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Pet Food News Conference; Swiss Drugmaker Novartis to Pull Drug Zelnorm From U.S. Market; Tornadoes and Flooding in Texas; Britain's Outrage at Iran

Aired March 30, 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: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

Almost 100 brands of wet pet food pulled off the market. Now some say dry food needs to be investigated, too.

We're taking your e-mail questions for veterinarian Dr. Jeffrey Werber.

LEMON: And Texas is today's weather spot. Heavy rains, tornado sightings. We've got the very latest in our severe weather center.

You are live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And that tainted pet food is breaking news today in the CNN NEWSROOM. Menu Foods is holding a press conference now about that.

Let's take a listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

PAUL HENDERSON, CEO, MENU FOODS: It was also brought to our attention that some veterinary experts held the view that aminopterin was inconsistent with what was being observed in dogs and cats. There's an entirely different story today.

As you heard earlier, the FDA and Cornel University found a compound called melamine has been identified as being present in the food that caused the pet illnesses and deaths. Melamine has been found in the finished product that was subject of the recall and has not been found in other Menu Foods pet foods outside the recall. Menu Foods only manufactures wet pet food.

Melamine has been found in the wheat gluten from a new supplier in the United States who sourced this wheat gluten in China. This is the same ingredient that Menu Foods made reference to in its recall press release of March 16th.

Melamine has not been found in the wheat gluten that we obtained from our other suppliers. The recall product is unfit for consumption by pets. It contains melamine.

The pet food that we have manufactured after March 6th is safe and healthy. How do we know this? First, it contains no melamine. Secondly, it contains none of the suspect wheat gluten. Thirdly, all the testing that has been conducted, including the routine taste tests that were under way prior to the discovery of this problem, have demonstrated that those products not associated with the suspect wheat gluten performed very well in a manner consistent with historic norms.

Menu Foods has been in operation for more than 35 years. Our plants are modern, run by dedicated, experienced and well-trained employees. We've operated with good manufacturing practices and are routinely audited by well-recognized, independent experts on food safety and sanitation.

It's clear from our customer base that we must meet the rigorous quality standards for the industry in order to be allowed to produce these products for some of the world's largest brands. That is how we have confidence in our ability to produce quality products.

With all these quality standards, how did this happen? Quite simply, one supplier's products was adulterated in a manner that was not part of any known screening process for wheat gluten. The important point today is that that source of the -- source of that adulteration has been identified and removed from our system.

Needless to say, we have a great of interest in finding out why we were supplied with this kind of product. This is a subject of very great interest to us and to our lawyers, and you can expect that we will be following up. For litigation purposes, we cannot elaborate at this time.

Let me be clear on this. We have removed the problem from our system. Our recall is well under way and products produced today are being made with known, quality and tested raw materials. As a result, I can say with complete confidence today to consumers, to our customers, to governments, that Menu Foods continues to uphold the high standards for which it has been known since 1971.

Our products are safe. We continue to engage in the highest levels of monitoring and testing in the pet food industry. These tests will be expanded as a result of this experience.

A final word on melamine. We have had correspondences with the FDA and we know they are diligently working on the supply of the suspect wheat gluten. It's not our place to name the supplier, as we do not want to interfere in any way with the important investigation they are conducting.

What we do know today is that the products made by Menu Foods are of the highest quality, are safe, and will be returning to the store shelves in North America in the coming weeks and months. Now, as we did last time, I think we can anticipate some of your questions.

Does menu foods have something it wants to say to the pet owners who have suffered a loss?

All of us as Menu Foods want to express our sympathy to those people who have suffered with sickness and loss of pets. We are pet people. We have almost 1,000 caring employees who are dedicated to making food that is safe, nutritious and palatable.

We are proud of our employees and the hard work, loyalty and diligence they have demonstrated in these trying times. We are angered that a source outside the company has parent adulterated the product, causing this regrettable loss. We are grateful to our customers and retailers who have been so responsible in the quick removal of the affected products from the market and ask their continued diligence to ensure the infected product is not accidentally restocked in this system.

What is our reaction to the FDA's announcement earlier today?

We believe the announcement today by the FDA supports the products and procedures used by Menu Foods in the recall. We are pleased that they have acknowledged that the nature of the adulteration could not have been identified by detection methods used in the industry and by their acknowledgement that no violations occurred.

One area that has made this recall particularly confusing is that Menu Foods executed the recall before there was a known scientific cause for the illness experienced by pets and with very few reported incidents from the field. We believe today's press announcement by the FDA again supports our actions. The actions we took out of an abundance of caution undoubtedly saved many lives.

The FDA has reported that the adulterant found in the wheat gluten had only been found in the wheat gluten from one specific supplier of this ingredient. This is the ingredient referenced in our recall announcement of March 16th.

What is the immediate priority for Menu Foods?

Our first priority is the recall. We have implemented procedures to work with our retail customers to effectively clear all recalled product from supply chain before each customer can receive new products. These new products have ingredients that we know to be cleared of the adulterant that was found in the single source of wheat gluten.

In light of the FDA's findings, what are Menu's next steps for getting back to business?

We look forward to supplying -- we look forward to returning to supply safe, palatable cuts and gravy products for customers. Our traditional loaf (ph) products do not contain any of the suspect ingredients, and only two of Menu's four plants has ever had the suspect ingredient in use at any time.

All of our products produced after March 6th are clear of the suspect wheat gluten. We are working with our partners to help make it easy for consumers to know they are purchasing only products that are clear of the suspect wheat gluten in order to ease their mind and provide assurance of safety.

I will now take questions. Only those with a microphone may ask a question, so raise your hand if you have a question.

QUESTION: Hi. Nan Reparnis (ph) from 8 Channel News.

Will you be compensating any of the people for their vet bills or for the loss of their pets?

HENDERSON: To the extent that there is a cause and relationship between it, to the extent that the animal suffered -- excuse me, the individual suffered a loss as a result of consuming Menu Foods, yes, Menu will take responsibility.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE), Reuters.

You made reference to those two plants that had some tainted food. Do you know which ones? Do you know the origin of the plant?

HENDERSON: The two plants that we were referring to were Menu Foods plants. We had two plants that essentially had used this adulterated wheat gluten. We had identified those previously, and they remain in Emporia, Kansas, and Pennsauken, New Jersey. Our other two plants, which are in Streetsville and North Sioux City, South Dakota, never had this ingredient in those facilities and have never used it in their production process.

QUESTION: Hi there. (INAUDIBLE) from CTV.

Just wanted to ask two quick questions.

First of all, regarding reimbursing people of their vet bills, how are you going to go about doing the compensation?

HENDERSON: That's a process that's under way. We're working and coordinating with our insurance carrier, who have assigned a worldwide -- or excuse me -- a North American-wide adjuster to essentially reach out, get the information, and begin the process of adjudicating the claims that are coming forward.

QUESTION: But you absolutely, if they can prove that their pets were directly connected to the recall, you would compensate people for their vet bills?

HENDERSON: Yes, we will.

QUESTION: And then one quick question.

You said any food produced after March 6th is absolutely safe. How can you boost consumer confidence? You know, people are wary right now buying the foods, even though it's been produced after March 6th.

How do you assure customers that it is going to be safe?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll handle that if you'd like.

First of all, we have drawn a very clear correlation that all of the foods that had a problem were produced from the single suspect source of wheat gluten, and we have gone to great lengths working with the regulators and with very qualified laboratories, both part of universities and independent commercial laboratories, to demonstrate that, so that we know in removing -- and the important thing for us, we know in removing this source that produced this contamination, that we're going back to known standards that have been producing excellent quality products. We've been running that production process since 1996 in this company.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) CTV National News.

You were saying that the suppliers now that you have that are the source of the wheat gluten is safe or not contaminated. Is any of the wheat gluten you currently use sourced to China?

And the other question I have is, when was the first consumer complaint or consumer complaint regarding a pet illness and possible link to Menu Foods' product? Can you clarify when that first complaint came in?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me address the supply question.

We have two suppliers that we have used for many years, and they continue to be suppliers of wheat gluten. Those suppliers are in North America and the other is in Europe. And we have an extensive amount of experience with them.

In addition to that, their products which are in our inventory, those wheat gluten inventories that are in our plants, as part of this extensive testing that's been done, have been gone through very thoroughly, and so we know that they do not have this contaminant, melamine, in there.

HENDERSON: And forgive me, the second portion of your question?

LEMON: All right. You're listening to the CEO of Menu Foods company talking about the melamine which was found in some of the food there, some of the pet food, saying it's only coming from one source, and that's wheat gluten. One source, but it's manufactured at two plants, and they're promising compensation as far as they can do it.

You can get more on this at CNN.com. We're going to continue to follow this story and bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM -- Betty.

NGUYEN: We also want to take you live now to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where President Bush is speaking today during a tour. Let's take a listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: In other words, you don't get a lot of glory for what you do. But you certainly do from the family members who first come here and they see their loved one on a bed, wondering whether or not that person will ever walk again, and then, six months later, the body is returning and the spirit is strong, the person's up and moving around. The family and the soldier is impressed by that care.

Americans must understand that the problems recently uncovered at Walter Reed were not the problems of medical care. The quality of care at this fantastic facility is great, and it needs to remain that way.

Independent analysts have given extremely high marks for the quality of care here.

In other words, this isn't my assessment; nor is it the assessment of people I have talked to, the families, although that's what they believe.

It is also the assessment of a joint commission which accredits thousands of American hospitals. And this commission has given Walter Reed the highest possible rating, a gold seal of approval.

Recently, the commission performed a surprise inspection. You know, they didn't give a bunch of notice. They showed up and verified the high quality of care here.

I want to congratulate you for what you're doing.

(APPLAUSE)

The problems at Walter Reed were caused by bureaucratic and administrative failures.

The system failed you and it failed our troops, and we're going to fix it.

I met some of the soldiers who had been housed in Building 18. I was disturbed by their accounts of what went wrong. It is not right to have someone voluntary to wear our uniform and not get the best possible care.

I apologize for what they went through, and we're going to fix the problem. That's exactly what this government is going to do.

We're not going to be satisfied until everybody gets the kind of care that their folks and families expect. And that's what I expect.

And we've taken important steps to achieve the objective. First, Secretary Gates has insisted on accountability in the military command. He made changes in leadership. He made tough decisions because he, like me, demands results.

I welcome General Schoomaker. But I also welcome General Tucker. Tucker's not a doc. As General Schoomaker informed me, he is a bureaucracy-buster. His job is to make sure that the bureaucracy does not get in the way of making sure every soldier, Marine and their families get the best possible care.

And I welcome you to the command. And thank you.

Secretary Gates, as I said, has approved a nonmedical deputy commander. That's Tucker.

Building 18 has been closed. We're fixing that which needs to be fixed, including -- interestingly enough -- putting a new roof on it.

The patients from Building 18 have been transferring to Abrams Hall, and the police report that living conditions there are of high quality.

We have formed three working groups to help address problems that may exist and may arise.

I want to share some -- some of what the strategy behind the working groups is. And that is, first, Gates established -- Secretary Gates established an independent review group. And that was primarily to examine the conditions at Walter Reed and Bethesda.

The group will recommend ways to ensure you have what you need to improve medical care. I heard one recommendation. One of the care providers said: Make sure we always have the best possible equipment. We want to be on the leading edge of technology, not the trailing edge.

I agree completely. It's the kinds of things that Secretary Gates' commission is going to be looking into.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Nicholson is leading a task force of Cabinet officers to identify potential gaps in the services our wounded troops receive as they return from the battlefield.

In other words, we want all hands on deck here at the federal level to make sure that health care is as good as it possibly can be.

I'm not talking about the health care in the operating room, I'm talking about the bureaucracies that may prevent good health care from being delivered.

Finally, Bob Dole and Donna Shalala will chair a bipartisan presidential commission on care for our wounded warriors. They will conduct a comprehensive review of the entire system for providing physical and emotional care to service men and women injured in this war.

They will make sure that that person gets high-quality care from the time they suffer their wounds, through their return to civilian life.

We want to make sure that, for example, that any transfer from the Defense Department to the Veterans Affairs Department is smooth and that there's not bureaucratic delay or obstacles in the way of making sure that we can report to our fellow citizens that people are getting the best possible health care.

I want to thank those who are working in these groups. And I'm looking forward to getting their recommendations, because I want to make sure our military families can be assured that their loved ones will get the very best. This military system of ours, when you really think about it, just across the country, it's very complex, and it's large. Yet, there's nothing complex about what we owe our troops.

We owe them the best. That's what you believe here at Walter Reed. I have seen that care and dedication that you give on a daily basis. I am -- just came from the therapy rooms, the physical therapy and the vocational therapy rooms. I see people patiently working with, you know, a wounded soldier on how to pick up cards and play cards with a new prosthesis.

It's just hours of help, all because the people here recognize each human being here matters, each person counts, and each person has endless possibilities even though they may have received terrible wounds on the battlefield.

None of the problems that we have uncovered can overshadow the great work you do here. That's what you have to know. It's a special calling to serve those who serve our country. It requires a unique person to come here on a daily basis and to heal the hurts of those who have served our country.

And so our nation is grateful and I am proud to be your commander in chief.

Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

NGUYEN: You've been listening to the president speaking today at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

He was doing a tour a little bit earlier, and he talked about some really important topics here, saying that the problems that were uncovered there at Walter Reed, some shocking revelations, in fact, came to light dealing with poor conditions and neglect at parts of that medical center. But he says those problems did not have to do with medical care, that, in fact, the quality of medical care has been extremely high. But he did apologize for what patients there have been going through, and promised that it will be fixed, saying that they have formed three working groups to get to the bottom of the problems, and saying that those problems have been caused by bureaucratic failures.

We do want to let you know that during this tour of Walter Reed, the president handed out 10 Purple Hearts today.

And coming up, more details on the widely-used drug Zelnorm. That medication now being pulled. Those details ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And, of course, you were listening to a press conference just a short time ago about this pet food, the tainted pet food.

Remember to -- all you pet owners who are watching, if you have questions about the food recall, you can e-mail us. Our veterinarian doctor, Jeffrey Werber, will join us with answers in the 3:00 p.m. Eastern hour. Again, our address is cnnnewsroom@cnn.com.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It's almost the bottom of the hour. And we go now to another developing story.

A popular drug for constipation is also being pulled from the market over an increased chance of heart attack and stroke.

CNN Medical Correspondent Judy Fortin joins us now with details on that -- Judy.

JUDY FORTIN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we learned about this just a short while ago.

You've probably seen the commercials for Zelnorm. It's a drug used by half a million Americans who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome with constipation, or chronic constipation. It is the only FDA-approved drug that offers relief for some of these patients, and soon it won't be available in pharmacies, as the FDA has asked the manufacturer to take immediate steps to remove the drug from the market.

The FDA says there have been rare clinical links to heart attack, stroke, or angina, or chest pain, in patients who take Zelnorm. The FDA reports that one person has died who was on the drug.

Now, it's important to note that the number of incidents was extremely small; 13 out of just over 11,000, or .1 percent had a cardiovascular event. These who are patients who were studied. Novartis, the company that makes the drug, says all patients had preexisting cardiovascular disease.

Now, the patients weren't prescreened for these conditions. They were asked about the conditions after being on the drugs.

The FDA has asked Novartis to suspend marketing and sales to prevent further discussion of the benefits and risks. And Novartis has agreed.

Patients are being told right now to check with their doctor to discuss alternative treatments. A lot of people affected here. An estimated 12 million Americans affected by the painful and disruptive symptoms of IBS, and there are other drugs for constipation, we should mention, but none to treat this specific condition, the specific symptom of IBS with constipation.

LEMON: OK. So if patients have severe symptoms, then what then do they do now?

FORTIN: A lot of people are going to be asking that. And the FDA is willing to consider applications from patients with severe symptoms who have no other options, where the benefits strongly outweigh the risks. Now, that application process has not been set up yet, but the FDA says it is working with Novartis and says it will review the process as quickly as possible.

Now, here's another point. Your doctor is going to have to initiate that application.

And one more point that we need to mention here, patients with symptoms that suggest heart attack or stroke are being told to seek immediate treatment in an emergency room or with a doctor.

LEMON: And I do happen to know about this drug, because someone in my family had surgery and the medication that was given to them gave them constipation, so they have taken this. So does this mean that this drug will be gone forever? Because there are certainly people who may need it.

FORTIN: Right. Not necessarily. The FDA also said it is willing to consider a limited reintroduction of the drug at a later date. Now, if the manufacturer can show that the benefits for a limited patient population will outweigh the risks.

Again, we go back to that statement.

LEMON: The benefits outweigh the risks.

FORTIN: That's right.

LEMON: That's where we go.

OK. Judy Fortin, always valuable information. Thank you so much.

FORTIN: You're welcome.

NGUYEN: The latest on the severe weather situation out there. Rob Marciano is tracking tornadoes warnings in Texas.

We're going to give you all of that coming up.

You're watching the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: It is 2:31 Eastern. Here are three of the stories that we are working on for you here in the CNN NEWSROOM. President Bush toured Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the first time since the scandal broke there. He promised the problems are being fixed and wounded vets will get the best care possible.

We're also keeping a watch on the weather outside. Some may call it wicked weather because a night of heavy rain has led to flash floods and tornado watches are posted.

Plus a suspect on the attack on USS Cole says he was tortured into confessing while being held at Guantanamo Bay.

LEMON: And let's get back to that weather story the Betty was mentioned. In specific Texas under the gun today with the threat of more tornadoes and flooding. The last thing they need, Rob Marciano.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's for sure. With all of the action they had yesterday, the day before that, pretty much all week long Texas has been under the gun, as has the panhandle of Texas, Oklahoma, western Kansas, Nebraska, eastern Colorado where we had those fatal tornadoes.

And just now, not only Texas, but at a storm prediction center in Norman, Oklahoma, we now have a tornado watch out for a large chunk of eastern and central Oklahoma. So the computer has yet to plot that, but if you could take this box and shift it up to about here, it would include -- it might very well include Oklahoma City, we'll have to see about that. But obviously this action is heading in that direction, so concerned citizens of the Norman, Oklahoma, storms prediction laboratory are certainly worried about that.

All right. Let's break down some of the action that's happening right now across western parts of Texas. Here's Fort Worth. Down the road, have been showing you this cell which had a tornado vortex signature earlier in the day, right now just pumping out some heavy rain for Palo Pinto and Parker counties here.

People affected in this area, again, we're getting towards some of the western areas of Fort Worth, over 6,000 people in that particular area. Actually, I don't think I've loaded up this shot, if you could just click me ahead and let's move to the south and west, there are a couple areas near Abilene.

As a matter of fact, let's show you. We have got a tower cam in Abilene that's showing some ominous clouds, that's for sure. Rain on the lens there south of town is where most of the action has been, south of I-20. And it is heading in the Abilene direction.

All right. Back to the radar maps, obviously some stormy weather heading in that area, but right now Abilene only seeing some green on the reflectivity. You start to get in the yellows and reds and even purples just south of town, that's when we talk about seeing some severe weather, and there's a mesocyclone indicated there by the radar scope.

But of note here, because Abilene is in the cone here of where the storm is headed, 87,000 people could very well be affected by this severe thunderstorm heading towards the town of Abilene. And again, as we shift this area, Don, a little bit farther to the east throughout the afternoon, we're talking about Dallas/Fort Worth, obviously highly populated areas, and now that tornado to watch has been extended into Oklahoma until 8:00 tonight.

LEMON: It seems like some pretty heavy stuff. I have got to ask you, though, really, what is a mesocyclone?

MARCIANO: It is just, you know, a fancy way of saying that the thunderstorm itself is starting to develop a bit of a circulation. Meso is kind of a medium scale for weather. We have micro scale, we have got synoptic scale. Meso scale is really something that takes in a one- to 50-mile radius. So but it could lead to a tornado. That's why it's important to note.

LEMON: I'm just watching you, going, didn't know what a mesocyclone was. OK.

MARCIANO: You learned something now, you can go home.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: All right, Rob. Thanks. We're check back with you. Thanks a lot.

NGUYEN: Yes. Now we know, we're out. Thank you. No. Actually we're sticking around for a while. Because we have got a lot to tell you about. Those 15 British sailors have been held by Iran for a week now, and there is little sign of progress in getting them out.

The British government today called a new videotaped apology by a British detainee, quote, "outrageous." And on the tape, as you're looking at it right now, Royal Marine Nathan Summers apologizes for crossing into Iranian waters. He is the second detainee to offer an on-camera apology. Our European political editor Robin Oakley has been tracking developments in London.

Robin, what is next now for the British government as they try to work out some kind of deal to get these sailors home?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, indeed. I mean, first of all, we have been getting the expression of anger from the British government at this latest video so-called confession, Betty. And Tony Blair said that it was disgusting to have this kind of parading and manipulation of captives. And it wasn't doing any good, he said, to Iran's cause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People have been very friendly. We have not been harmed at all. They've looked after us really well. Basically the food they have been serving us has been good. And...

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: ... they can't get anything from it. It's perfectly obvious that these people were in Iraqi waters under a United Nations mandate. There's absolutely no question about the unlawful nature of their capture, and therefore they've got to be to be released.

Now we have to manage this and measure it in a determined way, but also a calm way, because it's the lives of the personnel that come first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OAKLEY: The other thing that will have angered Tony Blair is a further letter from Faye Turney, the only woman among the 15, again produced by the Iranian authorities, in which she contrasts her good treatment, as she calls it, with the treatment of detainees in Iraq in Abu Ghraib. And she also calls for the British government to stop its oppression in the area and complains about British forces being sacrificed to the interventionary policies of George Bush and Tony Blair, Betty. So really Tony Blair now putting the focus on getting international pressure on Iran to release those captives.

NGUYEN: Well, there are some harsh words being thrown about. I want to ask you, though, if diplomacy doesn't work, will the British use military action?

OAKLEY: No, I think we can rule that out certainly for a long time ahead. There's no question in the minds of any of the diplomats, people I talked to behind the scenes that military action at the moment is just not an option.

They don't know exactly where the captives are being held. They believe they would be held in somewhere pretty heavily fortified. There would be huge danger to the captives themselves and to any forces involved in trying to get them back by military means. That is just not an option.

Now going on with the diplomatic action, and they did have some support in that today, although they didn't get the strongest words out of the United Nations Security Council, they were backed up, the British, by the European Union foreign ministers meeting in German today.

They offered Britain unconditional support and deplored the action of the Iranian government -- Betty.

NGUYEN: CNN's Robin Oakley, we appreciate that, live from London. Do want to tell you that Nathan Summers' family is speaking out about his appearance in that video, which you see here again. His brother Nicholas also serves in the Royal Navy and calls his brother's capture a big shock.

He shared his thoughts about attempts to end the standoff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLAS SUMMERS, BROTHER OF CAPTURED SAILOR: Obviously the government is doing all they can without, you know, escalating the situation into a -- you know, well, I wouldn't say a military phase, but that's -- obviously nobody wants that, nobody. But hopefully the way the government is going about it, it should be over soon.

Just hanging in there, stay strong, you'll be home soon, among all your friends. Everyone is like wishing you safe return and everyone is worried about you, but obviously we know you are OK. So you know, just come on home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And London is relying on diplomatic support from the United Nations. Senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth is standing by for us with more on that. Richard, why did Britain wait a week before going to the Security Council?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Because it wasn't getting anywhere with Iran directly. Britain probably would have liked to have avoid expanding this dispute, but it had to go to the Security Council to get something on the record from the international community.

You may remember, Don, last weekend, the U.N. Security Council met to impose more sanctions on the Iranian government, but Britain felt at that time a separate issue, let's not draw any linkage. There was not really any mention of the incident when the British ambassador spoke in the Security Council.

Now Britain is relying on the U.N. and others. You heard Robin Oakley mention the European Union. That is an important group of countries. And their statement warned Iran of, quote, "appropriate measures" if it fails to release the prisoners, but it declined to specify just what they meant.

Iran of course is running possible more action against it on the diplomatic front, maybe economic sanctions. Iran does not think much of Britain's attempt to go to the Security Council. A key political leader in that country along with the nation itself denounced the move to go to the Security Council.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED KHATAMI, IRANIAN EXPERTS ASSEMBLY (through translator): Britain must know that if they continue their bullying gestures, they will have an expensive price to pay. A third party, such as the United Nations Security Council or the European Union, have no right to interfere in this issue and they should know that their interference with make the issue more complicated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: The Security Council on Thursday did adopt a statement after lengthy talks that warns Iran, expresses grave concern, and asks for their release, but does not go as far as Britain originally wanted in the text -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Richard Roth, thank you so much for that.

NGUYEN: And coming up, we dare you not to tear up at this. It's a great story. A sailor dad coming home to his little boy. Just look at that. It's ahead here in the NEWSROOM.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Alec Baldwin takes action to help a soldier, and Britney and K-Fed call a truce in their divorce dispute. Those details and more when CNN NEWSROOM continues. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Well, he is no fan of the war, but he is a big fan of the troops, so much so that Alec Baldwin gave a huge gift to one of its recruits. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" Brooke Anderson joins us now with all of the details on this.

Hi there, Brooke.

ANDERSON: Hi there, Betty. Yes, Alec Baldwin, a big supporter of the troops, he's helping out a few good men. The actor plans to pay for the college expenses of an 18-year-old female soldier after her stint in the military. Baldwin says he was so touched by a New York Times story about Private Resha Kane's last day with family and friends before leaving for Iraq that he wanted to help.

The actor's spokesman says the article made him think of his own 11-year-old daughter, Ireland, so Baldwin took action, and found Kane's mother at the discount store where she worked to offer his assistance. The actor plans on meeting the soldier's family in the Mojave Valley to give them a check. How nice of him.

OK. Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, well, they seem to be seeing eye to eye these days. Just nine days after completing rehab, Spears and estranged husband K-Fed have reportedly reached a settlement in their divorce proceedings.

The spokesperson for Federline's attorney says after a five-hour meeting, the parties signed an agreement, which was a global settlement on all issues of their marriage and child custody. Now the deal covers custody of their son, 6-month-old Jayden, and 1-year-old Sean Preston, and of course, their financial matters.

Although some reports say Federline gets a million dollars and will share physical custody of their sons 50/50 with Spears, those details haven't been confirmed by either camp. Now of course, the judge must sign off before the deal is official.

The Miss America Pageant, homeless once again. The pageant, which aired last on Country Music Television back in January, has just been dropped by the cable network. It's the second time in three years the pageant has lost a TV outlet. CMT had telecast rights for the pageant through 2007 with options through 2011.

Miss America Pageant officials said they have already started looking for a new TV home for the 86-year-old event. Now, this is in stark contrast to Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant which has been renewed by NBC through 2011.

All right. Moving now to "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," coming up tonight, Britney's divorce deal, we're going to have more on that. Britney and Kevin Federline coming to an agreement, who gets the kids and how much money will K-Fed walk away with? And is Britney really doing the right thing? The inside story on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, that is "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," 11:00 Eastern and Pacific on HEADLINE PRIME, A.J. Hammer and I hope you will join us then.

Betty, back to you. NGUYEN: Well, of course there is interest. Always a lot of interest in Britney. Thank you.

LEMON: All right. What's in your pet food? Well, the list appears to be growing. The FDA says it found a chemical used to make plastics in samples of pet food made and recalled by Menu Foods of Canada. The toxin also was found in the urine and kidneys of dead cats, but experts say it hasn't been proven to be the cause of any sickness or death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. STEPHEN SUNDLOF, DIR., FDA CTR. FOR VETERINARY MED.: The association between melamine in the kidneys and urine of cats that died and the melamine that was in the food they consumed is undeniable. Additionally, melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level.

However, I want to make it very clear at this point that we are not fully yet certain that melamine is the causative agent of illness and death in the pets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Melamine was found in the imported wheat gluten used in wet forms of cat and dog food, and the FDA says it may have been used by another manufacturer of dry pet foods. It won't say which one.

And we're taking your questions on the pet food recall here in the CNN NEWSROOM. In the 3:00 p.m. hour, veterinarian Dr. Jeffrey Werber will join us with some answers, so send us your questions. The e-mail address is cnnnewsroom@cnn.com.

Take a look at this video. Look at that face. We dare you not to tear up on this one. A sailor dad -- I just want to linger on this, it's so sweet, coming home to his little boy ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Florida, Ohio State, Georgetown, UCLA, all facing off in a battle to see who will play in the national championship game Monday. As the NCAA men's basketball Final Four kicks off in Atlanta, cnn.com has all the details you might need before that big game begins.

Looking for a spot in the final game, returning champion Florida is set to play UCLA Saturday. UCLA is looking to avenge their loss to Florida in last year's final match. Ohio State will play Georgetown for the other final spot. This is Georgetown's first Final Four appearance since 1985.

So who do you think is going to play for the title? You can tell us by participating in this poll and answer which matchups you would like to see. Also, check out gallery to see what teams a few celebrities are picking as their champion. Make sure that you are on top of your game, check out our experts commentary and predictions on who just might win it all. For the latest on the Final Four, you can always log on to cnn.com/sports.

For the .com Desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: All right. It could have been worse, but hard to tell by looking at these pictures. The family who lived here was not home when a tornado took off most of the roof and flattened nearby barns. Five people were hurt in the storms that raced across Oklahoma yesterday, more than 50 buildings were damaged. Electricity has just been restored to the last of those 12,000 homes and businesses that lost power.

Well, another lucky family, this one in Bird City, Kansas. Casey McCormick, editor of the town paper took this photo of the Ketchner (ph) farm after a tornado blew by, at least what's left of that farm. The family is OK after riding it out in a storm cellar. If you have a weather photo or a video that you'd like to share with us, go to cnn.com and quick on i-Report.

LEMON: Wow. That's some big damage there.

NGUYEN: It's just amazing how people survive these storms. You know, one house is just destroyed, a few just next door to it, just fine.

LEMON: The other one is still there. Amazing. And we saw that earlier, Abilene, Texas, I think, Rob, showed us that tower cam.

NGUYEN: Tornado Alley.

LEMON: Yes, it certainly looked -- there it is right now, that is the tape from it. Wow. It is a little (INAUDIBLE) there. Rob Marciano, what's going on in the Weather Center specifically in Texas? Do we have any tornadoes?

MARCIANO: No tornado warnings out right now, but a number of severe thunderstorm warnings that have been posted, especially west of Dallas, and south now they are getting in towards Austin and Abilene, a lot of action just south of Abilene.

And you mentioned the last hit that there was a third tornado watch out. And remember, a watch means that tornadoes are possible as we go through the afternoon, and in effect until 6:00 and 8:00 tonight. So it will be an active afternoon and we'll certainly keep you posted as the weather continues to pop. More of the CNN NEWSROOM is coming up in a little bit.

LEMON: All right. Rob, thank you very much. We're going to check back with you. This next story warmed our hearts and it will warm yours, too, a sailor dad surprises his 6-year-old son who hadn't seen him in months, months, of course, the equivalent of forever when you're 6 years old, right? Reporter Lisa Hahn of or Seattle affiliate KING has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISA HAHN, KING REPORTER (voice over): For the last seven months, Ensign Bill Hawes has been in Iraq, an eternity for his family, especially his 6-year-old son, who had no idea his dad was coming home and was surprising him in class.

ENSIGN BILL HAWES, U.S. NAVY: I missed you, too, kiddo.

JOHN HAWES, SAILOR'S SON: I missed you, too, daddy.

HAHN: All year, the Sedro-Woolley 6-year-old had written letters to his dad, and his kindergarten class at Central Elementary joined in, sending the sailor care packages. A tearful John got to introduce his father to all his pen pals.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's his name?

J. HAWES: Bill.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Bill.

B. HAWES: Oh, it's great to be home. Seven months over there, it's nice to see my kids and all again. See my wife.

JULIE HAWES, SAILOR'S WIFE: I am so ecstatic because my husband's home. I'm so proud of him.

HAHN: The Hawes family was happy to share their joy with the whole class, who all took part in the welcome home party. The sweetest homecoming for a sailor who had been gone too long, and for a little boy who dreamed of this day with his dad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So sweet.

LEMON: Oh, my gosh.

NGUYEN: You can just really feel it.

LEMON: I wish -- can we back that -- I want to see his face again when he sees his dad. That is just amazing -- we don't have it.

NGUYEN: That shot. And then it hits him and then the tears come.

LEMON: Yes. And you know what, Betty, at last count there were 142,000 men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces in Iraq, and we wish them all well. NGUYEN: Yes, we do.

Will Rogers slept here, and Zsa Zsa Gabor slapped a cop here, but why is Beverly Hills making news now? Stick around, the NEWSROOM knows all.

LEMON: And another toxin found in pet food. Is dry food next? How you can protect your pet, ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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