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American Morning
Pedophile in Custody; Tracking Predators; Second Recall; Eyes In The Sky; Made In China
Aired August 14, 2007 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Predator justice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK MCCLELLAN: I was (INAUDIBLE) day. I didn't think there would be virtually any minors there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: A self-described pedophile.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK MCCLELLAN: I'm not going to say anything right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Arrested on a campus near a daycare, twice in one day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK MCCLELLAN: I generally love children. The last thing I want to do is scare a kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Toxic toy crisis. This morning, another huge recall brewing of toys made in China. Hundreds of thousands of toys affected. A major American brand under fire.
Plus, state of emergency. While Hawaii braces for Hurricane Flossie, an earthquake rocks the big island as well, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And welcome. We certainly have a lot going on today. It's Tuesday, August 14th. I'm Kiran Chetry.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: John Roberts is off again today. I'm Rob Marciano. Good morning.
CHETRY: Good to have you with us this morning.
MARCIANO: Thanks.
CHETRY: Well, we begin with some pretty disturbing news out of California. It's a story that we've been following here on AMERICAN MORNING that's moved many parents into action. It involves a self- proclaimed pedophile by the name of Jack McClellan.
He was already run out of one city in his state for a disturbing website where he made comments about little girls and the best place to watch them. Well now he's been arrested in Los Angeles twice after being found near a childcare facility on the UCLA campus.
Police say they found him there with a camera. McClellan is accused of violating a restraining order banning him from coming within 30 feet of anyone under the age of 18 anywhere in California. AMERICAN MORNING's Chris Lawrence is live now on the UCLA campus.
We're also hearing from McClellan himself this morning, Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, you may be wondering how this man was able to get arrested twice in less than 12 hours. The first time that police picked him up, he was seen with a camera and he was hanging out near UCLA's daycare facility for babies and toddlers up to about three years old. That was Monday afternoon. They set a court date, told him to stay away from the campus and they let him go. But Jack McClellan did not leave. In fact, that's when he started talking to CNN affiliate KTLA.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK MCCLELLAN: 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 -- I didn't think there would be virtually any minors there and I thought I could kind of blend in as a student.
LAWRENCE: Are you attracted to children?
MCCLELLAN: Yes, sure, girls. I mean I've admitted that many times. But I've never done anything criminal.
LAWRENCE: 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 of the police department. And they just decided it wasn't that grave of a situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Yes, someone saw that interview live on the air just about four or five hours ago and that's when police came back in and arrested McClellan for trespassing. This morning he's still in jail.
Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Chris Lawrence following that story for us. Thank you. MARCIANO: Well, New Jersey is trying to make the Internet safer from sexual predators. The state attorney general asking a dozen social networking websites for help tracking convicted sex offenders. AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho is following that for us.
Good morning, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning, Rob, Kiran.
You know, Connecticut and some others states like North Carolina have done this already. You may recall MySpace recently announced it found 29,000 convicted sex offenders with profiles on its site. Two hundred sixty-nine of them were from New Jersey. And as one official said, that's just the tip of the predator iceberg, so to speak. Many of these may be using fake names as well. So now New Jersey's attorney general is asking MySpace and a dozen other social networking sites, like FaceBook and Friendster, to see if they can find convicted sex offenders with profile on their sites and then, of course, delete them.
Well, how do they do that? MySpace, for one, has linked up with a company that has a database with the names of 600,000 registered sexual offenders. It's really a way to cross check. And that database, by the way, is updated regularly.
Now some states, including New York, have laws requiring convicted sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses in addition to their street addresses. MySpace says legislation like that would certainly help. The attorneys general say social networking sites can help by raising the minimum age to join those sites. MySpace's minimum age is currently 14. Many state officials want that to be 16.
They also want these site to do some age verification for both teenagers and adults who may be posing at teens. Also some social networking sites say parents should do their own monitoring by creating their own profiles. Now what's interesting, guys, is that we did some research on this and there's no specific law prohibiting convicted sex offenders from being on these social networking sites. But in many cases, in many states, it's a violation of their parole. So if they're caught, they can also be sent back to jail. But consider this, you know, MySpace alone has 115 million users worldwide. So this is going to be a huge undertaking and potentially a huge problem.
MARCIANO: And how do you get caught on the Internet? I mean you can go ambiguously.
CHO: That's right. You know, these social networking sites, many of them say this is really grandstanding on the part of state officials and it will create a false sense of security because a lot of predators will be using aliases and going on these sites. So there's really no way to know. What they're doing right now is cross- checking with this database. And there are 600,000 names nationwide. So these state officials are saying, just by doing that, you'll go a long way toward catching these people. CHETRY: You know, and it's about changing mentality as a parent. Just like you wouldn't let your kid stand in your front yard and talk to a stranger. You can't just let them have free reign on the Internet either. Very similar.
CHO: That's right. You need to monitor is what they say.
CHETRY: Alina Cho, thank you so much.
CHO: Sure. My pleasure.
CHETRY: Well, we're following other breaking news today. Developments in another major toy recall are expected to be announced later today. It would be the second recall in two weeks involving thousands of toys made in China. You may remember earlier this morning Mattel, parent company of Fisher-Price, announced a recall of 1.5 million toys. They included Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer and other popular toys because the paint may contain excessive levels of lead. We talked with a doctor about other potential hazards also made in China and designed for your kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JOSHUA SHARFSTEIN, BALTIMORE HEALTH COMMISSIONER: The problem is, sometimes parent don't know that their child has swallowed something like this until the symptoms come. And at that point, it can be very difficult for the doctors to figure out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: What he's talking about is another concern and this is one involving magnets. Magnet issues have surfaced on some toys, including the magnetic sets of toys. The Consumer Products Safety Commission looking at that, as well, children swallowing them and then having major, major problems.
Our Greg Hunter, by the way, will have more on this coming up at the bottom of the hour. We're going to be also going to Hong Kong to ask what China is doing to clean up its growing manufacturing and PR problems. That's coming up in a few minutes.
MARCIANO: Two, new headlines out of Hawaii this morning. An earthquake and Hurricane Flossie. A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hitting the big island overnight south of Hilo. It knocked stuff off shelves, briefly interrupted cell service and triggered a small landslide. But so far, no reports of anybody hurt.
CHETRY: And Hawaii is already on alert for Hurricane Flossie. The National Weather Service placing the big island under a hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning. Flossie expected to come within 85 miles of the island. A state of emergency has been declared.
And extreme heat is being blamed for killing in at least five states, from Kentucky to South Carolina. Monday was the fourth straight day of triple digit highs in Memphis. It hit a record high of 105. Thousands of fans are in Memphis this week to mark the 30 year anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.
CHETRY: Well, there is another bridge collapse to report this morning. At least 22 people are dead. This in central China. The bridge was under construction. More than 100 workers were on it when it crashed down across a highway. It happened during busy rush hour. Sixty-four people have been rescued. They say 46 people are still missing.
And for the second time this summer, another pro wrestler dies under mysterious circumstances. Brian Adams wrestled under the name Crush until 2001. According to a police report posted on tmz.com, Adams was found by his wife, "unconscious, in bed and not breathing" at their home in Tampa.
According to "The Miami Herald," Adams was arrested back in 1995. He was charged with receiving anabolic steroids through the mail. Also apparently with an unregistered weapon. An autopsy is scheduled for today. Adams' sudden death comes two months after pro wrestler Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son and then killed himself. Adams, by the way, was 43 years old.
To Utah now and the desperate search for six missing miners. Rescuers say they're focusing on the back of the mine where they see a lot of space. They say it's signs that air flow in that area is good. Crews are also getting ready to start drilling a new hole. Pictures taken underground Sunday showed only a toolbox and a twisted conveyer belt. Rescuers have cleared 680 feet of rubble in the part that they're tunneling to actually get to the miners. They say they're still two-thirds of the way from getting where they expect to find them. Last night mine owner Bob Murray talked about the conditions inside the collapsed mine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB MURRAY, PRESIDENT/CEO, MURRAY ENERGY CORP.: There are many voids there on all entries which would provide much air for their survival and to sustain their lives. There's water and there's two and a half to five and a half feet of void space everywhere we've looked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The six miners have been missing now for eight days.
Well, a lot of you no doubt want to help the families of the trapped miners. We've been getting a lot of inquiries about that at our website. CNN does have information on ways that you can help. If you want to, you can find out how on Impact Your World. You go to cnn.com/impact.
Rob.
MARCIANO: Kiran, time now to check in with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents for a look at the news making headlines this morning. Hurricane news. Jacqui Jeras in the severe weather center in Atlanta. It's tough to get a hurricane all the way to Hawaii, but this one may make it.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Now more to toy maker Mattel. They're about to announce another recall on toys made in China. Ali Velshi watching that one.
Hi, Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rob.
It was August 2nd when Mattel announced a really that was going to be in total about 1.5 million toys that were made in China. Now we're hearing reports from "The Wall Street Journal" that we could be getting another recall from Mattel, the maker of Fisher-Price toys. This one may involve hundreds of thousands of toys, including a die cast car that might have lead paint in it and some toys that might have magnets that could be swallowed by little children.
We haven't got confirmation on this. We are trying to get response from Mattel and from the Consumer Products Safety Commission. But at this point it looks like these toys might be coming from China and we could expect another big recall this year.
Take a quick look at what we've seen in the last several years from Mattel. We saw this 1.5 million toys on August 2nd. Then in November last year, we saw 2.4 million toys. And back in August of 2002, 2.5 million toys. Obviously this is focusing a great deal of attention on the toy industry, and specifically those toys that are made in China and imported. Who's taking a look at that. We'll have more on this story as it comes available.
Rob.
MARCIANO: It's getting messy. Thanks, Ali.
Kiran.
CHETRY: Thanks, Rob.
It looks like instead of fighting terror, they're fighting each other. A new federal report says that terror cases are being dropped because of bad blood between the FBI and immigration agents. The Homeland Security Department says that some ICE agents avoid certain leads involving possible terror activity rather than getting the FBI involved in those possible cases.
Well some other headlines on terror watch now. Las Vegas becomes the latest American city to use video surveillance to help guard against another terrorist attack in the U.S. More and more American cities are using those cameras, but some say that we lag behind other cities around the world when it comes to security. Kelli Arena joins us live in Washington.
What can you tell us about what Las Vegas is doing right now?
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, Las Vegas police just began a pilot program to put video surveillance cameras on a high crime, downtown street corner. Now those cameras were placed in a bullet proof box which goes on top of a poll and police are hoping that this is going to help crack down on drug dealing and other crimes that take place in that area.
We've seen this in other high-crime cities as well. Baltimore, for example, uses 500 cameras. In Chicago there are as many as 2,000. And there in New York, they're installing about 100 cameras, as you know.
These plans are all inspired by London's so-called ring of steel. Now that was created not to fight crime, but to combat terrorist acts that, you know, by the Irish republican army way back when.
Kiran.
CHETRY: So we talk about this, the U.S. lags behind many other cities. You mentioned London when it comes to security. Why is that?
ARENA: Well, you know, first, there's a lot of resistance to the use of cameras here in the United States. When Las Vegas announced its plan, for example, the American Civil Liberties Union jumped right on it, called it an invasion of privacy. And the same is true in many of those other cities. And the concept of using cameras to combat terrorism here is a new twist. I mean, obviously, we don't have the long history of attacks on U.S. soil as we've seen in some other cities. So very new concept. Lots of resistance. Lots of politics involved. You know, a lot of hurdles to overcome.
CHETRY: Kelli Arena for us in Washington. Thank you.
MARCIANO: Inside China. Poor products. Even worse working conditions. And an economy that's stronger than ever. What's being done and how worried should we be? That's coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Some incredible pictures for you. A wildfire started by lightning in Siding (ph), Wyoming. Other fires are cooking across Wyoming. One closed down the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
And check this out. This video is from Erie, Pennsylvania, courtesy of our affiliate WICU. A house leveled by what appears to be a gas explosion. Police say the homeowner was slightly hurt. Fire officials think a propane leak sparked that blast.
And a ball of flames higher than treetops after a construction crew nicked a natural gas pipe in Fort Collins, Colorado. It burned for five hours before crews could shut off the line. One worker was sent to the hospital. CHETRY: Well, we've been following breaking news this morning, reports that Mattel, a big toy maker, is set to announce its second major recall in as many weeks. All involving toys from China. This one could involve hundreds of thousands of toys either containing lead paint or magnets that your children can swallow.
Yet another made in China recall as well. Tubes of hotel toothpaste now being pulled from circulation after it showed they contained a toxic chemical used in antifreeze, diethylene glycol. The company supplies the toothpaste to hotels and resorts in more than a dozen countries.
So we wanted to get an idea about what is going on inside of China. Our next guest is the author of "The Elephant and The Dragon." It's an inside look at the economies of both China and India. Robyn Meredith joins us from Hong Kong this morning.
Thanks for joining us, Robyn.
ROBYN MEREDITH, AUTHOR, "THE ELEPHANT AND THE DRAGON": Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.
CHETRY: I feel like every week we're talking about yet another problem with some sort of manufacturing problem dangerous to your kids. Are we at the point where if something says "made in China" it should raise a red flag to the consumer?
MEREDITH: Kiran, I think that the latest scandals, really dating back to the pet food scandal a few months ago, have served and should serve as a real wake-up call for Americans. You know, we've been importing more and more from China and we haven't necessarily been looking closely at where we're getting it.
Let me give you an example. In the year 2000, 30 percent of the world's toys were made in China. That's huge. Almost one in every three. But just five years later, 75 percent of the world's toys are made in China. We've got to be watching what we're putting on those toys.
CHETRY: Right. And that's the thing, I mean, as a patient, you have to look very hard to find a toy that doesn't say made in China in the back. I mean you report on this every day from Hong Kong. Does the Chinese government understand the scope of this scandal and how it is affecting their imports and exports?
MEREDITH: They certainly do. They now have it front and center on their radar screens, and that's one reason we're seeing such cooperation from China. I mean, really, the attention from the American public since the pet food scandal has dramatically changed the way that China's handling it.
China is a developing country. It's been evolving for years and modernizing its regulatory systems. Ten years ago it didn't even have product safety laws and drug safety laws on the books. Now it does. And that's progress. What we're seeing today is that the regulations that China now has on the books are not evenly enforced. That's the big problem today.
CHETRY: You know, so how does it filter back to us here at home as the American consumer? I mean, you know, you trust that your government is going to do everything it can to make sure that the things you have in your home don't harm or potentially kill your child. But what can you, as the consumer do to be yet another layer of protection on that?
MEREDITH: You're right, Kiran. First, consumers have to try to -- have to pay more attention to where their products are coming from. More and more of them are coming from China. If that's a problem, they need to try to buy products that are made locally.
The bigger impact, though, will come from multi nationals as we're seeing with the second potential recall from Mattel, the big multi nationals have been buying more and more goods from China, whether they're tires or toothpastes or toys or computers. And as they do, when problems crop up, it's not the no-name Chinese company who is greatly hurt by this. It's the American or multi-national companies brand, like Mattel, that is hurt. And you'll see companies police those products more and more as a result of that.
CHETRY: Well, we'll probably find out new details today as the details of yet another recall announced by Mattel. Robyn Meredith, Hong Kong correspondent for Forbes. Thanks for being with us.
MEREDITH: Thanks for having me, Kiran.
MARCIANO: Well, the only thing worse than the actual products may be the working conditions under which they're made. And according to a news agency in China, this summer alone police say they have rescued more than 1,300 workers from "slavery" in Chinese workplaces. That reportedly includes close to 400 mentally handicapped people who were forced into working. Police say 67,000 killns (ph), mines and workshops were operating in China without licenses. That was about a quarter of all the places they inspected.
And a crackdown on handicap parking fraud. Your "Quick Hits" now. Massachusetts officials are promising license suspensions and $500 fines for drivers who misuse handicap parking permits. A recent sting uncovered 49 people using placards belonging to relatives and friends who were dead.
And the students at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis really know how to get the year off to a start. This how they spent the night before the first big day of class, pulling a toilet paper job for the ages all along the road leading to school. My goodness. Now the kids say they're going to clean it up. Nothing like a good TP shower (ph).
CHETRY: Yes, right. They'll get right on that.
MARCIANO: Nice work there. And not very environmentally friendly, I might add.
Cashing in on Hurricane Katrina. Investigators getting tax breaks to buy luxury condos hundreds of miles away from the Gulf Coast. And, believe it or not, it is all legal. That story is coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, a reminder that you have that morning coffee, but too much caffeine can be dangerous. A teenage girl in England had to be rushed to the hospital after overdosing on coffee. There's a picture of her. Seventeen-year-old -- she must love coffee.
MARCIANO: She looked alert.
CHETRY: I mean, it's not funny, but at the same time, how could you not know this was going to cause trouble for you? She drank 14 shots of espresso in a row. She was trying to stay awake for work after a night of studying. Well, anyway, she ended up with heart palpitations, sweating, hyperventilating. She was crying, very upset, but she is expected to be OK.
MARCIANO: That is excessive.
CHETRY: Fourteen shots of espresso.
MARCIANO: And another lesson learned, you shouldn't study too hard out there, kids, because, you know, it could lead you to drinking too much coffee.
CHETRY: Right. That's the take-a-way, studying dangerous for your health.
MARCIANO: Big day in history today.
CHETRY: It really is. Today is VJ Day. The end -- the victory in World War II. The surrender of Japan. And, of course, you may remember this picture. It's one of the stories coming up that you can't miss. The iconic shot of the sailor and the nurse kissing in Times Square. The unknown sailor. Well, after more than six decades, today is the day they have his identity solved for good, Rob.
MARCIANO: Well, this has been an mystery for a long time. Of course he said for a long time it's been him and I don't think . . .
CHETRY: So have nine (ph) other people.
MARCIANO: I don't think he knew that lady. That woman.
CHETRY: Nope.
MARCIANO: I think it was just random.
CHETRY: Yes. He said he grabbed the first woman he saw and planted a big kiss. The photographer also saying it was just a moment in history captured on camera. We're going to have much more on that and a special story remembering one World War II veteran, coming up when AMERICAN MORNING comes back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Live shot, albeit a bit dark this time of year in Miami. WPLG, our affiliate out that way. Kiran taking weather notes earlier. What's the temperature?
CHETRY: Eighty degrees right now with 78 percent humidity. You should really be doing this. You're better at it.
MARCIANO: Hey, once the sun comes up, it's going to get warm. It's very simple stuff.
The National Hurricane Center down there busy. A couple things percolating in the Atlantic basin and we'll certainly be telling you more about that as the days go ahead.
CHETRY: Well, when you're standing on the shoreline in the middle of hurricane season, I'll bring those words back to you. It's pretty easy stuff, as you're holding on to a lamp post for your dear life.
MARCIANO: All you need to do is duck.
Good morning. It's Tuesday, August 14th. John Roberts is off. I'm Rob Marciano.
CHETRY: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us.
We start with news out of Russia today. A bomb blows a train off the tracks in that country. A spokesman for Russian railways says that 60 people, passengers and train crew, were injured. No one was killed in this. The explosion and derailment badly damaged some tracks over a distant equivalent to about nine football fields. So far there's no word on who is responsible.
To India now and an urgent search for people missing after landslides in the northern part of the country. Search teams are digging through huge piles of mud. It's monsoon season and the pounding rain has touched off landslides now blamed for at least 30 deaths in that country.
Three-year-old conjoined twins will now not be getting separation surgery. Anastasia (ph) and Tatiana (ph) are joined at the head. Doctors in Cleveland were going to do that operation and they decided that it could harm one or both of the little girls and that their parents have decided they do not want to take the risk.
Michael Vick could soon be standing alone. Two of Vick's codefendants have reportedly reached plea deals in the dog fighting charges. A third co-defendant has agreed to testify against Vick. The latest move as Vick's lawyers reportedly considering whether or not to accept a plea deal of their own. His fate with the NFL could also be decided this week or next.
If you own a car, chances are you already know this. There's a new story that says that more Americans are happier with their cars than ever before. The University of Michigan study puts the Lexus at the top of the heap when it comes to brands buyers are most satisfied with. Behind that, comes a four-way tie, the BMW, the Buick -- myself a proud Buick owner, great car there -- Cadillac and the Lincoln Mercury. The worst performer, the Jeep -- Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: My dad is beaming with pride over the Buick in their garage. Breaking news this morning. More Mattel toys may have to come off the shelf. The company is getting ready to announce another major recall. Millions of Chinese-made toys have been listed and it could add hundreds of thousands of more over lead paint fears.
Greg Hunter is here with more on that with some props and toys.
Do these have any lead paint?
GREG HUNTER, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: These don't have any lead paint. We'll talk about not just toys, but lead in jewelry. The trinkets kids love to put in their mouth. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTER (voice-over): One million Fisher Price toys recalled over concerns about potentially hazardous lead paint, including Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Big Bird. The items all manufactured in China.
Another potentially dangerous Chinese import health officials say, inexpensive children's jewelry that can contain lead and, when swallowed, can be deadly.
SHARP EPSTEIN, BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH COMMISSIONER: The problem is sometimes parents don't know their child has swallowed something like this until the symptoms come. At that point, it can be very difficult for the doctors to figure out.
HUNTER: Last year, a 4-year-old Minneapolis boy died after swallowing a charm containing lead, causing seizures, vomiting and respiratory failure.
UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER: This is something that you would think would come out of a movie, but it's not.
HUNTER: Baltimore City Health Commissioner, Pediatrician Josh Sharfstein, is waging his own war against lead in jewelry, which unlike lead in toys, is not against the law.
SHARFSTEIN: The pendant was a poison lead pill.
HUNTER: He sends his own inspectors out to randomly purchase items for testing. They found this Spiderman ring, manufactured in China, contained more than 12 percent of lead by weight.
SHARFSTEIN: If a child swallowed this ring, it would certainly cause harm. It can't say for sure whether it would be enough harm to cause death, but it could potentially affect their brain, affect their kidneys, affect other parts of their body and cause a significant problem.
HUNTER: Dollar Tree stores, which sold the ring, told CNN it has pulled the item from its 3,000 stores nationwide. And it said it was working with manufacturers to make sure the proper procedures are followed.
The Baltimore inspectors found lead in this ring sold at Wal-mart a year ago.
SHARFSTEIN: When we notified Wal-Mart that this product had high levels of lead, they took it off the market in all their stores around the world.
HUNTER: Wal-Mart told CNN, "We share the same concerns as our customers on product safety."
The Consumers Product Commission says it has stepped up efforts to get lead jewelry out of stores. But spot checks continue to show 20 percent of kids' jewelry contains unsafe levels of lead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTER: You have to be careful when you go online and you take a look at toys. For example, this is Kiran Chetry's toy. This is from her kid. And she I've got a recalled phone. We go online. We take a look at this phone. Lovely little phone. It looks exactly like the one recalled, except for the one recalled never hit American markets. It was only made between April and July 2007. So your child, Kiran, will love having her toy back.
CHETRY: That's my husband's, actually.
HUNTER: Another thing, you can go out and get these lead-testing kits. Here's a lead-testing kit. This is what tipped me off. I do this lead-testing kit. You break this glass in here. You rub this chemical on. It won't turn pink if it has lead in it. The problem with these things is sometimes when lead is contained in jewelry or toys, its coated varnish or something like that.
Finally, you keep hearing magnets and children. Some toys are recalled because of magnets. You think, you have a magnet, it's a fun toy. Kids love them. Toddlers love them.
MARCIANO: What's the problem?
HUNTER: Toddlers love to stick things in their mouth. They have a toy like this. They put this in their mouth and swallow it at two different times or it gets separated. In the intestinal wall, one can be on one side and one can be on the other side. Swallowing magnets for young kids is really, really dangerous. That's why you have to keep them away from your kids.
MARCIANO: And these lead-check kits are available in more grocery stores, I assume? HUNTER: They're available in hardware stores, grocery stores. You've got to be careful with them. They sometimes coat the stuff with paint or varnish. If you swallow it, your stomach acid, according to Josh Sharfstein, the doctor you saw in that story, hey, your stomach can dissolve varnish and release that lead.
MARCIANO: So important to follow the list for the recall?
HUNTER: Yes.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Greg.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Thanks, Greg.
Hillary Clinton has a new TV ad starting in Iowa today. It's her first television ad in the race for president and she's taking aim at President George Bush, not her Democratic rivals, in calling for better health care for vets and citizens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As I travel around America, I hear from so many people who feel like they're just invisible to their government.
ANNOUNCER: Hillary Clinton has spent her life standing up for people others don't see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, there it is. There's a snippet of the ad. Some Democrats, though, are worried about her. Many party leaders she's is too polarizing to win over Independents and Republicans in a general election. Not many of them are saying that on the record, though.
Also a new CNN opinion poll shows that likely Democratic voters feel that Clinton has the right experience to be president by a wide margin over her closest competitors. We've seen these numbers really drop. Clinton is at 59 percent, Edwards at 11 percent and Obama coming in at 9 percent. However, when it comes to likability, she comes up behind Barack Obama. He wins that one 34 percent to her 31 percent.
We're going to be talking about Clinton's chances with a couple of influential Democrats coming up at 8:30 eastern time.
A quarter billion dollars. That's Mitt Romney's estimated net worth. The former venture capitalist finally revealed his fortune in a new finance report. It puts him at the top of the list of the richest candidates in the '08 race. MARCIANO: New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas has resigned after pleading guilty to a federal bribery charge. Thomas was accused of taking $15,000 in bribes from a local businessman five years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLIVER THOMAS, NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCILMAN: Whatever happens to me, and wherever I may be, I will be praying for and working towards the rebuilding of this city, in spite of my current situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: He could face up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
There's a new report raising eyebrows along the Gulf Coast this morning. It exposes investors using Hurricane Katrina tax breaks to build luxury condos nowhere near the storm zone. It might seem outrageous, but it is totally legal. The condos are going up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, even though the city is hundreds of miles away from the Gulf Coast. It was included in the 2005 Go-Zone Act. That law offers tax breaks as an incentive to rebuild areas battered by Katrina. Lawmakers say Tuscaloosa was included because of all the storm victims who relocated there. Investors as far away as California now plan to use the credits to purchase and rent the condos that overlook the University of Alabama's football stadium.
A dramatic sidewalk collapse tops other "Quick Hits" right now. Two construction works were jack hammering in Midtown Manhattan when the sidewalk gave way, sending them into a hole about ten feet deep. They were rescued and escaped with just a few bumps and bruises.
And some of the biggest names in surfing moved east for a day and paddled around Manhattan for charity. They fought strong currents and navigated around city barges to raise money for Autism Awareness. Not exactly hanging ten there.
CHETRY: I'm standing on top of the 80-foot high tower. Right there is the Atlantic Ocean. This was homeland security for World War II. Coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING," it's a war story you've probably never heard.
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MARCIANO: It's a drive-through danger. Police are warning fast- food workers to watch out for what's being called fire in the hole. It's a new prank that's popping up on video-sharing sites like YouTube. They say teens are pulling up to drive through windows and yelling, "Fire in the hole," before they fire the drink back at the person who served it to them. Not very nice.
Jacqui Jeras at the Severe Weather Center, Hurricane Headquarters. I guess now, Jacqui, we're starting to ramp up here, and now not only do we have Flossie in the Pacific, but a lot perking up in the Gulf of Mexico. What's going on?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. I want to start here to warn people about this because this will be a quick developer and we could be talking about a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane making landfall in two days for now. A big heads up for those of you especially into the western Gulf States. This is the area we're concerned about right now. You can see the showers and thunderstorms developing. It is expected to get better organized. We could see a tropical storm here. So just a big heads up for you, especially into the western Gulf States from Houston down into the Brownsville area.
We also have things kicking into parts of the Atlantic, as well. Here you can see Flossie going on. This is a hurricane. It's a Category 3 and it is weakening as it gets closer to the Hawaiian Islands, but still expected to bring at a minimum tropical storms force winds to the big island. We've got tropical storm warnings in effect and a hurricane watch just in case it deviates from the forecast track just a bit. Right now we're expecting it to stay offshore.
Our biggest threat is not just the winds here, but heavy, heavy rainfall. Drought conditions across the Hawaiian Islands, but we're talking about 10 inches of rain potentially in a short period of time. There you can see tropical depression number four. We'll watch for that in the Leeward Islands probably by the weekend. Back to you.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Jacqui.
Kiran?
CHETRY: This was the scene 62 years ago today, Times Square, right here in New York City. It was the center of the celebration on V.J. Day. For the greatest generation, the end of World War II came after hard-fought battles overseas, but also a strong defense built right here on some of the same beaches where you might be heading for your summer vacation.
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HORACE KNOWLES, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: There were a number of mines out there protecting the mouth of the bay. One night, we had an alert that come on our ship...
CHETRY (voice-over): A lot of people don't remember when World War II came to the beaches of Delaware. I know the stories well because my husband's grandfather served here at Fort Miles from 1941 to 1943.
(on camera): And this was your actual cot?
KNOWLES: Yes.
CHETRY: This is where you were stationed for four months?
KNOWLES: This is where I was stationed and this is my foot locker.
CHETRY (voice-over): Now with about 1,500 World War II vets passing away each day, recording their memories and preserving lesser- known battlefields here at home is taking on a newer urgency.
KNOWLES: It's a shame that some of the history of the World War II, especially here at Fort Miles, fell by the way side afterwards.
CHETRY: That's why two historians, Dr. Gary Wray and Lee Jennings, along with the help of Forest Noll, Pop, formed the Fort Miles Historical Association. It now includes 350 members, all working to turn this abandoned base into a living museum.
LEE JENNINGS, DELAWARE STATE PARK HISTORIAN: This was the most heavily armed little spot on the east coast. And also, I like to say it's the most heavily armed state park in the world.
CHETRY: For most of the war, their main task was defending Philadelphia's refineries and waterways, top German targets.
KNOWLES: We came here in 1941. This was one of the first jobs that we constructed, what you see behind us. That was our rifle range.
CHETRY: Fort Miles' claim to fame came in May 1945 when a German sub-marine surrendered, the first surrender on U.S. shores in more than 100 years.
DR. GARY WRAY, PRESIDENT, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION: We're all big on homeland security right now, but this was homeland security in 1941, '42, '43. Our people didn't know that the Germans were not going to attack the east coast.
CHETRY: And for Pop and the more than 16 million other World War II veterans, August 14th will never be another summer day at the beach.
KNOWLES: Kiran, I want to show you what I gave my wife in 1941 for our Christmas present.
CHETRY (on camera): And tell me what it says. U.S. Army right here.
KNOWLES: Yeah.
CHETRY: Fort Miles.
KNOWLES: U.S. Army, Fort Miles. "V" for victory.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: World War II vet, just a treasure in our country and you're lucky to have one in your family. We sometimes forget that -- we think about the overseas theaters. We were defending our country here in the mainland. Those were incredible pictures of the Germans actually surrendering on U.S. soil.
CHETRY: It really is surreal. We hear the stories that he tells. It was part of United States history that most of us, even if most of us have a World War II veteran in our family, you don't know about it until you ask. Very fascinating.
By the way, the pillow case -- he's going to be donating it to the World War II museum. They are hoping to have it inside an actual bunker at Fort Miles. And they hope to open it in late 2008 or 2009. It should be the largest World War II museums in our country. People can visit and go inside that actual bunker. It's pretty neat.
MARCIANO: Hope they do. Great story.
CHETRY: Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: Location, location, location -- find out what cities are being hit hardest by foreclosure crisis. That's coming up next on "AMERICAN MORNING." Stay with us.
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CHETRY: Fifteen hundred pounds of cheese -- or 1,300. But who is counting? Topping your "Quick Hits" now, cheese artist Sarah Koffman (ph) created a sculpture saluting the winner of the Indy 500. She used two giant blocks of cheese. It shows a race car driver drinking milk. It took 67 hours to carve. It was displayed at the Indiana State Fair.
Going out in style, it's a hot rod, but it's a hearse. An antique car shop in Pennsylvania souped up this is a '53 Pontiac for a funeral home in West Virginia. Mechanics put in more than 2,000 hours on it.
Scientists have confirmed what artists, photographers and sculptors say they already knew, that President Abraham Lincoln had a good side. A new study says that laser scans reveal that the left side of Lincolns face was smaller than the right, a facial defect known as cranial microsomia.
MARCIANO: Even the president has a good side.
Ali Velshi with us now talking foreclosures.
Any places I can scoop up a good bargain for about $20?
ALI VELSHI, CNN FINANCIAL ANALYST: Interesting you should mention that. Because there are times where these foreclosures occur and some people do get into the market because the market will likely turn around in some places. Particularly the number one place in America for foreclosure rates, Stockton, California where a turn around in agriculture and higher agricultural prices are probably going to lead the market back up. But it was a highly speculative market like so many places like California. Stockton leads the list of the 100 most foreclosed upon places in the United States.
Number two on the list is Detroit, Michigan. We all know why. Michigan has been hard hit with layoffs in the auto industry that there are just more houses than people looking to buy those houses.
Number three on the list is Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas and other places in the southwest were big areas for speculation. We saw big, big increases in home prices in the last few years. In that top 10 list also, Denver, Miami, Memphis and Cleveland. The bottom three are McAllen, Texas; Greenville, South Carolina and Richmond, Virginia. Those three places are not seeing a lot of foreclosures. But the map does look very obvious to us. When you look at the places foreclosed upon, it's those places that had very high rates, where the housing boom for the last five years -- we kept on talking about those places in the southwest that just kept on -- housing prices just kept on going up. Those are the places where people took mortgages that were very high value. The house prices come down, the mortgage is often worth more than the house and the payments have gone up because they're adjustable rate mortgages.
The bad news is there's foreclosures. The good news is there's no surprise about why it's happening or where it's happening. Hopefully those people can get out from under it.
MARCIANO: This just smells so much like the .com bubble burst, doesn't it?
VELSHI: Well, it's the same concept. People got in. Houses are cycles. When you don't protect yourself with a cushion at the top of the mortgage for your house to come down -- we just don't like to think of the fact that the house will come down. Over time, these will all recover.
CHETRY: And I think we've been led to believe so for long, there so no end in sight.
VELSHI: You don't need to. Right. There is. So if you don't have to sell your house and you can pay that mortgage, you should be fine in the long run. But tough times in those places.
MARCIANO: And those mortgage brokers are good salesmen.
VELSHI: They absolutely are.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Ali.
VELSHI: All right.
CHETRY: There is new violence in Gaza. Topping our "Quick Hits," militants taking to the streets early this morning following a series of Israeli air strikes and a shoot out that left a member of Hamas, as well as an innocent bystander dead. At least 7 other people were hurt.
Iraq's prime minister is calling a crisis summit today. Nouri al Maliki says he wants Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders to discuss the government crisis that is preventing progress in Iraq.
A senior American official says it sets the stage for major changes in the structure, nature and the direction of the Iraqi state.
Still ahead, one man is ready to take a really big fall, a record setting 25 miles. We're going to tell you how he's going to do it, coming up next.
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MARCIANO: Scared of heights? A French skydiver is planning to jump a record 25 miles. Michel Fournier needs a special suit to protect him from extreme cold at the edge of space. And he has to protect himself from extreme heat as he falls at supersonic speed, as much as 1,000 miles an hour. He's going to take a balloon ride five times as high as Mt. Everest, more than twice as high as the Concord flies. He plans to make the jump next month and hopes to set records for the highest parachute jump, highest balloon fight, and fastest and longest free fall. Good luck to him.
CHETRY: Good luck. Can you imagine every getting board dropping from the sky? This may take some time. I have more than 20 miles to go.
MARCIANO: He may have other things on his mind, I think.
CHETRY: Well, good luck, Michel.
If that guy lands safely, he'll be doing a whole lot better than this man in Florida. This is his $400,000 Lamborghini. He only had it for one day when it skidded off a highway and crashed near Orlando. The guy was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. The highway patrol says just because you can afford a $400,000 sports car doesn't mean you know how to drive it.
His face says it all, doesn't it? That's what a body shop is for. You'll be all right. Just lay off the booze.
Here is a look at the stories you can't miss coming up in our next hour. Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards -- throwing punches again, right?
MARCIANO: Even with her health down a little bit, she's not giving up. And she's feisty, that's for sure.
CHETRY: She gave an interview she had some choice words for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. We're going to talk about what she said when the next hour of "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.
Double trouble.
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UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Hey, Jack, what were you doing here at UCLA?
CHETRY (voice-over): A self-proclaimed pedophile busted for getting too close to kids twice in one day.
JACK MCCLELLAN, SELF-PROCLAIMED PEDOPHILE: I generally love children. The last thing I want to do is scare a kid. I was out of the state.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Oh, come on. Come on.
MCCLELLAN: I'm serious. All I can say is I didn't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Can he be stopped for good?
Toxic toy story. Another recall coming for thousands more toys made in China.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The latest scandals should serve as a real wake-up call for Americans.
CHETRY: The dangers, the lawsuits and a consumer crusader, fighting for you, on this "AMERICAN MORNING."
And welcome once again. It's Tuesday, August 14th. I'm Kiran Chetry.
MARCIANO: John Roberts on a well-deserved vacation. I'm Rob Marciano, sitting in.
CHETRY: And we're glad to have you with us today.
MARCIANO: Thanks.
CHETRY: We begin with a major development in a story we've been following. It generated a lot of outrage for our "AMERICAN MORNING" viewers. And it's moved some parents into action. It's about self- proclaimed pedophile Jack McClellan.
He was run out of Washington State for his disturbing web site where he commented on little girls and the best places to watch. Then there was a lawsuit filed in Santa Clarita, California, to keep him 30 feet away from children there. That was then expanded to include the entire state of California.
And here we are today. He is arrested in Los Angeles two times in one day after being spotted near a child care facility on the UCLA campus with a camera, according to police.
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