Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Senator Sex Scandal: Larry Craig in Men's Room Sting; Overweight America; Unfair Profiling? Newspaper Takes a Stand
Aired August 28, 2007 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back. Thanks very much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING.
It is Tuesday, the 28th of August.
I'm John Roberts.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Kiran Chetry is off today.
ROBERTS: Questions around the future of Idaho Senator Larry Craig this morning now that his arrest and guilty plea are out in the open. The newspaper "Roll Call" on Capitol Hill got a hold of the police report from Craig's arrest in June in the men's room at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Two months later, Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and paid a $500 fine, but now he says he regrets the plea, saying that he made it without a lawyer being present.
Earlier, we asked the "Roll Call" reporter who broke the story about Senator Craig's statement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This incident occurs on June 8th and he has almost -- I'm sorry, June 11th, and he has almost two months until August 8th to think about this incident when he actually went and pled guilty. He says he should have had a lawyer with him, but if you go back to the police report, he went back to the airport, the Minnesota airport where this all happened, 11 days after this incident occurred on the 22nd, and there is a specific report from the police officers that say he came back looking for a contact information to "give a contact" to his lawyer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So how is this scandal playing on Capitol Hill this morning?
Our congressional correspondent Jessica Yellin is there right now.
Now everybody back there on Capitol Hill, but certainly the halls have got to be buzzing about this today, Jessica.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is all of the talk up here, John, as you might expect this morning. People looking for details and information about exactly what happened.
As you say, Larry Craig saying this was a mistake, he should not have pled guilty to disorderly conduct. He says he wanted to handle the matter quickly and expeditiously. Now, we do know he paid more than a $500 fine and even got a 10-day sentence which has been stayed.
Now, all of it stems from this incident which, according to "Roll Call" newspaper, happened at a bathroom stall at the Minneapolis airport. According to the arresting officer and a police report, he was investigating complaints of sexual activity in that bathroom. And according to "Roll Call," the officer says that he was in a stall adjacent to Senator Craig's stall, Senator Craig made some tapping gestures with his foot, and then rammed his hand under the bottom of the stall.
Now, the officers claims these are in certain circles well-known signs of a desire to engage in lewd conduct.
Now, Senator Craig's office a has released a statement saying, "At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct."
Since this story broke yesterday, Craig has since resigned from a position on the Mitt Romney for President campaign. We understand that he is now vacationing in Idaho with his wife and children -- John.
ROBERTS: There has been a lot of whispers about Senator Craig over not just the years, but the decades up there on Capitol Hill, Jessica. What has been said and what has his reaction been?
YELLIN: You're right, John. Going back into the '80s, there was a page -- investigations of senators being involved with pages up here. There were denials issued from Senator Craig's office at that time of any involvement in that. And more recently, other charges last year denied revolving around reports on the Internet.
But Senator Craig has denied all allegations over the years. And again, saying this time it's just a big misunderstanding.
ROBERTS: Yet to be seen, though, the political impact of this.
Jessica Yellin for us on Capitol Hill.
Jessica, thanks -- Heidi.
COLLINS: It's not over yet for people in the Midwest. More rain, more evacuations. And tragically, more deaths in the wake of extreme weather.
Strong storms once again soaked parts of Wisconsin last night. One man was killed by lightning.
Choppers are saving people from fires just raging in southern Greece. At least 63 people have been killed as forest fires burn across half of the country. Crews say close to a dozen people in one region of Greece may have no way out.
And take a look at a total lunar eclipse this morning. This is a time lapse video now of what happened. Before sunrise, it was visible across North and South America and parts of Asia and the Pacific.
ROBERTS: Other headlines new this morning.
Concerns in Washington, D.C., after fires and smoke closed down metro stations for the second straight day. It's possible that electrical surges are to blame, but inspectors are also looking into the possibility that someone is intentionally targeting the tracks.
President Bush is on the road to boost support for the Iraq War. During a fund-raiser in Washington State, President Bush said America must stay on the offense overseas and keep the enemy from coming here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We face an enemy that is ideologically bent, determined to achieve their objectives and murder the innocent. They are not religious people. They may have hijacked religion, but they're not religious.
I don't believe you murder innocent people to achieve political objectives and be a religious person. I just don't believe that. As a matter of fact, I believe that's the definition of evil, and I think the United States must do everything we can to prevent them from harming us and others again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Today is expected to be a day of protests across the country during events sponsored by antiwar groups like MoveOn.org.
COLLINS: We won't be hearing from Michael Vick this morning. Vick was scheduled to appear on a radio show and maybe even take some calls, but he backed out at the last minute.
Last night, protesters for and against Vick had their chance to speak out, facing off outside the Atlanta Falcons' pre-season home opener. The Falcons are going after the $22 million in bonuses paid to Vick. The team hasn't decided though if they will cut him. And there is no shortage of opinions about what should happen next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN A. SMITH, COLUMNIST, ESPN: He broke the law. He knew that he was braking the law.
He lied to the Atlanta Falcons. He lied to his teammates. He lied to the commissioner, Roger Goodell. He lied to everybody. He openly admitted that.
My heart goes out to his family, there's no question about that, but when you do all of those things, you do the crime, you've got to do the time. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Vick could get up to five years in prison when he is sentenced in December.
And the Falcons won last night. Some video there for you, with Joey Harrington as quarterback, beating Cincinnati 24-19.
ROBERTS: Time now to check in with our AMERICAN MORNING team of correspondents for other stories new this morning.
Breaking news about the South Korean hostages being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. One of the international stories that CNN's Monita Rajpal is covering for us from London today.
Good morning, Monita.
MONITA RAJPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.
Yes, word from Afghanistan, as well as South Korea, that 19 South Korean hostages who have been held in Afghanistan for more than five weeks now will be released. Now, details of the terms of the agreement between Seoul and the Taliban are still a little bit murky right now, but what we do know is that one of the agreements that Seoul has agreed to would be to stop its citizens from conducting Christian missionary activity in Afghanistan.
Another term of the agreement -- again, this is yet to be confirmed, it's not confirmed yet -- is that South Korea agreed to pull its troops out of Afghanistan. Once again, that part of the agreement is not yet confirmed, but that is what some wire sources are saying right now.
Now, these 19 South Korean hostages were captured from a main road just south of Kabul back on July 19th. Two male hostages were killed after a couple of series of deadlines came and went without an agreement.
The Taliban had been asking for the release of Taliban prisoners from Afghan jail. But the Korean group negotiating the terms of the agreement for the hostages released were not -- said that they were not able to fulfill that demand.
Again, the word from Afghanistan and South Korea, that these 19 hostages, most of whom are women, will be free under terms of an agreement, one of which would be to stop its citizens from conducting Christian missionary activity in Afghanistan. It may take some time. That's according to the South Korean presidential office, is that it may take some time before the actual release, so no word yet on when that may happen -- John.
ROBERTS: Monita Rajpal for us in London this morning with an update on that.
Monita, thanks very much. Of course, in Idaho for the last few weeks the story has been the intense wildfires there. Rob Marciano tracking the continuing firefight near Sun Valley, Idaho, this morning.
It looks like the firefighters behind you are getting ready to chow down and hit the fire lines, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You better believe it, John.
The sun is not up yet, but the dayside crews are. They are lining up to get some chow as they start the fight again this afternoon and this morning.
They are working around the clock here. Got over 800 firefighters, you have another 800 support crew on the ground. You can imagine the system in place to keep everybody up and running both physically and mentally as they continue to fight this blaze.
They're getting some help from unlikely source. Snow guns here at Sun Valley Ski Resort typically used to make snow in the wintertime being used in the summertime to battle back this blaze which is surrounding this resort and getting very close to the resort town of Ketchum.
They are getting some air support, although most fixed-wing aircraft have been grounded. The helicopters, all 12 of them, have been up and working during the daytime, as well, getting help on the ground, as well, from these guys.
Weather has been somewhat helpful, but winds today will be westerly. That's a bad direction. It blows it towards town. But the winds should be light, relatively speaking.
Getting a handle on this is critical over the next couple of days, because this weekend it looks like we're going to have a big wind event which will fan those flames all over again. So, they're working hard, they're getting some food, they're getting the fuel they need to fight this blaze this afternoon.
John, back to you.
ROBERTS: And is it still really hot and dry there, Rob?
MARCIANO: Very -- very warm, very dry. Not record-breaking heat, but certainly extreme drought. Low levels of humidity.
We'll get humidity levels well below 20 percent today. So that's not helping the situation.
Maybe a chance of thunderstorms the next couple of days, but you'll really -- you've got -- you only get lucky if you get some rain out of those thunderstorms right over your spot. So they can't really count on the weather helping. Winds pretty light. That's the best they can do.
ROBERTS: All right. Rob Marciano for us, just outside of Sun Valley, Idaho.
Rob, thanks very much -- Heidi.
COLLINS: A new report on obesity in America has some dire news for us this morning. It says that as a nation, we are getting fatter.
CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, breaks it down state by state.
Sanjay, quickly -- I mean, obesity rates up in 31 states. Not one state showing a decline.
Tell us who is the best and who is the worst.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, this is what you call an epidemic. And I think this is something we've talked about quite a bit on CNN, looking at both the obesity and the childhood obesity crisis.
Well, there's a new report out from Trust for America's Health. It's a not-for-profit organization. It's looked at the last three years of data, trying to answer the very question you asked, who's the best, who's the worst? Here are some of the numbers of some of the worst states and best states.
Looking at obesity -- and this is among adults across the map -- Mississippi is the worst. Almost a third there qualify for obesity. Not just overweight, but obesity, and that means a body mass index of at least 30 or higher. They were the first state to get that high.
Folks from Colorado, your home state, Heidi, actually had the lowest obesity rates, coming in around 18 percent.
Wanted to look at children, as well, looking at overweight rates among children across the map. Utah actually has the lowest, about nine percent. The District of Columbia, about 23 percent.
Look, we know that obesity is linked to just about every chronic disease out there. Mississippi, which we just mentioned, also is number one for heart disease in adults, and it's number two for diabetes in adults as well.
We talk about epidemics. And I just put a little bit of perspective for you. You have about 19 states that have about a quarter of their citizens that are now obese. So, 25 percent of the citizens in 19 states are obese. In the early '90s, you had no state that had obesity rates that high, so the numbers are definitely getting worse -- Heidi.
COLLINS: "Fit Nation". Sanjay, "Fit Nation".
GUPTA: We're trying to do our part, Heidi. We really are.
COLLINS: Hey, quickly, obviously we reported here yesterday about Dunkin' Donuts and taking the trans fats out of their doughnuts. They're still doughnuts, right? I mean, this isn't going to make much of an impact?
GUPTA: Yes, I don't think anyone is ready to call these health foods by any stretch of the imagination. They are still made of fat, sugar and flour.
But, you know, talking about trans fats and eliminating them is an important step, though, not to undermine that at all. Trans fats, these sort of partially hydrogenated fats, they increase your bad cholesterol and they increase your risk of heart disease. So, actually, trying to substitute that with healthier fat of some sort will make a difference but, obviously, doughnuts themselves still have a lot of -- they still contribute quite a bit to the obesity epidemic that we were just talking about.
COLLINS: And still no gluten-free doughnut either. Still looking for that. All right.
GUPTA: We've got to get that for you, absolutely.
COLLINS: Sanjay, nice to see you. Thank you very much.
GUPTA: Thank you.
COLLINS: To find out where your own state ranks on these obesity charts, you can go to cnn.com/americanmorning. That's also where you can e-mail Sanjay. He'll answer your questions here on AMERICAN MORNING on Thursday.
ROBERTS: A government security request ignored by one big newspaper. Why editors at "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer" refused to print pictures of suspicious men spotted on local ferries.
And life after the Justice Department. What is next for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales? And will Congress stop chasing him about those fired U.S. attorneys once he leaves his post?
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Some incredible pictures just coming in this morning topping our "Quick Hits" now.
A freak accident caught on tape at a Shriners parade injured eight bystanders in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a couple of weeks ago. Police now say two buggies were circling each other when they collided and one of the careened into the crowd.
Owen Wilson is reportedly in good condition, but what happened to the actor is anyone's guess. He's still at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. and asking that he be allowed to heal in private. Wilson was taken by ambulance from his home in Santa Monica on Sunday.
And Las Vegas hit with one of its most violent summer storms in years. High water roared through the streets, emergency crews rushed to save drivers who were caught in flooded intersections. ROBERTS: Sixteen minutes after the hour.
Now to a controversy between the FBI and a newspaper. The FBI asked the media in Seattle to help identify two men that they deemed suspicious. "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer" wouldn't run these pictures of the men. Other papers and television, including CNN, did at the time.
Joining me now to explain why they didn't is the managing editor of "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer," David McCumber.
Mr. McCumber, let me just set the scene. These men were seen on at least one ferry in areas that they were not supposed to be in, that the public was not supposed to be in, raised the alarm by the captain who took photos of them. The FBI went to the newspapers and local media and said, can you please run these photos because we want to talk to these fellows?
Why did you make the decision to not run the pictures?
DAVID MCCUMBER, "SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER": Well, we felt that suspicion is not evidence, and that homeland security isn't just a blanket reason to deviate from our usual standards. We go out of our way not to harm people with the power of the newspaper.
For instance, we don't run the names of people who are suspected of crime before their charged with crimes. These two guys were a long way from criminals. And we just didn't see a reason to depart from that policy. It seemed like a civil liberties issue.
ROBERTS: Right. So, in terms of the backlash from your decision, what kind of flak have you been getting from people from not running these photos?
MCCUMBER: Well, we've definitely heard from some people who wished that we had, but we've also received a great amount of support from people who understand the issue and thought that it was the right decision.
ROBERTS: Right. And one of those people was the captain of a ferry, correct?
MCCUMBER: That's right. A captain of a Seattle ferry, that's right.
ROBERTS: Not the particular ferry in question, but another ferry, I take it?
MCCUMBER: Yes.
ROBERTS: Is this a classic example, David, of the challenges facing the media in a post-9/11 world and how that somehow -- sometimes conflicts with law enforcement? Which used to investigate crimes after they had happened. Now, they've been assigned the role, at least with the FBI, in trying to prevent terrorist attacks before they happen. MCCUMBER: Absolutely. I think it's a sign of the times, and it certainly something that we're all wrestling with, not just the media. So, yes, I think we'll have more of these sorts of things.
ROBERTS: Right. Some organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations, have suggested that this was a case of racial profiling. But again, the captain saw these people engaging in what he deemed was suspicious activity, it was enough to set off alarm bells with him.
So, is this a case of racial profiling, or is it a case of behavioral profiling, do you think?
MCCUMBER: Well, that's a very good question. We actually weren't told that the captain had seen these people. We were told that some ferry workers had seen the men and perhaps some passengers had seen them and wondered about them. And at that point, you don't know if the observer is racially profiling or not. That's really hard to pin down, I think.
ROBERTS: So, if you had that information then, would you have run the pictures?
MCCUMBER: Well, I don't know. I don't know what we would of done in a hypothetical situation like that. But I would like to stress that the racial aspect of it really wasn't the reason. We would of made the same decision no matter what the -- what the ethnicity of these people.
ROBERTS: All right. David McCumber, from "The Seattle Post- Intelligencer".
Thanks for being with us this morning.
MCCUMBER: Thank you, John.
ROBERTS: Heidi.
COLLINS: Fear The Reaper. "Quick Hits" now.
That's the name of the newest Air Force attack plane, an update to the unmanned Predator Drone. It packs a similar weapons system to an F-16, and the military says it is headed to Afghanistan this fall.
Two years after Katrina, many people in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, are recovering, but the4y cannot bear to rebuild the town as it was before.
We'll tell you about that coming up shortly.
Also, an entire family crushed by their home. The search for survivors after an apartment building comes down.
It's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROBERTS: Twenty-three minutes after the hour. Your "Quick Hits" now.
A small town in North Dakota is picking up the pieces after a deadly tornado. One person was killed and 18 others hurt when the twister hit Northwood on Sunday night. North Dakota's governor has declared a state of emergency in the town and has directed the National Guard to help in the cleanup.
And New Orleans residents are getting ready to mark the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina tomorrow. Some events are already happening, like this one, a candlelight vigil on the levee of Lake Pontchartrain. More than 1,500 people were killed by Katrina in Louisiana alone, and much of New Orleans still remains devastated.
COLLINS: It is 8:23 now. And Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business".
You have all kinds of props today. It's very exciting.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've got...
ROBERTS: These aren't props.
VELSHI: It is the -- it's a birthday today. It's the 100th birthday of UPS, which was founded 100 years ago today as the American Messenger Company in a basement in Seattle. There is an early picture probably from -- I think it's from 1922. It's a lot after they started.
Jim Casey was the fellow who started it. He borrowed a hundred dollars to start it, and it now is a -- it has revenues of about $47.5 billion.
Let me give you a few little details about UPS.
It delivers more than 15 million packages a day. It employs 427,700 people. About 360,00 of those are in the United States, 360,000 which makes it the third largest employer in the United States.
It's got about 95,000 cars, vans, trucks, tractors and motor bikes. Haven't seen one of those yet.
COLLINS: You can only carry one or two packages on that.
VELSHI: It's got 277 aircraft, which makes it the eighth largest airline.
And my little truck makes a little noise, as you can see.
COLLINS: I wonder if FedEx sent over a gift. What do you think?
VELSHI: That's a good question. I think FedEx might be waiting this out.
ROBERTS: He sent it DHL though.
VELSHI: That's right.
COLLINS: Yes.
VELSHI: So a birthday for -- it's a big deal, because we use these more than we ever used them before. And they're good gauges of sort of how the economy is going. When you track how much FedEx and UPS are shipping on a monthly basis, you get some sense of how businesses are spending.
ROBERTS: It's huge.
VELSHI: And, of course, gas prices and airlines, you know?
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: So is this all going back to UPS, or is it staying in your office?
VELSHI: It might go to my office. I have a collection of airplanes.
COLLINS: We're going to check. You have your little vouchers with you when you send your own personal packages.
VELSHI: That's right.
ROBERTS: Gift declarations.
COLLINS: Thank you, Ali.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Ali.
VELSHI: All right.
ROBERTS: A now at a story coming up in our next half hour that you just can't miss. A back to school backpack lesson. The bag that you buy for your son or daughter to go back to school is a lot more important than you think.
COLLINS: Yes, it is. We're going to be looking at the good and bad and show you how to size a backpack, because you might be surprised. It really can cause some injuries to your son or daughter.
That's ahead right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Almost always a beautiful shot out of Denver, Colorado. Our affiliate, KUSA, my old station. That's where I came to CNN from. Isn't it great? Aren't you thrilled?
ROBERTS: It's beautiful out there. My son is at college out in Boulder.
COLLINS: I know. University of Colorado.
Hey, we believe it is about, what did we say, 69 degrees there right now as the sun is just getting ready to come up.
Good morning once again, everybody. It is Tuesday, August 28th.
I'm Heidi Collins. Kiran Chetry is off today.
ROBERTS: And good morning to you.
I'm John Roberts.
New this morning, a deal in the works to free 19 South Korean hostages being held since July 19th in Afghanistan. The South Korean government says their deal with the Taliban includes withdrawing 200 South Korean troops from Afghanistan and putting a stop to Christian missionary work there.
Also new this morning, the arrest and guilty plea of Idaho Senator Larry Craig out in the open. The newspaper "Roll Call" got a hold of a police report from Craig's arrest in June in the men's room at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.
It says Craig made sexual advances towards an undercover officer. Two months later, Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and paid a $500 fine, but now he says he regrets the plea, claiming that he made it without a lawyer present.
Earlier, we asked the "Roll Call" reporter who broke the story about Senator Craig's statement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This incident occurs on June 8th and he has almost -- I'm sorry, June 11th, and he has almost two months until August 8th to think about this incident when he actually went and pled guilty. He says he should have had a lawyer with him, but if you go back to the police report, he went back to the airport, the Minnesota airport where this all happened, 11 days after this incident occurred on the 22nd, and there is a specific report from the police officers that say he came back looking for a contact information to "give a contact" to his lawyer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Craig is up for reelection next year. He was also the Senate liaison to the Mitt Romney campaign. Romney officials last night announced that Craig is no longer working for them.
And a minor collision at Los Angeles International Airport. Two Alaska Airline jets bumped each other while one was pulling out of the gate. No one was hurt but both planes damaged. One of them full of passengers at the time. They were taken off the aircraft, rebooked. The other one was empty. FAA is investigating the incident.
COLLINS: That dramatic fire and explosion on China Airlines 737 has prompted the FAA to order inspections of all newer versions of the plane. An initial investigation into last week's explosion showed that a bolt on the right wing punctured a fuel tank, causing a leak. The FAA has ordered about 800 737s to be inspected for a similar problem. All 165 people on that China Air flight, remarkably, made it out OK.
A student slashed in the throat on the first day of class at the University of Colorado in Boulder. We were just talking about University of Colorado. Freshman Michael Norris (ph), underwent an hour of surgery but is expected to be all right.
Police say an ex-mental patient who once worked at the school stabbed him outside the student center before he stabbed himself. Police Tasered the suspect. A spokesman for Colorado says text messages were sent to 1,300 students to help keep them aware of the situation. They signed up for these messages after the Virginia Tech massacre.
ROBERTS: With Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on his way out, there is a lot of speculation about who President Bush will nominate to replace him. White House Correspondent Ed Henry traveling with the president in Reno, Nevada today.
Ed, President Bush yesterday, said that Gonzales had to go because he was dragged through the mud. But then there's a lot of other people who say, Hey, Gonzales just shot himself full of holes. Was the president really forced to do this?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, John. You're right. I mean, the president also, for the first time ever, acknowledged yesterday that the controversy had become a distraction. He had not done that before.
He's in Reno today, for example, to address the American Legion, prepare the nation for the upcoming progress report on Iraq, and this is a president who has a lot to do both on the foreign policy front, as well as the domestic agenda that's stalled on Capitol Hill right now.
You know the clock is ticking on his administration and so after months of digging in, he had to bow to the political reality that this was all -- this controversy was starting to overshadow his administration a bit, but before showing Gonzales the door, he took one last blast at the critics who ran his friend out of town.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work, because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Officials say the president has not settled on a candidate, a nominee to replace Alberto Gonzales as attorney general, and he's not in a rush. Obviously, he does have to get going. Congress will be back from recess shortly. The White House could be bracing for a major confirmation battle in the Senate, John.
ROBERTS: Michael Chertoff was held up as a frontrunner yesterday, Ed, but as many organizations were quick to point out, he's got some problems regarding Hurricane Katrina and the Department of Homeland Security's response to that. In fact, a Senate committee report, out not too long after the Katrina investigation, concluded that he was deficient in a lot of different areas in responding to that. Could that cause some problems for him, particularly with the second anniversary coming up?
HENRY: Absolutely. Bad timing for Chertoff on that front, given the anniversary. The president, from Reno, is actually heading to New Orleans to mark the anniversary. We're hearing from White House officials they are getting initial static from senators, privately, about that very issue.
Another potential problem for Chertoff, it would create two confirmation battles, because then he'd have to give up the Homeland Security secretary job. Another name being floated out there Chris Cox, the former congressman, has ties on Capitol Hill. That could be a plus. He's the current Securities & Exchange Commission chairman.
George Terwilliger, he's the, remember, deputy attorney general for Bush 41, some people talking him up as potentially sort of like a Robert Gates kind of figure. He came in after Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. A Bush 41 person is sort of a gray beard and maybe can help turn the page at Justice, John.
ROBERTS: All right. Ed Henry for us in Reno, this morning.
Ed, thanks very much.
HENRY: Thank you.
COLLINS: We're closing in on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina when it hit the Gulf Coast. Many towns are still struggling to recover. Bay St. Louis, Mississippi is one of them. CNN's Kathleen Koch grew up there and has returned now back to her home to check in.
Good morning to you. How do things look?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, they're hanging in here. Just to my right a little bit of good news. A business has just reopened on the beach and that really brings hope. But, you know, this town has suffered so much. It's been such a tough two years.
There are no levees here. We're not below sea level and we were ripped apart by 143-mile-an-hour winds, a 30-foot storm surge. As you can see, there are still businesses and there are still homes that look just like they did right after the hurricane. And, Heidi, it's heartbreaking for those like me who knew what this town used to be.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KOCH (voice over): Before Hurricane Katrina, the Bay St. Louis waterfront was prime real estate. Lined with gracious homes and thriving businesses. Two years later, the one business that finally just reopened on the waterfront couldn't afford full insurance.
JOHN BAXTER, HANCOCK BANK: You have to take some chances sometimes to start a rebuilding process.
KOCH: Battles with insurance companies have left many homeowners without the money to rebuild. Those who scraped together the cash are building small houses high on pylons and crossing their fingers. Some like my high school classmate Diane Bourgeois can't bear the risk. Her gutted home had to be bulldozed.
(On camera): But you, personally, you won't ever rebuild here?
DIANE BOURGEOIS, HOMEOWNER: I don't think I can. No.
KOCH: Why not?
BOURGEOIS: Well, just the -- I don't know, the memories. It will just never be the same.
KOCH: Can't risk at all again?
BOURGEOIS: Can't risk at all again.
KOCH: She's traded in her idyllic life near the water for an apartment over a barn, 15 miles inland. Businesses are moving inland, too. The popular waterfront restaurant Trapani's, reduced to rubble by Katrina, is in temporary quarters two miles away until a new road and seawall can be built.
TONY TRAPANI, RESTAURANT OWNER: We miss being on the water. We miss the activities of everybody having like a beach fun-type atmosphere, where we walked out and looked at the water.
KOCH: Businesses inland is improving since two lanes of the destroyed bridge connecting the town to the rest of the Gulf Coast have reopened and tax revenues are beginning to get close to pre- Katrina levels, but a third of the residents haven't returned. There is little rental property and no public housing has been rebuilt or repaired. Even the mayor still lives in a trailer.
MAYOR EDDIE FAVRE, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS.: Without the people we don't have a town. We don't have a city, we don't have "a place apart".
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: And "a place apart" is the motto of this town, but the people here determined, courageous people, have been pulling together. But I will tell you, on this two-year anniversary, they are tired. They are tired, body and soul. The mayor says he now believes it will be another seven years before this town is close to back to normal -- Heidi. COLLINS: Seven years? Really? Is that longer than you expected? I can't imagine how tough it must be for you, personally, too, to see all this. And to know it could be seven more years?
KOCH: Heidi, I actually, when the storm hit and when I saw it that week, I said 10 years. So I think he's actually being a little optimistic. But it's -- so much has been flattened and so little has been rebuilt. It's going to take a long time.
COLLINS: We know you will covering it and covering it very well for us.
Thanks so much, Kathleen Koch, this morning.
KOCH: I will.
COLLINS: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Coming up now to 38 minutes after the hour. New details about Hulk Hogan's son, topping your "Quick Hits".
Seventeen-year-old Nick Bollea was released from the hospital a day after he slammed his car into a tree in Clearwater, Florida. He's friend, who was a passenger in the vehicle is in critical condition. TMZ and the SmokingGun.com report that Bollea has been ticketed five times for speeding in just the past year.
Fan fallout for Michael Vick the day after his guilty plea on dog fighting charges. This video sent to us from iReporter Jason Crisp (ph) shows the 13-year-old former fan handing off a Michael Vick autographed ball to the family dog. The chewed up ball now being auctioned on eBay with proceeds going to the Humane Society.
A new plan of attack in the heart of Idaho ski country. Snow- making machines pulled in the fight against a massive wildfire. Rob Marciano is on the fire line for us.
Plus a back-to-school lesson in backpacks. How to pick the bag that will keep your kid injury-free this school year. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning.
Searching the rubble for a family of five after an apartment complex collapsed. That tops "Quick Hits" now. Search crews and cadaver dogs were digging through the wreckage in Barbados. Police say the two-story building collapsed into a cave on Sunday.
Rescue teams in New Zealand have pulled a cave climber free three days after a rock slide pinned him deep underground. Police say he suffered head injuries and falling rocks smashed his pelvis.
Another fire at the Boston Tea Party Museum; the second time now in six years it's gone up in flames. Luckily the museum had been closed since the first fire there six years ago and did not contain any items of historical significance.
It's 8:41 now. Want to toss things out to Rob Marciano following the situation in Ketchum, Idaho. Fire is the story there.
But possibly wind might be more of an issue as the day goes on, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It certainly has been an issue over the weekend. Winds lying down last night so that's the good news. Smoke with the drainage winds coming right down here in the valley. The sun, now, trying to come up.
The crews are up, the dayside crews are up and they're getting in line for chow, fueling up for a long day's work. They work 12, sometimes 16-hour shifts around the clock to battle this blaze. They get some air support. There have been helicopters up, about 12 of them, dumping fire retardant and some water to help the crews on the ground.
They're chopping. They're cutting, they're clearing and they're hosing down trying to battle back this blaze; 44 percent containment at the moment. They hope to get that higher, number up, before this weekend hits, because the winds could turn even larger. Thirty-eight miles of line still needs to be cut.
We went to the top of the mountain yesterday and talked to one of the guys managing the fire and exactly what kind of challenges they're up against when you're battling a fire in these mountains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL HUNEKE, WORKING ATOP BALD MOUNTAIN: It could move three or four miles an hour up the hill, and 20- or 30-foot flame lines coming up here. So we have structure protection in place and we've done our homework and prepared. And ready to defend this hill if it comes up here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: They are getting help on the defense front from unlikely source. Snow guns typically used to make snow at this ski resort and other ski resorts in the wintertime, they are turning on the snow guns and spraying water on the mountain to help out the firefighters on the ground. It helped out quite a bit on Sunday, which was one of the worst days with the wind. Fire got within 100 feet of a multi-million-dollar lodge at the top of the mountain and they managed to beat back those flames. That was a huge success story.
There are still hundreds of people evacuated, John, from their homes and neighborhoods are threatened. And if the winds pick up out of the west, then the town of Ketchum still at risk. So they want to get their hands around this fire in the next couple of days because this weekend looks like more big winds will be on the way -- John.
ROBERTS: It looks like they got a lot of hands on deck this morning there, Rob. Thanks very much. MARCIANO: Yes, they do.
ROBERTS: CNN "Newsroom" just minutes away. Brianna Keilar at the CNN Center in Atlanta with a look what is ahead.
Good morning, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Good morning, John.
We've got a new Washington sex scandal on the "Newsroom" rundown.
Idaho Senator Larry Craig arrested for a men's room sex sting. He is denying any misconduct saying his actions were misconstrued.
Also fire crews from other countries joining are joining the battle in Greece. Wildfires there have killed some five dozen people.
Also the implications of this next story are tremendous. Researchers say cholesterol-lowering drugs may help prevent Alzheimer's disease.
All of the morning's breaking news when it happens in the CNN "Newsroom" at the top of the hour on CNN, John.
ROBERTS: Looking forward to it. We'll see you then, Brianna.
Some health news now on your "Quick Hits". A new study suggests that treating women who develop diabetes during pregnancy could greatly reduce the chance their child will be obese. If gone untreated the women are twice as likely to have overweight called.
It's being called the best evidence yet of the healing power of stem cells. Private researchers say they successfully used stem cells to repair damaged hearts in rats. They hope that the process could one day help people recovering from heart attacks.
Acing the backpack test. Tips for buying a bag that will keep your child injury-free this school year, and make them look cool, to boot. Next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We're talking back to school. New backpacks and a clean slate and fresh start for your kids' health. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen is here with a back-to-school checklist.
You know there really is a lot to think about, not just for the kids but for the parents, too, when you're talking about a new school year.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So many things, what are they going to eat. How much sleeping they're getting. We'll focus today on backpacks because when you go shopping there are some things you should really look for and people don't realize that thousands of kids have back injuries because of their backpacks. COLLINS: If you take a look at them they are absolutely huge and stuffed to the gills it seems!
COHEN: Exactly. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons say there are so many injuries what you want to remember is the backpack should weigh no more than 20 percent of what your child weighs.
COLLINS: Ah, OK.
COHEN: Let's say you have a ninth grader who weighs a 100 pounds the backpack should weigh no more than 20 pounds. So that's sort of a rule of thumb to go by.
COLLINS: As I look at these backpacks here. I mean, how do you know which one is the best one for your child? And how do you know they're not overstuffing them? Where do we start with choosing one?
COHEN: We'll start with two beautiful children right here!
COLLINS: Look at that. They are beautiful.
COHEN: I am biased. I am their mother. These are my two daughters, Taub (ph) and Mary. They are here to demonstrate backpack dos and don'ts. Because there is a very specific thing you should look for. Taub, my older daughter, Taub turn around so everybody can see.
You'll see this backpack rests sort of at her hips. You can see her rear-end. That's a good thing. You should be able to see it. It shouldn't be dragging.
Now, Mary, you turn around. Mary is a backpack don't! You see how that sags? It is too big for her!
COLLINS: It looks like it would hurt your shoulders immediately. What are the alternatives? You see some of these roller ones. A lot of them, kids are going with those now. Is that true?
COHEN: Right.
COLLINS: It looks safer, anyway.
COHEN: It is. I've heard some kids say they are a little bit -- nerdy.
COLLINS: Really?
COHEN: But they're much better.
COLLINS: Why?
COHEN: I don't know.
COLLINS: It looks like luggage.
COHEN: It looks like luggage, I guess. But you can drag these around. Here's another example, pink for girls. That can be an alternative.
COLLINS: These can also be regular old backpacks if you want?
COHEN: Right, you can switch them out.
COLLINS: Mary, do you think the rolling ones are kind of geeky? Or could you make them cool? Especially if you had a pink one like that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they're not geeky at all.
COLLINS: Good!
COHEN: Good.
COLLINS: Mom is saying right answer!
COHEN: Good job.
These are actually their backpacks. These are ones that we bought as props. I think maybe -- I'll borrow these, and use them for real.
COLLINS: Yes, definitely. You can start the trend and make sure that everybody else knows they're not geeky.
Thanks so much, CNN's Elizabeth Cohen, and children. Thanks so much, guys.
ROBERTS: Soaking in the Republican losses from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation to the sex scandal involving GOP Senator Larry Craig. It's all breathing a little extra life into the Democrats sails today. Tom Foreman steers us through at all in this morning's "Raw Politics."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning! Pull your toes out of the water! The Democrats are in a feeding frenzy over the Katrina anniversary and the sudden Gonzales good-bye.
(Voice over): Several Democratic candidates were at Lance Armstrong Cancer Forum when the resignation came. It brought spontaneous applause and swipes at the White House over just about everything!
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This president wants a surge in the war in Iraq. I want a surge on the war on cancer.
(APPLAUSE)
FOREMAN: But "The Raw" read? With Gonzales and Karl Rove gone, the Dems have lost two terrific targets, so watch for a Republican counter attack!
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki is wailing into Democratic Senators Carl Levin and Hillary Clinton for saying he should step aside. He and President Bush are ballyhooing the latest progress on Iraq's thorny political problems, and Maliki suggests other U.S. politicians should keep their trap shut!
Conservative Republican Senator Larry Craig has been fined after admitting to disorderly conduct at the Minneapolis Airport. "Roll Call" newspaper says the incident involved supposedly lewd behavior in an airport restroom in June.
We say supposedly, because a spokesperson for the Idaho lawmaker is now saying his actions were misconstrued by investigators! And in hindsight he should not have pled guilty.
Senator Chris Dodd's Connecticut office was burgled (sic) this weekend. Police say intruder broke in and picked up a TV and a computer. They picked the suspect up a while later!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: This wasn't exactly Watergate. Police say this guy had no idea that Dodd is running for president. And that is no surprise because the polls suggest neither does most of America.
That's it for "Raw Politics". We'll have more tonight on "AC 360".
ROBERTS: With all those Democratic sharks in the water, if this continues, we will need a bigger boat. All of today's political news is available any time, day or night, at cnn.com/ticker.
A quick look at what the CNN "Newsroom" is working on for the top of the hour.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: See these stories in the CNN "Newsroom." Idaho Senator Larry Craig denies he did anything wrong. The Republican arrested in a men's room sex sting.
Also the question today, who will replace Attorney General Alberto Gonzales?
The weather takes a friendly turn in Idaho. Crews gain ground against a big wildfire.
Plus, almost a third of its residents are obese. Find out the fattest state in the nation. Newsroom at the top of the hour on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Coming up to 56 minutes after the hour. And time to meet a "CNN Hero". People making a difference in their communities. Today a man who is helping American troops teaching them about an ancient art. Bob Kunkel is today's "CNN Hero".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did this start? BOB KUNKEL, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: The newly injured had no idea how dramatic their lives have been impacted. And I have experience in that area. And I knew I had to do something.
I was with the 9th Infantry Division. My knee joint was blown out. So they took the bottom part and welded it to the top. I did not cope well. You name the self-destructive behavior, I did it, times 10. Now I view all that experiences as training for what I'm doing now.
My name is Bob Kunkel. I have the privilege and honor of being allowed to interact with the new injured at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I function as a friend. I teach jujitsu, so that an injured person can become empowered in protecting themselves.
He went that way, so you step here.
There's a connection. They've been in combat, I've been in combat.
You're laughing, they know.
My purpose is to steer someone to make better choices in life.
If you're injured, you're still the same person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, I feel fortunate to have met somebody like Bob. You know, someone that can kind of understand the disability, but that can also teach me a skill that I can pass on to other people.
KUNKEL: I've taken soldiers out for coffee, out for a drive, and dinner.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you?
KUNKEL: And you can just see how people relaxing. It's my way of showing my true appreciation for their sacrifice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: For more about Bob Kunkel's program, or to nominate a hero of your own, visit our website at cnn.com/heroes.
We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ROBERTS: You're headed back to Atlanta, where you'll be doing "Newsroom. But meantime, CNN "Newsroom" with Brianna Keilar and T.J. Holmes, begins right now.
HOLMES: Thanks, guys. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in today for Tony Harris. KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Heidi Collins.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
