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American Morning
First Meeting: Bush and Brown Huddle; Backyard Border Battle; Wiretapping Fight: Is Your Privacy at Risk?; Iraq Soccer Team Wins Asian Cup
Aired July 30, 2007 - 07:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: We start off with a busy first meeting taking place between President Bush and the new British prime minister, Gordon Brown. The two are meeting at Camp David, and we're expecting a joint news conference a bit later this morning, around 11:30 this morning Eastern Time.
A lot of issues on the table. Of course, Iraq. Just yesterday, newspapers in London reported new speculation that Gordon Brown is looking to pull all troops out of Iraq.
Ed Henry is at the White House this morning.
You know, and we talked to Ambassador Haass a few minutes ago, and he pointed out, you know, that Britain has been sort of withdrawing troops in a slow fashion. They're down about 50 percent from their high in Iraq anyway.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Good morning, Kiran.
You know, the anxiousness at the White House, though, privately is about the possibility -- and I stress possibility -- of Britain accelerating the pace of those British troop withdrawals. And Gordon Brown himself has been saying the right things.
He's been saying he understands the importance of the U.S.- British alliance. But obviously the White House has to be looking, on the other hand, at the fact that there have been these leaked reports about possibly more troop pullouts.
You've also had the appointments from Gordon Brown. He appointed one cabinet minister who's a Bush administration critic and has also declared publicly that the U.S. and Britain will no longer be joined at the hip. And then if you just look at this contextually and the fact that Tony Blair, the former prime minister, his career essentially ended because he had grown too close to Mr. Bush, perceived as being so close that critics back in Britain said that he was Bush's poodle -- Kiran.
CHETRY: So what are some of the goals? What are they hoping to accomplish at this first meeting?
HENRY: The most important thing is establish chemistry. That's what President Bush did in February of 2001. He brought Tony Blair to Camp David, just as he is doing now with Gordon Brown, and at that time the media was predicting there's no possible way Mr. Bush could forge a close bond with Tony Blair, because, as you'll remember, Tony Blair was extremely close to Bill Clinton.
Everyone was saying he's not going to bond with this Texan from the Republican Party, polar opposite. But instead, as you know, they bonded almost instantly at Camp David in February of 2001. And as a precursor to the way that the relationship would play out, at that time Mr. Bush said he hoped it would be the kind of relationship that when he picked up the phone he knew he would have a friend across the Atlantic.
As you know, just a few months later, after 9/11, that bond was cemented. And when he picked up the phone, he always had a very close ally. A lot of concern right now he might not have as close an ally -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Ed Henry at the White House for us.
Thanks
HENRY: Thank you.
ROBERTS: New this morning, after the worst week in years for the Dow, we have a hint of what may be to come on Wall Street today. The latest from the overseas markets for you now.
Tokyo's Nikkei closed up three-tenths of a percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed up three-quarters of a percent as well. And China's Shanghai Index was up two percent.
Stocks in Europe are trading up slightly, and it looks like futures here on Wall Street are pointing up today.
Gas prices are down 17 cents in the past two weeks. Checking the CNN gas gauge, the national average is now $2.89 a gallon, according to AAA. That's down from $2.96 a month ago and $3 a gallon last year.
Another survey shows Cleveland with the lowest price per gallon, at $2.65. Chicago with the highest, at $.3.29.
The Afghan government is pleading this morning with the Taliban to extend a deadline for the lives of 22 South Korean church workers. Militants are warning the government to release some of its captured fighters or the hostages will die.
Also knew this morning, they're gearing up for a big meeting in Washington. The FDA is going to take a closer look at the diabetes drug Avandia. Advertisers will look at heart risks associated with the drug. They'll discuss whether it should be pulled from the market or only used by certain people.
CHETRY: Well, here's a look at some of the other important stories we're following for you this morning with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents.
(WEATHER REPORT) CHETRY: Well, an unusual battle brewing along this morning -- brewing this morning along the U.S.-Canadian border.
Kara Finnstrom has more from Blaine, Washington.
Hi, Kara.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Well, this post behind me, the white post, this ditch marked the border. So just actually stepping over that would be making an illegal crossing.
That is Canada over here. Here in the U.S., this is the wall that's causing a lot of controversy.
The couple that lives here, a retired couple called the Leus, say they need this wall to keep all this dirt back and to keep their back yard from washing away. But a commission called the International Boundary Commission, which was formed a hundred years ago, says its job is to keep 10 feet on either side of the boundary completely clear so that patrols from the ground and from the air and these big surveillance cameras which are out here can keep better watch.
So they've asked the Leus to tear this wall down. The Leus say this cost $15,000, and they are questioning the authority of this boundary commission to actually order them to tear it down.
Right now, the whole thing is in court and is expected to take several weeks, Kiran, before we get an answer on exactly what will happen with the fate of this wall. Mrs. Leu tells us that one of her big concerns is that just to the next door to them, there are a lot of trees and shrubbery. And she says this law is really being enforced or this regulation very inconsistently.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHIRLEY LEU, HOMEOWNER: There's no 20-feet clearance all the way up and down the border. It's got trees and bushes. Anybody can hide.
BRIAN HODGES, PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION: There's a Canadian law that allows the International Boundary Commission to regulate property on the Canadian side of the border, but there is no similar law in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FINNSTROM: And Kiran, part of the reason for the concern out here is there has been some illegal smuggling activity. Some of these neighbors tell us that drug smugglers have been caught in their backyards.
CHETRY: Kara Finnstrom reporting for us on the border in Washington State.
Thanks so much -- John. ROBERTS: Americans are showing overwhelming support for surveillance cameras in public places to help fight crime. According to an ABC News-"Washington Post" poll, 71 percent of Americans surveyed say they support the increased use of surveillance cameras. And just 25 percent oppose it. Cities like New York, Chicago and Baltimore are now expanding their surveillance systems.
Meantime, there is a new fight over wiretapping in Washington this morning. The White House wants Congress to make it easier to tap into calls and e-mails from potential terrorists.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve is live on the terror watch for us in Washington this morning.
Jeanne, what exactly is the administration looking for here?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, last April, the administration asked for changes and updates to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. But with the congressional recess looming, it's now pushing for a more focused set of reforms.
Mike McConnell, the director of National Intelligence, sent a letter to congressional leaders Friday saying, "In light of the urgency of the situation, I offer the attached significantly narrowed proposal focused on the current urgent need of the intelligence community to provide warning."
One change they are looking for, the authority to intercept communications between suspected terrorists overseas without a warrant when those communications travel through a switch here in the United States. Part of the problem with FISA is that technology has changed radically since 1978 and the U.S. government needs to modernize its laws to match it -- John.
ROBERTS: Jeanne, is there an ulterior motive for the timing of all this?
MESERVE: Well, the obvious point is that Congress is about to go in recess, and there is renewed concern about the rebuilding of al Qaeda. But some are suggesting that perhaps there's a diversion going on here, that the administration wants to take attention away from the attorney general and his problems -- John.
ROBERTS: All right. Jeanne Meserve for us this morning from Washington with the latest on that.
Jeanne, thanks.
CHETRY: Well, a major win in soccer results in a celebration on the streets of Iraq. A celebration that unfortunately turned deadly when people were firing off their guns in celebratory gunfire.
Iraq ended up beating Saudi Arabia for the Asian Cup. They shut out the three-time champs 1-0. And it was really like no other day in Iraq. CNN's Arwa Damon got caught up in all of it. She joins us live now from Baghdad.
A lot of national pride involved in the Iraqis coming out on top in this one.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I mean, you couldn't have said it better.
It was a day that was about national pride. It was a day that was about national unity, something that hasn't been seen on the streets of Iraq for the last four and a half years -- Iraqis out, pure joy just streaming from them, excitement.
It was a very intoxicating atmosphere. In fact, it was nearly impossible not to get caught up in those celebrations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON (voice over): The U.S. military took us into the streets of Kadmiya (ph), where it felt much more like a Mardi Gras celebration than a war zone.
(on camera): The mood here is absolutely electrifying. I have no idea what just happened, but everyone is out having an amazing time!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very happy today because my team Iraqi is victory! OK! Go! Go!
DAMON (voice over): Some Iraqis in strange costumes. Others grabbing anything just to make more noise.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Go! Go! Go!
DAMON: And some bizarre sights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am woman (INAUDIBLE).
DAMON: Euphoria everyone wishes Iraq could have forever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: The day was made even better because there were no attacks against those Iraqis that were out celebrating. And take a look at the newspaper headlines.
All the papers here, whether it's Sunni or Shia or Kurd or Christian or nationalist, they are all just headlining this game. They're not -- they're not trying to put forward their sectarian agendas and they're not talking about violence. This is such a unique day here -- Kiran.
CHETRY: It sure is.
Arwa Damon right in the thick of all of it celebrating. Thanks so much.
ROBERTS: A routine patrol leads to a huge pot bust in Texas. Your "Quick Hits" now.
Dallas police spotted a massive marijuana crop while flying over a highway this weekend. It is the latest in a string of busts. In the past eight days, Dallas police have seized $10 million worth of marijuana.
A big operation in Oklahoma breaks up what police say was an illegal horseracing track. Two hundred troopers and the National Guard had to be called in to process the large number of people arrested in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Charges included gambling, money laundering and racketeering.
An admitted pedophile snapping pictures of girls, posting them online. And it's all legal. We'll hear from him and see what outraged parents can do to try to stop him next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, a controversial move for an American hospital topping your "Quick Hits" now.
The first face transplant was performed by French surgeons. Well, now Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital is giving its surgical team permission to perform face transplants on disfigured patients. Some have called the procedure unethical.
And there's a new study that says global warming has doubled the number of tropical storms in the Atlantic over the last century, but not everyone is sold. The National Hurricane Center calls the study "sloppy science". Just last week, in fact, a major forecasting agency reduced the number of hurricanes that it expects to see this year because of cooler waters in the Atlantic.
Speaking of water, check out this waterspout. It was caught by some I-Reporters. There you go.
These pictures were sent in by Mo Dixon (ph) in Savannah, Georgia. You can't see the location from this distance, but the waterspout is actually over the Wilmington River. Mo (ph) says it lasted for a little more than five minutes before disappearing again.
ROBERTS: This morning we're taking a closer look at a creepy story in southern California. An admitted pedophile stalking children's events, snapping pictures of little girls and posting them on his Web site.
Parents are outraged, but believe it or not, it's all legal.
Reporter Stacey Butler of our affiliate KCAL in California spoke to the man at the center of the storm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JACK MCCLELLAN, ADMITTED PEDOPHILE: It is really just a sexual thing. It's the whole ambiance of children that I enjoy.
STACEY BUTLER, REPORTER, KCAL (voice over): Jack McClellan isn't afraid to tell you how he feels about little girls.
(on camera): Are you a pedophile?
MCCLELLAN: Yes. I didn't even consider myself one until a couple of years ago. I started reading some of the stuff on the Internet and it kind of resonated with me. Kind of refer to ourselves as kind of the silent majority.
BUTLER (voice over): But he is terrified to show his face.
MCCLELLAN: I've received a lot of death threats.
BUTLER: Death threats, because he says he took pictures of little girls at countless family events near Seattle, then posted them on his pro-pedophilia Web site.
MCCLELLAN: I felt the best thing to do would be to get completely out of that area.
BUTLER: Before McClellan left Washington State, his site was shut down. But now it's back, and so is he, this time right here in the southland.
MCCLELLAN: I'm looking to find a permanent place here.
BUTLER: We found McClellan living out of his car near Venice Beach, mapping out local events to attend where little girls, or LGs, as he calls them, are plentiful.
(on camera): What about those events do you like?
MCCLELLAN: Just to be -- well, obviously, I'm just going there mainly to be around the kids.
BUTLER: He claims he's not a convicted sex offender, and police say his Web site is legal.
McClellan's message to parents? Get used to it. He's allowed to attend the same festivals you do.
(on camera): You don't see what you're doing as wrong?
MCCLELLAN: No. I mean, obviously, I'm not doing anything illegal at these things. I mean, if they pass a law saying you can't go to these things to admire kids, I mean, I guess I'd have to obey to that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: That was Stacey Butler of our affiliate KCAL in Los Angeles reporting. So what can police do to stop this guy, and what can parents do to protect their kids?
Retired detective Bill Dworin is a 22-year veteran of the LAPD's Exploited Child Unit, and he joins us now.
Bill, this guy was chased out of Washington State, as Stacey reported. How is it that he hasn't been chased out of L.A. yet?
BILL DWORIN, RETIRED LAPD DETECTIVE: Well, we are trying to chase him out of L.A. We want to keep an eye on what he is doing, and we'd have rather have him arrested than chased to another community and be a threat to those children.
ROBERTS: How dangerous is this guy, in your experience? He says that he hasn't done anything yet. Do you expect that he will?
DWORIN: There's always a threat. He claims not to have sexually abused a child, and yet, he also talks about going up to children and hugging them.
That, in itself, because of his sexual attraction toward children, makes that a crime. If he's doing that here in Los Angeles or any other community, then he is committing a crime in California.
ROBERTS: This obviously has to be terribly unnerving to parents.
DWORIN: It should be. Parents should be aware that these people are out there, these child seducers, these pedophiles, who see a child as a sexual object. And given the opportunity, they will abuse children.
ROBERTS: He claims that he is protected by the First Amendment, and perhaps he is, but is there anything police are doing? Anything they can do to try to put this guy out of business?
DWORIN: If parents see him around a site where children are frequenting and they are taking -- and he is taking pictures of those children, police should be called. Let them determine if those pictures are, in fact, innocent or may show some type of criminal activity.
ROBERTS: I mean, even if they are innocent pictures, if enough people call the police on him and he gets visited by them enough times, might he at the very least move on? Though, as you say, you would rather have him in custody than moving on to another unsuspecting community.
DWORIN: If police keep showing up where he is, then he will move on to another place that's unsuspecting. And he will again have access to children.
ROBERTS: Yes. As we heard from Stacey Butler when she joined us in our first hour here on AMERICAN MORNING, there was a network of parents who will call the media to report where this guy has been seen. They're on the lookout for him. There's also a couple of anti -- the guy's name is Jack McClellan. There's a couple of anti-Jack McClellan Web sites as well, in which they're trying to take this guy on.
Is that really the only recourse for parents now, is to -- I mean, they can't take the law into their own hands, but certainly they can try to do whatever they can to mitigate the situation.
DWORIN: Parents have to be aware that there are child seducers, pedophiles out there looking for and at children. And they have to learn to talk to their children and talk with their children so that if something does occur, the child is not afraid to say this is what happened.
ROBERTS: But you can talk to your children until you're blue in the face, and they may get it as well, and they may, you know, take to heart all of that, and they may try to protect themselves as best they can. But if somebody is out there taking photographs of them and then posting them on a Web site and referring to them in a sexual way, is there anything a parent can do?
DWORIN: At this time, no. You have the freedom of speech.
If the photographs are innocent and not showing any sexual activity, sexual interest, then there is very little a parent can do. There may be some civil matters in which posting those photographs without consent of the family, but criminally, there's very little that law enforcement can do to stop this.
ROBERTS: Wow. It's just a real sense of helplessness with all of this.
Devil Dworin, former detective with the LAPD.
Thanks for joining us. Appreciate you coming in.
DWORIN: Thank you.
CHETRY: Trouble at Northwest Airlines topping your "Quick Hits" now.
The carrier says it had to cancel more than 10 percent of its flights in the last few days. It says that due to weather and pilots calling in sick it was forced to do that. Pilot representatives say that Northwest slashed pilots' salaries while increasing their work hours.
In Washington, D.C., authorities now say it was commercial rat poison that shut down three metro train stations over the weekend. It was detected after someone found more than a dozen dead birds at one of the stations. Police are now trying to figure out who left the poison at those stations.
Thanks to YouTube, politics will never be the same again. And now it's apparently changing the way one music mogul picks his personal assistant. Could this be the future video resumes? The details next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: It's 22 minutes past the hour now. Ali Velshi is taking a little time off. Polly LaBarre is "Minding Your Business" this morning.
Could this be a new trend? You don't send a paper resume anymore when you want a job?
POLLY LABARRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, two weeks ago, music mogul Sean Combs, AKA Diddy, helped us out with this trend. It's a YouTube video.
He has posted his help wanted add for a new assistant on YouTube. We see it right here.
He got 10,000 responses in two days and had to post another video saying, OK, I've got a couple of qualifications. You have to be able to read, write and count, and have a college education.
So I've been actually looking at some of these videos, and some of them are completely absurd. But some of them are real creative and well-produced. Some of them are formal and fawning -- you know, "Mr. Diddy" -- this one not one of the more formal ones.
ROBERTS: No (INAUDIBLE).
LABARRE: Exactly.
CHETRY: Does he have a gun in his hand? I think he did.
LABARRE: I hope not.
CHETRY: That's not something you bring to a job interview.
LABARRE: No.
But this actually reflects a wider trend of video resumes. You're seeing this in more serious situations where I think, you know, job boards are now putting features on where you can get a video resume. Harvard Business School and a lot of business schools are now expanding their application process where you can add videos, you can add PowerPoint slides.
And I think what it's really about is people need to hire you based on your creativity, your attitude, your character, as much as your credentials. And an 8.5 x 11 old piece of paper doesn't convey who you are.
ROBERTS: So he got 10,000 video job applications on YouTube?
LABARRE: Yes.
ROBERTS: And we got 3,000 questions for our debate? More people want to be his assistant than participate in the democratic process?
LABARRE: This is the culture we live in.
ROBERTS: What's this all about?
LABARRE: Yes, exactly.
I mean, they want to be the umbrella holder of P. Diddy.
CHETRY: That's right. Because he needs a new one now.
LABARRE: Yes, it's true. It's true.
(CROSSTALK)
LABARRE: And I think the assistant will be everything from the umbrella holder, to assisting him on his multimillion-dollar deals, he says. So it's got to be quite a versatile person.
ROBERTS: Wow.
LABARRE: And in his "Making the Band," he made them walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to get Jr.'s (ph) cheesecake in the middle of the night. So you may have to do that, too.
Polly, thank you.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Polly.
CHETRY: Well, also "On Our Radar" this morning, the oldest Eagle Scout on record joins us. It took him a while to get there to finally earn that certificate. But he did it.
ROBERTS: Some of those knots are pretty difficult to figure out.
CHETRY: You're right.
ROBERTS: It took him a little while.
We'll have him when AMERICAN MORNING continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: It looks a little pea soupy out there this morning, doesn't it, as you look at a shot of New York/ You think you can make out the Empire State Building back there, but it would be hard to tell because it is very humid outside today.
ROBERTS: Pretty weird day of weather yesterday, too, wasn't it?
CHETRY: Yes. It seemed to rain all day around New York, but you were down in Washington taking the train up and it was bright sunshine in D.C.
ROBERTS: Well, it rained in D.C. in the morning, then it got a little bit clear. Then it rained again, but sort of halfway in between, it cleared up. Odd. Odd weather.
CHETRY: Well, you'll take those moments of sunshine on a Sunday, right?
ROBERTS: Any one you can get.
CHETRY: Welcome back. It is Monday, July 30th.
I'm Kiran Chetry.
ROBERTS: And I'm John Roberts. Good morning to you.
CHETRY: And glad you're with us today.
New this morning, the Afghan government pleading with the Taliban to extend a deadline for the lives of 22 South Korean church workers. Taliban militants are warning the government to release some of its captured fighters or they will kill the hostages. Today's deadline was issued by the Taliban leadership council led by Taliban chief Mullah Mohammed Omar.
There's a troubling new report out of Iraq this morning detailing just how tough the conditions are there. The study was done by relief agencies. It shows that eight million people, or a third of the population, are in urgent need of water, sanitation, food and shelter. The study also says that at least two million have been forced from their homes and another two million have fled the country.
Legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman has died. Bergman directed more than 50 films. He was regarded as one of the great masters of modern cinema. Bergman's 1957 film "The Seventh Seal" features one of the most memorable scenes in movie history -- a knight playing chess with the shrouded figure of death.
Ingmar Bergman was 89 years old.
Also new this morning in Montana, hot, dry and windy weather helping to spread a wildfire that's been burning near Glacier National Park. Firefighters say that it more than quadrupled in size over the weekend, growing from about a thousand to 5,000 acres.
Several other fires are also burning right now across Montana. Crews say the near-record heat, combined with the low humidity, is making it very difficult for them to get any of them under control.
Within the next couple of hours, federal investigators are going to be back at the scene of a deadly collision between two news helicopters in Phoenix, Arizona. Two pilots and two photographers were killed.
It's raising new questions about the safety of news helicopters. And whether they're allowed to take needless risks to get that great shot. And on top of that, listen to this news we just got in this morning. A helicopter carrying a pilot and two traffic reporters for a Dallas news media outlet made a forced landing today after losing power in Grand Prairie. Apparently, it lost power to the engine, I guess the pilot auto- rotated, glided in for a hard landing. The passengers on board are said to be a little bit sore, but able to walk and otherwise, unhurt. Big difference from the outcome on Friday. But, still, another reminder that every time these helicopters are up in the air, there is some element of risk.
A Peter Goelz is a former managing director at the NTSB, National Transportation Safety Board. He joins me now.
Peter, this incident on Friday, does it appear to you to be anything more than a case of pilot error?
PETER GOELZ, FMR. NTSB MANAGING DIRECTOR: No. I think you've got a situation where the pilots lost their situational awareness. When you're flying, you've got to know where you are, where other aircraft are. In this case, I think it was a tragic case where they had a very heavy workload.
John, think of how many communications are going on. You've got multiple helicopters in the air. They're communicating with the tower and communicating with their cameraman and listening to the scanner and communicating to their home channel. There's a lot going on in that cockpit. And I think for just a second, they lost situational awareness.
ROBERTS: At the same time, they try to follow this car chase going on, on the ground as well. Are there a lot of blind spots in helicopters? Is it easy to lose your situational awareness as you put it?
GOELZ: Well, they've got, you know, superior vision to a fixed- wing aircraft but if you're coming up behind from underneath or coming down from on top, you've got a blind spot, and it's a pretty big one.
RJ What rules govern news helicopters in terms of separation, altitude, the type of thing that you hear with general aviation, in particular, with commercial aviation?
GOELZ: Well, these helicopters were flying under visual flight rules. They get admitted into the air space by the FAA and then they have to see and avoid. There are a couple of easy solutions to this, John. I mean, one is you can simply pool your pictures. The FAA can allow one or two helicopters into the chase area, and then they have to pool their pictures. And that keeps five or six helicopters from vying for the same air space.
ROBERTS: Right. Although with news organizations being as competitive as they are, particularly with these aerial shots, I don't know that a pool situation is something that would work for them.
Back to the way that they keep the separation here. This is all of the pilots doing it themselves? They call out, they talk to each other. There was a communication between the two pilots of the aircraft just before the collision that we've seen the transcript of, where the pilot, for the news helicopter from Channel 15 is trying to contact the helicopter pilot from Channel 3. And he says, "Where are you? Where are you?" Then all of a sudden you hear him say, Oh, jeez! I'm right on top of you."
GOELZ: Right.
ROBERTS: Is that the only way that they keep the separation. Is really look out for the other guy, basically?
GOELZ: It is. It is see and avoid. The other solution, of course, is to mandate two-person crews, so you've got a second person in the cockpit, whose sole job is to maintain visual contact with other aircraft in the area, and to handle the communications with the ground, and to monitor the scanner.
There is two solutions. Both of them are not particularly expensive and they ought to be implemented.
ROBERTS: Do you expect, Peter, that after this investigation, the NTSB will make some recommendations to the FAA about how to deal with situations like this in the future?
GOELZ: I think they'll take a hard look at it. You know, this is the first time it's happened in my memory, but I think the issue is such a high profile one that I think the NTSB will make some recommendations on this.
ROBERTS: All right, Peter Goelz, a former NTSB investigator, thanks for joining us to share your expertise this morning.
GOELZ: Thank you, John.
CHETRY: Now to a high-level trip to the Mid East. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates will sit down with officials in Saudi Arabia tomorrow. The U.S. is looking to put pressure on the Saudis to support the Iraqi government. CNN Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon right now.
What do Secretaries Gates and Rice hope to gain out of this meeting, Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Kiran.
Yes, the situation in Iraq and Saudi Arabia's support for the new government in Iraq certainly will be one of the major issues. But perhaps the top issue on the table when they sit down with the Saudis will be that proposed $20 billion, 10-year arms sale to Saudi Arabia. The hope is the U.S. has is that the Saudis will use those weapons as a counterweight to Iranian expansion.
What's on the table? Warships, missiles and precision guided bombs, but a lot of analysts are already raising the question, Kiran, about whether or not these are the right weapons for Saudi Arabia to have to use against Iran.
Richard Haas, from the Council on Foreign Relations, of course, talked to AMERICAN MORNING just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD HAASS, PRES., COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: There will be congressional opposition. There is concern about the long-term stability and political orientation of Saudi Arabia. Also, some military experts are going to stand up and say, look, this is irrelevant. The Iranian threat is Hamas, Hezbollah and militias; it's not the Iranian air force. It is a mismatch between what the United States is doing and the Iranian threat to Saudi Arabia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: So, that may be one of the key questions. What good are warships, bombs, and missiles when you have an Iran that is supporting networks such as Hamas and Hezbollah through financing and other types of organizing efforts, not really the type of major military threat that warships are any good against, Kiran.
CHETRY: And the other question, Israel initially rejected this sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. How is the United States been able to allay the concerns of Israel about this?
STARR: Well, you know, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is now saying he has no major objections. And there's one good reason, the U.S. is now promising Israel that it will also get a major arm sales package to offset this. The Pentagon is already working on additional arm sales packages to other Gulf states in that region, all of it part of the effort to sell arms to counter any Iranian expansions in the Gulf, Kiran.
CHETRY: Barbara Starr for us the Pentagon. Thanks.
ROBERTS: "Anderson Cooper 360" airs week nights at 10:00 Eastern. Here is Anderson now, with a look at what is on his program tonight.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, "ANDERSON COOPER 360: John, tonight, they live in mansions. They're worth millions and they're getting your tax dollars. How farm subsidies went from Depression-era relief to modern-day pork. Rich farmers, even dead farmers, getting your billions. We keeping them honest, "360" tonight, 10 p.m. Eastern -- John.
ROBERTS: Anderson, thanks. We'll see you then.
Running in high heels tops your "Quick Hits". Women all over Russia are taking part in a 100-meter race. The catch is the race is run in 3 1/2-inch heels. They're off! There they go! Doing a good job of it, too! Take a look.
Guys, can you do that? I don't think so! The winner gets to spend the equivalent of 4 grand on a shopping spree.
Pass the fries! Kids in Collinsville, Illinois spent the weekend filling the world's biggest ketchup package; eight feet tall, four feet wide, weighs 1500 pounds. Part of a school fund-raiser with the Heinz ketchup company.
And an 88-year-old man getting the honor that World War II delayed by decades. There he is. We're going to talk to him and share his story. I'm sure it's going to make you smile. Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty minutes now to the top of the hour. A controversial way to study schizophrenia, tops your "Quick Hits" now. Scientists have bred the world's first schizophrenic mice. The first time an animal has been genetically engineered to have a mental illness. Animal rights activists say it's morally wrong to create an animal doomed to lifetime of mental suffering.
If you're afraid of bees stay away from this guy's house. A Washington State man says his home has been invaded by incredibly aggressive yellow jackets. He swats them, they come back. He sprays them, they just get angry. Next stop for this fellow, professional help.
Talk about aggressive, check out these jumping fish in Florida. Wildlife officials say collisions between these people and these sturgeon are happening at a record pace. At lest 12 collisions have been document in the last two years. Sturgeon can grow up to eight feet long, weigh several 100 pounds. They are also a protected species, so it is illegal to catch them.
Very similar to something our David Mattingly found in the Illinois River earlier this year. However -- ooh! We're not talking sturgeon there, we're talking about Asian carp. These fisherman, to demonstrate how plentiful and how aggressive the fish are, put a slight electric charge into the water, that sends the fish leaping.
Boom! You can see what hit him there. Not exactly and eight-foot sturgeon, but Kiran, still going to leave a mark.
CHETRY: It sure will. And not good eating, you say, either so you don't win either way.
An amazing story of survival out of Florida this morning. If you look at these pictures it's amazing anyone survived this. A car completely crushed, when a 35-tone cement truck rolled over on top of it after a car accident. The man inside of that car not only survived, but came out nearly untouched. He was even talking to reporters about what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM STRANDBERG, SURVIVED ACCIDENT: There was just a little pocket where I was left in the car. I couldn't move. They cut me out. After the open heart surgery a few years back, I was trying to figure out why I'm supposed to be here. But I guess there's some kind of reason.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHETRY: Yeah. When you look at that car, it really does like a miracle that anyone survived it. Police say what happened is the truck driver tried to avoid rear-ending some cars, ended up swerving, and when he came back on the road he hit that car and rolled on top of it. The truck driver is fine, but he is expected to get a few tickets.
ROBERTS: Americans just seem to love their bottled water and they spends billions and billions for it. According to some estimates up to $15 billion every year, but are you getting what you pay for? Is it that much better than tap water -- or is it tap water? CNN's Rob Marciano joins us live in Douglasville, Georgia this morning.
So, what's the answer to that question, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Some of it is glorified tap water, John. A glorified tap water, purified, but it comes from the same, in many cases, from the same public water source you get out of your home when you turn on the tap water.
This time of the year, obviously, it's warmer, people tend to drink more and cold beverages certainly take the edge off. So you reach into your cooler and you grab a bottle of water and exactly what is in it?
Well, on Friday, Aquafina, or PepsiCo, the makers of Aquafina, finally said after pressure from some groups out there, that they are going to spell out exactly where this water comes from, a public water source.
In their defense it does say "purified drinking water" so that is pretty much self-explanatory, but it's hard to think about, OK, it comes from the same water we get in our tap.
That's not the only deal here. Other waters come from different areas. Fiji, this is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) stuff, beautiful packaging. That's natural artesian water. Evian, claims to be from the natural springs in the French Alps. Archer Farms, just says it's spring water. So, they all say where they are. Not all of them are maybe as good as tap water. Some experts say when you distill or purify tap water, you're taking some of the minerals out, and some of the actual nutrients that are in tap water.
As measured last year, $11 billion is the amount of money Americans spent on bottled water. You would of thought 15, 20 years ago, John, you'd be crazy to even consider being able to make money off bottling plain old water and selling it to the American consumer. About 25 percent of all bottled water is actually purified tap water.
ROBERTS: Wow. Remember that commercial where the guy said I've got an idea; bottled water, and everybody laughed him out of the room. Rob Marciano for us this morning.
Sorry? Oh, Never mind.
MARCIANO: Good to see you, john.
ROBERTS: Good to see you, too, Rob. Don't go drinking all of that water in one place. Rob Marciano for us.
It's like anything. Caveat emptor, buyer beware. You've got to know what you're getting.
CHETRY: Yes, well, you don't know what PWS means until now. You have to know it.
ROBERTS: You can think of a lot of things.
CHETRY: But it means public water source, how about that? Just like your tap.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales remains in a Democratic Senate's bull's eye. They're talking about a possible perjury investigation. CNN's Tom Foreman has that and more in this morning's "Raw Politics".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Monday morning, back to work for everyone, including the big political players! Let's take a look into the "Raw Politics" crystal ball! And see what they will be up to this week.
Back in the boxing ring. In this corner, Attorney General Alberto "I Don't Recall" Gonzales; in the opposing corner, congressional Democrats furious because they think he has not told them the truth about the firing of those U.S. attorneys.
This story went into the weekend hotter. It's coming out even hotter. Don't expect a knock out, but maybe some bloody noses -- just maybe.
Congress also wants Karl Rove to tell what he knows about this whole mess. Yes, people in hell want ice water.
Britain's new Prime Minister Gordon Brown is joining President Bush in Camp David. The forecast there, cooler days. Not as cozy as those around the campfire with Tony Blair. Those two will at least try to make nice.
Out on the campaign trail: John McCain and Fred Thompson will be competing for Republican dollars in Washington, at dueling fundraisers. And Big Joe Biden is coming out with a new book. Hoping it will help break him out of the Democratic pack. That is a taste what we are serving up all week long, so belly up to the table with us each night. for "AC 360", "Raw Politics".
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Well, all of the day's politics and news available any time, day or night, CNN.com/ticker.
And CNN "Newsroom" is just minutes away. Heidi Collins is at the CNN Center with a look at what is ahead.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Good morning to you, Kiran. We have these stories coming up in the "Newsroom" rundown this morning.
Michael Vick at risk. One of his co-defendants minutes away from another court appearance. A plea deal on deck.
And dangerous dance. News helicopters balance airborne safety with breaking news. More on that story for you.
Plus, this, growing, wacky tobacci. Secret fields found within shouting distance of DEA headquarters, believe it or not.
Join me in the "Newsroom", the top of the hour on CNN, Kiran.
CHETRY: All right, Heidi, thanks.
ROBERTS: An Americans has taken the trophy in the daring race in the sky. Mike Mangold beat a British challenger by a little over one second to win the Red Bull Air Race World Series, in London; described as a mix between slalom skiing and formula one racing, all in the sky. This is Mangold's second title.
China puts on a kung fu demonstration in Mexico. Whoa! That's some good stuff. It was all part of a celebration marking 35 years of cultural ties between Mexico and China. China has held similar events in 21 countries designed to promote a better understanding of Chinese culture.
It's an honor, decades in the making. A Florida man finally awarded his Eagle Scout Badge 71 years after he earned it. We'll talk to him about the delay but finally delivered next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, if it's possible to earn a Scout Badge for determination and perseverance, then you got to pin one on our next guest for sure. Walter Hart actually earned his Eagle Scout rank more than 70 years ago, but he did not officially become an Eagle Scout until this weekend, at the age of 88.
At 88-years young, he is now the oldest person to ever receive the Scout's highest rank. Mr. Hart joins us this morning along with his daughter, Liz.
Good morning to you! Congratulations, Walter!
WALTER HART, AWARDED EAGLE SCOUT BADGE: Thank you very much.
LIZ, GATTURNA, WALTER'S DAUGHTER: Thank you.
HART: Very nice.
CHETRY: Walter, what took so long? HART: Well, I graduated from high school -- and went in the service. I got married in 1941 to Katherine, a very nice girl. My oldest daughter is here now. We had her, she was two years old when to go in the service. She and my wife went to live with my mother. So when we come home, my wife and I, we had five more children. We have four daughters and two sons. Very nice wife, too. Married 66 years, never even complained once. A very nice girl, too.
CHETRY: That's wonderful. Unfortunately, she passed away this past spring, right, Walter?
HART: Yeah, she passed away April 2nd of this year.
CHETRY: Liz, how did he come upon his old paper work, and everything from the Eagle Scouts? Because had he actually earned everything but, as he said, had he to fight in World War II. And then sort of life made it difficult for him to go back there. How did he recently get his hands on all the paperwork to become an Eagle Scout officially?
GATTURNA: I think after my mom passed away, he finally got a chance to go through, rummaging through drawers. He came across the papers. And he decided to call the Boy Scouts of America and see if he was eligible. And he was!
CHETRY: You --
GATTURNA: So, that's how it got started.
CHETRY: That's wonderful. Walter, you finally received your badge. You got your rank officially on Saturday. How did it feel after all these years?
HART: Very nice. I was oh, so happy. Couldn't be any happier. To have my great grandchildren there, it was nice.
CHETRY: So you had your whole family with you; all of your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. You got 21 merit badges throughout the course of your work there with the Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts. Which one was the hardest to earn?
GATTURNA: The hardest one? Right there?
HART: Yeah, probably the burn save (ph), the burn save and life saving. They're the two top ones there. Burn save (ph), and life saving, right there. I got my merit badge right in front of us here.
CHETRY: And what did you learn from the Boy Scouts and then eventually becoming an Eagle Scout? What were some of the life lessons that it taught you?
HART: To respect people, to get along with everybody. It was very nice. I had such a nice -- I couldn't ask for anything better. Yeah.
GATTURNA: Liz, your dad seems like such a positive guy. The most amazing thing he said was he was married for 60 plus years, and they never had an argument!
GATTURNA: Well, not that I knew of.
CHETRY: He should actually get a badge for that one as well.
GATTURNA: I think so.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: Because I don't know many married people who can make that claim.
GATTURNA: Quite a diplomat.
CHETRY: It was great meeting both of you. Yes, exactly.
Walter, congratulations. You certainly earned it. Not only did you get your badge but you've also set a record because now you are the oldest to receive that Eagle Scout honor. So congratulations!
HART: Thank you very much.
GATTURNA: Thank you, Kiran.
HART: Very nice.
ROBERTS: He looks so happy, doesn't he?
CHETRY: He does. It's amazing that he kept his hands on that paper work after moving a couple of places. He lives down in Florida now near his daughters. He was up in Massachusetts. And they didn't lose it after all those years.
ROBERTS: Amazing. He lost track of it, but finally found it again. What a terrific story.
Here is a quick look now what CNN "Newsroom" is working on for the top of the hour.
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COLLINS: See these stories in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Potential trouble for Michael Vick, a co-defendant may be getting a new deal.
The president and the prime minister. Bush and Brown sitting down today for serious talks.
Safety in the skies. After that deadly crash last week, taking another look at how news helicopters get the story. Newsroom at the top of the hour on CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
We just got word a few moments ago from the Associated Press this morning that TV personality Tom Snyder has died. He died from complications of leukemia yesterday in San Francisco. He was best known for hosting the late night TV talk show "Tomorrow" back in the 1970s and 1980s. Tom Snyder was 71 years old.
ROBERTS: He'd been suffering from leukemia for quite a while.
Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. are the newest members of baseball's hall of fame. A record crowd of more than 70,000; they all got in buses and came up from Baltimore and attended the induction ceremonies Sunday, in Cooperstown, New York. Both Ripken and Gywnn played their entire careers with one team. Ripken with the Orioles and Gwynn with the San Diego Padres.
CHETRY: You certainly don't see that a lot lately, do you? With settling with one team for the whole career.
ROBERTS: Not lately, yeah. Pretty incredible.
CHETRY: How about that?
Well, listen up, ladies, to you want to know why make more money than you do? Well, it's not because they're smarter or more talented.
No offense.
(LAUGHTER)
ROBERTS: Another bubble bursts, huh?
CHETRY: It's because they ask for raises and promotions more than women do.
ROBERTS: According to a new study men are much more aggressive when it comes to opening negotiations. And here's a possible reason why. Other parts of the study found that both sexes go very different responses when they initiated negotiations. Apparently men were more likely to get the raise than women.
You know, it raises a lot of questions about equality in the work place.
CHETRY: Yes.
ROBERTS: Certainly things still need to be addressed.
CHETRY: It certainly does.
Well, that's it for us on this AMERICAN MORNING. We want to thank you for joining us. Hope to see you back here tomorrow.
ROBERTS: All right. See you then -- and see you then.
CNN NEWSROOM the Heidi Collins begins right now.
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