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Mattel Toys Faces Second Recall in Almost 2 Weeks; 'Bike Path' Sentencing; Self-Described Pedophile Arrested Twice in Less Than 12 Hours

Aired August 14, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You're with CNN.
I'm Heidi Collins. Tony will be back tomorrow.

Developments keep coming in the CNN NEWSROOM on Tuesday, the 14th of August. It's a busy news day, too.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Minutes ago, Tropical Storm Dean blew to life in the Atlantic. In the Pacific, Hurricane Flossie harassing Hawaii's big island.

Lead paint, loose magnets, nine million Mattel toys recalled within the last hour.

And NFL quarterback Michael Vick reportedly weighing a plea deal. Our guest talks about it, live.

Dogfighting fallout, in the NEWSROOM.

A new storm in the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Dean now swirling in the open sea. Hurricane Flossie headed toward Hawaii. Strong storms making headlines this hour.

The very latest from meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in the CNN hurricane center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Our other big story this hour, a safety warning for parents. Another major toy recall announced just a short time ago. The concerns, lead paint and small magnets.

CNN's Allan Chernoff is following the story from New York now.

All right. Remind us, Allan, because, there are a lot of them. What toys are being recalled?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Right, Heidi. We have two categories of toys here that were being recalled.

First of all, some toys that have very small magnets. And these magnets can come loose, small children may ingest them, even actually inhale them, or they could get stuck in the ear or nose. And here's what we're talking about. First of all, Polly Pocket -- and this is the largest category of toys -- and what's happening here is that accessories for Polly Pocket, clothing, you can see the little magnet in there and that can get dislodged. So that's one category here. Also, Barbie and Tanner. Believe it or not, the pooper scooper for Tanner has a magnet and that magnet also can get dislodged.

Doggie Day Care, Batman, you just saw a picture there of the other category, lead paint, and the lead paint this time around, it's on the Sarge jeep, one of the characters from the movie "Cars". So, of course, lead paint has been outlawed for a very long time, for years and years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY NORD, ACTING CHAIRWOMAN, CPSC: There's absolutely no excuse for lead to be found in toys entering this country. It is totally unacceptable and it needs to stop. And this agency is going to take whatever action it needs to take to address that problem aggressively.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: Now, this comes only two weeks after Mattel had to recall other toys because they were painted with lead paint. And those included some "Sesame Street" characters, and Dora the Explorer as well.

Mattel says that it now has put in tighter standards. It is checking every batch of paint, not just intermittently.

So, Heidi, hopefully, we're not going to hear about too many more recalls. But Mattel, as the CEO pointed out in the interview you did just a little while ago, he said problems do happen. Nothing is perfect.

COLLINS: Yes. And what's really not perfect now is that once we put the recall out there, it is now the parents' responsibility to go through all of the toys and figure out what to do with them, which is obviously get them out of the house and don't let the kids play with them anymore.

CHERNOFF: Right. I think that's one aspect of the responsibility. But that's on the backside of this.

I think it's more important for parents to think on the front side. Let's think about what sort of toys we're giving to our children.

Most of these toys, I think, are simply not appropriate for an infant, not appropriate for a very young toddler. Children, say, under 2 years of age who are prone to putting things into their mouth.

COLLINS: Sure.

CHERNOFF: That Sarge toy, it's only three inches, it's very small. A child who is under 3 years of age really should not be playing with any toys that have very small pieces, because as you know, at that age a child is putting things in the mouth, testing them out, et cetera.

We're talking here, I think -- most of these toys are really appropriate for kids 5 and up. At that age, a child knows not to chew on a toy, not to try to swallow the little pieces. And that's very important for the parents, because safety, after all, is the responsibility, number one, of the parents. I mean, Mattel has to do its job, but I don't know any parent that's going to depend on a toy manufacturer to protect their own children.

COLLINS: Certainly. Hopefully not. But to get them into the house, that's another story, I guess.

Allan Chernoff, appreciate that, live from our New York bureau this morning.

Here's a look now at some of the recalls involving Mattel toys in the last decade. Two and a half million Lift & Lock Swings were recalled in 2000. Last year, 2.4 million Polly Pocket magnetic play sets were recalled. And earlier this month, a recall of 1.5 million toys from Mattel's Fisher-Price division. The concern there, lead paint.

Those toys were made in China.

Want to get you some news that is happening right now. It's a very well-known case in New York. The "Bike Path Rapist" being sentenced today.

Our T.J. Holmes is in the NEWSROOM looking at this story for us.

T.J., the latest?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's over for a lot of folks. The terror has ended, police would tell you. The man who was convicted of being the "Bike Path Rapist" has now been sentenced to the maximum, 75 years to life, in prison for three murders that took place on that bike path trail there in Amherst, New York.

This is 49-year-old Altemio Sanchez. He was convicted of killing a woman, a University of Buffalo student some 17 years ago along that trail, then he was convicted of another two murders that happened along that trail just last year.

Now, also, he has admitted to authorities, though he won't be tried for these and won't be facing charges, to some 15 rapes that also happened in that area over that -- over that period, really, between 1979 to the present, some 15 rapes that took place. But this is a man who authorities say terrorized the area.

A lot of college students, a lot of women use that trail, and for the past 17 years have been fearful because this man was still out there and still on the loose. But Altemio Sanchez has now been sentenced to the maximum. Here now is the judge who spoke, who had these words to say to Sanchez during the sentencing hearing just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These murders span 16 years. During that time, women in our community have been unable to enjoy a simple walk without the fear of being attacked. But you have been caught and this sentence reflects your unspeakable cruelty in committing these horrible murders. You showed no mercy and you deserve none.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And Sanchez did speak himself at that sentencing hearing and did express remorse and did apologize for what he had done, eight rapes that he has admitted to. Eight of them have definitively linked him with DNA evidence. A couple of those rapes, actually, another man has served several years in prison for.

So, there he is, Altemio Sanchez, the so-called "Bike Path Rapist," now going to prison, 75 years to life behind bars. Many authorities, many police officers were expected to attend that sentencing hearing today because many of them have spent the past 17 years of their lives, their careers dedicated to trying to track this man down and find him. And now it seems to be finally some closure to this case that really has terrorized people in that community for some time -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. I know that he also had to face some of the victims' family members today as well in court. So hopefully they will be feeling better. You never know.

T.J. Holmes, thanks so much.

HOLMES: All right.

COLLINS: A self-described pedophile facing charges this morning.

Our Chris Lawrence has the latest on the case from Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jack McClellan was arrested twice in less than 12 hours. The first time police picked him up outside that UCLA daycare center. McClellan admits he had a camera but says it didn't have any batteries in it.

The police questioned him for hours, ordered him to stay away from campus, and then let him go. But McClellan didn't leave. In fact, that's when he started talking to CNN affiliate KTLA.

JACK MCCLELLAN, SELF-DESCRIBED PEDOPHILE: It was an honest mistake. I had been on the campus for a couple of hours before that at other places. I didn't go right to that spot because I didn't -- I'm not familiar with the campus. I don't go to school there. Honestly, I didn't know it was there. The reason I was on UCLA was because I didn't think there would be virtually any minors there and I thought I could kind of blend in as a student.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you attracted to children?

MCCLELLAN: Yes, sure, girls. I mean, I've admitted that many times, but I have never done anything criminal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After you did what you did today though, why should you be allowed to walk around freely?

MCCLELLAN: Well, that wasn't my decision. That was the decision at the police department, and they just decided that it wasn't that grave of a situation.

LAWRENCE: Somebody saw that live interview about 10:00 or 11:00 Monday night, and that's when police came in and arrested McClellan again, this time for trespassing.

Now, McClellan has made no secret about the fact that he enjoys watching little girls. In fact, he calls them LGs. And he admits he does stake out the places they're likely to be -- parks, public libraries, even fast-food restaurants. But up until now, he has never broken any law. He has no criminal record.

McClellan had been living up in the state of Washington, where he ran this Web site for years. Now, we understand he was living with his parents up there, but he says other parents and activists drove him out of that area. He got down here to southern California earlier this summer, where as far as we know, he's been living on some sort of supplemental income and living out of his car.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Shuttle trouble. NASA figuring out what to do about a gouge in Endeavour's belly.

Quarterback calling new signals? Michael Vick reportedly considering a plea deal in the dogfighting case. We'll talk with an attorney about this new development.

And tracking two tropical systems. Tropical Storm Dean on the scene now in the Atlantic. And Hurricane Flossie stirs trouble in paradise. Hawaii's forecast ahead.

Live to the CNN hurricane center, ahead, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Quarterback Michael Vick under pressure and scrambling in the dogfighting case. ESPN reports Vick is huddling with his attorneys under a Friday deadline to accept a plea agreement. That follows word two more co-defendants are cooperating with prosecutors. They have hearings later this week. A third co- defendant pleaded guilty last month. All three men could be called to testify against Vick.

The Atlanta Falcons' star has pleaded not guilty to his alleged role in a dogfighting operation. The NFL has told Vick to stay away from the team while the league conducts its own investigation.

Without a plea deal, Vick could face more charges in a superceding indictment.

Joining us now, entertainment attorney and BET talk show host, Ryan Smith.

Ryan, thanks for being with us.

So, what's the deal? I mean, we know that ESPN is reporting that he was offered a plea deal. Do you think he should take it?

RYAN SMITH, ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY: Well, it depends on the circumstances. A lot of this is going to depend on what the strength of the testimony of these potential witnesses or these potential people who are agreeing to this plea deal.

Now, this is very normal. What happens is it's a race to the courthouse. And the first person that cuts the deal ends up getting a lesser sentence or a lesser way to go, while giving the other person who's still on the hook possibly a higher sentence.

So the real question here is, what do they have to offer? For Michael Vick, he's going to have to weigh whether or not what they can offer in testimony against him is powerful enough for him to possibly lose the case. If it is, then he probably should take a plea deal and just throw himself on the mercy of the court.

COLLINS: And only he knows, other than the two people, obviously, involved, exactly what they had to offer.

SMITH: Right. Well at least -- Tony Taylor, who was the first person to take the deal, alleged that he had basically financed the entire thing. And that's not really a stretch here because Michael Vick is a multimillionaire. So he's already looking at that and now he's got these other two who would weigh against him.

In court, they would always -- his defense attorney would try to break them down and simply say, you are agreeing to this just because you want to get off the hook. But the government is likely to have corroborating evidence that says that Vick was the financier and that he was heavily involved in this. So he's got a really tough way to go.

Let's also not forget here that he's not your ordinary defendant. He has to weigh his NFL career here. And if he loses at trial, he could potentially not have a career. So he's got to weigh that as well. And that's what they're considering in the next couple days. COLLINS: So, let's say that he doesn't take the plea deal and it goes forward. Can he be held responsible even only if it is proven that he did finance the dogfighting ring?

SMITH: Absolutely, he can.

COLLINS: Yes.

SMITH: And he faces a lot of time. We're talking a potential six years, $350,000 fine, which for a multimillionaire may not seem like a lot. But the six years is very likely here.

Even with a plea deal, it's not likely that he can avoid jail time. And that's going to be his key in only sort of plea. He's going to try to knock out any type of jail time. But with these three against him, with the corroborating evidence, it's very tough for him to go here. And it's not sort of an easy road.

He's going to have to prove that all these people are wrong, that he had nothing to do with this. And if it seems like had he something to do with this, he's facing some serious jail time, perhaps years in jail.

COLLINS: What would you consider to be a good deal though in this case?

SMITH: Anything without jail time for him is a good deal. That's just to start.

COLLINS: Really?

SMITH: Anything without jail time, absolutely. He's looking at possibly months, if not years, in jail, because, as I said, with plea deals, the first person who comes in gets the least amount of time. They flip on the other person.

COLLINS: Sure.

SMITH: Then when other people come in they flip on the remaining person. It looks as if the prosecution is setting up Vick here as the big target. And if that's the case, they're going to push for some sort of jail time not only because of the law, but also to make a statement here.

So, for Vick, anything without jail time is going to be a good thing.

COLLINS: All right. Quickly, I know you're not an NFL commissioner, but just as you look at this type of case, being that you are an entertainment attorney, even after it's over, if he's not found guilty in any way, will another NFL team ever touch him? Does he go back to the Falcons?

I mean, what happens?

SMITH: That is an interesting question. I think the answer is, yes, there are a lot of NFL teams out there that value skill over all else.

Some people think that this case will die down over time. Especially if he's out of the league for this year. And the attention to it will be a lot less next year.

The thing is, NFL teams want to win games. Michael Vick has won games for the Atlanta Falcons over and over and over again. So there are a lot of teams out there that need quarterbacks, and they will look at him and they will say, you know what? He made a mistake, we're going to overlook that.

He has got huge fan support in Atlanta. Who's to say he won't have that in another city, particularly a major city? So I think he will have an NFL career if he's exonerated of his charges.

COLLINS: Entertainment attorney and BET talk show host Ryan Smith.

Thank you, Ryan.

SMITH: Thank you, Heidi.

COLLINS: Russian authorities launch a terrorism investigation after a major train derailment. The incident believed to be caused by a homemade bomb.

Plastic surgery suggestions right out of reality TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've had had a little bit of lipo, I had a little bit of breast augmentation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: But are potential patients getting the whole story?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Some sad news to report to you now. T.J. Holmes is working on this story.

We've gotten word, T.J., the death of a very well loved former New York Yankee.

HOLMES: Yes, a Yankee legend. He was with them during the glory days, if you will, in the '40s and '50s.

Phil Rizzuto is the name, shortstop -- Hall of Fame shortstop for the Yankees. Won the MVP back in 1950.

He has died. He's been in declining health the past few years. He's been living in a nursing home. But word from the Yankee organization that he has died.

He, of course, played 13 seasons with the Yankees, and after that went into a broadcasting career, spent 40 years with the organization, broadcasting as well. But a legend, was really with the Yankees during some of those dynasty days.

A Hall of Fame shortstop, Phil Rizzuto, dead now at the age of 89. And he was, in fact, the oldest living member of the Hall of Fame at the age of 89. But Phil Rizzuto, a Yankee great, has died at the age of 89 -- Heidi.

COLLINS: I'm sure he will be very missed. All right, T.J. Thank you.

Mattel pulling millions of toys off store shelves because of potential hazards to children. Among those hazards, magnets that can be dislodged and swallowed, and also lead paint.

Earlier in the NEWSROOM, our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, talked more about the lead paint danger.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: If your child has been holding a toy that has lead in it, even put it in their mouth, they may still be fine. You know, to actually get enough lead into your body is still hard to do. If they are actually chewing it, breaking off some of that lead, swallowing it, that could be, obviously, more of a problem.

Now, there's several different things that might happen if you are worried about it. You can take your child to the doctor. They can do a little pinprick test where they actually test the blood in their fingers.

If that comes back too high, they will take more blood. And if, in fact, your child has too much lead in their system, they will do something called chelation. They'll actually take the lead out of their body.

In the sort of short-term setting, a kid might have some abdominal pain. They could even develop sleepiness or lethargy. They could have seizures.

Longer term, it's been associated with lower intelligence. Even ADHD. So there's obvious good reason to get it checked out.

COLLINS: Sure.

GUPTA: But again, you know, for the most part, people don't have to necessarily panic about it if you just have them around the house.

COLLINS: So when you talk about kids, the only way that they can really have a problem with this is by ingesting it. We are talking about probably younger kids then who are still putting a lot of things in their mouths.

GUPTA: That's right. And really, that, in addition to the fact that younger kids are still growing. And lead seems to have greater impact on a developing body as opposed to an adult. So kids under the age of 6 probably at the greatest risk of this.

COLLINS: OK.

What about other ways that kids could be ingesting lead? I mean, we've talked for years about lead paint at schools or in older homes that people might buy.

GUPTA: Yes. And, in fact, you know, you can find a clear demarcation of the number of lead cases right around 1978.

Before that, there were literally around 13 million kids who had problems with too much lead in their system. After that, it ended up being -- you know, nowadays, it's about 300,000. So the numbers have gone considerably down because of that lead paint in homes no longer being there.

Also, you know, for example, certain fishing gear can actually have lead in it as well. So if kids are getting that in their mouths.

Also, one other thing we found interesting is dogs might actually go into a yard and dig up sort of lead-contaminated soil, bring it into the house, roll around the house, and then bring lead essentially into the house, where kids might get that into their mouths as well. So there are other ways besides just toys, but toys perhaps the biggest culprit right now with everything that's going on.

COLLINS: Yes. Yes, certainly a lot going on today.

Is there any way to know how much? I mean, I'm thinking about the dog example that you gave.

My dog is really big. He probably would get a lot of it on him, as opposed to a little dog. I mean, how do you know how much is OK and not?

GUPTA: Well, you can get tested. And, you know, you bring up a good point, because if you are worried about it, kids may develop lead poisoning before they have symptoms. So if you are very concerned about it, get it checked out.

COLLINS: OK.

GUPTA: In fact, the CDC takes it even a step further. We found this out -- they actually recommend yearly testing of lead between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. Not everyone does that.

COLLINS: No.

GUPTA: But that is something that the CDC recommends. Maybe it is something good to do, especially if you are worried about it.

COLLINS: Yes.

All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, I know you're going to stick around to see this press conference.

GUPTA: Yes.

COLLINS: Appreciate that.

GUPTA: Sure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Authorities say all of the nine million toys involved in the recall were made in China.

To learn more about the affected toys, go to mattel.com/safety.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Zarrella at the Crandall Canyon Mine, where efforts to reach those six trapped miners have picked up speed.

COLLINS: Nightmare in China. A bridge nearing completion collapses. Dozens of people killed or injured.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in your hurricane headquarters. T.D. number four is now Tropical Storm Dean. Could Erin be on the way?

We'll let you know, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Going 1,400 feet down to reach six trapped miners. Crews drilling a third hole now this morning at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah. I want to go live now to our John Zarrella.

John, I hear we have some new developments regarding the miners' families. What can you tell us?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as every day that goes by, Bob Murray, the CEO, the president of the mining company, along with Richard Stickler with the Mine Safety Administration, meet with the families. No exception today. They have met with the families this morning, and that's following Bob Murray's visit into the mine earlier this morning with a couple of other family members.

So bringing information back to the families who gather at a church not too far from here at the entrance to the Crandall Canyon Mine. They're about 15 miles away at a school rather.

And also, as you mentioned, the boring into the earth is continuing with that third drill hole, the 5-and-1/8 inch drill digging down. They have to go about 1,400 feet. They're going to make that hole about 1,300 feet away from the original two holes that they drilled. That's because they believe the miners may have tried to seek shelter in a far end of the mine. That's they're thinking now.

Now at the same they may have tried to seek shelter in a far end of the mine. That's their thinking now. At the same time, they showed some pictures yesterday that were taken inside that mine cavity. That's from the camera that was lowered into the other 8-5/8- inch hole that was drilled over the weekend.

Now while it did show very survivable space in there, it was still, even with enhanced lighting, very difficult to see very far. You could see some tools around the area and some other items. And Rob Moore, who's vice president of the mining company, detailed the things that they were able to pick out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MOORE, V.P. MURRAY ENERGY: You'll see that we have a 360- degree horizontal view here. And the camera rotates around, at times focusing on certain things. In this case here you have belt hangers. That's the chain that you see here. An here in the back you see actually the belt.

On the ground, this is the water line, the water pipe, supplies water to the mine. This is the bottom camera. It's just looking down at the floor. And again, look here, you can see the roof is in tact and competent. Again, it's holding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Now Bob Murray, the mine owner, has also said efforts to reach the miners through that main tunnel have sped up. They had, of course, a lot of difficulty the last couple of days. He's been very frustrated by that progress, but he's saying now they're moving a lot more quickly. We expect new information at a briefing coming up, we believe, in the next couple of hours -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, John, we know that you'll be following that for us. Thanks so much.

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: Plastic surgeries -- suggestions right out of reality TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've had a little bit of lipo. I've had a little bit of breast augmentation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: But are potential patients really getting the whole story?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Reality TV, fueling the dreams of plastic surgery patients, doctors cashing in. CNN's Sibila Vargas reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SIBILA VARGAS, ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Plastic surgery as entertainment, it's a reality of reality TV. It's shows like ABC's "Extreme Makeover," E! Entertainment's "Dr. 90210," and "The Swan" on Fox, attracting people who want to showcase their radical transformations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Turning in to the beautiful swan will apply to me.

VARGAS: But more and more doctors say they're seeing this televised quest for perfection influence real-life medical decisions.

ERIKA LAMOUREAUX, PLASTIC SURGERY PATIENT: I've had a little bit of lipo, I've had a little bit of breast augmentation.

VARGAS: Erica Lamoureaux has had a series of cosmetic surgeries and not just the ones she's mentioned. There was a chin implant, a nose job, a face-lift, and lip injections. Surgeries she says were inspired by makeovers on reality TV.

LAMOUREAUX: My boyfriend says that I'm not allowed to watch "Dr. 90210" because it becomes a shopping list.

VARGAS: Erika is not alone. A recent study published in the academic "Journal of Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery" sampled 42 people seeking cosmetic surgery and found that four out of five said they were directly influenced by procedures they'd seen on reality TV shows. And more than half said they watched at least one such program regularly.

LAMOUREAUX: And I guess I am influenced because that's how I found Doctor Ellenbogen.

DR. RICHARD ELLENBOGEN, PLASTIC SURGEON: A little bit of icing on the cake, sort of like what we're doing today with the botox.

VARGAS: Dr. Richard Ellenbogen has been practicing plastic surgery for more than 30 years. He's been featured on several makeover shows and says their popularity has contributed to an increase in real-world cosmetic procedures.

ELLENBOGEN: Before extreme makeovers, plastic surgery patients would come in for one thing. They didn't realize they could have two or three or four things done at the same time.

VARGAS: That trend concerns Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc, a New York plastic surgeon and co-author of "A Little Work: The Truth Behind Plastic Surgery's Park Avenue Facade."

DR. Z. PAUL LORENC, PLASTIC SURGEON: I don't necessarily think it's healthy for the surgery that we are performing to be in a way trivialized on reality shows.

VARGAS (on camera): Lorenc says not only are the risk and recovery periods associated with plastic surgery minimized on these makeover series, but shows like MTV's "I Want a Famous Face," seen here on YouTube, can create unrealistic expectations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I admire Carmen Electra and I want my body to be more like hers.

LORENC: And I think it's important for patients to realize that, that it will not change their life. It's not going to finish or get rid of all of your worries, all of your financial worries. And so, I think it's important for the patient to be realistic about it.

VARGAS (voice-over): There is an upside to these shows that even Dr. Lorenc can agree with, they provide would-be patients with general information about procedures and innovative techniques before going under the knife. And while some of these series are no longer on the air, it's clear with some viewers, they've left a lasting impression.

VARGAS (on camera): You're a big fan of plastic surgery?

LAMOUREAUX: Oh, plastic surgery is wonderful.

VARGAS (voice-over): Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Hala Gorani is coming up with "YOUR WORLD TODAY" at noon today. Going to talk a little bit more about their program.

Hi there, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Heidi.

Well, I hope you can join Jim Clancy and myself. We'll bring you the world on "YOUR WORLD TODAY," noon Eastern. We're going to talk about that Mattel toy recall, and we are everywhere covering this story, both in the United States and in China as well.

And we'll be speaking to Nancy Nord (ph), the chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. We will be asking her, whose job is it to make sure these toys that our children play with are safe?

Also, we will take you and remain in China for another story of a bridge collapse. Of course, this after a few weeks ago, that Minnesota bridge collapse killed so many in the United States. Well, the same thing happened in China. We'll bring you that.

And also, have you ever heard of the communist Ferrari? The socialist speedster? Well, we're going to introduce you to the only sports car that was ever produced in socialist East Germany. That and more, we'll be going to Iraq as well, live, at the top of the hour.

Back to you, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Hala, very good, thanks so much. We'll be watching.

Toy giant Mattel, recalling millions of unsafe toys. Parents, news you need to know.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. When NEWSROOM returns, I'll tell you how investors are reacting to Mattel's news.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: T.J. Holmes here in the CNN NEWSROOM where we're getting word that Don Imus, the fired shock jock is going to stay out of court with CBS and instead, has reached a settlement with his former employer over his termination that came, of course, just a few months ago after he made some racially insensitive remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

Of course, Don Imus had gone after CBS for that termination. He had some five years and $40 million left on a contract. He was going to sue them for $120 million for breach of contract. And many legal analysts said he had a pretty good case. And now, it appears that he has settled with CBS and is going to take a financial sum from them, according to published reports and according to the AP.

Right now, still no word of when Don Imus might get back on the air, however, with some other radio station, not with CBS. But certainly reports out there, Heidi, that he could be back on the air as early as the beginning of next year. So, we'll probably going to look for him to be back on the radio, back on the airwaves sometime soon.

COLLINS: Yes, I think it's WABC, but we'll have to wait, of course, to confirm all of that. T.J. Holmes, thank you.

HOLMES: Yes.

COLLINS: Parents on alert this morning. Just a short time ago, an announcement that Mattel is recalling nine million toys. On the recall list, Sarge, dye-cast toys from the Pixar "Cars" movie. The concern there, lead paint. Among the other toys being pulled from the shelves, millions of Batman action figures and Polly Pocket dolls. The concern, magnets that could become dislodged. All the toys made in China.

This is the second recall now of Chinese-made toys from Mattel in two weeks. Earlier this month, Mattel's Fisher-Price division recalled more than a million pre-school toys featuring such characters as Big Bird and Elmo.

To talk about how the recall is affecting Mattel's stock and what this could mean for the company, we head over to Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange.

Hi there, Susan. Wondering how big of a chunk of business this really is for this huge company, Mattel.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES) COLLINS: All this year, CNN is bringing you the stories of people dedicating their lives to improving the lives of others. We are proud to call them CNN Heroes. Robert Duval is working in Haiti, changing the lives of impoverished children by giving them a purpose.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT DUVAL, CNN HERO: In the main center for the last two years, the background music that we had while the kids were playing were gunshots, machine gunshots. Some of these kids have witnessed the worst atrocities. They live in the mud and no running water, no electricity, no garbage pickup. No food, nothing.

My name is Robert Duval and I'm the founder of the training center they call Latvik tik de Haiti (ph), Athletes of Haiti. The kids never miss practice. And they're disciplined enough to keep focused on something positive.

I left this country very young. And I came back, I had a shock. What happened to my country, you know? I started asking questions and I was thrown in jail. When I came out, I was down to 90 pounds. I was skin and bones. That just turned my life around. This appears to be a dumping ground. Now, it's basically an after-school program.

One of the driving forces that has made our program so successful is that one plate of food we give them a day. Because sometimes those kids just won't get a plate of food. We have soccer, track, basketball, table tennis and we have karate now. The hero is the kid who accepts to uplift himself in the most adverse conditions, maintains the course and really does succeed in changing his life.

I feel that youth is important because the youth is the future. What I do is a drop in the bucket. A kid, he may have the most immense talent, but if you don't nourish it, you never know what he could have become.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: I love these stories. And you know, there's a lot more about Robert Duval and his work to improve Haiti's future on our Web site. You can also nominate a hero you know for special recognition later this year. All the details are at CNN.com/heroes.

A friendly reminder from your local watering hole. A restaurant uses stalling tactics to limit drunk driving.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Well, if you won't listen to your loved ones about drinking and driving, then what about that voice coming from the restroom? Dan Conrad from affiliate KAAL explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN CONRAD, KAAL REPORTER: There's some times a guy just wants to be left alone, just him and his thoughts. Well, that solitude is about to be disrupted, but for a good cause.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our ultimate goal of safe streets.

CONRAD (voice-over): And achieving that goal might start in the men's room.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remember, drunk driving, over the limit, under arrest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're really cool.

CONRAD: The logic behind it is really pretty simple. If you want to stop drinking and driving, go where the drinking is. And where there's drinking, there's -- well, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you've been drinking, now is the time to take aim for a safe ride home.

CONRAD: The Austin police department is putting these talking urinal cakes in the men's rooms at local bars to serve as reminders about the dangers of drinking and driving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wonder how high someone's going to jump, though, when all of a sudden, a woman starts talking to them as they're going to the bathroom.

CONRAD: Despite the sign on the door, John Bartlett (ph) had to see what all the fuss was about.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It definitely sent a message to me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't fall down laughing first, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ultimately, if they're laughing and the message does stick, we'd have to certainly call that a success.

CONRAD: And everyone we talked to asked the same question: how long before these talking billboards end up as conversation pieces in someone's rec room or college dorm room?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to sound like a jaded, cynical police officer, but I wonder how many of these devices are going to go missing.

CONRAD: In Austin, Dan Conrad ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Over the limit, under arrest.

CONRAD: ABC 6 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Wow, now I understand, "Over the limit, under arrest." OK. I couldn't understand what she said. Maybe you can hear it better once you're in the restroom.

CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now. "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening all across the globe and here at home.

I'm Heidi Collins. Thanks for watching. I'll see you tomorrow.

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