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American Morning
Climber Rescue Mission; Dow Rally; Rumsfeld's Farewell; Prince's Parade; Plane Parachute; Minding Your Business
Aired December 15, 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: No way out. The search for three stranded climbers derailed by hurricane-force winds and now discouraging news overnight about a cell phone signal.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Breast cancer break-throughs. Researchers say they think they know why fewer women are being diagnosed with breast cancer. And some new insight about what fuels cancer cells.
M. O'BRIEN: Holiday cheer on Wall Street. The Dow Jones making history this morning and that could be making you some money.
S. O'BRIEN: And exit strategy. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld leaves the Pentagon today. We'll see if he's celebrating or if he's slipping out the side door on this AMERICAN MORNING. Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's Friday, December 15th. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us.
We begin in the thin, cold air of Oregon's highest peak and the discouraging news overnight from the sheriff's office. Turns out there was not a clear cell phone signal as late as Tuesday from one of the climbers. And a wall of wicked weather could again stop rescuers from making a move to find the missing men. CNN's Chris Lawrence in Parkdale, Oregon, with more.
Good morning, Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
We spoke with some of the rescue teams as they were coming off the mountain last night. They are so frustrated by all that wind, ice and snow. They say it's like a brick wall that just won't let them climb any higher.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE, (voice over): A beacon of hope in a grueling search for three missing climbers. Authorities said they detected a new cell phone signal on Tuesday from Kelly James, who was believed to be tucked in a snow cave near the summit.
FRANK JAMES, KELLY JAMES' BROTHER: My heart was in my throat when I heard that because if it's true, it means that Kelly is alive and that he has his wits about him. LAWRENCE: But there has been no sign of the other two who apparently left the cave Saturday looking for help.
KAREN JAMES, KELLY JAMES' WIFE: Our spirits are still high. 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.
LAWRENCE: The brutal weather, including avalanche warnings, kept even the most experienced rescue crews well below the 10,000 foot level where James is stuck.
DEPUTY CHRIS GUERTIN, HOOD RIVER CO. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: We don't have really much of an idea where Mr. Hall and Mr. Cooke are at right now. They could be up at the top with Mr. James. They could be in a snow cave down lower. That's why we're kind of continuing some of our lower elevation searches for snow cave or whatever signs we come up with.
LAWRENCE: The U.S. military and FBI have joined the local search. Rescuers also have high-tech drones that can detect body heat. But hurricane-force winds grounded the aerial search on Thursday. Despite the grim conditions, Kelly James' wife is not giving up.
K. JAMES: 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: The family was very encouraged by that ping because they thought that it could be Kelly James turning that cell phone off and on. The sheriff's department now says it's more likely that it was just a dying battery or perhaps even a randomly roaming signal that just momentarily hit a receiver.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Chris Lawrence in Oregon. Thank you.
That blizzard at Mount Hood just a side dish for a heaping plateful of stormy weather across the Pacific Northwest. Those hurricane-force winds leaving 350,000 electric customers in the dark this morning in Oregon. Flooding bringing traffic to a crawl in Seattle. So far three deaths are blamed on the storm, which brings us to our severe weather expert, Chad Myers, in the Weather Center.
Chad, you've been talking about this storm all week.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Some encouraging, actually pretty stunning news to tell you about this morning in the fight against breast cancer. The number of cases falling dramatically and some researchers say they think they know why. 2002 to 2003, the number of women diagnosed with the most common form of breast cancer dropped 15 percent. Now if you take a look at the timing, the decline came after doctors started warning women that hormone replacement therapy could be increasing the breast cancer risk. So millions of women immediately stopped taking hormone replacement therapy, which was commonly prescribed for symptoms of menopause, and doctors say that might actually be the link that might have stopped the hormones from fueling those cancer cells. We're going to talk to Sanjay about this later this morning.
Wall Street this morning. Investors are hoping to keep their holiday hot streak alive. The Dow opens at an all-time high today. AMERICAN MORNING's Ali Velshi's got more for us on that.
Hey, Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
What a week it's been. Yesterday the Dow closed at another record for the 20th time this year -- 12,342 was the number. Why? Because it's been a stunning week. On Monday we had more merger and acquisition news that United Airlines is looking at merging with Continental. Markets like that sort of thing. On Tuesday, the Fed didn't raise interest rates. On ,Wednesday we heard that with 10 more days of shopping left, it's been a good holiday season so far. And yesterday we had unusually low unemployment claims. So all of that leads together to a strong market.
There is more to this story. Today we're looking at inflation numbers. And if those numbers are high, that could break this streak. But right now we are looking at the 20th closing high for the Dow and it's affecting markets around the world. I'll tell you about that later.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you, Ali.
Uncle Sam wants you. The Army admitting it is at a breaking point. The man in charge, General Peter Schoomaker, saying the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are stretching the ranks dangerously thin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. PETER SCHOOMAKER, U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: As it currently stands, the Army is incapable of generating and sustaining the required forces to wage the global war on terror and fulfill all other operational requirements without its components, active guard and reserve, working together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Schoomaker wants to make it easier to call reserve troops to the front lines. He's also telling Congress he'd like to add 6,000 to 7,000 active duty soldiers a year. No small request. Every time the Army adds 10,000 troops, it costs the taxpayers about a billion dollars. Today marks the end of an era at the Pentagon. Donald Rumsfeld's hail and farewell. Some of the biggest names in Washington will be there to mark the occasion. CNN's Jamie McIntyre reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Donald Rumsfeld said a formal good-bye to Pentagon employees a week ago at a Pentagon town hall meeting. He took a surprise visit to Iraq to say good-bye firsthand to the troops, and he's also taped a message to troops that was broadcast around the world.
Today, the Pentagon says good-bye to him in a formal military honors ceremony that will be attended by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and senior members of the administration, as well as all the members of the Joint Chiefs. It will be a day of pomp and pageantry, the way the U.S. military can only do it, on one of the plazas outside the Pentagon here as they'll say final farewell to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Rumsfeld will technically remain secretary of defense over the weekend until his successor, Bob Gates, is sworn in on Monday.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: New this morning.
In Iraq, Senator John McCain is leading a group of senators through Baghdad and now southern Iraq. Senator McCain repeating his claim that Iraq needs an additional 15,000 to 30,000 American troops to help get control of the unrelenting sectarian violence there.
And the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, is rejecting one of the keystone recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. Secretary Rice says the U.S. should avoid asking Syria and Iran for help stabilizing Iraq. That's according to "The Washington Post." Rice tells the paper, the U.S. doesn't want Syria to gain influence in Lebanon or Iran to have nuclear weapons in exchange for peace in Iraq.
And a major indicator of Iran's political climate lies in the ballot box at this hour. Iranians are casting their votes. It happened earlier today. They're still being tallied, though, now. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not on the ballot, but the vote will show if the majority of Iranians still support his regime.
Queen Elizabeth II is kind of playing a proud grandma this morning outside of London. Britain's Prince William is graduating from the elite Sandhurst Military Academy. He is an army officer now. CNN's Paula Newton is live for us this morning from Sandhurst.
Good morning to you, Paula.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. He is, indeed, on the parade ground awaiting the arrival of the queen, his grandmother. I can tell you, she went by me already this morning. She is beaming, as is the entire family today.
He will become second lieutenant Wales. And although he's always said that he just wanted to be a normal rank and file soldier, everyone knows that he'll be anything but. This is a historic moment. He will, one day, be king. That means he will be in charge of the entire armed forces.
And some serious questions here, too, Soledad, the big debate is whether or not he'll serve in places like Afghanistan. Most people are thinking that he will not. Prince William himself has always said he didn't want to be wrapped up in cotton wool, but this will be a debate that will go on here for the next few years.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Paula Newton live for us this morning from the ceremony. Thank you, Paula.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning.
Some new rules to prevent terrorists from using trains as a way to attack us. The Department of Homeland Security tightening rules for railcars carrying toxic chemicals. Homeland Security to recommend today more inspections and more secure rail yards. It does not recommend trains carrying toxic freight being rerouted to avoid major cities, however.
Senator Tim Johnson still in critical condition but responding to his wife's voice and we're told he doesn't need any additional surgery right now. The South Dakota Democrat suffered a stroke on Wednesday and underwent emergency brain surgery. Concerns about his health have a political dimension. If he resigns, the new Senate could shift to Republican control.
All clear for E. Coli at Taco Bell. The outbreak that sickened 71 people has apparently run its course. Government health inspectors suspect the bacteria was spread by tainted lettuce, but the investigation isn't over yet.
You remember the case of Natalie Holloway, the teenager who disappeared in May of 2005 while on a trip to Aruba. Her parents are now suing two brothers, residents of Aruba, who were once suspects in the case for wrongful death. The parents's suit coming a day after the brothers filed their own slander and liable suit against TV's Dr. Phil.
Another twist in that Duke lacrosse team rape case. Apparently the woman who accused three players of raping her at a party is a mother again, nine months after the alleged attack. CNN affiliate WRAL in Raleigh reports that she gave birth last night. Hours earlier, attorneys for the accused players filed a motion saying the woman misidentified her alleged attackers in a photo lineup.
Investigators this morning searching for the cause of a small plane crash in Montgomery, New York, about 60 miles north of New York City. The pilot killed yesterday shortly after takeoff. Witnesses say the plane appeared to have trouble gaining altitude before crashing into a swamp.
S. O'BRIEN: Folks at Zoo Atlanta are playing the name game today. This morning zoo officials announced the name of their 100 day old panda cub. Oh, so cute, so furry. Of course it's going to happen during the traditional Chinese naming ceremony. The cub is the only panda born at a U.S. zoo this year.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: More to come. Stories we're following for you this morning.
Hurricane force winds, flooding rains, blizzard warnings, a powerful storm pounding the Northwest. Our severe weather expert, Chad Myers, has exactly what you need to know and what you can expect today.
And parachutes. They're a life saver, but can they be a plane saver as well? We'll tell you about a new device that is saving lives. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Top stories we're following for you this morning.
The defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, leaves the Pentagon today with a pomp-filled ceremony. It's planned for this morning.
And terrible weather is expected to prevent searchers from scaling Oregon's Mount Hood. They're looking for those three stranded climbers. Today they face winds that could be gusting 120 miles an hour and near whiteout conditions on that mountain. Look at these -- this is videotape from Wednesday. Condition now are significantly worse.
Fifteen minutes past the hour. That means it's time for a weather update and Chad at the CNN Center.
You now, Chad, in all seriousness, those pictures, the videotape we've been showing from Wednesday's rescue attempt looks so bad. And then you think it's so much worse today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Check out this footage, Chad, don't go away. Seattle is our dateline. Check out this footage. A wild crossway (ph) landing. It's a Northwest 757, as he's coming in. Take a look. Whoa, whoa, whoa, not a good situation. OK, full thrust, boys, let's go around. That's exactly what you were just talking about. Let's watch it one more time.
S. O'BRIEN: That was just wind affecting them?
M. O'BRIEN: Gusty crosswinds. And, you know, the thing is, I mean, you know, these planes are able to -- they're demonstrated crosswind capabilities are like 40 knots are so, but you were saying -- what are the crosswinds there, Chad, roughly?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, they were 21, gusting to 69 right there in the mountain.
M. O'BRIEN: See, he might have gotten in a crosswind that exceeded his capability. Boom. I've got to tell you, those passengers . . .
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, that's horrifying. If you're a planing on that plane, that has got to be horrifying.
M. O'BRIEN: Some white knuckles. Well, and the pilots, too, were not having a great day either. But anyway . . .
MYERS: They were the first ones to see it.
M. O'BRIEN: They went around and they landed just fine.
Not a good day for pilots of small planes to take flight in the Northwest, that's for sure. More and more pilots of little planes are asking themselves, what color is their parachute.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN, (voice over): It was a beautiful day for flying. Ernst Kuehne (ph) of Nuse (ph), Germany, was piloting his small two- seater 1,000 feet above some idyllic French countryside near the town of Gap (ph). In an instant, it became a pilot's worst nightmare. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an airplane climbing right toward him.
ERNST KUEHNE: So what I did, pulled it a little bit. So then you see the video, something happened. I believe it was a rope in my propeller.
M. O'BRIEN: It sure was. He was ensnared in a cable used by a plane towing a glide. He was dropping like a stone. So what did he do?
KUEHNE: The first -- I did was switch off the engine. And immediately afterwards, pulled the parachute.
M. O'BRIEN: A parachute not just for him, but for his whole plane. He wafted into an orchard and walked away without a scratch.
KUEHNE: I can't understand how it was so, but it was so. It was a moment which I think very, very much adrenaline.
M. O'BRIEN: Ernst was saved by a rocket-propelled parachute system for airplanes made by Ballistic Recovery Systems of St. Paul, Minnesota. The company claims the chutes have saved 199 lives.
JOHN GILMORE, VP, BRS PARACHUTES: The technology over 25 years has grown from hand gliding industry, light sport industry, ultralights, to really current single engine, four passenger aircraft.
M. O'BRIEN: Cirrus Designs is the first company to build general aviation airplanes with BRS parachutes as standard equipment. Cirrus owner Lionel Morrison is sure glad he had it four years ago when a piece of his wing fell off in mid flight.
LIONEL MORRISON, SMALL PLANE PILOT: Got the plane under control after losing almost 1,000 feet in altitude, was able to take it out to a remote area where I deployed the parachute, and, of course, floated to safety and, you know, the rest is history.
M. O'BRIEN: Lionel is pretty sure that chute saved his life.
MORRISON: Obviously, without the parachute, I would have had no choice but to try to land it and I just don't know how that would have turned out.
M. O'BRIEN: Lionel is back in the air again with an identical plane and Ernst rebuilt his little bird himself. And, of course, installed a new chute before he took flight again.
Do you think that you are alive today because of that parachute?
KUEHNE: Yes. Hundred percent. Hundred percent.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: The parachutes cost between $3,000 and $20,000, depending on which plane you're putting it into. Of course, when you ask Lionel or Ernst about it . . .
S. O'BRIEN: Worth every penny.
M. O'BRIEN: You know, it's like the credit card commercial, priceless, right? There is -- yes . . .
S. O'BRIEN: Why was he rolling -- I mean he obviously he was rolling videotape on the day that he got caught in that tow line. Why?
M. O'BRIEN: He was just having fun out with his pals and just put the video up on his instrument panel there just to record his flight and caught this amazing thing.
S. O'BRIEN: Do they train you -- do you have that in your plane?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, I do. And I have it my -- I have a Cirrus. And you -- there's a simulator where you pull the thing. It takes about 90 pounds of pressure. You don't want to do it in the real thing because it's a one-time deal.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, that's scary. All right. Ahead this morning, more on Wall Street's hot streak. Ali Velshi's going to tell us if this rally's going to last or not. He's "Minding Your Business" straight ahead.
And we'll tell you about the man who made Mick Jagger and Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles and so many others household names. The man behind the music, straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR, "RAY": I met a better pal that (ph) the work could be done here together, but Atlantic has done pretty good, money wise, on my records, haven't they?
CURTIS ARMSTRONG, ACTOR, "RAY": Yes, we've done very well, Ray.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: That's actor Curtis Armstrong. He's playing the music pioneer Ahmet Ertegun, along with Jamie Foxx, who was Ray Charles in the film "Ray" back in 2004. Ertegun died on Thursday. He was 83 years old. He had been in a coma for weeks after he fell back in October and hit his head. He was at a Rolling Stones concert. He's the son of a Turkish ambassador, founded Atlantic Records back in 1947. And take a look at his legacy, which will, of course, include all the famous people he signed -- Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin. The list goes on and on. Here's just a sample.
(MUSIC CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: And the list of people that he signed or produced or discovered, I mean, listen to this -- Otis Redding, Bette Midler, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Booker T., the Bee Gees, Led Zeppelin, Charlie Mingus, Roberta Flack, the Spinners, the Allman Brothers, Genesis, Foreigner, P Towns (ph) and Stevie Nicks, Buffalo Springfield, Tori Amos, Phil Collins. I mean the list goes on.
M. O'BRIEN: Wow.
S. O'BRIEN: Unbelievable. He was 81 years old. He's going to be buried now, they say, in his native Turkey. Hard to believe.
M. O'BRIEN: The biggest music genius you probably haven't heard of but what an amazing record of finding stars.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, talk about having the golden touch . . .
M. O'BRIEN: I should say.
S. O'BRIEN: Or a very good ear at the very least.
M. O'BRIEN: I should say, the golden ear.
S. O'BRIEN: That's it.
M. O'BRIEN: Ali Velshi is here. We have some news on the Apple front. Apple restating its earnings.
Good morning, Ali.
VELSHI: Good morning, Miles.
This is a bit of an issue. We knew for some time that Apple had identified stock options granting problem in the past. But what has happened now is Apple has just reported -- and we are trying to confirm this right now. But Apple is going to delay the filing of its annual financial report because of the investigation into its stock options practices. Apple says that it is trying to figure out how much and when these things happened.
Now this is a big deal because, for investors, these are public companies owned by investors. And for investors, the only way they know how these companies are doing are by their quarterly and annual reports. Yesterday we heard Dell say that it is again going to delay the filing of its quarterly report because of investigation into its financial and accounting practices. Dell still hasn't fired its second quarter report. So it's way behind.
Now these are two massive, big, trusted names in the technology industry. You've got to think that between these two things and the investigation or the questions going to Hewlett-Packard's CEO Mark Hurd about stock options and when he exercised them, today might turn out to be a little rougher day for technology stocks than we might have expected. We'll keep an eye on this and confirm this information as soon as we have it.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Ali, thank you very much.
A quick look at some of the stories we're following for you this morning.
In Oregon, the blizzard, those white-out conditions. Gusts that are ranging from 70 miles an hour to maybe 120 miles an hour. It's making things impossible for rescuers who are trying to get to those three missing climbers. We're going to update you on that rescue mission straight ahead.
Plus, the big news we've been telling you about in the fight against breast cancer. Big, big drop in breast cancer cases. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's going to come by and tell us why, straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: A wall of bad weather and some dashed hopes. Hurricane-force winds delay the search for those stranded climbers. Disappointing news overnight about a cell phone signal.
S. O'BRIEN: A big breakthrough in fighting breast cancer potentially. Fewer women, many fewer women are getting the disease. And this morning some doctors think they know why.
M. O'BRIEN: And what makes us crazy for cute? Answers with the help of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's adorable daughter -- not seen there.
S. O'BRIEN: She was. She was.
M. O'BRIEN: And a famous new panda cub on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Under the category of they're all cute.
M. O'BRIEN: All cute, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's Friday, December 15th.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin this morning on Mt. Hood, where the search for those three missing climbers is truly growing more desperate and much more difficult.
CNN's Chris Lawrence is in Parkdale, Oregon, for us this morning.
Good morning, Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
You know, it has been one disappointment after another. There are nearly 100 miles per hour wind gusts up on -- near the higher elevations on that mountain. That is like standing in the middle of a hurricane on a freezing cold, icy mountain, to give you an idea of what it would be like for the rescue teams up there.
And in addition to that, once the winds at times have died down, they were able to launch a few of the heat-seeking drones, the unmanned drones, but because of the ice, the snow, so much precipitation, the lenses weren't able to capture much so they had to be called back. Again, just another disappointment.
Now, two of the climbers, Brian Hall and Nikko Cooke, descended down the mountain on Saturday, looking for help for their friend, Kelly James. Now, those two have not been heard from since.
Kelly James is believed to be somewhat near the summit, around 10,000 feet. Now, they got a ping from his cell phone on Tuesday. The sheriff's department believes more than likely it was simply a dying battery or a roaming signal that momentarily hit a signal. But the family is still holding out hope that James himself may have turned that phone off and on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANK JAMES, KELLY JAMES BROTHER: It's hard, and I'm not going to pretend that it's not. There are tears. We are holding each other up. We've gathered together for prayer.
These are strong people. I've said this before. These are three very strong men, very experienced climbers. But they come from very good stock. And the families are strong, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Right now, the rescue teams are set up on both sides of the mountain. If the weather breaks, if they got the go-ahead, it would be about a four to six-hour climb to get up to that elevation -- Miles.
S. O'BRIEN: I hope they get that break that they need, Chris. That is just a tough, tough thing there. All right. Thanks.
And ahead, we're going to be talking to family members of the missing climbers about the search and how they're holding up today as they get bad news about the weather. And, of course, not great news about that cell phone signal either.
That blizzard on Mt. Hood literally is exactly what they do not need right now. The hurricane-force winds have also left 350,000 electric customers in the dark this morning in Oregon. And you can see there some of the damage, not on the mountain, but down a little bit lower. The flooding has brought traffic to a crawl in Seattle, Washington, and so far three deaths have been blamed on that storm.
Let's get to Chad Myers. He has got a look for us at half past the hour, what's happening there and across the country as well.
Good morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Uncle Sam wants you. The Army admitting it's at a breaking point. The man in charge, General Peter Schoomaker, saying the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are stretching the ranks dangerously thin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. PETER SCHOOMAKER, U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: As it currently stands, the Army is incapable of generating and sustaining the required forces to wage the global war on terror and fulfill all other operational requirements without its components, active guard and reserve, working together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Schoomaker wants to make it easier to call reserve troops on to the front lines. He is also telling Congress he would like to add 6,000 to 7,000 active duty soldiers a year. No small request. Each time the Army adds 10,000 troops it costs taxpayers about $1 billion. The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, as he once famously said, but today, some evidence of Donald Rumsfeld's absence from the secretary of defense office at the Pentagon. Today his last official day in that job. President Bush will be there to see him off with a military review in Rumsfeld's honor this afternoon.
New this morning, Iraq's vice president asking the U.S. to set a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Tariq al- Hashemi saying the timetable should be flexible, but America has done its job and needs to turn things over to the Iraqis.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rejecting one of the keystone recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. Rice says the U.S. should avoid asking Syria and Iran for help stabilizing Iraq. This according to "The Washington Post." Secretary Rice telling the paper the U.S. doesn't want Syria to gain influence in Lebanon or Iran to have nuclear weapons in exchange for peace in Iraq.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening "In America" this morning, in Washington, South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson is responding to his wife's voice, doesn't need any additional surgery. That's according to his doctors. And, of course, a big relief for his family members and his friends. The 59-year-old Johnson underwent brain surgery on Wednesday night.
And concerns about his health have a big political dimension as well. If he has to resign because of health, the new Senate could shift to Republican control.
Another twists in that Duke lacrosse team rape case. Apparently, the woman who accused three players of raping her at a party is a mother again. Kind of interesting timing, because this comes nine months after the alleged attack, approximately.
CNN affiliate WRAL in Raleigh is reporting that the woman gave birth last night, and hours earlier attorneys for the accused players filed a motion saying that the woman misidentified her alleged attackers in a photo lineup.
In New York City, caught on tape. Take a look at this.
A stray bullet. Can you see that there? Let's re-rack that and run it again.
You will see a bullet comes -- if you watch on the right side there. The cops start running. The bullet -- this is from the night that 23-year-old Sean Bell was killed, right before his wedding.
Let's run this shot again so people can see it. Look at that. A little puff of smoke, that's a bullet comes crashing through.
There's somebody there who drops his bag and runs. And you can see the police officers grab their weapons and they head right outside.
This is from inside a Queens train station, just about half a block away from where the shooting and killing of Sean Bell took place. Luckily, nobody at this train station was seriously hurt. We obviously know how it ended for Sean Bell.
Take a look in Florida, this videotape. Yes, no shoppers. That's a car going through the Altamonte Mall.
M. O'BRIEN: Wow.
S. O'BRIEN: And then watch as it plunges down. Yes, right here.
M. O'BRIEN: Jeez.
S. O'BRIEN: It doesn't bother to take the escalator. It just falls off it.
Believe it or not, the driver was not seriously injured. I'm always amazed when we say that. You know, horrifying pictures, and the driver wasn't seriously injured.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh my god. Look at that.
S. O'BRIEN: But police think that this was an intentional suicide attempt. Can you believe that?
M. O'BRIEN: No. Unbelievable.
Health news this morning. Researchers say breast cancer rates dropped by 7 percent in 2003. They think there's a link between that steep decline and the millions of women who stopped taking hormone replacement pills about a year earlier.
Dr. Gupta will have a "House Call" for us -- top of the hour on that.
Coming up on the program, the latest on that nasty storm that is pounding the Northwest. Severe weather expert Chad Myers has the forecast for you.
And who's cuter, baby Brangelina or a baby panda cub? What are they going to name that panda cub? We'll look at the science of cuteness ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: This morning, that little baby panda in Zoo Atlanta is 100 days old, and you know what that means then, right?
M. O'BRIEN: Time to name it.
S. O'BRIEN: That's right.
M. O'BRIEN: Ooh, gosh, she's kind of unhappy about it, though. Did you see that?
S. O'BRIEN: I thought that was a sneeze. Was it a snap?
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, it was a sneeze. A cute little sneeze.
S. O'BRIEN: No, maybe it was a snap. I don't know.
It's time for the traditional Chinese naming ceremony that happens at the 100-day mark. The voting on 10 names closed on Sunday. The cute little panda cub is the only one that was born in U.S. this year.
And then how about this for cute? "People" magazine has new pictures of little baby Shiloh. That, of course, is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's little baby. In fact, in the magazine they have pictures of the whole family.
M. O'BRIEN: She is so cute.
S. O'BRIEN: It's a cute family, I've got to tell you.
M. O'BRIEN: You know, it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Angelina Jolie's lips are real, because...
S. O'BRIEN: Angelina Jolie's lips are -- no one doubted they were real. She's had those lips since she was a child.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, I wasn't sure. Nobody told me. I just was curious. You know? And now I know.
S. O'BRIEN: You've got to come to the source, man.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
S. O'BRIEN: But, you know, there is a science behind what makes people crazy for cute. And Jeanne Moos has our report on that this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sure hope Shiloh isn't shy, because her face is plastered all over the place
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lips, the nose, the eyes, the everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MOOS: But all this rhapsodizing about the Brangelina baby got us wondering.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How can you define cute?
MOOS: It's that thing that makes you go...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.
MOOS: But there is a science to cute, and a poster child is the panda bear. For instance, the cub at Washington's National Zoo.
(on camera): Which one is cuter to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The baby panda.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The panda.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, that panda bear is so cute.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a cute baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I love children, but I think the panda is just so cute. Look at the eyes.
MOOS (voice over): Researchers say humans react to forward- facing eyes set low on a big, round face, with prominent ears, floppy limbs, and a waddling gate. No wonder folks seem attracted to penguins, both real and animated.
They say cuteness stimulates the same pleasure centers in the brain that are aroused by sex, food and drugs. We say "ah" over the pandas. Photographers even said "ah" over a wax version of the Brangelina baby introduced at Madame Tussauds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That baby is very cute.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably the panda because the baby is going to turn into a disgusting teenager.
MOOS: Researchers say humans react to the vulnerability of the young.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he kind of shows a vulnerable side.
MOOS: Which is good for evolution, since it brings out protective instincts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold it. Hold it.
MOOS: There are Web sites devoted to cute, like Cute Overload, which features nothing but cute pictures and videos that people submit. Sleepiness seems to add to the vulnerability we find so appealing.
There's even a section for cute products. And who doesn't see the round face factor in cute cars like the VW Bug and the Mini?
The opposite of cute overload is ugly overload, featuring cow tongues and bats, not to mention El Pacas (ph). But sometimes homeliness can be cute.
One of the most popular stories I have ever done was on Sam, the three-time winner of the ugliest dog contest, now deceased. And as for the smackdown between the panda and the Brangelina baby...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This bear is much cuter than that baby. I know that baby cries. And that bear, well, he just looks too damn cute. MOOS: ... the panda won, 16-12, a vote not worth losing sleep over.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: I don't know. I vote for the baby. Those little lips? That's a cute...
M. O'BRIEN: It's the cutest baby ever.
S. O'BRIEN: All babies are cute, but that's a very cute baby.
M. O'BRIEN: What are they going to name the panda?
S. O'BRIEN: Why, funny you should ask.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes?
S. O'BRIEN: It could be Xiao Tao, Mei Tao, Mei Lan, Mei Li, Mei Xing, Ping Bao, Cheng Ya, Ming Yue, Chang Jiang and Tai Ji.
M. O'BRIEN: But wait, wait, wait. My favorite, "hi y'all," is not on there? It's Atlanta. Hi, y'all, right?
S. O'BRIEN: No, it didn't make it this year.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. It's 45 minutes past the hour. You know what that means.
S. O'BRIEN: Chad.
M. O'BRIEN: Chad Myers.
Hello, Chad.
S. O'BRIEN: Hey, Chad.
M. O'BRIEN: Hi y'all? You don't like that? No?
MYERS: Hi y'all?
M. O'BRIEN: Hi y'all. Hi y'all.
MYERS: Y'all hi. Maybe that.
S. O'BRIEN: Please. Stop, the two of you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, the Hollywood Squares of news. We will check the grid and see what's streaming in to CNN as we speak.
And more fighting between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza today, pushing Palestinians closer to civil war. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Welcome back. Let's take a look at the grid, watch some feeds that we are tracking for you this morning.
Take a look at Chris Lawrence's live shot location in Oregon. This is very near Mt. Hood, where that search is under way for those three missing climbers. But you can see the snow coming through there.
A tremendous storm all throughout the Northwest.
As a matter of fact, Brad, let's go up to incoming 18.
That's Chad's radar there. That big blue swathe just represents a tremendous amount of precipitation. Winds in the triple digits, flooding, power is out for 350,000 customers in Oregon alone. Really a wild weather, El Nino-driven weather system there.
We are watching that for you, of course.
Incoming 17, that's a live signal from Prince William's passing out ceremony -- passing out. That doesn't mean he had -- he imbibed too much. That actually is graduation for him, along with 464 other cadets as they receive their commission to the Royal -- Royal Army? Royal Army, right? Yes.
Anyway -- and what else do we have? NASA is -- a down day for the space shuttle crew. They had a successful spacewalk yesterday, were able to plug in some of the -- half of the power lines, which is the main job for them on this mission. So they'll take a day off.
Check out the picture of the day here today. This comes to us from AP.
This is an Iraq war veteran, Andy Shober (ph), hugging his fiancee, Leslie Morton (ph). And this is the annual wreath-laying.
Every time I see this, I get a little misty. There's a wreath- laying. It started out very quietly years ago. These wreaths just appeared on tombs at Arlington National Cemetery.
The word has spread, and this year, 600 people just showed up and helped put those wreaths out. A picture to remember and a poignant picture of the day -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Here's a look now at stories that CNN correspondents around the world are covering today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: I'm Robin Oakley, reporting from Brussels, where British Prime Minister Tony Blair will be the focus of attention for all the wrong reasons. Mr. Blair has been questioned by British police over whether British political parties have been accepting payments from peerages, whether they have been illegally concealing gifts from rich men by persuading them to describe them as loans. Whether or not there are charges at the end of the day, Mr. Blair's reputation has taken another knock.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Ben Wedeman in Jerusalem.
Gaza is bracing for more trouble following the violent return of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Israel tried to prevent Haniyeh from crossing into Gaza with what was described as dozens of millions of dollars donated to the Hamas-led government.
Haniyeh left the cash in Egypt, but shortly after crossing over, his convoy came under fire. One of his bodyguards was killed and among the wounded was his 27-year-old son.
Hamas claims it was an assassination attempt by forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Tensions between Hamas and its rival, the Fatah movement, have reached an all-time high, with Gaza now peering into the abyss of what many fear could be a Palestinian civil war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Vause in Beijing.
U.S. officials have little to show after two days of talks here. While Chinese officials have agreed to be "more flexible" with their undervalued currency, they gave no timetable for change. China's currency has been a major issue with the United States, arguing it's kept artificially weak, making Chinese exports cheaper, giving them an unfair advantage over American manufacturers. Some congressional lawmakers are demanding immediate action to correct a massive U.S. trade deficit with China, set to top $200 billion U.S. again this year.
(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: Still to come, an update on those climbers missing in Oregon. The conditions are just terrible, historically bad weather. Some cell phone signals may not be beacons of hope after all.
Plus, a major recall involving one of the year's hottest holiday gifts. A story we first told you about here, problems with the Wii hand controller. Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business" ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: It is top of the hour, almost, and we hate to say we told you so, but Miles told you so. I mean, Miles really did tell you so. And Nintendo now announcing a big recall...
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: ... after Miles demonstrated just how dangerous that Wii thing...
VELSHI: You saved them. You saved the game.
S. O'BRIEN: Good work, Miles.
VELSHI: Miles did the demo. I think we've got pictures of this.
Miles did this demonstration of how the strap which attaches to the wand on the new Nintendo Wii -- the wand allows you to, like, swing around -- that's not Miles, but close enough.
S. O'BRIEN: No.
M. O'BRIEN: Imagine me.
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: Yes, that's -- all right. Well, Miles did do a story...
M. O'BRIEN: Imagine me doing this and this.
VELSHI: ... which was involved -- you can swing this thing, and it's like swinging a bat or a club, or whatever the case is, or boxing, as Miles was doing, but the strap attaching to this little device, the remote controller on the Wii, was breaking. Lots of reports of it breaking. We did this story; now Nintendo is announcing it is recalling 3.2 million of these straps.
S. O'BRIEN: What's the problem? It's just the straps too small?
VELSHI: Too thin. Too thin. They're -- it was six-tenths of a centimeter. It's now going to be double that size.
They're going to replace the strap with a thicker strap. Not a major undertaking. Too late to get it onto the shelves. Too late for those of you who have bought it. But Nintendo will replace it for everybody who has bought them.
If you are on your way out to buy one, don't worry about it. You'll get it with the wrong straps. Nintendo will figure out -- I'm sure it's like a Web thing, that they'll let you send it back.
M. O'BRIEN: So we saved gamers from injury.
VELSHI: Unbelievable.
M. O'BRIEN: We saved thousands of plasma screen TVs.
VELSHI: Now, Miles, if you're just saving folks, there's probably a good list of folk we can give you. But I'm glad you saved the game.
M. O'BRIEN: Give me another list and I will get on it.
VELSHI: Yes. The gamers are hardy, though. They stand in line overnight, rain and snow. But we'll get you a list of people you can save.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. Good work on the game.
M. O'BRIEN: All right.
VELSHI: Very good. Congratulations.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm proud of you.
M. O'BRIEN: Good job on the...
VELSHI: Yes, we got the -- I got the memo on the tie this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Ali.
S. O'BRIEN: Coming up on the top of the hour. Let's get right to Chad. He's got an update on our big weather story this morning.
Good morning, Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Race against time. The search for those missing climbers coming up against another setback today. Families are speaking out.
S. O'BRIEN: Breast cancer breakthrough. Researchers think they know why fewer women are being diagnosed with the deadly disease.
M. O'BRIEN: Payday. The Dow Jones making history this morning and making some money for you.
S. O'BRIEN: And a final salute for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. How he and his troops will say good-bye on this AMERICAN MORNING.
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