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New Rules at Gitmo; Iraq War Debate Moves to U.S. Senate; Anna Nicole Smith: Accidental Death; Passengers Overboard; Surviving Lost At Sea; Pushing Ahead; Prince In Hot Water?; Britney Goes To Hospital; Elton John Turns 60

Aired March 26, 2007 - 14:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today.

So many drugs in her system, her body simply forgot to breath. Anna Nicole Smith's autopsy report is out, and we're going to ask a forensic pathologist about the fatal combination that killed Smith in her sleep.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Top of the hour, developing story here. She didn't suffer, she went to sleep. That's how a Florida medical examiner describes Anna Nicole Smith's last moments.

Six weeks after Smith collapsed in a Florida hotel room, police say the former "Playboy" Playmate died of an accidental drug overdose. The medical examiner says nine prescription drugs found in Smith's body basically shut down her breathing and circulation. Crime-wise, please found nothing suspicious about her death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLIE TIGER, SEMINOLE POLICE: The Broward sheriff's crime scene unit completed a thorough investigation of the case of the death of this -- of the scene of the death and found no evidence of illegal drugs. We have reviewed hundreds of hours of videotape captured by the hotel security cameras, and we found nothing unusual. We analyzed the contents of a laptop computer belonging to Mr. Stern with the approval of his attorney, and we found nothing to indicate any foul play.

We are convinced, based on the extensive review of the evidence, that this case is an accidental overdose, with no other criminal elements present.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Here is the long list of drugs found in Smith's system. The M.E. says the sleeping medication Chloral Hydrate was a major factor in Smith's death. Now, his report says Smith had a long history of prescription drug use and over-medicating. Coming up, we'll talk more about Smith's autopsy results with a forensic pathologist right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: Well, he is one of hundreds of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but today Australian David Hicks -- you see the picture there -- stands out from the rest. He is the first Gitmo detainee to be charged under new rules the Bush administration devised after the Supreme Court rejected the old ones.

So let's get the latest now from our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

Hi there, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

Well, Australian David Hicks, the 31-year-old convert to Muslim, is expected to enter a not guilty plea this afternoon at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as he becomes the first detainee to face trial under these new military commissions. But in a sense, it's not just Hicks that's on trial, but the whole system of trying detainees which has come under intense criticism of human rights groups both in the United States and around the world.

Among the criticisms is that the process set up allows the use of coerced testimony in the trial and denies defense attorneys access to the means by which that testimony was -- evidence was obtained. In addition, lawyers for David Hicks are arguing that the charge against him, which has been reduced to a single charge of "providing material support for terrorism," only became a formal law in 2006 when it was codified as part of the new rules for the military commissions revamped after some Supreme Court decisions. And so they are arguing that he is being tried retroactively.

In the charging sheets for Hicks, the U.S. government submits that he trained with al Qaeda in Kosovo before moving to Afghanistan, where he was captured. The Australian government, of course, has intense interest in this case, and according to reports, the Australian prime minister is pressing the U.S. government to dispose of the case quickly and return hicks to Australia for any sentence that he may have to serve. And that may account for the fact that he's the first one up on these military commissions being held at Guantanamo.

NGUYEN: Well, Jamie, you just mentioned that the Australian government is expressing some serious concerns with these proceedings. How is Washington reacting to those concerns?

MCINTYRE: Well, the United States is insisting that the procedures that they put in place are fair, that they give adequate protections to the detainees, and that the people being tried pose a serious threat, or did pose a serious threat to the United States, and that the commissions after a long delay are the most equitable way to proceed. But, of course, critics around the world not necessarily buying into that argument, and some people point out, for instance, that other allies, such as Great Britain, who had detainees in Guantanamo, managed to get all of their detainees sent back to their home country where they were dealt with there. And that's one thing that Australia, which is a staunch U.S. ally, would also like to see.

NGUYEN: CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

Thank you, Jamie.

LEMON: We want to update you on an Amber Alert first reported this weekend. And here's what authorities are telling us from Seattle, Washington. This is according to The Associated Press.

A car sought in an Amber Alert has been found in Stevens County. This is in Washington. Sheriff's deputies are looking for a man and two children.

We have one of -- a picture of one of those children. His name is Lars Baugher. He is a young 2-year-old boy, blonde hair, green eyes, two feet seven inches tall. He weighs 29 pounds, and last seen wearing a brown or green jacket, blue jeans and black Converse.

They're also looking for him and his 4-year-old sister as well. I'm going to update you on what they look like, but here's what officials are telling us.

They were last seen yesterday in Waitsburg. Officials fear the 2- year-old boy and 4-year-old girl may by in danger because of the father's mental health. So they found the car, but they're still looking for them.

There's the father right there. The father is John Baugher. John Baugher. He's 34 years old, brown hair, green eyes, five feet seven inches tall, 140 pounds.

No description of what he was wearing, but here, just real quick, they're looking for the vehicle. They found that vehicle, which is a 1978 Volkswagen Transporter van.

So the update on the Amber Alert there is that they have found the car, still looking for the three individuals, the one little girl, one little boy, and also the father. And they believe the kids might be in danger.

So, if you have any information on that, call authorities.

We will continue to update you on this situation, this Amber Alert, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

In the meantime, the U.S. Senate is about to start debate on funding the war in Iraq. Looming even larger, a proposal to place a deadline on U.S. troop commitment.

Now with the story from Capitol Hill, CNN's Andrea Koppel -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, that's right. The Democrats over here in the Senate are hoping the third time will be the charm as they begin a series of speeches, debate, and then votes on the president's emergency war spending bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which has included a timeline of March 31st of next year by which all U.S. combat troops must be out of Iraq.

Now, a similar bill passed the House on Friday by a very slim majority, and over here in the Senate, where the Democrats' majority is even slimmer, even though they're hopeful, a Senate Democratic aide told me that they're hopeful that they'll be able to get this bill through as is. The reality is that it's unlikely you're going to get a majority of Democrats united behind this, because they're opposed to the idea of a timeline, at least some Democrats are opposed to that.

Now, they're still negotiating between Republicans and Democrats for the number of amendments and which amendments will be offered, but we know right now that there's at least one amendment which would strip that language, the timeline from the bill, and there's another amendment which would strip the additional funding that Democrats have added to the bill to -- in the hopes of getting emergency funding for things like Walter Reed and also Hurricane Katrina aftermath.

They expect those votes to take place during the course of the week, Don, and they should know the outcome before they leave for their spring break at the end of this week -- Don.

LEMON: OK. Andrea, a quick question for you. Any real chance that this bill will make it out of the Senate?

KOPPEL: There's a chance that the bill without the timeline in it will make it out of the Senate, but it's highly unlikely that there would be that March 31 2008 date in there, at least at this point.

LEMON: Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill.

Thank you so much.

NGUYEN: Fresh from last night's appearance on "60 Minutes," Elizabeth Edwards hit the campaign trail on behalf on her husband John. And speaking in Cleveland, Mrs. Edwards spoke of how the couple reconciled his campaign for the White House with her recurrence of cancer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, JOHN EDWARDS' WIFE: We've learned two great lessons in life. One is that there will always be heartache and struggle. We certainly know that now in our own lives again, that there will always be heartache and struggle. But the second lesson is that people of goodwill can make a difference.

The first lesson is a sad one, and the second one is inspiring. I choose, he chose, I choose to be inspired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Edwards, by the way, says he does not want sympathy votes because of his wife's illness.

LEMON: OK. A dramatic rescue in the Gulf of Mexico.

NGUYEN: No doubt. LEMON: Unbelievable. Two cruise ship passengers who fell overboard yesterday and spent four hours in the water patterns who spend four hours in the water -- four hours. Well, they're alive and well. And guess what?

NGUYEN: Yes?

LEMON: They're still cruising. A man and woman in their early 20s somehow fell off a balcony on the Grand Princess. The ship was sailing from Galveston, Texas, to Cozumel, Mexico, at the time. And despite the fall itself, more than 50 feet -- that's about, what, four or five floors down -- and all that time in the water, the cruise line says the two are OK and they chose to stay on the cruise.

NGUYEN: Well, they paid their money. They want to get their cruise out of it.

LEMON: Besides, I think the food is free, the booze is free, whatever.

NGUYEN: I don't know about the booze, but the food is.

LEMON: In 30 minutes we'll speak with a flight mechanic with the U.S. Coast Guard who took part in that rescue. Serious stuff here, but it's unbelievable.

NGUYEN: Yes, truly. Four hours in the water, that's what's amazing.

LEMON: Yes.

NGUYEN: Well, in another story, none of the drugs was illegal, but taken together they were fatal. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, we now know what killed Anna Nicole Smith. Is it time to ask, what's in your medicine cabinet?

LEMON: Killed by friendly fire. Why did it take weeks for Pat Tillman's family to learn what the Army knew almost immediately?

Ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, will the blame go to the very top?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. Almost a quarter past the hour. Here are some of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(NEWSBREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, Don, her sudden death sparked weeks of whispers and speculation, and today investigators say they know for sure what killed Anna Nicole Smith, and they blame an accidental overdose of legal drugs. Now, tests show Smith was taking a startling number of prescription medications.

Joining me now to talk about this is Dr. William Morrone, a forensic pathologist and toxicologist.

Thanks for being with us today.

DR. WILLIAM MORRONE, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: Thank you. Good afternoon.

NGUYEN: First of all, let's go through the list, if you would, of the many different drugs that were in her system, nine different ones. She had some anti-anxiety drugs, some antidepressants. Now, I want to talk about this for a minute, because a lot of people do take antidepressants, several of them. So if you mix that with a cold and flu medication, what can that do?

MORRONE: What you have is the opportunity for drug interactions that could be dangerous. If high doses of cold and flu medication sedate you, or make you drowsy, and make you confused, and those are the same side-effects you get from higher doses of antidepressants, then you have a compounded effect, and that's really not what you want.

NGUYEN: She also had methadone in her system. Aside from treating heroin addiction, what else is methadone used for?

MORRONE: Methadone is a very strong analgesic. It's used to treat severe pain. It shouldn't be used to treat mild to moderate pain. It's used to treat severe pain.

The advantages of methadone is it has a very long half-life. The disadvantage and the risk of methadone is that it has a very long half-life.

NGUYEN: OK. Well, talk to us about what that means, because the methadone was found in her bile. So that -- does that mean it contributed to her death?

MORRONE: Methadone, not being measurable to a significant level in her blood, but being found in her bile, is evidence of sometimes what we call enterohepatic circulation, that when the drug's absorbed, it's re-circulated through the GI tract and the blood, and it's concentrated in the bile.

Methadone also concentrates in the liver as an organ, and the gallbladder, which fills with bile from the liver, is directly related to that. If the methadone's concentrating in the liver, and the gallbladder drains the liver, then that's why you have higher concentrations of methadone in the bile in the gallbladder.

NGUYEN: All right. Another major factor that let to her death was Chloral Hydrate. Talk to us about what this is.

MORRONE: Chloral Hydrate is a sedative-hypnotic. It was first used about 165 years ago -- excuse me -- it was discovered about 165 years ago, and it was used clinically about 132 to 133 years ago. So it's been around a long time.

NGUYEN: Is it a sleeping aid? Is that what it is?

MORRONE: Yes.

NGUYEN: OK.

MORRONE: Yes. When we say sedative-hypnotic, it helps you go to sleep quickly. I use Chloral Hydrate when somebody is claustrophobic and they can't go in the MRI and we need the scan. I have to put them down to put them in. But if you're going to take it at home, it should be supervised, and you shouldn't be mixing it with anything else.

NGUYEN: Well, we want to talk about that in just a minute, but one of the last things that was found in her system was a human growth hormone which she took through injections.

What could this do, just looking at all these different drugs that she had in her system?

MORRONE: Human growth hormone is very controversial. It should be supervised by an endocrinologist, and there should be an good indication for it, not just weight loss. That's too much of a faddy (ph) or trendy use. And human growth hormone was the end result of brain cancer in Lyle Alzado, one of my favorite NFL players from the Oakland Raiders.

NGUYEN: Do you know -- do you find it odd at all just looking at the nine different prescription drugs that she had in her system? What does that say about what she was going through, both physically and emotionally?

MORRONE: Well, if you look at that, we hear in the news that there were nine different medications, but five of those nine medications were controlled substances to use pain -- or to treat pain or anxiety or depression, and that says where she was. That that was a side of her that nobody saw.

There was a lot of pain. Soma is a muscle relaxer, it works for pain. Methadone is an analgesic, it works for pain. And those Ativan, Klonopin and the Valium, that's three difficult medicines that do the same thing that when people come to me and they're on three different medicines like that, I say, hey, pick one. You get one, you can't have all three. You should not be taking all three of those.

NGUYEN: So you think a doctor prescribed all of these to be taken together, or are we looking at several different doctors? And is there some legal ramifications that they could face?

MORRONE: I think that there was not communication between her doctors. And I don't know if that was designed by her entourage, that she got certain things from certain doctors. But no one doctor would prescribe all of these, knowing what they do, because of the risk. Remember, I said there were five controlled substances of the nine that you've listed.

NGUYEN: All right. Dr. William Morrone, as we try to just sort out all of this and why they were in her system, we know obviously what it did to her. But we appreciate your time in explaining the details of these different drugs.

A forensic pathologist and toxicologist.

Thanks for your time.

Well, the medical examiner who conducted Anna Nicole Smith's autopsy will be a guest on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight. You'll want to catch that. Plus, exclusive reaction from Howard K. Stern's lawyer.

Tune in at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific, right here on CNN -- Don.

LEMON: And Betty, imagine this -- one moment you're on a cruise ship balcony, just hanging out, and the next, you've taken a 50-foot plunge into pitch-dark, shark-infested waters.

Ahead in the NEWSROOM, we'll speak to one of the men involved in the rescue of two people that this actually happened to.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: President Bush doesn't have the warmest relation with the America auto industry, but today he sat down with the executives from the big three for the second time in four months.

Our very own Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock exchange to tell us about what was on the agenda.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

Two people overboard with no life jackets. Miles of deep, dark, rolling water. So how did the Coast Guard manage to find both of them -- and both of them alive today? We are going to ask one of the rescuers. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

An incredible rescue in the Gulf of Mexico. Two cruise ship passengers saved from death in the dark and murky water where they spend, get this, four hours after falling some 50 feet. Their ship was sailing from Galveston, Texas, to Cozumel, Mexico, when the passengers somehow fell off a balcony some 150 miles off the coast. Well, Petty Officer Frank Miller is a flight mechanic with the U.S. Coast Guard and took part in yesterday's drama. He joins us now on the phone with the latest on what he was able to do.

It's quite a story, Officer Miller. I want you to take us back to the time when you got the call. Because, in fact, I think you were asleep when you got the call about two people overboard.

FRANK MILLER, PETTY OFFICER, U.S. COAST GUARD: Yes, ma'am, that's correct. It was about 2:20 in the morning when we got the call that there were two people in the water that had fallen overboard. As fast as we could, with adequate planning, we got the helicopter out on line and took off and embarked on the mission. The only information that we had was there was two people in the water. The cruise ship had turned around to start searching for them and they were about 150 miles offshore, which is -- that's a pretty good distance off the shore.

NGUYEN: Do you know about these waters? I mean, are they shark- infested? What was the temperature? What kind of conditions were you faced with? Because, keep in mind, this was during the dead of night when you were searching.

MILLER: Right. The waters -- it's the Gulf of Mexico. Of course there's going to be sharks and all that. I don't know if they're shark-infested waters, but it's saltwater, there's probably sharks. The weather, whenever we took off, was pretty cloudy and really windy, and we had to climb above the clouds to be able to fly out there.

We got about 100 miles offshore. We were getting close to our go/no- go distance or time for fuel and we descended down to 500 feet, couldn't make visual with the water. We all decided inside the plane to press on, get a little further out and maybe punch through the clouds a little further down the line and make visual with the water. So we ascended back up to altitude for about 10, 15 more minutes and dropped down and I, myself, am a very faithful person. And I just started praying that the clouds would be clear and we'd be able to get out there. And, like I said, about 10, 15 more minutes worth of flying and we dropped down to a different, a little more altitude, and it was just as clear as it could have been and we were able to continue on out to assist these people.

NGUYEN: Well, I know it was difficult because some of the rescue boats were not able to find the male passenger. You talk about it not only being dark, but it was windy. Obviously the water were very choppy. It seems like it kind of would be a needle in the haystack. But as for those passengers who were in the water for four hours, what in the world is that like? What do you do in a situation like that?

MILLER: The best thing to do, if you fall over with other people, is to remain together. It's much harder to find one person than it is if you have two or three that are together, provided that they fall overboard together. Like you said, it is a needle in a haystack. You have something the size of -- I don't know, a pea in a patch of green peppers. It's hard to -- it's definitely hard to see. We've got the technology with the night vision goggles that we can enhance or chances in locating them, and it really paid off that we had those.

NGUYEN: Well, talk to me about the rescue, if you would, because you were able to help save these passengers. Did they say anything about what had happened, how they had fallen off of this balcony? That's the big question today -- what happened?

MILLER: That I don't know. We just -- the only information that I received was there were two people in the water that fell overboard. Other than that, I don't know the circumstances that led them to be overboard or how it happened. That I don't know.

NGUYEN: But to be able to pull off a rescue like this after these two passengers were in the water for so long, it's got to make you proud to be a part of the Coast Guard?

MILLER: Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am, it does. I'm thankful that God allows me to be in the coast guard and do what I do. It really is amazing.

NGUYEN: Petty Officer Frank Miller joining us today by phone.

Thanks so much for not only your accomplishments there in that rescue, for spending a little bit of time with us. We appreciate it.

MILLER: Thank you for having me.

NGUYEN: So what would you do if you were lost at sea? We know what the Coast Guard would do, but our Rick Sanchez shows us what a search and rescue mission is really like.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a visual, starboard bow. Going down. Coming right. Coming to starboard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got them on our radar. Got them on our radar.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The U.S. Coast Guard demonstrating their precision. A boat or boater is lost at sea. Their job is to search and rescue. As they peer toward the horizon, they know that somewhere out there someone is desperately hoping to be found.

MIGUEL SANTOYA, COXSWAIN, U.S. COAST GUARD: Sometimes the information's not accurate. Sometimes we'll get a search where the communication get cut off before we get all the details and we don't know exactly what we're looking for or where we're looking for it.

SANCHEZ: And then it's really like finding a needle in the haystack?

SANTOYA: Right.

SANCHEZ: And the odds get even worse, if they're looking not for a boat, but for a person. We experienced it first-hand by going out about a mile offshore and jumping overboard with nothing more than a life vest.

It's amazing when you get here, your line of sight is literally covered or obstructed by most of these waves. You can't see what's on the other side of the waves. And, unfortunately, in a rescue situation, it's harder for them to see you as well.

SANTOYA: The rougher it is, the harder it is to spot it, especially because you think it's choppy up here, you may think you saw something for a second, and then it dips behind a wave and you may not see it again for another five minutes.

SANCHEZ: That is why it's important to wear a life vest that's approved by the Coast Guard, bright reflective colors like orange that stand out against the blue-green surface of the water. Experts also advise that you conserve your energy. Don't splash. Try to keep both arms folded and legs crossed.

The longer you're out here, the more you increase the chances of dehydration, hypothermia and exhaustion. Together, those three things make it more difficult for you to be able to help yourself while the Coast Guard are trying to find you.

As planned, the 41-footer has spotted me in the water and is in the process of executing a rescue operation. Because we're out so far from shore, I'm figuring they couldn't get to me soon enough.

As a human being, once you're in the water for a long period of time, you start to realize that you've just drop to the very bottom of the food chain. There's about 1,000 feet of water under you and who knows what kind of animals?

For us, and for Coast Guard officials, it is a worthwhile exercise that can save lives. For people who've actually live through this ordeal, it is a moment frozen in time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And that was CNN's Rick Sanchez reporting for us a while back off the coast of Florida.

LEMON: A football start turned Army Ranger, killed by his comrades in Afghanistan. Today, new answers in the Pat Tillman investigation. A Pentagon report to be released later this afternoon will likely blame nine officers, including as many as four generals, for mistakes after Tillman's death almost three years ago. For weeks the Army told his family he was killed in an enemy ambush, but dozens of soldiers knew right away Tillman fell victim to friendly fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: What do you think should happen to those people, whether their colonels or generals or whatever?

SGT. BRAD JACOBSON, SERVED WITH PAT TILLMAN: Like I said, I mean, whatever involvement these people had, you know, in my opinion, they should be punished to whatever, you know, degree of, you know, misinformation that they were giving at the time. Maybe some were confused and had the wrong information given to them. But, I mean, as far as like a cover-up goes or giving the wrong story to the family and stuff, I mean they should definitely get, you know, whatever reflects in, you know, that kind of punishment.

O'BRIEN: Well, it seems like some people, though, have just had their rank diminished, maybe forced out. I mean what do you think the punishment should be?

JACOBSON: Well, like I said, I mean, I don't know what, you know, I don't know what the UCMJ says about this kind of stuff. Obviously this is going to be done at a higher level than what I know. As far as I'm concerned, I mean, if you're covering up something this large and, you know, obviously misleading the family, you know, to believe something else that didn't happen, I would hope to see that they were punished fairly, you know, for what they did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The Pentagon is expected to release its report at 4:00 Eastern.

London and Tehran facing off over Iran's captured of 15 British sailors and marines. Today, Iran let it be know it's interrogating the 15 over whether they intentional entered Iranian waters. Earlier a top Iranian military commander said the 15 had confessed and hard- liners were calling for a trial. The 15 sailors and marines were part of a boarding party from the frigate HMS Cornwall, which was on patrol to prevent smuggling. The British maintain the troops were inspecting a merchant vessel in Iraqi waters. They want them released immediately, and so does Iraq.

Iran is already at logger heads with much of the world over nukes. On Saturday, the U.N. Security Council slapped Tehran with tougher sanctions for refusing to stop enriching uranium. Today the presidents of Russia and China called on Iran to abide by that unanimous vote. The White House is in full agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESWOMAN: It was very good to see that the international community was so strongly united. And we would urge the Iranians to stop and think before going down the road of noncompliance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Iranian leaders called the sanctioning illegal and warned they plan to limit their cooperation with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog. They insist their goal is nuclear energy, not nuclear weapons.

NGUYEN: Stage four breast cancer. But as far as she's concerned, life goes on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA ORTEGA, LIVING WITH BREAST CANCER: It's not a death sentence that it used to be. We can beat this. We can live with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Pushing past a grim diagnosis. That is ahead right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, as we showed you a little earlier, Elizabeth Edwards is out campaigning for her husband today. Now a lot of people seemed surprised that the former senator from North Carolina is still in the race for president, given his wife's recurrence of cancer. But on "60 Minutes" last night, Elizabeth Edwards said giving up is not an option.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, JOHN EDWARDS' WIFE: Either you push forward with the things that you were doing yesterday, or you start dying. That seems to me your only two choices. If I had given up everything that my life was about, first of all, I let cancer win before it need to, you know. Maybe eventually it will win, but I let it win before it need to. And I just basically start dying.

I don't want to do that. I want to live. And I want to do the work that I -- I want next year to look like last year and the year after that and the year after that. And the only way to do that is to say, I'm going to keep on with my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: In fact, lots of cancer patients are moving on with their lives thanks to modern medicine. As CNN's Kiran Chetry shows us, even severe forms of cancer aren't always a sentence of death.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The pink ribbon might offer a hint, but looking at Anna Ortega, you would never know she has stage four breast cancer.

ANNA ORTEGA, LIVING WITH BREAST CANCER: I still remember the day that I found out it had metastasized to the bone. For me it was 10 days after my initial diagnosis. And they're using words like stage four and using words like terminal.

CHETRY: And yet . . .

A. ORTEGA: I don't believe I'm going to die of cancer.

CHETRY: Little has changed in Anna's life since she was diagnosed with the cancer two years ago.

And you still work full-time. You do a lot of things you did before. And you have other hobbies. How do you keep up?

A. ORTEGA: Um, I listen to my body. If I need to sleep in a little bit in the morning, I do. If I need to leave early, I do.

CHETRY: And she plans for her future -- vacations, a new car, bought with a five-year loan, one she fully intends to pay off. And she still wears heels, even though a fall could put her in a wheelchair.

A. ORTEGA: Wearing high heels is basically who I am and it makes me feel good about myself.

CHETRY: Optimism echoed by Elizabeth Edwards.

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, JOHN EDWARDS' WIFE: I expect to do next week all the things I did last week.

A. CHETRY: Anna says she's helped by her strong faith and her husband, Robert.

ROBERT ORTEGA, ANNA ORTEGA'S HUSBAND: Oh, Heavenly Father, we just thank you for another day, Lord.

A. ORTEGA: We've gotten closer.

R. ORTEGA: Yes. Amen (ph).

CHETRY: She also puts her faith in her cancer doctor.

DR. ROBERT KLAFTER, ONCOLOGIST: I have every expectation for her to do great for a long time. I expect her to be on this pill for years to come. If that fails, we have a lot more ideas.

CHETRY: He says women who respond well to the treatment are living four, five, 10 years. Anna expects to beat that.

A. ORTEGA: It's not a death sentence that it used to be. We can beat this. We can live with it. And there's a difference between having had cancer, surviving cancer, and living with cancer. And that's what we're doing, we're living with it.

CHETRY: Kiran Chetry, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: A new approach to catching dead-beat parents courtesy of the pizza delivery guy. That story is straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A.J. HAMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm A.J. Hammer. A royal scuffle or a tipsy stumble? Why Prince Harry's night out on the town is making international headlines today.

And Britney Spears, is she at it again? A trip to the hospital tells all.

Those stories, plus which legendary star is turning 60? All the answers straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: He is one of the biggest stars on television, but also one of the most disliked. Simon Cowell reportedly gets, get this, more than $30 million a year to crush the hopes of wannabe superstars on "American Idol." But as CNN anchor and "60 Minutes" contributor Anderson Cooper found out, Cowell admits he has no musical talent himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Do you sing?

SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: No. COOPER: Do you play an instrument?

COWELL: Guitar very badly.

COOPER: Do you read music?

COWELL: No.

COOPER: Do you produce albums?

COWELL: No.

COOPER: So what actually do you do?

COWELL: Guess what's going to be popular?

COOPER: You guess what's going to be popular.

COWELL: Literally that.

COOPER: Do you feel at all like a fraud at times?

COWELL: Well, no, because I think 99 percent of the people who watch the show are in the same position as me, they know when somebody's good or not. And, for me, it's been a help not knowing too much so I can rely on my instincts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: He's a man with the ideas. That first aired on CBS "60 Minutes." Catch the rest tonight on "Anderson Cooper 360" at 10:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Here's a question for you. Was it a scuffle or was it a stumble? Prince Harry making headlines after leaving a London nightclub.

A.J. Hammer from "Showbiz Tonight," what's this all about?

A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Well, you know, Don, you would think they'd be more protected, but even members of the British royal family are not immune from having say their less than flattering moments caught on camera. Prince Harry probably not real happy with the headlines he's making across the pond today.

Here's the deal. According to tmz.com, the royal youngster was leaving a London nightclub when a photographer alleges Harry tried to assault him and, in the process, Harry stumbled, "arse (ph) over heels" into the street. I guess we can say that. The spill made for a field day in the London papers this morning. All of them were poking fun at the incident.

A rep for the royal family, as you might imagine, has a slightly different version of the story, saying that the prince was merely joking around with the paparazzi when he lost his footing and he stumbled. Prince Harry, by the way, Don, perhaps out on the town burning off a little steam. He's scheduled to be deployed to Iraq in May.

LEMON: Oh, yes, we've been reporting that as well.

And now from a trip in the street, A.J., to a trip to the hospital. What's this we hear about Britney Spears?

HAMMER: Yes, here's a woman who can't even get a toothache here in our country without that making headlines.

LEMON: Right. Right.

HAMMER: It's unbelievable. I think it has a lot to do with the timing because it's just been days since she was released from an alcohol rehab facility. And over the weekend, the pop star reportedly had a bit of a pain in her mouth, so he made a stop at the Century City Hospital in Los Angeles to get it taken care of. Seems perfectly fine and normal.

The dental appointment lasted for about an hour. And despite those quick-spreading Internet rumors that the 25-year-old had fallen off the wagon, an on-line statement by her rep, Larry Rudolph, said, "they're all wrong, she just went to the dentist." So, thankfully, Don, we are reporting today, a toothache for Britney Spears. No big party escapade.

LEMON: No big report on how long the hair is? Is it growing back? Is she wearing a wig?

HAMMER: No, but we are going to have some information about that tonight on "Showbiz Tonight" because we get to the bottom of it.

LEMON: All right. Well, talking about that and partying, I hear New York was hopping last night with a big bash for Elton John. What's the scoop on that A.J.?

HAMMER: Yes, a big bash for a big birthday, Don. Hard to believe, the big 6-0 has arrived for the one and only rocket man. Classic, the legendary performer celebrated his 60th birthday with his record- breaking 60th performance at Madison Square Garden. He actually advanced his own record last night.

The sold-out event's guest list including a-listers Kiefer Sutherland, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Bennett, Richard Gere. Even Bill Clinton, as you see, was right there, among many others. Comedians Robin Williams and some others led the crowd's "Happy Birthday" serenade to the music man. Confetti filling the venue. A terrific night.

The concert special was recorded for an April 5th broadcast event for my network TV. A couple of people I know who were there said it was just amazing. And in addition to the televised bash, John announced that starting today he is making his entire back catalog of more than 30 albums available for digital download, which is good news for Elton John fans everywhere.

Now coming up tonight on "Showbiz Tonight," we'll have the very latest, of course, on Anna Nicole Smith. What killed the former Playboy playmate? Why the results of her autopsy today are raising even more questions than answers? We've got complete coverage of today's dramatic announcement tonight on TV's most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Headline Prime. We look forward to you joining us for "Showbiz Tonight."

LEMON: Yes, it's amazing in that story, A.J., even the answers have questions, you know what I mean?

HAMMER: Yes, it really is just unraveling a whole new set of things that we need to investigate and deal with and we do, as I mentioned, start getting into that tonight. All right.

LEMON: A.J., we'll be watching. Thank you so much.

HAMMER: You got it.

LEMON: Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, you may want to be watching for this as well, fired for cause or political victim? Ahead in the NEWSROOM, we're going to talk with a former federal prosecutor, David Iglesias.

And as we go to break, let's take a look at the big board on this Monday afternoon. The Dow still down 53 points. In fact, the Nasdaq not doing so well today, down 5 points on top of that. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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