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American Morning
Flooding Continues in New England; Contentious Confirmation Hearings Expected for Hayden; 9/11 Pentagon Tape Released
Aired May 17, 2006 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Lothian in Amesbury, Massachusetts.
The sun is shining, but residents in northern New England impacted by the worst flooding in 70 years are asking is the worst over?
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House, where there's been a sudden change of heart about briefing Congress on the domestic surveillance program.
But is it enough to save the nomination of General Michael Hayden?
That story, coming up.
SOLEDAD S. O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Georgia's gay marriage ban overturned in court. Now, the state's governor is looking for ways to get the law back on the books.
Also, this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DA VINCI CODE," COURTESY COLUMBIA PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many wine glasses are there on the table?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One. The Holy Grail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open your eyes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, ANCHOR: And keep them open for the world premier tonight. But already, "The Da Vinci Code" is getting panned at Cannes.
O'BRIEN: And when will kids play?
More and more elementary schools are saying no to recess. We'll tell you why just ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Welcome back, everybody.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
ROBERTS: And I'm John Roberts in for Miles O'Brien.
Happy Wednesday to you.
It's hump day, long slide into the weekend.
O'BRIEN: Ooh, we like that.
ROBERTS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Let's begin with weather, because it's bad. Improving in some places, though. In parts of the Northeast, kind of a waiting game. Most of the rivers have crested. The record rains have eased a little bit.
In Maine, a record number of roads and bridges have been washed out or damaged. Over the last few days, as many as 4,000 people were forced from their homes. Most, though, have returned.
New Hampshire now, authorities and homeowners keeping watch over several dams that have been pushed to the limit. Near Bristol, as many as 400 families and businesses told to evacuate because of concerns about one dam.
A similar watch and wait situation in northeastern Massachusetts, where the rivers are receding. The flooding, though, is still threatening homes and businesses. The flooding is some of the worst in 70 years. Damage is said to be in the millions of dollars.
AMERICAN MORNING'S Dan Lothian is in Amesbury, Massachusetts.
That's right near the New Hampshire border -- hey, Dan, good morning.
LOTHIAN: Good morning, Soledad.
I'm along the Powwow River. It is much lower now than it was yesterday, but there's still concern here about the Mill Yard Dam, which is right behind me, not only of the dam, which engineers are watching very closely, but also, some of the rocks along the side here and some of the debris that might -- like these sticks or anything else -- that might end up in the waterway here, causing some clogging and additional flooding downstream.
In fact, half of the downtown area downstream from here has been evacuated.
Meantime, residents are waking up this morning. They're seeing the sun-shine, but they're also assessing the damage and starting to clean up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN (voice-over): The storm that fueled this raging river and pushed an aging dam to its breaking point also took a swing at Phillip and Donna Silverio -- and didn't miss.
(on camera): This is hard to believe.
DONNA SILVERIO, METHUEN RESIDENT: Yes, it is. I would never think that this water would overtake our property like this, but water you cannot fight. It's going to do its thing and that's it. There's nothing you can do about it.
LOTHIAN (voice-over): The Silverios live and work along the Merrimack River in Methuen. They bought this engraving and silk screening business seven years ago and finished building their new home next door late last year.
PHILLIP SILVERIO, METHUEN RESIDENT: We love it here, you know?
LOTHIAN: But the storm has changed the landscape.
P. SILVERIO: We were just watching things float by.
D. SILVERIO: Oh, yes -- doors, gates. I actually watched a wooden bench that my son had made for me.
LOTHIAN (on camera): It just floated away?
D. SILVERIO: It just floated away.
LOTHIAN (voice-over): Water has become the centerpiece, outside and in.
P. SILVERIO: The water was up to here.
LOTHIAN: Down in the basement, where the couple's expensive silk screening machines and materials are kept --
P. SILVERIO: Like see the screens in the water? Some of them are no good.
LOTHIAN: Water is still pouring in. It's about two feet deep.
P. SILVERIO: This is terrible. This is unbelievable. There's stuff floating all over the place.
LOTHIAN: His initial effort to hold off the river with a dirt barrier and a small pump failed.
P. SILVERIO: Yes, I tried to pump it as we were taking stuff out. It was just -- it just came too fast.
LOTHIAN: Now the Silverios are using two large pumps to dry out their business so they can reopen, and two smaller units are running in the lower level of their home.
P. SILVERIO: All I can do is just keep pumping and hope for the best, hope my pumps outlast the river.
LOTHIAN: His wife tries to do a little business on the phone.
D. SILVERIO: I'm on a generator right now, so I'm lucky I even got a computer.
LOTHIAN: They are taking care of each other and for the time being, ignoring the potential price tag of the damage.
D. SILVERIO: We're not even thinking of that right now.
LOTHIAN: One thing they do know --
D. SILVERIO: We're not going anywhere. We'll just have to take a little more precautions.
P. SILVERIO: No, we're not going to move. What are you going to do? You live on the water, you have to accept it. Period. End.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN: Soledad, I just wanted to point something out to our viewers a little behind-the-scenes situation. If you can notice my face might be a little fuzzy, that's because of condensation on our lens. It's the result of the extreme conditions that we've been working in over the past couple of days.
Now, having said that, officials are -- can't believe that the extreme conditions that we've had have not resulted in a lot of fatalities. In fact, there is only one death that's believed to be connected to all of this, a 59-year-old New Hampshire man. His body was found submerged in a car in Massachusetts. It's believed that he was trying to cross a road that was closed and didn't make it -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: That's sad news there.
And, boy, what a different day today than yesterday, Dan, I've got to tell you.
LOTHIAN: That's true.
O'BRIEN: Yesterday it was such a mess. It looks much better now that the sun-is out.
Thanks.
Appreciate it.
Let's get right to Jacqui Jeras for a look at what the day holds for folks there -- hey, Jacqui, good morning.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, Soledad.
It does look better. The flood warnings still in place here across parts of Massachusetts into southern parts of New Hampshire, even into Connecticut here. All of the rivers have crested, but they're not within their banks yet. That's going to wait at least another day before that happens. And things looked better on Friday, at least until the next system comes in. But one of the concerns that we have, Dan was just mentioning the condensation that he had on his lens. Well, all that water sitting on the ground evaporating into the air and so we're going to have a lot of water vapor, a lot of moisture in the atmosphere. And as temperatures heat up today, we still have some instability here because of our upper level low pressure system. And that means more showers are likely going to trigger later on this afternoon and into this evening. Not too heavy, but we are going to see some popup showers, bringing maybe a quarter of an inch or less of rainfall.
So be aware of this, later on this afternoon. Temperatures are going to be real nice and warm, though, well into the '70s with that sunshine coming out.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: A CNN Security Watch now.
An about face from the White House this morning and it concerns that controversial NSA surveillance program. Members of the intelligence committees in Congress are set to be briefed on that today.
CNN's Ed Henry joins us now live from the White House -- a real change of heart, an about face, a 180, I mean whatever you want to call it, Ed, this is a big change.
HENRY: That's right.
Good morning, John.
And, in fact, you can point toward the direction of General Michael Hayden. His confirmation hearings expected to be contentious. They start tomorrow. And there's clearly a connection here for this about face.
For months, the White House has been saying just a select few of members of Congress could be briefed on this domestic surveillance program. Now the change of heart, as you mentioned. It is clearly the White House trying to take some of the sting out of those hearings in the Senate Intelligence Committee that begin tomorrow. That's because General Hayden, of course, was the architect of this domestic spying program.
Democrats, some Republicans on the Hill, as well, raising sharp questions about the legality of the program, whether it's violating civil liberties.
I just spoke a few moments ago with the new White House press secretary, Tony Snow.
He insists the White House is not concerned about the attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Again, we're not picking -- the only people we're picking fights with is al Qaeda. And if you're trying to turn this into a political issue, if the president tried to turn this into a political issue, the American people would say wait a minute.
He's commander-in-chief. His job right now -- and it's a solemn and tough obligation -- is to make sure that you fight effectively and win the war on terror. And if you're sitting around trying to sort of score political points, that takes you away from the real goal, which is to get the bad guys.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now, General Hayden clearly headed for a bumpy ride on the Hill. But the White House is confident that with these briefings for the entire House and Senate Intelligence Committees they can smooth that ride a bit. And Tony Snow said there may be some fireworks, but the White House is still confident Hayden will be confirmed -- John.
ROBERTS: All right, Ed Henry live for us at the White House.
Thanks very much.
And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Also happening now in America, the Coast Guard is searching for a 21-year-old Ohio man missing from a cruise ship. Daniel Dipiero was reported missing Monday morning after his friends realized that he had not been in his cabin aboard the Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas ship. The ship was sailing from Florida over to the Bahamas.
A killer alligator is still on the loose around Ocala, Florida. Hunters are having no luck so far, even after setting traps. The alligator killed a 23-year-old woman on Sunday. Three people have been killed in gator attacks in Florida just in the past week.
A superior court judge in Atlanta rules that Georgia's ban on same sex marriage is unconstitutional. The judge struck down a 2004 ballot measure that was overwhelmingly approved by voters. The judge says the measure violated another provision in Georgia's constitution.
The race for mayor in New Orleans is getting nasty with just a few days left to go. In a debate last night, incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin chided challenger Mitch Landrieu over his fundraising, saying "he's in the pocket of big business." Lieutenant Governor Landrieu shot back that Nagin's lack of funding highlights what people really think of him. The election is on Saturday.
And a very different reality now for former survivor Richard Hatch. A judge sentenced Hatch to more than four years in prison for tax evasion. He was convicted of not paying taxes on, among other things, his $1 million "Survivor" prize. Hatch claimed...
O'BRIEN: Oh, that.
HENRY: Oh, that.
A million bucks, me?
O'BRIEN: Right. That.
ROBERTS: Hatch claimed he thought that show producers were going to pay his taxes.
O'BRIEN: Did I leave that off my tax return? I'm sorry.
ROBERTS: Yes, you've got to fill in that 1040 all the way.
Barry Bonds was hit by a pitch last night against the Astros.
O'BRIEN: Ouch.
ROBERTS: The San Francisco-slugger failed to hit home run-number 714 to tie that Babe Ruth record. Bonds has been stalled at 713 now for eight straight games.
O'BRIEN: People were cheering. They gave him a standing -- they gave the pitcher a standing O when he hit him.
ROBERTS: Yes, can you imagine?
O'BRIEN: That's -- that's...
ROBERTS: I mean it didn't look like an intentional bean ball...
O'BRIEN: It didn't. It didn't.
ROBERTS: But, you know, to cheer something like that?
O'BRIEN: Although it looked like it hurt.
Yes, that's...
ROBERTS: That's playing hard ball, from the fans' perspective.
O'BRIEN: Yes it is.
Yes it is.
You know, for some kids, it's their very favorite subject -- recess. And now it looks like some kids -- schools, rather -- are cutting back. Up to 9 percent of public schools don't have recess anymore. That's according to a government report. Schools are blaming it on academic pressure from the no child left behind law. We're talking about grades one through grades five.
Some parents say the kids need unstructured play time.
ROBERTS: Recess, that's the best part of school.
O'BRIEN: Absolutely.
ROBERTS: Other than the closing bell.
Oh, wait, no, that's Wall Street, right?
Coming up, a $200 billion lawsuit against three phone companies. They're accused of illegally handing over your phone records to the government. We'll ask the attorney behind the case what he thinks of the phone companies' carefully worded denials that are out today.
O'BRIEN: Also ahead this morning, we talk to actress Holly Robinson Peete. She and some of her friends are doing something pretty special, to get a family devastated by Hurricane Katrina back on their feet.
ROBERTS: Plus, "The Da Vinci Code" makes its world premier and the early reviews are in. We're going to go live to the Cannes Film Festival, where the film was panned, panned at Cannes, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DA VINCI CODE," COURTESY COLUMBIA PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no, no, no. The pinnacle before that. This is a symbol for...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Just how involved is the National Security Agency in your life?
A report out last week said the National Security Agency was collecting phone numbers called by millions of Americans. "USA Today" reported that Verizon, Bell South and AT&T had provided the information to the NSA.
Verizon and Bell South are now disputing that report. And the three also face a class action lawsuit seeking $200 billion.
Attorney Carl Mayer is one of the lawyers who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the phone companies' customers.
He joins us now.
$200 billion?
Is it about the money or is it principle here?
CARL MAYER, PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY: Thanks, John.
Thanks for having me on, to begin with.
No, it's about the principle, actually. We're seeking an injunction to have these companies and the NSA to stop monitoring the phone records of 200 million Americans. I actually an a Verizon customer myself. When I read about this, I went down with my colleague, Bruce Afran, and we filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York City to seek an injunction to stop this from occurring.
The penalties are a $1,000 penalty per violation, which is in the statute. And the statute, U.S. law is very clear that the phone companies cannot give to the NSA or to any government agency, your phone records.
We were just talking before. You told me your carrier is Verizon. My carrier is Verizon. We all have an expectation of privacy. It's right in the contract. And it's in the companies' manuals. And this is being violated.
So, we really -- I think we need the state attorney generals, we need lawyers from around the country getting involved here and saying that this is the greatest intrusion on American civil liberties in our country's history and it has to stop.
ROBERTS: When you went to court initially, were you going to court on behalf of anybody except yourself and your colleague?
MAYER: We went to court seeking a class action on behalf of all Verizon subscribers.
ROBERTS: Right. But had anybody...
MAYER: Since then...
ROBERTS: ... contacted you at that point other than you and your partner or...
MAYER: At that juncture, no.
ROBERTS: Oh.
OK.
MAYER: Since that time, who have been deluged. We can't even -- the phones in our offices are completely off the hook. We have received hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from people asking to join our lawsuit. We now have plaintiffs from 18 states in the union who have called us asking to get involved here, because they are so concerned about this violation, not only of their privacy, but about the constitution's Fourth Amendment, which prevents the government from engaging in illegal searches and seizures, which this is.
ROBERTS: Right.
Well, my understanding of it is, is that it probably isn't a violation of the Fourth Amendment. But it gets into some gray areas in terms of FCC rules, which is why the FCC wants to look into this, as well.
MAYER: Right. Well, actually -- yes. The FCC should. Actually, Larry Tribe, the Harvard law professor, had quite a good piece in the "Boston Globe" this morning explaining precisely why it is a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
And I think...
ROBERTS: Yes. I mean I thought it wasn't because it wasn't actually collecting information on people, it was just collecting phone numbers.
MAYER: No, but when you -- when you put -- when you connect the dots and you monitor someone's calling patterns, those patterns themselves...
ROBERTS: Only if you go to the next level, though, right?
MAYER: Well, clearly they're monitoring the next level. Clearly they are connecting the dots. That's the entire purpose of this program. In fact, that's why the CEO of Qwest Communications did the right thing. He said we're not going to turn over our customers' records because this is a violation of our privacy policy and the Fourth Amendment.
So these other CEOs of Verizon and AT&T, they should do the proper thing and protect their customers' privacy. This has all -- this has all of the earmarks of an electronic Watergate. This -- this is the reason these laws were passed in the 1970s, was to prevent the government from using its surveillance -- its foreign surveillance authority -- to spy on citizens domestically.
ROBERTS: We've got a couple of statements from Verizon on this...
MAYER: Yes.
ROBERTS: ... since we're really focusing on Verizon this morning.
They said that "the lawsuit is completely without merit on the actual program itself, on the allegations." They said: "Contrary to media reports, Verizon was not asked by the NSA to provide nor did Verizon provide customer phone records from any of its businesses or call data from those records. We have not provided bulk customer calling records to the NSA.
You know, the only thing I thought was interesting about this whole denial on Verizon's part, other than it was very carefully worded, was the idea that they said we can't talk about whether we're involved with an NSA program or not.
But Qwest clearly came out and did.
MAYER: Right. Correct.
ROBERTS: So what do you make of these denials?
MAYER: Well, in the Watergate era, these were called non-denial denials. They -- they are so -- they're legal hair splitting. And, in fact, I'm glad you have some documents. I have e-mails from plaintiffs who have e-mailed us. And in these e-mails, they say that the Verizon supervisors, when they called in outraged about this program last week and over the weekend, the Verizon supervisors told them, in fact, they did turn over the documents.
And, in fact, one Verizon supervisor went so far in one of these e-mails to one of our plaintiffs as to say are you -- are you involved in something criminal whereby you should be concerned that we're turning over your records?
ROBERTS: All right, did...
MAYER: That is not something...
ROBERTS: Other than these e-mails...
MAYER: Yes?
ROBERTS: ... do you have any hard evidence, any proof, that this happened?
MAYER: Well, this is -- this is pretty good proof. This creates a factual issue right...
ROBERTS: It could be hearsay.
MAYER: ... issue right here. Well, it could be, but we're going to -- that's what discovery is for. That's what we're going to get into court. And I should note that Verizon's own statement did not say that MCI wasn't involved. They acquired MCI. In fact, they scrupulously left out MCI, which is the long distance carrier. So I take that also as a non-denial denial that MCI is, in fact, and has been engaged in turning over these records to the NSA.
ROBERTS: Well, it's an interesting case.
We'll keep watching it. Carl Mayer, thank you very much for being with us.
MAYER: Thank you.
I appreciate it.
ROBERTS: We appreciate it.
MAYER: Thanks a lot.
ROBERTS: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Coming up this morning, we talk to actress Holly Robinson Peete about a project that's very near and dear to her heart -- helping the homeless after Hurricane Katrina.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: The reviews for the highly anticipated "Da Vinci Code" movie are in. Not exactly glowing, though. The controversial movie's world premier is tonight.
More now from CNN entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Da Vinci.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The controversy surrounding "The Da Vinci Code" has been reignited as the book springs to life on the silver screen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dear God.
ANDERSON: As Dan Brown's novel makes its way to multitudes of moviegoers, religious critics are redoubling their attack on what they view as an anti-Catholic story.
CARDINAL GEORGE PELL, ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY: I think "The Da Vinci Code" is a load of nonsense.
ANDERSON: The archbishop of Sydney isn't a fan, while Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Nigerian who was a candidate for pope last year, suggests in a new documentary that Christians worldwide should take what he called "practical action" against the book and movie, using "legal means."
Complaints of religious and historical inaccuracies plagued "The Da Vinci Code" well before it became a film. Critics say it questions the divinity of Jesus Christ, casting Mary Magdalene as his lover, possibly his wife, with whom he had a child.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Witness the biggest cover-up in human history.
ANDERSON: Opus Dei, the small but influential controversy group within the Catholic Church, is portrayed as a conspiratorial cult with members who resort to murder to keep the true origins of Christianity a secret.
TERRI CARRON, OPUS DEI SPOKESWOMAN: This depiction is totally false. Not only does it, you know, denigrate Opus Dei, but it's really a misrepresentation about Christianity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And hatch it (ph).
ANDERSON: Opus Dei wants a disclaimer added to the beginning of the film. Director Ron Howard told the "Los Angeles Times" there's no need for that. "This is a work of fiction. It's not theology. It's not history. To start off with a disclaimer, spy thrillers don't start off with disclaimers.
But the book it's based on claims to be more than mere fiction. Brown writes in the prologue: "All descriptions of art work, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate."
As for star Tom Hanks, who's here at the Cannes Film Festival to promote the movie, he's been taking a lighter approach to the criticism.
He even appeared on "Saturday Night Live" to poke fun-at the controversy.
TOM HANKS, ACTOR: Oh, yes, dear lord.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Hanks? I saw your film and I just want you to know that I forgive you.
HANKS: So you don't have a problem with "The Da Vinci Code?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I haven't seen that. I was forgiving you for making "The Terminal"
ANDERSON: Laughs aside, churches around the world are using the debate as a serious springboard to educate.
REV. MICHAEL BARRETT, OPUS DEI: It's a tremendous opportunity for people to discover for themselves the truth and hopefully to be drawn to it.
ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, CNN, Cannes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Brooke, I know it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it, as they say.
What's the early word on this film?
I've heard not loving it from the critics.
ANDERSON: The early word, Soledad, is not so good. And it is a tough crowd. The critics who screened the film last night could be a more cynical crowd than most. But a lot of them are saying that the film is dull, that it's painfully long at two-and-a-half hours, that it's disjointed, that it's not the fun-adventure scavenger hunt that it should be, that many enjoyed the book as.
But I want to tell you that this film was not screened for test audiences and often that is a great opportunity for a filmmaker to gauge reaction and make necessary changes before the film is rolled out for the entire world to see.
But thus far, the reviews have been pretty scathing, actually, which is a surprise for a film coming from the powerhouse trio of Ron Howard, Brian Grazier and Tom Hanks.
O'BRIEN: Dull, too long and disjointed.
OK, but besides that, what have they been...
ROBERTS: That's great.
O'BRIEN: I'm just joking.
Brooke Anderson having a chance to see "The Da Vinci Code" before everybody else.
Thanks, Brooke.
Appreciate it -- John.
ROBERTS: Wow!
It'll probably do great here, though.
O'BRIEN: Oh, it'll be fine, just fine.
ROBERTS: I'm sure it will. Yes.
If you're in the market for a new house, boy, do we have one for you. But you'd better bring a lot of cash with you. Its listing price is a record breaker. We're going to tell you how much it is and where it is in just a few minutes time.
And how do you help an 8,000 pound elephant lose a few pounds? Why, the treadmill, of course.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: For many folks, outsourcing is kind of a dirty word. But a recent study shows that one in four companies are now bringing outsourced functions back home.
Miles O'Brien has our report in this edition of Welcome To The Future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER: Five, 10 years ago I felt like I was going to be pretty safe as an I.T. industry employee. I recently lost my job. They said that I was redundant. They never truly say you are being replaced with employees over in India. I very much worry about knowledge that is moving offshore. Are we going to slowly experience a brain drain? We're becoming more of a world economy, which has its benefits, but what will be our expense?
MILES S. O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Jennifer's concern is a valid one. If you've ever called an 800 number and gotten someone in Bangalore, you know the story. Right now, U.S. companies employ somewhere between one million and two million service workers offshore. Another three-and-a-half million overseas jobs to be added in the next 10 years.
But they may be overlooking a homegrown option.
KATHY BRITTIAN WHITE, FOUNDER, RURAL SOURCING: I think the lure of the big city isn't quite what it used to be.
M. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Kathy Brittian White, founder of Rural Sourcing, says there is a wealth of untapped I.T. knowledge right here at home.
WHITE: There were people that were working at McDonald's or Wal- Marts or other places with a college degree. So we really came in and gave them an opportunity to work in the field.
M. O'BRIEN: White says many companies that employ offshore workers find they don't save as much as they hoped. The overhead is high and what's more their customers are often dissatisfied.
WHITE: We can either sit and whine that there is a global economy or we can get serious and realize we have the responsibility to be competitive and we have to find new ways to innovate. That's what's always made American workers great.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
ROBERTS: I'm John Roberts in this morning for Miles O'Brien. Good Wednesday morning to you.
(NEWSBREAK)
ROBERTS: New video out today from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this one from the attack on the Pentagon.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us live now this morning from the Pentagon. And Barbara, are we learning anything from these new tapes?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, we are seeing some frames in this tape, some video frames, that we have not seen before, though some of the material has been out there. When you look at the video tape that was released, what you see is something new.
Coming in at the right hand side of your screen will be the tiny white blob, essentially, that is the tip of the nose of American Airlines Flight 77 as it struck the Pentagon. But, of course, the plane is traveling so fast that the video really doesn't pick it up substantially, and you almost immediately see the impact of the plane hitting.
This video had been well-known. It had -- some of it had been out there before. But it had been officially under court seal because of the trial of 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. They didn't want it out there during that. But now that that trial is completed, the Justice Department yesterday responding to a court suit and a Freedom of Information Act request filed by a watchdog group, and releasing this video now officially for the first time showing the plane hitting the building, something that most Americans had not seen that actual video -- John.
ROBERTS: There's -- you know, there's been a lot of talk about conspiracy theories here, as to whether or not it was a plane that hit the building. Because the hole that was punched in the Pentagon was so perfectly round that maybe it was a missile. Is this going to go any distance to putting to rest those conspiracy theories? Because as you said, most of the frames in this video we have seen in a succession of stills going back to 2002.
STARR: Well, that's right. And, you know, it's such a tough question to answer for anybody who was here that day, for anybody who covered this story, there's simply no question. A plane struck this building, killing 184 people. The 9/11 Commission found that to be the case.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has a piece of the plane's fuselage. You know, that is what happened here. But for those who engage in those conspiracy theories, who continue to believe it was a missile that hit this building, perhaps they're best left to their own thoughts on the subject. There is really truly no question it was American Airlines Flight 77.
ROBERTS: Certainly there are plenty of eyewitnesses who saw it coming in, as well. Barbara, thanks very much, appreciate it.
STARR: Sure.
ROBERTS: Soledad?
O'BRIEN: A volcano alert in Indonesia to tell you about. That tops our look at the stories that CNN reporters are covering around the world today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STAN GRANT, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm actually standing now at Mount Merapi. This is the volcano that's been threatening to fully erupt now for the past few weeks. I can tell you that this is one of the villages that have been evacuated, yet some people are still staying behind, hoping they won't see the mountain's full fury. It has been a lot calmer the past 24 hours, but the island of Java is still at code red.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jim Bittermann in Paris, where I'll be covering the French parliament this afternoon as it votes on a law meant to crack down on illegal immigration and put further controls on those people who are allowed to come to this country legally, a law to address an issue not that much different than the one being faced in the United States.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad. There had been some hope and speculation Iraq's incoming prime minister might announce his government this morning, as the country's parliament met. That didn't happen. The pressure is now mounting on Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. He has just five days to make that announcement to beat a constitutional deadline.
Meanwhile, Saddam was back in court today, objecting to the testimony of a witness who was just seven years old at the time he's alleged to have ordered a massacre.
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O'BRIEN: For more on these stories or any of our top stories, you can go right to the Web site, CNN.com.
Here's a question for you. How do you take an 8,000-pound elephant for a walk? Obviously, you get out the treadmill. At least that's what they're trying to do with Maggie the elephant. She's the only elephant at the Anchorage, Alaska zoo. She's actually the only elephant apparently in all of Alaska. Did you know that? All of Alaska, she's the only elephant.
ROBERTS: I wouldn't think that there would be any elephants.
O'BRIEN: Anyway...
ROBERTS: Not an indigenous species, is it?
O'BRIEN: No, they're not. But they're in the zoo. Zookeepers trying to keep her active and trim, so they built this treadmill. If we have a picture of it. No. That's still Maggie. She's got this specially built treadmill for an 8,000-pound elephant. Apparently she's not loving it. She doesn't want to work-out on the treadmill. But then on the other hand, who does?
ROBERTS: Those pictures of elephants on treadmills are always better when you have the picture.
O'BRIEN: There we go!
ROBERTS: There we go!
O'BRIEN: No, that's still -- there we go. That's Maggie on her treadmill. That's a large treadmill. That's a large elephant.
ROBERTS: Well. Most elephants are large. But yes, that is a very large treadmill.
O'BRIEN: Oh, my goodness.
ROBERTS: See how much better it works when you have the pictures?
O'BRIEN: Oh, shockingly, yes.
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O'BRIEN: Coming up in our 9:00 hour, as we've been doing every single day this week...
ROBERTS: Yes, I'm looking forward to this. I've been watching it. It's great.
O'BRIEN: Yes, 30, 40, 50. We're going to take a look this morning at parenting in your 30s, 40s and your 50s.
ROBERTS: Something we both know about.
O'BRIEN: A little bit, yes.
ROBERTS: Although I haven't done it in my 50s yet.
O'BRIEN: And why I haven't done it in my 40s yet.
ROBERTS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: We are talking to a couple of people.
ROBERTS: You haven't what?
O'BRIEN: I'm almost 40. I'm not 40. I'm still in my 30s. It still counts as the 30s part.
ROBERTS: A puppy.
O'BRIEN: Yes. I'll take that, thank you. Two experts this morning talking to us.
ROBERTS: And we'd like to take your phone calls, and as well as your e-mails. The number to call, here it is, 877-266-1300. That's 877-AM6-1300, or you can e-mail us at am@CNN.com. Get those fingers flying on the keyboard right now and get us some questions in because we want to address them.
O'BRIEN: I think we have one sample question to share? Let's play this. This is a woman who's got an issue that I have, too.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. My name is Peggy and I'm in my 30s. I have five kids, five and under. And I have 2-year-old twins, and one of the twins is always biting the other when she gets mad or when she gets excited. Do you have any suggestions for us?
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ROBERTS: Absolutely. Take her teeth out, then it won't hurt anymore!
O'BRIEN: Oh! That's horrible. But that's a real problem. I have that problem, too. I've got one biter, bites the other one. It's terrible. Answers to those questions.
You are a sick dude. And don't call me a puppy. Right after this short break. Also ahead this morning, we are talking to actress Holly Robinson Peete. What a big heart she has. Taking in and taking on the project of helping folk that is lost their homes and everything in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. We'll sit down and talk to her about can to her about her mission.
ROBERTS: Plus, a compelling story for you. An urgent mission to save a little boy's life, his journey from Afghanistan to Washington, next on AMERICAN MORNING.
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O'BRIEN: A 8-year-old Afghan boy in need of lifesaving surgery is now heading to the U.S. His name is Mohammed Omar (ph), and his father, the two of them are expected to arrive in a Washington hospital later today. Doctors are going to fix a hole in the little boy's heart. The potentially degenerative condition prevents him from running and playing with other kids. The boy's operation is being sponsored by the Larry King Cardiac Foundation. Mohammed and his dad and the doctor are Larry King's guests tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
ROBERTS: Boy. The condition is called a patient oforian ovalve (ph). How would you like to have one of those in Afghanistan. I mean, they're pretty good at fixing them here now, not usually life threatening when a kid has one, but in Afghanistan, it definitely will be.
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O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, we're going to tell you about our special hour, "30, 40, 50." Today, we're talking about parenting, parenting if you're a parent in your 30s, or your 40s or your 50s. We'll cover everything from the pros and the cons of being a stay-at- home mom or a working mom, and also tell you how you don't overschedule your kids.
ROBERTS: It's overscheduling mom that I think is the problem. You'd know a lot about that.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, actress Holly Robinson Peete about the work she is doing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. That's ahead.
Stay with us.
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O'BRIEN: It's been almost a year since Hurricane Katrina struck. Still so many people in need. Thousands of people, though, have joined the cause, including very recently, some very well-known names like Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner.
Among a group of celebrities who toured the devastation in New Orleans recently, also on that tour, Holly Robinson Peete. She is with us this morning to talk about that trip and another project that's very close to her heart. Holly, nice to see you. Good morning.
HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE, ACTRESS: It's nice to see you, too. Good morning to you.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about that tour. Boy, that's got to be heartbreaking when you're walking through the Ninth Ward and nothing has gotten better.
PEETE: I tell you, you always hear you cannot tell until you actually are in -- physically in a place. But the devastation was so amazing and overwhelming to see nine something months later. So I was blown away. Houses upon cars upon boats and a lot of children still suffering down there.
O'BRIEN: Oh, and I know it's the children and the families who are still suffering that's become a real project for you. I want to talk about Bonita House, which has been a project that you and Chris Rock and his wife Malaak have really embraced and run with the ball on. Tell me a little bit about Bonita House, the shelter there.
PEETE: Well, of course, when we all saw the devastation, us very blessed and privileged people, we all wrote checks and -- but it didn't feel like enough for me. And I was so happy to be introduced to Tyrone Evans (ph), the people at Bonita House of Hope in Houston, Texas, where they took in over 100 displaced Katrina victims.
And the next step was how do we get them on their feet, how do we move them out and start motivating them to start their lives and pick up the pieces of their lives again. So Chris and Malaak introduced myself and my husband Rodney to this family, the Smart family. And they...
O'BRIEN: Tell me about the Smarts, because they sound fantastic.
PEETE: They're amazing. I mean, to go from having been in New Orleans on Monday and seeing sort of a devastation and a sense of hopelessness, the next day to go to Houston, Texas, and see just this glimmer of hope and happiness.
The Smart family is a wonderfully motivated, beautiful family, and they just needed a little lift, a little push, a little help. And we just -- we wanted to be there to help them. They're just an amazing -- they're the kind of people, Soledad, you just want to hang out with. We didn't want to leave all day long. We were with them.
O'BRIEN: And they're -- because now they have a new house, thanks to you guys. I mean, you're hooking them up with this rent bill, and I should mention that Redbook also doing a little renovation, so making their digs look really special. I want you...
PEETE: That's right. And JC Penney actually donated the furniture and Liz Claiborne donated some items.
O'BRIEN: Lots of people stepped up to help out. PEETE: They really did, and it makes such a difference in their lives. I mean, this is -- these people are completely displaced with nothing.
O'BRIEN: Take me on the tour. Take me on the tour. Because I -- master bedroom suite. I heard that they would not even sleep in it before the cameras came.
PEETE: No. They slept on the bed, I think, probably the first night after we left. They were, like, oh, we can get it in now. They slept on the floor before because they didn't want to mess it up. But they have beautiful woven wood blinds and it just is a gorgeous bed. And we were just -- we were so happy for them. And they felt like, you know, they were living again.
O'BRIEN: One of the daughters is Lynette (ph) and she's away. She's in high school. Her room is so girly. It's cute.
PEETE: It is. It's girly and pink and floral. And Lynette is away in high school in New Orleans, finishing up. She hasn't even seen her room yet, so she's going to be blown away when she sees it.
O'BRIEN: A little boy, Rayshawn (ph). He is seven years old.
PEETE: Little Rayshawn. Honey, Rayshawn is a little firecracker. He needs his own sitcom. He is a wonderful little guy and he has a room with a Kobe Bryant theme, who he got to meet, his hero. And he has a sports room. You know, this is just an opportunity for people to have a home again. And even though they really don't get a chance to go home, they're starting again in Houston. And Malaak and Chris and Rodney and I really just wanted to give them a helping hand to get along.
O'BRIEN: As much as the Smarts now have through your generosity -- and many others, too, have a house -- I mean, there's a lot of other people who need help, too. What's the plan? What's the long range plan for all the people who are there, do you think?
PEETE: Well, obviously, we made a teeny tiny little dent to help this one family. But my personal plan is to be involved and make a three to five-year commitment to Tyrone and the Bonita House of Hope, to get more families rolled out and to get them more self-dependent. Just do give them -- my mama always calls them angels along the way, those people that just give you that little extra help when you need it.
But I would just love for people to remember the people that are still in New Orleans, especially the children. You know, it's not front page news anymore. So I really appreciate that CNN is giving me a chance -- I promised some of the women down there that I would give them a voice and a face that they don't have. And so, I think it's just important to remember that there are families and we may lose a generation if we're not careful.
O'BRIEN: Holly Robinson Peete. It's a great mission, it's an important. Thanks for coming on... PEETE: It is.
O'BRIEN: ... to talk to us about it.
PEETE: Thanks for having us.
O'BRIEN: Our pleasure.
ROBERTS: In just a moment, our top stories. Plus our "30, 40, 50" series. Today we're looking at parenting issues for people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. We're going to talk with an acclaimed author and a pediatrician, and they're also going to answer your questions. You can e-mail us. Here it is, am@CNN.com, or you an give us a call at 877-AM6-1300. That's 877-AM6-1300, otherwise known as 877-266- 1300. See you soon.
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