Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Gay Rights on the Job; Warning Signs: School Shooting Gunman's Video; O.J. Simpson Returns to Court Today; Virginia Boat Rescue; U.S. Military Chopper Crash in Italy; Crisis in Pakistan; Dangerous Toy, Crib Recall; Yahoo Takes it on the Chin; Michael Jackson Appears in "Ebony"

Aired November 08, 2007 - 10:59   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning again, everyone. You are with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody.

I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Thursday, the 8th of November.

Here's what's on the rundown.

A cruise ship aground and taking on water. The Coast Guard now scrambling to get everyone off.

HARRIS: Danger in the toy aisle. Arts and crafts beads so toxic they could put your child in a coma?

COLLINS: O.J. Simpson in court soon. Is there enough evidence to put him on trial?

His odds in Vegas, in the NEWSROOM.

A quick update now to our breaking news that we have been following here this morning. A small cruise ship stranded, Coast Guard rescue happening right now.

The ship ran into trouble in the Intercoastal Waterway near Virginia Beach. Sixty-six people on board, and they are currently putting on their life jackets, but they already have them on. This has taken a while to get everything organized and get the evacuation under way, but the Coast Guard rescue boats are there on the scene trying to take the stranded passengers and crew to safety. There have been no reports of any injuries.

There you go. You can see some of the new video coming in now, all the people there with their life jackets on.

Making a little assumption here that those are in, indeed, the passengers. We have been told that they already had their life jackets on and are getting ready to get into those boats and head ashore.

The ship is the Spirit of Nantucket. It was on a 10-day cruise between Alexandria, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina.

HARRIS: Well, a story we have been following for you all morning here in the CNN NEWSROOM, a U.S. military helicopter crashes in northern Italy. This video came in a short time ago.

Two people reportedly trapped inside the wreckage. Italian news agencies say at least five people -- five people were killed. And fire officials on the ground say four, and that two others are trapped inside the helicopter.

Still waiting for an update on this story. It is unclear whether those killed were soldiers, crew members or passengers. The helicopter had taken off from Aviano Air Base with as many as 10 people on board. No word yet what caused the crash.

And we will bring you updates on the story as we get them.

COLLINS: Dangerous toy alert, Aqua Dots made in China. If your child has them, get rid of them.

Incredibly, a chemical in those tiny beads converts to the date rape drug Rohypnol, or GHB. At least five children have been hospitalized in the United States and Australia. No one has died.

Children who swallow the beads though can become violently ill, experience seizures, or even slip into a coma. Find out more about this toxic toy at CNN.com under "Latest News."

HARRIS: An omen of bloodshed posted online. Police in Finland say a student gunman left clues before a rampage at his high school.

The 18-year-old shot eight people to death before shooting and killing himself. He got a license for the gun just last month and had a series of videos on YouTube. One clip posted just hours before the killing showed the school building disintegrating and a shooter aiming a gun at the camera.

The school is closed for the rest of the week and flags are flying at half staff across Finland. A live report from Finland in just a couple of minutes.

COLLINS: The Fed chairman appearing before Congress, but is Wall Street listening? And do investors like what they're hearing?

We are watching Wall Street and your wallet this morning. You can see those numbers now.

Hey, look at that plus sign. Isn't that pretty?

Dow Jones Industrial Average is up about two points, but as we just mentioned, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke is testifying before lawmakers as we speak. There he is. He says the Central Bank is keeping a close watch on a number of factors, including the mortgage meltdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN BERNANKE, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: The financial turmoil was triggered by investor concerns about the credit quality of mortgages. Especially subprime mortgages with adjustable interest rates.

The continuing increase in the rate of serious delinquencies in such mortgages reflects in part a decline in underwriting standards in recent years, as well as a softening of house prices. Delinquencies on these mortgages are likely to rise further in coming quarters as a sizable number of recent vintage subprime loans experience their first interest rate resets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The Fed had hinted earlier that it won't lower rates at its December meeting, but that was before the latest plunge in the market.

Ali Velshi will join us in just a little bit to talk more about this story.

HARRIS: A priest with stars in his eyes. A Boston cleric arrested on charges of stalking late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien. Police say David Ajemian wrote O'Brien threatening notes, contacted O'Brien's parents, even showed up at his studio.

The Archdiocese of Boston says the priest has been put on leave. O'Brien has helped raise money for the archdiocese. He doesn't have anything to say publicly about the alleged stalker.

The U.S. House says no discriminating against gays in the workplace, but President Bush is promising a veto.

CNN's Jessica Yellin has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT voice over): Supporters call it a question of basic civil rights for gays and lesbians and insist it sends an important message.

REP. BARNEY FRANK (D), MASSACHUSETTS: To tell millions of Americans who are gay and lesbian that they are not bad people, that it is not legitimate to fire them simply because of who they are...

YELLIN: The Employment Nondiscrimination Act would make it illegal to hire, fire or determine pay and promotions based on an employee's sexual orientation. Thirty states do not have laws banning employment discrimination against gays and lesbians, and supporters say that's why a federal law is essential.

REP. GEORGE MILLER (D), CALIFORNIA: In those 30 states, employers can fire, refuse to hire, demote, and refuse to promote employees on the basis of sexual orientation alone.

YELLIN: But angry critics claim the bill will force some religious businesses to employ gays and lesbians.

REP. HOWARD "BUCK" MCKEON (R), CALIFORNIA: I think it's a disaster for Christian bookstores, at least 85 percent of whom would fall under this, all sorts of Christian colleges.

YELLIN: And, they claim, it opens the door to gay marriage.

REP. JOSEPH PITTS (R), PENNSYLVANIA: India is merely a building block for efforts to overturn traditional marriage laws and to impose same-sex marriage on states.

YELLIN: Backers say those claims are misleading. They say the bill makes clear it would not legalize gay marriage and that religious organizations are exempt.

(on camera): The bill passed with a solid majority, and Speaker Pelosi said she's not worried about any political attacks Democrats might face over this vote.

Jessica Yellin, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Warning signs of a gunman's rampage. Video posted online apparently foretold of a school shooting spree in Finland.

CNN's Phil Black is in a town of Tuusula with the very latest on what police are saying there.

Phil, good morning to you.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello, Heidi.

There was a police briefing a short time ago. And we are learning a little bit more about the events that have taken place here in the high school just behind me.

Police have confirmed that of the eight victims, two of them were female staff members. One was the 61-year-old principal, the other a 42-year-old nurse. The rest were all students, but all of them died from multiple gunshot wounds.

They say the shooter, Pekka Auvinen, was prepared to do some damage. He was apparently carrying around 400 rounds on him at the time, only fired some 69 of those. He was also carrying flammable liquids. Police believe it was his intention to burn the high school down.

Now, the question that is being asked here, of course, is why? He's left some clues. Some of them on the Internet, some YouTube videos placed there before the massacre.

Also, a particular document attached to his profile there. And he calls it his manifesto in which he outlines his reasons, if you like, for his hatred of society. Police have been reading some of that, along with a suicide note that he left for his family as well.

Here's what they make of it so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN OLAF NYHOLM, DETECTIVE CHIEF SUPT.: The preliminary analysis which we have of the offender is that he's quite a lonely person. He has a great anger against society. And he expressed a lot of extreme opinions and radical thoughts. And this is very preliminary analysis because this only happened 24 hours, which I like to stress is based on the material we have found, the letters, et cetera.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: Students we've spoken to say Pekka Auvinen was always quiet, perhaps a little lonely, but they say his personality changed just around a month ago. He became even more withdrawn, and that, they say, was around the time that he obtained his gun license -- Heidi.

COLLINS: You know, Phil, unfortunately in the United States we have dealt with these school shootings much more so than we ever wanted to. How are the people of Tuusula reacting to this?

BLACK: Well, it is with great shock, because unlike the United States, something like this hasn't really happened here before. Certainly not on this scale.

The people that you speak to here say, "Not in Finland. How is this possible?"

Finland, like the United States, has a very high rate of gun ownership. Hunting and gun sports are very popular here. But it does not share a similar high rate of gun crime, and so this has come as a great surprise to the Finnish people -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. A small country, too.

All right. Phil Black from Tuusula, Finland, this morning.

Thanks so much, Phil.

HARRIS: You know, with friends like these -- you know the rest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE FROMONG, FMR. O.J. SIMPSON FRIEND: O.J. was a very good friend. I mean, I knew him for 17 years.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you want him to go to jail?

FROMONG: I think that jail may be the -- may be the answer to O.J.'s problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wow. The case against a fallen star.

We are live from Las Vegas, ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: O.J. Simpson returns to a Las Vegas courtroom today. He is accused of robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gun point. Simpson says the items were his.

CNN's Dan Simon live in Las Vegas.

OK, Dan, let the Simpson sideshow begin. Hurry, hurry, step right on in.

What are we expecting to happen in court today?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Tony.

First of all, the stage is set, the cast of characters are already here. If I step out of the way, you can see one guy here with a sign saying, "O.J., O.j., he was set up."

And then over my right shoulder, perhaps you can see this guy in a chicken suit costume. Well, his sign says, "O.J. is guilty."

You can't see it at the moment, but people here are arriving here at the Regional Justice Center. This hearing expected to begin at 10:00 a.m. local time. This is a preliminary hearing, a probable cause hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to bring this case to trial.

Eight people expected to testify for the prosecution. Three of those people are Simpson's former codefendants. They pled guilty to lesser charges. They are going to testify for the prosecution.

This all stems, Tony, from that September 13th incident when Simpson and five others allegedly burst into a Las Vegas hotel room. They took some memorabilia at gunpoint, according to the prosecutors. Simpson says no guns were used in the incident. He says he didn't tell anybody to bring guns, but these three people who have taken plea deals, who are going to plead for the prosecution, say that there were, in fact, guns and O.J. Simpson told them to bring the guns.

This preliminary hearing will be televised. Again, it's going to start in two hours. For his part, Simpson does not plan on calling any witnesses, but expect a vigorous cross-examination of these three men -- Tony.

HARRIS: Boy, I bet. All right. Dan Simon watching it all for us.

Dan, good to see you. Thank you.

COLLINS: A diabetic man dies in jail. His medication returned unopened. Now his family wants answers.

Trisha Volpe of affiliate KARE explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRISHA VOLPE, REPORTER, KARE (voice over): After 34 years as a diabetic, Nora and Bernie Gallmeyer say they knew how to manage his disease.

NORA GALLMEYER, RANDY GALLMEYER'S MOTHER: He checked his sugars every two to three hours.

VOLPE: But Randy Gallmeyer's diabetes was severe, required constant monitoring, frequent injections. So when he was arrested last month, put in the Ramsey County jail on suspicion of driving an electric bike while intoxicated, Nora was very concerned her son get his medication.

GALLMEYER: I was petrified. I mean, I was petrified.

VOLPE: So, Nora brought this to the jail -- insulin, syringes, telling the jail staff, she says, how important it was for Randy to take his medicine.

GALLMEYER: I said, "Now you make sure he gets it." I called. I called and called and called. I don't know how many calls I made, but I called all the time.

VOLPE: But Nora says she got little response. And then, less than four days after he was arrested, Randy Gallmeyer was dead.

BERNIE GALLMEYER, RANDY GALLMEYER'S FATHER: It was hard seeing him on life support, you know. Wish it had never happened.

VOLPE: According to the death certificate, Randy died because of untreated diabetes. His parents believe the insulin they tried to get to their son in jail would have saved his life. The package returned to them unopened.

B. GALLMEYER: Everything was down there, nothing opened.

VOLPE: The sheriff's department is now doing an internal investigation to find out whether Randy ever received treatment for his diabetes at the jail. Ramsey County sheriff Bob Fletcher would not do an on-camera interview but says Randy saw a jail nurse at least once. Fletcher says jail staff gave this insulin to the nursing staff.

The nurses are from the Ramsey County Health Department and are responsible, Fletcher says, for the inmates' medical care. The Gallmeyers don't know yet who to blame.

N. GALLMEYER: I think that somebody should be responsible for my son's death.

VOLPE (on camera): Once the sheriff's department has finished its internal investigation, the Gallmeyers plan to file a lawsuit. They want financial relief, but also a kind of inmates' bill of rights. Essentially, they want changes in jail producer to make sure what happened to their son doesn't happen again.

In St. Paul, Trisha Volpe, KARE 11 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Apologizing for a racial rant that was caught on tape. "The Dog," Duane Chapman, talks to our "LARRY KING LIVE." You will hear from him next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: Want to get back to this story we've been showing you. Look at that.

Now, these, we believe, are some of the passengers off of that cruise ship that we've been telling you about. It ran aground purposely. The captain of the Spirit of Nantucket ran the ship aground in the Virginia Beach area because it had been taking on water, and apparently that is a procedure when you obviously don't want the vessel to sink.

So now we are looking at folks who have been brought to shore by those Coast Guard boats there. And we were told earlier by Petty Officer Evanson that they will now be assessed by way of their medical condition, but should be very clear here that there has been no phone calls of any medical distress. But obviously as a precautionary measure, that's what they will do next.

The situation in Virginia Beach resolving itself. Not quite sure what will happen with the Spirit of Nantucket. I imagine they will go out there and try to fix up whatever was wrong and then remove the vessel from that very narrow area that we had been showing you a little bit earlier.

HARRIS: Not only is she an award-winning actress, Julianne Moore is also a mother of two who fights to help cure some of today's pervasive global illnesses.

In today's "CNN Heroes," sharing the spotlight, Moore introduces us to a couple from Staten Island, New York, battling a little known and often misdiagnosed disease that affects one million people worldwide.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIANNE MOORE, ACTRESS: I think people hear about these diseases and they think, oh, you know, forget it. It's incurable. Well, I don't think so. I really don't.

My name is Julianne Moore, and my heroes, Tom and Peg Lindsey, who are working very, very hard to bring awareness and find a cure for tuberous sclerosis. Tuberous sclerosis causes benign tumors to grow in major organs.

PEGGY LINDSEY, SON DIAGNOSED WITH TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS: Tommy was born on June 27, 1999. At about five weeks, I started to see his shoulder twitch a little bit. They gave him CAT scans and, you know, it was terrible.

TOMMY LINDSEY, SON DIAGNOSED WITH TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS: Finally, after an MRI, they realized that they were looking at tumors in Tommy's brain.

P. LINDSEY: First a neurologist came in, and he said, "Your son has tuberous sclerosis. He'll never walk. He'll never talk. You should consider an institution."

But in talking to other people, life wasn't that bad. It's not a death sentence. He does have a chance.

T. LINDSEY: We made a pact that we weren't going to allow this to happen to anyone else if there's anything we could do about it. We decided we wanted to make tuberous sclerosis a household name.

It's just as common as cystic fibrosis, yet no one in the medical community is very familiar with it.

We were sending out all of these letters and trying to get some kind of recognition, without an answer back from anyone until the day that I ran into Julianne Moore.

MOORE: I'm walking down the street, and I hear, "Julianne Moore. Hey, my name is Tommy Lindsey and this is my son Tommy. He has a disease called tuberous sclerosis and we just had brain surgery."

T. LINDSEY: And I tried to get the last three years of his life out in 20 seconds. I said, "You know, I'm just one father. My wife is one mother. We need somebody to help us out."

MOORE: So since then, I've kind of been involved as their spokesperson.

T. LINDSEY: She went and testified before Congress with me, she comes to every fund-raiser. A remarkable woman. A remarkable, remarkable woman.

It seems to me now that my life was almost mapped out. It was supposed to happen.

High five.

Tommy was given to me for a reason. We were supposed to find a cure.

P. LINDSEY: I feel like we might not be helping Tommy, but we are helping the next kid.

MOORE: When you deal with something that's this extraordinary, you are saying I'm going to educate other people in the world about this. I'm going to make this part of the kind of fabric of our lives. And that's what they've done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And you can go to CNN.com/heroes to see how far Julianne Moore and the Lindseys have gone to fight tuberous sclerosis together. You can also vote for the CNN Hero who has most inspired you.

The viewers' choice will be honored during a live global broadcast on December 6th. Coming up -- boy, hosted by our Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour.

COLLINS: Lives lost, an American military chopper down in Italy today. New information ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Here we go, bottom of the hour, welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM, particular hire our friends in the west having that second cup of coffee before heading out of the door for work this morning. I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, I'm Heidi Collins.

We want to update our breaking news story. A small cruise ship stranded, coast guard rescue happening right now. The ship ran into trouble in the Intercoastal Waterway in Virginia Beach. 66 people were on board. They were putting on their life jackets and last we saw they had actually been taken off the vessel and taken over to dry dock area where we now know that they are being assessed for any medical conditions that may have come up. But there were no reports of any injuries. Should be clear on that. The ship is the "Spirit of Nantucket." It was on a ten-day cruise between Alexandria, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina.

HARRIS: This just in, at least four dead, seven injured in a U.S. military helicopter crash in northern Italy. That word from local police. This video came in a short time ago here to CNN. Italian news agencies say the black hawk helicopter went down in northeastern Italy. It is unclear whether those killed were soldiers, crew members or passengers. The helicopter had taken off from Aviano Air base with as many as 11 people on board. No word yet what caused the crash. We will keep bringing you updates as we get them.

COLLINS: Promises from a president in crisis. Pakistan's leader General Pervez Musharraf now says he will step down as army chief and will allow parliamentary elections before February 15th. This comes as more protestors take to the streets of Islamabad. They're demanding an end to martial law in their country. Hundreds have been rounded up. Today the government charged five opposition politicians with treason. The opposition accuses government officials of trying to prevent a major protest which is scheduled for tomorrow. With more now on the Pakistan crisis, Isha Sesay, is live at the international update desk at the CNN headquarters. This rally, we had first learned about it, I think, yesterday. Benazir Bhutto behind it.

ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed. We're seeing people on the streets, Benazir Bhutto calling for more and more people to take to the streets to show their opposition to the declaration of a state of emergency. Last hour we told you what people in Pakistan were saying on the blogs. This hour I want to share with you what the U.S. blogs are saying. Very interesting stuff. Because unlike those blogs in Pakistan that had a mixture of opinion, we're coming across strong condemnation for the state of emergency. Pakistan says the problem in Pakistan says that our self-proclaimed great man is only great in his own head, with all the propaganda bouncing around in his head, inflating his ego to painfully large proportions. Elections will go ahead as planned now that the courts have been shut down and the press muzzled. Strong words there. This post says, these moves are clearly indications that Musharraf feels insecure about his grip on power as his popularity declines. Interestingly enough, he says Washington cannot and will not abandon Musharraf. Indeed, his move which brings Pakistan closer to collapse basically forces Washington to stand behind him more firmly, albeit unhappily. Quickly, one last one, he says, "There's only one law in Pakistan now, and it is might is right and everything is fair if you are in power." So, as you see there, Heidi, very, very strong opinions, strong condemnation that we're coming across on those U.S. blogs. Back to you.

Okay, it's interesting to look at that, that's for certain. Isha Sesay, thank you.

HARRIS: Time to check out some of the most popular videos at CNN.com. Apologizing for racial slurs, TV star and Bounty Hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman says he is sorry for repeatedly using the "n" word. He explained it all to CNN's Larry King.

A love story, France's newly single president, Heidi ...

COLLINS: Nicolas Sarkozy.

HARRIS: Seduces the United States. You don't want to miss Jeanne Moos' report.

Sausage or pepperoni? "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria Parker. Let's pause for a moment, shall we, and consider Eva.

COLLINS: I heard something about this. They were mad at her for crossing the picket lines, at first, and then she went out and got the pizzas.

HARRIS: Making good.

COLLINS: That's what I heard.

HARRIS: While you were not watching, the CNN NEWSROOM, we invite you to go to CNN.com for these stories and many more. While you are there, be sure to download the daily CNN NEWSROOM podcast.

COLLINS: A bizarre story that you do need to hear now. A toy linked to a date rape drug, Daily Dose is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: This weekend is Veterans Day and CNN is joining with the nation to celebrate the men and women of our armed forces. From those serving now to those who have fought for us in the past, we will tell you the story of Ty and Zack Ziegel, one brother seriously wounded in Iraq, the other shipping out. We will bring them together for an emotional reunion.

TY ZIEGEL, U.S. ARMY: A part of him really, really wants to be with us. You got to honor that. After everything he's been through, still wants to be with his boys over in Iraq, you know. And that's pretty honorable thing.

HARRIS: We will take a look at returning veterans and their efforts to transition back to civilian life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm getting out in December.

HARRIS: And shine a spotlight on one man who's urging companies to hire a hero.

DAN CAUFIELD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HIRE A HERO: We could never have enough employers. We could never have enough job opportunities and enough places to place all the young people that are coming out.

HARRIS: The Veterans of Foreign Wars put out the call. Send them videos honoring members of the military. And you responded. They'll announce the winner of their honor a vet online video contest live on CNN. That and more coming up when CNN pays tribute to the men and women of our military, all part of our special veterans day coverage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Another toy recall. Stores are pulling aqua dots from their shelves today, and get the reason. They're coated in a chemical that converts to the date rape drug. Remember that? Children swallowing the beads can fall into a coma or even worse. Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here now with more on this. Boy, oh, boy. This is shocking.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is about as strange as they come, I think, talking about this particular chemical on these dots which, by the way, are like one of the most popular toys, apparently, this holiday season for children over the age of four which in and of itself is part of the problem here because children around the age of two, actually swallow these dots, they get into their system and they appear to be metabolized into GHB, gama hydroxybutyrate, the date rape drug, fantasy, all these names given to it. This is potentially dangerous stuff.

We know now, Heidi, about two cases here in the United States, one child actually ingested dozens of these beads, got lightheaded, threw them up and then fell into a coma. So obviously very dangerous. That child fully recovered. Another child was hospitalized for five days and we are still waiting for some updates on that child's progress. Three children in Australia also affected by this. GHB is a substance, Heidi, that in low doses can cause euphoria. It's an illicit drug, but in higher doses it can cause something known as hypotonia, where your muscles just become flaccid. It can also cause amnesia, which is why it was the date rape drug. People didn't remember anything that happened to them. It can cause comas, seizures and death. We haven't heard of many deaths specifically related to these Aqua Dots but this is a bizarre story.

CHETRY: I'm still a little bit confused because I'm not familiar with these. I have a guy who's 6 so he's over that 4 you were talking about. They are not little candies, right? They are beads that you are supposed to play with.

GUPTA: Play with them.

CHETRY: They look very edible.

GUPTA: They look edible. That's why I have a 2-year-old and this is something she would put in her mouth. This is not something for -- that's a problem in and of itself. Designed for children over the age of 4, but you spray a little water on them and you can build things from them. I mean they're for people to build things. It's a very good toy for creative sort of toy for a lot of kids. But the problem is they are swallowing them and this particular chemical is getting converted into the date rape drug.

CHETRY: So weird. How could something like that happen?

GUPTA: Well, it appears to be completely unintentional, first of all. A lot of people said was this was some sort of sick thing that somebody did? It doesn't appear to be the case. An Australian biochemist has been studying this and found that this particular chemical, that's coated on these dots, if it gets into your system it gets converted into GHB. It's bizarre, like we say, it's just something that is hard to anticipate. Obviously those toys no longer the shelves.

CHETRY: Some sort of weird chemical property. Important to point out, too, because some of these things we have seen recalled are still on store shelves. Be careful.

GUPTA: Very good point. Aqua Dots in the United States, Bindeez Beadss is what they are called in Australia. Pay attention to that.

CHETRY: OK. Very good, wow, crazy. Thank you very much, CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta.

To get your daily dose of health news online, log onto our website, you will find the latest medical health news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. That address, CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: And Fredricka Whitfield is following more recall news just into the CNN NEWSROOM. Fred, good morning.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is information a lot of parents need to know. Tony, your kids are too big for this but for those who have small kids who are in convertible cribs, listen up. A recall of the Wendy Belisimo Convertible Crib, only sold at Babies R Us. You need to listen to see whether it was this one. Made by the company of Bassett Baby, Bassett, Virginia. Why? Because apparently strangulation could take place because of the way in which the bolts are attached and can release on the feature of this bed where that portion kind of is lowered, to make it easier for parents to lean over and actually pick up their kids. It is the Wendy Belisimo Convertible Crib, model number, 59450521, as well as 55450121, sold in honey and cherry finishes. If these look familiar to you, these images on the screen, you need to contact Bassett Baby at 888-897-4689 or online at thebassettbaby.com.

HARRIS: The recalls keep coming. All right, Fred appreciate it. Thank you.

CHETRY: Coming up in 15 minutes or so, "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is coming up you next on CNN. Hala Gorani is standing by to tell us more of what we will see today. More Pakistan, yeah?

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: It is, and there are more developments to tell you about, this nuclear power on the verge of a political meltdown, while Pervez Musharraf, who you see here in a suit and tie, has promised to hold elections and step down as military chief in Pakistan. All this before February 15th but opposition protestors are still being arrested and many say they have no faith in Musharraf's pledge. We will take you live to Pakistan.

Also, a TV commercial in Iraq, not designed to sell products but designed to discourage intersectarian killings, our Baghdad bureau, a very interesting report on that.

Also, la more, Sarkozy style. He may be freshly divorced, but the French president, well, it hasn't dampened his ability to expression passion and love for America. It's a new era of Franco- American love. Heidi and Tony, we will bring you that story and much more at the top of the hour.

HARRIS: I'm getting a cavity here.

CHETRY: I'm dying to know what's on your belt. Is that ...

GORANI: I'm sorry. That's my dollar bill for my ...

CHETRY: I thought you were going to talk about the markets. And the dollar being so low against the euro.

GORANI: I don't have any pockets.

CHETRY: Look, she's got props.

HARRIS: You don't have to pay for air time with us.

GORANI: No, but the dollar is historically at record lows.

CHETRY: Yes. There you go. I was trying to set you up there. HARRIS: Way to work it.

CHETRY: Hala, thanks.

Yahoo taking a hit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Technologically and financially, you are giants, morally, you are pigmies.

CHETRY: Congress upset over a free speech issue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Businesses now. Stocks are extending yesterday's 360- point loss for the Dow Industrials, the fifth biggest drop of the year. Stephanie Elam is at the New York Stock Exchange with details. Stephanie, good morning.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. Yeah, stocks are continuing to struggle to find direction as mixed news plays tug of war with overall sentiment. Earnings from Ford are on the positive sale -- side of the scale. The automaker posted a loss in the third quarter as its automotive business improved. Its shares are on the up side by just about one percent. They are plenty of factors pulling the market in the other direction, however. Retailers had a weak October, highlighted by Wal-Mart's anemic .4 percent rise in sales. Wal-Mart stock is down 1.5 percent. Chips are also down on the tech sector as well. Cisco stock is taking a hit right now, down 7 percent after the company's CEO warned that a cooling U.S. economy will hurt internet server sales to businesses. That news is affecting other tech stocks like IBM which also sells a lot of service to businesses. Its shares are down more than 3 percent, Tony.

HARRIS: Stephanie, financial stocks took a big hit yesterday. Are they performing any better today?

ELAM: Well, much of that weakness was actually due to fears of more write downs and some stocks have been able to stop the bleeding but others are seeing more losses come in. AIG posted mixed expectations. The insurance giant was hurt by tight credit and an ailing U.S. housing market. Investors are also keeping an eye on oil prices which are a bit higher yesterday, after slipping modestly yesterday. Right now, oil is trading around $97 a barrel, so still within striking distance of $100 a barrel but not happening right now. The Dow, the numbers, down 78 points, 13,221. NASDAQ took on the downside by about 1 1/4 percent. We will keep our eyes.

HARRIS: All right. Stephanie, good to see you. Thank you.

ELAM: Thank you.

CHETRY: Yahoo takes it on the chin, some lawmakers in Congress accuse the country of collaborating with the Chinese government. CNN's Brian Todd has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Families of Chinese dissidents demanding money from an American internet giant who gave up their loved ones to the communist regime.

GAO QINSHENG, MOTHER OF CHINESE DISSIDENT: Who should do the things they ought to do. They should follow up their apology by taking concrete action.

TODD: While Gao Qinsheng and others prepare to move a lawsuit forward next month, yahoo says it will consider settling. Yahoo's apologized for giving the Chinese government information that led to the jailing of journalists, like this Gao's son.

QINSHENG: He will be in his 40s ten years later. His wife divorced him in order to protect her own job under pressure.

TODD: Qinsheng got in trouble three years ago when the Chinese government told journalists not to report on the Tiananmen Square anniversary. He forwarded the notice to human rights groups. The regime then pressured Yahoo to give up the account holder who did that. Yahoo complied.

REP. TOM LANTOS (D), FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHMN.: While technologically and financially you are giants, morally you are pigmies.

TODD: Yahoo's CEO, contrite before an outraged congress.

JERRY YANG, CEO, YAHOO, INC.: My heart goes out to the families.

TODD: The company's lawyer talked about what Yahoo might have faced if it hadn't given him Qinsheng.

MICHAEL CALLAHAN, ATTORNEY FOR YAHOO, INC.: I can't ask our local employees to resist lawful demands and put their own freedom at risk, even if, in my personal view, the local laws are overbroad.

TODD: But Yahoo and other U.S.-based internet companies have previously been criticized for compromising free speech on the Internet just to do business in China.

LUCIE MORILLON, REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS: American companies like Yahoo and Google, excluding words like human rights, Falun Gong, Dalai Lama, democracy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Yahoo, Google and MSN say they only block content when they are given a legal order to by the Chinese, and they say they always let their customers know that up front. Google also told us it takes extra steps to protect the identities of private users in China. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

HARRIS: Here's the question. The real deal or a fancy trick? Michael Jackson on the cover of "Ebony" magazine and raising eyebrows with his looks. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: You know, Michael Jackson sang the song years ago, if you think about being my baby, it don't matter if you are black or white.

CHETRY: Are you going to sing?

HARRIS: No. Maybe. Some wonder if he's changed his tune.

CHETRY: A paler looking Jackson appears on the cover of the December issue of "Ebony" magazine. Jackson says he hasn't really changed that much in 25 years. Right. Why did he talk with them? Did he do it to regain support of the African American community? Our Don Lemon put that question and more to "Ebony" magazine's Harriette Cole.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIETTE COLE, EBONY MAGAZINE: I know there was a lot of support in question during the trial, but honestly, "Ebony" has been his friend for years. "Ebony" represents 1.5 million readers. We haven't gotten word that people have rejected him. You know, there certainly were questions, but there's a lot more love, I think, than rejection.

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. We know he's no stranger to controversy, all the trials and what have you, also financially in the news now, he may lose Neverland, there was some controversy with the Beatle's song book, and what have you. Also some issues with the children. How much did you talk about issues?

COLE: We didn't talk much about issues, but I'll tell you what happened. We did spend time with him and his youngest child, Prince Michael II who is 5 years old. He was there enshrouded during the fitting and later during the interview. What was great was to see him with his child. He is a dad. He obviously has a good relationship with his son, and his son was very comfortable being around adults and people that he didn't know.

LEMON: Did he talk to you at all about not living in the United States? Where has he been for the past couple of months?

COLE: Well, he's in the United States now and has been here for a while. He was on the east coast, you know, a few weeks ago when we did our shoot. I believe he's still in this part of the country. He's in the U.S. right now.

LEMON: Did he talk to you about his comeback?

COLE: He has been in the studio for -- he said every day for many months, creating new music. He's worked with the Black Eyed Peas, with Kanye West. There's new music afoot. We are not sure when it's coming but he's definitely in the studio creating right now.

LEMON: OK, Harriet, tell us, what are we going to learn from this "Ebony" interview that we haven't learned anywhere else? COLE: Well, we see Michael Jackson as a mature man. He's 49 years old, which is kind of hard to believe that Michael Jackson is all grown up. He talks a lot about how he has created music, about the craft of music, which I think is very interesting, given that many artists right now that music is packaged for them and the kind of perform it or do it. And he talks about his future. He doesn't want to be like James Brown, traveling -- even though he loves James Brown, but traveling until he's worn out. He is looking to be behind the camera, making movies and making other music.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Hmm. That's Michael Jackson there.

CHETRY: Yeah. 49.

HARRIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

CHETRY: Hasn't changed a bit since -- 25 years ago. Jackson's latest look, though, has some saying he looks lighter than ever but he has denied rumors of bleaching his skin. He has said his light skin is a result of a rare skin disease. There you have it. CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now. Kyra Phillips, Don Lemon working to bring you the very latest on several big stories that are developing today.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home, I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: Have a great day, everybody. I'm 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