Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Steam Pipe Explosion; Iraq Briefing; Gerri's Top Tips

Aired July 19, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Stay informed all day in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown.

New York City checking its air this morning. An incredible steam pipe explosion may have spewed toxins.

COLLINS: Happening this hour, the top diplomats, the top general urging Congress to be patient on war progress.

HARRIS: Look for a "Sopranos" family reunion at this year's Emmys. The mobsters make a killing with 15 nominations today, Thursday, July 19th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Early test results, the air ask OK. But there is asbestos in the debris. More testing ongoing this morning after what you see there, the steam pipe explosion in New York. One person died, 40 people were injured. Jim Acosta is in Manhattan for us now this morning with more on the aftermath.

And, Jim, every time I see those pictures, I just cannot imagine what it would have been like to be standing anywhere near that.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Heidi.

And we just finished talking to one of the downtown or midtown workers here in Midtown Manhattan and she essentially told us it felt like a train was coming through her building. It was that sort of rumbling sound. And there was a real sense of panic here in Midtown Manhattan.

We really can't downplay that because for about a good 15, 20 minutes, people didn't know what was happening here. But luckily, fortunately, this was just a steam pipe explosion in Midtown Manhattan, of all things that could have happened in New York City during the summertime.

And we've been talking about this giant hole on 41st Street behind me. It's about 25 to 30 feet wide. But we haven't showed you these other holes that we should note above 41st Street. And that's in these buildings above the hole.

And if you just look at these buildings behind me, 15 stories high, there are windows that have been smashed as a result of what was essentially like a geyser of mud and debris that came up from this hole that took out windows 15 stories high on either side of the street. So you can see that and basically understand the magnitude of what happened here. This was an enormous geyser of debris that spewed out of this hole during this explosion.

So you can understand why so many people, when they were racing out of their office buildings -- we just talked to one woman who was in heels, left the heels in the office and left in her flip-flops because she wanted to get out of there so quickly. People were in a sense of panic. People were concerned that there was a terrorist attack, perhaps in Grand Central Station or one of the office buildings nearby. And because of that, people were in a hurry to get out of there.

Fortunately, there was only one death as a result of all of this. That person has been identified as Lois Bomridge (ph) of Hawthorn, New Jersey. She worked at the Pfizer headquarters building, which is just around the corner from this explosion. Apparently suffered a heart attack. But, unbelievably, nobody was killed, includes, at this point, the driver of that tow truck, which is now upside down in that giant hole on 41st Street. That person apparently has survived all of this. There are about 20 or 30 or so people injured, in the hospital. But this could have been a lot worse.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. So, Jim, by way of what is in the air, we are learning this morning, no asbestos in the air, but in the debris. What are authorities telling you about that? What does that mean?

ACOSTA: Well, what that means is, and New Yorkers are skeptical about what's in the air after a big incident like this. You'll remember after 9/11 that New Yorkers were told that the air was essentially fine and there are many people in this city who will counter that. And I will tell you, just being on the scene here, I do feel sort of a tickle in my throat, so do other members of our crew, and you see people walking around with these medical masks.

You know, they say the air is fine, and we'll take them for what they're saying at this point, but I think a lot of people are concerned that they need to hear more about all of this as the days move forward.

COLLINS: Sure. And I imagine they'll continue to do testing as the day goes on. And maybe for several days to come.

Jim Acosta live on the scene for us in Manhattan there.

Jim, thank you.

And as we mentioned, of course, you can only imagine what it must have felt like to be nearby when this explosion occurred. We are going to be talking with an eyewitness to the steam pipe explosion, his story, and he was pretty close, too, coming up in just a few minutes right here in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: The fight for Iraq and more losses for U.S. forces. Just this morning, the military says a U.S. soldier was killed by small-arms fire in Baghdad. That follows news four other American soldiers were killed in a Baghdad explosion. The bomb detonated near their patrol. Meanwhile, Iraqi official believe sectarian vendettas fueled a series of killings. At least 15 bodies were found dumped across Baghdad yesterday. That's no uncommon, as you know. So far this month, the number of unidentified bodies found in the capital, 377.

COLLINS: Two U.S. soldiers charged with premeditated murder in Iraq. That word from the U.S. military today. The men accused of killing an Iraqi near the northern city of Kirkuk last month. Fellow soldiers reportedly alerted authorities to Sergeant Trey Corrales of Texas and Specialist Christopher Shore of Georgia. A lieutenant colonel also has been relieved of his command. The military says he is not a suspect and has not been charged.

HARRIS: Iraq. The White House takes the debate to lawmakers. Today two high-level briefings, one single message. CNN congressional correspondent Dana Bash is on that story.

Dana, good morning to you.

What about the timing of the briefings, one day, we should mark, after the troop withdrawal amendment failed in the Senate?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly is interesting because, as you said, that particular vote really did illustrate the reality here. And that is, no matter what Congress is saying and doing now, they are, at this point, going to give the president what he wants, which is time. Time until September for General David Petraeus to actually give his formal report on how the surge is going.

But what is going to be interesting to see here in the Senate, Tony, today is the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- or they're going to have something quite unusual. They are going to have a video link with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker. And the focus there is going to be on the political progress or perhaps lack thereof of the Iraqi government.

The chairman of that committee, Joseph Biden, according to his aides, really wants to make the point -- or really question the ambassador, I should say, about what exactly he thinks the Iraqi government can do between now and September to get themselves in a place where they can be -- show progress. Because you remember, it was just a week ago that we saw the interim report that showed the benchmarks for the Iraqis, the government and the military side.

On the government side, pretty much across the board, you'll remember, Tony, it was unsatisfactory. And so what we're going to see in this hearing today are Democrats, and even more interestingly probably, Republicans trying to press the U.S. ambassador, who's going to be on the ground in Iraq via video link, about what exactly he thinks can be done to prop up the Iraqi government or, more importantly, to force the Iraqi government to prop up themselves in a way that they haven't done so far.

HARRIS: Good point.

Our congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us this morning.

Dana, thank you.

BASH: Thank you.

COLLINS: Chad Myers with us once again now watching all the weather across the country for us.

HARRIS: Did you get another nice term?

COLLINS: Hugh?

HARRIS: Did you get another nice term?

COLLINS: Convective implosion and phenomenon (ph). How's that?

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: New video this morning of that fiery plane crash in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It shows the TAM Airlines plane landing at what appears to be a high speed. And then the ball of fire, off to the left of the screen as it smashes into a building. All 186 people on the plane and three in the building -- take a look at this here -- killed. The crash has raised question about whether Brazilian aviation authorities rushed to reopen a recently resurfaced runway about the runway being to short.

COLLINS: Parents take note. A recall has been launched for a classic children's toy. Hasbro has announced a recall of its Easy- Bake ovens. The problem? Young children can get their fingers caught in the oven's openings. There have been dozens of accidental burns reported, including one case so serious it required a finger to be partially amputated. The recall involves about a million units. All were made in China, sold since May of last year. And this too. It's the second recall now of the product this year, both prompted by the same concern.

HARRIS: Six week to September and the heat's on in Baghdad, but lawmakers look ready to escape the pressure by getting out of town.

COLLINS: Protecting the homeland. The biggest city is getting the biggest share of the security dollars. We'll break it down for you.

HARRIS: Hot dog, chili sauce recall. Officials investigate a plant in Georgia. Is it linked to rare cases of botchulism?

COLLINS: Cold shoulder for Tom Cruise. The actor's plans for portraying a German resistance hero meeting resistance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. It struck fear in the hearts of New Yorkers. And understandably so. We're going to be talking with an eyewitness to the steam pipe explosion. His story next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: It rattled nerves, but the explosion in Manhattan was not terrorism but a ruptured steam pipe instead. Heiko Thieme witnessed that explosion. He's joining us now this morning from New York.

We appreciate your time here this morning, Mr. Thieme.

I can't imagine, and I've said it a couple of times now this morning, what it must have felt like, what must have been going through your mind.

HEIKO THIEME, WITNESSED EXPLOSION: Well, obviously, when I was on the 27th floor in our office, which is on the corner of 41st and Lexington Avenues, so was right next to the blast. And we heard a big rumble. The building shook a little bit. But what was surprising for me was the smoke immediately came up to the 27th floor. First white smoke. But I got a little nervous, to be honest, when there was black smoke coming up and rocks came to the window. And I've never seen, you know, stones going up that high.

So immediately we took the decision, an intern and myself, we were alone in the office, plus another colleague in another office, to go down. One decided to take the staircase. I thought I'd take the elevator, which is a mistake by the way, but you faster down.

So when we got down there, there was a lot of people in the foyer and there was some blood on the floor and the doors were shut, basically, and I decided to make a stand to get outside because at that moment it really felt there was some bomb explosion. And I could not have imagined, you know, this was just a pipe because with that kind of burst, you know. And then when I left the building, I got all over in the mud and rocks came towards me.

But as you see, I'm all right. So this thing is behind us. But I was concerned about the safety of the people, particularly my intern, but who is safe and he left the building later on. So as far as injuries are concerned, I'm glad to say nothing happened to us and we feel very sorry for those who were injured and the fatality which happened during that incident.

COLLINS: Boy, I mean, to hear you talk, it's amazing how much you remember because when you're in situations like this, which not very many of us are, thankfully, but it seems to always be reported that it was just a blur and I don't remember what happened. I just remember getting out of the building and down to what I thought was a safer place to be.

Where were you, Heiko, on September 11th?

THIEME: Well, I was supposed to be in the World Trade Center on the 102nd floor at an investment meeting, but my passport was stolen in Barcelona three days before, and so my return to the United States was delayed. And because of the theft, I'm possibly still alive today. So that was kind of luck. But I still don't forgive a thief. And I missed Lockerbie (ph) by one flight.

So I've seen these things happen. So I don't take it, you know, you just have to live with it. But it certainly felt very uncomfortable immediately after the impact.

But I must say, the police in New York behaved exemplary. They were very much in control where I was. I didn't see much of a panic. There was a lot of curiosity, obviously. And being covered in mud, you know, that's the only thing, when I left home, I felt like having some oysters in the oyster bar, but I guess that was a bit to daring because nobody would serve you at that time. So I went home and cleaned myself up and then just did some work.

COLLINS: Wow. Did you happen to notice when you did came out of that building and go onto the street, what the reaction was of people around you? We have heard reports of people leaving their shoes behind and just running. I mean, when you think about what that city went through on September 11th and then something like this, there's no way that you could process what it could be. I mean the first thought seems to go straight to terrorism, which, of course, we have determined is not the case here.

THIEME: Heidi, you're absolutely right. That, obviously, crosses your mind. Anybody who would ignore it or not admit to it, you know, is, in my view, lying. But I didn't see that many people, because I was very close to the scene. I was away from the crater approximately 15 to 20 feet. You couldn't get much closer without being, you know, seriously injured. And a lot of stones came up. And this was like a volcano.

And what surprised me is the immense force and power. Only those who were nearby can imagine this. From far way it looked like smoke. This was a very, very powerful move I would have not put money on it if somebody had told me this is just a generator. It really sounded a lot more dangerous. And also the police kept away for quite a while. And I think rightly so. But at the end, as it happened, it was just a malfunctioning. We live in a city which is beautiful, but it has some problems, you know, as far as the utilities are concerned.

COLLINS: Yes. We're learning those pipes are about 100 years old. So really thankful, as you look at this story, that it hasn't happened many times before. We will continue to follow it, of course, and so appreciate your account of what's happened and glad that you are with us and safe today.

Heiko, thank you again. Nice to talk with you.

THIEME: Thank you.

HARRIS: And still to come this morning in the NEWSROOM, a pooch with a pricey appetite. She eats hundreds of dollars worth of dollars. GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis.

Coming up, how to save money on your vacation and travel like a native. "Top Tips" is next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: OK. Let's look at it now. Wow, a little lower than last time we checked, but we will continue to watch those numbers. We are hearing that it's possible yet again to break 14,000. In fact, I think it's already happened at least once right at the open of the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones Industrial average is up 70 points or so. We'll continue to watch it for you and bring you all of the business stories this morning in just a few minutes.

HARRIS: House swapping. House swapping? What madness are we talking about here?

COLLINS: What swapping are you familiar with?

HARRIS: You need to stop. What you need to know if you're thinking about trading homes with a stranger?

Gerri Willis, what are you talking about this morning? How does this work?

WILLIS: Not wives, house swapping.

HARRIS: That's what Heidi is -- this is Heidi - this is Heidi's world here, in her head, and the way she thinks.

COLLINS: This is your interview.

HARRIS: No!

Good morning, Gerri.

WILLIS: All right.

Tony.

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: You know, you put your home or your vacation home on a website.

HARRIS: Or your wife? No!

WILLIS: Your home.

HARRIS: All right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

WILLIS: You know, you list where you'd like to travel and then you try to match your vacation with someone who wants to stay in your home. The up side is that you get to use an entire house and you don't have to pay anything for groceries, maybe even phone usage or the extra bills your (INAUDIBLE). Now, in exchange, someone lives in your place. Setting up a house swap, house swap, can take as little as 24 hours and as long as a year, depending on where you live. It's a great idea. I've done it myself, I've got to tell you.

HARRIS: Have you really?

WILLIS: Yes. It's great.

HARRIS: Well, I was about to say, you know, what kind of a person would consider such a thing, so maybe you can tell us a little story.

WILLIS: Well, OK, you know, look, if you're freaked out about having strangers living in your place.

HARRIS: Yes, kind of, yes.

WILLIS: You know, maybe that's not the best idea for you. House swapping isn't for people who don't like the idea of someone touching their stuff or sleeping in their bed.

HARRIS: Right.

WILLIS: Right.

HARRIS: Right.

WILLIS: So it's a good idea to have a phone conversation and not just an e-mail exchange with the family on the other side of the equation. But I've got to tell you, you know, if you want to travel on the cheap, it's not a bad choice.

HARRIS: OK. No, I've got you. Are there websites - you mentioned posted on the web. So, obviously, there are websites that you can help us with if we're thinking about it.

WILLIS: Well, there are a ton of them actually. Homeexchange.com, Home Link International at homelink.org, intervac or the International Home Exchange Network at ihen.com. It's not free. Annual membership ranges from $40 to $100. Now keep in mind that these websites may encourage the exchanging families to cosign a letter that confirms the details of the exchange. You know, but they don't enforce rules or resolve disputes. You know, I mean, you can have down sides. The place I stayed in had cat hair for days. It was a fifth-floor walk-up in Paris. It was a beautiful neighborhood. A fabulous experience, except for the cat hair.

HARRIS: And your sneezing and you're eee (ph) and you're all in here and it's just not good.

WILLIS: Yes.

HARRIS: So you should probably -- all homes have their own little features, their own little quirks . . .

WILLIS: That's true. HARRIS: So it would probably be wise to have a conversation, huh?

WILLIS: Well, it's a great idea. If you or your friends or neighbors to be around that first day of the swap so that they can show the guests what oddities you might have. And you should leave instructions for appliances. Be sure to explain if there are any tricks to opening the doors. You know how it is, strange noises, you want to tell people about that stuff. Finally, leave a contact number for somebody close by in case there's an emergency and then you should leave the numbers for the police department and the fire department handy, so if they need it they can get to it.

HARRIS: That's good. That's smart.

WILLIS: Yes.

HARRIS: You know, it seems to me the most important consideration would be your stuff. I mean you wouldn't just sort of leave your valuable -- your most prized possessions laying around in your house, would you?

WILLIS: You're thinking smart, Tony. You're thinking.

HARRIS: Yes, well . . .

WILLIS: Well, before you leave, take inventory. That means if you have any valuable jewelry or artwork or, well, anything sentimental that's valuable, that you put it away in a lock box, you give it to friends and family for safekeeping or you simply lock it in a room or closet where nobody else can get to it. It may be smart to check in our your insurance policy and make sure all your valuables are covered.

HARRIS: That's great. All right. What are we talking about? Are we talking about a big "Open House" show this weekend or do we need to get e-mails fired up for you?

WILLIS: Well, you know, you can always send us an e-mail at toptips@cnn.com. And we love to hear from you. We get the best questions from your viewers, Tony. They're so smart.

And, of course, if you want to know more about home swapping, you should join us Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. right here on CNN for "Open House."

HARRIS: Oh, great.

WILLIS: We're going to be talking about this topic and others, including, you'll love this, the best places to live in the country.

HARRIS: Outstanding. The big "Open House" show this weekend, hosted by that lady right there, Gerri Willis.

Great to see you and see you tomorrow.

WILLIS: Good to see you, Tony, always.

COLLINS: An incredible explosion in New York. A lot of people thought it was happening again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Only hear, whoosh. Like I don't know if it was a bomb or something underneath the tunnel just starts blowing. They said, "get out. Get out. Everybody run."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: A ruptured steam pipe now has New York checking its air quality. We'll explain in just a moment.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How does the government decide which cities get the most money to protect themselves from terrorist attacks? I'm Chris Lawrence. Coming up in the NEWSROOM, I'll have an answer that may surprise you.

COLLINS: Good Thursday morning to you, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

Welcome back, everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM. Early tests this morning show no asbestos in the air from that massive steam pipe explosion in New York City, but some tests on dust and debris were positive for asbestos. More testing is under way.

This I-Report video -- take a look at this -- from viewer Nick Parish, showing the thick plume of steam and ash spewing into the air. Officials say the pipe was more than 80 years old. Terrorism is not suspected in yesterday's explosion, but fear sent hundreds running for cover.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The whole street was chaos. People were running, their shoes were falling over, they were pushing each other and pulling each other, and we looked up and there was smoke billowing out of this building.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could just see smoke, and it looked like it was coming towards the building, and then there's also debris falling, so it really looked like a building was coming down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Officials say one person died of a heart attack, 40 others were injured.

COLLINS: The nation's biggest cities getting big money to fight terror. Here now, CNN's Chris Lawrence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Los Angeles International, Chicago skyscrapers, and New York bridges, think of them as Homeland Security's children and Michael Chertoff is the parent trying to keep them all satisfied and safe.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: My job is about hard choices.

LAWRENCE: Chertoff decides who gets more or less money. And this year, Arizona was the big winner. Tucson went from off the list to $5 million. And Phoenix tripled its allocation to $12 million.

MAYOR PHIL GORDON, PHOENIX: This is a mayor of the fifth largest city that is very happy.

LAWRENCE: But like previous years, some bigger city mayors are crying foul.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK: But I think the mistake that is always made is confusing what -- where you're vulnerable to where you're likely to be attacked.

LAWRENCE: Looking at the numbers, New York actually gained $10 million over last year. Contrast that to those who lost money, like Chicago. Boston officials are boiling at their cutbacks. And there's nothing laid back about L.A.'s response.

MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, LOS ANGELES: The practice of awarding homeland security dollars based on any consideration other than risk has got to stop.

LAWRENCE: Risk is actually number two. Population carries the greatest weight in where the dollars go. And this year, a new index accounts for cities like Phoenix, that are close to the border or have military bases nearby. It's also home to the nation's largest nuclear power plant.

I spoke with Phoenix's emergency management coordinator about why his city lost so much funding last year only to get it back now.

MICHAEL DEBENEDETTO, COORDINATOR, PHOENIX EMC: And they simply prepared us for this. There will be years in which you will get less money. We didn't think we would get that much less money, but we did, and we had a bad year.

LAWRENCE (on camera): But they told you they would make it up to you this year?

DEBENEDETTO: They told us that if we were patient, that they hoped to make it up to us this year or soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Chris Lawrence joining us. Sorry, go ahead, Chris. LAWRENCE: No, I was just going to say the Phoenix officials were telling me that they needed every dollar they got, especially this time, because they're hosting the next Super Bowl here early next year.

COLLINS: OK, so when we look at these factors that the government uses to allocate the money across all of these different cities, does that then explain why some of the cities gained and lost money this year? Is it a different list of priorities?

LAWRENCE: It is, because there was so much criticism last year, because New York and Washington last year got severely cut, which made people wake up and say, wait a minute, these are the two that got hit, how can they get cut? So they changed the formula somewhat. The old considerations like proximity to shopping malls, and the height of buildings, that's no longer factored in, but some things still are, like critical infrastructure. If your city is near dams, or critical bridges, and things like that, that's still factored into the equation.

Washington D.C., for example, got a big bump this year, but officials there and in New York are still pushing for a system that goes solely on risk alone.

COLLINS: Too bad there isn't an endless supply of money, huh? .

LAWRENCE: Never is. Never is. If you find that money tree, let these cities know.

COLLINS: Yes, no question about that. CNN's Chris Lawrence, coming to us this morning from Phoenix, Arizona, thank you, Chris.

HARRIS: And news just in from Brazil. Prosecutors are seeking a court order to shut down the airport in Sao Paulo, where that fiery plane crash killed almost 200 people. Authorities want that facility closed until an investigation is completed. New video shows the flight's final moments.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck reports from Sao Paulo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Video that was taken by cameras set up at the airport, -- these cameras are always trained on the runway -- shows the moment when the Tam (ph) Airbus was landing yesterday. And according to that video and according to experts who have seen that video, the plane might have been coming in too fast. The video was released last night. We believe it was released by the airport itself, that after a lot of comments were made yesterday on the length of the runway, the fact that it was raining heavily, and that the systems that would be in place to drain the runway from excess water had not been completed. The runway had just been refurbished, and so those systems had not been refurbished.

So the blame game has definitely started here. On the one hand there are those that say that the runway itself, the airport itself, is not fully capable of handling these large planes. On the other hand, there are those from the airport who seem to indicate with this video that the plane might have been coming in too fast, and that that might have been a major factor in the crash. The point is that it will take several months. It will be up until 18 months before a final determination is made. There are investigators coming in from the United States, from France, from Germany, representatives from Airbus itself, who will be aiding Brazilian officials in their investigation.

Meanwhile, efforts to continue searching through the building that was impacted by that Airbus have been halted temporarily. Firefighters say the building itself is becoming dangerous and they want to bolster it, make sure that it doesn't collapse before they continue their efforts to find the bodies of more victims.

Close to 180 bodies are now in the morgue In Sao Paulo, and the efforts are under way to identify the bodies so the remains can be returned to loved ones for burial.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: CNN's Harris Whitbeck for us this morning.

More bombings and deaths in Pakistan today. In the south, an explosion near a bus stop killed more than two-dozen people. In the north, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-packed car into the gates of a police-training center. Eight people died there. The blast near a Taliban and al Qaeda stronghold on the Afghan border. Attacks targeting Pakistani security forces have killed more than 100 people since late last week.

August recess, a tradition for Congress, but must this part of democracy also be exported to Iraq?

CNN's Joe Johns is keeping them honest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is put up or shut up time for the Iraqi parliament, a little more than a month to go before President Bush reports to Congress on what progress has been made in Baghdad.

Top of the political agenda, an oil and gas law that would divvy up oil revenues. So, what is the Iraqi parliament doing? Taking a vacation, in August, right before the administration's September deadline, which means the so-called sovereign government in Iraq, which really isn't that sovereign at all, with militias and 160,000 U.S. troops there, won't be hashing out all those political problems before the coalition forces can leave.

Some say the summer recess in Iraq is, well, a bad idea.

RICK BARTON, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: There's just way too much to be done. They are not going to be any more productive than most legislative bodies. We should simplify the agenda. They should deal with a couple of big issues, and we should be happy with that. But they shouldn't leave until those are addressed.

JOHNS: The White House helpfully points out that the United States Congress is taking August off, too. Besides, it's darn hot in Baghdad.

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: You know, it's 130 degrees in Baghdad in August. I will pass on your recommendation.

JOHNS (on camera): "New York Times" Columnist Tom Friedman, in an acid-dripping op-ed this morning, notes that 130 degrees is, well, a whole lot hotter inside a U.S. military uniform with body armor.

Friedman writes, "For the Bush White House to excuse it with a Baghdad weather report shows just how much it has become a hostage to Iraq."

(voice-over): But "Keeping them Honest," walk a mile in the shoes of the Iraqi legislators, if you dare. It's 130 and people are shooting at you, or, as happened this last session, strapping on a suicide bomb and blowing it up in the parliamentary cafeteria.

BARTON: The situation in Iraq is not at all like our situation in Washington. We have problems, and many people in this country think they are crises. But they're not life-and-death crises of the sort that the Iraqis are facing right now. But it would be helpful if this new breed of Iraqi political leader recognized that there are some critical elements that they do have to get done before they take care of their own business.

JOHNS: Still, being at work doesn't guarantee results, not in Iraq, not even in Washington. After all, the U.S. Senate's all- nighter to debate the Iraq war produced zip. And after that exhausting ordeal, the U.S. Congress is eagerly awaiting its August break. The president will be in Crawford. After all, it's hot here, too.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: A new food warning this morning. Federal health officials say certain cans of hot dog chili sauce have been linked to botulism. They have been traced to a Castle Berry's food plant in Augusta, Georgia. At least four cases of botulism reporters, two children in Texas and a couple in Indiana. The warnings applies to 10-ounce cans of Castleberry's, Austex, and Kroger brands of hot dog chili sauce. The cans have best-buy dates from April 30, 2009 through May. And if you have any, officials say just throw it away.

CNN tonight at 6:00, shocking details about the dangers of some food imports. The FDA and the USDA do not examine or regulate the ingredients America imports. Don't miss our special report, Lou Dobbs. That's tonight, 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

COLLINS: Elizabeth Edwards, speaking her mind, but is it helping her husband's campaign?

HARRIS: No child's play in Pamplona. Mom sees red after dad takes son -- yes -- on a bull run. Now papa's paying the price, big time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Elizabeth Edwards, it doesn't appear her battle with cancer is slowing her down, or toning down her message.

CNN's Tom Foreman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, EDWARDS CAMPAIGN AD)

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF JOHN EDWARDS: I have been blessed for the last 30 years to be married to the most optimistic person that I have ever met.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN (voice-over): Elizabeth Edwards touting her husband for president in a new campaign ad now running in New Hampshire. For her, it's another moment in the spotlight.

Earlier this week, she fired away at Hillary Clinton, telling the online magazine "Salon" that: "Sometimes, you feel you have to behave as a man and not talk about women's issues. I'm sympathetic. She wants to be the commander in chief, but she's just not as vocal a women's advocate as I want to see. John is."

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Despite her battle with cancer, Elizabeth Edwards refuses to be a shrinking violet. This was definitely a shot across Hillary Clinton's bow. And there's no question that Elizabeth is her husband's best political asset, especially when it comes to women.

FOREMAN: And here's why. Our most recent national poll of Democratic women finds Hillary Clinton far ahead of John Edwards. This isn't the first time camp Edwards has gone after camp Clinton. Last October, Mrs. Edwards compared herself to Mrs. Clinton, saying: "We both went to law school and married other lawyers. But, after that, we made other choices. I think my choices have made me happier. I think I'm more joyful than she is."

Edwards quickly called Clinton to apologize. She's also speaking out without telling her husband. Edwards got into an on-air battle with conservative pundit Ann Coulter after Coulter criticized her husband.

E. EDWARDS: I didn't talk to John about calling Ann Coulter. I got on the phone when I was watching her.

FOREMAN: And, last month, Mrs. Edwards surprised her husband by publicly splitting with him in support of gay marriage. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I didn't know, but nothing Elizabeth says surprises me.

(LAUGHTER)

J. EDWARDS: You can't control what she says, nor would I never want to. That's one of the great things about her.

FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Elizabeth Edwards on taking center stage in her husband's campaign and her thoughts on Hillary Clinton. She's going to be joining "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: OK. So this dog will eat just about anything, even makeup.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lipstick? Lipstick all over the carpet, Ballpoint pens all over the carpet. Toothpaste, shampoo, she's done a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Oh, no, but now pepper's really done it. She's downed around $1,000. Talk about grand appetite. We'll tell you the story after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. So we're podcasting a bit later today. You can download it by going to CNN.com. Heidi, you think we can get some of that -- what's the term of art here, to re-purpose that interview with the eyewitness?

COLLINS: Yes, he was great.

HARRIS: Wasn't he great? Yes.

So let's put in that order, that request right now, that we re- purpose, I guess is the term, a bit of that for that...

COLLINS: Show it to you again.

HARRIS: Show it to you again.

COLLINS: That works too.

HARRIS: So we'll make that a part of the CNN NEWSROOM daily podcast available to you in just an hour or so, right there on your iPod. Just download at CNN.com. No excuses. Be there today.

COLLINS: Divorced father and son getting closer to nature at the Running of the Bulls, but now the boy's got to stay closer to mom.

CNN's Al Goodman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the front of the pack, father and son, running in Pamplona, where authorities prohibit children. They're running in front of enormous steers; the father, pulling his 10-year-old son out of harm's way.

They were not running in front of Pamplona's famed fighting bulls which the father did a day earlier without his son. But with the pack of steers which run right after the bulls, it's thought to be a little less dangerous. But it was enough to make the boy's mother, who is separated from the father, see red.

She found out in a news media and went to police, arguing that any part of the running is dangerous. A judge agreed.

ADOLIFO CARRETERO, LOWER COURT JUDGE (through translator): There is a risk to the boy's life. And I've issued a restraining order it takes away the father's visitation and vacation rights with his son.

GOODMAN (on camera): This is the industrial suburb south of Madrid where the boy's mother lives, and where the father returned the boy to her, as the court ordered.

(Voice over): The mother was staying out of sight with her son. But this woman in town was shocked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): She's 10 years old, and he's 10. My daughter, I wouldn't put her in front of any bull, or even a little cow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It doesn't matter that they weren't bulls and had their horns turned inward, if a steer falls on you, it could kill you.

GOODMAN: In Pamplona, not much sympathy for the father either.

"The boy isn't capable of reacting to the danger," he says.

The father told the Spanish media, he never meant to put his son in danger. On top of his other troubles, he had to pay a $200 fine for running with the bulls with a minor.

Al Goodman, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: The final moments of a fatal flight caught on camera -- the chilling crash tape from Brazil and what it may tell investigators. COLLINS: Iraq -- high-level briefings today. Can the administration shore up critical support among the lawmakers?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com