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American Morning
Senators to Question General Michael Hayden; Searching for Hoffa; Extra Jumbo Jet
Aired May 18, 2006 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody.
Happening "In America" this morning, the FBI is looking for clues in the 30-year disappearance of former Teamsters Union leader Jimmy Hoffa, digging at a farm in suburban Detroit after getting a tip.
Spotty thunderstorms forecast for New England. Heavy thunderstorms are expected tomorrow. This as many rivers in parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and Maine remain above the flood stage after days of record rainfall.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Welcome to Thursday morning. Just checking.
S. O'BRIEN: You take a day off in the middle and the whole thing falls apart.
M. O'BRIEN: And the whole thing goes crazy.
Well, it's good to have you with us. I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
The man picked by President Bush to head the CIA is expected to get a grilling today. The Senate Intelligence Committee opens a confirmation hearing three hours from now for Air Force General Michael Hayden.
CNN's Sumi Das joins us live from Washington.
Hey, Sumi. Good morning.
SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, when General Hayden goes before the Senate Intelligence Committee today, he's likely to face rigorous questioning not just about his capability to lead the nation's top spy agency, but also about his past experience as head of the NSA.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAS (voice over): General Michael Hayden heads to Capitol Hill this morning. At stake, whether he becomes the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency. If confirmed, he'll inherit a CIA in the midst of reform, and critics say in need of direction. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to know what his position is on several items that -- on that score, on how he's going to run the CIA. And we've got a great increase in human intelligence, 50 percent more by date certain. I want to know how we pay for it.
DAS: Hayden is described as qualified and bright and has received bipartisan praise. But his previous role as NSA director may cloud his confirmation hearings. On his watch, the NSA began its warrantless domestic wiretap program authorized by the president. The program is under scrutiny once again after allegations that phone companies provided the government with customer records without a court order. Hayden has said all the NSA's activity has been lawful.
Wednesday afternoon, all members of the Senate Intelligence Committee were briefed on the controversial program.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: This new overture to the Senate on one aspect of this administration's overall efforts is a welcome development. I hope this action has more to do with the newfound interest to keep Congress fully informed than about its concerns regarding their nomination of General Hayden.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAS: Questioning during Hayden's confirmation hearing may be heated, but it's not likely to be prolonged. A vote is expected to take place at the end of the day -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Sumi das for us this morning.
Sumi, thanks for the update.
Our coverage of the hearing begins with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" in the morning beginning at 9:25 a.m. Eastern Time. And if you're away from your television, you can catch the hearing live and commercial-free on your desktop computer at cnn.com/pipeline -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: CNN "Security Watch" now.
Indications the Bush administration considering a radical new approach to dealing with North Korea. "The New York Times" reporting the White House is thinking about starting negotiations on a peace treaty while still trying to get North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Pyongyang has long wanted a peace treaty to replace the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War, but it would have to agree to restart disarmament talks.
Growing concerns about Iran's nuclear program may have a lot to do with the possible change in dealing North Korea. Iran's president has brushed off suggestions that it should stop enriching uranium which can be used to make nuclear weapons in exchange for help in developing nuclear power technology. The country's leader repeated claims that Iran has a right under international law to pursue its own nuclear energy policy. Continuing our "Security Watch," more than 100,000 workers at airports across the country will undergo background checks. The Transportation Security Administration announcing new rules to make you and your luggage safer, it is hoped. In addition to expanded background checks, expect to see more bomb-sniffing dogs and hundreds of new air cargo inspectors.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
It's a long way from the meadowlands, but it is a meadow just the same. Could Jimmy Hoffa's remains be buried on a farm near Detroit? Acting on a tip, the FBI has crews digging in Milford, Michigan. It's not far from the restaurant where the former Teamsters boss vanished in 1975.
CNN's David Mattingly is there.
Good morning, David.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, the FBI acting on a credible tip, they say, in a very old case. Jimmy Hoffa disappearing back in July in 1975. Agents at this horse farm outside of Detroit in here in Michigan yesterday appearing with shovels, today searching numerous locations at this farm, they say looking for evidence of a possible crime that may have occurred here back in the day when Jimmy Hoffa disappeared.
According to The Associated Press, this tip has to do with possible suspicious activity that occurred back in the day, a backhoe that was seen near a barn building on this farm that was used by mob figures back in the late '70s. They say after Hoffa disappeared that night, that that barn was no longer ever used again for those types of meetings. So a great deal of intrigue in a case that is now more than 30 years old.
FBI agents already on the scene again this morning. Yesterday, they were here with shovels, along with local police.
The re are going to be multiple sites searched at this location. Of course, a great deal of excitement always stirs up when the name Jimmy Hoffa comes up because it is one of the biggest mysteries still remaining from the late 20th century.
So, Miles, we'll keep you posted if anything comes up here today. This isn't the first time they received credible threats. They had one about a year ago. But again, they're searching, following up on what they say is a credible tip of possible Jimmy Hoffa's remains here at this horse farm.
So we'll see what happens -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: David Mattingly in Milford, Michigan, thank you -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening "In America" this morning, as floodwaters begin to recede in New England, residents start assessing the damage. The financial impact could be in the tens of millions of dollars. Some areas saw up to 17 inch of rain, and forecasters are calling for more storms tomorrow.
The Coast Guard is suspending its search for a 21-year-old Ohio man who was reported missing from a Caribbean cruise ship. We brought you this story yesterday. Investigators now say a shipboard camera showed Daniel Dipiero (ph) falling overboard near the ship's bow. He apparently had spent the night drinking with his friends.
A problem with the emergency slide led to an emergency landing for a United Airlines plane in Portland. At least one passenger said they saw the slide pop out over the wing while the plane was still in flight. The airline says it deployed after landing.
A follow-up to a story we brought you a few weeks ago. Remember this story, the city council in Black Jack, Missouri, pulling the welcome mat away from an unwed couple and their kids, voted to uphold a law that allows only married couples and their children to live in single family homes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it sucks. I think this city sucks. And I'm just about ready to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I really thought that this would all be over for us and that we could just, you know, go on with our lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Obviously very upset. You'll remember we talked to them. They said they wanted to stay originally. Well, despite the vote, Olivia Shelltrack and Fondrey Loving, who have three children, say they are not going to walk down the aisle just so they can all live in the same house together.
And take a look at this. It's called the Super Bowl of Swine. Two hundred and fifty teams begin competing today in the barbecue world championship. It might be called the Super Bowl of barbecue. That would be nicer.
The teams...
M. O'BRIEN: Maybe get the P.R. to work on that. The Super Bowl of Swine.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I wouldn't call it that.
M. O'BRIEN: Yummy.
S. O'BRIEN: Twenty-two states, Costa Rica -- 22 states and Costa Rica competing in three categories, ribs and pork and shoulder -- oh, and whole hog, too.
M. O'BRIEN: Of course.
S. O'BRIEN: They serve up 88 tons of pork over the next three days.
The Super Bowl of Swine. That's a nasty name.
M. O'BRIEN: Nasty name.
S. O'BRIEN: That doesn't work. It's, barbecue, yum.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Yummy.
Rob Marciano is in the whether center today. He's no air hog. We know that. Right?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Easy now. You know, in the news business, Miles and Soledad...
M. O'BRIEN: Yes?
MARCIANO: ... we're as guilty as anyone of bad alliteration. So I understand why they want the Super Bowl of Swine, the two S's there.
M. O'BRIEN: So, in other words, we're just jealous that we didn't come up with it.
MARCIANO: Wild weather, wicked wind, surprise storm, all those things.
S. O'BRIEN: You know what? Any story about food, swine should not be in there, just as a P.R. thing. Swine? Do you want to eat swine?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. So is it wicked weather in New England?
MARCIANO: It could be. Thank you for that transition.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Miles, back to you.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, Rob Marciano.
The behemoth of the skies. The world's biggest jumbo jet, double-decker, 800 passengers -- will you get your luggage? Airbus A380 is set to land at Heathrow in less than two hours. Officials there just want to see if it will fit because it's just so darn big.
CNN's Richard Quest is live at Heathrow Airport this morning.
Richard, there's no passengers on this plane, right? This is just a test to see if it can taxi and do all the stuff you need to do at an airport, right?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Miles you know as well as anyone -- in fact, better than most -- that these planes are full of computers, they've got big barrels of (INAUDIBLE) in which they can move the center of gravity around. And what the plane is doing now is it's got to visit all the major airports that have had massive renovations to accommodate.
This bird is huge. To give you some idea, this is where it's going to be parking here this morning at Heathrow Airport.
They built this area of the airport especially to accommodate the A380. It's got more jetways, it's got bigger spaces. And the idea is, they are going to test, can they get 500, 600, 700 people on? Will (INAUDIBLE)? And most crucially, Miles, when that big bird taxis around a busy airport like Heathrow, will it fit?
M. O'BRIEN: Our apologies to you from a wind-swept Heathrow Airport. We'll get Richard to protect his microphone a little better and we'll get him back a little later as we track the arrival...
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: ... of the A380.
S. O'BRIEN: See how it landed.
M. O'BRIEN: Do you want to fly in that thing, double-decker, 800 people? Does that sound like fun?
S. O'BRIEN: No.
M. O'BRIEN: No. OK. I'm just curious what you thought.
S. O'BRIEN: It sounds like -- can you imagine how long you wait for -- even small planes, you wait for, what, an hour sometimes for your luggage?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes indeed.
S. O'BRIEN: It's crazy.
Still to come this morning, the legal battle is far from over for Enron founder Ken Lay. He's awaiting a verdict in one trial. Another trial is starting up.
Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" just ahead this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: The stars were out for the Cannes premier of "Da Vinci Code". It's not the only movie getting buzz there, but it's bad buzz for "Da Vinci Code," isn't it? We'll take you to Cannes in just a moment because we can.
S. O'BRIEN: And do you know if you slept more you could be skinnier?
M. O'BRIEN: Really?
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, that is what the research says.
M. O'BRIEN: No wonder I've got problems.
S. O'BRIEN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- yes, trying to lose that five pounds, you've got to get a new gig.
M. O'BRIEN: Can't get rid of it.
S. O'BRIEN: Sanjay Gupta joins us with a look just ahead.
First, though, some of the other stories that are making news on this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: "Da Vinci Code" opens in America tomorrow. Well, last night at the Cannes Film Festival, the stars shrugged off those bad reviews and walked the red carpet. Then they held a lavish after- party.
CNN's Brooke Anderson was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The 59th Cannes Film Festival is now officially under way. After months of anticipation, the world premier of "The Da Vinci Code" formally ushered in the festivities.
Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, Audrey Tautou, the whole gang made the traditional walk down the red carpet and then up the steps at the famed Palais, which is right behind me. After the long-awaited premier, the cast and crew celebrated the film at an after-party. The gala took place in a special pyramid meant, of course, to resemble the Louvre.
"The Da Vinci Code" will open worldwide this weekend amidst controversy from religious leaders around the world and harsh reviews from film critics.
OK. Some other films which will be presented throughout the course of the festival include "X-Men: The Last Stand". Also, "Marie Antoinette," from director Sophia Coppola, and the animated adventure "Over the Hedge."
Reporting from Cannes, France, I'm Brooke Anderson.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Brooke.
M. O'BRIEN: It looks like Brooke's getting plenty of sleep. She looks good. You know what I mean?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. She looks great.
M. O'BRIEN: The sleep-wake thing.
S. O'BRIEN: She sleeps in the morning and then stays up at night.
ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE": It looks like she's having fun.
M. O'BRIEN: You would think -- you would think if you wanted to lose weight, what would you do? Go run or something, right? No, go turn in, get some sleep.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to explain that.
Oh, but Andy's here to give us a little preview first.
SERWER: I am.
M. O'BRIEN: How are you?
SERWER: Some business news, you guys.
Enron's Ken Lay begins another trial in Houston.
Plus, fireworks at Halliburton's annual meeting. Who got busted and why?
Stay tuned to AMERICAN MORNING coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: It goes to the jury now. A 16-week trial.
SERWER: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Gosh, it felt that way.
M. O'BRIEN: It flew by.
S. O'BRIEN: No. No, not really.
SERWER: Month after month after month.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: We're talking about the Enron trial here, folks. The jury began deliberating yesterday in Houston, eight women and four men. They resume again today. Twenty-eight charges for Mr. Skilling and six fore Mr. Lay.
Now, the real interesting point, though, going on is that there is another trial today before Judge Sim Lake, who is the same judge presiding over the Enron trial. And this is a trial involving Ken Lay, involving bank fraud, where he faces four charges there, $75 million that he borrowed from banks, and he wasn't supposed to use this money to buy stock on margin. And he's accused of doing that, and he is accused, therefore, of violating bank covenants.
Interesting. This should last two to three days. The judge is presiding over it. No jury. He will give the verdict after the verdict in the Enron trial. And interestingly, Lay could face more prison time with these charges, 30 years for each count. So he could be in more hot water on this one than in the Enron trial.
M. O'BRIEN: This is kind of a sleeper. I know people have been watching closely, but all of a sudden...
SERWER: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: ... this comes out of left field for a lot of us who haven't been watching it as closely.
SERWER: Right.
M. O'BRIEN: Was this always going to happen in this series of events, this timing? Did they wait until this moment?
SERWER: Yes, they did.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
SERWER: They decided that they were going to do this. But it's interesting. I mean, while the jury's deliberating, Sim Lake and the rest of these people are involved in another trial in the same courthouse. So...
M. O'BRIEN: Really?
SERWER: Yes. It's just -- it's just -- and there's no jury. It's going to be very...
M. O'BRIEN: No jury. It will just be the judge.
SERWER: The judge, and he's going to make this decision after...
M. O'BRIEN: Interesting.
SERWER: ... the jury gives the verdict in the Enron trial. It really sounds like this is a very difficult situation for Mr. Lay. I mean, the chances of getting off in both trials seems to be difficult.
M. O'BRIEN: And Skilling faces similar charges?
SERWER: That's correct.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: Now, let's talk about another Houston company, Halliburton. Remember we told you a couple days ago it was decided to have its annual meeting in Duncan, Oklahoma. That's about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City. Some said to avoid protesters.
Soledad said the protesters are going to show up anyway, and she was right. A hundred of them showed up.
S. O'BRIEN: It's not like it's in Timbuktu. It's just in Oklahoma. You can get there.
SERWER: Not too far. I mean, you can get yourself in a car and drive up.
S. O'BRIEN: if you're a dedicated protester.
SERWER: Some of them wearing Dick Cheney masks. Some of them said, "Shame on you."
Sixteen were arrested for trespassing. Actually, 15 for trespassing, one for tearing down a plastic fence. And people were lining up boots of soldiers who died in Oklahoma. Then there was a counter-protest. And so there you have it.
M. O'BRIEN: The next time, try Fiji.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Good place to be, hard to get to.
SERWER: And the board would like that, too.
M. O'BRIEN: There you go.
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly.
SERWER: Executives, right?
S. O'BRIEN: It's a win-win on that side.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, Andy Serwer.
SERWER: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: We'll see you in just a little bit.
Coming up in the program, does losing sleep keep you from losing weight? Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at that in his weeklong series on sleep which is just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Sleep less, gain more. Our "Sleepless in America" series continues today with a look at the surprising link between Zs and LBs. Our svelte medical maven, D. Sanjay Gupta, is once again sleeping on the job.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Bill Ten Eyck has always battled the bulge. He says since his 40s. He suffered three heart attacks and watched the numbers on a scale go up and down like a yo-yo.
His cardiologists couldn't figure out why his weight was fluctuating, so he suggested that Ten Eyck see a sleep specialist.
BILL TEN EYCK, SLEEP APNEA PATIENT: I made the assumption that my fatigue and my inability to do things was because my heart was just failing.
GUPTA: Ten Eyck was diagnosed with sleep apnea. His tests found that some evenings he stopped breathing 33 times in one hour. He wasn't getting rest. And that wasn't helping his weight.
Not only does a lack of sleep zap your energy, but studies have found that sleep-deprived people just seem to eat more. Doctors say chaotic sleeping patterns tend to develop chaotic eating habits. And that can mess up your metabolism and cause to you burn fewer calories.
Researchers have also found that people who got four hours of sleep or less a night saw a rise in the hormone ghrelin that stimulates the appetite and causes people to eat.
DR. THOMAS LORUSSO, NORTHERN VIRGINIA SLEEP DIAGNOSTIC CENTER: They got these patients to sleep better using various sleep hygiene techniques. And when they repeated the levels of these hormones, they found that the level diminished significantly.
GUPTA: Today, Ten Eyck is working on keeping the pounds off. He uses a CPAP device to help regulate his breathing. It blows air through his nose and keeps his airways open. He says it's been a lifesaver, because for once in his life, he's getting a good night's sleep.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING, imagine waking up in the morning but you can't move or speak. You're paralyzed in sleep. One in four Americans have experienced this terrible feeling.
You're nodding your head. Have you?
S. O'BRIEN: I've had this. It's horrible.
M. O'BRIEN: You have not. Really?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, well...
M. O'BRIEN: You cannot...
S. O'BRIEN: ... at that moment in between when you're awake and you're asleep and you can't move.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: It's very scary.
M. O'BRIEN: When you say a moment, a second?
S. O'BRIEN: Probably it lasts a second. But it feels like 30.
M. O'BRIEN: Very interesting.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, it's really scary. You cannot -- and you can't move your mouth, you can't talk, you can't do anything.
M. O'BRIEN: Really?
S. O'BRIEN: It's scary.
(CROSSTALK)
M. O'BRIEN: Rob Marciano, has this ever happened to you? Twenty-five percent.
S. O'BRIEN: One in four Americans.
M. O'BRIEN: Are you one of the one in four, Rob?
MARCIANO: You caught me asleep at the wheel. I didn't realize...
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO: I'm not even going to lie to you. I'm not even going to...
M. O'BRIEN: Speaking of paralysis.
S. O'BRIEN: He is paralyzed -- he is paralyzed by sleep live on TV.
MARCIANO: Oh, you guys were talking about -- oh, OK.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes.
MARCIANO: Sorry about that, guys.
S. O'BRIEN: That's all right. We love you, man.
M. O'BRIEN: It's good to see you, though, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right. Good morning. Chad will be back on Monday.
M. O'BRIEN: Thanks for coming. Drive safely.
MARCIANO: There you go.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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