Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Democratic Senator Undergoes Emergency Brain Surgery; Senators Visit Leaders in Iraq; Another Murder Victim Identified in Ipswich; Rescuers Still Searching for Missing Hikers

Aired December 14, 2006 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Hello everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN World headquarters if Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CO-HOST: And I'm Don Lemon.

Emergency brain surgery. The next 24 to 48 hours critical. CNN's Sanjay Gupta with the latest on the condition of Senator Tim Johnson.

PHILLIPS: Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs. Did he force a 14- year-old girl to marry her older cousin? CNN's Gary Tuchman in court with the latest on the case.

LEMON: Wow, look at that. The race against time and Mother Nature to find three stranded climbers in Oregon. The next ferocious storm just hours away.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin this hour with a developing story. The FBI has sent out a bulletin warning that the expected death of al Qaeda spiritual leader could lead to terror attack against the United States.

Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the Blind Sheikh, has been in prison since the first attacks on the World Trade Center. The FBI bulletin says he spit up blood on December 6 and was rushed to the hospital. The bulletin reminds law enforcement agencies that the sheikh has previously called for attacks if he died in prison.

The bulletin includes what it says was his last will and testament, distributed at an al Qaeda press conference back in 1998. Part of it reads, "My brothers, if they kill me, which they will certainly do, hold my funeral and send my corpse to my family. But do not let my blood be shed in vain. Rather, extract the most violent revenge."

Law enforcement sources stress that the bulletin is just meant to make all those in law enforcement aware of the possible threat, and there is no intelligence to suggest there are any attacks being planned.

We'll have more on this developing story throughout the afternoon in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: Let's get back into the NEWSROOM. Carol Lin working details on a developing story out of New Jersey -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra, school has been essentially evacuated, the students isolated, after a white powdery substance spilled out of an envelope that one of the teachers at Garfield Park East Elementary School opened up.

It's an unidentified powder. But apparently, according to our local affiliates there, they have -- she had some kind of a reaction to this white powder. So hazardous material teams have quarantined the teacher and the students as they investigate.

This is a developing story this hour. We'll stay on top of it.

PHILLIPS: All right. Those pictures coming to us from our affiliate, WTXF. We'll keep checking in with you, Carol Lin. Thanks.

LEMON: Washington, as we all know, is all about politics all the time. Sometimes bitter, sometimes divisive. But even in Washington, party differences can be put aside.

Today, lawmakers in both parties are expressing their concerns for Senator Tim Johnson. The South Dakota Democrat is in critical condition after brain surgery, raising immediate concerns about his health. The long-term question about control of a closely divided Senate.

Our congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel is following that story for us -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, a month after Democrats shocked just about everyone when they pulled off a surprise victory at the polls in the Senate and in the House, today, both parties are still pinching themselves about the latest move, the uncertainty surrounding Senator Johnson's health.

Now, just a short time ago, we heard from the man who's set to become the incoming Senate majority leader, Democrat Harry Reid, who himself had been at the hospital with Senator Johnson or at least nearby for much of the evening and then was back in the hospital again this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), INCOMING SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: He really looks good. Best care. It was perfect. This -- the unit that they have at Georgetown -- George Washington is just superb. Everyone treated the family so well. I was very impressed. And we're all praying for a full recovery. We're confident that will be the case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: After last month's midterm, the Democrats were supposed to take over the Senate and still are at the moment with a 51-49 majority. As far as Senator Reid is concerned, it is full steam ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REID: There isn't a thing that's changed. The Republicans selected their committees yesterday. We've completed ours. The -- I have a very busy schedule today, going ahead and getting ready for the next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: But if Senator Johnson's health precludes him from serving out his term, it would be left up to the South Dakota governor, who happens to be a Republican, to choose his successor, who would presumably be a Republican. That would make the Senate a 50/50 split with the vice president, Dick Cheney, then being in the position of casting the deciding vote that would put the Senate in the hands of the Republicans.

But at this point, Don, no one is saying that Senator Johnson would be unable to serve out his term. In fact, I've spoken to a couple of Senate historians. And they say there are only two conditions under which he might have to leave. And that would be, one if he decided that he couldn't serve out his term or, two, if he were to pass away in office. At the moment, neither seems certain.

LEMON: Yes, that, and those are the procedures, if that does happen. And you talked a little bit about history here. Has history taught us anything, any precedent set here?

KOPPEL: Well, if he is a serving senator, a seated senator, as Senator Johnson is -- he's a two-term senator from South Dakota who has two years left in his term -- he cannot be removed from office unless, as I said, he passes away or unless he chooses to resign.

That said, there have been any number of instances over the years in which senators had been ill. In fact, one going back in the 1970s, another South Dakotan senator, a Republican who was -- suffered a stroke and was unable to vote for two years. Yet he was allowed, in fact, did, continue to hold on to his seat until his term expired, Don.

LEMON: All right. Andrea Koppel, thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: How to solve the Iraq puzzle: more troops, fewer troop, pull out the troops? American lawmakers are in Baghdad, discussing hypothetical situations. On a day the reality of Iraq claimed more victims.

CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Baghdad -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, Senator McCain, Lieberman, Collins, Kirk and Graham have all been visiting various Iraqi officials and U.S. officials here. They have met with the U.S. ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad.

They met with the Iraqi president and the Kurdish president. Both of those political figures here opposed to seeing a U.S. troop build-up in terms of training, putting additional trainers into the Iraqi army.

They've also met with the U.S. military commander here, General Casey. They had intelligence briefings. And Senator McCain, very clear from what he's seen, the violence is up and so should the U.S. troop levels here be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I'd like to say that I believe conditions have improved. Certainly in Baghdad they have not. I believe there is still a compelling reason to have an increase of troops here in Baghdad and in Anbar province in order to bring the sectarian violence under control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Now, this comes at a time when the government of Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki are saying that Iraqi security forces are actually ready to stand alone in Baghdad, do the job themselves, with the support of the U.S. troops, an apparent attempt at disengagement from the U.S. military operations here.

Senator Lieberman, however, taking a very similar view to that of Senator McCain, that U.S. troop build-up is necessary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: I echo what Senator McCain said. I think -- I feel very strongly that as the president looks for new direction forward in Iraq that we need more, not less, troops here.

But there has to be real thought of what those troops do to help the Iraqi security forces secure the country. And of course there has to be, ultimately, real leadership by the government of Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And when he talked to Iraqi military commanders here, they will mostly tell you that they still need that support. They need additional training. They need a lot of additional equipment, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now, this trip by this political delegation, it doesn't seem to have any effect on the ongoing violence, but the trip has been marked by another mass kidnapping, as well as an attack on one of the country's vice presidents. What can you tell us about those incidents?

ROBERTSON: There has been an update on the kidnapping. Police have just told us that 25 of the people kidnapped have now been released. Now, all the people released, they say, were Shias, which tends to indicate the kidnapping was probably on a sectarian basis, probably perpetrated by Shias, probably the people still in captivity, and nobody knows exactly how many, are probably Sunnis. This is the trend we're seeing here up until now. They were kidnapped in broad daylight this morning by gunmen in the center of the city, drove into an area, a shopping area, and kidnapped this small street vendors and store holders in that particular area.

Also, of a sectarian nature, the killing today reported by police here, some 45 bodies turning up across the streets Baghdad. And a convoy of vehicles, highly secured convoy of armored vehicles belonging to the vice president, Abel Abdul Mahdi this morning, the target of government (ph). He managed to escape that apparent -- apparent attempt to kill him this morning, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad.

LEMON: Another body identified as British police continue their manhunt for an apparent serial killer targeting prostitutes. Adrian Finighan is in Ipswich, England, with the latest -- Adrian.

ADRIAN FINIGHAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, another development in this extraordinary case unfolding here in the east of England. With me now is the assistant chief constable of the Suffolk Constabulary who can tell us more.

You've identified a fourth body?

JACQUI CHEER, ASSISTANT CHIEF CONSTABLE: Yes. The fourth body is identified now as Paula Clennell, who was one of the prostitutes that was actually missing.

FINIGHAN: And you're particularly anxious to trace clothing that she may have been wearing?

CHEER: Yes, we now have a confirmed sighting of Paula, which was on 20 past 12 on Sunday morning, on the 10th. She was found on the Tuesday. So this was only a couple of days beforehand. And she was wearing a navy blue anorak with a horizontal blue band across the chest and on one sleeve, a gray hoodie top, light-colored jeans with a pattern on the pockets and Reebok classic trainers with a navy blue and light blue and gray flash. And it's important to find those.

FINIGHAN: And what about the fifth body? What's happening to that?

CHEER: The fifth body has been removed from the scene and is currently with the pathologist for the postmortem.

FINIGHAN: And you brought in quite a high-profile pathologist for this case, haven't you?

CHEER: The pathologist is from the home office, and it's Dr. Nat Cary. Yes.

FINIGHAN: We appreciate, Jacqui, you speaking to us. I know you're under a lot of pressure at the moment. Thanks for being with us here on CNN.

CHEER: OK.

FINIGHAN: So there you have it, Don, another development, as I said, in this extraordinary case. Five bodies, four women, known prostitutes, now identified. We're waiting the identification of that fifth body.

But anxiety is growing here in Ipswich as to whether this killer is going to strike again. Criminal psychologists fear that with the streets now empty of prostitutes -- prostitutes -- the red light district of Ipswich, some girls are still working but far fewer than the 30 or 40 hard core prostitutes that would normally be out on the streets at night.

With far fewer of them working, criminal psychologists are worried that this man, this killer or killers, may well seek out other women to satisfy what may well have been -- become a compulsion to kill.

Back to you, Don.

LEMON: Talk to us about precautions or safeguards, if any, that people are taking.

FINIGHAN: Well, of course, this is -- this is the Christmas season. A lot of office Christmas parties are happening. People are out having fun on the streets of Ipswich at this time of the year.

Women are being advised not to go out alone, to make sure that they stick together at night. We're still seeing parents who are not letting young girls in their late teens or early 20s out alone late at night, and making sure that they are escorted, that they're getting rides home when their evening out finishes.

People here are anxious. I wouldn't go as far as to say that people are afraid. But people are pretty worried and still in shock that something like this, murder on this scale, five bodies in ten days, could be happening here in such an ordinary English town -- Don.

LEMON: All right, thank you very much. Adrian Finighan reporting from London.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, man and machine are at their limits, says one Oregon rescuer. Today, hurricane-worthy winds stall rescue efforts on Mt. Hood. How can three stranded climbers possibly survive? One of the search team members joins us live.

LEMON: The feds finger lettuce as the likely source in the latest outbreak of E. coli, but the investigation is not over yet. An update is just ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: And we're following a developing story here in the CNN NEWSROOM. The FBI sent out a bulletin warning that the expected death of al Qaeda's spiritual leader could lead to terror attacks against the United States. Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the Blind Sheikh, has been in prison since the first attacks on the World Trade Center. The FBI bulletin says he spit up blood on December 6 and was rushed to the hospital.

The bulletin reminds law enforcement agencies that the sheikh has previously called for attacks if he died in prison. The bulletin includes what it says was his last will and testament distributed at a, al Qaeda press conference back in 1998.

Law enforcement sources stress that the bulletin is just meant to make all those in law enforcement aware of the possible threat, and there is no intelligence to suggest there are any attacks being planned. We'll have more on this developing story throughout the afternoon here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: We've got more on another developing story Carol Lin has been following for us out of New Jersey -- Carol.

LIN: We've been talking about a school, an elementary school, Garfield Park East Elementary School in Willingboro, New Jersey, Kyra, where a teacher and some students have had to be quarantined. You're watching as Hazmat teams are responding to the scene.

This happened after a teacher opened an envelope and some white powder fell out of it, and she had some kind of a reaction to it. Well, CNN has spoken to the local hospital. She has tested negative for exposure to anthrax and also negative to exposure to smallpox.

But they still haven't been able to be specific about what exactly that white powder was. And as far as I know, the quarantine situation is still ongoing.

So this investigation happening in this hour. But look at that. A pretty scary scene there at Garfield Park East Elementary School as they try to figure out what was in that envelope.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll follow it. Thanks, Carol.

Brutal winds and freezing temperatures are preventing rescuers from tackling Oregon's Mt. Hood today. Somewhere near the top, three mountain climbers who set out a week ago for a two-day adventure when the weather took a nasty turn. And since Sunday, an army rescuers has been braving the elephant -- elements, rather, trying to find them.

Just a look at what they're up against. CNN's Dan Simon has more on the massive search effort.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mt. Hood today, lashed by rain and gusting winds, making it all but impossible for rescuers to get to the summit to search for the three missing climbers.

CAPT. CHRIS BERNARD, 304TH RESCUE SQUADRON: We realize we have a ceiling at about 7,000 feet with weather and conditions that just -- man and machine are at their limits there.

SIMON: Unable to climb past the tree line at 7,000 feet, rescuers have more than 4,000 feet to go before they reach the snow cave at about 10,000 feet where they think climber Kelly James is stuck just below the summit.

Hopes were raised when James called his family from his cell phone on Sunday, telling him he was trapped on the cave. His companions had continued on down the mountain. But the phone cut out before he could tell them anything more: why he was trapped, if he was injured and his exact location.

And rescuers haven't been able to reach him since. They have picked up signals from his phone and have isolated his location within a half mile. But now those signals have stopped.

Rescuers are also searching for the other two climbers, Brian Hall and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, who they believe came further down the mountain looking for help. But rescue crews have no information at all about their location. So they're bringing in some new technology. A different cell phone tracking company arrived today and rescuers think they will be able to pinpoint James' exact location.

BERNARD: And with this new corporation coming in, they think they can even be more accurate and may be able to utilize a single ping and a single signal from a cell phone so -- we're real hopeful about that.

SIMON: A Colorado company, AeroCar (ph), has brought in three unmanned aerial drones with thermal imaging equipment that would detect body heat thrown off by the men.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This can go up ten kilometers or six miles, radius from our ground station. And the batteries will last anywhere from 20 to about -- 20 minutes to about 60 minutes, depending on how hard the motor is spinning.

SIMON: Similar drones were used by the U.S. military in the mountains of Afghanistan.

And now more help has arrived. The 21 searchers were joined by a fresh team from Eugene, Oregon.

The families of the missing men refuse to give up hope.

FRANK JAMES, BROTHER OF MISSING CLIMBER: It's my understanding that even on this -- on Mt. Hood, back in the '80s, there were other situations along these lines where individuals survived in a snow cave for seven or eight days. And so that, for us, is very much encouraging.

SIMON: Encouragement they'll need with more storms forecast in the coming days.

(on camera) Rescue crews are now going to be getting some help from the military. The 10th Mountain Division from Colorado is sending in seven members to help them scale the mountain and expand their search.

Dan Simon, CNN, Coopersburg, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And as rough as the weather is, as difficult the waiting, the families of the three climbers are not about to give up hope. In the past few minutes, we've heard from the wife of climber Kelly James.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREN JAMES, WIFE OF KELLY JAMES: These are three of the most phenomenal men you could ever meet. They're smart. They're strong, and they care so deeply for one another.

You know, my husband proposed to me on Mount Rainier, and we're planning our 50th wedding anniversary there, so I know he's coming off this mountain.

And our kids, Jason, Ford (ph), Katie (ph) and Jack, and I, we're just so passionate about him. Brian is a part of our family. And we love Brian so much.

They care so deeply about Nikko, and Nikko's wife has become a dear friend of mine. We are so blessed to know them.

They all love God so much. And we know that God is with them, God is watching over them, and that he is going to watch over them in this, the most difficult times of our lives.

And we thank you. We thank everyone so much for their prayers. And we just can't say enough of these men and women that keep going out there day after day to bring these people home to us. And just a very special thanks to all of America for praying with us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And later on in the NEWSROOM, we'll be talking to one of the men who has been braving the elements, trying to find those climbers.

PHILLIPS: The ticking time bomb inside his head that he never knew about. A South Dakota's senator's brain hemorrhage caused by a condition he's had since birth. How would you know if something like this lurked inside your body? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a look, straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Vindication for the besieged green onion, and the Taco Bell E. coli mystery has a new chief suspect. Proof that it ain't easy being green.

The Centers for Disease Control believes tainted lettuce is responsible for making more than 70 people sick in five states. All of the patients ate meals at Taco Bell restaurants.

The CDC is quick to mention that its investigation is not complete and that tracing the suspect lettuce back to its source will be difficult.

LEMON: Well, that spare change you dump in a jar each day is worth a lot more than you think. And that has the government worried. Wow, this is interesting. Susan Lisovicz joins us from the New York Stock Exchange with all the details.

I have no idea what this means, but tell me, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, we've talked a lot over the past year about commodity prices, gold, silver, platinum, all going much higher. Well, it affects that spare change, as well.

Because of rising metal -- metal prices, it costs more than a penny to make a penny. Same story for the nickel. And that's why the U.S. Mint is putting new rules in place that make it a crime to melt down one cent and five cent coins and sell them for scrap. Anyone who does so would face up to five years in jail and a fine of as much as $10,000, which is one million pennies, by the way.

The rules also limit the number of coins that can be sent out of the country. Individuals can carry to no more than $5 worth of pennies and nickels overseas. And shipments for legitimate or collecting purposes can't exceed $100 in value.

The mint says it's taking this action because replacing these coins would be an enormous cost to taxpayers. It says, quote, that it needs its coinage for commerce, Don.

LEMON: OK, all right.

LISOVICZ: Always looking out for our taxpayer dollars.

LEMON: Yep, of course. Melting down pocket change, though, it seems like a little extreme. How much money are we talking about?

LISOVICZ: A little extreme, a little messy, a little time consuming. Well, you'd have to melt down a lot of it to make it worthwhile. Modern pennies are just 2 1/2 percent copper. The rest is zinc. Right now, they're worth 1.73 cents, including production costs.

Nickels, oddly enough, are 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. They cost the mint more than eight cents to produce. So do the math. It would take a lot of it.

But you know, the reason why the U.S. Mint came out with this statement is because it got so many inquiries asking whether it was -- whether it was legal to melt them down.

(STOCK REPORT)

LISOVICZ: And that's the latest on Wall Street. Coming up, why hundreds of mobile home owners could soon become millionaires.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A developing story in the CNN NEWSROOM. the FBI has sent out a bulletin warning the expected death of Al Qaeda terror leader could lead to attacks against the United States. Sheikh Omar Abdel- Rahman, known as the Blind Sheikh, has been in prison since the first attacks on the World Trade Center. The FBI bulletin says he spit up blood on December 6th and was rushed to the hospital. The bulletin remains law enforcement agencies the Sheikh has previously called for attacks if he dies in prison. The bulletin includes what it says was a last will and testament distributed at an al Qaeda press conference in 1998. Law enforcement sources stress that the bulletin is meant to make all those in law enforcement aware of possible threat, and there's no intelligence to suggest there are any attacks being planned.

Terrorism expert Peter Bergen joins me now by telephone from London.

Peter, give us the context in all of this.

PETER BERGEN, TERRORISM EXPERT: Well, as you said in the lead- in, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman is arguable the most important spiritual leader of Al Qaeda. He's been in American prison since 1993. His imprisonment by American authorities has been a hot-button issue for Al Qaeda for more than a decade. It's something that Osama Bin Laden's referenced as early as '96. In public statements, Ayman Al- Zawahiri, Al Qaeda's No. 2, referenced the imprisonment several months ago.

So you know, to the extend that Al Qaeda has a spiritual leader, bear in mind of course, that Bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, are not really religious scholars, whereas Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman is somebody with considerable religious stature. This is the leader of the Egyptian wing of Al Qaeda, which is arguably the most important wing. Ayman Al-Zawahiri is Egyptian. Many of the key personnel in Al Qaeda are Egyptian. Its tactics and ideology are Egyptian. And Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman is the guy who supplied much of that over time.

LEMON: Yes, and I think he came to light in 1993, the first World Trade Center bombing. Remember that huge crate they're was in those buildings. All of these men associated with him. This is actually the mosque in Jersey City he was led away from after those bombings and the FBI investigation. It's sort of a warning, though, Peter, but not really a warning. No credible threats, they believe, but just warning. They want law enforcement to be aware of it. What does that mean?

BERGEN: Well, I mean, I think it's a fairly legitimate warning actually. Because I mean, Sheikh -- it's unclear exactly -- I mean, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman has been in poor health for many, many years. And in fact he's been in a U.S. prison hospital for much of the time that he's actually been imprisoned. He's already blind. He's got diabetes. He's in poor health. But now it seems that he has something that is more life threatening. I think, you know, he may die tomorrow. He may die many years from now. But either way, I think it's a very legitimate concern that his death inside an American prison would be something that would be a hot-button issue for people in Al Qaeda and, indeed, other jihadist militants. So Sheikh Rahman has made a couple of statements from prison indicating that if he dies in an American prison, his followers should take revenge. He's made that statement a couple of times in pamphlets or fatwahs that were smuggled out of an American prison since he's been incarcerated in '93.

So I think it's entirely legitimate there are concerns about this. This has been such a hot-button issue for Al Qaeda in the past, trying to get Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman released from prison. In the "Encyclopedia of Jihad," which is Al Qaeda's sort of main how-to manual, one of the exercises is how to get Abdel-Rahman escape from prison, such as kidnapping U.S. diplomats, et cetera. So this has been a hot-button issue for more than a decade. I think if he dies in an American prison, he will be certainly seen as some sort of martyr by Al Qaeda and like-minded groups others around the world, and I think it could be the moment that would instigate violent attacks against American targets unfortunately.

LEMON: All right, terrorism expert Peter Bergen joining us from telephone. Thank you so much.

PHILLIPS: I want to talk more about the condition of Senator Tim Johnson now. The South Dakota Democrat is in critical but stable condition this hour at a Washington hospital. He's recovering from surgery for bleeding in the brain. Doctors say he suffers from a condition that causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large and tangled. Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid has visited Johnson. He says Johnson, quote, "looks good." Reid also says that Johnson's illness has not affected planning for the next session of Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D), INCOMING MAJORITY LEADER: There isn't a thing that's changed. The Republicans selected their committees yesterday. We've completed ours. The -- I've very busy schedule today, going ahead and getting ready for next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Democrats will hold a 51/49 Senate majority when Congress returns next month. If Johnson isn't able to serve, however, South Dakota's Republican governor would appoint a successor, that would allow Republicans to hold to Senate control.

Now doctors say that Senator Johnson was born with a condition that caused the bleeding in his brain. So what is this condition? What's his prognosis for recovery? Earlier, I had a chance to speak with our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are a lot more details coming out specifically about what happened to the senator over the last 24 hours. First, they thought this was a stroke. And what they found subsequently was in fact this was an arteriovenous malformation. That's a big word. But basically in a nutshell what it means is that is you have a cluster of arteries and you have a cluster of veins, and they sort of tangle themselves together. People are usually born are it. And what happens is because you have fast-moving blood in those arteries, they can get into the veins and cause a bleed.

And that's what it looks like right there. You see at the top right of your screen there, that in fact is that tangled arteries and veins together, which can bleed and cause the problems that the senator's had over the last 24 hours now.

Now what was most fascinating, I think, to a lot of people -- and we're not trying to embarrass the senator by any means here, but is exactly how this thing first developed. He was actually on a phone call with some reporters. Here's how it sounded. I want to let you listen to it and then tell you what it means.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM JOHNSON: The money was -- was -- proposed to be -- a -- a -- provided a year ago. Uh, uh second, uh -- you know you, it -- it just is, is, is, frustrating that...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: I mean, you can see there, Kyra, just he was having trouble finding words at first, word-finding difficulties. And then he started to stammer and started to slur his speech a little bit. Again, not trying to embarrass him or his family at all, but this is something that people can look for in term of one of the earliest signs for a problem like that.

What has happened here, I want to show you my model of the brain really quickly, if you can take a look at that, is in the left part of the brain here. That's the part of the brain that's responsible for speech. There's also a little area of the brain here responsible for movement on the right side of the body. There was probably that bleeding that occurred in this area, a very important part of the brain, that caused the symptoms he had. He had surgery. He's recovering. They say the operation was successful, but it's going to take a while -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I know. You hear that tape, and it makes your heart sink, because it could happen to any of us. But how devastating could this be? Let's say he recovers. What could be the outcome?

GUPTA: Well, it's a great question. It's an important question. You know, with these AVMs or arteriovenous malformations, a lot of it is based on where they're located in the brain in terms of figuring out how someone is going to recover. What's concerning, I think, to doctors, neurosurgeons alike, is that this part of the brain where this seems to have occurred is a really important area of the brain. I mean, obviously, many important areas in the brain, but this area controls speech and controls movement.

So I think people are worried it's going to take some time for some of those functions to return. When we talk about recovery, typically what we're asking is when is the person going to be 100 percent? That could take months -- weeks and months, not hours and days, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, we'll stay on top of the case, that's for sure. Sanjay Gupta, thanks.

GUPTA: Thank you, Kyra.

LEMON: Well, not murder, they wrote. British police release their final report on the death of Princess Diana. Reaction from London next in the NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: Bet you they're already borrowing the bling in Beverly Hills. Nominees are announced for the annual Golden Globe Awards. We're going to name the names, straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Such a wordsmith.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We have a developing story. Let's check in with Carol Lin.

What do you have, Carol?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Out of Willingboro, New Jersey, Don, we're taking a look at a school quarantine. Students having been quarantined and a teacher hospitalized after that teacher opened up an envelope that was filled with some kind of mysterious, white powder.

Now, CNN has been able to confirm with the local hospital she did test negative for anthrax exposure and also exposure to smallpox, but they still don't know what that white powder is or who actually sent it. So we're keeping an eye on this situation. We're hoping to get to talk to somebody from the hospital where the teacher is being treated.

But about 425 students attend Garfield East Elementary School and many of those students -- most of those students were taken to a nearby school just as a precaution. You're looking at hazmat teams on the scene right now.

LEMON: All right. Carol Lin working on that developing story. We'll check back with you. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: No conspiracy, no cover up. The British police probe into the death of Princess Diana is officially out today. Conspiracy theories aside, it says her death in that car crash in Paris was an accident.

With more on that story now, live from London, CNN's Paula Hancocks -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

Well, it's been almost three years in the making, this report, and it has been very long-awaited. From Lord Stevens, the former head of the London police, he made it very clear today that with the 300- plus witnesses he had spoken to and the 832-page report, this was an accident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORD STEVENS, FORMER LONDON POLICE CHIEF: Our conclusion is that on the evidence available now, there was no conspiracy to murder any occupants of that car. This was a tragic accident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: He also said that he -- it had been proved to him through medical results, that Diana, Princess of Wales, was not pregnant at the time of her death, as had been rumored quite a bit over the last almost decade since her death. Also, he said it was conclusively proven that she was not engaged to Dodi Fayed, her boyfriend who died in the same car crash as her.

Now, we've heard a written statement from the princes this evening, from William and Harry, saying they thank Lord Stevens for his report, saying it's very thorough. And they also said that they hoped that this would bring an end to the conspiracy theories about the death of their mother.

Now, these conspiracy theories have been abounding for well over nine years now, but the one person who has not been pacified by this result is the father of Dodi Fayed. This is Mohammed Al Fayed. He gave a press conference a little earlier on, and he is saying exactly what he's been saying for the past decade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED AL FAYED, FATHER OF DODI FAYED: I mentioned this before and I am certain 100 percent that a leading member of the royal family have planned that and the whole plot being executed in his order with the help of member of MI6.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, Steven's report found basically exactly what the French inquiry found back in 1999, that the driver of the car, Henri Paul, who also died in that crash, was twice over the drunk driving limit and was also speeding through that tunnel in Paris back on August 31st, 1997.

Now, Lord Stevens also mentioned the fact there were many photographers, the paparazzi, who were chasing that car to get that picture of Dodi and Diana together. Now, he said that he didn't lay the blame at anybody's door, but the fact was, there were many different links in the chain. If one link had been taken out of that chain, then potentially Diana, Princess of Wales, would still be alive -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So, Paula, do you think Mohammed Al Fayed is going to go even farther with this and pursue more investigations and just not let it go?

HANCOCKS: At this point, it's clear that he's not going to be letting it go. In that press conference, he was adamant that this told us nothing. He said that he wanted to see a very public inquiry. He wanted to have a jury. He wanted all the evidence to be put to that jury in a public sense, so people of Britain and people of the world could decide whether or not there was anything more sinister to this accident.

Now, of course, this report was part of a wider inquest. The inquest is going to start with these preliminary hearings at the beginning of next year, probably about mid-January. And that will be in public. Now, it wasn't going to be in public until Mohammed Al Fayed kicked up a real fuss, and now it will be. So that will be very interesting to watch in just a month's time, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And we'll follow it. Paula Hancocks live from London, thanks.

LEMON: Straight ahead, entertainment news, and the nominee is Sibila Vargas of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." What's on tap?

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That's right, an early morning wake-up call, Don, and a good one for many stars in Hollywood. The nominations for the 64th annual Golden Globes were announced today. I'll have the details ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Tower of Babel. That's what the Golden Globe nominations are looking like. They were announced today. And CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas is standing by with all the juicy details. Tell us what happened.

VARGAS: Well, you know, we were all out in the crack of dawn this morning in Los Angeles. And a lot of Hollywood heavyweights received a very happy wake-up call.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS (voice-over: In any language, "Babel" translated into big news at the Golden Globes. The ensemble drama scored a leading seven nominations including Best Picture, Drama. Acting nominations went to three of "Babel's" supporting players -- Brad Pitt, Adriana Barraza, and Rinko Kikuchi

JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: I'm getting the feeling we got a cop in my crew. VARGAS: Competing with "Babel" for best drama are a couple other ensemble dramas, the gangland hit "The Departed" and "Bobby." Rounding out the category are "Little Children" and "The Queen."

SACHA BARON COHEN, ACTOR: She is No. 4 prostitute in all of Kazakhstan. Nice.

VARGAS: For "Borat" the news was nice. The outrageous fictional account of a Kazak journalist coming to America earned a nomination for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. It will go against "The Devil Wears Prada," "Little Miss Sunshine," "Thank You for Smoking" and the one true musical in the category "Dreamgirls.

(SINGING)

VARGAS (on camera): At the Golden Globe nominations, good news came in twos and threes for some of the Hollywood's biggest names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, and Helen Mirren.

(voice-over): DiCaprio earned two nominations for Best Actor Drama, one for "Blood Diamond" and the other for the "The Departed. He's the first actor in Globes history to compete against himself in the same category.

Helen Mirren scored three nominations -- one for Best Actress Drama in "The Queen" and two more for TV movies. And Clint Eastwood became the first director to garner two nominations in the same year, one for "Flags of Our Fathers" and another for "Letters from Iwo Jima."

"Letters from Iwo Jima," which is almost entirely in Japanese, is nominated as Best Foreign Language Film. Up against it in that category, Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto." By rule, neither is eligible for Best Drama.

Gibson's nomination is raising some Hollywood eyebrows because it comes just months after his anti-Semitic rant during a DUI arrest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm okay, I'm fine.

VARGAS: In the TV categories, newcomer "Heroes" is in the running for Best Drama, along with "Lost," "24," "Big Love," and "Grey's Anatomy." For TV comedy, the contenders are "Desperate Housewives," "Entourage," "The Office," "Weeds," and newcomer "Ugly Betty."

"Ugly Betty" and all the beautiful people will be on hand when the Golden Globes are presented January 15.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: It was an exciting morning, indeed. And my list of must-see movies has doubled. It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it. The trophies for the 64th annual Golden Globes will be handed out on January 15th on NBC. Now shifting gears, tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," Rosie's sorry. Why Rosie O'Donnell is now apologizing to outraged Asians for what she said on "The View." Why the starling the about-face? The inside story on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," 11:00 p.m. Eastern on Headline Prime.

LEMON: Whoa, whoa, did you bury the lead there. Now that is interesting as well. You got so much going on, you're going to come back and tell us about some other stars, right?

VARGAS: Yes, I will tell you about "Dreamgirls" and you might even get me to sing, but you might not want me to.

LEMON: We'll see. Get those pipes ready.

VARGAS: Well, Kyra likes it.

PHILLIPS: I love it when Sibila sings. I'm telling you, it drives the men crazy around here. Especially Scott, our director, he falls off his chair.

LEMON: We'll see.

VARGAS: Oh my gosh, you're making me blush, stop.

PHILLIPS: You should. See you in a little bit, Sibila.

VARGAS: OK.

PHILLIPS: We're going to take a little bit of a turn here and talk about -- well, did he force a 14-year-old girl to marry her older cousin? We're at the hearing that could determine the future prosecution of a accused polygamist. CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us with the latest just ahead.

LEMON; Did he see a Beatle widow as his ticket to ride? Yoko Ono's chauffeur is charged with making death threats in a bid to get her money. But he says Ono made sexual advances at him. The latest twists in a strange story that's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com