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American Morning
Israeli Muslims Clash With Israeli Police at Holy Site
Aired February 09, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: The protesters are angry over Israeli construction at the Aqsa Mosque. That is the third holiest site in Islam. CNN's Ben Wedeman is live for us in Jerusalem this morning.
Ben, good morning. What's happening now?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: At the moment, Soledad, it seems that the situation has quieted down a lot. We're no longer hearing these stun grenades. But what happened was, that at the end of Friday prayers, which are the main prayers for Muslims during the week, there was some sort of altercation between worshipers and Israeli security forces.
There's a very heavy security presence in Jerusalem today; as many as 3,000 policemen and border guards around the city. According to the Israel police, some of these worshipers began to throw rocks at the policemen. The policemen responded with stun grenades.
The eventually entered the mosque compound, itself, and the latest we know is that somewhere between 200 and 300 worshipers are holed up in the mosque itself. We're told that Arab members of the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, are trying to work out some kind of end to this dead-lock at the mosque.
But we've seen clashes also breaking out in other parts of the old city. Now, all of this has been sparked by the work beginning, on Tuesday, by Israel to reconstruct a stone and dirt ramp to one of the gates of the Aqsa compound, which is also known as the Temple Mount, to Jews.
Now, Muslim leaders claim that this work was threatening the structure of the mosque compound. Israeli officials stressing that that is not the case. They even offered to install 24 hour web cameras to show that no damage was being done to the structure.
But nonetheless, we've heard from Muslim leaders, throughout the week, calling on the faithful to demonstrate against that work. And, of course, today we saw that those demonstrations did end in violence -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Ben Wedeman watching it for us this morning. Thanks, Ben.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: An autopsy planned in a few hours. Medical examiners hoping to determine what killed Anna Nicole Smith. Her death -- like her life -- unexpected, and the subject of much speculation and fascination. CNN's Susan Candiotti in Broward County this morning.
Hello, Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
In just a couple of hours from now the chief medical examiner here will begin that autopsy, well aware that an army of reporters is camped outside his door waiting to hear what he will reveal.
And revealing herself to the world is what Anna Nicole Smith was all about in life and in death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI (voice over): Who can forget the almost surrealistic sight of Anna Nicole Smith at the U.S. Supreme Court? It marked one of the highs of her life; winning a round in her long legal battle for her husband's estate. Yet, the highs always seem paired with lows. Appearing not in command, making people wonder what was going on.
In a most unlikely match-up, she married an 89-year-old billionaire. Smith said she was never happier, but never shook off critics who called her a gold digger.
TV reality show fans saw a plump Anna Nicole Smith who allowed cameras to follow her everywhere. People wondered could she be happy? Then as quickly as her weight seemed to balloon, it melted away. A svelte Smith, once again, ruled the runway, and basked in the limelight.
In September, she joyfully celebrated the birth of a beautiful daughter. While still in the hospital three days later, tragedy at her bedside. Smith's 20-year-old son died after apparently mixing anti- depressants with methadone. She married her manager and long-time friend Howard K. Stern in the Bahamas, and said he was the father. Just as quickly, a former boyfriend filed a paternity suit. Thursday afternoon a day before she was to check out of a casino hotel she collapsed.
CHIEF CHARLIE TIGER, SEMINOLE, FLA., POLICE DEPT.: The Seminole police department responded to the Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel in reference to a person needing medical assistance. The person, later identified as Anna Nicole Smith, was transported by paramedics and transported to Hollywood -- was treated by paramedics and transported to the Hollywood Memorial Hospital.
CANDIOTTI: Inexplicably, a nurse who was with her did not call 911 or perform CPR. She called the hotel front office. On Thursday night a medical examiner looked over Smith's hotel room for clues. Evidence collected in paper bags is now in the hands of a crime lab.
The platinum blonde sex kitten who longed to make it big in Hollywood, California, died 3,000 miles away in Hollywood, Florida, in a hotel on an Indian reservation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: Was this the first time Anna Nicole Smith had had some medical difficulty recently? Well, this morning on CNN Entertainment Tonight reporter Mark Steines (ph) told you, that she had apparently attempted suicide in a swimming pool apparently fairly recently. We hope to get some kind of preliminary findings from the autopsy at some point today -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Susan Candiotti. Thank you very much.
Coming up we'll get into the pending estate fight over Anna Smith's still disputed fortune and the custody of her baby daughter. CNN's Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin will be here.
S. O'BRIEN: The legal issues just grow and grow with her death.
Turning to weather now: Upstate New York, they're preparing for another two feet of snow. Not such a big deal, right, except they've already got seven feet on the ground already -- seven feet on the ground. CNN's Rob Marciano is on Oswego, New York, right on the shores of Lake Ontario.
Rob, good morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
You think two feet would -- it's kind of small potatoes at this point, but people here, for sure, are tired of it. We are on the very southern shore of Lake Ontario, where at least this part of the lake is frozen, but because the lake has been so unfrozen, snow keeps piling up, and piling up, and piling up, and clearing the roads, as you can imagine, is an ongoing battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This lever here is the front plow.
MARCIANO (voice over): For Dave Barnett, the job of keeping roads open in Oswego County is endless. With snow falling at a rate of up to five inches per hour, visibility can drop quickly.
(On camera): What goes through your head when you see a big sheet of white?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slow down. As soon as you see a whiteout, the first thing you are doing is slowing down, moving it into the curb a little bit, because you feel your wing there, and you know where you are, basically.
MARCIANO: Cleared roads can also mean buried cars, clogged side walks and stranded residents. When there's nowhere else to push the snow, it gets hauled and dumped here, an old reservoir where it will sit until spring.
SCOTT STEIGER, PROF. OF METEOROLOGY: We've been plowing since Friday, last Friday.
MARCIANO: Dr. Scott Steiger teaches meteorology at Oswego State.
STEIGER: OK, Jason, so what's going on right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see there's more a northwesterly wind.
MARCIANO: With labs and instruments right on Lake Ontario, he and his students know lake-effect snow. They're trying to figure out who is getting it and how much.
STEIGER: Well, it's very difficult to forecast exactly where it's going to hit. These bands are only five to 10 miles wide.
MARCIANO: They're also trying to determine how much longer this area will have to deal with this marathon-like event.
STEIGER: It's definitely not over yet, and then as we go into Saturday, the winds are going to realign out of the west, and the same area, northern-central and northern Oswego County could see another two to three feet on top of the seventy inches they already have. Seventy to eighty inches they already have.
MARCIANO: Historic event?
STEIGER: Historic event. I would say for sure.
MARCIANO (voice over): And this arctic blast has made southern shores of Lake Ontario look more like the South Pole. Waves freeze as huge mounds of ice. White caps break in the distance against darkening clouds. As the next band of lake-effect snow rolls in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: You really feel like are you out here on the frozen tundra across this sea of ice. Beyond that there is rolling swells of broken ice, and beyond that got to be at least five to 10 foot swells of 37, 38 degree water. This wind is howling out of the northwest, 30 -- at times 40 -- miles an hour. Temperatures right now 15 degrees making it feel like 5 or 10 below.
The only good news, Soledad, is at least right now things aren't lining up for a heavy snow event in the next couple of hours. Once we get through tonight, and set things up for tomorrow, it could be another story. Lake-effect snow warnings remain in effect until Monday morning -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: That's a lot of dire things you just ticked off there, Rob. But I've got to tell you, it's a beautiful shot. It looks gorgeous behind you, cold and miserable.
MARCIANO: Isn't it. It's nothing like I have ever seen. It's really amazing.
S. O'BRIEN: It truly is from here. Thanks, Rob.
Severe Weather Expert Chad Myers tracking the storm, too. He's going to fill in what's happening for us at quarter past the hour. That's coming up -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, senator and presidential hopeful Barack Obama expected to make a big announcement tomorrow in Illinois. Hmm, what could that be? We're live from the Land of Lincoln.
And it's a favorite site for millions, but not necessarily for law enforcement. We'll show you why ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Most news in the morning is here on CNN.
An autopsy is due within a couple of hours on the body of Anna Nicole Smith after her surprise death in Florida.
And violence in Jerusalem to tell you about this morning. It's happening right now. Muslim protesters are clashing with Israeli police. They're upset with construction that's happening right near a holy site for Islam -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Barack Obama about to take another step down the road that leads to the Oval Office. A big speech planned for tomorrow where we expect he will formally announce he is running for president. He may have the thinnest political resume in a crowded field, but, boy, sure can draw a crowd. Our Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley live from the Land of Lincoln this morning, in Springfield.
Hello, Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Miles.
You are right, although Barack Obama does have an impressive scholastic record, he also has probably the most interesting background of anyone now in the presidential race. He is, as well, in a country looking for something different, a fresh face, which could work for him, or against him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice over): He streaked into the political atmosphere like a meteor, fiery, dazzling.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We worship an awesome God in the blue state, and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the red states.
(CHEERING)
We coach Little League in the blue states, and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states. CROWLEY: Emil Jones, Barack Obama's friend and mentor says the night before that convention speech Jones was mistaken for an Alabama delegate, because someone misread his Obama campaign button.
EMIL JONES, ILLINOIS STATE SENATE: After he gave that brilliant speech, the delegates at that convention were all over those persons from Illinois trying to get an Obama button.
CROWLEY: Name recognition is part of the troika of musts in presidential politics, along with the ability to raise money and a story to tell.
OBAMA: It's a pretty good picture of me, don't you think?
CROWLEY: He has one. Born in Hawaii, son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, Obama writes in his autobiography of struggling with his identity as a teenager.
"Pot had helped, and booze, maybe a little blow when you could afford it, " he wrote that 11 years ago. It may hurt, or not.
ELLEN WARREN, "CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Do I know of any skeletons now that will be problems? I don't think so, because he has immunized himself. He has immunized himself about writing a book about all the naughty things when he was young and naughty.
CROWLEY: He got it together. Columbia, Harvard Law, professor, community organizer, Illinois state senator, U.S. Senator.
OBAMA: The time for waiting, in Iraq, is over.
CROWLEY: He opposes the war in Iraq and favors the Bush-backed immigration bill. He is against same-sex marriage, but supports civil unions. He favors universal health care.
REV. ALVIN LOVE, LILLYDALE 1st BAPTIST CHURCH: I have known Barack for 20 years, and I'm not sure that I know whether he is a liberal or a conservative. I really think sometimes it depends on the issue.
CROWLEY: Republicans describe Obama has a pragmatic left of center politician, who works both sides of the aisle to get things done. Sun up, past sun down.
KIRK DILLARD, ILLINOIS STATE SENATOR: Senator Obama had the social skills that helped him as a legislator. In Springfield he played basketball, he played poker with a number of legislators from down state Illinois after hours. He would have an occasional drink. He would smoke a cigarette -- bum a cigarette from legislators.
CROWLEY: He spent eight years in state politics, the last two in national politics. It is in the end the biggest question on the Barack Obama bandwagon. Is that enough to be leader of the Western world?
OBAMA: I'm ready. Let's go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: But friends say that Obama is a sharp tactician who understands that in politics you have to take your shot, when you've got it. The opportunity may not come around again -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Candy Crowley in Springfield, thank you very much. Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: It's a quarter past the hour, let's go to Chad Myers in the CNN Weather Center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Questions about the mysterious death of Anna Nicole Smith, and now a very tough spot for the company for which she was working as a spokeswoman. We'll be "Minding Your Business" on that story straight ahead.
Plus, a real rags to riches tale. A designer, who we told you about last year, who put on a fashion show on a very tight budget. Well, wait until you see him now. That's straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Most news in the morning, right here.
We've been watching a tense scene in Jerusalem this morning, unfolding as we speak. Muslim protesters clashing with Israeli police. They're upset over construction at a holy Islamic mosque inside the walls of the Old City there.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Europe as we speak pressing NATO to send more troops to Afghanistan -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, you've got to love a success story in the morning, and we have one for you. AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho has been covering Fashion Week here in New York City, and she has a follow-up this morning on a young designer that she first met last year.
Hey, Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, good morning. Talk about rags to riches. What a difference a year makes.
A year ago designer Richard Chai was sewing clothes himself. Now with the backing of a major company, Chai doesn't have to worry about money anymore. He is now on the verge of success.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice over): He may not have the name recognition of Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren, but Richard Chai is one of fashion's rising stars. We met him a year ago, still struggling and calling on friends to help him sew clothes, relying on donated makeup and models to put on shows.
This year with the backing of a major Korean conglomerate, Chai can forget about bookkeeping and focus on design.
RICHARD CHAI, DESIGNER: Having an investor, and a partner, really frees up a lot of things. Ultimately, you know, a show support just about the clothes. It's the overall mood.
CHO: Like perfect makeup.
CHAI: I just want it a little more, like, elegant.
CHO: And making sure a scarf is tied just right. The smallest details separate the good from the great.
(on camera): Does it help clarify your vision?
CHAI: I think I have always had my vision, but I think I have now the means and the tools to navigate.
CHO (voice over): With an investor, Chai can also splurge on the finest fabrics. Embroideries from India, French lace, and cashmere in multiple colors.
CHAI: It's like a million ply cashmere.
CHO: You weren't able to afford this before?
CHAI: Not to this degree, maybe.
CHO: Oh, my gosh, it's so heavy.
(Voice over): Soon Chai could be a household name.
MARY ALICE STEVENSON, "HARPER'S BAZAAR": Slowly but surely we'll start to see Richard Chai collaborating for bags, Richard Chai collaborating for jewelry, some perfume, and maybe one day even some underwear.
CHO: This former design from Mark Jacobs and Donna Karen is humble about his success. He says having corporate backing is like winning the lottery.
CHAI: It's amazing. I mean it's a dream, and it's something I have wanted to do since I was 13. And, you know, every day I feel so fortunate and blessed to be waking up and doing what I love to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Good for him. His big dream, to have Richard Chai stand- alone stores, like Ralph Lauren does. And that could happen now. Every designer, of course, wants a fragrance, and that could be next, too.
For now, though, Soledad, Chai is working on a cruise collection. That's that small collection that comes between spring- summer and fall-winter. We could never afford to do a third collection before. Now he can with the backing of this major company, and it really couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
S. O'BRIEN: Richard Chai, I see it right now.
CHO: That's right, in lights.
S. O'BRIEN: You know, is it just that you cannot make it unless have you the backing of a major company? Is it just too expensive?
CHO: You know, in his case what happened was this company really saw something in him. It wasn't as if he had some great success, some hot handbag, or hot jacket or something. They saw that he had a future. I mean, he is young. He is in his early 30s. And they wanted to invest in him, and that's exactly what they did. They're taking a minority stake, they're paying for his shows, which is a big deal. And now he can really design to his heart's content.
S. O'BRIEN: Wow, I see that happening. He is good. I like his stuff. All right, Alina, thanks.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: So what does the death of Anna Nicole Smith mean for the product she endorsed? It's 25 minutes past the hour. Stephanie Elam, "Minding Your Business".
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, more than likely when you hear the name Trim Spa, you think of Anna Nicole Smith. And all of this could mean the demise for the small, closely held company.
Over time we've actually seen the company come under scrutiny for their weight loss products. Both Smith and Trim Spa face legal issues claiming their ads were misleading. And, in fact, just last month the FTC actually fined Trim Spa's marketer claiming that this company, and others, falsely advertised.
In fact, the FTC went on to say that the company's weight loss claims were not supported by scientific evidence, so now the combination of losing its high-profile spokesperson, along with these legal troubles could just be too much for the company to come back from.
Smith actually became the spokesperson for Trim Spa in October of 2003, and that was after she reportedly lost 60 to 70 pounds using the diet pill. So, not too much good news there coming out of a very sad story already about the passing of Anna Nicole Smith.
M. O'BRIEN: Stephanie Elam, thank you very much.
As a matter of fact, coming up we're going to look into another dimension of Anna Nicole Smith's death, a lot of legal questions. We saw one person call it a legal quagmire: Custody of her baby girl -- and her inheritance. We'll check in with Jeff Toobin on that front.
Also, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice under fire. A closer look at why she's taking the heat for the war in Iraq.
And everyone loves YouTube, right? There are cops that aren't so happy with it. We'll tell you why ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Developing story: A showdown in Jerusalem, right now. Muslim protesters clashing with Israeli police. New pictures coming in.
S. O'BRIEN: Mysterious death: An autopsy this morning on Anna Nicole Smith, and a fight taking shape for the custody of her five- month-old daughter.
M. O'BRIEN: YouTube show and tell. Why the cops say the red hot web site may have been giving criminals all the wrong ideas.
S. O'BRIEN: And hot off the presses. We've got the new list of America's fittest cities. The big winner will be revealed on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Welcome back, everybody. It's Friday, February 9th. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us.
Happening this morning in Jerusalem, Muslim protesters clashing with Israeli police at one of the most-disputed pieces of real estate in the Middle East. The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the holiest site in Islam, in Israel, is also holy ground for Jews, the Temple Mount. The clash sparked by some renovations to a walkway there.
Another damning report about the intelligence used by the Bush administration to justify the invasion of Iraq. The report comes from a Pentagon watchdog agency and it points the finger that one of the key architects of the war, Doug Fife. Fife's actions manipulating intelligence, described as inappropriate, though not illegal.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Europe as we speak pressing NATO to send more troops to Afghanistan. It's a hard sell to allies who have already thousands of troops there. He says reinforcements are need for spring offensive against the Taliban.
Fire and environmental inspectors looking at that massive chemical plant explosion in Kansas City this morning. The fire is finally out. It burned for two days, and most of the people evacuated are finally back home this morning.
An autopsy planed in a few hours. Medical examiners hoping to determine what killed Anna Nicole Smith. Smith found unconscious in a hotel room yesterday, died at a Hollywood, Florida hospital. There will also be a legal hearing about DNA testing to determine the father of her baby daughter. Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: More now on the death of Anna Nicole Smith. We spoke with "Entertainment Tonight's" Mark Steines just a short time ago on AMERICAN MORNING. He told us about his final interview with the former playboy playmate. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK STEINES, "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT": After the interview we talked about Daniel -- at the end of the interview we talked about Daniel and she talked about the emotional toll it took on her life, how she still has nightmares about him of him trying to find his way in the afterlife, trying to find someone that he can connect to, perhaps Jay Howard Marshall, and she was really concerned about him. And I felt a drifting away from Dannielynn, she didn't seem to be the attentive mother that she used to be back in October when I saw her. She didn't seem to know at times where Dannielynn was, where in October she knew exactly where she was and would hear her cries.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: So there are lots of questions this morning, about just how Anna Nicole Smith died, and of course, even more legal questions. Smith was still fighting for a share of her late husband's fortune. Plus, there's that paternity fight over the 5-month-old daughter. Plus, you have the will, was there one or wasn't there one? All of that brings us right to CNN's senior legal analyst Jeff Toobin. Wow, an already complicated case, gets even more complicated.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Stunningly complicated. Let's just think about three questions for starters.
S. O'BRIEN: I have about 10, what, we can only do three?
TOOBIN: Was there a will? Because if there's a will, that's going to be the starting point for all issues about custody and the finances.
S. O'BRIEN: But she's only 39 years old, so let's say there's not a will.
TOOBIN: Unlikely there's a will, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Because that's quite young to be drawing up your own will.
TOOBIN: Absolutely.
S. O'BRIEN: So would it have to go into probate? I mean --
TOOBIN: It would be determined by whatever state she happened to be a resident of, but that's not clear where she lived. So that's another issue. Also, was she married at all? I mean, she and Howard K. Stern, not the radio broadcaster, described themselves as husband and wife, but apparently the ceremony they had in the Bahamas may not be an actual marriage. If you're married, your assets go one way. If you're not, they go another. And then, of course, there's the question of who's the father of the little girl because she, presumably, will inherit the vast majority of her fortune? S. O'BRIEN: Even if there is no will and it goes into probate in any state, doesn't the baby, eventually -- I mean it may be a long time before it's all clear, but doesn't the baby eventually inherit her mother's estate?
TOOBIN: Not necessarily the entire estate. If you're married, a spouse has a legal claim even if you have no -- even if have you no will. So that is a big factor either way.
S. O'BRIEN: She was trying to get her share of her husband's vast -- her former husband who died, the 89-year-old tycoon, Howard Marshall.
TOOBIN: Right.
S. O'BRIEN: The judge ruled that she can have $474 million, that was eventually kind of after challenges cut back to $88 million, and it's still being challenged. Where does that stand?
TOOBIN: Well, see, again, that's where the will becomes important. Because if you're a party to a lawsuit and you die, your estate inherits your interest in your lawsuit. The question is who controls her estate? Because that lawsuit is worth a tremendous amount of money. As you point out, at the moment it's worth $88 million. It actually could be worth considerably more than $88 million. She won her famous case in the Supreme Court earlier this year, but that didn't resolve the whole thing. That only decided which court controls the outcome, but --
S. O'BRIEN: Can we talk for a moment about another issue, which is the contested paternity. Larry Birkhead says, no, no, no, I'm the father of this baby, but he says I'm devastated -- his lawyer said he is devastated he lost the mother of his child and the woman that he loved. You're always in trouble when it's your lawyer whose releasing statements like this.
TOOBIN: Especially that who you love.
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly, this is really legal positioning because this baby is sitting on a pile of cash, potentially.
TOOBIN: Potentially. Well, one of the many peculiarities about Anna Nicole Smith's life was that in the months since her baby has been born, she's only four months old.
S. O'BRIEN: Five months old.
TOOBIN: Yeah. She has refused to take a DNA test. Her husband, Howard K. Stern, has refused to take a DNA test, but Larry Birkhead, the boyfriend has been asking for the DNA test, so he apparently is pretty confident that he is the father of this baby. That's what the hearing in court today at 8:30 is about starting to establish paternity. Unlike everything else, this is something that will probably be resolved with pretty clear certainty in the immediate future because there's going to have to be a DNA test. S. O'BRIEN: One would think. All right Jeff Toobin for, I think, you kind of cleared it up for us a little bit on the legal front.
TOOBIN: At least defining some of the questions.
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly, there's always a first start. Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: The word quagmire comes to mind, doesn't it?
All right, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prepping for a summit in the Middle East in 10 days, today meeting with the chief Palestinian negotiator. She's hoping to get a peace deal back on track, while drawing fire like she never has before. CNN's Zain Verjee live from the State Department with more. Good morning Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Miles. Condoleezza Rice came to the State Department as a star, but is that star dimming?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I asked if we're better off since the intervention in Iraq?
VERJEE (voice-over): With Donald Rumsfeld gone, it's Condoleezza Rice's job to sell the Iraq war, and like Rumsfeld, she's taking the heat he used to bare.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just not true.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, senator --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is not true.
RICE: Senator, if you will allow me to finish, I think you --
VERJEE: More and more lawmakers are critical of the administration's Iraq policy. Some calling it --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A fool's paradise.
VERJEE: But predecessors aren't pulling any punches either, saying Rice should talk to America's enemies, Iran and Syria.
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Talking to governments about hard problems is why diplomacy matters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what we hire a secretary of state for.
VERJEE: It wasn't always this hard. Two short years ago Rice arrived at the State Department a celebrity, bringing both substance and style. She's been praised for engaging Europe over Iran's nuclear program and Asian allies on North Korea. Then a grand vision for a Democratic Arab world.
RICE: What we're seeing here, in a sense, is the growing -- the birth pangs much a new Middle East.
VERJEE: But the new Middle East lost out to ancient rivalries, sectarian strategic (INAUDIBLE) lines exploded because of the war in Iraq. After Rice waited, then tried and failed, to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the U.S. lost credibility in the region. It was then forced to turn to authoritarian regimes like Saudi Arabia for help.
CHARLES KUCHAN, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS: I think her star has fallen, in part, because the Iraq war has gone very badly, and it's difficult for find any ray of light.
VERJEE: Still, she's the most popular official in the administration. Her numbers higher than the president. And she's trying to turn things around with a new push for progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and uniting Arab allies on Iran's threat.
KUCHAN: My sense is that Secretary Rice wants to give diplomacy a chance.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: The question is does she have enough weight within the administration to push for dialogue with Iran, for example? Some of the experts that we've spoken to say no. Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: Zain Verjee at the State Department, thank you. Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, is Youtube creating how-to videos for potential criminals? We'll tell you why law enforcement is very unhappy. And the bitter dispute over the late godfather of soul. James Brown still not buried. His family in court today. We'll get right to the heart of the matter ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Most news in the morning is right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Most news in the morning is right here on CNN. There's been some progress reported at those six-party talks in Beijing over North Korea's nuclear program. China is proposing to shut down the north's nuclear facilities and offering energy and economic aid in return. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Europe right now, he's pressing NATO to send more troops into Afghanistan. Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: Well, you can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant, and on the internet phenom Youtube. Problem is, anything means the good, the bad, the ugly, and the troubling, like how about a video on how to steal a car. AMERICAN MORNING's Greg Hunter is here with more. A little bit troubling, but not too surprising, is it?
GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not too surprising, I'll tell you you're right. You can get just about anything you want, but this is a little too much, some people say.
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HUNTER (voice-over): Video of how to break into a car, carjacking. How to swipe an expensive bag of coffee and bump or open a lock with a doctored key -- all available on Youtube. Causing some news stations to show how easy it is to bump a lock with a doctored key. Is this harmless internet fun, or law enforcement's worst nightmare?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Completely irresponsible.
HUNTER: We watched some of these clips with former FBI agent George Bauries, who calls them how-to videos for potential criminals.
GEORGE BAURIES, FORMER FBI AGENT: Information like that really should not be publicly available. It just bypasses a lot of security precautions.
HUNTER: Youtube's written guidelines warn users not to cross the line by posting videos showing dangerous or illegal acts. Bauries says that's not enough.
What does this say about Youtube?
BAURIES: Youtube, the place to go to find to do something illegal.
HUNTER: The locksmith industry is also worried the lock bumping reports may scare the public.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It can cause undue alarm and it can cause those who may not be predisposed to do this to try it.
HUNTER: In a written statement, Youtube told us, quote, "Our community controls the content on the site, and they're the ones, not us, who flag content they deem inappropriate. Once a video is flagged, Youtube reviews the material promptly and reserves the right to remove videos from the system if they violate our terms of use." A first amendment expert says Youtube is doing nothing illegal, but there could be a public backlash.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The government doesn't tell, CNN for instance, what it can or can't put out there. There are simply repercussions if CNN crosses the line. And that's true of every publisher on the internet as well.
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HUNTER: We contacted Youtube again asking for comment on some of those videos on their website that show lock bumping, lock picking, how to steal a car, hot wire a car. A spokesperson declined to talk about specific clips and referred us, once again, to Youtube's community guidelines.
M. O'BRIEN: They sort of referred you to the video on how to stonewall, didn't they? Let's talk about how hard it is really to bump one of these locks.
HUNTER: Well TV stations around the country have been doing it. And can you do it? Yes. Can you buy keys to do it? Yes. But according to the locksmith associations we've talked to, it's not that easy. And the other thing the police tell us that, hey listen, the way of entry for criminals is to kick your door or bust in your window, not try to crack a safe, crack a lock.
M. O'BRIEN: So this may be overblown, a little bit.
HUNTER: A little bit, but it could happen, yes. It's been around for 70 years, I mean lock bumping has been around for years, decades.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you Greg. Soledad?
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S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, well you know New York city is already trimming trans fat right out of the diet, but the city of brotherly love, say it ain't so. Cheesecake or cheese steak rather without trans fats? Can they do it? We'll take a look.
M. O'BRIEN: Boy, I'm getting hungry.
S. O'BRIEN: I know. And Borat II, the first one was so good, does it deserve another? We'll tell you about plans for a sequel. Those stories and much more straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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M. O'BRIEN: Most news in the morning right here. Take a look at some of the feeds we are tracking in the newsroom and the control room, and right now for you. APTN, that's "Associated Press Television News" feed coming out of Jerusalem inside Dewald City. Take a look right there along that sort of makeshift walkway. The Israelis at this makeshift walkway right beside the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a very holy site for Muslims. They're doing some construction work to try to repair it. That has caused tremendous amount of controversy. There's some concern they might be damaging or doing something wrong to the mosque. And as a result there's been a series of protests, rock throwing, the Israeli police moving in. They've shut down the gates to the mosque for now, and we're keeping you posted on that.
Now let's move down here. Another space walk yesterday, even as NASA has been trying to deal with that Lisa Nowak, the astronaut who was in the midst of that lover's triangle, up in space. Record set in the space station as they continue to build out there. Sonny Lopez and Mike Lopez (INAUDIBLE) are out in space. Take a look at incoming 18. Live from the North Pole, well, it sort of looks like it, doesn't it? That's actually Lake Ontario right where Rob Marciano is. Oh, there you see it as they pan. Take a look at the swells there at the edge of the ice there. About seven feet of snow on the ground, and two to three more feet coming over the weekend. Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Miles, thanks. Happening in America this morning, in Atlanta the alleged courthouse killer is due back at the scene of the crime today. Brian Nichols facing a pre-trial hearing. He is accused of killing four people, including a judge, in a shootout back in 2005 that started in an Atlanta courtroom. Now Nichols was trying to cop a plea to avoid the death penalty, but prosecutors said no way.
In South Carolina James Brown's children will be in court today. They say their father's estate is being mismanaged. They want to ditch the trustees. The godfather of soul's fourth wife, she's also going to be in court, she wants back into the house that they shared. She wants to be back into the will too. Now James Brown's body still hasn't been buried. It's being stored in his home while they're building a mausoleum. He died on Christmas morning of heart failure.
In New York Yoko Ono's former chauffeur is back in court. This looks like the court roundup today -- a Manhattan courtroom for him. His name is Coral Carsan(ph), he's charged with trying to extort $2 million from John Lennon's widow. Carsan says he's not guilty.
And New Mexico's largest city, Albuquerque, has been crowned the fittest city in the United States. It's a completely nonscientific survey, but it's in next month's "Men's Fitness" magazine. They take into account lifestyle factors like fast food restaurants per capita, how many gyms or bike paths there are, statistics on obesity-related injuries and illness, how much TV people watch, they crunch all those numbers and they determined that Albuquerque is the fittest. The fattest, Vegas. No big surprise. Who's going down the bike path in Vegas, they're there to gamble. Right Pete?
M. O'BRIEN: The city that brought the world the cheese steak, cream cheese, soft pretzels and scrabble is turning over a new fatty leaf. The Philadelphia City Council, number two now on the trans fat banning bandwagon. New York City, the first to outlaw the synthetic fat linked to heart disease. Philly Mayor John Street is expected to sign the ban into law, and that's the skinny on that one. We sure hope the cheese steaks taste just as good as ever.
Coming up, some Latino leaders angry this morning at California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. We'll tell you about his controversial comments.
And yet, another super bowl commercial (INAUDIBLE) some mire. No snickering this time. It's the story of the despondent robot that has people upset, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here.
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S. O'BRIEN: Major media mogul discusses Myspace, Borat, a lots of other things too, 55 minutes past the hour. Stephanie Elam is "Minding your Business." Good morning.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, we're talking about Rupert Murdoch here, he's the chairman and CEO of "News Corporation" and he has some things to say about Myspace. "News Corp" actually bought Myspace in 2005, and he is saying that the company is doing much better than he and other executives had expected. It's just growing. Managing traffic there he says has been one challenge, but he is not really worried about competition from the likes of Face Book or Youtube, which he says is hypnotic, but really the same as a community site. They're also saying that Myspace, that division that it is a part of, could go on to make up about 10 percent of News Corp.'s overall revenues in the next five years.
Moving on, they're also saying -- Rupert Murdoch is also saying that they are planning on taking CNBC's channel, which is the dominant business channel in the market, taking it on and starting up their own "Fox Business Channel", that should be out this fall. He's saying they're not going to unveil exactly their plans mainly because he doesn't want CNBC to steal them. But that's one big change there. Also, believe it or not, Rupert Murdoch is a huge fan of "Borat." Now of course "Borat" is a movie that was released by Fox, which is a unit of News Corp as well. He said he watched it about three times and doesn't think the movie destroyed American culture, but actually just helped Americans laugh at themselves. He also said that Sasha Barron Cohen who is the man behind "Borat", has already been signed on to do a sequel because, you know, he liked it so much. So there you have it. Who knew that Rupert Murdoch was such a fan of "Borat?"
S. O'BRIEN: He owns it, of course he's a fan.
M. O'BRIEN: Well he's making some big time Benjamin's off of "Borat." Very nice as he would say.
S. O'BRIEN: Shocking.
ELAM: Well you know what's funny about it is he did go on to say that after he watched it, he walked away and just kept laughing at it, it just kept making him laugh.
M. O'BRIEN: Yeah, all the way to the bank. All the way to the bank. All right.
ELAM: No business idiots, there you go.
S. O'BRIEN: Exactly, all right Stephanie, thanks.
Some of the top stories of the morning. In fact, most popular right now at cnn.com, the autopsy, which is scheduled for this morning for Anna Nicole Smith. She died in Hollywood, Florida, on Thursday afternoon. There's also a paternity hearing happening in Los Angeles. That's over custody of her 5-month-old daughter Dannielynn.
M. O'BRIEN: "Detroit Free Press" has a story for you we want to call your attention. You know it's not quite wardrobe malfunction yet, but there's quite a stir over the super bowl, and it's kind of a building stir. First it was the Snickers thing, right? You still have your Snickers bar?
S. O'BRIEN: No, I ate it.
M. O'BRIEN: We could have demonstrated that Snickers thing. Now it's the robot, the despondent robot from GM. It shows a robot having a dream because he drops a screw and he thinks he's going to lose his job and so he jumps off a bridge. And now the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says it might encourage people to do what you see right there. However, there are some people who would think that might be taking things without a sense of humor. As a matter of fact, watch what happened last night on "The Daily Show."
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JOHN STEWART: First of all, you want to complain about something? Complain to GM about the 35,000 non-robots they've laid off. Secondly, be thankful that they --
[ cheering and applause ]
STEWART: Norma Ray! Oh. Secondly, be thankful GM didn't go with their alternate ending.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: The alternate ending. Now as for the real ad, GM says it has no plans to off it, shall we say.
S. O'BRIEN: The real ad was stupid. It should be off because it was not funny.
M. O'BRIEN: I thought it was mildly entertaining, but --
S. O'BRIEN: John Stewart's version was much funnier.
M. O'BRIEN: Anyway, actually he made a little more fun out of it
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