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American Morning
Duke Lacrosse Case; Learning Under Fire: Iraqi Students Risk Lives; Birkhead Father of Anna Nicole Smith's Baby; Defending Don Imus
Aired April 11, 2007 - 08:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Case dismissed. Reports this morning that charges against those former Duke lacrosse players could be dropped today.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Signing off. Big corporate sponsors pull their advertising dollars from "Imus in the Morning" as a meeting between Imus and the players gets moved up.
S. O'BRIEN: And the results are in. DNA tests say that, indeed, Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. So what's next for dad and baby daughter, and that big, massive fortune still hanging in the balance?
All of those stories are ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you, Wednesday, April 11th.
I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
Thanks for being with us.
M. O'BRIEN: We begin with a developing story in North Carolina this hour. The three former Duke lacrosse players charged with sexual offenses are arriving in Raleigh this morning. And it is likely they will hear the news they have yearned to hear for more than a year. Sources are saying prosecutors will be dropping the charges against them.
CNN's Jason Carroll has been covering this from the beginning.
Jason, what are you hearing this morning?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're hearing a couple of things, Miles. First, let's talk about the timing.
Sources on both sides, defense sources and a source within the attorney general's office, telling us that they expect to have some sort of announcement either later today or sometime this week. The question becomes what kind of announcement they are going to make.
Defense sources are telling us they expect all the charges to be dropped against all three players -- Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and David Evans. In fact, Reade Seligmann's family just arrived yesterday. They are now here in Raleigh with the other families, awaiting to hear what type of announcement the attorney general's office will make.
The question, Miles, become, what type of announcement they will make. In other words, will they come out with a strong statement and say that these boys are completely exonerated, or will they come out with what the defense says could be a weaker statement, which is basically coming out and saying, we cannot find enough evidence at this point to show that a crime was committed?
That sort of leaves a window open. And if they come out with that type of statement, Miles, then what the defense is planning to do is hold a press conference of their own where they outline for the public some sort of a timeline which will show in their eyes how these boys could not have committed any sort of crime. And, in fact, we're hearing from our sources that one of the items that they will show during this press conference is a copy of an American Express receipt from a restaurant, which they say shows that Collin Finnerty left that Duke lacrosse party very early on, and showing that he could not have even been there when this alleged assault took place -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the prosecutor in this case, Jason. Mr. Nifong pushed this case very hard in the middle of a re-election campaign, and now he faces the possibility of disbarment.
Where does all this fit in with him today?
CARROLL: Very true. And just to remind our viewers about what happened with that -- you're right. Very early on, Nifong was very confident in coming out and saying how he felt these boys were -- these players were guilty, and then he did a 180 later on, basically saying that he could not pursue this case with any confidence, asked to be recused from the case.
He was recused from the case. It then went to the attorney general's office.
Well, meanwhile, this whole time defense attorneys have been watching all of this. They filed charges with the state bar against Nifong of obstruction of justice and of misconduct. That investigation is just in the beginning stages and, in fact, there's a hearing on that this Friday -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Jason Carroll in Raleigh -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Now more fallout from the Don Imus affair. A two- week suspension is only part of the price that he's now paying for those racially-offensive remarks. It's now affecting the bottom line. Two major sponsors, Staples and Procter & Gamble, are pulling their ads from MSNBC's simulcast of Imus' radio show.
The Rutgers women's basketball team has agreed to privately meet with Imus this week at a private location. A short time ago I spoke to the team's coach, Vivian Stringer, asked her if she thinks she's going to be able to forgive Imus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
C. VIVIAN STRINGER, RUTGERS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH: I can promise you that I am going in to this meeting with an open heart and an open mind. I just -- I just know that I will always be very protective of my young ladies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: More coverage later this hour of the I-mess, as some people call it. Going to be talking to Paul Begala, who was a guest on Imus's show already today. We've got a panel discussion about some of his comments ahead -- Miles.
(NEWSBREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: The Red Cross this morning is calling for urgent action to protect civilians in Iraq. They've just released a report called "Civilians Without Protection: The Ever-Worsening Crisis in Iraq".
CNN's Kyra Phillips spent a day with Iraqi students literally under fire as they try to learn.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): "The U.S. military always finds a reason to go to war," Yasser Thar (ph) tells me. "Just like Vietnam and now Iraq, the U.S. is in a trap again."
Vietnam versus Iraq. Can you even compare the two wars? I thought this was today's classroom debate, until this.
(on camera): Are those bombs? Those are bombs going off?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.
PHILLIPS: How does that make you feel when you hear those bombs going off as you sit here in class?
(voice over): "Fear, anxiety. I wonder if my family is OK," Yasser (ph) says, "because we have no idea where those bombs are landing."
These Baghdad University students don't even flinch. The explosions continue as they answer my question.
"These explosions have united us as the sectarian violence divides us," Muclas Ali (ph) explains. "Whether we are Sunni, Shia or Kurd, we are all targets, and that has brought us closer."
In Iraq, if you want a college degree, you risk your life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a woman or as a girl here, I want to say as someone coming to college (INAUDIBLE) and studying with the sounds of bombs.
PHILLIPS (on camera): So why do you do it? Why do you still come to school, even with the bombs?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is big challenge for us. I think we are very -- we are courageous people, we are brave.
PHILLIPS (voice over): I realize at this point, comparing Vietnam to Iraq is not today's lecture. Living this war, this moment, is the lesson.
ABDUL JABBER AHMED, UNIVERSITY OF BAGHDAD: Maybe the situation in Iraq now, it is not a good situation, but the challenge of the human is how to create the best situation in order to provide future to this society.
PHILLIPS (on camera): Do you feel like you have a future here in Iraq?
(voice over): "It depends on security. And that keeps getting worse," Mohammed Ali (ph) says. "Our professors are being killed, departments close down. And that impacts our education and our future."
But for their professor, there is hope in this class.
AHMED: For me, the best thing, how to keep the unity in this classroom. In order -- when I go out of this classroom -- their job, how to keep unity and to succeed -- and their family.
PHILLIPS (on camera): So ask your students, whether they're Sunni, Shia, Kurd, in this classroom, do they all feel as one Iraqi?
Yes? No? Yes? Yes?
(voice over): Perhaps the first time I have seen true unity in Iraq.
Kyra Phillips, CNN, Baghdad University.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Her reporting has been really remarkable from Baghdad for us.
A couple of recalls to tell you about this morning. First up is Ford, recalling more than 500,000 Escape sport utility vehicles. Ford said it's received about 50 reports of engine fires linked to corrosion on anti-lock brake connectors.
Dealers will inspect vehicles for corrosion, replace connectors if it's necessary. The recall does not apply to the hybrid models of the Escape.
And there's another pet food recall to tell you about. Again, this one with Menu Foods, recalling the pet food that was made in Streetsville, Ontario, Canada. The company previously recalled cat and dog food that was made at its plants in New Jersey and in Kansas because of contamination by an industrial chemical. You'll want to log on to CNN.com for a complete list of all the recalled cat and dog food.
(NEWSBREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: In the Bahamas, the DNA evidence is in. There is no longer any doubt about who fathered the late Anna Nicole Smith's young daughter, Dannielynn.
Smith's one-time boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, emerged from the courthouse yesterday. Maybe you saw the shot where he said, "I told you so." But of course this does not even begin to end the saga.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is live for us in Nassau in the Bahamas.
Hey, Rusty. Good morning.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
It's always nice to see how the locals view that. You can see, really, from this headline that Larry Birkhead really was a favorite for many Bahamians. And, of course, Birkhead had his day in court, and he finally got the answer that he wanted to hear.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN (voice over): When the moment came, Larry Birkhead emerged from the courthouse in Nassau and played the crowd.
LARRY BIRKHEAD, FATHER OF ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S BABY: I hate to be the one that told you this, but, I told you so.
(APPLAUSE)
DORNIN: A DNA expert in court confirmed Birkhead, Smith's former boyfriend, is Dannielynn's father. At least four men had made the claim. Among them, Howard K. Stern, Smith's longtime companion and attorney who filed an appeal to stop DNA results from being revealed.
But that battle was lost. Stern was fined $10,000 for his effort. Now the paternity is final. No more fighting, says a disappointed Stern.
HOWARD K. STERN, ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S COMPANION: I am not going to fight Larry Birkhead on custody. We're going to do what we can to make sure that the best interests of Dannielynn are carried out.
DORNIN: Then there is Virgie Arthur, Anna Nicole's estranged mother. She's lost nearly every court battle since her daughter died. Following this revelation, she put on a brave face.
VIRGIE ARTHUR, ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S MOTHER: I'm happy that Dannielynn will know who her real father is.
DORNIN: Before ate nounsment, the tension mounted. There were plenty of tourists, gawkers and a full-scale international media scramble to catch the major players.
In the court of public opinion, Birkhead was the undisputed winner, especially here in the Bahamas. For local resident Silver Wood, it was a piece of tabloid history.
(on camera): Were you surprised?
SILVER WOOD, NASSAU, BAHAMAS, RESIDENT: No. Not at all. Not at all.
DORNIN: Are you happy about it?
WOOD: I'm very happy. It's a very emotional moment.
DORNIN (voice over): For tourist Lori Logan, forget the beach or shopping.
LORI LOGAN, TOURIST: I'm glad it's Larry.
DORNIN (on camera): Why?
LOGAN: I just think he presents a little more wholesome character on the outside.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DORNIN: And that's just what Larry Birkhead will try to convince the judge on Friday at the custody hearing, that he can be a good father to little 6-month-old Dannielynn. But, of course, Virgie Arthur is still involved in this custody battle, but she did tell CNN producer Bethany Swain (ph) last night that she doesn't plan to fight Birkhead over this issue.
She was more concerned, she wanted to make sure that Howard Stern did not end up with the baby. So it pretty much looks like a slam- dunk that Larry Birkhead will soon be taking 6-month-old Dannielynn Smith back to the United States -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: A slam-dunk with much twisting and turning en route to it.
All right. Rusty Dornin for us this morning.
Thank you, Rusty -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program, more on the uproar over Don Imus's racist and sexist remarks. Will Washington insiders abandon him? We'll ask one of them just ahead.
Plus, the Duke lacrosse case. Will those charges be dropped today as we have been hearing? We'll have the latest on this developing story.
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. The most news in the morning right here on CNN.
(NEWSBREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: The bandwagon of critics of radio host Don Imus is getting a little more crowded this morning. Three major sponsors of his TV simulcast are bowing out for now. And now it remains to be seen who will be bowing out as a guest on the program.
Our next guest is not among them. Democratic strategist Paul Begala was just on the I-Man's show just a few hours ago. Paul, good morning to you.
PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Did you have any misgivings about going on there? That you were somehow enabling bad behavior?
BEGALA: You know, not so much today as the last 14 years. I've been going on the show 14 years, I full well know the content. I listen and I enjoy the show.
And I do think that guys like me probably should have spoken out to him as a friend a long time ago. Friends intervene. I didn't do so.
And I think -- so we're all part of the same problem here. And it extends across the media. I mean, I think that though he is my friend, I think he's right when he says, "I'm a good person who did a bad thing," I know that. But the women that he insulted and smeared and wronged, they don't know that.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, but when he says he's a good person who did a bad thing, and you and he readily admit that there's a long pattern here, a long history, it's difficult for a lot of people to take that at face value.
BEGALA: Yes. I mean, there's not a pattern of the sorts of things that he said last week.
M. O'BRIEN: Right. He took it to a new level, I guess, right?
BEGALA: He did. And that's right. And we talked about it this morning when I was on the show.
My own suggestion was, and I don't think he disagreed, that, you know, his best instincts are populist. That it's attack big people, whether it's Hillary Clinton, in my party, or the vice president. He's an equal opportunity offender. But you can't attack vulnerable people.
These women at Rutgers were vulnerable. They had no business being attacked like that.
The second rule I suggested to him is, never go to an immutable characteristic. Don't ever mock or attack somebody's race or religion or sexual orientation. And, you know, that's a pretty good commonsense rule.
In the main, I think, he abides by those rules. But look, now we'll have to see how he does going forward.
He's going to have a meeting apparently with these young women, he's going to apologize to them. But, you know, what kind of hypocrite would I be if for 14 years I've been going on that show and calling him my friend, and now when he stumbles I cut and run?
You know, I mean, I've got a long history with a lot of people who have been in trouble. When my friends ask me for forgiveness, it is my moral, it's my religious obligation to give that to them.
M. O'BRIEN: I understand. But, you know, that doesn't necessarily mean -- it might be a religious obligation to forgive him. It doesn't mean you actually go on the program and help the program, which is what you did.
BEGALA: Well, but, yes, but I think he ought to have a right to redemption. And I'm not the person to give it to him. I actually have no power to forgive him here. He didn't insult or wrong me or my children.
So, I really think it's much more about these young women at Rutgers who had such a really remarkable press conference yesterday, I think, showing real grace in agreeing to meet with him, something they don't owe him at all. And, you know, I think that's where this thing goes next, is, will these women -- you know, they're going to meet with him, which I think is more than enough. Will they find a way to forgive him? And I wouldn't blame them if they don't.
M. O'BRIEN: A lot of people would say, forgive him, but fire him, too. Al Roker this morning on his blog says this: "A two-week suspensions doesn't cut it. It is, at best, a slap on the wrist, a vacation, nothing."
What do you say to that?
BEGALA: Well, that's for his bosses to decide. Now we're just debating about the punishment. Nobody's defending...
M. O'BRIEN: Well, I know it's not your decision. But if you were his boss, would you fire him?
BEGALA: No, because I don't -- first, I don't believe in the death penalty for crimes. And I don't think you throw away a 40-year career if someone has said that they are sorry.
This stands in stark contrast, for example, to namings (ph), to Ann Coulter, who says horrible things all the time. And people like me, when I hosted "CROSSFIRE," we booked her on "CROSSFIRE," Miles. We knew what we were getting, and yet we did it anyway, and she never apologizes.
So, you know, I think you book shocking people, you're going to get shocking things said. But we're all part of the same hypocrisy here.
M. O'BRIEN: Paul Begala, political analyst, CNN analyst as well.
Thanks for being with us.
BEGALA: Thanks, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Other news this morning.
There could be a very big development in the Duke lacrosse scandal. The three defendants are expected to be on hand in Raleigh this morning. We'll tell you why.
That and much more ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Well, when it comes to your home, should you buy it or should you rent it? Most people think you should buy, but maybe it's not at simple as that.
Ali Velshi is here to probably complicate matters a little bit for us, 25 minutes past the hour.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
I was just having a conversation with my producer, who -- we were discussing it. Is it obvious that you should rent or buy?
I mean, it used to be that if you had the money for a down payment, you had the credit rating, you buy.
M. O'BRIEN: You buy, right?
VELSHI: Why would you rent? Because renting is like giving people -- giving away free money. You don't get the tax benefit.
But, you know, "The New York Times" has done a great analysis. In certain markets, because of the fact that housing prices are not going up the way they are right now, if you're in a market where property prices are going to drop or you may not be there for a long time, or the vacancy rate is so low because there's been closures and people moving out that the rent is so much lower, the cost of occupying a space is so much lower, it's actually making more sense to rent in some places than to buy, particularly when you think that a lot of homeowners in America today have these massive mortgages, where you're not really putting a dent in your equity anyway.
You might be paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in mortgage payments, and in the end your mortgage isn't shrinking very much. So, it's actually worth doing the analysis in your own neighborhood.
The analysis that "The New York Times" did showed that, if your property values aren't going up 4 or 5 percent, the decision to buy may not be that obvious. And this year, you're going to see a lot of place where is a 4 or 5 percent increase isn't taking place. It's an interesting...
M. O'BRIEN: Of course, it depends on how long you stay there. That's a big one.
VELSHI: It absolutely -- if you're going to be there for 15 years, you might want to make that decision to buy. Probably for most people, if you can, buying makes more sense. But definitely in some markets it's worth considering.
M. O'BRIEN: And most people move on average, I think, what, about every five years in this country?
VELSHI: Yes. And that could -- again, that's the line at which it might make more sense one way or the other.
M. O'BRIEN: Ali Velshi, thank you.
VELSHI: So did I confuse it more?
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. But thank you, though. No. You helped. You did.
Coming up, new developments out of Iraq. Word that Iran may be helping them build roadside bombs.
Plus, the Imus outrage. The team will meet with the talk show host later in the week. They won't say where or when specifically. They want to keep it private.
Will they forgive him?
You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you. Wednesday, April 11th. I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm Soledad O'Brien. Thanks for being with us. Some breaking news for you this morning. The U.S. military coming out accusing Iran of training Iraqi insurgents to design and detonate deadly roadside bombs. Got a live report from the Pentagon straight ahead.
M. O'BRIEN: Also a new headache for the Don Imus radio program this morning. Big corporate sponsors are pulling their ad money from his show as the meeting between Imus and the women he insulted gets moved up. S. O'BRIEN: And how would you like to live to be 100? OK, if I'm healthy. Dr. Sanjay Gupta would as well. He just talked to an expert about his chances. Wait until you see how things like coffee and sleep play role in how long you're going to live.
M. O'BRIEN: We begin with this. The heat is being turned up on Don Imus this morning. Two major companies, Procter & Gamble and Staples say they will no longer advertise on his show. But the players on the Rutgers team have agreed to meet with him at time and place to be determined.
Actually, they have determined it, they're just not publicly releasing it. Earlier we spoke to Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer, who said she isn't sure whether she and the team will forgive Imus.
Now while they haven't decided whether to forgive him, the Rutgers basketball team has agreed to meet privately with Imus this week, as we just said. Players spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time about his comments. AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho has more for us -- Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Miles. Good morning. The Rutgers women's basketball team always wanted recognition, but certainly not for something like this. They wanted to be noticed for their accomplishments for making it to the championship game of the Final Four, something that has never been done in Rutgers history.
So we wanted to know, exactly who are these young women?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): As a team, these 10 women achieved what few thought they could. Individually, they're remarkable, too.
C. VIVIAN STRINGER, COACH: Valedictorians of their class, future doctors, musical prodigies, and, yes, even Girl Scouts.
CHO: Myia "The Fiyah (ph)" McCurdy is still a Girl Scout and a tough cookie on the court. Brittany "The Brain" Ray wants to be an orthopedic surgeon and basketball is in her blood. Her brother plays for the Boston Celtics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning, everyone.
CHO: Kia Vaughan didn't start playing until high school. She grew up not far from Yankee Stadium with seven younger brothers.
HEATHER ZURICH, RUTGERS GUARD: Kia is the big sister you never had but always wanted. And Piph would make an unbelievable lawyer one day.
CHO: In fact, Piph Prince is such an inspiration, her mother and grandmother decided to enroll in college after she did. Dee Dee Jernigan recently lost her mother. Her dream is to be a dentist. And Matee Ajavon, she is the team clown, otherwise known as "The Ice- Breaker." ESSENCE CARSON, RUTGERS TEAM CAPTAIN: She can just spit out a joke and it will just break the ice.
CHO: That's team captain Essence Carson, a gifted musician who plays four instruments. Carson calls her teammates her sisters. A family that is color-blind.
CARSON: Just as much as I was hurt, Heather Zurich, she was just as hurt. Katie Adams was just as hurt. They cried just like we cried.
CHO: And around campus...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are well-respected and they're a great team.
CHO: A great team that wants to be remembered for what they do and not what someone said.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Back here live, the Rutgers men's team doing a little off- season conditioning now. Of course, the season doesn't start until the fall. Meanwhile, the Rutgers women's basketball team, the coaching staff and Don Imus will meet face-to-face for the first time sometime later this week.
Of course, the time and place are being private -- being kept private, rather. That meeting will be private and it will be critical, Miles, because when I asked the team captain, Essence Carson, whether she believes Don Imus should resign, she said that will depend on what he says to them during that meeting -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Alina Cho, at the Rutgers campus, thank you -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, joining us this morning to further discuss Imus' comments and the furor it has really created, three distinguished women: Angela Burt-Murray is the editor and chief of Essence magazine; Dominique Dawes is a three-time Olympic medalist and the first African-American to win an Olympic medal in gymnastics, and Mechelle Voepel of the Kansas City Star and ESPN is with us as well. She has covered women's basketball for 20 years, including her coverage of the Rutgers team.
Nice to see you, ladies. Thanks for talking with us. Sure appreciate it. Let's start with you, Angela, first and foremost. Do you think that this meeting should go off? I mean, I know we are not really getting any details about when exactly and where exactly, but do you think these young ladies should, in fact, sit down with Imus and figure out where he's coming from?
ANGELA BURT-MURRAY, RACE & GENDER IN U.S. SPORTS: Actually, I don't, Soledad. I don't think that these women should grace Don Imus with a meeting. I think that he has made his position very clear. He's a racist, he's a sexist, and he doesn't deserve to have the privilege of meeting with these extraordinary young women.
S. O'BRIEN: Dominique, back in 1996, your success made a lot of girls, I've got to tell you, look up and say, ah, that could be me one day. A lot of little girls, some of them black girls, but a lot of little girls.
When you talk about this and you certainly -- I know you know Coach Stringer, are you surprised that she's not calling for Imus' head? That she's not saying, listen, he should be fired? Because everybody has been very careful not to the say that yet.
DOMINIQUE DAWES, 3-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Well, Coach Stringer is an amazing woman. I first want to applaud her as well as the Rutgers women's basketball team. They are amazing. They need to be respected and applauded for their accomplishments.
And I think Coach Stringer as well as the young ladies are taking the high road. They are thinking first before just commenting. And I think whatever decision that MSNBC or NBC decides to make regarding Don Imus is what's going to be appropriate.
S. O'BRIEN: Mechelle, you know, one of the things the girls told me yesterday when I was talking to them was, finally their really big moment, their really big moment, they got to ring the bell on the Rutgers campus. I guess it happens only every 50 years or so.
And all everybody's talking about are the words "nappy-headed ho." No one's saying, look at our basketball team, look at what they've accomplished. It must be particularly depressing for you having covered this for so long?
MECHELLE VOEPEL, ESPN: Yes. I think that is what is so hurtful about what he said. Those of us who covered these young women, you know, who were there in their locker room when they were celebrating and we were there when they were crying after they lost the national championship game.
We knew all of those things that, you know, were said earlier in this piece about all of the fantastic things these young women have done and what they're going to do in their lives. And I think those of us in the media who have covered that were extremely, I think, personally offended by what was said about these young women, because we knew that it had to have hurt them very badly.
And you're right, this is a big moment for them. There's so much work involved to get to where they got to, and they need to be celebrated. They had an amazing tournament and that's what they should be remembered for.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about forgiveness. Angela, Paul Begala was on our air just a moment ago. And he was saying listen, you know, at some point, you -- he has given an apology, he said he's sorry. I believe in redemption, I think is the words that he used.
And then we have heard from Senator John McCain and Rudy Giuliani -- by the way, running for president, both of them. And here is what they had to say about Imus' show, the fact that they would return to it. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He has apologized. He said that he is deeply sorry. I'm a great believer in redemption.
RUDY GIULIANI (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would appear on his program again. Sure. I would. I think that I would take him at his word. I take Don at his word that he understands the gravity of what he did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: So in a nutshell, is "I'm sorry" enough? I mean, at some point don't you have to say, listen, you've got to forgive somebody at some point, yes or no?
BURT-MURRAY: Well, you can forgive someone at some point. But the fact of the matter is that his remarks were completely unacceptable. Dan Abrams, president of MSNBC; Jeff Zucker, president of NBC, need to take a stand and fire this man. If they do not they are in fact saying not only do we condone his remarks but we support them because we're going to continue to pay him. You can apologize and you can redeem yourself off the air.
S. O'BRIEN: Dominique, do you think that he should be fired? You know, I'll just add a little aside there. One of the things that I thought was really maybe the most vicious is that there was no context for those comments.
It wasn't part of a really good joke. It sort of came out of nowhere. A bunch of basically anonymous to him young black girls, really, running up and down the court, and, you know, synonymous with young black girl was "nappy-headed ho." Where did it come from? Do you think that that's enough to be axed?
DAWES: Well, his comments were very inappropriate, they were very demeaning, they were degrading. I hate the sin. I don't hate the sinner. He has apologized. I do understand that.
However, if you look back at Don Imus' record, he has a track record of similar instances like this, where he has demeaned Jews, he has demeaned other women in general, not just African-American women. So I think MSNBC and NBC maybe will look back and see that the consequences that he suffered in the past, maybe this two weeks' suspension might not be enough, because, clearly, he has not changed his inappropriate and his bad behavior.
And hopefully he'll learn that this isn't something that is going to be tolerated and it shouldn't be tolerated from him or anyone else, truly, on the airwaves, in videos, in songs, in any form of the media, print or television, and it's not something that I would ever condone.
However, I'm sure that MSNBC, NBC will handle this accordingly and know that they don't want this kind of negative press, no matter if it means more eyeballs or no matter if it means higher ratings. It's not something that anyone would want to tolerate.
S. O'BRIEN: I don't know. You know, we have all been around the block, the four of us here, just chatting with a bunch of girls here on TV. And you know, we have all been around the block, which means we know that at the end of the day, if someone brings in high ratings and they bring in money, that that is a pretty high bar to overcome to oust them.
And, Mechelle, I guess what I'd like to hear from you is, were you surprised that women's groups who are usually well embracing of these women's basketball teams were, you know, radio-silent for a few days.
VOEPEL: Yes, they were. And I think that is something I guess people are trying to remedy now. They are trying to speak out and say what they think about this. I think that the -- what the Rutgers women said yesterday was very eloquent.
Essence Carson is one of the most eloquent young women I've ever spoken to in 20 years of covering women's basketball. And, you know, these young women may or may not say after their meeting with Don Imus how they feel, but I hope they do, because if they feel like the apology wasn't sincere, then I think a lot us take our cue from how they feel, because they were the directly wounded parties in this.
S. O'BRIEN: Could be the difference, whether Don Imus keeps or loses his job, truly. Nice to talk to you. Mechelle Voepel, nice to talk to you. Thank you. Angela Burt-Murray and Dominique Dawes, to you as well. We appreciate you joining us this morning -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: In Iraq this morning, the U.S. military is pointing the finger at Iran, a top U.S. general says the Iranians are training Iraqi insurgents how to build and use roadside bombs. CNN's Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon with more.
Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Miles. Well, what is new here, we have just finished monitoring a news briefing out of Baghdad. Major General William Caldwell, the top spokesman, says that they now have information that within the last month Iran has been training people on how to make and use those deadly roadside bombs that are killing U.S. troops in Iraq.
Have a listen to what General Caldwell just said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ: The fact that we know they're being in fact manufactured and smuggled into this country and we then know that training does go on in Iran for people to learn how to assemble them and how to employ them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: General Caldwell making clear, Miles, that this is very recent information coming from detainee interrogations, information Iran has done this within the last month. He also went on to say that they now have information that Iran is training Sunni extremists groups, that would be an expansion of Iran to influence, mainly they have been focusing on the Shia groups. Now helping Sunni extremists.
And he also said they had information -- very recent information from two detainees they have interrogated that those men say they got their training inside Syria -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Boy, that's a tangled web. All right. Thank you very much, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.
Coming up, would you want to know how long you'll live? And what would you look like? We'll show you our own Dr. Gupta a few years from now and how it came out for him. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: All week long our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been reporting on the decisions that we make each and every day that can add or in some cases subtract years from your life. It's the focus of his new book which is called "Chasing Life," and he has got a special this weekend on CNN.
He is with us this morning again taking a look in to the future, literally figuring out how long you're going to live and what it's going to look like. Good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's a little bizarre to actually look into a crystal ball like that, but there are some pretty good studies out there, some pretty good calculators, if you will, trying to figure out your life span.
They're not perfectly scientifically valid but they are better than we have ever had before. They can give you an idea of not only how long you're going to live, but in my case as well, what you might look like when you get there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): ... artist Delynn Waldren (ph) shows how I might look if I'm lucky enough to reach the century mark. Handsome, right? But I wanted to know if I have what it really takes to live to 100 or even beyond, to see how my life stacks up, I turned to one of the world's leading experts on centenarians.
Dr. Thomas Pearls (ph). Pearls has devised a formula to predict how long you'll live. And he agreed to follow me over the course of a day. At the Gupta home, the day starts early.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last night I didn't get out of the operating room until very late. So I have only had about four hours of sleep.
GUPTA: Wrong answer. For most people, Pearls says sleeping fewer than eight hours a night will cost you a year-and-a-half of life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No coffee in the morning?
GUPTA (on camera): No. Not a coffee drinker.
(voice-over): Bingo. Much better. Pearl says more than two cups a day will trim life expectancy by a year or more.
As we drove to work, something else had them worried.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you are a neurosurgeon who decides to take on another full-time job. So two full-time jobs. And then two babies. So automatically, like, on the calculator, in terms of stresses, you'd be off the charts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the 8:40 hit. Nothing about their (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In terms of the number of hours, how many a week would you say you're working?
GUTPA (on camera): Well, over 80.
(voice-over): Pearls tell most people to work less. Fewer than 40 hours a week if they can.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many days a week do you exercise?
GUPTA (on camera): I try and do at least three or four.
(voice-over): This interview was a real workout. Regular family time? Yes. Add years. Blood pressure? Good. Cholesterol? Not so good.
(on camera): My cholesterol is not great. It's 209.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll punch your numbers in and see what comes out.
GUPTA (voice-over): Could I look forward to 100 candles on my birthday cake, or was I headed to an early grave?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: And I spent the entire day with Dr. Pearls and have my results. But if want to know them, you're going to watch the special this weekend, 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., called "Chasing Life." But if you want your own life expectancy calendar, you go to the Web site, cnn.com/chasinglife.
But even better, we got Soledad to take the test.
S. O'BRIEN: Your cholesterol is 209?
GUPTA: I know.
S. O'BRIEN: I would have thought your cholesterol would be much lower.
GUPTA: I know, I have a bad family history. But this is part of -- you know, the whole "Chasing Life" thing, actually getting these numbers checked now so you can do something about it.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. So I took the test.
GUPTA: You took the test.
S. O'BRIEN: And you know what, I didn't answer honestly, I think, about the stress thing.
GUPTA: Didn't answer about honestly?
S. O'BRIEN: Well, because they didn't say how many children do you have under 6?
GUPTA: OK. Gotcha.
S. O'BRIEN: Under the age of 6. Because that kind of sends your stress up. So anyway, how did I do?
GUPTA: Do you want to hazard any guesses, how long you think you might live?
S. O'BRIEN: I come from strong stock. So I believe I'm going to live to 100.
GUPTA: Eight-seven.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, that's horrible. Oh, that can't be true. Let me see. Let me see. 87? Why?
GUPTA: Well, there's a few different reasons. I mean, there are a couple of things that they said that actually you could do right now to sort of boost your numbers up here...
S. O'BRIEN: OK. Go ahead.
GUPTA: Cut out caffeinated coffee.
S. O'BRIEN: All right.
GUPTA: That's a tough one. You can add a half a year though. That starts -- these things start to build up. If it's worth it to you though.
S. O'BRIEN: Eight-seven-and-a-half.
GUPTA: Do some more things. Like cut back on sweets, you can add another year of life.
S. O'BRIEN: I don't know if I can do that.
(CROSSTALK)
GUPTA: ... start a daily aspirin, you can also add two years of life just by doing that as well.
S. O'BRIEN: That's 80 -- what is it, 90.5?
GUPTA: Ninety-and-a-half, stop working so hard. And that could add another year-and-a-half as well, they say, so.
S. O'BRIEN: We're into my low 90s.
GUPTA: That's not bad.
S. O'BRIEN: No, I feel better already.
(CROSSTALK)
GUPTA: Did you drink the uncaffeinated instead the decaf?
S. O'BRIEN: I don't know.
(CROSSTALK)
GUPTA: ... half of your life.
S. O'BRIEN: I know. I know. And (INAUDIBLE) that I'll be asleep when I'm working, will that bother anybody? We'll see about that. Sanjay, that's fascinating, that was so easy to do too. Everybody really should go online and do that. Took two minutes.
GUPTA: A little glimpse into the future.
S. O'BRIEN: And congratulations. Your book is number eight on Amazon.
GUPTA: Thank you very much.
S. O'BRIEN: So it is a big, big deal.
GUPTA: Started at about 650,000. So I'm happy with that.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm going to sell my -- my autographed copy from Sanjay. Wonder what I could I get for that? Plus, of course, you can catch Sanjay's special, it's called "Chasing Life," it's on Saturday and Sunday, the 14th and 15th, 8:00 p.m. Eastern time and go online to win an autographed copy. Really, an autographed copy, not one made out to me, at cnn.com -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Thanks very much. CNN "NEWSROOM" is just moments away. Heidi Collins is at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead. Hello, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Miles. How did Sanjay turn in to Bob Barker when he gets older did you see that picture? I love him, but looks a little like Bob Barker.
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: All right. Coming up at 9:00 this morning, here are some of the stories we have in the "NEWSROOM" rundown. Sexual assault and kidnapping charges could be dropped today in the Duke lacrosse case. Three former players accused by a stripper at an off-campus team party.
And several major advertisers flee Don Imus, the radio host under fire for racially charged comments. We chat with media writer Howard Kurtz and radio talkster Frank Ski (ph).
Plus a pair of candy thieves doing what candy thieves do. But outrage when they shoot at the clerk. Yes. All over sweets. Tony Harris joins me in the "NEWSROOM" coming up at the top of the hour right here on CNN.
M. O'BRIEN: You know those sweets will take years off your life. They should listen.
COLLINS: That is what I was going to say. The Gummi bears.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, reliving some of the most momentous events of our time. Looking back with Larry King, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: We are celebrating Larry King's 50th year in broadcasting by highlighting some of his most memorable interviews. This morning a look at some historic interviews with Middle East leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": The three-way interview with Hussein, Arafat and Rabin was historic. Here were The three major leaders in the Middle East coming together on one television show, split screen, triple, live.
Mr. Prime Minister, do you favor the United States staying involved?
YITZHAK RABIN, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Allow me first to compliment you for bringing the three of us together. I believe that the future of the region depends on the kind of cooperation between King Hussein, Chairman Arafat and Israel to bring about a new Middle East.
KING: Here are these three individuals all now gone, all of whom have an impact on what the world would have to do and say about a region. That was a night you never forget.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Here is a quick look at what CNN "NEWSROOM" is working on for the top of the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): See these stories in the CNN "NEWSROOM." Charges against three former Duke University lacrosse players may be dropped today.
The Army may extend tours ever duty in Iraq up to 15 months.
North Korea hands over the remains of six U.S. servicemen to former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson.
And several major advertisers walk away from the Don Imus radio program, following his racially charged comments.
You're in the "NEWSROOM," 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: That's all from us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
M. O'BRIEN: CNN "NEWSROOM" with Tony Harris and Heidi Collins begins right now.
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