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American Morning
Raid in Sadr City; Americans in Paris; Teen Driving Report; Texas Governor's Race; Talk Radio Outreach
Aired October 25, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Wednesday, October 25. I'm Miles O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
Our top story begins right at the wall this morning, when are American troops coming home? The president says he wants to do it on the heels of victory, not defeat.
M. O'BRIEN: To the news wall we go, some other stories we're following this morning.
More on the Mark Foley page scandal today, another key aide to House Speaker Dennis Hastert slated to testify before the House Ethics Committee today. Hastert himself testified yesterday.
Look for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates right where they are today. That's what the experts are predicting at least. The announcement to come this afternoon.
S. O'BRIEN: The fight over same-sex marriage now shifts to New Jersey today, the state supreme court is going to rule whether gay couples can marry in a case that's been brought by seven gay couples.
And Paul has been downgraded to a tropical storm. Streets, though, in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico are flooded, schools are closed, shelters have reopened.
Chad Myers at the CNN Weather Center for us this morning, he's watching that storm and a snowstorm in Colorado.
Hey, -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A couple of them. Yes, I don't think I've ever talked about a tropical storm and a blizzard at the same time.
Good morning, Soledad.
Good morning, Miles.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: I'll take that one, Chad, how about it?
MYERS: Soledad. S. O'BRIEN: Thank you, -- Chad.
MYERS: Sure.
S. O'BRIEN: Iraqi leaders are setting out specific benchmarks. They're trying to stabilize that country. And those benchmarks include stopping sectarian violence, convincing the Sunni insurgents to lay down their arms and also helping Iraqi leaders complete what they're calling a national compact. The Pentagon now says that in as little as 12 months Iraqi forces could be able to handle their security without American help.
CNN's Arwa Damon live for us in Baghdad this morning.
Arwa, good morning.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
And we heard all of that laid out in a press conference yesterday with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and the top U.S. commander here on the ground, General Casey. Essentially what they are saying is that the Iraqi government has agreed to a timeline, to a series of benchmarks, but they did not say exactly when these benchmarks have to be accomplished by.
These are things such as influencing politicians and clergy, urging them to try to stop the militias, to rein them in to stop sectarian violence. Things such as engaging Sunni insurgents to convince them to lay down their weapons and join the political process, also a national compact to deal mainly with preventing the sectarian divide that we are seeing within the government and also to come to an agreement to share the country's national resources.
But, Soledad, it's important to point out that this is not new. In fact, these specific benchmarks, these same goals were laid out by the Iraqi government, by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during his national reconciliation plan that he announced in June.
The question that really remains is what is the government going to do now, as opposed to what it was doing in June, to actually achieve these benchmarks? And what happens if they are not able to -- Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: So is it realistic at all to think that within that timeframe we heard in that press conference yesterday, 12 months to 18 months, that they can achieve these benchmarks? And what will potentially happen if they don't make them?
DAMON: Well that's the main question, what does happen if they don't achieve these benchmarks? And then the timeline that we heard announced yesterday, this 12 to 18 months, was also referring to the Iraqi security forces' capability to take over securing the country. But we have heard in the past, over the last three years, statements being made about the Iraqi security forces' capability.
The important thing to note, too, is that a lot of times when we're seeing areas handed over to the Iraqi security forces, oftentimes they are not able to maintain that level of security. And again, as you just mentioned, the main question is what happens, what is the government going to do if it is unable to achieve these benchmarks politically and has to take military action -- Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Arwa Damon for us in Baghdad this morning.
Arwa, thanks.
And there's no sign of a missing American soldier this morning, as well. U.S. forces are searching downtown Baghdad again today. They are setting up checkpoints. They are going house to house. The missing man is an Iraqi-American. The Army thinks he may have been kidnapped while he was visiting his relatives on Monday. They have been told that masked men took him from a home in Baghdad. They did not say whether the kidnappers are demanding any ransom -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: As the violence continues unabated in Iraq, the Bush administration is in the midst of a semantics struggle. That 'stay the course' slogan is now gone, a political casualty of the war at a time when many Americans would like to see U.S. troops out of Iraq.
Here's CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What's the political dirty word on Iraq these days, apparently not timetable.
ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: Success in Iraq is possible and can be achieved on a realistic timetable.
TODD: The ambassador's boss hasn't been an admirer of the word, at least as it applied to U.S. troop withdrawals.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The debate in Washington is whether or not we set an artificial timetable for withdrawal is what it's about in Washington, D.C. And the answer is absolutely not.
TODD: That was three months ago. Since then, hundreds of Iraqi civilian deaths, the fifth highest monthly death toll among U.S. servicemen, and plummeting poll numbers on Iraq have moved the president more drastically away from another phrase. Over the summer it was...
BUSH: We will 'stay the course.' We will win in Iraq so long as we 'stay the course.'
TODD: But just two weeks ago, it began to shift.
BUSH: The characterization of, you know, 'stay the course' is -- it's about a quarter right.
TODD: This week, the president's press secretary nudged it even further away.
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: But what you have is not 'stay the course' but in fact a study in constant motion by the administration and by the Iraqi government.
TODD: Analysts say this is a classic political tactic when a leader is aiming for a dramatic shift in policy and needs to test it with the public.
JOHN SIDES, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: What they would like to avoid is the president making a direct statement that appears to be the exact opposite of something he said a month ago. And so one way to avoid that is to have the president say subtler things and then to let statements that are a little bit more direct come from people like Khalilzad and Tony Snow who are surrogates of the president.
TODD: But even that's politically treacherous analysts say after calls from prominent Democrats for phased withdrawals from Iraq were consistently met with this.
BUSH: They say date certain is when to get out before the job is done, that is cut and run.
Their policy is pretty clear to me, it's cut and run.
TODD (on camera): Analysts say we could see this delicate balancing act all the way up to the mid-term election and beyond, but they say this shift in the language may not be enough to shift large numbers of voters away from their positions on the biggest issue in this election by far.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: And speaking of the mid-term elections, we're now 13 days away. We've been watching over the last several weeks several campaigns for you up close. Today, the campaign for governor in Texas, and that one is anything but dull. It's, in large part, thanks to a candidate whose name is Kinky. Entertainer Kinky Friedman's unlikely bid to run the state has made this one of the country's most closely watched races.
AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken is live for us in San Antonio, Texas, this morning.
Good morning, -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Soledad, we have the CNN Election Express here in San Antonio, Texas, that is where we have a governor's race that can best be described as personality driven.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Musician, satirical writer, comedian Kinky Friedman has gotten a huge amount of attention with what he calls his 'why the hell not' campaign. But he's under 10 percent in most polls, fourth, way behind the leader.
KINKY FRIEDMAN (I), TEXAS GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: You know I've always had a good opinion of Rick Perry and I think he's always had a bad opinion of me, and perhaps we've both been mistaken.
FRANKEN: That would be Governor Rick Perry who is about as opposite a personality from Friedman as you might find.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: And Texans understand that anger is not an agenda for the future.
FRANKEN: Why would he be angry, he's leading, but with under 40 percent of these polls, and that's because this is one crowded race.
At 20 percent, Democrat Chris Bell, the former congressman who filed the first ethics complaint against Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay, now former Congressman DeLay. In the only debate of this campaign, he made sure that Democrats did not forget.
CHRIS BELL (D), TEXAS GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: When I was a member of the United States Congress, I stood up to Tom DeLay because it was the right thing to do and because it was important for our future.
FRANKEN: And then there's grandma in third place.
CAROL KEETON STRAYHORN (I), TEXAS GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
FRANKEN: Carol Keeton Strayhorn is the state controller. She's running as one-tough grandma and as a Republican turned Independent.
STRAYHORN: We've got to set aside partisan politics, listen to the people and do what's right.
FRANKEN: President Bush is expected to appear at a rally for Governor Perry, even though some worry that Perry's biggest threat is dissatisfaction with Republicans. There's also talk of former President Clinton coming to Texas for the Democrat Bell.
As for Kinky Friedman, Jesse Ventura is a big supporter, the professional wrestler who became one-term Minnesota governor, with every indication that Kinky will remain a no-term governor.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Well, as you know, Soledad, in a political race it is so often true that character is a big issue and this one is characters -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, it is.
Bob Franken for us this morning.
Thanks, Bob.
And lots of candidates who are running for Congress aren't anxious to campaign with President Bush this year. One group was happy, though, to visit the White House yesterday, talk radio hosts.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has our report this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well it's really a transparent attempt by the White House to try to rally its Republican base two weeks before the mid-term elections. Of course what they did is they pitched a tent on the North Lawn, invited more than 40 radio hosts, a predominately conservative, considered friends of the president, to talk to top officials.
Now the Bush administration is really trying aggressively to sell its agenda, to argue that Republicans are stronger on national security, that the economy is good. Not only are they focusing on the listeners of these conservative radio hosts, but they are also focused on the hosts themselves, some of them who have become frustrated, disillusioned with this White House over issues of Iraq, immigration, as well as big spending.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: And of course all the day's political news is available on the CNN.com news ticker. Any time, day or night, go right to CNN.com/ticker -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Illegal immigration remains a big and divisive issue for voters inside two weeks to the election. Check out the numbers in our latest CNN-Opinion Research poll. More than two-thirds, 67 percent, say the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. should be decreased, but 53 percent are opposed to building a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Fifty-eight percent are in favor of large fines for employers who hire illegal immigrants.
All this week, the best political team on television is looking at America's "BROKEN GOVERNMENT." Tonight, at 7:00 Eastern, Lou Dobbs reports on our "BROKEN BORDERS." And stay tuned after the "BROKEN BORDERS" report at 8:00 Eastern for "CNN PRESENTS IMMIGRANT NATION" -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: More testimony today about just who knew what and when in the Mark Foley e-mail scandal. The counsel to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Ted Van Der Meid, is going to go before the House Ethics Committee. The speaker himself testified yesterday, made a short statement as he left.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: I thanked the committee for prompt action, for moving forward on this committee on this inquiry. They did so. I answered all the questions they asked in the best of my ability. I also said that they needed to move quickly to get to the bottom of this issue, including who knew about the sexually explicit messages and when they knew about it. So they needed to make sure that they asked all the questions of everybody. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Speaker Hastert has said that he did not know about the e-mails until a month ago when Foley resigned, but records show his counsel, Van Der Meid, was told about the e-mails to congressional pages a year ago.
Some of the stories we're following for you this morning, the "L.A. Times" building evacuated after a mysterious envelope with white powder is found. And a hacker says he has crashed iPod's computer code, that iTunes music can be played on other MP3 players. Plus, JetBlue comes under fire for testing pilot fatigue with passengers on the planes. Those stories and much more ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Some of the top stories we're following for you, the search still under way for that U.S. soldier thought to have been kidnapped in Iraq and a CNN poll out this morning finding a majority of Americans want more guards on the U.S.-Mexican border, not a 700- mile fence.
About a quarter past the hour, if you're heading out the door, Chad Myers has some words for you.
Hello, -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Miles.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Chad, thank you.
MYERS: You're welcome.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening in America this morning.
In New Mexico, documents from the Los Alamos nuclear weapons lab found in the home of a suspected drug dealer. Police say they discovered the classified papers while they were searching the man's trailer. The FBI linked them to a woman who works at Los Alamos and also knows the suspect.
In California, it is business as usual again at the "L.A. Times." A different story, though, last night when police evacuated the paper's newsroom after an employee found a suspicious white powder inside an envelope. Hazmat teams tested that powder, turned out to be harmless. Apparently it was something you use to make chewing gum.
In New Jersey, a court today will decide whether to legalize gay marriage. New Jersey is one of only five states with neither a law or a state constitutional amendment that blocks same-sex marriage. Right now, Massachusetts is the only state that allows same-sex marriage.
In Illinois, a fire disrupted train service in Chicago during the evening rush hour. The fire in a vacant six-story building injured two firefighters, also disrupted service along a section of elevated tracks near the Chicago Transit Authority's Orange Line and that connects the city's loop to Midway Airport -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: In Gaza, an Associated Press photographer is free after a day-long kidnapping ordeal. Spanish photographer Emilio Morenatti abducted at gunpoint yesterday morning as he left his apartment. After his release, he was taken to the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Morenatti said he was tired but unharmed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILIO MORENATTI, FREED PHOTOGRAPHER: I am OK. I am OK. Everything is OK. They treat me well and everything is finished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Morenatti says he was blindfolded and forced to wear woman's clothing as he was taken from place to place in Gaza City.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez having a devil of a time after his fiery speech at the U.N. blasting President Bush. It appears he may withdraw his country's candidacy for a seat on the U.N. Security Council. Bolivia may be the dark horse alternative. Last month, you'll recall, Chavez called President Bush the devil as he addressed the General Assembly. It takes a two-thirds vote in the assembly to put a country on the Security Council. In 35 separate secret ballots, Venezuela has failed to win the seat.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, many people predicting that was going to happen after calling the president the devil.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Right.
S. O'BRIEN: Some of the stories we're watching for you this morning, more remains have been found at the World Trade Center site in New York City. The government introduces new rules to let public schools teach boys and girls separately. And workers get stuck nine stories above ground after the scaffolding jams. You can see the pictures right there. We'll tell you about their rescue straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: A look at some of the day's top stories we're following for you. Developing news out of Iraq, four people are dead after U.S. forces storm strongholds in a city that's loyal to the militant cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
And a top aide to House Speaker Dennis Hastert goes before the Ethics Committee today, Ted Van Der Meid to be quizzed on his boss' handling of the Mark Foley scandal -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: A California man looking to take a bite out of Apple Computer's bottom line. Twenty-two-year-old Jon Johansen is a well- known computer hacker. His latest conquest: iPod security. Right now songs purchased at Apple's iTune store can only be played on iPods, but Johansen says he's developed a program to let you play them on any music device on the market. Johansen plans to sell his software. Once he does, the Apple lawyers will likely come a knocking pretty quickly.
Another record for the Dow, but today's Fed meeting, that could change things.
Andy Serwer is here with more on that.
Good morning, -- Andy.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Miles.
Higher and higher is the song they are playing on Wall Street, and, as you suggest, another day, another record for investors, the Dow Jones industrials up almost 11 points yesterday. As far as the other indexes go, the S&P up fractionally and the Nasdaq is down a little bit. Kind of directionless trading, and that's because the Federal Reserve is meeting in Washington. Today is the second day of a two-day meeting. And at 2:15 we'll get an announcement from the Fed as to where interest rates will be headed. And probably, as you're suggesting,...
M. O'BRIEN: Nowhere, right, nowhere?
SERWER: Yes, I do not think the Federal Reserve is going to do anything. They're going to hold pat. This is the last meeting before the November 7 elections. So one would think they would want to be rather neutral on this one.
M. O'BRIEN: Does politics really come to bear in these decisions?
SERWER: They say not.
M. O'BRIEN: They say not, right?
SERWER: But I suggest that maybe a little bit does. And this would be the third time the Fed will have held interest rates steady if they do this afternoon.
Another story to tell you about this morning and a sign of the housing slowdown, Countrywide Financial to cut 2,500 jobs. This is the nation's largest U.S. mortgage lender. That's about 5 percent of its work force. But guess what, the CEO is going to end up doing just fine. I always love this. The CEO, Angelo Mozilo, also at the same time agreed to a base salary of $1.9 million through 2009. He also gets $10 million of stock and a $10 million retirement package as well.
M. O'BRIEN: I would call that the bad timing press release of the day, you know.
SERWER: Well at least we know where the money is coming from, it's saving the salaries here.
M. O'BRIEN: Out you go out the door...
SERWER: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: ... up to the CEO's office.
SERWER: I think that's safe to say.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, what's next?
SERWER: Next we're going to be talking about it's not too early Christmas shopping and some interesting stories about the holidays coming up.
M. O'BRIEN: Must we do it? I guess.
SERWER: We must.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
SERWER: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, -- Andy.
SERWER: You're welcome.
M. O'BRIEN: All right -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, guys.
Some reassurance this morning for parents with reservations about getting flu shots for their kids, the largest-ever study of side effects from flu shots finds the vaccines are safe for babies and toddlers. Now the study also says that kids who get vaccinated are less likely to develop ear and respiratory infections. The Centers for Disease Control recommend flu shots for every child in the U.S. who is under 5 years old.
And we've gotten so used to co-ed public schools. That could change, though, in some places. The federal government is introducing new rules that will ease restrictions on single-sex schools. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings says that research shows some students do in fact learn better in a boys or girls-only environment. And she says the government is committed to giving families more choices in how they educate their children.
Some of the stories we're following for you this morning, a new study says driving after school is almost as dangerous as driving on weekend nights for teenagers. And controversy for JetBlue after the airline tests pilot fatigue while passengers are on board. More on that story and much more ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you, Wednesday, October 25. I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
Let's begin at the news wall for a look at some of the stories we're following for you this morning.
More on that Mark Foley page scandal today. Another key aide to House Speaker Dennis Hastert is going to testify before the House Ethics Committee.
And you can look for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates right where they are today. You heard Andy predict that just a moment ago. That's what the experts are predicting as well. And the announcement is expected this afternoon -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: The fight over same-sex marriage shifts to New Jersey today. The state supreme court will rule whether gay couples may marry in a case brought by seven gay couples there.
Paul is now a tropical storm, but he is still packing a punch. The streets in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, are flooded, the schools are closed, the surf is way up, one person dead, another missing.
S. O'BRIEN: Chad Myers at the CNN Weather Center. He's watching that story, also flooding elsewhere, as well.
Hey, Chad, good morning.
MYERS: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Chad.
In Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi forces taking aim at a powerful Shiite militia linked to death squads. The raid in the Sadr City section of Baghdad controlled by the Shiite power broker Muqtada al-Sadr.
CNN's Arwa Damon live from Baghdad with more, -- Arwa.
DAMON: Good morning, Miles.
And this was an overnight raid. Iraqi special forces backed by their coalition advisers entered the city searching for an individual who they believe -- a senior commander who they believe is directing the activities of death squads in eastern Baghdad. As you just mentioned, Sadr City is a stronghold for the Mehdi Militia. That is the militia loyal to radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. According to the U.S. military and according to Iraq's Ministry of Interior, as the
M. O'BRIEN: In Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi forces taking aim at a powerful Shiite militia linked to death squads. The raid in the Sadr City section of Baghdad controlled by the Shiite powerbroker, Muqtada al-Sadr.
CNN's Arwa Damon live from Baghdad with more -- Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
And this was an overnight raid. Iraqi special forces, backed by their coalition advisers, entered the city searching for an individual who they believe -- a senior commander who they believe is directing the activities of death squads in eastern Baghdad.
As you just mentioned, Sadr City is a stronghold for the Mahdi militia. That is the militia loyal to radical Shia cleric Muqtada al- Sadr. According to the U.S. military and according to Iraq's Ministry of Interior, as the forces entered Sadr City, a huge firefight erupted between them and members of the Mahdi militia. This lasted for about two hours, at which point they called in for coalition air support, which, according to the U.S. military, delivered precision gunfire, eliminating the threat.
However, Iraq's Ministry of Interior is telling us that four civilians were killed and another 20 wounded in these clashes -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Tell us about Muqtada al-Sadr. Yesterday at that news conference that we carried live here the U.S. admitted it has no direct contact with Muqtada al-Sadr. What sorts of negotiations are ongoing with him to try to rein in that militia?
DAMON: Well, the U.S., as they said in yesterday's press conference, has essentially left it up to the Iraqi government to deal with Muqtada al-Sadr and to deal with the Mahdi militia, along with the other militias that they have to try and disarm, as well. But when it comes to Muqtada al-Sadr and when it comes to the Mahdi militia, this is where it gets problematic.
The Iraqi government is reluctant and as of now unwilling to take military action against its militia. This is in part because Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki owes his position within the government to the support of Sadr's bloc. What the Iraqi government is doing right now is essentially crossing its fingers and hoping that there will be a political solution to disarming this militia, but they have been doing that ever since they took power, ever since the national reconciliation plan was announced in the summer. And as of yet, we have not seen this political process actually impacting the activities of the Mahdi militia.
Many people here are now saying that it is time for the Iraqi government to take aggressive military action against this and other militias -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Arwa Damon in Baghdad.
Thank you.
Also in Baghdad today, the search for a missing American still under way. The missing man is an Iraqi-American interpreter. The Army thinks he was kidnapped on an unauthorized family visit outside the Green Zone. There are reports masked men took him from a relative's home; unclear if there is a ransom demand -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening "In America" this morning, in New York, 36 more bone fragments have been found at the World Trade Center site. Workers shifted through debris from underground holes that apparently were missed during the initial cleanup. Some relatives of people who died in 9/11 are furious. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the cleanup was done quickly out of respect for the families.
In Ohio, six dormitory elevators at Ohio State University failed safety tests. The tests were done after a freshman was killed by an elevator, crushed in his residence hall, on Friday night. Twenty-four people crowded on to one elevator then, and that exceeded the weight capacity by more than 1,000 pounds. The elevators are now shut down for repairs.
In Virginia, two contractors replacing lights were trapped about nine stories above ground, right on the side of the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond. It happened last night.
What happened was this, the scaffold malfunctioned. Firefighters had to come to the rescue with a rope that was attached to a bucket on top of a 100-foot-tall fire truck ladder. Fortunately, it all ended well and there were no injuries.
In Missouri, the St. Louis Cardinals jumped out to a 2-1 lead over the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. Cards pitcher Chris Carpenter gave up only three hits. St. Louis played strong defense, took advantage of sloppy play by Detroit in a 5-0 win -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Inside two weeks now until the all-important midterm elections, and the political debate is raging on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Seine, as well.
CNN's Jim Bittermann spoke to some American expats living in France.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's great we can sit here and talk, but I think we need to find a way to actually take action.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Arguing politics in a bar in the Paris Latin quarter is hardly unusual, except that this debate is in English and the subject is the upcoming American elections.
JEREMY GOLDSTEIN, DEBATE ORGANIZER: If you think of the annual budget of the U.N., it's 32 hours of the budget of the Pentagon.
BITTERMANN: For weeks now, expatriate Americans and anyone else who wants to join in have thrashed over the issues, but as you might expect from those on the receiving end of U.S. foreign policy, that is the subject which dominates. That, and the need for expatriates to get involved in politics.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happened for me was is that -- over the past few years with this whole war in Iraq, this really made me understand that it's very important to take an interest in politics.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will be fooling myself if I really thought that my one vote from overseas is going to have a huge impact. But, I also feel strongly, if you don't vote, you don't have anything to say.
BITTERMANN: And while outside the United States Americans clearly have the most at stake in the upcoming elections, non- Americans, too, are watching the campaigning and considering the implications of a defeat for President Bush.
ANNE DEYSINE, "THE U.S. TODAY, PERMANENCE & CHANGE": If the Democrats have a majority in the House, and more importantly in the Senate, maybe they can stop a few of the policies and force the president to reorient his policy.
BITTERMANN: And so, while Americans overseas seem politically engaged in this vote more than in any midterm election in recent memory, their neighbors abroad are, too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BITTERMANN: So there's a lot of interest in this, Miles, and I think one of the things that should be said is that the registration deadlines for Americans abroad haven't passed in most states. You can still -- you can still get yourself registered in many states and get a hold of a ballot. And the federal voting assistance program makes it easy for Americans overseas. Even if they don't have a ballot, there's a thing called an emergency ballot that they can request on the Internet, print up, and write in their favorite candidate -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: What's your sense? What are the expats saying? You always have a different perspective when you live overseas.
BITTERMANN: I think so, Miles. And one of the things I think that we've seen this time around, both in the United States and abroad, is that international matters, foreign affairs, are much more of an issue this time around than in previous elections. And I think for that reason, because expats overseas see the -- sort of the -- close up the foreign policy of the United States, they're at the crack end of the whip, as it were, they have a much more finer-tuned sensitivity to those kinds of things.
And I think that that's what's going to drive the overseas ballot this time. And I think that's one of the reasons why Americans overseas are engaged in a midterm election like they've never been before -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right. Very interesting.
Jim Bittermann in Paris.
Thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: More testimony today about who knew what and when in the Mark Foley e-mail scandal. Counsel to House Speaker Dennis Hastert Ted Vandermeade (ph) is going to go before the House Ethics Committee. Speaker Hastert testified yesterday, and he said this as he was leaving...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), HOUSE SPEAKER: I thank the committee for prompt action, for moving forward on this committee, on this inquiry. They did so.
I answered all the questions they asked to the best of my ability. I also said that they needed to move quickly to get to the bottom of this issue, including who knew about the sexually explicit messages, and when they knew about it. So they needed to make sure that they asked all the questions of everybody.
Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Hastert had said he didn't know about the e-mails until a month ago, when Foley resigned. Some records show, though, that his counsel, Vandermeade (ph), was told about the e-mails to congressional pages a year ago.
Some stories we're following for you this morning.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair faces growing pressure to set a timetable for troop withdrawal in Iraq.
That story and much more is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Top stories we're following this morning. In Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi forces storming a stronghold for the Shiite Mahdi army linked to death squads. The Mahdi army led by the Shiite powerbroker Muqtada al-Sadr. Four civilians dead.
And the Fed considered unlikely to raise interest rates today. Currently they're at 5.25 percent. The announcement comes this afternoon.
It's about 20 minutes of the hour.
S. O'BRIEN: Here's a look now at stories that CNN correspondents around the world are covering today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SR. EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: I'm Robin Oakley reporting from London, where Tony Blair faces his weekly prime minister's question time with his Labour party at its lowest level in opinion polls for 20 years. He's under pressure to name a timetable for British troops to come out of Iraq but insists they'll stay until the job is done.
With the U.S. looking ready for a shift in policy, his Labour lawmakers are nervous Mr. Blair could be left high and dry. And the opposition liberal Democrats are pressing for a debate with a vote on whether to bring the troops home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Matthew Chance in Moscow.
It's billed as a live question-and-answer session in which the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, faces cross-examination by the Russian public. Critics say it's a staged exercise in pretend democracy.
The session is being broadcast live on Russian television and radio, and is expected to last several hours. For its shortcomings, it is one of the few channels through which the premier communicates his policies and views directly to the Russian people. A special Kremlin (INAUDIBLE) has received nearly two million questions before the session began. Topics ranges from high inflation, to the North Korean nuclear crisis.
There are also many personal complaints from ordinary Russians who hope their president will be able to help.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Paula Hancocks in London. Madonna has broken her silence over the controversy over her attempted adoption of 13-month-old David Banda from Malawi. She's told Oprah Winfrey that she followed the law and she's amazed at the controversy around this adoption. She blames the media.
As for the boy's father, he says that he didn't realize the adoption was permanent when he signed the papers, but for the sake of his son's future, he will not contest the adoption.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: For more on these or any of our top stories, log on to our Web site at CNN.com.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's check the weather. Chad Myers in the weather center with that.
Hello, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A developing mess, Miles, across the mid part of the country.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Some of the stories we're following for you this morning.
Driving after school -- believe it or not, it's almost as risky as driving at night, on the weekends, if you're a teenager. We've got the results of a new study straight ahead.
And JetBlue under fire for testing pilot fatigue with passengers on board.
Those stories, much more ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Top stories we're following for you.
More human remains found at Ground Zero in New York. Crews in recent weeks have found dozens of bones likely to belong to 9/11 victims.
And a new CNN poll showing the majority of Americans want more guards on the Mexican border of the U.S., not a long fence -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: If you are the parent of a teenager, you're probably worried the very most when they're out at night on a weekend driving. But there's a new study out that says teenagers are at big risk in the hours right after school.
CNN's Sumi Das is live in Washington, D.C., for us this morning.
Sumi, good morning.
SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, moms and dads know all too well their job is never done. I'm sure that's something I don't have to tell you, Soledad. But new research could add another task for parents. Teens may need stricter rules before they hit the road, night or day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAS (voice over): Young, inexperienced, and behind the wheel. For many parents of teen drivers, it all adds up to a wait of worry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first time I saw her drive away my heart just sank.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My youngest just got a speeding ticket yesterday. So, you know, we're constantly concerned about them.
DAS: A new report may add to those concerns. After analyzing data from the Federal Highway Administration, AAA has found that the number of fatal crashes involving 16 and 17-year-old drivers was nearly as high during after-school hours as weekend nights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Often they're driving during a portion of rush hour. And they have a lot of distractions. They may be giving a ride to another classmate. They may be talking on the cell phone.
DAS: While the report doesn't peg the cause of the crashes, AAA says it believes after-school hours aren't on parents' radar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's almost as if it was a blind spot. It's almost as if parents didn't realize that their teens are at almost as much risk during the week as during the weekend.
DAS: Setting rules is the best way to keep your teen safe, says AAA. Many states have laws that limit night driving and the number of teen passengers for new drivers. But parents are advised to add their own guidelines, including saying no to riding with new drivers, completely banning cell phone use, and buckling up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAS: Another rule that could prove the toughest to follow, AAA also advises the parents should set a good example. If you tend to speed or tailgate, chances are your child may do the same -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Sumi Das for us this morning.
Sumi, thanks.
And following up on another parenting story, this one comes from near Green Bay, Wisconsin. And if you're a parent of a small child you can definitely identify with this one.
That little boy right there is 3-year-old Robert Morris (ph), and, yes, he's inside that vending machine. Inside. He really wanted a SpongeBob toy. Really. Really wanted it. But grandmother gave him a dollar to spend, and while she was distracted, forget the dollar, he decided to just go for it and crawl right into the machine.
The fire department was called. They were able to get him out safely. The kicker for little Robert, he didn't get the toy.
M. O'BRIEN: You know, I'm torn. Should we give him the toy because he gets, you know, a lot of persistence points? Or is there punishment?
S. O'BRIEN: No, no. You don't...
M. O'BRIEN: You don't go in the machine. You don't reward this, right?
S. O'BRIEN: Three-year-olds already have lots of persistence. You don't need to reward them for that.
M. O'BRIEN: Good point. Good point.
S. O'BRIEN: That's so cute. He's inside the machine.
M. O'BRIEN: All is well. Let's get him a SpongeBob toy.
S. O'BRIEN: No, nothing.
M. O'BRIEN: No. I'm a softy.
S. O'BRIEN: Timeout.
M. O'BRIEN: Some of the stories we're working on this morning, JetBlue a little red-faced after testing pilot fatigue while passengers were on the plane.
Plus, have you seen this? Rush Limbaugh accusing Michael J. Fox of faking symptoms of Parkinson's in a new political ad. We'll tell you about that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Pilot fatigue is a big issue for airlines. To save money they'd like to be able to increase the number of hours that pilots are allowed to fly. But CNN has learned that JetBlue airlines may have already experimented with longer hours for its pilots.
Jeanne Meserve says that's caught the eye of federal regulators.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): JetBlue says it was merely gathering information about pilot fatigue. In a DVD prepared for its pilots and obtained by CNN, the airline explains how it will study alertness using a wrist monitor and this in-flight performance test. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the bull's eye comes up it will be counting in milliseconds. As soon as you push the button it measures your reaction time.
MESERVE: On about 50 JetBlue flights in May of 2005, data was collected while pilots flew 9.5, sometimes 10.5 hours a day, instead of the eight hours the government usually allows. There was a third pilot on board to take the controls if needed, but there were also passengers who were never told about the special circumstances.
CAPT. PAUL RICE, AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION: The regulations are clear. We don't do test flying with passengers on board.
MESERVE: The Federal Aviation Administration in Washington didn't know about the data collection either. JetBlue had sought and obtained permission only from the FAA regional office in New York.
MICHAEL GOLDFARB, FMR. FAA CHIEF OF STAFF: Ought they have gone to Washington for approval? Yes. Should they have known that? Absolutely.
MESERVE: The FAA in Washington reprimanded both the regional office and JetBlue and says if asked it would have rejected the airlines' request.
(on camera): JetBlue, which turned down a request for an on- camera interview, insists it was flying within legal limits. The information it collected hasn't been released but is being analyzed and will be published in a scientific journal in December.
(voice over): JetBlue also says passengers were not on an experimental flight, that it was doing data collection, not testing. But its own DVD contradicts this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also on the PDA is a special performance test. It's a very simple reaction time test, or measure of sustained attention.
MESERVE: Pilot scheduling is a hot issue in aviation, as airlines struggling for financial survival seek ways to run their airlines more efficiently. Pilots argue safety could be compromised.
RICE: It's a money issue. It's simply a money issue.
MESERVE: There is consensus that pilot work rules do need to be re-evaluated. But some experts say JetBlue's move to do it unilaterally was an effort to get an edge on its competitors, and may set back an industrywide government-sanctioned examination of the issue.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: I think that's a little scary to not be told that they're testing their pilot, even with three pilots on board. Even with everything seemed otherwise to be copacetic.
M. O'BRIEN: I guess the problem is, how else do you do a real world test? You know? A lot of people...
SERWER: Some other way.
M. O'BRIEN: A lot of people don't know that the first time these pilots fly their first actual landing in these airplanes are with passengers behind them. It's all been in simulator. So...
SERWER: But they have...
(CROSSTALK)
S. O'BRIEN: You know what? That actually happened to me once. I was on a plane and the guy said, "Today is my first day behind the wheel." I did not want to know that.
M. O'BRIEN: Usually they tell you after the landing. After the landing they tell you that.
S. O'BRIEN: I know. We suggested that later for his other flights. That was a bad idea.
M. O'BRIEN: Probably a good idea.
S. O'BRIEN: That was a bad idea. I don't know.
A little business news now. Santa is hitting the stores early this holiday season. It happens earlier and earlier every year.
SERWER: It's true.
S. O'BRIEN: Why should this year be any different?
Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" on that.
SERWER: Well, that's right, you can forget about Thanksgiving, forget about Halloween this year. And, of course, hyper retailers keep pushing that date back, as you suggest, Soledad.
Sears and Kmart have decorations up by the end of the month. Costco starts in September -- September in many cases.
S. O'BRIEN: What?
SERWER: And they call it "Christmas creep," and we're not talking about the Grinch here.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it's creepy all right.
SERWER: Retailers are going to draw -- well, they've got Christmas trees up at Costco already. They say don't worry about it going back any further than September, though, because that would hurt the back-to-school sales. So there is a line here.
S. O'BRIEN: You may run into a Christmas tree while you're trying to buy notebooks.
SERWER: Retailers are always thinking here. Right. Right. Exactly. Well, don't put it past them.
Some other Christmas and holiday stories to tell you about.
Sam's Club every year, you know they have these dream packages. Want to tell you a little bit about them. And they get more and more expensive every year. They're getting to be like Neiman Marcus, or "Needless Markup," as we call that company.
S. O'BRIEN: Sort of the blue light special version?
SERWER: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Mixed metaphors.
SERWER: Exactly.
The six-seat Cessna, something for Miles...
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, really?
SERWER: ... $2.7 million. A 32-carat diamond, something for Soledad, $343,000. Then a trip for four to the Super Bowl, $71,000.
Tony Bennett concert in London, $44,000. And they had things like this last year, with a Jimmy Buffett concert, a Camaro, a '69 Camaro, and some of them sold, some of them didn't.
M. O'BRIEN: So you could buy an airplane at Sam's Club?
SERWER: Yes. You can buy an airplane at Sam's Club.
M. O'BRIEN: What do they put it high up on the rack there, or...
S. O'BRIEN: They just show you a picture. That's it.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh.
SERWER: And then also, if this doesn't strike your fancy, how about software for the holidays? I'd rather get a bad tie, quite frankly.
S. O'BRIEN: What kind of software?
SERWER: No, this is something from -- well, this is something from Microsoft, Soledad. If you buy a PC this holiday season, you will get a coupon in many cases for discounted or free Vista -- Windows Vista, which is the new operating software from Windows.
M. O'BRIEN: How exciting.
SERWER: Isn't that really?
M. O'BRIEN: It's exciting. And some new tires, too. And a washing machine.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm going to get that for Miles.
SERWER: Yes. Yes.
I know, Miles, we were going to get you that plane, but Soledad and I...
S. O'BRIEN: I found something a little cheaper.
SERWER: Yes, that's right.
M. O'BRIEN: Windows Vista instead.
SERWER: Windows Vista, the coupon for Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. What you got next?
SERWER: Next we're going to be talking about -- you know that company Comverse, which the CEO...
M. O'BRIEN: Comverse.
SERWER: Com -- not the sneaker company -- caught up in the stock options scandal. We've got some updated news to tell you about there.
M. O'BRIEN: Although, he's kind of a sneaker. We'll leave it at that, yes.
SERWER: He sneaked over to Africa.
(CROSSTALK)
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Here are some of the top stories we're looking at on CNN.com this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN (voice over): Forbes list of top-earning dead celebrities is out, and it's all shook up. Elvis Presley, the perennial leader, down to number two this year, bringing in $42 million. The posthumous winner? Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, earning $50 million. Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, sold a 25 percent stake in Nirvana's song catalogue.
Once you've done a nip, tuck and a little liposuction, what's next? Well, how about an eyelash transplant?
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