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CNN Newsroom
Drunk Astronauts?; President Bush to Meet With New British Prime Minister
Aired July 27, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Betty, just one hour left until Wall Street calls it a week. And, if you own stocks, it's probably the best news you have heard in about two days.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: This is true. Today's drop isn't quite as gut-wrenching as yesterday's, but if you were hoping for a rebound, well, there's always Monday.
LEMON: There's always next week.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: Yes, hi, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: But, first, we go straight to the newsroom, details on a developing story, Fredricka working that, Fredricka Whitfield working that for us.
What do you have, Fred?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Terrible accident, I-40, Raleigh, Durham, area, just near the Raleigh-Durham Airport. It has made for a traffic nightmare, but, first and foremost, it is a dangerous collision between a tractor trailer and at least three vehicles.
You're looking at the remnants of a fiery crash that involved a tractor trailer, and if you look closer, you will see that there are two vehicles that are pinned underneath that tractor trailer. And then just to the year of that tractor trailer was a third vehicle that was involved. At least one person's been extricated from one of those vehicles.
And now we understand, according to sources, that at least three people are critically injured and being treated at nearby hospitals.
Meantime, eastbound and westbound I-40, closed off for now. So, it means that any folks who are trying to get to the airport are being given different instructions on how to get there. Use I-540 to Aviation Parkway, or you can use 70 to I-540 in order to get to the airport. Backup is as long as five miles on both sides.
Meantime, many people were stuck in that traffic, and a lot of folks witnessed some pretty horrifying moments, including this I- Reporter, Ravi Lalka, who sent us this image of the fiery collision in the early stages, and you can see there, it's a pretty sizable one. Many folks eyewitnessed this horrible accident, which emergency crews say this tractor trailer crossed the median. Somehow that driver lost control before crashing into oncoming traffic.
It's a horrible situation there in the Raleigh-Durham area -- Betty and Don.
LEMON: Yes, unbelievable, and especially that I-reporter. He got there pretty early on.
Thank you very much for that, Fred.
NGUYEN: Well, NASA pledged today to get to the bottom of charges of alcohol use by astronauts.
A report issued today by a space agency said intoxicated astronauts were allowed to fly on two occasions.
CNN's John Zarrella tells us one incident involved a scrubbed space shuttle launch, the other a Soyuz liftoff. Here's the official NASA line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANA DALE, NASA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR: We will act immediately on the more troubling aspects of this report, with respect to alcohol use, and the anecdotal references of resistance by agency leadership to accepting advice or criticisms about the fitness and readiness of individuals for spaceflight.
I must emphasize that this report does not provide specific information about alcohol-related incidents. And the review committee has left it to NASA to determine the scope of these alleged incidents.
We are committed to improving the quality and usefulness of our psychological testing and assessments during the astronaut selection process. These enhancements are aimed at improving the psychological care and testing procedures for astronauts, which was the key focus of JSC's internal review.
We thank Mike Coates and the team of experts who worked on this review, and we believe the resulting modifications will be good for the astronaut corps and for NASA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: NASA launched the health review in response to the arrest of astronaut Lisa Nowak. The sordid details of Nowak's arrest in February all have been widely reported. And her trial of charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary and assault, that is set for late September.
LEMON: So, how are astronauts reacting to today's report?
Earlier in the NEWSROOM, I spoke with Jeff Ashby, a NASA astronaut who has flown three shuttle missions. He says the astronauts he's worked with take the job very seriously, and he's never seen any astronaut drunk before flight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF ASHBY, NASA ASTRONAUT: If you could see the environment that we're in, in the seven days of quarantine before flight, you would understand that it's not really conducive to partying. The mood actually is quite somber and very, very much one of studying and practice on simulators and a few traditions.
LEMON: And, Jeff, you say this is surprising to you, to hear about this.
ASHBY: Yes, it is. It's like out of left field. I was very surprised. There is alcohol in crew quarters. We are allowed to drink. And we do -- while it's not said, we live day to day through years of astronaut use with the 12-hour rule.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Now, Ashby also says he believes NASA will take the right steps to address any problems it finds.
Well, if the drinking allegations weren't enough, NASA reports a computer designed for International Space Station was an sabotaged. The agency says the damage was done by a worker for an unidentified contractor, now, who apparently severed some wires.
Now, NASA says the unit will be repaired in time for the scheduled launch of the space shuttle Endeavor August 17 -- August 7, I should say.
NGUYEN: Well, we are just under an hour away from the closing bell, and looking at the markets today, the Dow is down 56, now 55 points, which is a far cry from the 300 points that it was down yesterday. And, of course, we will be following it throughout the day to see if it tries to bounce back a little bit more.
A little bit earlier, it was down about 170. So, it has made some comebacks so far today. We will be watching for it you.
In the meantime, they haven't done much to bring out the bulls, but strong new economic numbers are out today. Shortly before President Bush met with his top economic advisers, the Commerce Department announced the economy grew at 3.4 percent in the second quarter.
Now, the president told reporters that Americans should focus on the big picture.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Economy grew at 3. 4 percent in the second quarter of this year. Inherent in that growth is a free enterprise system that provides incentives for people to take risk and to grow their businesses. And it's an economy that is large, flexible and resilient.
One of the interesting aspects of this economic growth is that we have benefited from increased exports.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, the economy's performance was better than economists had predicted. It was the best showing since the first quarter of 2006.
And you can learn more on how to make more money and how to hold on to it in the volatile stock market. Just join Ali Velshi and Christine Romans this week for "your money." That's Saturday at 2:00 and Sunday at 3:00 right here on CNN.
LEMON: Good report to watch there.
OK, let's go back to the newsroom, Fredricka Whitfield working the details of another developing story.
You have got a recall, huh, Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Well, Don, this time problems with something that you eat...
LEMON: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ... some bread products that you eat with the label of Sara Lee. We understand now that 27 brands of Sara Lee bread products are being recalled because they contain possibly some metal pieces in them, apparently a problem with the flour sifting at at least one of its bakeries in Meridian, Mississippi.
We understand the recall now involves -- here are the brand names, EarthGrains, Publix, Sara Lee Delightful, Sara Lee Hearty and Delicious and several other brands. And this is you need to look for on your Sara Lee-type products. If it says best if purchased by between the dates of July 25, 2007, and August 7, 2007, you need to take them back to your store and get a refund. It will also include a code of triple two, 222.
Many of these products were sold in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. So, again, 27 different Sara Lee bread products which have best if purchased by dates between July 25 of this year and August 7, including code numbers 222, take it back to the store, get a refund.
LEMON: Yes, 27, that's a lot of brands.
OK. Fredricka, thank you very much for that.
One week after President Bush had minor surgery his number two will follow suit. Vice President Dick Cheney will visit George Washington University Hospital tomorrow. The vice president has had a pacemaker in his chest since 2001. Doctors say it's time for that pacemaker to be replaced. Now, just last Saturday, President Bush had a colon test. And Cheney was acting president while Mr. Bush was under anesthesia.
Vice President Cheney is scheduled to join CNN's Larry King on Tuesday night to talk about the war in Iraq, the war on terror and other topics. That's "LARRY KING LIVE" at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. I'm sure Larry is going to ask him, too, about his operations.
NGUYEN: Well, in Phoenix, witnesses race to the rescue. Look at this video right there. A news crew catches it all on tape. That pickup truck hydroplanes and flips into in a flooded drainage ditch. You see it here upside-down.
Two teenagers and two toddlers are trapped inside. Bystanders actually jump into the water, and, after a few terrifying moments, manage to pry the doors open and pull everyone out. Now, police say all the four kids from the same family are OK.
(WEATHER UPDATE)
LEMON: OK, quick, name This world leader. Would it help if I told you he's the man who succeeded Tony Blair as Britain's prime minister? The new guy at 10 Downing Street. If you're still stumped, you better stay tuned for Richard Quest. And that's Gordon Brown we're talking about 101 next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: And the end comes on little cat feet at a Rhode Island nursing home, but, Oscar, the death-predicting feline, isn't the only creature with sixth sense about ailing humans. Animal instincts, that is next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: It's 16 after the hour. Here are three of the stories that we're working on right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NASA has a new policy against drinking within 12 hours of a flight, and that follows a report citing two instances where astronauts were allowed to fly even though they were allegedly drunk.
The Dow Jones industrials is down again today. Looking at it right now, in the negative 65 territory. But the decline is modest compared with yesterday's 300-point plunge.
And Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to have minor surgery tomorrow. He will have his pacemaker replaced at George Washington University heart -- Hospital, that is.
LEMON: President Bush meets prime minister this weekend -- the prime minister, at Camp David.
Britain's new leader, Gordon Brown, will hold his first face-to- face meetings with President Bush since taking over for Tony Blair. Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran all expected to be on the agenda. Two of Brown's ministers have suggested he keep President Bush at arm's length.
But Brown says he hopes to have the same closing working relationship with the U.S. that Blair had.
Well, just who is Gordon Brown and what can we expect from him?
Our international correspondent, Richard Quest, joins us live from London with all the answers on that.
Just who is Gordon Brown, sir, and can you please give us the Gordon Brown 101? Is the that Thames? Where are you?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What do you mean, is that the Thames? What a question.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: I am in London. And there's a big body of water behind me, and St. Paul's Cathedral over my shoulder.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: OK, Richard, who is Gordon Brown?
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: Just a second.
And you want a primer on Gordon Brown?
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: I am going to get you an atlas to start with.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: All right, let's talk about who Gordon Brown is. Gordon Brown has been the man running the British economy for the last 11 years, the chancellor of the exchequer, the treasurer secretary, if you like.
Yes, he may be a dour Scot who arguably is about as exciting as the fish that come out of the River Thames. But the reality is, Gordon Brown is a man who has been in politics for many, many years. He knows his way around Washington blindfolded, backwards, and with one hand tied behind his back.
And, crucially for the United States, he is a strong Atlanticist. He is extremely pro-American in the wider sense. For instance, he's well known to love holidaying in the Northeast United States in the summer.
What Gordon Brown has had to face since he came to office has been quite remarkable, terrorism threats, dreadful flooding in the U.K. And what it has shown, with his very high poll ratings, basically, the public seems to trust him as an honest politician. So, Don, when Gordon Brown sits down with George W. Bush, it won't be, Gordon who? It will be, nice to see you again, Prime Minister.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Absolutely.
And, on a very serious note -- thank you for the geography lesson there, Richard Quest, but on a very serious note, he's had to deal with some very serious situations there recently, the terrorism plot there, as well as the flooding that's been happening in the U.K., correct?
QUEST: Yes.
And, as I said, it's the way he's handled them. Where Tony Blair was widely regarded as to be all hype and style, Gordon Brown is largely considered to have substance, gravitas.
This is the man who has put forward policies in the International Monetary Fund on debt relief. This is the man who within weeks of taking office has made it quite clear the cost of housing for the poor is a priority for his government.
But just as any politicians who has been in power and then takes office faces, he has this magnificent task that only politicians can do, which is to say, something must be done. Oh, but, by the way, I didn't mean that I didn't do anything for the last 11 years, but something must be done.
It's a wonderful dancing act. It's almost like saying, I wasn't part of the last 11 years, but I'm going to put it right, even though it wasn't my fault, and I may not do so well.
LEMON: All right, Richard Quest, it's always a pleasure to have you.
And, next time, could you be a little more animated for us?
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: He's so modest and quiet, I tell you, that Richard Quest.
LEMON: All right, Richard, thank you, sir.
NGUYEN: Well, someone's who's very vocal, Michael Moore, says he's been served. Is a subpoena one of "Sicko"'s side effects? We have that story coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BUSINESS REPORT)
LEMON: As the obesity numbers continue to grow in this country, more communities are taking it upon themselves to shape up and slim down.
In today's "Fit Nation," Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on a new program in Philadelphia that is turning to religion to help folks lose weight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Some people will tell you that faith is good for the soul. But can it also affect your diet?
Welcome to Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Home to the first community-based weight loss program run by Temple University. Now, it's part of a four-year study designed to help overweight African-Americans slim down, with support from their church community. Members attend weekly meetings to talk about their weight and eating habits. Camaraderie is key.
JILL COLEMAN, TEAM LEADER: This is more than a diet. I think it's the goal is to encourage people to have a healthier life style overall.
GUPTA: Participants listen to music to keep moving.
RAYVON FAULKS, PROGRAM PARTICIPANT: Palms 37:23.
GUPTA: And scripture plays an important role.
FAULKS: God wants you to, you know, take care of yourself, that way you can go out and bring other people to him.
GUPTA: Even the pastor of Mt. Zion participates.
REV. THOMAS JAMES, MT. ZION UNITED METHODIST: It's easy. It's light- spirited. Nothing too serious. We are serious, but we don't get that kind of serious.
GUPTA: The church has been provided with a computer so members can share their experiences.
Dr. BILL SANTAMORE, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: What we're trying to do is to use today's technology to really facilitate prevention and weight loss maintenance.
GUPTA: The parishioners hope to teach other faith-based communities that working and praying together can help and heal the body, quite literally.
DR. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, the end comes on little cat feet at a Rhode Island nursing home, but Oscar, the death-predicting feline, is not the only creature with a sixth sense about ailing humans.
Animal instincts, that's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone.
I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen.
On the TV show "House," the doctor is a whiz at diagnosing strange conditions. Well, Oscar, the house cat, has a similar talent. He seems to know when nursing home patients are close to the end.
LEMON: And you know what?
He's not so unique. We're going to talk to an animal expert about animals that have a flare for sniffing out medical trouble, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: But first we do want to get you straight to THE NEWSROOM and CNN's Fredricka Whitfield with details on a developing story -- hi, Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Betty.
This an emergency situation in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the search is underway for two sewer workers. Apparently they, along with another other work -- group of workers -- were about 150 feet below ground, working on a sewage system when they were told to evacuate because of some threatening high waters.
Well, apparently one of the supervisors noticed that just about everybody got out, except for two workers yesterday. And so the search continues now for those two workers.
Workers have -- emergency crews have searched the sewage system where it enters into the Mississippi River, but so far have not been able to locate any sign of these two missing sewage workers.
So an intense search underway there in St. Paul, Minnesota.
NGUYEN: All right, Fred.
Thank you.
We'll stay and watch for that -- Don.
LEMON: The White House today accused unnamed Democrats of embarking on a crusade to destroy Alberto Gonzales. The counterattack come after a group of Senate Democrats asked for a Senate investigation of the embattled attorney general for possible perjury.
From Washington, here's CNN's Dana Bash.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The truth, the whole truth.
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a very serious charge. Senate Democrats say the attorney general may have committed a crime by lying to them under oath.
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: Obfuscation, prevarication and untruths from the leader of this huge and critical department.
BASH: Democrats want a special counsel to investigate whether Alberto Gonzales perjured himself or misled Congress during several combative hearings.
For example, Gonzales testified that he did not talk to his aides about an inquiry into fired federal prosecutors.
ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: I haven't talked to witnesses because of the fact that I haven't wanted to interfere with this investigation.
BASH: But one of his top aides later said they did discuss it and it made her uncomfortable.
MONICA GOODLING, FORMER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT COUNSELOR: He laid out for me his general recollection of...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His recollection of what, Miss. Goodling?
GOODLING: Of some of the process. And I just thought maybe we shouldn't have that conversation.
BASH: On another controversial issue, warrantless wiretapping, Democrats accuse the attorney general of lying about the subject of a 2004 Congressional meeting and contradicting himself about whether administration officials had disagreements about the surveillance program. Gonzales last year...
GONZALES: There's not been any serious disagreement about the program that the president has confirmed.
BASH: Gonzales this week...
GONZALES: Mr. Comey had informed us that he would not approve the continuation of a very important intelligence activity.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Those are not misleading, those are deceiving. Those are lying.
BASH: Even GOP Senators who want Gonzales to resign call a perjury investigation pure politics.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Senator Schumer is not interested in looking at the record. He is interested in throwing down the gauntlet and making a story in tomorrow's newspapers.
BASH (on camera): And Democrats launched another launch on the White House today, sending a subpoena to the president's political adviser, Karl Rove, to talk about his role in firing federal prosecutors.
Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LEMON: Filmmaker Michael Moore says he's facing what he calls harassment from the Bush administration. Moore says he's been subpoenaed over a trip he made to Cuba while filming his movie "Sicko".
He made his comments on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: I was just informed when I was back there with Jay that the Bush administration has now issued a subpoena for me.
JAY LENO, HOST: Yes.
MOORE: Going after me for helping these 9/11 rescue workers.
LENO: Well, no...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON:
Well, CNN contacted the Treasury Department to verify Moore's claim. The Department would neither confirm nor deny an investigation is underway.
NGUYEN: Well, Don, here is a cat that you don't want curling up next, to you. His name is Oscar and he's known as the kitty of death. No kidding.
He has the uncanny, even creepy ability, to predict when a nursing home patient is about to die.
Reporter Byron Barnett of our Boston affiliate, WHDH, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BYRON BARNETT, WHDH CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Oscar the cat, prowling the third floor of the Steer House Nursing Home with the terminally ill, Alzheimer's and dementia patients.
He's got full reign on the floor because of his special talent -- he can predict when patients are about to die.
DR. DAVID DOSA, BROWN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL: As much as I'd like to say we are more accurate, it would be lying. Oscar is generally more accurate than we can be. BARNETT: According to the staff, when a patient is within two to four hours of death, Oscar knows. He hops up on the patient's bed and curls up next to them.
MARY MIRANDA, NURSE, STEER HOUSE NURSING HOME: He just stays, does not move. Just stays.
BARNETT (on camera): Until?
MIRANDA: Until the patient passes away. He's been involved with the last 25 deaths we had on the unit.
BARNETT (voice-over): Dr. David Dosa of Brown University wrote about Oscar in "The New England Journal of Medicine". He's not sure how Oscar does it -- possibly something he smells on the patient.
DOSA: The wonderful thing about Oscar is that, A, he's provided companionship for patients that otherwise would have died alone and, B, he's enabled us to contact families and ramp up our end of life care, perhaps, calling a priest or rabbi in to -- to deliver last rites.
BARNETT: A plaque from the Rhode Island Hospice Association honoring Oscar hangs in the nursing home. Family members visiting their loved ones here agree Oscar is worthy of that praise.
(on camera): Do you think it's good that Oscar can give families some kind of notice?
MARIO PERSIA, HUSBAND OF NURSING HOME PATIENT: I think so.
Why not?
He has some kind of a sense, that cat has got. I don't know where it comes from. Maybe from god. I don't know.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: All right, so just how is it that Oscar can predict when a patient is going to die?
Is it a scent or something else?
Joining us now with some insight is Dr. Randy Lockwood, a psychologist who works for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals.
And I have to ask you right off the bat, can animals sense things that humans can't, with all the technology that we have at hand?
RANDY LOCKWOOD, ASPCA OF NEW YORK: Oh, absolutely. That's why we use dogs for demining. They are still the best piece of demining technology, if you want to call it that, out there.
Many animals are very sensitive to the health and well-being of their companions and their human companions, as well. It's particularly true of dogs, who we -- we know can often predict the onset of a seizure before their companion -- human companion -- is even aware that it's starting. Many dogs can detect the odor associated with cancerous or precancerous lesions.
What's interesting about this case is it's not nearly as common in cats, but certainly isn't unheard of.
NGUYEN: you know, I was just looking at some research talking about what you just mentioned, how dogs can help with epileptic seizures and knowing when they're going to happen.
And our Elizabeth, Cohen just did a report not too long ago showing that a dog can smell a person's breath and with 99 percent accuracy determine if that person has lung cancer or 88 percent accuracy determine of that person has breast cancer.
And you say cats, they don't seem to -- at least as far as we know -- have the same kind of sense.
But with this cat, it seems that it can smell or detect something.
LOCKWOOD: Right.
NGUYEN: How does that work?
Is it a smell?
LOCKWOOD: Well, it very well may be. It might be something with the overall pattern of heat on the body. I do have a veterinarian friend who has what he calls a sentinel cat. She has many rescue cats in her home. Many of them have been -- been the victims of cruelty, so they are not in the best of health. And this cat also curls up with those who are close to death.
So I think animals that are socially bonded to others or to people and do want to provide some comfort, as they would, perhaps, their own pack mates or their own litter mates, will extend this to people.
NGUYEN: Well, you say socially bonded. But this is a cat that roams the halls there at that nursing home and not necessarily has, you know, any kind of a friendship with this patient.
LOCKWOOD: Right.
NGUYEN: Because it has seen several of them...
LOCKWOOD: Right.
NGUYEN: Over 20, and been there when that patient was on, you know, death's door.
LOCKWOOD: Yes, it doesn't have to be a bond to the particular individual. This is obviously a cat that likes being around people, that probably, you know, sees all people as part of its family, perhaps even as its litter mates or its own kittens, and can extend that special bond to them, as well.
NGUYEN: And do you think this is something that we're going to see more and more of?
I mean, it's coming to light right now. But in knowing that this cat can do this, you think that it may be something that we might want to harness?
LOCKWOOD: Well, I think what it does do is speak to the strength of that human-animal bond and that -- particularly that special bond that's so often overlooked that we've had with cats for at least 4,000 or 5,000 years.
We tend to think of cats as being kind of solitary and asocial, but they really are very strongly attached to people. And I think this is a very good illustration of that.
NGUYEN: So you truly believe that this cat can smell or somehow sense that a person is going to die?
LOCKWOOD: I think so. As I say, a lot of animals are very keyed in to the health and well-being of their companions. We've seen this in elephants, dolphins, whales, wolves, chimpanzees gorillas, even parrots -- and dogs and now cats.
NGUYEN: Would you want to take that cat home?
LOCKWOOD: Oh, yes. I think that...
NGUYEN: Really?
LOCKWOOD: I -- well, I think it...
NGUYEN: You're a brave man.
All right, Dr. Randy Lockwood, a psychologist for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals.
LOCKWOOD: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
LOCKWOOD: Thanks.
NGUYEN: Don, it's a cat that I don't think I would want to take home.
LEMON: Betty, I know what I'm going to get you for your birthday present.
NGUYEN: No, stay away.
LEMON: All right, thanks very much to both of you.
Check your kitchen. Well, you may have a loaf of dangerous bread. Very serious stuff. Details on a recall involving 27 brands straight ahead.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news, where we're checking the markets.
The closing bell is just moments away. Susan Lisovicz is going to check that for you, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON:
Straight to THE NEWSROOM.
A developing story.
Working on it for us, Fredricka Whitfield.
What do you have -- Fred?
WHITFIELD: Well,
Don, who doesn't love Sara Lee products?
LEMON: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Well, now, apparently, a warning to many consumers. If you have certain Sara Lee breads, many of them are being recalled. 27 different Sara Lee bread brands are now being recalled after a routine inspection at one of the bakeries in Meridian, Mississippi. It was discovered that there are some metal products that may have gotten into the flour sifter. So here are some of the products. The recall involves Earth Grains, Publix, Sara Lee Delightful, Sara Lee Hearty and Delicious and several other brands.
And this is what you need to look for on some of these brands. If it says "best if purchased by" between the dates of July 25th, 2007 and August 7th, 2007, and including a code -- triple two, 222 -- then these are the items you need take back to your grocer and get a refund, Sara Lee bread products -- Don.
LEMON: All right, thank you for that update, Fredricka.
NGUYEN: Well, Americans consume 20 billion hot dogs a year.
Can you believe it?
That's according to the National Hog Dog Sausage Council. And that figure is good news for one former educator who is cashing in on his hot dog business.
Ali Velshi has the story on this week's Life After Work.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mark Reitman holds court over this hot dog cart in Racine, Wisconsin. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm put them in anyway.
MARK REITMAN, FOUNDER OF HOT DOG UNIVERSITY: What I'm going to do is...
VELSHI: Instructing students is nothing new for Reitman, who was a teacher and counselor in Illinois and Wisconsin for 35 years before retiring in 2005.
And running a successful hot dog cart is old hat, too. He's had his own since 2003.
So last year, Reitman decided he should share his eatery expertise with others and he opened Hot Dog University, a $300 two day course where would-be vendors learn the art of the cart.
REITMAN: I've always romanticized with the idea of owning my own business, particularly the hot dog business. I grew up in the area where the hot dogs came from, which was the West Side of Chicago. It was just like the next step of my life, to be able to combine education and training and sales and my love of food all into one thing.
VELSHI: On day one at Hot Dog U. Reitman gives lessons in marketing, licensing and all the details on what makes a lucrative hot dog cart, like keeping the perfect pickle in stock and using fresh poppy seed buns.
REITMAN: That's the trick of this business.
VELSHI: And Reitman takes his students behind the cart on day two for some on-the-job-training.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's my first hot dog.
VELSHI: So far, Reitman's business school for hot dog enthusiasts has produced 24 graduates.
REITMAN: I'm like an expectant father every time one of my students goes out and opens up a cart after they've taken the training. It's just very, very gratifying.
Ali Velshi, CNN.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LEMON: So you like hot dogs?
NGUYEN: I like them. I try not to eat them.
LEMON: And you don't think about what's in them, right?
NGUYEN: I don't even want to know.
LEMON: You said -- you commented on the pickles. You like the pickles. NGUYEN: I love the pickles, the chili, the cheese, the onions, the relish, you name it. You put it all on there, I'll eat it.
LEMON: I'm just chili and mustard or just mustard.
NGUYEN: Oh, you're easy.
LEMON: I k.
NGUYEN: Easy.
LEMON: Well, that's just -- you know.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Move on.
NGUYEN: We do have -- whoo -- some hot Hollywood scoop. Judgment day for Nicole Richie. We're going to tell you if the celebrity socialite is headed for the slammer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A setback today for the investigation into last month's failed terror attacks in London and Glasgow. Charges are dropped against an Indian-born doctor who was arrested in Australia. Earlier reports linked the doctor to a mobile phone card allegedly found in a burning Jeep in Glasgow and said he once lived with two of the suspected conspirators.
Authorities now say there's no evidence to support those claims.
Dr. Mohammed Haneesh is still waiting to see whether his work visa will be reinstated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's quite happy to be with me and to be with his lost cousin. And, yes, so he's -- yes, now he's feeling quite well. He's obviously concerned about the fact that the immigration ministers still can't work out what all Australians have worked out. And so he's still got this problem with his visa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Three physicians still face charges in Britain. A fourth suspect remains under armed guard in a Glasgow hospital.
Well, two years after the London transit bombings, the widow of the ringleader is condemning the attack. Mohammad Sidique Khan died while bombing a London subway train.
His widow says she never knew about her husband's plan. She says she spent that day frantically trying to contact him. She was having trouble with her pregnancy, went to the hospital and had a miscarriage. Now, she learned about the blast on TV after she got home.
In a TV interview that aired today, Hasina Patel says that she can't explain her husband's -- her late husband's actions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASINA PATEL, TERROR BOMBER'S WIDOW: Quite -- I'm quite ashamed, really. He's left me to pick up the pieces. I can't believe people can do that kind of thing. You know, how you can be like so calculated and, I don't know, cold and not have any emotions.
How can people do that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Hasina Patel was arrested after the attacks, but released without charges.
NGUYEN: Where there is life, there is hope. And 22 South Korean hostages in Afghanistan apparently are still alive. Taliban insurgents have threatened to kill the hostages and did kill the group's leader two days ago. But several deadlines have come and gone and a purported Taliban spokesman says the remaining captives are alive and well and no new deadlines will be set.
A South Korean envoy arrived in Afghanistan today to set up efforts to negotiate a release.
LEMON: What do you say we check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer?
NGUYEN: That sounds like a good idea.
He is standing by in "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us what is coming up at the top of the hour.
Hi, there, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Thanks, guys, very much.
The former San Francisco mayor, Willie Brown -- he's now jumping into the dispute between Giants slugger Barry Bonds and sportscaster Bob Costas. We'll speak with Willie Brown.
Plus, more problems for NASA. Now it's investigating allegations that some astronauts were drunk in space. There new developments emerging today.
Senator Joe Lieberman is urging the House of Representatives to approve post-9/11 security measures now that the Senate has done so. We'll speak with Lieberman.
All that, guys, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM".
NGUYEN: We'll be watching.
Thank you, Wolf.
LEMON: And we're a few minutes away from the closing bell.
Susan Lisovicz has all the action coming up straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, this just in to the CNN NEWSROOM.
We're just getting this in. This is according to Associated Press. Reports are showing that two news helicopters have crashed.
Now, according to these reports, the two helicopters collided as they were covering a police pursuit in Phoenix, Arizona.
That's all that we know. But, again, this information is according to the Associated Press.
Two news helicopters, Betty, have crashed in Phoenix. And apparently, again, they were covering a police pursuit.
We're going to cover this throughout the evening...
NGUYEN: Yes.
LEMON: On -- throughout our air. That's right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: Well, as soon as we get more, we'll bring it straight to you, the viewer.
In the meantime, the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.
LEMON: Yes.
Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at the trading day and what has been a rocky week on Wall Street.
TGIF, I'm sure, are the next words to come out of your mouth.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
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