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American Morning

Extreme Heat at Chicago Marathon; Teacher With a Gun: Should it be Allowed?

Aired October 08, 2007 - 08:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Hot water. Iraq accuses Blackwater of deliberate murder and calls for a trial...

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Blackwater get out!

ROBERTS: ... while on the home front, one community's fight to keep Blackwater from setting up shop.

Deadly heat. Chaos in Chicago. Bodies littering the street. A marathon canceled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they had left food (ph) out here there wouldn't have been any problem.

ROBERTS: Did it have to end this way?

Plus, nature over nurture. New evidence shows how mom's body can predict your risk for cancer on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And good morning to you. Thanks very much for joining us as we kick off another brand new week. It's Monday, October the 8th. It also happens to be Columbus Day.

I'm John Roberts.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Kiran Chetry is off. I'm Brianna Keilar.

ROBERTS: Good to see you up here from D.C.

KEILAR: Well, it's nice to bump into you here instead of down there.

ROBERTS: Yes. And you get the cool weather here coming up to New York as well.

KEILAR: Yes. It's very nice.

ROBERTS: OK.

We begin this hour with some extreme weather. Unseasonably hot temperatures and high humidity disrupted the Chicago marathon yesterday. One runner collapsed and died on the course, hundreds more were treated for heat-related conditions.

AMERICAN MORNING'S Alina Cho joins us now with more.

Good morning, Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, good morning to you.

The pictures are just incredible. One marathon runner likened it to a war zone.

It was complete chaos. Runners were seen throwing up, passing out, or being carted out on stretchers. A 35-year-old Michigan man, a police officer, as you mentioned, collapsed and died. More than 300 people were taken to the hospital, mostly for heat-related conditions.

It was the hottest Chicago marathon on record. And the first time in its history, the race, midway through, was canceled.

One runner told CNN some people were so upset, they were punching police officers to try to finish the race. Another woman, who made it all the way to mile 21, spoke earlier on AMERICAN MORNING and said the 26.2 mile race was poorly planned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARZU KARIMOVA, FORCED TO QUIT CHICAGO MARATHON: There wasn't enough medical assistance on the roads. And there was no ice. Like they knew it was going to be hot. They should have had ice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: Now, runners said the water stations, in fact, weren't properly stocked, not enough Gatorade either. And this morning, blogs are filled with angry runners sounding off, blaming the organizers. Some are even calling for a boycott until there's a management change. The race organizers said they made the decision based on safety and quickly issued an apology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a tough decision, obviously. But given the circumstances and the weather conditions, I thought it was prudent for the safety and well-being of the individuals that were participating in this event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: Of the nearly 36,000 runners who started the race, only 25,000 finished. And remember, marathon runners train for months, in some cases years. Safe to say, John, this is a huge disappointment.

Interestingly enough, I ran the Chicago marathon myself in 1993. But back then, it was a far different problem, John. If you can believe it, it was snowing.

ROBERTS: Yes. You just never know in Chicago. There was a 10k here in New York as well, in Central Park on Saturday. I've actually never seen so many fluids at a race. They really had everything organized here in New York.

CHO: Well, that was well planned.

ROBERTS: Yes.

Alina, thanks.

There was a death at a race in Washington, D.C., as well. A runner collapsed about 200 yards short of the finish line at the Pentagon during the Army 10-miler. The runner was a civilian. The cause of death not known. Temperatures when the race started were about 70 degrees, but race officials say there was plenty of water and first aid throughout the course.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(NEWSBREAK)

ROBERTS: Eight minutes after the hour.

Chrysler could be next for a nationwide auto strike.

Stephanie Elam in for Ali Velshi this morning at our Business Update Desk. She's out there somewhere.

There she is.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Here I am.

ROBERTS: Good morning. So what's this all about?

ELAM: Hi, John.

Well, we have a deadline. According to "The New York Times," we're looking at a strike deadline of Wednesday for Chrysler.

Now, this is according to the United Auto Workers Union. They of course are looking to get another deal out there, just like they worked out with GM. That finally happened on September 26th after nine days of talks and a two-day strike, if you recall. So obviously want to avoid a strike happening with Chrysler.

There were plenty on both sides of the fence who were unhappy with how things worked out with the GM deal. And so they may make it a little difficult for the UAW to work out its pattern bargaining, where it just takes its one deal with one automaker and move it on to the other two.

So obviously Chrysler is the next one up here. Ford will also be paying attention to what happens here.

We'll be paying close attention to see what happens if by Wednesday, if they don't have a deal, whether or not we'll have strike number two coming out of Detroit -- John.

ROBERTS: Boy, nothing between 1976 and this year, and then, boom, all of a sudden, maybe two in a row.

ELAM: It could happen.

ROBERTS: Yes.

Stephanie Elam for us this morning.

Stephanie, thanks -- Brianna.

KEILAR: A worldwide alert tops "Quick Hits" now.

Police from Interpol asking for global help in finding a man seen abusing children in hundreds of online photos. German computer specialists were able to remove a blur effect used to hide his face, and you can see the result right here.

This is the first time ever that Interpol has issued a worldwide public appeal.

And new security measures for laptop computers and other electronic devices in Connecticut. This move comes after a laptop containing the names and Social Security numbers of more than 100,000 residents were stolen back in August. Blackberry devices are also getting new password protection.

And coming up, guns in the classroom. A veteran teacher afraid of her ex-husband says she wants to carry a weapon to class. Can she win her fight with the school?

Meet her ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

ROBERTS: School safety and the Second Amendment are at odds in one Oregon school district. Shirley Katz, a high school teacher, is suing to bring a gun to class for protection. She says that her concealed weapons permit, an Oregon law, allow her to do so. But some officials say that she is violating the Jackson County school board policy.

Shirley Katz joins us now from Medford, Oregon, this morning.

Ms. Katz, good to see you.

Why do you feel like you need to bring a gun to school.

SHIRLEY KATZ, TEACHER: Well, I see this as a -- this is an important case because it is, first of all, my Second Amendment right to do so. And it illustrates that no one should be able to alter that right.

ROBERTS: Right.

KATZ: Particularly my school district.

ROBERTS: But it's not just the...

KATZ: So it's...

ROBERTS: Yes, but it's not just that you want to bring a gun to school to make a point. There are security concerns that you have? What's the basis for those?

KATZ: Well, I think recent history has shown us that school safety measures need to be improved, particularly...

ROBERTS: Right, but hang on. Let me just back you up here.

I think we're missing the main point here, right? You're afraid of your ex-husband. Isn't that what it is?

KATZ: That was the catalyst for my purchasing my handgun. However, my insistence on being able to carry my permit is because I am a law-abiding citizen in the state of Oregon and it is my right to do so.

ROBERTS: Right. But if you don't feel -- do you still feel a personal threat from your ex-husband?

KATZ: I would say that that is definitely the case, but I am hardly the only victim of domestic violence that is in my school, whether that's students or other teachers as well. So, that's just one concern.

ROBERTS: Now, let me just back up again. Have you actually been a victim of domestic violence, or are these just fears that you have of your ex-husband?

KATZ: I was a victim of domestic violence for several years.

ROBERTS: Right. OK.

Now, do you have no faith in school security to be able to provide for your safety?

KATZ: Not currently. No, I do not.

ROBERTS: Right. Now, the state school superintendent, Susan Castillo, she's dead set against this idea.

This is what she said about it: "They are not allowed" -- talking about guns -- "not allowed in courthouses, private workplaces, airplanes and sports arenas. Why would we have a lower standard of safety for our school children?"

How would you respond to that?

KATZ: I would respond by saying it is a public school building, that I have gone through the training necessary, and the sheriff's department has faith enough in me to grant me my concealed carry permit. And that I really think that she needs to consider the fact that our children are our most important resource, and they can't learn unless they feel safe.

ROBERTS: Right. So would you actually be protecting your students as well as yourself? Is that the idea?

KATZ: That is absolutely the idea.

ROBERTS: All right.

Now, your legal bills, if I'm not mistaken here -- correct me if I'm wrong -- are being paid by the Oregon Firearms Association. Is this...

KATZ: That is correct.

ROBERTS: Is this suit more about your personal safety or broader Second Amendment rights issues?

KATZ: I would say it's about broader Second Amendment rights issues and school safety.

ROBERTS: Right. Now, if you win this case, will you continue to bring your gun to school?

KATZ: Yes, I will.

ROBERTS: All right.

Well, Shirley Katz from Medford, Oregon, at the center of a very controversial case.

Thanks for being with us this morning, explaining your position. Good to have you on.

KATZ: Thank you.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: A couple dozen animals, pirates and other mascots raced in Great Britain. The race included hurdles, not easy, of course, in a clunky costume. The pirate took an early lead, but...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Captain Blade (ph) here at the front, obviously he'll be disqualified for cheating. I tell you, it will be a shocker if...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you can tell he's cheating because he's going the other way now. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, look. He's going to take them out. He's going to try and take out the winner. Like a streaker in a pirate's outfit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: No holds barred there. And the race was one -- there you see it -- by Wacky Macky Bear. That is the mascot of a soccer club there in the U.K.

ROBERTS: It looks like that Monty Python race that they do the skit about.

KEILAR: At least they weren't beating each other up this time, right?

ROBERTS: Yes, that's true.

Are you thinking about your taxes yet? It seems pretty early. We're not even through the holidays.

KEILAR: Yes. But what you -- what you do today, it can help you get a heap of money and save yourself from some trouble tomorrow.

Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis has tips that you need to know to keep your tax bill down.

ROBERTS: And she's breaking it down for us in our segment dedicated to life in your 30s, 40s and 50s.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice over): Tax expert Donna LeValley says you should start thinking about ways to cut next year's tax bill now.

(on camera): Donna, in your 30s, you might be starting a family, you might be buying that first house. What are ways to save on your taxes?

DONNA LEVALLEY, TAX EXPERT: Well, fortunately, there's a child tax credit. So you have $1,000 credit, and that's a dollar for dollar reduction of your tax bill. so it's terrific. And if you (INAUDIBLE), if you pay an additional mortgage payment in December, you can deduct that on your next income tax return. So you can pump up your deductions.

WILLIS: What about in your 40s? What are ways you can save?

LEVALLEY: Well, one of the things I tell people is, put the kids on the payroll. But that's age 14...

WILLIS: Put the kids on the payroll?

LEVALLEY: Put the kids on the payroll. If they have, you know, some skills -- a 14-year-old can probably build a Web site for your company at this point. But if they do things that are reasonable, photocopying, filing, things like that, and then they have earned income, they can actually open a Roth IRA. But you get a tax deduction.

WILLIS: One of the things I like to do occasionally is deferring income into another tax year so you don't have to pay taxes.

LEVALLEY: Absolutely. If you're self-employed and you have an idea that next year your income is going to be higher or lower, you can defer or accelerate income based on when you think you'll have a lower tax bracket. And you can do the same thing with deductions. You get the biggest punch from them.

WILLIS: You know, in your 50s, you're really trying to put away the max for your retirement. Are there any tax savings here at all?

LEVALLEY: In addition to the regular limits, anybody 50 or over could actually put more money into IRAs, an additional $1,000. You save on taxes, grow your money and have more money when you retire so you can enjoy yourself.

WILLIS (voice over): Gerri Willis, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: A shot of St. Louis from our affiliate, KSDK. It is now 66 degrees and sunny, going up though to 90 degrees today. Expecting some thunderstorms. So enjoy the sun while you've got it there.

It's Monday, October 8th. It's Columbus Day.

Kiran Chetry is off. I'm Brianna Keilar.

ROBERTS: And good morning to you. I'm John Roberts.

Schools are closed this morning in Crandon, Wisconsin. The small town is grieving over the deaths of six young people gunned down by an off-duty police officers.

Police say the gunman, 20-year-old Tyler Peterson, stormed into a house early Sunday morning and opened fire. The six victims were having a homecoming weekend party. Three of them were students at the local high school. Three of them had just graduated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My thoughts and prayers are with them, and -- but everyone is thinking about them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope no community has to go through what Crandon is going through right now. And I really hope that the people that have passed away are in a better place now. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: A seventh shooting victim is in critical condition in the hospital. The suspect, Tyler Peterson, was killed several hours later by a police sniper.

Eighty-eight degree heat and sweltering humidity is being blamed for a marathon meltdown in Chicago. One competitor died. Hundred of others were treated for heat-related illnesses. This morning "Chicago Sun Times" says the runner who died is 35-year-old Chard Scheiber. He is a veteran police officer and father of three from Midland, Michigan. He collapsed while running ahead of his wife, near the 17- mile mark and could not be revived. Runners are accusing organizers of failing to supply enough water and sports drinks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are saying you need to walk, you need to walk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the hottest race I've ever run in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been hot but if they had enough booths out here it wouldn't have been any problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is probably one of the hottest marathons that I've seen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My understanding is that from witnesses that the runner was running and he fell down and was unresponsive and didn't have a pulse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's some ill will but it was a tough decision obviously but given the circumstances and the weather conditions, I thought it was prudent for the safety and well being of the individuals participating in this event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: The decision was to cut the race short after about three hours. Thousands of runners were not allowed to finish and some of them got quite irate about that.

KEILAR: Britain's Prince William is mourning the death of his friend and former platoon leader. He was killed in Afghanistan. Major Alexis Roberts was killed Thursday by a roadside bomb. The prince trained under him at Sandhurst. That's the elite military academy there in Britain.

And the jury is taking a field trip to Paris today to see firsthand the tunnel where Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed died. The jury for the British coroner will also try to answer whether Diana and Fayed were going to announce their engagement the next day.

French police are looking for the vandals that went after the priceless Monet painting in at the Museum d'Orsay in Paris. A surveillance camera captured the vandals and an alarm scared them away, but not before they punched a four-inch hole into the masterpiece, Le Pont d'Argenteuil. It happened during an all night festival in Paris and French officials think the intruders were likely drunk. John.

ROBERTS: Incredible.

This morning in Iraq, the prime minister says Blackwater security guards committed "deliberate murder" and should be put on trial. Iraq's investigation of the shootout on September 16th in Baghdad raises the number of people killed now to 17. The Iraqis dispute the private contractor's story that it came under attack before it opened fire. The U.S. still investigating.

Hundred of protesters in Southern California are trying to stop Blackwater from building a training camp near Potrero. That's 45 miles east of San Diego. AMERICAN MORNING's Chris Lawrence takes a look at what's behind the fight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Blackwater has dealt with insurgent attacks and criticism from Congress. But it's never faced these California townspeople before.

STEVE KOWIT, POTRETO RESIDENT: We know that these are trigger- happy cowboys that these are not guys we want as our neighbors anyhow.

LAWRENCE: Right now, county commissioners are reviewing Blackwater's proposal. The site is in Representative Bob Filner's district and the democrat just introduced a bill that will require so- called mercenaries to be trained only on federal property.

REP. BOB FILNER (D), SAN DIEGO: Well, what they are doing is more public and more visible and more and more accountable to us.

LAWRENCE: Potrero is a rural community of 800 people, about 50 miles east of San Diego. Right now, the area is just farmland, chicken coops and cattle. Blackwater would build a helicopter landing pad on one side of me, a firing range on the other.

Blackwater says the training ground is needed to service its west coast contracts and will only be used to train police, EMTs and other soldiers, not its own personnel.

BRIAN BONFIGLIO, BLACKWATER WEST: No independent contractors who work for Blackwater, going into places like Iraq and Afghanistan will be trained at this facility.

LAWRENCE: Some residents have concerns about guns and noise; others just don't like the company's reputation.

SUSAN ORLOFSKY, BLACKWATER PROTESTER: They've done havoc in Iraq. If they come to this beautiful place, they will destroy it.

LUISA WILDEY, BLACKWATER SUPPORTER: There are two different things; you're talking about apples and oranges.

LAWRENCE: Luisa Wildey and other residents say what the company allegedly did in Iraq has no bearing on how its staff will adapt to Southern California.

WILDEY: So, as long as he's complying with what the county regulations are, it's OK with us.

LAWRENCE: Blackwater has promised to leave hundreds of acres undeveloped to preserve the environment and plans to give money to local schools.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Blackwater, know your fate.

LAWRENCE: But even that may not be enough to get a warm welcome here. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Potrero, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Well, the town hasn't given final approval for building the camp. Protesters say they are organizing a recall vote for the town planners who are backing it.

It's coming up to 35 minutes after the hour and time now to see what's in today's ballot jackpot. We put one hot topic on each ballot, stuff the box, we then draw them out one at a time and have our guests weigh in.

KEILAR: That's right. Joining us from Washington, Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter who is a former communications director for the 2004 John Kerry campaign and Tracy Schmitt is a Republican strategist and former Republican national committee spokeswoman. Welcome to you both. Thanks so much for being with us.

ROBERTS: I hope you folks are warmed up. Thanks for coming in on this Columbus Day. We know that it actually is a government holiday. So, but politics takes no holidays.

KEILAR: That's right.

ROBERTS: You're a guest in the show, Brianna, go ahead. Why don't you pull the first one.

KEILAR: All right. The Iowa showdown. This is so interesting because we have a sort of a flip flop in the numbers for democrats right back in May? Hillary Clinton certainly was not on top, but she is at this point in this new poll that came out from Iowa. She's actually 29 percent, Edwards at 23, Barack Obama at 22. No giant surprise. Mitt Romney is holding right where he was in May. So, let's check in with Stephanie Cutter about this. What do you make of this flip flop in the numbers?

STEPHANIE CUTTER, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, on the democratic side, Hillary clearly has the momentum. She has been on a trajectory for the last several months. And I think what her campaign said several months ago, the more that voters get to see her, and get to know her, the more they'll be coming over to her side. But make no mistake; there is still a long way to go before that first vote is cast. So, many, many things can happen between now and then.

ROBERTS: Tracy, on the republican side of things, Mitt Romney still holds the lead in most polls. Although, some have Rudy Giuliani nipping at his heels but Bill Clinton said something interesting the other day that at some point, for Romney, the national polls in which he's way down have to come up to match the state polls like in Iowa or New Hampshire or he's in trouble.

TRACY SCHMITT, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, Romney is continuing to run ads in all the states. He has a very different strategy than Giuliani, for example. It's interesting, you saw last week, Romney is going after Giuliani on the issue of taxes and Giuliani continues to go after Hillary Clinton. He's continuing to make the case that he would be the toughest candidate of the republicans against Hillary Clinton if she was the nominee and he would be the most electable next November.

ROBERTS: So, on that point, let's pull another topic here. Bashing Hillary. The GOP is going after Hillary Clinton now. They're doing it to energize the republican base but would they be better off, Stephanie, to be battling each other right now? Because one of them has to become the nominee before they can fight the general election.

CUTTER: Well, I agree. They would be better off doing something other than bashing Hillary. I think they be better off talking about who they are, what they believe in, what they want to do for this country, presenting a vision for this country, other than beating Hillary Clinton.

ROBERTS: Tracy, how much does Hillary Clinton motivate the Republican base? Because if you look at people like James Dobson from focus on the family and other groups are saying, they're not really happy with any of the republican candidates at this point.

SCHMITT: Well, the Republican candidates are really going around the country, traveling, telling their compelling stories and laying out what their policies would be if they were elected president. And the reality is Hillary Clinton is someone that is a lightning rod. Her greatest strength is her greatest liability. This is someone that has the advantage of having been co-president for eight years, but also someone that brings with her the baggage of a Clinton White House. And I think she realizes this. So, she's been clear that she's going to try and define herself on her own terms, but absolutely she rallies the Republican base.

ROBERTS: Hey, we're going to these things quickly. We've only got two more questions left in the ballot jackpot. What did you pull?

KEILAR: Dems get religion. And this is so interesting. Because we're talking about Barack Obama. He was in South Carolina, the republican stronghold where he talked to a mega evangelical church. And it's not just Barack Obama because we heard Nancy Pelosi on one of the Sunday shows yesterday saying that she prays a lot for President Bush, hoping that he'll change his policies. This is normally the territory of Republicans. So, Tracy, what do you make of this? Is this a good strategy? Might democrats be pulling way from Republicans or do you think they're not in danger?

SCHMITT: Well, I'm not going to characterize the personal religious convictions of Barack Obama or Nancy Pelosi, but the reality is the Christian conservative vote has been a real Achilles heel for the democrat party for a sometime now. So, there is a concern in strategy to go after that voting block. The trick for the democrats is though if you look at their platform and if you look at their positions, they just don't resonate with the values voter and are often not affront to them, such as partial birth abortions, stem cell research. So, I don't think that's going to be an easy thing for democrats to do.

ROBERTS: So, what do you say about this, can you appeal to religious people well at the same time still not connecting with some of these values of social conservative voters?

CUTTER: Yes, I think that for the bulk of the American people, people of faith, they're not values voters as defined by the Christian right. They're values voters about how you move this country forward. Look at the debate over the children's health care bill now going through congress. Republicans are blocking it. President Bush vetoed it. Is that part of a values voter? It's not. It's completely contrary. But I will say this, no party owns religion. It has to be authentic to the person. That's why Barack Obama is so good at speaking about what he believes in through the eyes of religion. He did it in his '04 speech before the convention; he did it in his announcement speech and over the weekend. It's an important part of who he is.

KEILAR: So, what are we talking about when we say, wide hips. Is there a definition?

COHEN: There is. And it's important to know, because we're not just talking about women who got fat and so was hippie because they got fat and so we're hippy because they got fat We're talking about women whose actual bone structure was very wide.

Take a look at this. What the researchers did was that they measured the distance from here all the way across over to here.

They were measuring their actual bone structure and they we're also measuring how curved in these hipbones were. Again the theory being, the wider the hips, the more estrogen running around that woman's body

KEILAR: All right. Very interesting theory. Thanks for explaining that to us, Elizabeth. CNN NEWSROOM is just minutes away. Heidi Collins is also at the CNN Center with a look at what's ahead.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN, ANCHOR: Good morning, Brianna. That's right, Wisconsin shooting rampage on the NEWSROOM rundown this morning. An off-duty deputy opens fire at a party, killing six people before he was shot dead. Was the motive jealousy? We'll be talking about that.

And two Boston firefighters killed in the line of duty hailed as heroes. Now, reports say one was legally drunk. The other? On cocaine.

And Don Imus may get his radio mike back. Reports say he could sign a deal this week for a new talk show. Spend the day informed right here in the NEWSROOOM top of the hour on CNN. Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Heidi. We'll be watching. Thanks for that.

ROBERTS: Flying too close to Camp David tops you "Quick Hits" now. The Washington Post" reports today that planes flew into restricted air space over the presidential retreat 11 times in a single day. That was yesterday. The Secret Service is investigating but so far the violations appeared to be inadvertent. All 11 of them.

Arlington National Cemetery is being expanded for the first time since the 1960s, making room for the growing number of dying World War II veterans as well as those from Iraq and Afghanistan. 48 minutes after the hour.

In the front lines for more than a year, how one soldier managed to pull a fast one on his mom. Tears of joy ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: And then Barack Obama, when asked does he speak more about religion when he's in places like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and he says no I speak about religion when I'm in church.

Stephanie Cutter, Tracy Schmitt, good to see you this morning. Thanks for playing.

SCHMITT: Thanks for having us.

CUTTER: Thank you.

ROBERTS: Will see you again soon.

CUTTER: Take care.

KEILAR: Plus how your mother's body can affect your risk of cancer. It's more than just genes. We're going to explain that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Damage estimates are in from the California landslide that tops your "Quick Hits" now. The total from last week's slide in San Diego, $48 million. That's $26 million for broken sewers and water mains and another $22 million for damage to private property.

17 minutes now to the top of the hour. Rob Marciano was off on this Columbus Day. Reynolds Wolf at the CNN center tracking extreme weather. Good morning to you, Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Good morning to you. You know, if you happen to be a big fan of warm weather, you certainly had it yesterday in Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio and even Dayton and Green Bay, where temperatures rose into the 90s, even some 80s. 87 in Chicago, breaking many record highs.

Today, we're expecting another warm day for you across much of the Midwest into the Great Lakes, and even along much of the eastern seaboard. The reason is because of this big ridge of high pressure that is settling over parts of Kentucky in the Ohio Valley. Meanwhile, out into the west, we have an area of low pressure and this trough that's going to bring in a lot of cold air from the north. And we have the two air masses meeting up. We have this frontal boundary. And right near that front is where we've had good storm activity this morning, some showers, some thunderstorms, nothing severe at this point. But still, where you have that water piling up on roadways along parts of i-35 in Des Moines, back into Kansas City, where you're getting shower this is morning, then a break and another batch of showers, you're going to have slippery road conditions. But then on top of that, you're also going to have the chance of some flash flooding in low-lying areas. That is certainly something you would want to watch out for. Now, with that frontal boundary coming through, again warm on one side, and cool on the other. We have had that big mix of temperatures, not just in Chicago with the heat, but keep in mind yesterday at Flagstaff, Arizona; we had a record low of 19 degrees. So, crazy times in terms of these temperatures. Back to you in New York.

ROBERTS: The cold weather is coming. It's just a matter of when. Reynolds, thanks.

WOLF: No question.

KEILAR: Thanks, Reynolds.

Earlier today, we told you that an American team won the Nobel Prize in Medicine from manipulating genes in mice. This is a process known as gene targeting and it has helped study diseases like cancer and diabetes. The problem is and a viewer let us know this through e- mail. We didn't say who the winners actually were.

ROBERTS: So, we went back and we checked in goodness me, and yes, you were right. And thanks for pointing that out. So, for the record, the team is made of Americans -- Mario Capecci, Oliver Smitheys and Briton Martin Evans. Nobel prizes for chemistry, physics, economic, literature and peace will be given out over the next week.

KEILAR: And we'll be waiting for that.

ROBERTS: Thanks to that viewer, too.

All right. An interesting new study out this morning. It suggests the risk of breast cancer may be connected to the size of your mother's hips. That maybe surprising to you but medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is looking into this one. She is live in Atlanta this morning to explain this to us. Hi, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN, ANCHOR: Good morning, Brianna. Brianna, this is a fascinating theory and yet another thing you can blame your mother on. So, it's a two for one. Let's talk about theory here. Breast cancer loves estrogen. Women, the theory goes, with wide hips, have a lot of estrogen running around their bodies. So, when they get pregnant, theoretically, their fetuses are exposed to lots of estrogen. And this study says that when they actually looked at a large group of women, they found that women whose mom's had wide hips were most likely to grow up and get breast cancer, theoretically, because they were exposed to so much estrogen when they were fetuses. But again, it's important to point us that this is just a theory, just a hypothesis, but certainly a fascinating one. Brianna.

KEILAR: An update now on a story we told you about last week. The federal courthouse in Couer D'Alene, Idaho is adding a private changing room. This after a woman's underwire bra set off the metal director there. There was nowhere for her to go, so she actually had to take the bra off in public hospital. Nowhere for her to go, she had to take the bra off in public. Court officers will also give people a black bag so they can put these items into that bag so they can then be screened.

600 naked people will be coming to Miami Beach this week. It's part of the latest work for photographer Spencer Tunic, who you may have seen before. He's famous for capturing these large groups of nudes. He says they're going to have 100 to 200 women in pink rafts. And for the last shot, they're going to pop 500 bottles of champagne at once. Also this morning, we've got incredible pictures from Tacoma, Washington. I-Reporter John Rolin sent us this video. It's a propane tanker there bursting into flames. It ignited a series of explosions. Officials don't know what caused the tanker to explode. The driver of this truck is in critical condition. Also, an electrical substation was damaged in the blast, knocking out power to 13,000 homes. Almost all of those homes do have their power back, though.

ROBERTS: The violent government crackdown in Myanmar is back in the spotlight this morning. The United Nations Security Council is now facing increased pressure to condemn the military regime for its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

Tibetan spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama, are offering unwavering support to the monks leading those protests. This week, the Dalai Lama is in New York. And ahead of his visit, Kiran Chetry sat down with one of his most devout followers, actor Richard Gere. They spoke about the crisis in Myanmar and the crisis that forced the Dalai Lama out of his homeland of Tibet. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN, ANCHOR: Do you see the day when the Dalai Lama can return to Tibet?

RICHARD GERE, ACTOR: Yes. All it takes is for the Chinese to say, we really have nothing to fear from this non-violent man, who has an enormous non-violent effect on other people. In fact, he may well be our best partner in achieving the greatness that we want to achieve. As soon as that click is made in the Chinese mind, this can change overnight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And you can see Kiran's interview with Richard Gere. That's tomorrow here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Also, we've all heard the phrase "hollier than thou." But how hard is it to live the way the Bible says you should? Author, A.J. Jacobs went on a spiritual journey to follow the Bible as literally as possible. That means 381 days without shaving his beard and only wearing one color of clothes. Our Lola Ogunnaike met up with him to find out whether he even has a prayer of succeeding in the year of living biblically.

LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: So, we're at the cathedral of St. John of the Divine, walking through their biblical garden. And you know a thing or two about Bibles and gardens and such. You spent a year living by the rules of the Bible, literally. Now, what would possess you to do something like that?

A.J. JACOBS, AUTHOR: Well, I grew up in a very secular home, practically no religion at all. Jewish, in the same way the Olive Garden is Italian. These are not (inaudible) but I became increasingly interested in religion and I wanted to know what I was missing, if anything, and also what to teach my son about religion. So, I decided to dive in head first.

ROBERTS: Just how much did this experiment change his A.J.'s life and his wife's? Find out later this on this week on AMERICAN MORNING.

KEILAR: We got an intense and emotional moment from the Iraq war. Prayers answered for a mom in Orlando, Florida. Her son, serving in Iraq with the Army National Guard surprised her in church.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before we pray, I want you to meet somebody.

KEILAR: Sergeant David Drew served 15 months in Iraq. Now that he's home, he says, he's going to stick close to his family, including his three kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: What a terrific homecoming. You can imagine what's going through mom's mind there.

Quick look now at what's CNN NEWSROOM is working on for the top of the hour.

COLLINS: See these stories in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Wisconsin police trying to nail down a motive today. An off-duty sheriff's deputy shoots and kills six people at a party.

Two distance runners die in an unusually scorching October heat.

The president of Oral Roberts University under investigation, allegations he diverted school money for personal use. NEWSROOM at the top of the hour on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Don Imus may soon be returning to the airwaves. Reports this morning indicating that Imus is close to a deal with Citadel Broadcasting, which means he could be back on the air as early as December. Imus, as you know, was fired in April by CBS Radio and MSNBC following his racially charged remarks about the Rutgers' women's basketball team. So, we want to know what you think about this. Should Don Imus be given a second chance? You can cast your vote at CNN.com/am. Right now, 83 percent of people saying yes. 17 percent saying no.

ROBERTS: More than 700 people weighing in this morning. We'll leave that quick vote open for a while. Thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. Thank you very much for coming up.

KEILAR: Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.

ROBERTS: Kiran will be back again tomorrow.

KEILAR: CNN NEWSROOM with Heidi Collins begins right now.

COLLINS: Good morning, everybody. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins.

Watch us come into the NEWSROOM live on this Monday morning, it is October 8th. Here's what's on the rundown.

Six people killed in a Wisconsin shooting rampage. Police say an off-duty deputy pulled the trigger. The question this morning, why?

Two long distance runners dead. What role did extreme heat and humidity play? Tell you about.

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