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American Morning
Major League Problem: Steroid Report will Name 60 to 80 Players; Child Vaccine: Recalled for Possible Contamination; CIA Director Grilled Again
Aired December 13, 2007 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: The first of two winter storms to blast the northeast on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Welcome. Thanks for being with us. Boy, we've been talking about the icy messy weather all week, and now it looks like the northeast is going to get it.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Not only news on that but this big baseball scandal as well. It's just incredible.
CHETRY: A lot going on this Thursday. We're glad you're with us. It's December 13th, I'm Kiran Chetry.
ROBERTS: And good morning to you, I'm John Roberts. We start with that major corruption scandal surrounding America's past time. A much-anticipated report is said to be released this afternoon on the use of steroids in major league baseball.
Former United States Senator George Mitchell heading the investigation will officially release the names of 60 to 80 current and former big leaguers including MVPs who used performance-enhancing drugs. The bulk of those names coming from a former clubhouse attendant for the New York Mets.
Alina Cho is at our national update desk this morning with more on this. Alina, what can we expect to hear today?
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, we're going to get an earful. This is said to be a 300-page report. It was done over 20 months and cost millions of dollars. The headline, the Mitchell Report will reportedly expose a "serious drug culture within baseball" and a sign blame from top to bottom. MVPs and all-stars are said to be involved, and the report is said to include documentation, including canceled checks, shipping slips and phone records.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANCE WILLIAMS, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: I think we'll learn the names of many more players who have used banned drugs because the drug use is more extensive than perhaps many fans believe, and I think it will dishearten fans who care about the cheating problem and the drug problem in baseball.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHO: That reporter you just heard from, by the way, wrote the book that helped launch the investigation. Now another major component, reports say Mitchell will also call on major league baseball to outsource its drug testing program to an independent agency. It hasn't been easy for Mitchell to get information.
Players have not been cooperative, so the former senator had to rely heavily on the testimony of a former New York Mets bat boy. His name is Kurt Radomski. Now, Radomski pleaded guilty to steroid distribution back in April. He agreed to talk as part of a plea deal.
Now, Mitchell only talked to one player, the New York Yankees Jason Giambi, after Giambi intimated in a "USA Today" interview that he used steroids. Now, remember, Mitchell was retained after reports surfaced about the San Francisco-based lab Balco and its connection to baseball star Barry bonds. But, John, as you might expect, this is going to be an explosive report. Mitchell will hold a news conference in New York at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Major league baseball will follow 90 minutes later, just 10 blocks away.
ROBERTS: Absolutely. And what will be interesting to see not only in addition to the names that will be released today is what major league baseball and the players union plan to do to address the situation.
CHO: That's right. How they respond.
ROBERTS: Alina Cho for us this morning. Alina, thanks. We'll get back to you. Stay with CNN because we'll be previewing the Mitchell Report throughout AMERICAN MORNING and on CNN.com and, of course, we'll have all full coverage of that press conference this afternoon -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Another big story this morning, the one-two winter punch that we need to get ready for here in the northeast. We have snow and sleet that's due to arrive in the next couple of hours. As much as a foot of snow could come down in some parts before it's over today.
Also, cities up and down the northeast are bracing for a second storm taking aim over the weekend. Our Rob Marciano is at the weather desk tracking extreme weather. Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Kiran. Yes, we got a couple of systems that are rolling in, a very active pattern shaping up after the kind of stuck pattern that we had over the past week with all that snow in Colorado and the ice in the plains. Now, the action is beginning to shift a little bit farther off to the east.
Let's get you right to the radar scope and show you where the moisture is heading right now. Most of it is over the Midwest and the Ohio River Valley, where you can see the moisture shield beginning to push off to the east. The white as you know is snow. The pink is more of a mix and that mix will be probably for the most part, the biggest problem in the major metropolitan areas as we go through time.
Winter storm warnings and heavy snow warnings are posted. All these areas in red have the potential for seeing significant accumulation of at least four inches or more. In some cases, we could see a lot more than that. Here is the forecast snow totals for the next 48 hours. Notice that the I-95 corridor is, for the most part, not significant as far as accumulation is concerned. But you go north of that and we've got areas in Scranton, up to Hartford that could see 12 inches or more of snow.
It will be mostly a snow, sleet and then freezing rain event across the major metropolitan areas in New York. This particular model doesn't show a whole lot of accumulation, but officially, we're going for about two to four inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain across the New York area. If this was just a little bit colder, we would easily get over a foot in the Big Apple, so we'll be thankful for that. But there's another one coming in Saturday night and Sunday and depending on the track of that one, Kiran, we could see significant snow event in the major metropolitan area, so keep an eye on that.
CHETRY: All right. I can already tell the roads and the airports are going to be dealing with quite a travel snarl because of that storm. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: OK.
CHETRY: Well, the big chill far from over in the Midwest as well. Nearly 1 million people still without power. We're talking about the same thing this time yesterday. President Bush, in fact, issuing an emergency disaster declaration for Kansas. It's one of the handful of states still thawing out after a massive ice storm. Much of the damage coming from trees. The ice just so heavy on those trees and snapping power lines as well.
Oklahoma's governor says that parts of his states look like a war zone now. Half a million homes and businesses in that state still without electricity, and it could be another 10 days before power is fully restored. Also at least 32 deaths blamed on the storm, most of those from trying to drive in those treacherous conditions on the roads -- John.
ROBERTS: It's coming up now to six minutes after the hour. President Bush has vetoed the S-chip health insurance program for children for a second time. The president says the bill is essentially identical to the one that he vetoed back in October. The president proposed adding $5 billion to the program over five years and said the version he vetoed would have encouraged families to leave private insurance for the government program.
Democrats say the new version addresses Republican objections including tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants, and they wanted to pay for it with a 61 cents per pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes.
Democrats are reportedly giving in to the president on war funding, no strings attached. Democrats and Republicans privately saying they're closing in on a broad budget bill that will include as much as $70 billion to pay for the war in Iraq and it will not call for most U.S. troops to come home by the end of 2008.
The head of the CIA grilled again on Capitol Hill. Members of the House intelligence committee say CIA Director Michael Hayden did not keep them informed about the destruction of videotapes showing agents using waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques on Al Qaeda operatives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL HAYDEN, CIA DIRECTOR: I was aware of the existence of the tapes but really didn't become focused on it until the summer of '06, when I became director and at that point, was preparing to come up in September to brief the committee on all -- the full committee, all members on all aspects. And I think it's fair to say that particularly at the time of the destruction, we could have done an awful lot better in keeping the committee alerted and informed after that activity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: It was an about-face for Hayden. In a memo to CIA employees, he had claimed on congressional leaders had been informed years ago about the destruction of those tapes.
Deadlock on the U.N. climate change conference going on right now in Indonesia. The U.S., Japan and several other industrialized nations are refusing to accept a goal of cutting emissions by as much as 40 percent over the next 12 years. The U.S. says specific targets will get in the way of future talks. The European Union now says it may boycott an upcoming climate conference planned by the United States -- Kiran.
CHETRY: You got to see the pictures with this next story. It's an amazing rescue. It happened at an Atlanta parking garage. Check this out.
A car dangling seven stories off the ground. It fell off the edge of a parking deck. Steel cables on the side of the deck caught the car but just barely. So to reach the car without dislodging it, emergency workers went up to the deck's top floor, one story above the car then they repelled down the side of the building, almost something you would see out of a movie. And they were able to reach through the windows. They put a safety harness on the driver and pulled him to safety.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPTAIN BILL MAY, ATLANTA FIRE RESCUE: It's just amazing that it did not fall all the way down, that it was being held there literally on the side of the building. I've seen them half way out before but to be completely out like that and still on the side of the building is just amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: In fact, apparently onlookers were applauding the efforts of the rescue workers that they were able to bring the man to safety. Just taking a look at that, it looks like quite a miracle they were able to do that. Police say he hit his head on the windshield, but he is fine. They say what he did was sped up the ramp and went right through the wires.
Well, this Christmas you could be trimming the tree with ornaments that were made in a Chinese sweat shop. The National Labor Committee says some ornaments that are supplied to Wal-Mart are made in sweat shop conditions in China, where workers are forced to work 15 hours a day, seven days a week for 26 cents an hour and they're forced to handle toxic chemicals without protective gear. Wal-Mart now says it's investigating these claims.
Ike Turner this morning. Do you remember there's a pioneer of rock 'n' roll? He died at his home yesterday in California. The cause is not known. A large part of Turner's musical legacy is shared with his former wife, Tina Turner. They recorded what may be his most popular song "Proud Mary." Tina Turner left him in 1976 after years of spousal abuse. Ike Turner was 76 years old.
We have an update this morning in the Stacy Peterson disappearance case. Drew Peterson, her husband, responding to a claim that he fired a gun at his wife. He told "The Chicago Tribune" that it was his wife Stacy who actually pulled the trigger. He said she had a fascination for handguns and that he bought her one for Valentines Day, telling the paper "nothing says I love you like a glock." That was our joke. Drew's lawyer appeared on "Nancy Grace" to further refute the gunshot claims that were made by Stacy's sister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOEL BRODSKY, ATTORNEY FOR DREW PETERSON: What really happened was this. Drew bought Stacy a glock, a 0.9 millimeter glock as a present. Stacy used to like to handle the gun from time to time. She was up in the bedroom handling the gun, and it actually discharged striking the floor. She was embarrassed. Nobody called the police because she was embarrassed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Meantime, the sister tells a different story. Her sister says that it was Drew that fired that gun and that it missed Stacy by just a few inches. She was in another room at the time. Meantime, a judge will rule next week whether police should return 11 guns, two vehicles and other items seized from Peterson. He has been named a suspect in Stacy's disappearance but has not been charged with anything -- John.
ROBERTS: Stocks close up after a wild day on Wall Street while central banks around the globe decide that the credit crisis isn't just America's problem. Our Ali Velshi at the business update desk with more on that. What does that mean for us, Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, John. It means that the fed, while it may have disappointed a lot of people on Tuesday by cutting rates by a quarter of a percentage point, decided to take more action yesterday morning. Some of it on its own and some with other central banks. I'm going to tell you a bit about that later. But what it meant was yesterday morning markets surged ahead.
As a result of a number of things, they pulled back and as a result, you've got Dow that was up about 41 points and S&P up about nine points. Oil also was much higher yesterday and that didn't help. I'll tell you a bit about the banks later on, some problems coming in from more banks. But here's what it looks like year-to-date, and that's what most people need to be concerned about.
The Dow is up about eight percent. The Nasdaq almost 11. But most of you will have investments in your 401K that look a lot more like the S&P 500, and that's where a bit of the concern comes in. That's up less than 5 percent in the year, when you think that inflation for most people is going to be around that level. It's going to be definitely more than 3 percent. You haven't made much money on a diversified investment, so we're keeping our eye closely on the S&P 500.
I'll be back in about half an hour to tell you about that concerted effort by central banks around the world to help out this credit crunch, John.
ROBERTS: How are the markets feeling today, Ali?
VELSHI: Not so good. The futures are all down this morning.
ROBERTS: All right. Ali Velshi for us this morning at the update desk. Ali, thanks -- Kiran.
VELSHI: OK.
CHETRY: Well, PETA's newest target, the Department of Homeland Security. The Animal Rights Group sent a letter to Secretary Michael Chertoff criticizing government scientists for conducting what it calls "painful bone marrow tests" on chimpanzees. It's a program called Project Bioshield. The feds say that the chimps are given anesthesia and other medication to prevent pain and that the tests will try to help find treatments in case terrorists use anthrax or smallpox in an attack.
The FBI and the IRS now looking into Al Sharpton's finances. According to the "New York Daily News," several of Sharpton's associates were subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury later this month. That investigation is seeking records on Sharpton's presidential bid, his businesses and even his nonprofit group, the National Action Network.
Oh, we have a very important medical story to tell you about this morning. A million plus doses of a vaccine that's given to children pulled from the market. Elizabeth Cohen is going to join us to tell us why and what parents need to know.
Also ahead. Imagine that you had the work done on your house and the contractor found cash stuffed in your walls. Who gets to keep it? Well, it's a fight over a fortune that's brewing, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Your "Quick Hits" now. A freak post-season storm hitting the Caribbean. Officials say 14 people were killed as tropical storm Olga brought torrential rains to parts of Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Hardest-hit were low-lying areas where they did try to evacuate folks. At least seven towns were completely under water.
A historic block of buildings devastated by fire. The flames erupted in downtown New Haven, Connecticut, where buildings date back to 1910. Eleven of the city's 12's fire companies were called to the scene. The city says that 14 businesses were destroyed, a 100 homes evacuated and it's still not clear what caused that blaze.
A tense trench rescue. This took place in Lake Worth, Florida. A construction worker nearly buried alive for three hours as he was trying to lay a massive concrete pipe. The crews say that he was stuck neck deep in some quicksand-like material as they frantically tried to rescue him. Eventually, they were able to get him out. They carried him out on a stretcher and took him to a hospital.
But just imagine how terrifying that must have been, John, as he was waiting for that rescue.
ROBERTS: Incredible. More than a million doses of a popular vaccine for babies are being recalled this morning. The vaccine known as Hib is usually given to infants starting at 2 months of age to prevent meningitis and pneumonia. Now there are fears that those doses were contaminated. Our Elizabeth Cohen is following this from the medical update desk in Atlanta. How much of a concern is this, Elizabeth, for people who got these vaccines?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: John, federal health officials have said over and over that this is not a health concern. That there's no contaminated -- they've not found any contaminated vaccine, that no children are known to be sick. They called this a potential contamination.
Let's look at some of the key facts in this situation. As you said, a million doses are being recalled. Doctors are going to be contacted today to say ship it back if you've got this Merck vaccine and is potentially contaminated. What happened was that Merck identified a place in their manufacturing process where bacteria could get into the shots and survive the sterilization process, so it could be contaminated.
This is a recall of all Merck Hib vaccines that have shipped since April. Now, of course, when you hear this news, I know the first thought that I had was gosh, my child could have had this shot in the past couple of months. And the federal health officials and Merck say don't worry, don't panic, of course. That your child, if they were going to get sick, would have gotten sick within the first week of getting the vaccine. It would have been most likely some kind of a local reaction right around the spot of the shot, some abscesses or some bumps. And so if your child had the shot within the past week, you should look for that but this is not a shot that would make most children -- this is not a problem that would make most children very, very sick. And again, there has been no reported cases of illnesses -- John.
ROBERTS: So this recall, Elizabeth, is it going to lead to a shortage of this vaccine?
COHEN: You know, Julie Gerberding, the head of the CEC, said absolutely yes. This will lead to a shortage of the Hib vaccine, and this is an important vaccine. A thousand kids a year used to die when they didn't get the vaccine, so there will be a shortage. There's only one other maker of this vaccine, another pharmaceutical company. So the doctors, the federal health officials don't think it's going to be an immediate, urgent situation. But over the next few months if more of a shortage develops, they're going to have to figure out how to get the vaccine to those who need it most.
ROBERTS: Yes, and obviously a concern for parents of newborns. Elizabeth Cohen for us this morning in Altanta. Elizabeth, thanks -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, your "Quick Hits" now. And a man is suing a Dallas suburb saying that a crackdown on sex clubs unfairly targets his lifestyle. Their neighbors complain that Jim Truelock held adult parties in his home. This is video. Well, I think we're about to see the video of Truelock's Web site advertising those parties. He says that the city's new ban is unconstitutional. Officials though say the law will stand.
And it's a kind different kind of scam at Chicago Art Institute. A sculpture thought to be carved by 19th century artist Paul Goeghan (ph) turned out to be fake. Authorities say that the sculpture called the "Faun" is just one of hundreds made by a family of convicted forgers who duped the art world for years. It was bought at action from Sotheby's back in 1994. It's actually worth an estimated $175,000.
An Ohio woman wanted to remodel her bathroom. She ended up with $182,000 fortune. But now, someone else's laying claim to the treasure. So if money is found on the walls of your house, who gets it? You or your contractor? It's apparently a legal battle that's brewing.
Also, a new bill in Congress could change the way you that you talk at work. Renewed calls for an English-only workplace ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, a new record for the amount of e-mail spam topping your "Quick Hits" now. There's a new study found up to 95 percent of all e-mail sent this year were unsolicited. That's up from 85 percent to 90 percent last year and there's something to think about. Back in 2001, spam made up only five percent of e-mail so a lot has changed since then. Well, some of the country's largest cable companies are starting a new campaign trying to get minority voters to the polls. Comcast, Cox, Bright House and Time Warner, which is owned by CNN's parent company, all will start running public service announcements starting Saturday. Celebrities appearing in the ad include "Ugly Betty" star Anna Ortiz and actor Lou diamond Phillips.
Well, check this picture out. This is the latest photo of the word's first transplant recipient. She looks completely normal. It shows Isabel Dinoire 18 months after her ground-breaking surgery, the point where she first managed to smile. She was given new nose, lips and chin two years ago after being mauled by her dog.
Dinoire and her doctor are pleased by the results so far. She says now, she's not afraid of walking in the street and even meeting people at a party.
It is miraculous if you take a look at what she looked like before.
ROBERTS: It's just incredible to see how well that face transplant worked. Amazing.
CHETRY: Hey, quick question about pronouncing the artist. Go head, you're the French expert.
ROBERTS: Goeghan.
CHETRY: Thank you.
ROBERTS: All right.
CHETRY: You probably own a couple in your office.
ROBERTS: I don't think so. I do have a Monet, though. No.
A fight over a fortune in Ohio. This won't even get you a Monet, but it's a lot of money here. Homeowner Amanda Reece was having work done in her bathroom when contractor Bob Kitts tore down a wall and out poured $182,000. The fortune had been wrapped up in newspapers dating back to 1939. Now, it's old currency so it may actually be worth more today than it was back then.
Appraisers say it could be worth up to $500,000 for collectors. But who gets it? That's the question. Reese offered Kitts, the contractor, 10 percent, but he says he deserves more. Amanda's attorney disagrees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB KITTS, CONTRACTOR: My heart was racing. I thought I was going to pass out.
JOHN CHAMBERS, AMANDA REECE'S ATTORNEY: He, in essence, expects to be rewarded for not stealing this money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The money may have belonged to the home's original owner who built the house back in 1922. By the way, stashing $182,000 back in 1922 would be like hiding $2.7 million today.
CHETRY: Wow, your contractor finds it, apparently there's some finders keepers law in the state?
ROBERTS: Yes. Yes.
CHETRY: It will be interesting to find out how that legal battle ends. Ten percent is not enough. Hey, I'll just do the bathroom for free and take whatever I find in there.
ROBERTS: And we'll keep watching. We'll bring an update on that.
CHETRY: Well, meantime, it's a "Hot Shot" for some holiday cheer this morning. How about this one?
Lighting up the entire neighborhood. This classic mansion in Ontario, Canada, decorated with 20,000 Christmas lights. This is someone's house. Isn't it beautiful? It was built in the late 19th century. It's owned by a man who actually patented one of the earliest lamps. It took a week to finish, and they needed a boom truck to reach the highest corners.
ROBERTS: Some people really go overboard with Christmas, though.
CHETRY: Beautiful. How about it. If you've got a "Hot Shot," send it to us. The address, amhotshots@CNN.com. Be sure to include your name, where you're from, a little bit about the picture and video and please make sure the shot as well as the Christmas lights are yours and not someone else's.
ROBERTS: A winter storm said to dump plenty of snow on the northeast today and it's only the beginning. Our Rob Marciano watching the extreme weather for us. We're going to check in with him.
An MVP Cy Young award winners. Just some of the big names expected to appear in the highly-anticipated Mitchell Report detailing steroid use in baseball. It's going to be released in just a few hours' time. We'll tell you what else it's expected to say when AMERICAN MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. It's Thursday, The 13th of December. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us. You know, the bombshell that came out this morning and we're going to find out more this afternoon about the long investigation, nearly two years into baseball and steroid use. It turns out more baseball pitchers use steroids than any of the other player. That's another one of these bombshell conclusions that we're learning about from this much-anticipated Mitchell report. That's due out in just a few hours.
There have been little bits and pieces, drips and drabs of this report leaking out this morning. "The Washington Post" saying George Mitchell will play down the pitcher angle in order to draw more attention to the problem at large. But the report is expected to name some 60 to 80 big leaguers, both past and present steroid users. Joining us now on the phone to discuss the report, Amy Shipley, staff writer for "The Washington Post," who has been following this story from the beginning. Amy, thanks for being with us this morning.
AMY SHIPLEY, STAFF WRITER, THE WASHINGTON POST: No problem.
CHETRY: How much did you guys find out so far? Because, I know that they're waiting until 2:00 where George Mitchell is holding a press conference. But what are we expected to hear from this report today?
SHIPLEY: Well, we don't have the names yet and of course that will be the big, big news. We were waiting to find out specifically who's named in the report. We were told there are going to be some MVPs and Cy Young Award winners which of course would be huge. We have come to the understanding that the Mitchell Group, really wants, they really do want to play down the names. They really want to emphasize that this is a major problem in baseball. It's been perpetuated at all levels and I think it's our understanding that they're really going to take everyone to task and call for some dramatic changes and that's how they're going to try to face the emphasis.
CHETRY: I got you. You name the key here is that they're going to call for changes but nobody's obligated. I mean, some of the things that George Mitchell apparently is going to say, some of which talked about, maybe the need for an outside organization doing the steroids testing, had been called for before and this hasn't changed.
SHIPLEY: Right. And certainly, this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. The issue with baseball is with the other professional sports is the collective bargaining issue. You can't do anything without agreement between the players and owners. The drug issue has been a huge sticking point in the past; both players and the owners say they've made changes. They've reopened the current collective bargaining agreement twice, which is unprecedented, and sort of amazing, to address changes to the drug program, but people far and wide in the anti-doping movements have said not nearly enough has been done. So, I think we'll probably see some congressional hearings if baseball doesn't go in and make some further changes and some drastic ones at that.
CHETRY: That's right. In fact, we do have some lawmakers already Representative Elijah Cummings out of Maryland saying he would recommend that Bud Selig be summon to testify in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to talk about this situation. How much of a hit, though, Amy, will baseball take? How much more tainted can it get after the whole BALCO investigation and the questions around Barry Bonds and all of that?
SHIPLEY: You know, it is hard to imagine how things could get worse. Your know, with the indictment of Barry Bonds and that issue, you know, trailed him for such a long time as he broke the record. You know, I think it's at certainly this will probably mark the low point. I do think there will have to be more significant changes made and, you know, they'll be trying to climb out of this hole for a long time.
CHETRY: It will also be interesting, Amy, to hear a little bit from George Mitchell about how difficult it was for him to get any answers in this investigation. I think, he talks a little bit about how hard it was and a lot of people did not want to discuss it and did not want to give him information.
SHIPLEY: And that's not going to help as far as Congress is concerned if they watch this whole thing, when they get further details we already know that the players were not cooperative, but if Mitchell really lashes out at that lack of cooperation, that's - I'm just pretty certain we're going to see some more congressional hearings and when you bring people in, in that type of circumstances we're going to have to do something further, there will have to be more action taken. They don't want Congress messing with their game.
CHETRY: All right. Well, we'll see you today at 2:00 when this press conference takes place. Amy Shipley of "The Washington Post," thanks for being with us.
It's also our morning's "Quick Vote" question. Who is the most to blame for the baseball steroid scandal? Is it the players for the doping; is it the league for doing nothing to stop it? Cast your vote cnn.com/am. We'll have the first tally of votes a little bit later this hour.
ROBERTS: Coming up to 35 minutes after the hour. The man wanted in connection with the school bus shooting in Las Vegas is now under arrest. Police say they tracked down 18-year-old Nicco Tatum in Denver after getting a tip that he was on board a bus to Chicago. The shooting on Tuesday wounded five teenagers and a 21-year-old man. One of the teens is still in the hospital. The suspect is expected to face six counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon.
The parents of the man who shot and killed four people in Colorado on Sunday can't understand why their son did it. Matthew Murray's parents said in a statement "We love Matthew with all our hearts and we are groping for answers as we try in vain to understand the events of last Sunday." They will hold a private funeral for Murray later on in the week.
A Massachusetts woman awarded $2.5 million after getting misdiagnosed with HIV nine years ago. She says the drugs that she was taking to fight HIV caused a string of other health problems. Her attorney says the misdiagnosis occurred because her doctor failed to order the proper tests.
A surrogate mom scam in South Carolina. Police say 28-year-old Jessica O'Donnell and her husband used the internet to solicit couples desperate to have a baby. They say she had the couples pack the perspective father's sperm in freezer bags and then ship it to her along with a fee. They're accused of stealing thousands of dollars from couples nationwide. Police aren't sure just how many victims are out there.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Civilian House of Representatives that would let employers decides if they want an English-only work place. The bill getting a wide spread support among Republican. Current laws allow English-only workplaces but only for a specific business reasons.
Also, some Republicans are asking for a second opinion on the recent intelligence report on Iran's nuclear program. That report as you remember, shows that Iran halted its nuclear program back in 2003 and has not restarted it. Some Republicans were skeptical of the report and still consider Iran a nuclear threat.
Did a Muslim father kill his own daughter because she refused to wear a traditional head scarf? Canadian police have now charged Muhammad Parvez for strangling his daughter, 16-year-old Aqsa Parvez. Friend says that she would leave home with the head scarf for the Hijab and then change when she got to school but apparently her family found out. Friends say that the teen was afraid of her family and said that days before her death that her father would "kill her." Police are pursuing other motives as well for the girl's death.
A winter storm is about to descend on the northeast today, just part of the first of a one-two punch. Our Rob Marciano tracking extreme weather. He's at the weather update desk in Atlanta. You know, here in New York City, we always see these scenes of the garbage trucks getting chains put on them, salt piles. How bad is it going to be here in Manhattan?
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: The latest salvo in campaign '08 targets Barack Obama for his drug use as a teenager. Drug use that he is admitted to. We'll tell you who is saying it and how the Obama camp is responding.
And water. It's the building block of life. But one company wants to use it to build up your faith. Is it spiritual or sack religious? We'll show you what the new holy water bottles look like, that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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ROBERTS: Calls this morning for an investigation of pages in the House of Representatives. That tops your "Political Ticker." Two pages were recently fired for shoplifting, two for sexual misconduct and one for fighting on the House Floor. But officials, on the board, overseeing the program say they were never told about those dismissals. Two Republicans on the board resigned in protest. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner are asking for an investigation. No fireworks at the GOP debate in Iowa. The "Des Moines Register" and Iowa Public Television decided not to ask the candidates about illegal immigration. They also wouldn't allow any interaction between them either. Poll say illegal immigration is the biggest domestic concern for Republican voters and touched out angry exchanges in past debates.
The Democrats get their turn today but four of them may be running late for the debate. Senators Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are all in Washington. They are voting on an energy bill. The bill that would help save energy, then rushing back to Iowa, all of them on separate planes. Most of them private planes.
One of Hillary Clinton's top aides says he regrets his comments about Barack Obama's admitted drug use as a teenager. Bill Shaheen told "The Washington Post" those admissions could haunt the Democrats if Obama is chosen as their candidate. Obama wrote openly about past drug use in his memoirs. The Obama campaign calls the remarks a sign of desperation because of Clinton's slide in the polls.
And Mike Huckabee apologized to rival Mitt Romney after yesterday's debate in Iowa for a comment that he made about the Mormon faith. In a "New York Times" magazine article, Huckabee asks, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" Huckabee says he told Romney his religion should not make him more or less qualified to be president. Romney calls the apology gracious. We'll ask Mike Huckabee about this and a lot of other issues. He's going to be joining us this morning live at 8:15 eastern.
And don't forget, you can find all of the day's political news around the clock at cnn.com/ticker. And of course, the "New York Post" put it very well this morning. The picture of Huckabee saying "I Hucked Up."
CHETRY: That's right. He says he's sorry for it. (INAUDIBLE) we'll put through yesterday. We're going to talk to him about that a little bit more today as well.
Meanwhile, what are you drinking, what's in your water? There's a new bottled water on the market. It's designed to quench your thirst and possibly boost your faith. Well, it's called spiritual water. This is purified tap water. It comes with a Hail Mary prayer and as you can see, images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on the label.
Now apparently, the company says, the founder is telling people that, you know, the product is good for the planet because no one wants to throw away a picture of Jesus or Mary. Also, saying it helps you stay focused and believe in yourself. It's not the only company to try to do this. There's another one that claims that their water is blessed by Anglican and Catholic priests and then another company says that Tibetan Gongs are smacked during the water's purification process and so that makes their liquid ohm very good as well.
ROBERTS: Could you even recycle a bottle like that?
CHETRY: I'm sure you could but he's saying that people aren't going to want to just throw or recycle out ones that have pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on them. So net result, you're helping the environment.
ROBERTS: Either that or you got to be keeping a lot of bottles in the home.
CHETRY: That's right.
Well, late night danger for fast food workers topping your "Quick Hits". They say the hours between midnight and 6:00 a.m., this doesn't seem to be much of a news flash, but carry a high risk for robbery and murder. Well, now, fast food restaurants are their extending hours and workers are reporting a big jump in attacks. Between 2003 and 2006, 109 fast food workers were actually killed in these types of robberies and burglaries working the overnight shift.
A secret Santa walking the streets of Rutland, Vermont, handing out envelopes of cash at a number of local businesses. One woman says she got $50 and a card and the anonymous donor wrote a letter to the "Rutland Herald" saying he intends to give away $600 this holiday season. He says he wants to "Open a heart or two."
Well, writers may still be on strike in Hollywood but in just two hours we're going to learn the nominations for this year's "Golden Globes." So, will the strike affect the big show? Our Lola Ogunnaike will fill us in with details ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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ROBERTS: 49 minutes after the hour. And if you're just joining us, here's a look at what's making headlines this morning. Big names using steroids, even some still in the game. That's another detail expected to be reveal when the Mitchell report on steroid use in baseball comes out later on this morning. By some estimates as many as 80 players will be named, including, we're learning most valuable player, all-stars and Cy Young Winners.
The northeast bracing for a winter storm today. Snow and sleet expected to arrive in the next couple of hours here. As much as a foot of snow could fall in some parts before it's over today and thankfully, a lot of that will be on ski resorts in the northeast. The second more powerful storm is expected to hit over the weekend.
President Bush has vetoed the S-Chip Health Insurance Program for poor children. For the second time now, the president says the bill has essentially identical to the one that he vetoed back in October. Democrats say the new version addressed Republican objections, including tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Iran and North Korea will be foreign policy priorities in the final year at the Bush administration. In a wide-ranging associated press interview, Rice says the U.S. will not engage broadly with North Korea until it ends all aspects of its nuclear program.
The Jackass Gang is known for its whacky stunts but is trying something financially daring. The third movie "Jackass 2.5" will be released next week on the internet for free. After the first two weeks you'll be able to buy the movie on iTunes and other platforms so download quickly.
CHETRY: That's got to hurt just a little pit. Oh, right in the face. Ouch! It's on the web there. The nominations for the Golden Globe are going to be announced this morning. In fact, just under two hours from now, there's a lot of anticipation, not only about who will be nominated, but about the back stage drama of course, because of the writer's strike. What impact will that have on award season in general? Our Lola Ogunnaike is here. So, in most years, the only drama is you get that 5:00 a.m. wakeup call out in Hollywood.
Oh, I've been nominated, it's an honor. This year, it could be different.
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This year, there's a whole lot of drama and none of it has to do with what happens on stage at all. Again, the writer's strike is obviously going to have a significant impact on this show, if the Globes aren't granted a waiver. A waiver would essentially say that it is OK for writers to participate on the show as well as actors and actresses to show up at the awards show.
If the Globe isn't granted a waiver, then there is going to be a huge problem. Because a number of actors may feel like they're not willing to cross the picket line. People like, Tina Fey has been very vocal. Say she wins the award for "30 Rocker." She won the award for best actress in the comedy. She may not show up. She's been one of the most visible faces on the picket line, so that's the real drama, the real question here.
CHETRY: It is. Because, I mean, these are people who sometimes wait their whole entire lives to get this award, right, and then they can't even show up to, like bask in the glory of it.
OGUNNAIKE: Exactly. A lot of this people have been practicing their speeches since second grade, now they had been robbed of their moment.
CHETRY: Quickly, who are some of the big winners of their eye, the early votes?
OGUNNAIKE: You know, there are no real front-runners this year which is interesting but, you know, expect best drama nominations for movies like, you know, "No Country For Old Men," "There Will Be Blood" and "American Gangster" and for, you know, best television shows "The Closer," "Ugly Betty," "30 Rock," show of that nature but no real huge frontrunner this year. So, it's a bit of a toss up.
CHETRY: That will be interesting. There's still is a chance that they could come to some agreement before the award season. Right now, it will be pretty boring though, if they don't come to some sort of agreement.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, if you don't have celebrities, and you don't have writers, you don't have much of a show.
CHETRY: Exactly.
OGUNNAIKE: And the strike is in its sixth week and not looking too good.
CHETRY: No ball gowns to look at, no questions, like who are you wearing?
OGUNNAIKE: Who are you wearing?
CHETRY: All right. We'll keep track of it, thanks for being with us.
OGUNNAIKE: Thanks.
CHETRY: John?
ROBERTS: 53 minutes after the hour now. Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business" and the subprime mortgage crisis, not just being felt here but around the world.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Around the world, because it's affecting all of these major banks and this is the kind of headline you got on newspapers today, this is the financial times. We are talking about a deal that was announced yesterday morning. If you're following markets yesterday morning, you'll see that they shut up right at the open because an announcement came out yesterday that the major central banks around the world, not just the United States are launching a coordinated assault, if you will, on the credit crisis. This is the Federal Reserve, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Swiss National Bank and the European Central Bank.
These are major, major central banks and there's some input from the Swedish National Bank and the Bank of Japan. The idea here is that they will all find ways for banks to be able to have access to credit, if they need it, so that they can continue to lend to other people. Now, just to give you a sense of the timing, on Tuesday afternoon, the Federal Reserve cut rates by .25 of a percentage point and you saw markets go down almost 300 points. The Dow went down almost 300 points, because people didn't think it was far enough. Then Wednesday morning, this announcement comes out. People say why didn't the Fed just say something on Tuesday afternoon that they were doing more about this credit crisis.
ROBERTS: Maybe they enjoy the roller coaster ride as well.
VELSHI: It's actually kind of interesting. This is one of those reasons that actually makes sense. At 2:15 in the afternoon, Eastern Time, when the Fed made its decision on interest rates, markets in the rest of the world were closed and they didn't want to sort of create this complete inequality in how things are traded, so they announced it yesterday morning before markets opened and let it all work through.
ROBERTS: So, this is all about what's referred to as liquidity? VELSHI: Liquidity. Now, Central Banks are saying our banks all over the world will have access to U.S. dollars to lend because everybody holds U.S. dollars. They'll have access to these dollars. They'll be able to lend and that means banks, small and large, can say we will be able to have money to lend to other people and this whole sense of being able to borrow will continue.
ROBERTS: U.S. dollars are a real bargain now.
VELSHI: And the U.S. dollars are a real bargain. So, this actually could help. Central Banks around the world don't tend to work with each other. They tend to be fiercely independent so the Bank of Canada, in fact, the governor of the Bank of Canada's quote was "We have a collective interest in this whole thing, not going into a shambles." So, that's kind of the point.
ROBERTS: All right. Everything's connected.
VELSHI: Everything's connected.
ROBERTS: Ali, thanks.
Police officers trade in their uniforms for holiday outfits. That tops your "Quick Hits" now. Some officers in Orange County, Illinois, dressed like elves and the Grinch, even putting reindeer antlers on their motorcycles. They say the funny outfits get highway drivers to slow down.
A special holiday treat for families of soldiers from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They saw their loved ones for the first time in months live via satellite from Iraq. Members of the National Guard serving there, flipped the switch for the Christmas tree in the state's capitol. The unit has been in Iraq since June.
A wad of generosity dropped into the red kettle. How, one man made the Salvation Army season, that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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CHETRY: Baseball's major league problem.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Follow the evidence wherever it may lead.
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CHETRY: Naming names in the steroid investigation today. What players are accused and who looked the other way.
Vaccine alert. One million doses for children pulled. What parents need to know.
Well, its time to make the doughnuts and kick some you know what.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tenant decided that he was going to hit him over the head with a Dunkin Donut cup.
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CHETRY: An exclusive with the doughnut shop clerk caught on tape giving a robber a real jolt on this AMERICAN MORNING. You never know when the tip jar is going to come in handy. That is not Dunkin' Donuts sanctioned, by the way.
ROBERTS: You know, these Dunkin Donuts guys, apparently, they have this brave streak in them. Another guy in Massachusetts jumped into a robber's car trying to prevent him from getting away.
CHETRY: How about that? Dedication and we're going to hear from that clerk today, Dustin Hoffman. Meanwhile, it is Thursday, December 13th. Glad you're with us. I'm Kiran Chetry.
ROBERTS: And good morning to you, I'm John Roberts. New details are emerging on a much-anticipated report on steroid use in baseball. The Mitchell report is being released this afternoon and sources say it will not only name players, it will harshly criticize Major League Baseball for ignoring the problem.
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