine II."

Remember the Ohio couple accused of keeping their 11 adopted children in cages? Well, the parents have now lost permanent custody. A judge ruled that there's a chance the parents would mistreat the children again.

The parents deny abusing the children. They pleaded not guilty to a series of charges, including child endangerment.

Want to help the FBI fight crime and terrorism? Well, let them use your e-mail. It seems the agency doesn't have enough money to give all of its agents official e-mail accounts. You know, the ones with FBI.gov at the end. FBI officials in Washington say they're working on it and that all agents should have e-mail accounts by the end of the year.

The search is on for a new NFL commissioner. Paul Tagliabue says he's planning to step down in July. After nearly 17 years at the helm, he's leaving on top. The NFL just wrapped up negotiations over new television and labor contracts.

And it is the first full day of spring, but you wouldn't know it in Kansas. A snowstorm dropped nearly a foot of snow on some parts of the state. Hundreds of schools closed today. Plows are trying to get roads open for rush hour.

That's a big good luck to those people out there -- Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: All right, Chad. Thanks.

Tom Cruise and Scientology back in the news. Here's a question for you... did Cruise use his clout to keep an episode of a hit TV show off the air? We'll take a look at that this morning.

Also, two college students make an incredible discovery in a hurricane-ravaged home. They'll tell us about the hidden treasure that they found stashed inside.

That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, how would you like to work only a hundred years -- a hundred years -- a hundred days this year?

ROBERTS: I am going to work a hundred years.

O'BRIEN: Sorry. We'll be working a hundred years this year.

The Congress, believe it or not, only working 100 days this year. Yes, run for Congress. That's the job you want.

AMERICAN MORNING'S Bob Franken investigates if Congress is working hard or hardly working. And then, an Iraq success story. We're going to talk to a commander praised by President Bush for his successful offensive in Iraq.

Those stories ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A look at some of the stories we're working on this morning.

An insurgent attack on an Iraqi police station kills at least 15 Iraqi officers.

Testimony resumes in the Moussaoui sentencing trial.

U.S. officials expand testing for the bird flu here in the U.S.

A powerful spring storm dumps more than a foot of snow in the plains.

And a big win for Japan. The country wins the first ever World Baseball Classic.

ROBERTS: Beat Cuba to do it, too.

O'BRIEN: Yes, they did.

ROBERTS: Can you imagine the United States didn't get anywhere near the finals? Amazing.

O'BRIEN: No, they sure didn't. And Cubans -- Cubans today very angry with that loss.

A pair of court cases making news on Wall Street. Carrie's got that, and she minds your business, in for Andy.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Trials and trials and more trials today.

Well, let me start with the latest from Frank Quattrone. You might remember him, former Credit Suisse First Boston investment banker. Well, he may be facing a third obstruction of justice trial. This after an appeals court yesterday tossed out his conviction.

Now, he was convicted in May of 2004. The appeals court, though, rejected that decision, saying the jury was improperly instructed on how to interpret the law. So it happens now. The government weighing whether to retry the case.

New jury, new judge, new everything. This all stems from IPO allegations at Credit Suisse, basically cherry-picking, giving the best chairs to the favorite clients.

O'BRIEN: I know, a hugely complicated case in the first place.

LEE: Oh, yes. So back and forth here. We'll see if this continues.

Also, Enron eight weeks in a the Enron trial. Arthur Andersen accountants now taking the stand. One of them, Thomas Bauer (ph), says you can't audit what you can't see.

He's basically saying, even Arthur Andersen was duped by Enron's phony numbers. He goes on talking to jurors about ledgers with financial numbers changed, e-mails discussing how an Enron executive said, "We have to hit profit target numbers."

So his testimony -- and he's back on the stand again today -- really not boding well for Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, who, of course, are at the center of all of this.

ROBERTS: Not a whole lot boding for either one of them.

LEE: No. No, it is not looking that good.

ROBERTS: Thanks, Carrie.

LEE: OK.

ROBERTS: As we approach the top of the hour, let's get a final check of the forecast for this hour with Chad Myers at the CNN Center.

Hey, Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, John.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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