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Search Team Heading Back up Mount Hood Looking For Two Climbers Missing Since December; Potter Mania Begins; CNN Heroes
Aired July 21, 2007 - 09:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center, you are in the NEWSROOM. And it is Saturday, July the 21st, 10:00 a.m. here in Atlanta.
Good morning to you all.
I'm T.J. Holmes.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN ANCHOR: And it's 9:00 a.m. in New Orleans.
I'm Susan Roesgen, filling in for Betty Nguyen this morning.
Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am the most excited girl in the world. I've been waiting for this all -- like since the last book came out. This is the happiest day of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Oh, my god, it's the happiest day of my life. Do you think she got her book and went straight to bed? No way. She stayed up all night reading it.
"Harry Potter" fans worldwide satisfied and sleep-deprived.
HOLMES: Also, Vice President Dick Cheney in the driver's seat while President Bush undergoes a medical procedure. We'll have the update on that.
Also this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is your favorite Web site?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bebo.com. Just all of the chat rooms combined in one list (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I go to woot.com.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROESGEN: Meebo.com, woot.com -- have you heard of those? Veronica de la Cruz gets a hands-on education of what are some of your favorite Web sites.
HOLMES: But first this morning we're going to talk about the president, who this morning is going through a routine colonoscopy. And while he's going through that routine colonoscopy, the power has been transferred over to Vice President Dick Cheney. This is the second time this has happened during the Bush presidency.
Our Elaine Quijano is at the White House. She's been keeping an eye on what's happening with the president as he goes through this this morning.
It's supposed to be just maybe a couple of hours that the vice president has this power. Our Elaine Quijano, again, on the story, and she's on a teleconference right now, getting more information about what's going on.
Don't know if power has already been transferred back to President Bush or not. But as soon as soon as she gets off and we get her up and live, we'll get the update from her.
And as I mentioned, this is the president's second colonoscopy since he's taken office. And an important example for other Americans here that he's setting.
Earlier, I spoke with a doctor about the importance of getting checked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROSHINI RAJAPAKSA, NYU MEDICAL CENTER: The reason why the president's getting a colonoscopy and why every American should get a colonoscopy starting at age 50 is to check for colon cancer. And what we do is we look inside the colon. We look for any cancers, but also for colon polyps, which are benign groups that if we find them we can remove. But if you leave them in there, they can eventually grow into cancer.
So, by getting this test, you can be really checked and possibly prevent a colon cancer before it even starts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And President Bush getting checked for a good reason. He had polyps removed during exams in 1998 and 1999. The National Cancer Institute estimates more than 112,000 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year.
ROESGEN: And another possible standoff between the White House and Congress. Again over those fired federal prosecutors.
The White House says Congress cannot seek indictments for contempt of Congress. The president has issued executive privilege for current and former White House employees who might have been involved in those firings.
And from executive privilege to executive order, the president has signed an order spelling out the rules of interrogation. It forbids the CIA from using cruel or inhuman treatment on detainees. And that includes detainees suspected of terrorism. The order is an attempt to clarify the rules set by the Geneva Convention.
HOLMES: Well, no sign this morning of two Kentucky teens on the run after a daring escape. Authorities say 17-year-old Amber Tucker (ph) and 16-year-old Brandy Mora (ph) overpowered a juvenile officer and stole a state car. They left the officer stranded by the side of the road.
Police found the girl, but the girls still on the loose. They were runaways but were not charged with any crimes. Now they could face assault and car theft charges.
ROESGEN: And the police in Maryland say four teenage girls were caught with 33 pounds of marijuana in the rear hatch of the car. They say the car was weaving on an interstate when they stopped it.
The 19-year-old driver is charged with possession with intent to distribute. Three minors in the car were charged as juveniles. The police estimate the value of this marijuana at $100,000.
HOLMES: Well, first, the arrest, now the charges. Prosecutors charge the son of former vice president Al Gore with illegal drug possession and speeding. Al Gore III was arrested in Orange County, California, July 4th. Authorities say he was driving 100 miles an hour.
A deputy says he smelled marijuana when he approached Gore's car. He says the search turned up pot and illegal prescription pills.
Gore is scheduled to be arraigned August 1st.
ROESGEN: And look at this videotape in the lobby of the Auburn Hills police station in Michigan. This is the suspect. He suddenly lunges at a police officer, another officer had to come and taser him. The suspect had originally been arrested after driving into an arena where the Detroit Pistons play demanding to use the bathroom of the team's owner.
HOLMES: Well, trouble in the NBA. Not talking about players right now.
An official of the league now part of an FBI investigation into gambling. The investigation focusing on referee Tim Donahey (ph). He's accused of betting on basketball games and, yes, even on games that he was officiating. Donahey (ph) has reportedly resigned.
This now from the NBA commissioner, David Stern.
He says, "We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared in this investigation to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again."
ROESGEN: Animal rights supporters are taking aim at Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Vick, as you know, was indicted this week for his alleged connection to a dogfighting operation. PETA protesters were protesting in front of the NFL headquarters in New York, calling for Vick's immediate suspension.
And a similar protest in Beaverton, Oregon, at the headquarters of Nike because Vick still has an endorsement deal with Nike. But the sports giant says it is holding off on the release of the new Michael Vick shoe.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Do want to let you know we are waiting on word from the White House about President Bush this morning. Of course, right now, Cheney is in charge. Power was transferred from the president to Vice President Dick Cheney because President Bush had to go under a general anesthetic for a colonoscopy he was having, a routine colonoscopy having at Camp David this weekend.
Power was supposed to be transferred for a couple of hours. We got word, I guess, in the 7:00 hour Eastern Time that power had been transferred. But now we're waiting for an update.
Our Elaine Quijano is on a teleconference, getting an update on the president. And as soon as she's off that call and can get in front of that camera at the White House, we'll get right to her and bring you the update.
ROESGEN: Meanwhile, a search team is heading back up Mount Hood in Oregon today. They're looking for the bodies of two climbers who had been missing since last December.
For more on the search, we're going to go live to Marilyn Deutsch of our affiliate KPTV -- Marilyn.
MARILYN DEUTSCH, REPORTER, KPTV: Hi, Susan.
We're up at Mount Hood this morning. This is the Cooper Spur area where we are. And for about the last two hours we have been watching rescue crews head up Cooper Spur Road. Actually, from Cooper Spur Road to Cloud Cap Road.
They're up there about a mile and a half. And they will begin the search at 8:30 this morning. That's 8:30 Pacific Time. So that's about -- about an hour and a half from now, I should say.
Now, of course, you may remember last December the harrowing search for the two men, the three men who were actually missing on Mount Hood. It was an 11-day search back in December. Rescue workers hampered then by high winds and winter storms.
That search involved scores of volunteers from the National Guard. It took place by foot, by snowcat and by air. This morning, the Hood River County Sheriff's Office here in Oregon says it expects about 100 volunteers to join in this morning's search, the first time they resume the search for the bodies since December. This weekend they're scouting the treeline at about the 6,000, 7,000 foot elevation.
And just to recall the story of this climb, it was December 8th that the three climbers set out from the Cooper Spur trailhead here on Mount Hood on what was to be a two-day climb up and back from the summit. But by December 10th, one of the climbers, Kelly James, 48- year-old Kelly James of Dallas, Texas, was able to cell phone -- was able to call his wife by cell phone from a snow cave.
His two buddies had put him in that snow cave because he was injured. Then those two buddies set out to try to get some help. So they obviously also never made it off the mountain.
Again, today, some six months after the fact, they're going to look for the bodies of the two climbers that have yet to be found.
We're live on Mt. Hood this morning, Marilyn Deutsch.
Back to you.
ROESGEN: All right, Marilyn. I do remember that story. A very sad story last December. Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, he had put the pedal to the metal, but still just wasn't enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the baby's coming out, I'm like driving with one hand. And then I got my other hand on the baby's head. And I'm just driving like, "Oh, my god, oh, my god," like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: "Oh my god" is right. He didn't wreck the car, but we'll tell you about the very special delivery.
Also...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just remember saying, "Oh, god, not like this. No way."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Every swimmer's nightmare comes true for an Ohio tourist in Hawaii.
ROESGEN: And did you know you should buy clothes on a certain day? Take a look at the choices. Which one do you think would be the best day to get you the most for your money? Find out later this hour.
And this...
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly what's inside this book? "Harry Potter" fans don't have to wait anymore. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is now on sale.
I'm Bonnie Schneider. I'll have that story coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, we do want to continue to update you about what we're watching today, which is Cheney in charge. The vice president, yes, has the presidential powers right now.
Power transferred over to him from President Bush this morning because President Bush is going through a routine colonoscopy, is what it's called. And he had to go under anesthesia, so he had to transfer power for a little bit.
We got word earlier -- a few hours ago, actually -- that the power had been transferred. Understood it was supposed to only be transferred for an hour and a half, two hours, maybe.
Well, our White House correspondent Elaine Quijano is on top of this story for us, been reporting for us this morning. And now she's on a teleconference getting an update. And as soon as she gets that complete update, she is going to bring it to us, and therefore, we're going to bring it to you. So, as soon as we have word from her, we'll have the update for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Five, four, three, two, one!
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Yes. Queue the star dust. Excitement in London as the final book in the magical "Harry Potter" series finally goes on sale.
You know, from London to New York and Los Angeles, it's been a global all-night party for Muggles like us who want to go to Hogwarts.
Our Bonnie Schneider braved the crowds at a store in suburban Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: How excited are you to get this book?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On a scale of one to 10, 20 million.
SCHNEIDER (voice over): This fan is not alone. In bookstores around the world like this Barnes & Noble in Marietta, Georgia, wizard lovers waited in line for hours to get their copy of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". Kids of all ages came dressed as their favorite character to celebrate the arrival of the long-anticipated last book of the popular series.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing was more important than this. Like, seriously, I've been planning this since, like, I knew when it was coming out.
SCHNEIDER: As the excitement built toward the midnight release, fans came up with their own scenarios as to how the seven-book series may end.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We actually printed out sheets of, like, different scenarios in what you think will happen. And we all like -- it's kind of like March Madness, you know. And we all decided what we think will happen and then we're going to compare predictions.
SCHNEIDER: Finally, it's 12:01 and the wait is over. Fans couldn't get their hands on the bright orange covered book fast enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am the most excited girl in the world. I've been waiting for this all -- like since the last book came out. This is the happiest day of my life.
SCHNEIDER (on camera): Once fans get a copy of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the question is, when reading the book, do they start with the first page or the last?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The last page, and then the whole thing straight through.
SCHNEIDER (voice over): Not everyone agrees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't ruin it by looking at the ending first.
SCHNEIDER: Bonnie Schneider, CNN, Marietta, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, the vacation for an oy (ph) lawyer turned a bit ugly when he's bitten on the leg by a shark. Yes, that will do it. This happened off Hawaii's Oahu beach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARVEY MILLER, SHARK BITE VICTIM: I looked up and saw the snout of a shark. It bit me and spun me around. I punched it twice in the body just below the dorsal fin and started yelling and screaming, "Shark, help!"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And Harvey Miller was attacked in clear water, in an area not known for shark attacks. In fact, last time something like this happened off Oahu was 50 years ago. Miller will need more surgery to repair his leg.
ROESGEN: And then here's something kind of scary. Sometimes a baby will come along a lot faster than mom and dad expect. And this happened to the Whigham parents the other day. Papa was just hauling over the Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, as his wife was going into labor.
HOLMES: But he couldn't haul it fast enough, apparently. The parents explained what happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARVIN WHIGHAM, FATHER: When she said, "My water is breaking," I was like, OK, so I think I got a little bit more time. But I'm still going -- I'm speeding. I'm going like 140.
CHARLETTIA WHIGHAM, MOTHER: I was having pains, and then all of a sudden I was like...
M. WHIGHAM: She's like, "He's coming." I'm like, "What do you mean he's coming? Hold it."
C. WHIGHAM: I said, "I can't. He's coming."
M. WHIGHAM: I'm like, "Hold it, please, hold it. Oh, my god, hold it, please."
C. WHIGHAM: I didn't push or anything. He just popped out, I guess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: He said, "Hold it." She didn't have to go to the bathroom, she was having a baby, man.
ROESGEN: Only a guy would say hold it.
HOLMES: But they actually had more drama. The baby actually was not breathing when they got to the hospital, but emergency room staff jumped in, the little boy's doing OK now.
ROESGEN: And the parents have decided to call their son "Buckman" because they were on that Buckman Bridge.
HOLMES: Really only a guy would say that.
ROESGEN: Only a guy would say, don't let it go now.
Well, you know, working the rope lines, that's what politicians do.
HOLMES: Yes.
ROESGEN: They kiss babies. But that is so 20th century -- last century. The presidential campaigns for the future look more and more like this. They're plugged in and user friendly. We'll show you some of the online innovators.
And this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGERY KABUYA, CNN HERO: The girls used to be booked for marriage. Now they're just being booked for school.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Booked for school and possibly for a better life.
We'll introduce you to this CNN Hero. That is straight ahead.
Stick around here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: Our CNN Hero this week is trying to change an African tradition and trying to stop a painful rite of passage for young African women.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KABUYA: A girl here can get married as young as 10. Certainly by 13, a lot of them are already married.
Girls are very, very important because they're a source of health and wealth. That is why it is very difficult for a Maasai man to let a girl do anything else but get married. Before a girl gets married here, they must go through the female genital mutilation. When you delay marriage, you delay circumcision.
My name is Margery Kabuya, and we started a school for Maasai girls.
We say OK, what we are going to do is we are going to use the same process of booking the girls. The girls used to be booked for marriage. Now they're just being booked for school.
We go through the exact same ceremony. We monitor the girl. When they are six, another blessing is done and we are given the girl to take to school. We were not saying the girls should not get married. We were just saying marry them off later.
We have managed to delay -- at least delay -- the female genital mutilation.
We will grow up into responsible girls, right?
I think the best thing is that it has given them opportunities that they would never have had. It has opened them and their parents to a different lifestyle. (END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: If you'd like to make a contribution to Margery's work, or if you'd like to nominate your own hero for special recognition later this year, you'll find more information on our Web site at cnn.com/heroes.
HOLMES: Well, point, click and find out what you want to know about this year's presidential candidates.
ROESGEN: Straight ahead, we'll take you inside the world of online campaigning.
DE LA CRUZ: And speaking of being online, what is your favorite Web site? We took a laptop and a camera into the CNN Center and asked that question to lots of people. We got some really interesting responses.
We're going to show you next, when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: And welcome back to the NEWSROOM.
(NEWSBREAK)
HOLMES: Well, South Carolina is the site of Monday's CNN/YouTube debate, but the questions won't be limited to just people there in South Carolina. All of you have a chance to participate.
And CNN Chief National Correspondent John King examines the growing Internet influence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He made his marks as a grassroots organizer the old-fashioned way, clipboards and shoe leather. Note the typewriter in this photo from a Chicago voter registration drive back in 1992.
But fast-forward to campaign 2008. No typewriters here. The architects of BarackObama.com working constantly to spread the word on YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, not to mention the official campaign Web site, where a click or two finds the next event in a town near you, or perhaps just a new ring tone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (SINGING): Obama -- go, go
KING: Four years ago, Howard Dean put Internet fundraising on the map, but in the end failed to turn all his online money and buzz into enough votes.
One reason the Dean campaign veteran who now runs the Obama Web operation puts so much emphasis on helping supporters organize.
JOE ROSPARS, OBAMA DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA: Folks are organizing their own grassroots volunteer groups. There's over 5,000 of them across the country. Each one of those tools is a piece of the campaign that an individual supporter can own and use to evangelize their friends.
KING: Every campaign has an Internet presence these days. John Edwards puts a premium on social networking sites, from Facebook to MySpace to Beebo. Hillary Clinton, likewise, gets high marks from Web watchers for a creative site and attention grabbing videos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Ready?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: One key target of all the campaigns is younger voters. Among all Americans, 15 percent said they relied most on the Internet for political news in the 2006 cycle -- double the number from 2002. But among those under the age of 36 who have broad band connections, 35 percent say the Internet is their main source of political news.
JOHN WALSH, FORMER DEVAL PATRICK CAMPAIGN MANAGER: And maybe you're not going to meet them at the chicken dinner or the political meeting. But they're instinctively going to the Web for their information, and so you catch them there.
KING: John Walsh helped Deval Patrick go from underdog to governor of Massachusetts in 2006, in part through Internet organizing he jokes took some time to learn and to trust.
WALSH: The first time I heard blog was in this campaign. I describe my technical expertise this way -- I don't know how they put the little people in my TV set, but I know how to use the clicker.
CHRIS HUGHES: If I click on Nevada, for instance, just to see who my friends who are supporting the campaign there...
KING: Chris Hughes is among the founders of Facebook and now among the twentysomethings looking to prove the power of Internet organizing. Almost 20,000 people so far have downloaded a special Facebook application to help Obama supporters lobby their friends in early primary and caucus states.
HUGHES: And the idea is that I'm reaching out to the people I k. I know all these people. I went to high school with her. I knew him from college, you know?
We chose to launch an offer of tools that is more focused on organizing rather than on necessarily having a, you know, an enjoyable time on the Web site.
KING: In other words, talk, blog and swap videos all you want -- but don't lose sight of the basics and the bottom line.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: And John King joining us now from Charleston, South Carolina.
Sir, always a pleasure to see you.
Tell me, how are these candidates -- how can they really prepare for an unconventional debate like this?
Because some of these questions we've seen are a little off the wall. We're not going to use the craziest ones, maybe. But this is an unconventional debate.
KING: They are a bit off the wall. Some of them are a bit entertaining and you see the questioners in costume and the like.
Look, this is a groundbreaking format. We're excited about it. And by all accounts, T.J. the campaigns are, too.
They are preparing, of course, by knowing, number one, Iraq will be a part of this debate, but not as much as it has been in debates past. So they have to be prepared for everything, from gay rights to health care to college costs to global warming and climate change. They also have to be prepared for the unique technology. They will be watching these questions on a video monitor. Each of their podiums up on stage has an individual monitor. We are told some of the candidates are even preparing that way, having questions posed to them on little video screens as their campaign preparation.
So unconventional in the questions, unconventional in the technology. It's a groundbreaking event. We are excited about it and we're told the campaigns are looking forward to it, too, although we'll test these candidates in a new setting. It will be fun to watch Monday night.
HOLMES: It'll be fun to watch.
John King for us.
Of course, John King is part of the best political team on television. And maybe we could even call you the team captain here possibly, John King.
Good to see you, man.
And, folks, you've still got until tomorrow to submit your video. Just make sure it's under 30 seconds. And, please, kind of keep it clean and decent and whatnot. Everything else you need to know is at YouTube.com.
And, again, the Democratic debate begins Monday live from the Citadel in Charleston, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
ROESGEN: And just to update the story of President Bush undergoing a routine colonoscopy this morning, it started at 7:15 Eastern time. Right now that teleconference with reporters, including our own Elaine Quijano, has just begun. We believe it's just a medical briefing letting reporters know that the procedure went probably fine. In the interim, Vice President Cheney is in charge. Again, a formality whenever a president is under sedation for a medical procedure like the colonoscopy.
Well, still ahead, Google, MySpace, CNN.com -- some of your favorites, T.J.?
HOLMES: Some of my favorites and, as well as Hogwired.com. My Razorback fans will know what I'm talking about there. Just some of the favorites.
But what are your favorites?
Our Veronica de la Cruz found out and we've all learned a little something new.
ROESGEN: And with gas prices as high as they are, you might not realize that there is actually a day of the week when it could be a little cheaper to fill up.
Is it a Tuesday, a Wednesday or a Thursday?
Find out when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LAURA BEGLEY, "TRAVEL & LEISURE": Getting elite status on an airline can help make traveling a much more pleasant experience. There are a lot of perks for an elite status -- everything from first class upgrades to shorter lines at security and while boarding a plane.
Be loyal to one carrier. And if you have to use another airline, look to one of its partners. Ask an airline if it has any programs that offer shortcuts to elite status. Oftentimes these programs aren't advertised.
If you're close to getting elite status and your year is about to run out, you might want consider taking a low cost flight somewhere to get the number of miles that will push you to the elite level. Another option if you're close to elite status is to ask the airline if they'll let you pay to upgrade to the next level.
Keep in mind that in most cases elite status is based on the number of miles that you actually fly. Points accrued from car rentals, hotel stays and credit cards don't usually get you there.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
HOLMES: Well, CNN has now confirmed that President Bush has reclaimed presidential powers after having a colonoscopy this morning, in which he handed over presidential power to the vice president, Dick Cheney. So he has reclaimed powers.
Now, CNN's Elaine Quijano live at the White House to tell us, I guess, how did it go and what kind of health is the president in?
Everything go the way that it's supposed to?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It did. And we should tell you that going into this, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said there was a reasonable chance that doctors would find some polyps in the course of carrying out this procedure. And they did. They found five small polyps. This is according to White House spokesman Scott Stanzel, who is currently on the phone with reporters continuing to brief them about the president's health.
None of the polyps appeared worrisome, according to Stanzel. They all were removed. All five polyps were removed. They will be evaluated microscopically by scientists at the National Navy Medical Center. We should have some idea of the results within the next 48 to 72 hours. And the outcome of those examinations will determine what next for President Bush in terms of another colonoscopy.
He was described as being in good humor, the president was. He will be resuming his normal activities at Camp David.
We are told that the president spoke by phone with Mrs. Bush, the first lady, who is down in Midland, Texas essentially celebrating her mother's birthday. He spoke to the first lady prior to 7:00 a.m. And then after the procedure was done.
Now, the procedure itself, we understand, started just after about 7:15. It was completed just before 7:45 Eastern time. And the total time that the presidential powers were transferred to the vice president, Dick Cheney, who served as acting president, was about two hours and five minutes.
But, again, the headline, T.J. out of this, doctors finding five polyps in the course of this colonoscopy, which was described as a routine colonoscopy.
Doctors, back in 2002, performed the same procedure, said we don't need to do this until another five years. This is the five year mark. And Tony Snow emphasizing yesterday that it would not be unusual for doctors to find polyps. And in fact, they did. We should mention that before George W. Bush game president, doctors, in 1988 and 1999, found two polyps each of those years when he was governor of Texas.
And so the doctors, obviously, out of an abundance of caution, removed these polyps. And they are going to be examining them. We should have results for you just 72 hours from now -- T.J.
HOLMES: And tell us in Atlanta (ph) and what they're telling you all. And, again, they call them not worrisome.
QUIJANO: Yes.
HOLMES: But folks hear that five polyps and maybe -- are certainly concerned about their president and his health.
QUIJANO: Yes.
HOLMES: I guess what could we possibly be -- find out from these test results?
I guess we're waiting for possibly an all clear and to know they're -- they are or are not cancerous.
And what goes on from there?
QUIJANO: Yes, absolutely. I think you probably turn to someone with a lot more medical expertise.
But the way that this was described by Scott Stanzel, the White House spokesman, is that these were all small polyps. None appeared worrisome. That was the language he used. All of them were removed.
But, again, given the fact that the president, before his time in office here in Washington, has a history of doctors finding other polyps, obviously, this is something that they understand very well in the West Wing.
Tony Snow, in fact, the president's press secretary, himself is a colon cancer survivor. So there is, of course, an acute awareness about this particular disease, this particular cancer.
Right now, it's just too early to tell until there are some more test results that come in, we really won't have is a better sense of what this will mean. Again, 48 to 72 hours is the window that we are looking at for the scientists to evaluate those polyps, those five polyp that they found this morning.
HOLMES: And the president is up and around. He's -- or is he still having to rest or anything?
Do we know?
Or is he back resuming a -- I guess -- a normal schedule, if you will?
QUIJANO: Yes, normal activities. And I have to tell you, I jumped off the call just as soon as we had sort of the headline. So we'll try and find out more for you. But what we understand is that things went fairly quickly, as they were expected to be. 7:16 is when the letters were transmitted to leaders in Congress to let them know that the president was going to be transferring his presidential authority to the vice president. And then by 7:44, the procedure was completed. It wasn't, though, until a little later, nine-ish or so, that, in fact -- 9:21, to be exact, that, in fact, the president resumed his duties as president of the United States.
But beyond that, we'll try and get you some more details. But right now, that is what we know. That is the window that we are looking at in terms of understanding a little bit more about what these polyps could mean for the president's health -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right.
Well, again, we certainly appreciate -- we appreciate you going through that for us. Our doctor, Elaine Quijano, from the White House.
Thank you so much, Elaine.
QUIJANO: Sure.
ROESGEN: Actually, we have a real doctor on the phone with us now, someone that we viewed earlier today, to give us another perspective, the medical perspective.
We've been told this was a routine colonoscopy. Certainly people find things like polyps in these procedures all the time.
Let's bring in Dr. Raj now.
What do you make of what the White House has told Elaine Quijano?
DR. ROSHINI RAJAPAKSA, GASTROENTEROLOGIST: Well, I think it's not surprising. He did have a history of polyps in the past. And the fact that they're very small suggests that the cancerous potential is extremely low. Now, whenever we see a polyp, we remove it just to be 100 percent sure, and we send to it the laboratory to be analyzed. But small polyps are nothing to worry about. It just suggests that he needs follow-up again in probably three years.
ROESGEN: OK.
All right.
Sounds good.
Thanks so much, Dr. Raj, for joining us today.
RAJAPAKSA: Sure.
ROESGEN: Coming up today, Tiger Woods working hard to become the first to claim this title three times in a row. And it looks like he has a way to go to get it. A live report from the British Open is next here in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: Look at this. A flooded mess across much of Britain this morning. Britain's Royal Air Force has been called in to help rescue people stranded by flash flooding. Right now, the record rainfall has actually closed many of Britain's major roads. The water is so deep in some areas that people aren't just pushing their cars, they've had to be rescued from rooftops.
HOLMES: Well, weather an issue in Scotland, the site of the 136th British Open. The third round being played on the Scottish coast in Carnoustie.
And CNN's Don Riddell live in Carnoustie for us this morning -- good morning to you, sir. I'm looking. You have the jacket on. Weather is always an issue there. And I heard somebody say not long ago that, hey, there shouldn't even be weathermen over there, because nobody can get this stuff right.
How is the weather?
DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT Well, it's not great, T.J. although, as you've just been saying, perhaps we're in maybe the best spot of the U.K. At the moment, although not if you're a golfer and not if you're trying to win a major championship in the British Open.
As you say, the weather always plays a part in the destiny of the Open championship. And it looks like it's going to be no different this year. At the moment we've got wind, it's cold, it's just starting to rain. It's really pretty unpleasant.
But a lot of golfers have been out this morning and it may just be that those guys are going to have the edge in this third round.
America's Chris DeMarco has already shot a five under par, 66. Steve Stricker, with six under through 13 holes. So those guys may well have had the best of the conditions. The leaders who are out now may well find it difficult. They're going to be out on this course for another three, four hours. And it's not great conditions to be playing golf.
HOLMES: You mentioned a few names there. But, you know, a lot of folks just want to know how Tiger's doing and if he's going to be able to capture his third straight. Now, he did not get off to the best start.
So how is he doing?
RIDDELL: Well, he's had an up and down round. He's certainly had a fair bit of adventure. There was one point where he had three birdies in the space of four holes. In the hole where he didn't birdie, he somehow managed to hit a Scottish lady on the head, which was rather unfortunate for her and for him, obviously. He was good enough to give her the ball after the hole.
And Tiger, to be fair, managed to keep it together. A lot of players would be rattled by something like that, but he managed to par the hole and then birdie the next.
So it's been a very adventurous round. I don't think it's going to be a spectacular round, but I'm sure he'll be in contention for the fourth round tomorrow.
HOLMES: All right. Then I guess Scottish ladies, look out for Tiger.
All right, Don Riddell, thank you so much.
Enjoy the rest of the tournament.
ROESGEN: He's a married man with a new baby. Come on now.
HOLMES: Well, it could be called a bargain hunter's dream. Whether it's clothes, gas, eating out, when is the best time to buy?
ROESGEN: Believe it or not, there's actually a certain day of the week. Get the inside scoop next in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: Well, before you head to the mall this weekend, stop, because this may not be the best day to shop. Not if you're looking for the best deal.
Kelli Grant covers personal finance for SmartMoney.com and she's got the inside story on which days offer the best deals.
Kelli, I didn't realize that there were certain days that were better for certain things like dining out.
Apparently you know that a certain day of the week you might get a better deal?
KELLI GRANT, SMARTMONEY.COM: well, all the restaurants are really cleaning out their refrigerators over the weekend. So if you go Tuesday, you're starting fresh. And it's really a meal that's going to be worth it, no matter what your price point is.
ROESGEN: Oh, OK. So that's in terms of it's a good day to go because the food is going to be better for the money that you pay.
GRANT: Exactly.
ROESGEN: Well, what about something like buying clothes?
We talked about going to the mall. A lot of people go shopping on the weekend.
What's the best day to buy clothes?
GRANT: Well, you really want to go on Thursdays. And that's because most retailers tend to start their sales, actually, on Thursdays. So you'll get the best prices and the best selection, because you're beating all the weekend crowds.
ROESGEN: Hmmm.
OK.
All right, let's keep going. Let's see, how about the best day to go to the movies?
You know, the new Harry Potter movie is out. A lot of good movies out, summer blockbusters.
Is there a day of the week?
I would think that maybe you wouldn't want to go on a weekend to see a movie, but I'm not sure why that would be.
GRANT: Well, weekends you're going to see the crowds. So, really, Wednesdays are the best days, because that's when the movie theaters really want to pull in people. They don't tend to have big sales those days. So you'll get discounted tickets sometimes, free popcorn and really excellent deals.
ROESGEN: And the best day to buy groceries?
We've been talking about that earlier.
Is there a day when you get cheaper deals?
And don't tell me it's because the peaches are rotten or something.
GRANT: No. Thankfully, if you go on Sundays, you can maximize the manufacturer's coupons you get in your Sunday paper and the weekly sales that you'll get in any supermarket. You can also aim to go on Tuesdays and get rain checks for all the things that they're then out of on the last day of that weekly sale.
ROESGEN: Oh. OK. Maybe we'll save some money there.
Thanks so much.
Appreciate it.
Kelli Grant from SmartMoney.com.
GRANT: Thanks.
ROESGEN: Coming up in the next hour, more bad news about those FEMA trailers.
What has FEMA not been telling the people who live there?
We'll tell you when we come back.
HOLMES: Also ahead, some rough stuff -- mixed martial arts, a sport criticized for violence now going through some changes.
Is that evolution paying off?
That's all ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It is that time for us to check in with Kiran Chetry for the big stories of the last week and to see what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING" Monday -- hello, Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, "AMERICAN MORNING" CO-ANCHOR: Hi, T.J.
Well, we've been watching the terror threat. We've been warned that an attack could come this summer. Then the National Intelligence Estimate came out with some alarming news backing up those concerns.
So we wanted to know what's being done to keep us safe and what keeps officials at the highest levels of government up at night.
It was the Al Qaeda comeback, for one thing, as well as a volatile situation in Pakistan. Osama bin Laden is thought to be hiding along the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
So we talked about all of that with Homeland Security Adviser Fran Townsend.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CHETRY: When we saw this National Intelligence Estimate in 2006, they talked about al Qaeda as suffering, and this year they talk about a resurgence.
Why has that changed in one year?
FRAN TOWNSEND, HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: Sure.
Well, al Qaeda has suffered. You know, the al Qaeda that existed on 9/11, two thirds of them have been captured or killed. Working with our allies around the world, we've captured people like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and Ramzi Bin al-Shibh. So there's no question they're suffering.
The difference is, this tribal agreement that was entered into about a year ago, we've seen that fail and provide safe haven now for al Qaeda.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
CHETRY: Well, that was homeland security adviser Fran Townsend.
T.J. we plan to stay on the terror watch around the clock here at home on "AMERICAN MORNING".
HOLMES: All right.
And, of course, people know at CNN here, we cover the world.
But that also includes the North Pole, is that right?
CHETRY: Oh, we just had to do this story. You know, T.J. I know you've been in hot water before.
But what's the coldest water you've ever been in?
Do you remember?
HOLMES: I took a lukewarm shower once. But other than that, nothing.
CHETRY: Oh, you were really roughing it. You poor thing. Well, this is the photo that really started it all. It was swimming in the Arctic, Louis Pugh -- and he's a professional swimmer -- spent 18 minutes in 29 degree water. Here's the picture right there. He wanted to draw attention to global warming by diving into the melting ice wearing only a Speedo, swim cap and goggles.
So John Roberts and I did an experiment as we talked with him this week.
Let's look.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CHETRY: We just wanted to see what it was like when you talk about 29 degree water. And even putting our hands in here for a second, I just can't imagine.
What did it feel like when you dove in?
LEWIS G. PUGH, ENVIRONMENTALIST/SWIMMER: As soon as I dove in, I could barely breathe. And
massive hyperventilation and then a burning on my fingers and toes like it's never been before.
CHETRY: It really does. It feels like an actual burn.
How were you able to train your body to be able to do this? Because, I mean, most people -- are you dying right now?
JOHN ROBERTS, "AMERICAN MORNING," CO-ANCHOR: This hurts. OK. That's it. I'm done.
CHETRY: Most people would not even be able to simply swim. And you did it for 18 minutes. It hurts.
ROBERTS: It really hurts.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
CHETRY: OK. So if you're keeping score, T.J. by the way, John Roberts kept his hand in that freezing cold water for 65 seconds.
HOLMES: Ooh.
CHETRY: I lasted for 15.
HOLMES: OK. Is John OK?
He didn't look that well in that video.
Is he all right?
CHETRY: We've all recovered. But, I mean, that was just a hand. I can't imagine diving into that water...
HOLMES: I can't imagine.
CHETRY: ...ice water, for sure.
So we hope you'll join us on Monday, by the way, T.J.
Have a great weekend.
HOLMES: We sure will, especially if you'll have more experiments like that.
Thank you so much, Kiran.
And remember, folks, you can Kiran Chetry and John Roberts for "AMERICAN MORNING" beginning at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.
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