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American Morning
Chief Justice Health Scare; The Shoe Bomber Speaks; FBI Raid on Senator Stevens' Home
Aired July 31, 2007 - 07:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Health scare. New insight into the seizure that sent Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts to the hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Perhaps he will go on to be diagnosed with epilepsy.
ROBERTS: His prognosis, his past medical problems, could any of it impact the high court?
FBI raid. Agents search the home of Republican Senator Ted Stevens.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: This is not a time for Alaska citizens to be tremendously proud of their public official.
ROBERTS: This morning, the senator responds as the corruption case grows on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And good morning. Welcome back as we kiss the month of July goodbye.
It's Tuesday, the 31st.
I'm John Roberts.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Alina Cho. Kiran Chetry has the morning off.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
ROBERTS: We begin this morning with the medical emergency facing the chief justice of the United States, John Roberts.
A hospital spokesman came out for a brief statement, the briefest of the statements just moments ago. The chief justice suffered a seizure and then fell at his vacation home off of the coast of Maine yesterday.
CNN's Allan Chernoff is live outside Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine. Allan, not hearing a whole lot from the hospital spokesman, Christopher Burke, in the last few minutes. But what are you learning off camera?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, at least the spokesperson, Mr. Burke, did tell me he is expecting Justice Roberts to be released later today, and that would be expected, because even last night, the hospital was saying that the justice is being held overnight and was held overnight here as a precaution.
As we've reported, the tests show that this was a benign seizure and, as a result, they just wanted to make sure that everything was OK. But the Supreme court earlier had said, yesterday had said, that there is no cause for concern.
And we did have at least a comment yesterday from Mr. Burke. Let's have a listen to that right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER BURKE, PENOBSCOT BAY MEDICAL CENTER SPOKESMAN: He suffered what doctors described as a benign idiopathic seizure. He experienced some minor scrapes and cuts from his fall. But he is expected -- he has fully recovered from the incident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: Idiopathic, meaning there is no known cause for the seizure. But we do know this much -- it is at least the second time Justice Roberts has had a seizure. He did have one back in 1993. And at that time, he was 38 years old -- John.
ROBERTS: So, as a result of the fall, as you said, there were some cuts and bruises. We also understand that he hit his head pretty hard. It looks, though, like all of those problems are minor and that he will be getting out of the hospital today.
CHERNOFF: Yes, as far as we know. This all happened on a boat dock near his vacation home, which is on one of the islands off the coast over here. So after he fell, he was brought to the mainland by a boat and then transferred in an ambulance. So, it was a little bit of a trip to get to the hospital, but our understanding is that he is OK.
ROBERTS: It will be interesting to see if he actually goes back on vacation again.
Allan Chernoff for us up there in Rockport, Maine.
Allan, thanks very much.
CHO: Jeffrey Toobin is CNN's senior legal analyst.
Jeffrey, a few people know the Supreme Court better than you do. As you just saw a moment ago, the hospital spokesman came out and essentially said, I'm not saying anything more about Justice Roberts' condition, I'm going to refer all questions to the Supreme Court.
So, how likely is it that we're going to hear anything more from the Supreme Court?
TOOBIN: We may hear one more thing when he gets -- when he gets out of the hospital.
Unfortunately, the court -- and it's not really the court's public office that are held responsible, it's the justices have a history of somewhat overly optimistic, if not outright deceptive comments about their health. Chief Justice Rehnquist was overly optimistic about his recovery from cancer in the 1970s, William O'Douglas just stayed on the court for many months even though he was completely incapacitated.
So the court doesn't have the best record. But -- and frankly, I don't think the court helps itself when it says something like fully recovered and there is no cause for concern within hours of this illness happening.
I mean, you know, certainly we all hope that he will be fully recovered and there is no cause for concern, but certainly there was no reason to know that for sure yesterday. Probably better to take it a little more slowly. But...
CHO: Even the doctors aren't quite sure. So, right, maybe they should have been a little bit more judicious about that.
But having said that, the court doesn't reconvene until October. He does have a little bit of time to recover. But if he doesn't make it back, what happens then?
TOOBIN: Well, one of the great things about being on the Supreme Court is that there is not a lot of heavy lifting, literally. You don't have to show up in the office all that often. You can even -- Chief Justice Rehnquist, during his illness, remind as chief justice even though he listened to court arguments by audiotape, voted in cases by memo, wrote his opinions from his home.
I mean, you can do a lot from home. But there is no reason to think at this point that Chief Justice Roberts won't be back in the center seat on the first Monday in October. So it's probably just a theoretical dispute at this point.
CHO: Well, we'll have to wait to see what happens.
TOOBIN: All right.
CHO: CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Jeff, thanks so much. We'll see you later.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Jeff.
This morning we're also seeing and hearing from shoe bomber Richard Reid for the first time since he was sentenced to the Supermax for 110 years. This pictures was published in this morning's British tabloid "The Mirror," along with Reid's letters from prison. He writes that he believes Allah will free him at some point.
Reid is held in virtual isolation in Colorado's supermax prison for trying to bomb a plane with 200 people on board in December of 2001 by lighting explosives hidden in his shoes.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve has got more from Washington.
Jeanne, we certainly never expected to hear from this fellow again.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We didn't. But in the quotes used by "The Mirror," Reid doesn't talk about his attempt to blow up that airliner with 200 people on board, saying only, "Everything which occurs in this life contains some good for us." Although, as you mentioned, he is serving a 110-year sentence at a supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.
He writes, "I had a couple of good dreams about my situation changing for the better in the not so distant future. So this is a blessing from Allah. I place my trust in Allah that he will bring that into fruition and ask him to give me patience until the time when that occurs."
He also asks his father for some money, saying he has run out. And although Richard Reid is locked away, his actions are why, every time you fly, you have to go through the inconvenience of taking off your shoes and having them x-rayed -- John.
ROBERTS: And that would seem to be a tactic that terrorists have not given up on. I mean, if not in shoes, at least this idea of trying to bring an explosive on board an aircraft.
MESERVE: And that, of course, is why we're screened so heavily. When it comes to the shoe screening and the inconvenience of taking them off, there is a technology that's been experimentally deployed in Orlando and a few other airports which screens for explosives in your shoes but lets you keep them on. And, in fact, today it's being demonstrated up on Capitol Hill. Congress keeping an eye on whether it should be more widely deployed across the country -- John.
ROBERTS: Well, it will be interesting to see something on that later on today.
MESERVE: We'll try.
ROBERTS: Jeanne, thanks very much.
MESERVE: OK.
CHO: Senator Ted Stevens is speaking out this morning about the FBI and IRS search of his home in Alaska.
CNN's Dana Bash is live for us in Washington for this.
So, Dana, what is the search of the senator's home all about?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Alina, there has been a huge public corruption probe going on in Alaska for sometime. And recently, an oil executive and big financial contributor to Senator Ted Stevens pleaded guilty to bribing state officials. And here is how the search on Senator Stevens' house fits into all of that.
The donor, a man by the name of Bill Allen (ph), oversaw a huge renovation project of Stevens' house in a resort town just outside of Anchorage. The is the one that was raided. So what the federal officials are apparently trying to figure out is if the oil executive foot the bill for the senator's renovation.
Now, Senator Stevens did release a statement late last night. He's asking his constituents for patience. I'll read you part of the statement.
He said, "I continue to believe this investigation should proceed to its conclusion without any appearance that I have attempted to influence its outcome. I will continue my policy of not commenting on this investigation until it has concluded."
Now, Alina, for many people who may not know who Senator Stevens is, he is the longest-serving Republican senator. And for more than a quarter of a century, he has really been one of the most influential people here in Washington about how the government spends your money, and sometimes in some controversial ways.
He is proud of the fact he brings money back home to Alaska. Remember that bridge to nowhere, Alina? That was his.
CHO: Let's talk a little bit about the politics going on behind the scenes, Dana. I know you're well aware of all of that.
Democrats have accused Republicans of a culture of corruption and, yet, as you well know, Democratic Representative William Jefferson of Louisiana, $90,000 found in his freezer. Bribery unfortunately is a common word on Capitol Hill these days.
So what's going on?
BASH: You're right. And it is bipartisan.
Now, it's important to note that we're not sure where this investigation to Senator Stevens is headed, but certainly over the past few years we've seen nearly a dozen lawmakers under investigation, indicted, even convicted of corruption. And that's why, Alina, you'll remember in the last election voters said corruption was one of their biggest concerns. And it's also why this week in Congress they are trying to answer that by sending the president legislation -- in fact, the House will vote on it today -- to require more disclosure of financial contributors and also more disclosure of pet projects back home.
CHO: Well, how about that for timing? CNN's Dana Bash live for us in Washington.
Dana, thank you so much.
BASH: Thank you.
CHO: We'll check back with you later.
Also new this morning, high-level meetings about the security of Iraq are under way in Egypt. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with leaders from Egypt in Jordan earlier this morning, trying to build support for regional help in Iraq. She talked about it just over an hour ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have a lot of interest in common in this region in the fight against terrorism and extremism, in protecting the gains of peace processes of the past, and in extending those gains to peace processes of the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates head to Saudi Arabia later this morning. They'll be meeting with King Abdullah this afternoon.
While U.S. troops remain on the job in Iraq, Iraq's lawmakers are now beginning a month-long vacation. They won't return to Baghdad until September 4th. That's just 11 days before the U.S. progress report is due to Congress on whether Iraq is reaching the benchmarks set out by President Bush.
The Taliban has now killed two South Korean surch workers it's holding hostage. Twenty-one people are still being held somewhere in Afghanistan. Taliban leaders have demanded the release of prisoners, but negotiators say they have ruled that out.
Rupert Murdoch's $5 billion offer to buy the company that owns "The Wall Street Journal" is still on the table, but a deadline for a decision has come and gone. Sources say some members of the Bancroft family are still holding out -- John.
ROBERTS: Looking for a better deal.
Coming up to 11 minutes after the hour. Other important stories that we're following for you this morning with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: It's still a bumpy ride for thousands of Northwest Airlines passenger.
Ali Velshi watching all this, "Minding Your Business".
Good morning, Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
I'm noodling around the Northwest airlines site. No information being offered there about the fact that they have experienced much higher than normal cancellations since Friday.
The airline normally has about 99 percent of its flight leave and land, even though some of them are delayed. We're now up to, according to the airline eight percent a day in terms of cancellations. According to one independent source, up to 13 percent a day.
The airline is blaming the -- or saying that there's a high rate of pilot absenteeism, that pilots are calling in sick. The Airline Pilots Association is saying that the airline is working the pilots so hard they don't have enough pilots, that the pilots are legitimately getting sick. So, it's unclear whether this is a work action or not, but the bottom line is Northwest passengers are getting stranded.
They're flying these planes very full, as you know, these days, so when there's a cancellations, it takes many, many flights just to get everybody moving again. So the cancellations are expected to continue again, and we'll keep an eye on it. Northwest Airlines has about 13 percent, according to one source, of its flights canceled right now.
ROBERTS: If you call a police sickout, the blue flu, what do you call a Northwest Airlines sickout?
VELSHI: Yes. I don't know. That's a good question. But it's unclear whether it is a sickout or whether they are just out of hours, because the FAA doesn't allow pilots to fly more than a certain number of hours a month.
ROBERTS: All right. Ali, thanks very much.
VELSHI: OK.
ROBERTS: Alina.
CHO: Thanks, John.
An erupting volcano tops your "Quick Hits" this morning.
It sent people running in the eastern Philippines, blowing its top and raining ash on two towns. This is one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes. Thankfully, nobody was hurt in that eruption.
New wildfires burning at this hour in Montana. More than 200 homes are in danger right now. Firefighters say Montana's largest wildfire near Glacier National Park has more than doubled during the past 24 hours.
And there she is, Miss America, crown and all, Lauren Nelson. She's made online safety her platform issue. She'll be joining us with advice for parents and teens.
That's next on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Seventeen minutes after the hour.
Welcome back to the most news in the morning here on CNN.
We've been talking all week about online predators and efforts to stop them from infiltrating Web sites like MySpace and Facebook. Lauren Nelson, who is the current Miss America, used her own photos of her younger self to lure sexual predators for the TV show "America's Most Wanted".
She says that she made online safety her platform, because when she was 13 she received some inappropriate photos from a man that she met online. She also testified last week before the Senate urging for Internet safety to be taught in schools, among other places.
Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson, joins me now.
Thanks for being with us.
LAUREN NELSON, MISS AMERICA 2007: Thank you for having me.
ROBERTS: And really good on you for doing this. This is a terrific cause.
NELSON: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Spoken as the father of a 15-year-old daughter who has a profile on Facebook.
So, tell me a little more about this experience when you were 13 that really got you interested in all of this.
NELSON: Well, when I was 13 I was at a sleepover with some girlfriends, innocently chatting in a chat room, chatting with people that we did know and didn't know, which was our first mistake. And then a man approached us, asked us the question, "ASL?" which means age, sex location. We gave him the information not knowing any better, so immediately he knew where we were and who we were.
ROBERTS: You knew enough to know what ASL was?
NELSON: Right.
ROBERTS: But you were trusting him?
NELSON: Absolutely. We didn't know any better not to give the information.
So we gave him the information. He didn't track us down, which could have happened, but he did send inappropriate pictures of himself, which then we alerted our parents.
ROBERTS: When you talk about inappropriate pictures, what are we talking about?
NELSON: Naked.
ROBERTS: Terrific.
NELSON: Yes.
ROBERTS: Nice thing for a 13-year-old girl to be exposed to.
NELSON: Absolutely.
ROBERTS: So you've made this your national platform now as Miss America. Recently, you were involved in a sting operation with the Suffolk County police here in New York at "America's Most Wanted". You posted pictures online of yourself when you were 14.
I mean, to have it as a national platform is one thing, but why did you want to get intimately involved in the law enforcement aspect of it?
NELSON: Well, taking a proactive stance in this is what I wanted to do as Miss America. Miss America opened a door for me and it gave me an opportunity to really do something about it and not just provide lip service. And so, partnering with "America's Most Wanted" and John Walsh gave me that opportunity.
ROBERTS: So what was it like to actually -- you chatted with these people online and you spoke with them.
NELSON: I talked to them on the phone. And I was the 14-year- old decoy that stood on the front porch and they followed me into the house.
So, it's one thing to chat online with them. But when it comes to phone calls or when it comes to seeing them in person, it becomes very, very personal. And absolutely the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life.
ROBERTS: How did you lure them to the home? Because there were four of them that eventually...
(CROSSTALK)
NELSON: Right. Well, there were no lures, actually. They pretty much carry on the conversation by themselves, and it's the compulsion that drives them to come to house.
They engaged in the meeting. They suggested the meeting. And we gave them where the address was and what the situation was, and they showed up on their own will.
ROBERTS: I mean, it's got to be just an unnerving experience to have somebody coming over. NELSON: It is.
ROBERTS: And even -- you're, what, 23 now?
NELSON: Twenty.
ROBERTS: Twenty -- sorry. You don't look older than you are. IT was my mistake.
But to have somebody come over thinking that you're a 14-year-old girl to engage in activity like this with you...
NELSON: Right.
ROBERTS: ... I mean...
NELSON: But it happens all the time to our real 14 and 15-year- old girls and boys. And so -- and that's what made it worth it for us.
ROBERTS: We were talking just before we came on about this fellow Jack McClellan out in California, who is going to these events with young children, posting photos of them online.
What can a parent do about that?
NELSON: You know, anything -- being involved with what their kids are doing offline and online is very, very important, and being aware of your surroundings, especially in that situation with Jack McClellan. There is not much that you can do to keep this man from taking pictures of your children, but just being aware of what is going on is very, very important.
ROBERTS: And what you're really stressing here, too, is the importance of education.
NELSON: Absolutely.
ROBERTS: In schools, at home, also organizations like Symantec (ph)...
NELSON: Right.
ROBERTS: ... which makes anti-virus software. They're all getting involved in this.
NELSON: I am. I'm partnering with Symantec actually this week, and we're going to giant campuses and their cyber camps. On Thursday we're having a town hall meeting. And I have the opportunity to talk to parents and kids about Internet safety, which is important, because parents and kids alike need to be educated on it.
ROBERTS: Right.
Well, Lauren Nelson, it's really great work that you're doing. Thanks for being with us. Sorry about the age thing, but I guess it's probably because you are wise beyond your years.
NELSON: Well, thank you very much.
ROBERTS: There you go.
There's a save, huh, Alina?
CHO: Good job coming back there, John. All right. And good for her.
A high-speed game of cat and mouse in Dallas, that's topping your "Quick Hits" this morning.
The guy in the SUV leads cops on a chase all over the city with speeds reaching over 90 miles an hour. Well, they finally blow out his tires with a spike strip. He told police he was just trying to get his sick cat to the vet. Well, he was arrested and animal control took the cat.
Boy. Beaten up, too.
A dramatic emergency landing in southern California. A twin- engine plane skidded to safety at the Naval Air Station in Point Mugu after the landing gear under its left wing failed. Smooth sailing, though. The landing was just about as perfect as you could get it. The 12 people on board were shaken up, but unhurt.
Business is booming for business -- and first class, that is. We'll have that story next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Coming up now to 25 minutes after the hour.
Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business".
What have you got for us this morning?
VELSHI: Well, we were talking -- we've been talking all day about these problems at Northwest, these ongoing problems at Northwest. If anybody is listening at Northwest, fix your problems.
But there has been a remarkable increase in the number of people traveling business class or first class from New York or from the United States to Europe. In fact, the numbers are up to 694,000 in May. The number of people in first or business class seats in may surpassed pre-9/11 levels.
Just so -- to put this whole thing in perspective, there were four million people who traveled in economy seats from the United States to Europe and back in May.
You'll have noticed some of these premium airlines that are showing up -- Eos MAXjet Silverjet. They go directly from New York to some places in England. Non -- sort of main airports, and L'Avion, which flies from Newark to Paris. But there's been an upsurge in business class seats to -- finally to pre-9/11 levels.
CHO: Right. And a lot of the more traditional airlines, the larger airlines, are looking at all business class planes now, right?
VELSHI: All business class planes. Better business class seats. The ones that go all the way flat. United just announced that the other day, and we'll probably see the other airlines...
ROBERTS: Those are so much better when you're flying overseas.
VELSHI: It's a big difference. Kiran was making fun of me for saying the difference between 176 degrees and 180.
CHO: No, it's a huge difference.
VELSHI: 180 is flat. My bed every night, 180 degrees.
CHO: That's right.
ROBERTS: It used to be, too, that you could only get that by flying first class.
VELSHI: Right. Now it's in business.
ROBERTS: It was hugely expensive. Well, that's great.
VELSHI: First class has a whole cabin with people to help you out.
ROBERTS: Ali, thanks very much.
VELSHI: All right.
ROBERTS: Hey, also "On Our Radar" this morning, the new do that everyone is buzzing about. We're going to be -- come on in, Kelly. You remember Kelly, our intern.
CHO: Kelly, our intern from the debates.
ROBERTS: Who was asking all these questions, political questions.
CHO: From the YouTube debates, that's right.
ROBERTS: This is the latest rage.
CHO: It's so Posh Spice. It's so Katie Holmes. It's all the rage. It's the bob. It's back, right?
ROBERTS: It's back among young people? What is the deal with that? You know, we thought the bob was like out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's very chic and it makes people just feel very mature. CHO: If I do say so myself.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I say so.
ROBERTS: And look at this. It's not just a bob, but it's a graduated bob here at the back as well.
CHO: That's right.
ROBERTS: Very cool.
CHO: And our entertainment correspondent, Lola Ogunnaike, will be there with that story when...
ROBERTS: Looking forward to that.
We'll have that and more when AMERICAN MORNING continues.
Stay with us.
CHO: Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back on this last day of July. A bit of a hazy shot coming from San Francisco from our affiliate KGO.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Very cool, though.
CHO: Yes, I'm hearing from meteorologist John Roberts that it is 59 and cloudy, going up to 69 with brilliant sunshine.
ROBERTS: Isn't that great?
CHO: It is.
ROBERTS: Just a sliver of sun coming up over the mountains in the background.
CHO: San Francisco's always great. Even with the haze, if that's what it is.
Welcome back, everybody. It is Tuesday, July 31st. I'm Alina Cho.
ROBERTS: And I'm John Roberts. Good morning to you. Wondering this morning, what ever happened to the month of July? And then whatever happened to June as well?
CHO: And August will go by fast as well.
ROBERTS: You can bet, yes.
CHO: Summer will be over before we know it.
ROBERTS: Foot to the bottom of the floor on the accelerator. CHO: That's right.
ROBERTS: Hey, just a couple of minutes ago we were talking about tropical depression three. Well apparently it took offense to the fact that we were calling it a depression and not a storm so newly born Tropical Storm Chantal is out there now in the Atlantic Ocean. Rob Marciano tracking that.
What are we looking at, Rob?
(WEATHER REPORT)
CHO: New this morning, the latest now on a story we've been following all morning long. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts is in the hospital after suffering a seizure. It caused him to fall down at his vacation home off the coast of Maine yesterday. Doctors gave Roberts a neurological scan and it came back normal, which could point to epilepsy. Roberts had a seizure similar to this one about 14 years ago. Earlier we spoke to two separate neurological experts to get their opinions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. WENDY WRIGHT, NEUROLOGIST, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Epilepsy is two or more seizures that have no known cause. And from what we're hearing, this would be the chief justice's second seizure. It is difficult to say if he'll be diagnosed with epilepsy.
DR. FRANK GILLIAM, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY EPILEPSY CENTER: The Chief Justice Roberts has not had a seizure in 14 years, that they did not find anything on his initial evaluation 14 years ago and the fact that he recovered quickly yesterday all speak to this being a benign condition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: For at least the timing being, Roberts will remain at the Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine, under observation.
John.
ROBERTS: This just in this morning. The Pentagon expected to make an announcement about troop rotations to Iraq in just a few hours' time. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now.
Barbara, what are you picking up there?
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, our sources here in the Pentagon are telling us within the next several hours they are going to make an announcement here of the next scheduled rotation of troops into Iraq. About 20,000 troops. They will begin to go at the end of this year. Those deployments will continue into 2008. These will be the replacement troops on a 15-month tour of duty as the troops that are there finish up their tours of duty.
John, reading between the lines, what is most interesting here is these troops will allow the Pentagon to maintain the status quo. Fifteen combat brigades in Iraq into 2008, not the 20 combat brigades of the surge. It is well understood in this building they simply don't have enough troops to maintain that surge much past the spring of 2008.
John.
ROBERTS: Well, what are they going to do then, Barbara, if they need to maintain those troop levels?
STARR: Well, the options are not pretty. One option that is discussed is, once again, to reach down into the National Guard and the Army Reserve, take these people who are supposed to not be deploying again any time soon and have them go. Or even the worst case scenario, which nobody wants, including the top generals, extend the tours of duty even longer.
What they're looking for is not to make any of that happen. They're looking at these signs of success they see and hoping that in early '08 they will begin to ratchet back down to those 15 brigades, not the 20 brigades of the surge.
John.
ROBERTS: Well, certainly a lot of political pressure in Washington for that to happen.
Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon this morning.
Barbara, thanks.
CHO: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are in the Middle East right now. They arrived in Egypt overnight from meetings partly aimed at uniting Arab leaders against Iran's rising influence. The trip follows an announcement that billions of dollars in U.S. weaponry will be sent to the Mid East to counter any Iranian threats. So how is all of this registering inside Iran? CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us live via broadband from Tehran this morning.
So what's the mood there, Aneesh?
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Alina, good morning.
Reaction was swift to this potential arms deal and it was laced with a familiar condemnation of U.S. policy in the Middle East.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN, (voice over): Any talk of American weapons coming to the Middle East means just one thing -- and a former American official said it.
RICHARD HAASS, PRESIDENT, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Iran has emerged as the biggest threat, no simply to U.S. interests in the region, but the Saudi, Egyptian and other moderate Arab interests. So partially this is to give them confidence and capacity against Iran.
RAMAN: And it's not just the Saudis and the Egyptians. A potential southern flank seems set to emerge as the U.S. is also discussing arm sales with the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. It's intended, analysts here say, as in your face pressure on Iran that was met with immediate scorn.
MOHAMMAD ALI HOSSEINI, IRANIAN FOR. MIN. SPOKESMAN, (through translator): America has always considered one policy in this region and that is creating fear and making an effort to sell its arms and impose the export of these arms.
RAMAN: Iran has, for some time, been preparing for a military attack and it's not a potential arms race among neighbors that Iran fears, according to Professor Mohammad Marandi.
PROF. MOHAMMAD MARANDI, UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN: The Persian Gulf region is so small that the amount of weapons that Iran has right now is enough to defend itself. And it will be enough to deter the United States. So I don't think there's any other power that is a threat to Iran beyond the United States.
RAMAN: Who are already next door dealing with an Iraq mired in violence and leading Iran to think their only real threat doesn't have the option now to attack the Islamic republic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN: And so it goes, Alina. Just a week after Iran and the U.S. sat down to talk in Iraq, a sign that any step forward is clouded by decades of mistrust.
Alina.
CHO: CNN's Aneesh Raman live for us in Tehran.
Aneesh, thank you.
John.
ROBERTS: An incredible tale of survival to tell you about this morning. These are the pictures that we first showed you yesterday. Take a look at this. A 35-ton cement truck swerved to avoid an accident but instead flipped over and completely crushed this car. Unbelievably, the driver survived -- there he is -- with only cuts and bruises. I spoke with him earlier this morning and asked him how that experience changed him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM STRANDBERG, CAR CRUSHED BY CEMENT TRUCK: I've been going through definitely a couple years of despondency. And back during the open heart surgery people said that I was a miracle because I had an aneurysm the size of a softball and I shouldn't be alive. And it's that period of despondency. I was really starting to question God and is there a Jesus. And I honestly believe this is the man's way of saying, yes, I am here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Well, he maintained a great sense of humor through all of this. Rescuers gave him a cell phone while he was still trapped inside his car. We asked him who he called. He said he called his folks to tell them that he'd probably be needing a ride home. The driver of the cement truck is also doing OK. He was issued a few tickets.
CHO: So lucky to be alive and a great sense of humor.
Sticking to tradition in North Carolina. That tops your "Quick Hits" now. John and Elizabeth Edwards celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary last night eating cheeseburgers and chili at Wendy's. The couple ate at Wendy's for their very first anniversary way back in 1977. And guess what, they've been doing it every year since.
Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh wants doctors and nurses to kick the Crocs. Officials say holes in them pose a safety hazard since they're big enough for a needle to fall through.
ROBERTS: You need some of those gibits (ph) to plug up the holes.
CHO: That's right. That may work. We'll consider that.
And coming up, a comeback for a kind of birth control that was once off the market. Is it the best choice for a new generation of Americans? Find out what it is and we'll have some answers for you next. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY SEINFELD, ACTOR, "SEINFELD": I thought you said it was eminent?
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, ACTRESS, "SEINFELD": Yes, it was, but then I just couldn't decide if he was really sponge-worthy.
SEINFELD: Sponge-worthy?
LOUIS-DREYFUS: Yes, Jerry, I have to conserve these sponges.
SEINFELD: But you like this guy. Isn't that what the sponges are for?
LOUIS-DREYFUS: Yes, yes, before they went off the market. But I mean now I've got to reevaluate my whole screening process. I can't afford to waste any of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: And already got a pretty famous plug on a famous episode of "Seinfeld," as you just saw there. Now the sponge is bouncing back 12 years after it was pulled from the market. The contraceptive sponge is being relaunched and remarketed. But is it the best protection you can buy. Dr. Robin Kalish is from New York's Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center.
So it's got fancy new packaging.
DR. ROBIN KALISH, N.Y. PRESBYTERIAN WEILL CORNELL CENTER: Right.
CHO: And it's got a fancy marketing campaign. But is it any different all these years later?
KALISH: Yes, it's really not any different. They've just decided to relaunch it. The product was originally put out about 20 years ago and then about 10 years ago they took it off the market just because of manufacturing problems. But now it's going to be reintroduced.
CHO: And here it is right here.
So tell me, you know, there's a whole generation of young women, as you well know, who've really never heard of the sponge.
KALISH: Right.
CHO: You know, they're familiar with birth control pills. They're familiar with condoms. And if those two forms of contraception are more effective, who is the sponge for?
KALISH: Right. I mean, I think it's good that the sponge is now going to be reintroduced because it does increases options for women. It may not be the best option for all women. It is a method that women can use and don't have to rely on the men using, even though it may not be quite as effective as the birth control pill or the condom.
CHO: Right. And are there any side effects? I mean anything that women who want to use this form of contraception should look out form?
KALISH: Right. It's important that women who use this do follow the directions. I mean it has to be placed before intercourse. It has to be kept in for six hours after intercourse. They have to make sure they don't leave it in for over 24 hours because there could be a risk of infection.
CHO: That's right, toxic shock, right?
KALISH: Exactly.
CHO: And isn't that -- and about that because isn't that in part why it was pulled in the first place?
KALISH: Exactly. There was a concern about bacterial contamination with the sponge. So it's very important that women who use this really follow the directions and use it perfectly. The birth control method is only as good as how good you use it. CHO: But for women out there, the millions of women out there who are watching, who are considering maybe changing their contraception method, would you suggest using the sponge? And, again, who is this for?
KALISH: Right. I think that there's a lot of factors to consider. I think that women who are in a magnanimous relationship, it might be a good idea. Women who are not should clearly use something like a condom which has better sexually transmitted disease protection. Unfortunately, the sponge does not.
CHO: Or use the two.
KALISH: Or use the two, exactly.
CHO: All right. Dr. Robin Kalish of Cornell Medical Center, we thank you for joining us this morning.
KALISH: Thank you.
CHO: Appreciate it.
John.
ROBERTS: CNN "Newsroom" is just minutes away now. Heidi Collins at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, John. That's right. We've got these stories on the "Newsroom" rundown this morning.
Senator under investigation. Federal agents search the home of Alaska's Ted Stevens.
Unraveling a Maryland mother's mystery. Police investigating the discovery of four infant bodies.
And choosing a new joint chiefs chairman. Congress set to question the man picked to replace Peter Pace.
Join me in the "Newsroom." We get started at the top of the hour right here on CNN.
John.
ROBERTS: Heidi, thanks. See you soon.
This summer it's the hairstyle that's bouncing back with a vengeance. Lola Ogunnaike takes us trend spotting next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Well here are some names for you. Posh, Katie, Brianna and the bob. That cute, classic cut is now this summer's Rachel. It's the hairstyle to have. So we sent our Lola Ogunnaike to the hairstylist of the stars to find out why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The bob is the look of the summer? What is up with this phenomenon?
SALLY HERSHBERGER, HAIRSTYLIST: I think Katie Holmes might have been the real person to bring it on. She's been photographed like nonstop with that haircut. She was like a girl.
OGUNNAIKE: Right.
HERSHBERGER: And now she's like a lady.
OGUNNAIKE: Now talk to me about this -- the bob. What exactly is a bob?
HERSHBERGER: This is like a choppy messy bob and, in fact, it's really good for this type of hair texture because your hair is thin.
OGUNNAIKE: So we talked about Meg Ryan's bob. And she was one of the pioneers of bringing this look back.
HERSHBERGER: She was really the first, I would have to say. And bringing it messy and all that.
I think Posh's hair looks really good when it's just like kind of tucked behind. When it's less all coming forward into her face.
OGUNNAIKE: So when it's less severe.
HERSHBERGER: Yes.
OGUNNAIKE: And a little more casual?
HERSHBERGER: Yes, a little more casual.
Nicole Richie has one of my favorite bobs for sure.
OGUNNAIKE: Oh, why do you love it?
HERSHBERGER: It's just elegant.
OGUNNAIKE: Also the R&B singer Rihanna.
HERSHBERGER: Yes.
OGUNNAIKE: She had a long, you know, weave in before and, you know, she's . . .
HERSHBERGER: Her bob's major. Don't you love it?
OGUNNAIKE: I love it.
HERSHBERGER: Love it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: All right. So what do you think, Lola?
OGUNNAIKE: I love it. The green is working. That angle.
CHO: I've been put up -- oh, my gosh. This is awful. I'm going to take this off. It's very nice.
OGUNNAIKE: Throw it away. Throw it away.
CHO: I think you should have it.
OGUNNAIKE: Well, you have a great haircut.
CHO: Oh, thank you.
OGUNNAIKE: I have a bob.
CHO: You do have a bob.
OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.
CHO: You're ahead of the curve.
OGUNNAIKE: I'm ahead of the curve. The look is really hot this summer. I think it's a, you know, a reaction. It's a backlash to the extension craze that plagued, you know, hair for the past few years. I think women want a more sleek look, a more sophisticated, polish look. And the bob serves that purpose.
CHO: And, Katie, I mean, who really put it over the edge, do you think? Was it Katie Holmes?
OGUNNAIKE: Katie Holmes has like -- she's been one of the people who's definitely benefitted from a bob. Before she was very "Dawson's Creek" with the long hair.
CHO: Oh, come on, I like the long hair.
OGUNNAIKE: Well, I don't think it really worked for her.
CHO: Really?
OGUNNAIKE: It brought her face now. Now she's got this look. She's got the clothes to match. And she's being really regarded as a fashion player now.
CHO: She definitely looks more sophisticated.
OGUNNAIKE: Absolutely.
CHO: A little more older. Maybe closer to age with Tom Cruise, her husband, right? OGUNNAIKE: Yes. But even look at Nicole Richie. I mean, she had the ratty extensions before. All of a sudden she cuts it into a bob and now she's regarded as a fashion icon.
CHO: I don't think she'd appreciate you saying ratty extensions, Lola.
OGUNNAIKE: She wouldn't appreciate a lot of what I have to say about her. But, OK.
CHO: All right. So what did Sally Hershberger say about whether this is here to stay?
OGUNNAIKE: Well, she said that it's one of those looks that's definitely iconic and it has a resurgence every few years and people really embrace it. What she also pointed out is that it's not for everyone. You've got to have a square jaw or a round jaw for it to work. And also it doesn't necessarily work if you have a long, narrow face because the hair just drowns it out. Curly hair also not really good with the bob because it can just rise up and end up looking like a poodle.
CHO: Well, if you thought I looked bad in that green wig, take a look at our crew here. We've got Phil and Bruce.
OGUNNAIKE: It's an epidemic.
CHO: And Pete in the wigs there.
OGUNNAIKE: The bobs are catching on.
CHO: Looking good, Billy. Looking good, Billy.
OGUNNAIKE: It works for Phil with the pink because of the cheek bones. Grazing your cheek bones, Phil. That's definitely a look for you.
CHO: And, by the way, just so you know, behind the scenes here, they've been wearing those wigs for a while. So to keep a straight face and deliver the news has not been very easy.
OGUNNAIKE: They're definitely ready for the red carpet.
CHO: All right, Lola, thank you very much, as always. Fun segment.
OGUNNAIKE: Thank you. Fun segment.
CHO: Here's a quick look at what CNN's "Newsroom" is working on for the top of the hour.
COLLINS: See these stories in the CNN "Newsroom."
Chief Justice John Roberts hospitalized this morning. He suffered a seizure.
Senior senator under investigation. Agents from the FBI and IRS search Ted Stevens' Alaska home.
Tag team diplomacy. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the Middle East.
"Newsroom" at the top of the hour on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, we thought this was such a cool picture, we wanted to come back to it one more time.
CHO: Oh, man.
ROBERTS: Look, the fog's coming in.
CHO: That is incredible.
ROBERTS: The city of San Francisco. Tower camera shot from our affiliate KGO there. It's all going to burn off, though. It's going to be a beautiful day in San Francisco today. High right about 70 degrees. A little on the cooler side but still nice.
CHO: That's right. As opposed to this sweltering heat we'll be feeling here in New York city.
ROBERTS: Oh, yes, you bet.
Hey, thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. Appreciate it. I hope to see you again tomorrow. Thank you for filling in today.
CHO: Thank you for having me. It's been nice.
ROBERTS: Kiran's back again tomorrow.
CHO: CNN "Newsroom" with Heidi Collins begins right now.
COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Tony Harris is off today. Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on this Tuesday morning. It's July 31st. And here's what's on the rundown.
A seizure sidelines Chief Justice John Roberts. Hospitalized this morning.
Also, investigating Senator Stevens. Federal agents taking a closer look at the Alaska Republican's home.
And a disturbing obsession.
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