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Missouri Bus Crash; Libby Trial; Singing The Blues; Jesus' Tomb?; Gerri's Top Tips

Aired February 26, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here's what's on the rundown.

From Chicago to New York, a big winter storm slowing air travelers today to be sure. Lots of cancellations at O'Hare and JFK.

COLLINS: Attackers strike an Iraqi government building today. At least a dozen people killed. Among the injured, one of Iraqi's, the vice president.

HARRIS: Diet buster. A consumer group calling chain restaurants on calorie. Be sure you're not served a heart attack on a plate for lunch today, Monday, February 26th. You are in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: We have an update now on the condition of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. The latest word from Jordan. He has been transferred to the intensive care unit. Doctors say Mr. Talabani has had a catheter inserted into his heart. This comes after Talabani's son told CNN his father's illness is nothing more serious than being overworked.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUBAD TALABANI, SON OF IRAQI PRESIDENT: He did not have a heart attack. I spoke with him this morning. He was in good spirits. He's suffering from fatigue and exhaustion. But the reports about him having a heart attack or a stroke are completely false. He made his own way on the plane. He made his own way off the plane and into his motorcade. He has been up and about. He has been returning corresponds. He's still been working.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Jalal Talabani is 73 years old.

HARRIS: Let's get you in to T.J. Holmes now in the newsroom. T.J. is following this overturned bus story for us out of Hillsborough, Missouri.

T.J., what's the update.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, we're going to try to get that update and the best information here from Missouri Highway Patrol. We have Julie Scerine from the Missouri Highway Patrol on the line with us.

And thank you for being with us, ma'am.

And can you just give us an update about how many kids you know were on that bus and the condition of those children?

CPL. JULIE SCERINE, MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL: Of course. Good morning, T.J.

There were nine students on the bus and the one driver. Their injuries are minor. Three of them actually did have some injuries that they were transported for. But actually all nine of the students and the driver were all transported to the local area hospital.

HOLMES: And again, even though you call those injuries minor, they still had to be taken to the hospital. But still, with still the minor is the best description for them. Nothing serious on these children.

SCERINE: Right. Nothing serious. Nothing life-threatening. Minor to moderate injuries. But then again, all of them were transported for observation.

HOLMES: Can you tell us what might have been going on to cause this bus to turn over like this? What was happening on the road? We didn't see another vehicle in the picture that we were seeing that might have been involved in the accident.

SCERINE: Right. No, there was not another vehicle involved. This was just a one vehicle situation where, for some unknown reason, we're not quite sure what it is yet, we're still investigating that, but for some unknown reason the bus went off the edge of the roadway a little bit and caused it to overturned and that's when it slid down the little embankment there.

HOLMES: And overturned. Did it just go to its side one time or did this bus actually do a full turn?

SCERINE: No, it didn't completely flip over. It just kind of overturned on to its side and came to rest.

HOLMES: And no reason to think anything was going on with the driver here. Just maybe an accident, not paying attention, or are you certainly -- is that something you're looking into as well, in making sure the driver was doing exactly what he should have been doing.

SCERINE: Well, they're still investigating. They're still talking to the driver and trying to find out exactly why the accident occurred. But that's something we're still looking into.

HOLMES: All right. Well, Julie Scerine, of the Missouri Highway Patrol, we do appreciate you taking the time and giving us and our viewers the update. Thank you so much. And again, as you hear there, Tony, the good news, all the injuries being described as minor, even though some children had to be taken to the hospital. Nothing life threatening. Nothing serious. And it's certainly a good thing that the bus didn't have more students on it than it did. But always -- we've seen these plenty of times here, Tony . . .

HARRIS: Absolutely.

HOLMES: Buses on the side. It's just a scary sight. But good to hear everything -- sounds like, a least, everybody's going to be OK.

HARRIS: Appreciate it, T.J. Thanks.

HOLMES: All right.

COLLINS: Want to give you this information now just into us at CNN. Apparently, we are learning that all of the parties in the Scooter Libby trial have been summoned to the courtroom. We want to get to Brian Todd now for the latest.

Brian, I know you are right outside that courtroom there. Why are they being asked to come inside? Do they have a verdict now?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They don't have a verdict, Heidi.

We were just in the courtroom a moment ago and Judge Reggie Walton informed all of us that one of the jurors has been exposed to information about the case outside of the courtroom. The judge said that he had to talk to the jury foreperson and that is what he is doing right now. As soon as he told us that, he said he had to go talk to the jury foreperson to determine the extent of that information that that juror got outside the courtroom.

So we're just waiting to hear whether this is a tainted juror, whether it may not be that serious. He's also trying to determine whether other jurors may have also been exposed as a result of this one juror being exposed.

So we're playing a waiting game right now. We don't want to get into speculation of what it could mean for the case. But it is a fairly serious development.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. And, Brian, as we know, the jury has been deliberating -- they started, I believe, last Wednesday.

TODD: That's right.

COLLINS: So we are kind of waiting for this verdict to come. I guess that's why my question was about whether or not this is it.

Any idea how the judge got that information? Might be too early to even ask you that, huh? TODD: Probably is. I would suspect that the jury foreperson informed him either first thing this morning or maybe even sometime over the weekend. I imagine it was first thing this morning. The jury got in less than an hour ago and we just got told this information now by the judge. Everybody is still in the courtroom. I rushed out to deliver this news. But I guess we're waiting now just to see the extent of this damage. And, again, it could be potentially serious if other jurors were also exposed as a result of this one juror apparently finding out some information. But we'll have to wait and see.

COLLINS: All right. Brian Todd, keep your eye on that one for us. We've got eight women, four men who have been deliberating on this. Just to remind everybody once again, possible outside influence on one or more of those jury members in the Lewis Scooter Libby trial. We'll watch it, as we said.

HARRIS: Slammed again. Parts of the Midwest and the Northeast face another round of digging out, battered by more snow and ice. Up to 2 feet of snow is on the ground right now in parts of the Midwest. And more is expected today.

Heavy ice, the big problem in Iowa and Illinois. It brought down miles -- can you imagine that -- miles of power lines and utility poles. More than 300,000 people without power in those two states. So weather nightmare all over again for JetBlue Airway. The company cancels dozens of flights. JetBlue still in recovery mode from a Valentine's Day fiasco. CNN's senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is at Kennedy Airport in New York City.

Allan, talk to us about these cancellations for JetBlue. It seems like a lot.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Quite a few, Tony.

The storm has passed here at JFK Airport in New York and the ground conditions are just fine right now. But JetBlue and some other airlines took a preemptive strike, canceling flights last night. JetBlue went ahead and canceled 68 flights in and out of Kennedy Airport, including some flights that go to some of its most important destinations. So the company really wanted to prevent, as you said, wanted to prevent another disaster. Make sure that at least planes would be in the proper position.

They are flying to Aruba today. They're not flying to Austin. They're flying to Nassau, not to Nashville at least this morning. They're hoping to get a regular schedule going this afternoon.

Now we did speak a little while ago to a couple of gentleman who were supposed to fly out to Florida at 6:00 in the morning. Instead, they've been put on an 11:00 flight. They were extremely disappointed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't understand why they canceled this flight because the weather is not -- it's clear. So (INAUDIBLE) to Florida, why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not bad that, right? So they have few inches of snow, one or two inches of snow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: Delta also canceled plenty of flights, 27 in and out of Kennedy. Actually departing from Kennedy. One hundred and seventy-five through its whole system. And American Airlines canceled seven flights here at JFK Airport.

So certainly it's not just JetBlue. We don't mean to pick on JetBlue. But, of course, the spotlight is on them right now and they are clearly still trying to recover.

Tony.

HARRIS: Hey, Allan, what are the chances of JetBlue achieving its goal of getting back on a regular flight schedule this afternoon? I would suspect the weather has a vote in that.

CHERNOFF: Yes. Well, the weather, as I said, has improved and they are saying that they are going to get as many flights as they can out. They are really hoping to have a full schedule this afternoon.

It's ironic, Tony, because JetBlue, prior to their Valentine's Day fiasco, actually had been the last airline to cancel flights. Today, they were the first.

HARRIS: Yes, I think we understand why. Allan Chernoff for us at JFK International in New York City.

Allan, appreciate it. Thank you.

COLLINS: Want to get over to Rob Marciano now. He's got the weather picture all across the country.

And, you know what, I'm kind of happy to be just planted right here and not having to travel today, that's for sure.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: The man who brought you "Titanic." Well, he's back, with what could be another blockbuster. His search for Jesus's tomb, will it shake the foundation of the faith? The details ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: He repeatedly risked his life to make sure no soldiers were left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My crew chief shot through the throat. The radio operator was hit and killed before he could unhook.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: A soldier honored four decades later, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to give you the latest on a developing story that we are watching here. Our Brian Todd is actually live outside the courtroom. Vice President Cheney former chief of staff, that man there, Lewis Scooter Libby, they have been deliberating on his case, trying to prove perjury and obstruction of justice here ever since last Wednesday.

Today, all of the parties were summoned to the court room. And we have just learned recently from our Brian Todd that apparently the foreperson in the Libby jury told Judge Reggie Walton that a juror may have been exposed to information on the case outside of the courtroom. What that could mean and a little bit more on this, we will get to our Brian Todd just as soon as possible.

Apparently the judge is talking to the foreperson or may have already concluded that meeting. And then they will speaking with the jury. Just trying to figure out here if, in fact, this happened, of course, number one. And number two, whether or not it was just one jury member or perhaps more who could have been influenced by whatever information we're talking about here outside of the case.

We will follow it for you, bring you the very latest as soon as possible.

HARRIS: Filmmaker James Cameron out with a blockbuster claim, he's behind a documentary that focuses on what he says is the discovery of Jesus' family tomb. New information is being unveiled today. Our Ben Wedeman joins us live from Jerusalem.

Shocking to say the least, a blockbuster claim to say the least. Ben, what are we talking about here?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we're talking about is, this claim that the tomb of Jesus is not in the church of the Holy Septacre (ph), where most Christians believe it is, but rather in a southern Jerusalem suburb conned East Town Vion (ph). Now the filmmakers claim also claim that they have found the actual asuary (ph), or the stone box containing bones of not only Jesus, but his mother, Mary, and Joseph as well. They also make a claim, we understand, that Jesus, in fact, did not die on the cross, and that he somehow married Mary Magdalene and that they had a son. So this is a long list of claims that already we've heard from many people, many archaeologists here, that seem they don't have a lot of belief in the validity of these claims.

In fact, I spent some time with the chief archaeologist, a man who spent years studying the content of this case south of Jerusalem. And he said the evidence simply does not add up, even though some of these stone boxes do, in fact, have inscriptions on the outside, indicating that one of them is for Jesus, the son of Joseph, and also some of them belong to Mary and Joseph, so on and so forth. That these were very common names in the first century of the Christian era. So the experts don't seem to have a lot of credence in these claims.

Tony.

HARRIS: And is the director, James Cameron, claiming a DNA link as part of the evidence?

WEDEMAN: This is what we're reading. Now, obviously, DNA is one area where some of these archaeologists readily admit they are not experts. But how that link is going to be made from whatever organic evidence, bones were found in this cave and to Jesus himself, we'll have to wait and see. We understand that at 11:00 a.m. this morning, New York Time, Mr. Cameron and his fellow filmmakers will be holding a live press conference. So we'll certainly be watching and waiting and listening to hear what they say.

HARRIS: That's for sure. Ben Wedeman for us in Jerusalem.

Ben, thank you.

COLLINS: Hollywood's gold rush. Would the sixth time be the charm for Martin Scorsese? Well, that's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And CNN personal finance Gerri Willis with us on a Monday.

Hey, we're getting close to the filing deadline, aren't we?

WILLIS: Taxes are going to be due soon, Tony. You're going to have to think about that. And, guess what, the IRS could send a collection agency. We'll tell you what you need to know when "Top Tips" comes right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right, Heidi, what do you see here? The Dow up by, what, 12?

COLLINS: I feel that's the numbers.

HARRIS: You goofball you.

COLLINS: Looks good. It's not at 13,000 yet but, you know.

HARRIS: That's right. That's right. And I can't figure out where the Nasdaq is, but I'm -- look, I'm positive, so it's up. Down 4. OK, great. Thanks, Todd (ph). The Nasdaq is down 4, but the Dow is up 12. We'll check all of the business headlines with Susan Lisovicz just a little later this hour.

So much for being positive there, huh?

Tax time creeping closer. This year's deadline comes with an added menace. The IRS will now sick get collectors on late filers who owe less than $25,000. CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis joins us now from New York.

Gerri, good Monday to you.

Wait a minute here.

WILLIS: I know. This is bad, isn't it?

HARRIS: But here's the thing. If you follow the rules, pay all your tax, don't hedge, you should be K here, correct?

WILLIS: You should be OK, but some of these debt collectors are actually scam artists.

HARRIS: Oh, boy.

WILLIS: So you have to be careful anyway. Let's talk about the ground rules first off. You may be surprised to know that debt collectors actually have to follow some ground rules. First off, they have hours. You can only be contacted between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. And your cell phone and work phone are off limits at all times. Now if anybody from a collection agency calls you late at night or early in the morning, you can report them to the feds.

HARRIS: Hey, I'm on a "do not call list." You can't call me at all. I guess there is clearly a way around that, huh?

WILLIS: Well, as I said, some of these folks are scam artists. They're not paying any attention to those kinds of things. Listen, you've got to ignore the immediate demands from these folks. Don't listen to demands for money if you get them. Debt collection agencies can't ask for or accept payment over the phone. And, of course, be on the lookout for scam artists posing as collection agents. Make sure to get the phone number and address of the inquiring agency so you can double-check their authenticity.

HARRIS: Yes.

So what other things -- big picture -- should we keep in mind?

WILLIS: Well, look, if your account has been handed over to a collection agency, you should expect to receive a written letter of notification directly from the IRS. So this isn't going to come out of the blue. You'll have some notification.

Remember, the IRS does not ask for pin numbers, passwords, or any other information related to your financial accounts. So if you get those questions, you know there's a problem. Fraud is rampant. So if you suspect foul play, make sure to call the agency's toll free help line at 1-800-829-1040.

And as you mentioned at the tip of this, Tony, of course the best way to avoid collection agencies is to do everything within you power to pay your bills and the IRS on time. Keep you eyes open. Make sure you know who you're talking to on the telephone when they call to bug you though.

Also a reminder to your viewers, send us your questions or tips to toptips@cnn.com. We answer them right here every Friday morning. We'd love to hear from you.

HARRIS: There she is, Gerri Willis, CNN personal finance editor.

Gerri, great to see you. Have a great day.

WILLIS: Thanks so much.

COLLINS: Want to go ahead and bring you a little bit more information as we learn more coming out of the Lewis Scooter Libby trial today. Our Jeffrey Toobin is standing by to shed some light on what we have learned. And that is, just to remind everybody here, Jeffrey, that apparently the foreperson in the Libby trial has told the judge, Judge Reggie Walton, that a juror may have been exposed to information on the case outside of the courtroom.

First of all, tell us what that means. I mean they could have been influenced here.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. You know, this is not very uncommon, when it comes to high profile cases because jurors are always instructed to stay away from reports in the news media. But sometimes, either through inadvertence or just by a mistake they read something.

Judge Walton is apparently doing what judges always do in these circumstances, which is take a time out, interview not just the juror who may have been exposed, but all the jurors, one at a time, in the presence of the lawyers and find out if this is something that might prejudice the Jury. Just because a juror has read some miscellaneous thing about a case doesn't mean that there's going to be a mistrial or the juror gets thrown out. It simply means that they have to do some investigating and see whether this was really a tainting that is problematic for the case.

COLLINS: Yes, and it's going to have an effect, a direct effect, I guess, on the case. And I know, Jeffrey these guys have been deliberating last Wednesday. We were kind of rolling toward a verdict, I think, we thought we might have been hearing when everybody was summoned into that courtroom today. But instead, now, it's this.

Explain to us, if you would, what happens if, in fact, it's true and this juror needs to go? Do we go to the alternates? Or what happens?

TOOBIN: Well, you know, it really varies. There's a lot of negotiating that can go on. Oftentimes what happens is, if both parties consent, they can continue with 11 jurors. That sometimes happens. Bringing in an alternate is also a possibility, I believe.

But what judges almost always try to do is keep the same 12. So I think Judge Walton is really going to be looking to see if this was just a stray reference to the case or a really prejudicial statement or really prejudicial piece of news.

You know, frankly, I read the newspapers this weekend. I don't think there was anything in the newspapers this weekend that was terribly prejudicial. So my guess is deliberations will continue as is, but the judge is certainly doing the prudent thing.

COLLINS: Is there a way, Jeffrey, to quickly explain what that deciding factor would be. I man, it sounds a little, you know, subjective as to how to weigh the evidence or weigh the information that came in and then make that decision, hey, you can stay or you've got to go.

TOOBIN: Right. Well the first thing a judge has to find out in a circumstance like this is, what is the thing that was seen. If, for example, an entirely different kind of case, that a juror learned about a confession that had been ruled out of evidence, that's the kind of thing that would cause a juror to be thrown off the case almost certainly. If it's simply a reference to the fact that the case exists or a fact that the jury is deliberating, I certainly doubt that that's something that would cause a juror to be thrown out.

Also, there would be an intent issue. If a juror intentionally disregarded the judge's orders and sought out reporting about the trial, that might get a juror thrown off. But if it's just a mistake, probably no big deal.

COLLINS: OK. All right. Got it. And in a case where they're trying to prove perjury and obstruction of justice, which is already kind of tough. I guess we'll be following this for a while now and find out what happens with this.

Jeffrey Toobin, thanks for your legal insight. Appreciate it.

TOOBIN: OK, Heidi.

HARRIS: And our T.J. Holmes is following some breaking news for us just outside of Atlanta. A helicopter crash, we understand.

T.J., what's the latest?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, we have a helicopter crash as you said, it's about 35 miles to the east of where we sit here in downtown Atlanta. But there you're seeing it, this helicopter, this is at the Covington Municipal Airport. You see a shot of it, you can't see the airport really, it looks like kind of just a grassy area where this helicopter ended up coming down and coming to rest here. But what we understand being reported by our local affiliate WSB, and this live picture coming from them as well, is that one person was on board, just the pilot and that pilot did in fact suffer some injuries and had to be taken to the hospital where he's reported to be in stable condition. He apparently suffered some head injuries. The FAA is telling the affiliate as well that the helicopter only got about 10 feet or so off the ground just after it took off and then just slammed back to the ground.

So it didn't get high, it didn't get far, but essentially went up and came right back down. If that's the case that it only got 10 feet off the ground, then I guess that's a good thing, it didn't have that far to fall. But only one person on board this helicopter, don't know exactly right now what caused this helicopter to come down. The weather around us right now is not too bad, it feels pretty good, sun's out, and you can tell it's kind of a sunny day there. So weather doesn't seem to be an issue, so maybe a mechanical issue, but that's certainly going to be investigated. But one person on board, the pilot, reported to be in stable condition. We're keeping an eye on it and we'll monitor those details for you Tony.

HARRIS: Ok T.J., thanks man.

HOLMES: All right.

COLLINS: He repeatedly risked his life to make sure no soldiers were left behind, a soldier honored four decades later, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We do have a bit of an update on the condition of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani now. We have been hearing and we've reported a little bit earlier today from Jordan this word coming in that he has been transferred to the intensive care unit. Doctors are saying that Mr. Talabani has had a catheter inserted into his heart. However, this news just coming in and confirmed by the "Associated Press" also out of Amman, that Talabani's private doctor and his spokesman are now denying those reports that Talabani has been moved to intensive care. They also say that he is stable. We want to get to our Jennifer Eccleston who is joining us now on the telephone live from Amman for the very latest on what she's hearing. Jennifer?

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, there seems to be some confusion about the situation of the president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani. But as you mentioned, we've been hearing from hospital sources at the King Hussein Medical Center, that's the hospital he was taken to from Iraq, late last night. We understand now that he has been moved to the intensive care unit as you stated and again that a catheter was put into his heart. And this is of course a procedure to obtain diagnostic information about the heart and to provide continuous monitoring of the heart. Now this would be consistent, if these reports are true, with reports that we heard last night, that he was brought to the King Hussein Medical Center because they have a top notch cardiac unit. But of course, as you mentioned, his private doctor denying this. This is also consistent with what we heard last night, that he was feeling dizzy yesterday, he was suffering from low blood pressure. And on the advice of his doctors in Iraq, in (INAUDIBLE) in northern Iraq, it was advised that he should leave the country and seek care here in Jordan. The primary reason for that because of his age, he is in his early 70s and they thought that they should err on the side of caution and do whatever it took to make sure that they could diagnosis whatever it is that is wrong with him and do it in a safe and secure environment. Heidi?

COLLINS: Jennifer, any idea, there's been a few reports that say he was rushed to this King Hussein Medical Center and other reports that say -- obviously, as you just mentioned, if they're going to travel and get out of Iraq, it would seem maybe not as imperative that he go quickly. Any idea about that?

ECCLESTON: What we heard in fact yesterday on CNN from his son, who is living in the United States, that he was able to walk to the aircraft in Iraq, he got on that plane. When he got off here in Amman, Jordan, he was able to get in a convoy, off the plane, not taken in an ambulance, and taken to the hospital. So that would indicate that he had his wits about him, that he was certainly feeling better in order to make that journey. But again, we just don't know, there hasn't been much clear information from hospital sources here or from the Iraqi Embassy, we're trying to work those sources to see what information they could get us. But just for the fact that he was feeling ill, he was suffering from low blood pressure, and that he was dizzy. But of course they came out with a statement that said he was in stable condition, that there was nothing to be -- no cause for great concern. But, again, anyone at his advanced age, I think they have to be extremely cautious and do whatever it takes to make sure that he's ok. And remember, coming to Amman, it is a big deal, it is getting into an aircraft but it also provides him a safe environment in order to proceed with this procedure. Any procedure that he was having as opposed to perhaps being evacuated to a medical field hospital in Iraq, which of course comes with its own complications.

COLLINS: Right, absolutely. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reporting to us live over the telephone from Amman, Jordan on the president of Iraq. We'll follow that story for you as well.

HARRIS: A few hours from now, President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Retired Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Crandall. But this is not related to Iraq, this is an award for actions taken more than 30 years ago. CNN's Barbara Starr is here now with the story. Barbara, I saw this report of yours earlier and just flat out love it.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Tony, this is an extraordinary story. Bruce Crandall will be at the White House later today to receive this award and that in itself is extraordinary. Of the last 10 men who were awarded the Medal of Honor, eight of them died in combat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The top row, that's a distinguished service cross.

STARR (voice-over): Bruce Crandall is already a Hollywood war hero. Greg Kanier(ph) played him in the Mel Gibson Vietnam war film "We Were Soldiers."

MOVIE CLIP: I was supposed to have a choice in all of this. You sure don't.

STARR: But Vietnam was agonizingly real for Bruce Crandall. Forty year later, his heroics will be recognized by the nation when President Bush awards him the Medal of Honor, the highest military recognition. It was November 1965, U.S. troops dropped by helicopter into a remote area of South Vietnam. Crandall is in the lead helicopter when hell erupts on the landing zone below.

LT. COL. BRUCE CRANDALL, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I had my crew chief shot through the throat. The radio operator was hit and killed before he could unhook.

STARR: For hours, Crandall flew wounded troops out of the killing zone. Fourteen times he landed, no matter how heavy the enemy fire became.

CRANDALL: It was the longest day I've ever experienced in any aircraft.

STARR: Crandall and his wingman saved more than 70 men. Each time his helicopter got too shot up to fly, he switched to a new one, taking troops out, bringing in more ammunition to the stranded troops below. At a time when the nation is again focused on an unpopular war, Crandall speaks to today's young pilots with modesty most of us cannot fathom.

CRANDALL: Most young aviators have a question of how they're going to react if they haven't been in combat yet. I found out I didn't like to get shot at but it was part of the job.

STARR: Many of Crandall's aging comrades wrote letters to the Pentagon detailing their memories of a man who risked his life to make sure no one was left behind. This man, they say, deserves the Medal of Honor.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Barbara Starr is with us again. Now Barbara, again, just a fascinating story.

STARR: It is, Tony. I have to tell you that Mr. Crandall is a very modest man and he meets often with the helicopter pilots of today flying in Iraq and he tells them they will make it through combat. Tony?

HARRIS: Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr with us this morning. Barbara thank you.

COLLINS: We want to get back to the story we've been telling you about this morning, the condition of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. A little bit of confusion here coming from Amman, Jordan where he was taken and is now. We are hearing from some physicians that apparently he has been transferred to the intensive care unit and that the doctors are telling us a catheter has been inserted into his heart. You may have heard our correspondent on the ground there in Amman, Jordan, Jennifer Eccleston, saying the same thing. However, we are also learning from, according to the "Associated Press" any way, that the private doctor and a spokesman of Jalal Talabani are denying those reports that he's been moved to intensive care in that Jordanian hospital, it's the King Hussein Medical Center. So what we want to do is bring on Jalal Talabani's son, this is Qubad Talabani, he is joining us now by telephone from Washington, D.C. Mr. Talabani, can you clear this up for us?

QUBAD TALABANI, SON OF IRAQI PRESIDENT: Sure, I'll be glad to. He has not had a catheter inserted into his heart. His condition it remains stable and improving. I have spoken with him this morning, I have spoken with his medical staff as well. They're very pleased with the progress that he is making. Again, his spirits continue to be high and he's improving all the time.

COLLINS: Can you tell us, Mr. Talabani, why he was taken to the hospital in the first place? What was he complaining of?

TALABANI: Well he was feeling very weak and the doctors had noticed that his blood pressure had dropped considerably. They managed, his doctors in (INAUDIBLE) Iraq (INAUDIBLE) that is, they managed to stabilize his blood pressure. He had been working very hard over the last week or so. They put it down to fatigue and exhaustion. But his doctors recommended that he carry out further check-ups in a more advanced medical facility, which is why he was transferred to Jordan, the King Hussein Medical Facility, which is a state-of-the-art facility. It's been more of a precautionary measure. He's undergoing continued examination. But he's -- his situation continues to be stable and improving all the time.

COLLINS: Ok, very good. That is good to learn from you, certainly. You know I am certainly not a physician but I can say that I have actually had this process with a catheter in my heart. And we should let people know at least in my case anyway, this was to do more testing, diagnostic testing to find out what is going on with your body. So just to clear that up possibly a little bit any way. What about those reports though, if I could ask you quickly Mr. Talabani, that we heard over the weekend about the president of Iraq, your father, having a heart attack?

TALABANI: No he has not had a heart attack. And again, I just want to state for the record, that he has not had a heart attack. He has not had a heart attack or catheter inserted. He has not had a heart attack, his heart is in very good condition. And all tests indicate that his heart is functioning normally. He has also had several CT scans carried out and no abnormalities have shown up in those scans. And his vital organs seem to be functioning well. We're not concerned about that. I think his stay in Amman remains to be a precautionary measure to ensure that we leave no stone unturned.

COLLINS: All right, very good, understood. And we so appreciate your time here today. Qubad Talabani from Washington, D.C. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's son, to try and clear up all the information that we are getting here at CNN. Thank you so much, sir.

HARRIS: And still to come this morning, Hollywood's gold rush, would the sixth time be the charm for Martin Scorsese, that's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

SUSAN LISOVICZ: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange where shares of TXU are soaring 13 percent on word of a historic deal that investors and environmentalists alike both applaud. I'll have details when the NEWSROOM continues. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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HARRIS: A big buy-out on Wall Street today has many shades of green, green not only in terms of the historic price tag but also because of its unusual support from environmental groups. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange this morning to help us sort it all out. Susan good morning.

LISOVICZ: Good morning to you Tony. This is a huge deal, $45 billion in cash and debt, that's how much a group of private equity firms will pay for TXU, a Texas based electric utility that makes it the biggest deal of its kind. Culver, Kravitz, Roberts and Texas Pacific Group are among the buyers. The Wall Street Journal says those firms tried to buy utilities before but faced criticism from state officials, consumers and environmentalists. But now KKR and Texas Pacific are making early and big concessions to win the support of those groups like agreeing to only build three new coal plants in Texas instead of the 11 that had been planned. That would prevent 56 million tons of annual carbon emissions. The utility company owns the largest fleet of power plants in Texas, 19. Tony?

HARRIS: So, Susan, ok. How does all this shake out in your mind? Will consumers see any changes to their bills, to the bottom line?

LISOVICZ: Right, I mean these are profit driven ventures, obviously. Consumers not always factor into the equation or at least seemingly not so. But TXU, Tony, says the terms of the deal include a 10 percent price reduction for residential customers adding up to $300 million in the first year. The utility company serves more than 2 million customers. Some analysts are skeptical saying that if more plants aren't built, prices could actually rise because of the lack of supply. Investors well they're voicing their opinion early and dramatically. Shares of TXU right now are up 12.5 percent here at the NYSE. Also on the rise here, Dow Chemical gaining 6 percent after a London newspaper said the company could also be the target of a buy- out. The overall picture on Wall Street, well not quite as dramatic. The Dow Industrials up four points coming off a rough week, the NASDAQ Composite is down about a third of a percent. And that is the latest from Wall Street. Heidi and Tony, see you in the next hour.

HARRIS: All right, Susan Lisovicz, appreciate it. Thank you Susan.

Hollywood's gold rush, would the sixth time be the charm for Martin Scorsese. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

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COLLINS: The Academy Award after parties are probably just wrapping up about now. So who's really got something to celebrate? CNN's entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas has the winners.

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And the Oscar goes to, "The Departed."

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crime drama "The Departed" it stole away with four Oscars, best picture, editing, adapted screen play and a long awaited best director award for Martin Scorsese, who after five previous directing losses couldn't believe his luck?

MARTIN SCORSESE: Could you double-check the envelope.

VARGAS: In the lead acting category, Forest Whitaker won for his portrayal of Uganda dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland," while Helen Mirren reigned supreme for playing Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen."

HELLEN MIRREN: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "The Queen."

VARGAS: As for the supporting actors, veteran Allen Arkin pulled off an upset, winning for his performance in the quirky family road comedy "Little Miss Sunshine," which also won for best original screenplay and best supporting actress Jennifer Hudson was recognized for her very first film "Dreamgirls."

JENNIFER HUDSON: I couldn't believe it. I'm still in shock.

VARGAS (on camera): The Al Gore global warming film, "An Inconvenient Truth," won for documentary feature and for a second, it looked like Gore might have a big announcement.

AL GORE: My fellow Americans, I'm going to take this opportunity right here and now to formally announce my --

VARGAS: Melissa Etheridge's "I Need to Wake-up," from the documentary, won for best song, beating out three entries from "Dreamgirls", which despite eight nominations wound up with just two Oscars.

MELISSA ETHERIDGE: This is the most international Oscars ever, which is a huge deal I think.

VARGAS: And Paz Labyrinth and "Babel" won four Oscars between them and top honors went to a very American version of a Hong Kong film, it proved to be a very small world on Oscar night. Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Want to get this information out to you directly. Just in here at CNN, we are learning from the "Associated Press", a story we've been following this morning, and that is about the juror in the Scooter Lewis Libby trial, that we've been telling you about, may have been influenced by some information outside of the courtroom. Apparently, again, according to the "Associated Press," that juror has been dismissed. Once again, the juror has been dismissed in the trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby. We had spoken a little bit earlier with our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who tells us it is possible that the trial could still continue with a jury of 11. There are two alternates in this case too, so it's possible one of the alternates could step in. We're going to get him up in just a few minutes here to find out what it could mean for the deliberations and the case as a whole in just a moment. But once again, the news from the "Associated Press," and now CNN has just confirmed, we have our Brian Todd on the ground there, so he has been able to confirm that a juror in the Scooter Lewis Libby trial has been dismissed. We are also learning directly that they will proceed with this case with 11 jurors. Once again, the case will go on, the deliberations will continue with 11 jurors. That juror who was dismissed also learning was one of the females. There were eight women and four men on this jury, so now we're down to seven women, four men. So we do continue our coverage here next hour, coming up with our Brian Todd, who is there live outside that courtroom. We'll give you the very latest.

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COLLINS: The latest now on the Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial, a juror has been dismissed. CNN now confirming a juror, a female juror has been dismissed during the deliberation process that has been going on since last Wednesday. Let's find out exactly what has happened with our man on the ground, CNN's Brian Todd reporting now live outside the courtroom. Brian, what's the latest?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, just moments ago as you mentioned, a female juror was dismissed from this jury pool then both attorney sides got up and made their arguments for what to do next.

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