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American Morning

Admiral Thad Allen Appointed Head of Coast Guard; MySpace.com Promotes Gore's Global Warming Documentary; New Orleans Aquarium Reopens Tomorrow

Aired May 25, 2006 - 08:30   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us this morning.

(NEWSBREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush picked him to lead relief and recovery efforts. Now he's the new top man at the Coast Guard as it prepares for the new hurricane season. Deals with the nation's port security and much more. Coast Guard, soon to be Commandant, Admiral Thad Allen joins from Fort McNair in Washington. Good morning to you, sir. Congratulations, first and foremost.

ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN, U.S. COAST GUARD: Thank you, Soledad. Good morning.

S. O'BRIEN: Let me ask you a couple of questions about what you've come into the job with, agenda-wise. Do you have some things on your list that you want to accomplish in your four, maybe more, years as commandant?

ALLEN: I do, Soledad. Number one is mission execution. The Coast Guard's had a very good year. I think we've shown the American public the value we bring. I think it's my responsibility to sustain that level of performance and really focus on how we do our missions and making sure that we can sustain that. I would have to add, though, that I'm relieving a remarkable individual in Admiral Collins, who led the Coast Guard through one of its great times in our history with the performance we've achieved to date.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, certainly, I think it's fair to say that the Coast Guard was one of the few branches that roundly was widely praised for the reaction during Hurricane Katrina, in part because they could react so quickly and just go in and rescue people, which is really what the situation required. What lessons learned? I mean, what does everybody else need to learn from that response?

ALLEN: Well, Soledad, over 200 years of Coast Guard history have demonstrated that if we give our operational commanders the right resources and the authority to act, and they know that they have the authority to do that, when they get disjointed or disconnected from the chain of command, they do the right thing. And as you witnessed in New Orleans with our helicopter pilots and our rescue swimmers, they didn't need to be prompted nor did they have to have exact communications up the chain to do the right thing. That's the kind of leadership and on-scene initiative that we try to engender in the Coast Guard.

S. O'BRIEN: You lost some resources during Hurricane Katrina. Are you in a position now -- have you gotten them back? How have you fixed things as the new hurricane season approaches?

ALLEN: Well, Soledad, we've been involved extensively with FEMA inside the Department of Homeland Security to make sure that we're completely prepared for this hurricane season. I can tell you that our relationship with FEMA has never been closer, and the real value of having us both in the same department is really going to prove itself in this next hurricane season. We have predesignated principle federal officials from the Coast Guard and field coordinating officers from FEMA that have been doing joint planning and exercises for the last few weeks. And I've been personally involved in that. I can tell you, we are really leaning forward.

S. O'BRIEN: Let me ask you a couple of questions, one about immigration first. Obviously, if there's a fence that's put up, there are many people who say, well, then people are going to try to cross into the border, north and south borders, into the U.S. by water. What are you putting into place to -- I would assume that means your resources on your part, too?

ALLEN: Well, Soledad, you know, border security is border security, whether it's land, water or air. And we fully support the current initiative on the southwest border and we do know that we have maritime bookends to this nation. We are planning for the eventuality that if migration shifts to sea, that we'll be there to do that. And that's part of the planning within the entire strategy inside the department. So it's a focused strategy that takes into account not only the land border but the maritime border, too.

S. O'BRIEN: There's a report that the Coast Guard has been giving a heads up to some of the commercial vessels before it does security checks. And there are plenty of people, as you well know, who'd say, well, what's the point of a surprise boarding and checking if you're tipping them off in the first place? Are you going to continue that practice?

ALLEN: Soledad, let me put that in context. We do a lot of boardings in and around ports, and some of them are surprise boardings and some of them are with notice. The last thing you want to do is try and board a 700-foot vessel in a 200-foot channel when they're trying to moor.

If we have advanced notice of arrival and there's paperwork that needs to be checked, we're better off directing them to a safe anchorage, where it's safer for the ship, the port and the environment, to conduct our boarding there. However, if we think there's cause to do a no notice boarding, we will do that. We will do it armed, and we'll take the appropriate action. It's kind of unique to the circumstances in the port. You can't really predict which way you're going to do that. That's the reason the authority rests at the captain to port level to make those decisions. But we do not routinely give advanced notice. But where it's indicated for safety reasons, we do have them go to an anchorage so we can make a safe boarding.

S. O'BRIEN: Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen joining us this morning. Coast Guard commandant at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, is when the ceremony takes place. Nice to see you, sir. Congratulations again. Thanks for talking with us.

ALLEN: Thank you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: Al Gore is out with a global warming epic that is leading some to some epic rumors about his political aspirations. That movie is now releasing. It's called "An Inconvenient Truth." Some of this hype about this documentary is being fueled by the Internet juggernaut, the wildly popular and quite controversial myspace.com.

Jeff Berman, senior vice president of public affairs for MySpace, joining us now. Jeff, how did you get hooked up with Al Gore, why?

JEFF BERMAN, SPOKESMAN, MYSPACE.COM: Well, you know, Miles, the MySpace community, like pretty much any community, cares about a wide range of issues. And when you look at causes and issues that are facing the world in the coming years, we're not sure there's a much bigger looming crisis than this global warming. So we saw this as a tremendous opportunity to get the word out, create a forum for conversation, give people an opportunity to get the facts and also express themselves, and if they choose to, to take action.

M. O'BRIEN: Are you making money on this deal?

BERMAN: Oh no. We're contributing to this pro bono, for free. I mean, the thing here is that MySpace is really a place where people are socially conscious and are looking to not only learn about what's happening, but talk about it. And you go on our groups and you look at the entities that the organizations that are talking about things that are happening in the world -- Save Darfur. There's a group of musicians who have banded together to work with the Red Cross to address a critical blood shortage in one part of the country. There's another group of people who are working together to rebuild a Boys and Girls Club that was destroyed by Katrina.

All this stuff is happening organically on MySpace. And the promotion for "An Inconvenient Truth," again, is just an opportunity for people to get the facts, learn what they can do to make a difference and hopefully make some positive social change.

M. O'BRIEN: Your corporate parent is News Corps, Rupert Murdoch's empire. It's kind of interesting that he, who is associated with conservative philosophies politically, might unwittingly be helping out Al Gore.

BERMAN: Well, you know, MySpace is really an entity unto itself. I mean, obviously, we're part of the family, just as 20th Century Fox is, just as Fox TV and "The Simpsons" are. So there's room for a lot of things to happen within that family. And we're really excited about what's happening here and the things that are happening organically on MySpace, that the members are doing themselves. They talk about what's happening in the world, and to engage in positive social change.

The really cool thing about MySpace to me is that I think if Tom Paine were around today, he'd be there. But there's space there for Tom Sawyer and Tom Cruise and every other Tom. And, frankly, they can engage with each other if they choose to engage with each other, or they can create their own community and do what they want there. So it's a customized experience, which is a pretty neat thing.

M. O'BRIEN: Of course a lot of parents are concerned about all the Tom, Dicks and Harrys out there that might be predators to their children. I've been looking at MySpace quite a bit in recent weeks as all of the concern about it has come to light. And you have some guidelines and rules that you suggest that people follow. And one of them is, don't mislead people into thinking that you're older or younger, and clearly that kind of thing does happen and has led to trouble. What kind of advice you can offer up to parents who are really worried about MySpace and the implications of their kids putting personal kind of information out there?

BERMAN: Well, you know, Miles, MySpace has been focused on safety and security from day one. As we've grown from 1,000, To 100,000, to a million to tens of millions, the challenges have grown as well and we're really committed to meeting those challenges head- on. We've partnered with some pretty impressive organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, whose incredible executive director, Ernie Allen, you guys just had on a few minutes ago. We're working with law enforcement. We've actually just hired a chief security officer who's got a career's experience as a local and federal prosecutor in Internet safety. And,

Frankly, we're working closely with educators, and parents, and civic and safety groups to make sure that the word gets out that really online safety is the same as offline safety: If you apply common sense and you apply the basic safety lessons that work in the offline world, the online world is a pretty safe place to be.

M. O'BRIEN: In three years you've gone from nothing to 73 million users, I think a quarter-million a day signed up. How can you possibly police that, and quite frankly, how much of the policing responsibility is yours?

BERMAN: Well, we take our responsibility here very seriously, and we take, frankly, a three-pronged approach to it. Its about people, its about partnerships and its about technology. We devote a substantial amount of our employees to the safety and security issues. We're partnering with the right organizations to make sure that we're doing the right things, and we're looking for the newest and best technology that scales globally, and works to protect our community as best possible.

Ultimately, we're doing everything we can to provide a safe and well-lit community for our members, and we take that responsibility seriously. It's also important for our members to take responsibility to apply those offline lessons in their online experience.

M. O'BRIEN: Jeff Berman is the spokesman for MySpace, thanks for being with us.

BERMAN: Thanks, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Soledad?

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, good morning, it's all you. Not only first. It's all you today on the Pipeline.

M. O'BRIEN: It's Miles-cam day on Pipeline.

S. O'BRIEN: I got to help out last week.

M. O'BRIEN: And Soledad had a cameo. And maybe if I'm nice today, you'll drop by? No. No, apparently not.

S. O'BRIEN: Sure, Miles. Anything for you.

M. O'BRIEN: If you have any questions about our program -- and I can corral her if need be -- AM@CNN.com is the e-mail address. The location to hear the answers is on the pipeline product, which I invite to you check out. It is really a fantastic service and something you have not seen before. It allows you to be your own TV news producer. CNN.com/pipeline 10:30 Eastern. The Miles-cam will be spooled up, maybe a cameo with Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: That's a big maybe.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, CNN's Sean Callebs kind of fishing around New Orleans this morning.

Hey, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I like that, fishing around.

OK, the aquarium opens tomorrow. We're actually bringing in last-minute exhibits. We've got lookdowns (ph), some tiny fish, and some red groupers. Lance and Farris (ph) are getting ready to load them into the tank as they begin their new life. That's coming up when AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Here's a march of the penguins for you, new version, 19 African black-footed penguins have made the 2,200-mile trip to New Orleans this week. They didn't have to march. I think they got a ride on a plane. But they've been in Monterey, not a bad place to be. That's Monterey, California, ever since Hurricane Katrina devastated their home, which is the Aquarium of the Americas.

Well, guess what? Home sweet home is finally reopened, and Sean Callebs is swimming with the fishes this morning.

Hello, Sean. Are you having fun today? This is a fun assignment.

CALLEBS: This is a fun assignment, and it's educational, educational.

M. O'BRIEN: I already learned about the turtles and the tarpon (ph) and all of that stuff. That was good.

CALLEBS: We're going to talk about Patience -- that is the matriarch of the penguins -- in just a bit. And next hour, you and Soledad will want to watch. I'm going to get actually in there with them, and apparently Patience loves to be held. So that will be neat.

I want to take you. OK, look first through here. And you kind of see, this is a dank kind of area, but if you dissolve to the camera we have downstairs, that is just another view of the same tank.

Up here is where they feed them, where they nurse them back to health. Like you saw those fish just being dropped in -- those lookdowns and the red grouper and in here. They're in a quarantined area to make sure that they don't bring any bacteria, anything harmful, but look at this guy.

This is really -- this is tragic, I've got to be honest with you. This is a loggerhead turtle that someone had in his hot tub, and people found out about it. They brought it here. So it's rehabbing. The loggerhead is missing his right rear flipper and a chunk of his shell. They suspect he got clipped by a power boat, which is certainly not good news.

This thing we're going to enlighten you on a little bit later on in the day, too. This is how they feed these little animals. They bring some fish out, whatever, come over right here to the edge, lower it in. We can't feed them right now, it's not time to eat, but they do sense what is going on and they love to eat just like anybody else.

And they're not going to feed them very much today because the exhibit opens tomorrow. And if they would put a bunch of fish in -- sharks eat fish in aggressive fashion. They would cloud the water up, and certainly no one wants to do that.

Miles, I got to tell you, just briefly, how important this aquarium is to this city. You know, you have the French Quarter, you have gambling and whatever for the adults. But this is one of the key attractions for families. And every year, about a million people come through the aquarium here, so they're excited to have it back up and running.

You saw the pictures, what this place was like in the days, weeks, months after the hurricane. They have worked so hard to get this place up and ready. The doors open tomorrow. It's really something, the amount of work they have done.

So a little later on, we're going to take you to those penguins, jump in the cage with them, see what they do. Apparently they're somewhat aggressive. So I'll wear, you know, the appropriate attire so I don't get attacked by penguins. Last thing we want, right, Miles?

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Well, bundle up and we'll check that out. Do you wear a tuxedo when you go into the penguin pen? Is that appropriate? What is the appropriate attire?

CALLEBS: I just have to go in like this when I go in.

M. O'BRIEN: Excellent, very good. Sean.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, the two of you, enough already!

M. O'BRIEN: Got Sean Callebs to waddle on national television. Thank you, Sean. We'll see you in a bit.

Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: We got some breaking news into CNN. Amtrak apparently having some kind of problem with power. It is disrupting service between Washington D.C. and New York. We're getting this word from a CNN producer who's had to disembark from the train. We're going to get him on the line in just a moment, find out some of the details. But what we know right now is that, because of a power problem, Amtrak service between Washington D.C. and New York apparently has been disrupted. We'll bring you more on this in just a moment.

Short break. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. A clarification now on a story we were just reporting, a power outage apparently on Amtrak lines. We had mentioned D.C. to New York. It looks like, in fact, that it's New York heading northward, is where the power outage is.

Let's get to our producer, Chris Morris. He is at Metro Park in New Jersey, where I guess they asked you to get off the train. Chris, what are the conductors telling you at this point?

CHRIS MORRIS, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Soledad, about 7:50 or so is when I boarded the train this morning, and they never closed the doors. They announced that there are power outages overhead, affecting all of the Amtrak lines and those extended up to Boston.

S. O'BRIEN: So when you -- so it clearly wasn't just your train? It was every single train that was at Metro Park had the doors open and no one was moving? Is that what you're saying? A widespread power outage?

MORRIS: Widespread power outage. Pretty much all trains on the northeast corridor line heading into New York right now, at least from the Metro Park area, which is about halfway between Newark and Princeton in New Jersey, are out. I spoke with one of our other employees with CNNmoney.com, and they are trapped, actually, in the tunnel going into the city, about 100 yards or so from Penn Station, New York.

S. O'BRIEN: When you say you've had a chance to talk to him, he's in the tunnel and you talked by cell phone? What did he have say, the other producer?

MORRIS: Actually -- yes, through Blackberry mainly. They're not getting a lot of information there. And because the power lines are out, the air conditioning and lights are not working, either. They're in emergency lighting. So it's getting pretty warm in the trains right now.

S. O'BRIEN: And so did he have the same situation, the other producer, 7:50, everything just sort of stopped and they've been in a tunnel since 7:50 this morning, more than an hour? Is that what you're saying?

MORRIS: Yes, she was actually coming in from a different part of the state, but she also sent me a note and she's been stranded since about 8:15 or so -- is when I got her note. So for at least the last 45 minutes to an hour, she has been stuck there in the tunnel.

S. O'BRIEN: We should mention that at this point, Amtrak is not confirming the story. Give me a sense of what's going on at Metro Park. A lot of people use Metro Park, as you well know. Are people milling around, are people worried, are they just trying to make other alternate plans to get out of there?

MORRIS: I think, yes, frustrated is probably a better term. The doors never close, so people are able to get on and off the train and walk. And some are just sitting on the train because it's a little less crowded and it's a little more comfortable to just sit down. But a lot of people are milling about the platform and some walking down to buses. They're trying to find ways to get to the Newark station, where they can take the PATH train, which runs a different power system to get into the city that way.

S. O'BRIEN: Right, that would sort of take them around the problem. Are you getting good information from the conductors and Amtrak folks about what the problem is, or are you sort of just gleaning this information as you report from the scene?

MORRIS: No, basically the conductors on the New Jersey transit have been very good in keeping us up-to-date with what's going on. They give updates every few minutes, which is basically -- they don't have any updates, but at least they're talking to people, which is kind of nice, as opposed to sitting in the dark, both literally and figuratively.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, the old "update with no update" is always frustrating for folks. Chris Morris, we're going to continue to follow the story. Obviously, Chris is a CNN producer. And as we mentioned, he's at Metro Park, New Jersey, where he is reporting a widespread power outage, at least according to the conductors, who are telling him as he tries to make his way into New York today. Chris, thanks. We'll get you back on the line in just a little bit when we have more information.

In a moment, we're going to take a look at our top stories, including President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, meeting to today discuss Iraq and the Senate getting ready to pass a new immigration bill.

A report that the NSA wiretapping leak investigation is now focusing on members of Congress.

And the sniper trial gets under way at this hour in Maryland.

Plus the search for Jimmy Hoffa's remains getting down and dirty. Investigators are digging up a barn's concrete foundation. We'll talk to a local official about what's happening there.

Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

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