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Panama Plane Crash; Zoo Tiger Attacks; A Home for the Holidays: Hurricane Victim Has New Life

Aired December 26, 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're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM on this Wednesday, December 26th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Tiger with a bad history. He kills a man one year after another zoo attack. Ahead this hour, we'll be talking with an animal behavior expert.

HARRIS: She is a survivor -- been through a hurricane and her husband's death. Today she finally has a place to call her own.

KEILAR: And higher education, lower costs. Parents of some college students are getting a tuition break -- in the NEWSROOM.

The lone survivor. A plane crash in Panama kills a California businessman, his daughter and the pilot. But the daughter's 13-year- old friend somehow survives.

Kara Finnstrom is outside the girl's school in Santa Barbara, California.

And Kara, I hear that you have some new information for us.

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are actually nearby that school here in the Santa Barbara area. Some good news actually coming out as a press conference held by officials in Panama just a short while ago.

They say that when they arrived at this plane site, Francesca was actually walking around, and that's amazing because the words that they have used to describe the plane wreckage is that it was broken into little pieces. But they say they found Francesca walking around the site of this plane crash, they say she does have a fractured arm, she does have hypothermia, but that she's now being treated at a hospital in Panama.

The other good news is that The Associated Press is now reporting that they have spoken with her parents and that they are in Panama now and that her father has been able to speak with her. All of this coming, of course, after the news that the other three people on board this plane which crashed in Panama on Sunday died.

That plane was taking this little girl and another family, the Kleins, on vacation in that area. It went down in a very rugged mountainous terrain area. They searched for this plane for three days, so this little girl remained in those conditions for three days.

But again, the good news, Brianna, is right now she is being treated in a hospital in Panama and that they are very hopeful, very encouraging signs, at least here at the outset, that she survived this very well.

Back to you.

KEILAR: That is just amazing. A fractured arm and hypothermia only. Amazing.

Kara Finnstrom, thanks for your report.

HARRIS: How about this? Christmas Day terror. A tiger escapes its cage at the San Francisco Zoo and goes on a deadly hunt for people.

CNN's Dan Simon is at the zoo with the very latest.

And Dan, you've been working on this story through the night and this morning. Boy, any better idea of how this happened?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Unfortunately, not at this juncture, Tony.

You know, the zoo is closed today. It's normally open 365 days a year. It's closed to the public, but we're seeing cars come in here to the employee gate. Of course, these animals still need to be looked after despite the fact that this awful incident occurred.

This happened just after 5:00 last night, about an hour before this zoo shut down. The question is, of course, how did this tiger escape its enclosure?

This enclosure is surrounded by a 15-foot wide moat and a 20-foot wall. Zoo officials last night said that there's really no chance it could have gotten through an open door. So, in theory, it would have had to literally hop over its enclosure.

When crews got here to the scene, the zoo, it had already killed one person and it attacked two more. Officers had their guns at the ready. Take a listen now to what happened next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE MANNINA, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE: The tiger jumped back on top of the victim. The officers moved in closer. Shortly after, the tiger turned his attention and started to attack one of the officers. That's when the officers shot at the tiger, killing the tiger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: The two people who survived the attack, we are told they are in serious but stable condition. We just received word that there is supposed to be a press conference at the hospital in just a little while updating the condition of those two victims. Both men believed to be in their 20s -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. And Dan, we will certainly monitor that news conference for you. Appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Dan Simon for us at the San Francisco Zoo.

KEILAR: Our next guest is an expert on animal behavior. She's also an expert in zoo crisis management. We're joined on the phone now by Diana Guerrero.

Hi there, Diana.

DIANA GUERRERO, ANIMAL BEHAVIOR EXPERT: Good morning, Brianna.

KEILAR: I just want to start off by asking you, why does something like this happen? I mean, is this something where this animal is just behaving in a way that nature has programmed it to behave?

GUERRERO: Yes, there's a couple things that happened.

First, they're wild animals, and tigers are predators, and they're very good predators and they're very large predators. So they're hard wired for survival when they get out of their enclosure. Their responses are heightened, and they react.

The second point I want to make is that out of 145 million or so visitors that go to zoos, animal attacks are very rare. So it's not something that people should be really scared about.

KEILAR: OK. And I do want to ask you, we're going to touch upon animal behavior, maybe certain signs that say zoo staff could have looked for, but the first thing I want to ask you about is this tiger obviously escaped somehow. Now, the zoo isn't saying how, but they are saying there wasn't something like a door that was left open. There was I think a very large fence, a very large moat.

Is this -- are these obstacles that this tiger could have jumped over? Was this maybe not enough?

GUERRERO: Well, we won't know until they actually do an investigation, which will happen, you know, after the fact. Animals, whether they're wild animals in the wild or captive wild animals, they are very, very strong and very agile.

There could have been the new exhibit -- it's not a new exhibit, it was redone recently and reopened in September, I believe. So it could be a design flaw. It could have been equipment failure. It could have been human error.

We don't know until they actually get in and do an investigation. If something fell over and it allowed the cat to climb up higher and jump over, that could have happened, but it's all speculation at this point.

KEILAR: And I know you said these attacks are very rare. Millions of visitors who go to zoos, obviously most of them, the vast majority, not attacked. But at the same time, this is a tiger that has a history.

It was about a year ago where there was an incident involving a handler where this tiger actually bit off part of the handler's arm, I believe. Some people obviously asking the question, was that a warning sign? Should something have been done about this animal before now?

What do you think?

GUERRERO: It wasn't a warning sign. The incident actually happened in the lion house, the same facility that they actually had to fix.

They had a dangerous situation. The keeper was very close to the tiger during feeding time. Animals, wild animals, especially predators, when they're fed they get very possessive over their food and protect it. And even if you're giving them food, they're going to protect it.

And what happened was the animal reached underneath the caging and grabbed the keeper. That's how the keeper was injured. So I don't think it's a malicious intent, that people want to maybe believe, but it's acting like a wild animal, and that's sometimes what happens.

KEILAR: That's right. It was attributed to some human error there.

Diana, thanks so much for joining us.

Diana Guerrero, animal behavior expert.

HARRIS: Well, they plummeted into icy waters this morning in Nepal. At least 16 people are dead after a bridge collapsed, dozens of others injured. Twenty-eight people are still missing.

They were part of a group of 500 walking to a festival just across the river. Authorities say the bridge snapped from all of the weight.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Well, a home for the holidays, it is a dream come true for a woman who lost her home to a hurricane, lost her husband to illness, and lost her remaining hope to an accused con man. Man. Her story from reporter Amy Davis. She is with CNN affiliate KPRC. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, open that truck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my gosh.

AMY DAVIS, REPORTER, KPRC (voice over): A peek into the back of this truck offered Tammy Brugaman (ph) a glimpse into her future.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're going to sleep on a real bed tonight, honey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm telling you. I haven't slept in a real bed in two years.

DAVIS: Two years ago is when Tammy and her husband Donald moved into this travel trailer in Crosby after Hurricane Rita destroyed their mobile home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn't want anybody to look down at us or think that we needed help.

DAVIS: But when Donald got sick this summer, Tammy did need help. Her husband died in August at 39 years old from a brain infection. Donald's boss, Ray Lilley, rallied together support to buy Tammy a new home.

RAY LILLEY, LATE HUSBAND'S BOSS: I've got responses from people that I haven't seen in years that have donated time, money and effort.

DAVIS: Seventy-three hundred dollars Lilley paid this man for Tammy's (ph) mobile home. He waited weeks.

LILLEY: He calls people almost daily and assures them their trailer is coming the next day, and it's not. It will never come.

DAVIS: Police arrested Chris McPherson (ph), but Tammy was once again without a home, with little hope, until dozens, maybe hundreds of people, pulled through. First, Lilley got Tammy that mobile home, then he wrote a letter to Gallery Furniture.

GEORGIA ANN SPEARS, GALLERY FURNITURE: We received 3,000 to 4,000 letters. Tammy's story just kind of hit me, and I thought, well, God is putting all the pieces in together, so now Gallery Furniture is going to put the final blessing on it.

DAVIS: A new bed...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's beautiful.

DAVIS: ... living room furniture. A full house on her first Christmas without her husband.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, he's probably very, very happy. Very happy that I have the makings of a really good home and a lot of friends that I didn't even know I had. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Good stuff, huh?

KEILAR: Good stuff.

HARRIS: We've got great stuff around the holidays.

By the way, the accused con man in all of this spent his Christmas night in jail.

KEILAR: Peace of mind for parents struggling to send their kids to college.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It means that if a dishwasher breaks, you don't have to worry about it. If you have a major car repair, you don't have to worry about it. You have that little buffer there to protect you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Top schools offering tuition relief.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Want to take you to San Francisco very quickly now. As you can see, the scene is being set for a news conference at San Francisco General Hospital. It should happen any moment now, where we are expecting to get an update on two men injured in that tiger attack.

Yes, you know the story. The tiger escaped, killed one person, injured two others. We're going to get that update shortly. Zoo officials trying to figure out how the tiger escaped from its enclosure, how long it had been loose before it attacked.

When that news conference begins, we will bring it to you live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Improving conditions in Iraq. The Pentagon has some encouraging numbers, including a lower death toll for U.S. troops.

CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony.

Well, it's that time of year when everybody sort of assesses what's been going on in Iraq. 2007 certainly wrapping up to be a better year than many people had even hoped for, quite unexpectedly, because, of course, the troop surge.

Let's look at some statistics here that are so crucial.

Of course, the loss of every U.S. soldier a terrible tragedy to an American family, but when you look at what has happened over this past year, back in May a high of 126 troops losing their lives in Iraq that month. Now, December, on track to be possibly the lowest month for troops losing their lives in Iraq since the war began.

Why? Of course, the U.S. military says it is due to the troop surge. More troops in Iraq have been able to be very successful in controlling the violence.

"AMERICAN MORNING" spoke to one of the chief U.S. military spokesmen in Iraq a little earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. KEVIN BERGNER, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: First I would start off by saying there is no question but that the surge has been very successful in its purpose, which was to reduce the levels of violence and the casualties, and to set better conditions for the important political steps that the government of Iraq very much needs to take. And as you pointed out, they are very much in the process of wrestling with those issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: That was an interview with John Roberts on "AMERICAN MORNING." And as General Bergner points out, getting political progress in Iraq may now be again one of the key issues for 2008, the key to the U.S. being able to bring home more troops in 2008.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates really setting that as one of the key goals for the next year, bringing home even more troops, and, Tony, getting that 15-month tour of duty back down to 12 months. That is the number one holiday wish, I think it's safe to say...

HARRIS: Yes.

STARR: ... of all the troops out on the front line. Not just to come home, but be able to spend more time with their families before they have to go back again -- Tony.

HARRIS: Barbara, what about the goals for Afghanistan? What does the secretary have to say about that hotspot?

STARR: Well, Afghanistan may be a little more problematic in the coming year. It has been said by NATO and the U.S. that about another 7,000 troops are needed in Afghanistan to work on reconstruction, to work on training the Afghan forces, and to get the security under control.

There again, the Taliban setting a record year for attacks this past year. That is a matter of significant concern. But look, Tony, if NATO does not send those 7,000 troops, there are whispers, there are hints, nothing specific, the U.S. could wind up sending some of the U.S. troops back to Afghanistan in the coming year. HARRIS: Oh boy.

At the Pentagon, Barbara Starr for us this morning.

Barbara, thank you.

STARR: Sure.

KEILAR: Trying to get back on track, Mitt Romney hitting a few snags with just eight days until the Iowa caucuses.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Paying for college, it can lead to sleepless nights, families even forced to pull equity from their homes. But a new price break is spelling some relief, and CNN's senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff, is here to tell us about it.

Hi, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Brianna.

I've got to tell you, I am the father of twins, so just thinking about this topic scares me.

KEILAR: I bet.

CHERNOFF: And my kids are in kindergarten right now. But lots of our viewers are already digging very deep to send their kids off to college. Now some of the nation's top schools are trying to ease that financial pain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice over): When Paul Belmonte was admitted to Harvard, it was a dream come true for his parents, Gerry and Diane.

GERRY BELMONTE, FATHER OF HARVARD STUDENT: I was kind of ridiculous about it. I went out and told everybody I knew.

CHERNOFF: But it was a financial nightmare at the same time. Diane's first thought?

DIANE BELMONTE, MOTHER OF HARVARD STUDENT: How am I ever going to afford that?

CHERNOFF: A question that many parents ask about college. At Harvard, tuition, room and board ring in at more than $45,000 a year.

G. BELMONTE: You're looking at a big number. Is it going to be a subtle lifestyle change or is it going to have to be a drastic lifestyle change?

CHERNOFF: Students whose families earn less than $60,000 attend Harvard for free, but the Belmontes are solidly middle class. PAUL BELMONTE, STUDENT: My dad's a truck driver and my mother's a teacher.

CHERNOFF: So Harvard tuition has been a strain for the family's finances, but next year when the Belmontes drop Paul at school for his junior year, things will get much easier.

D. BELMONTE: It just sounded almost too good to be true.

CHERNOFF: Harvard has a new pricing plan for families earning between $60,000 and $180,000. They will pay no more than 10 percent of their income.

BILL FITZSIMMONS, DEAN OF ADMISSIONS, HARVARD: The old system wasn't working, and we needed something -- you know, a bit of a revolution in financial aid.

CHERNOFF: Harvard is not alone. Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Duke are among a handful of other top schools aiming to ease the strain of college tuition.

For the Belmontes, it will mean about $1,000 a month in savings.

G. BELMONTE: It means that if a dishwasher breaks, you don't have to worry about it. If you have a major car repair, you don't have to worry about it. You have that little buffer there to protect you.

CHERNOFF: Harvard will also replace all student loans with grants.

FITZSIMMONS: Student loans are gone.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Still, there are critics. Researchers at the Center for College Affordability say Harvard could do even more with its $35 billion endowment.

LYNNE MUNSON, CENTER FOR COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY: It should be truly accessible. And personally, I have to say, I think that Harvard should be ashamed to be charging anyone tuition.

CHERNOFF (voice over): But the Belmontes aren't complaining. For them, it's a huge boost towards fulfilling their dream of giving an Ivy League education to their child.

D. BELMONTE: You still don't believe it sometimes when we drop him off. It's like, he's really at Harvard.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: It is very nice what Harvard is doing, but the truth is the school really could do more. This discount will cost the school $22 million a year. That's not even two-thirds of one percent of Harvard's endowment.

Personally, I'm waiting for them to come out with the two-for-one discount -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Definitely. Yes, with twins in kindergarten, you better be think being that.

So, we've talked about private universities. What about public universities, Allan?

CHERNOFF: Brianna, public universities have actually seen their expenses rise very rapidly. Right now tuition is up six percent from the past year. So they're still much cheaper, on average a little over $13,000 a year. Compare that to the average of about $32,000 for a private university.

KEILAR: Wow.

Thank you, Allan. And we'll let you leave so that you can start planning your financial future to ensure that your twin daughters in kindergarten make it to college. Thank you.

HARRIS: Yes, good luck with that.

For this couple, tragedy and now joy comes in threes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With these blessings I hope that it's over. I hope that our bad luck is changed and we're going to have this miracle for the rest of our lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: It breaks your heart here. How about this? Three little angels watched over by three other angels.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Good morning to you. I'm Brianna Keilar.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM.

Our top story, an escaped tiger on the hunt. Zoo-goers are its prey.

One visitor at the San Francisco Zoo is dead and two others mauled. All three men said to be in their 20s.

Police opened fire on the tiger as it turned from one victim and started coming towards them. Zoo officials are trying to figure out how the tiger escaped its enclosure and how long it had been loose before it attacked. The tiger is the same cat that mauled a zookeeper last year. In that attack, the 300-pound tiger bit off part of a zoo employee's arm during a public feeding.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JACK HANNA, DIRECTOR EMERITUS, COLUMBUS ZOO: "Unpredictable" is the right word to use. You've got to remember that about 95 percent of our animals in zoos come from other zoological parks, but they are wild.

We tell our folks a wild animal is like a loaded gun, it can go off at any time. These animals are phenomenal creatures. They're magnificent, they're very powerful, they can leap a long ways. But again, I don't know how the animal got out.

A hundred and forty-five million people went to zoos last year, and, yes, accidents happen. But, you know, when you look at the numbers of people that we educate in the zoological world, you know, it's something -- it's a real safe place to go to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So zoo officials say crews will comb through the enclosure today to look for any explanation as to how the tiger escaped.

Live picture now of the hospital in San Francisco Where the two men are being cared for right now who were mauled by this tiger. A news conference scheduled to begin any moment now, preparations continuing. Now when that conference begins we will of course bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(NEWSBREAK)

KEILAR: Mitt Romney stuck in neutral. His campaign hitting a few bumps with early voting just over a week away. More now from CNN national correspondent John King, part of the best political team on television.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN, CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A sign of the times, for Mitt Romney, the glow of the summer is a distant memory.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How are you doing? Eagles fan?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am.

ROMNEY: Good to see you.

KING: Gone are once strong leads in both Iowa and New Hampshire. The candidate's wife hoping aloud the current tide will change.

ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: I know he is the best candidate, and I have all the confidence in the world the other voters will wake up and see that too. So thank you.

ROMNEY: Thank you, sweetheart. Thank you.

KING: Romney is hardly the first to learn Iowa is a four-letter word for surprise.

ROMNEY: Thank you so much for being here. God bless you.

KING: Here in New Hampshire, the growing threat is the candidate who personified stubborn persistence.

ROMNEY: You know right now that Senator McCain and I are both battling for support and your vote.

KING: Romney only has himself to blame for his recent struggles. Providing fresh fodder of late for critics who call him loose with the facts and forgetful of his own record. This is Iowa last week.

ROMNEY: In my state when I was governor, we made it tougher for people with meth labs.

KING: Hours later, he conceded he proposed tougher penalties, but they never became law.

ROMNEY: So, I'm making sure that's corrected as quickly as I possibly can.

KING: Normally, enough said. But it came within days of claiming an endorsement he never received. And he also backtracked from saying he saw his father march with Martin Luther King.

ROMNEY: You know, it's a figure of speech. I saw my father as a champion of civil rights.

KING: He is clearly chastened. This is Sunday after talk of improving schools as governor.

ROMNEY: These principals made a difference. The Massachusetts kids and these kinds of principles were in place even before I got there as governor.

KING: Yet critics still see hypocrisy here.

ROMNEY: Reagan 101 says if you lower taxes it helps build the economy. Look I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan and Bush.

KING: Romney still voices confidence. And aide says in private meetings he shows a sense of urgency but not panic. The strategy is twofold. Keep watch on all his rivals but attack the main threats.

ROMNEY: He voted against the Bush tax cuts. He voted against eliminating the death tax forever.

KING: And look to his strengths, resources.

ROMNEY: I apologize, if you see me too much on TV.

KING: And what even rivals concede are deep organizations in both Iowa and New Hampshire. John King, CNN, Milford, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: The odds stacked against him. An Atlanta teen heads to Yale, all expenses paid. A little conversation coming up for you next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: In Venezuela right now, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez holding a news conference, updating everyone on the status of negotiations aimed at freeing three hostages held for years really by Colombian rebels, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

CNN's Karl Penhaul is following developments there. We may get an opportunity to talk to Karl before too much longer. For the latest on those developments designed to bring about the release of these hostages, we'll keep an eye on the story. And by the way, if you want to see this live, we would encourage you to go to CNN.com. CNN.com is carrying the press conference live right now.

KEILAR: New information about the sole survivor of a small plane crash in Panama. The 13-year-old girl found alive after the crash that killed her friend, her friend's father, and the pilot. Officials say Francesca Lewis (ph) was walking around the crash site in a remote area of Panama when rescuers arrived. They say she suffered from hypothermia and a fractured arm. Her parents are in Panama and have spoken with her now. Californian businessman Michael Klein and his daughter, who died in the crash, along with the pilot. Authorities think that the plane may have run into bad weather.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

KEILAR: Want to catch you up on a story, a developing story not far from us here in Atlanta. These pictures coming to us from affiliate WXIA. There is a suspicious package at the Georgia State Capital. That's according to Atlanta police who are assisting with State Capitol police.

We've got some new video in here. As you can see, there is one of those bomb robots. This is a suspicious package. So, according to local reports. And as we can see now, a bomb squad is on scene with this robot. And one of our local affiliates, for those of you familiar with the Atlanta area, is saying that Atlanta police have blocked off Martin Luther King and Washington, so blocking off some surrounding streets around that area as well.

But again, we're going to -- as this story unfolds, we're going to tell you the very latest. But again, a suspicious package at the Georgia State Capitol here in downtown Atlanta.

HARRIS: A Christmas curse. One family devastated three separate times. But ready to move on thanks to a special Christmas Eve delivery. The story now from Jane Slater of affiliate KMGH in Aurora, Colorado. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE SLATER, KMGH REPORTER (voice-over): Somewhere along the way, the spirit of Christmas was lost.

CHRIS SPIEGEL, PARENT: Actually, kind of avoided Christmas music or even commercials that were, you know, had anything to do with Christmas.

SLATER: And who could blame Chris Spiegel and his wife Susan.

SUSAN SPIEGEL, PARENT: My first child that died, he died of SIDs. He was two months and 25 days old.

SLATER: After that, there was Skyler (ph), their oldest.

S. SPIEGEL: He was 16-years-old. He died on his way to homecoming in a car accident up in Vail (ph).

SLATER: And if that wasn't enough, the unthinkable.

S. SPIEGEL: C.J., he died in Grand Junction, he was hit by a car three years ago. He was seven.

SLATER: It's enough to make anyone give up on Christmas, parenting, life.

C. SPIEGEL: Every morning, you didn't really know. I'd get up to go to work or go wherever, and I really didn't know why I was doing it.

SLATER: The only thing this pair says they knew what to do was parent, so they tried it again, this time using a surrogate. And a funny thing happened.

S. SPIEGEL: When they told us we were having three, I just knew it was the boys that gave us this blessing.

SLATER: That's right, three. Two boys and a little girl, all born early and on all days, Christmas Eve.

C. SPIEGEL: This morning, they turned Christmas music on in here for us, and Susan goes, I don't even mind listening to Christmas music now.

S. SPIEGEL: With these blessings, I hope that it's over. I hope that our bad luck has changed and we're going to have this miracle for the rest of our lives.

SLATER: And in her boys' absence, the memory of the three live on. Each newborn has their brothers' first names as their middle names.

In Englewood, Jane Slater, 7 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: How about that? Boy, to get your daily dose of health news online, logon to the our Web site. There, you will find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

KEILAR: Remembering a practical joker who went to unbelievable lengths.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He could tell a joke. He always had to get, I think, the first and the last laugh in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Oh, he got the last laugh in all right, from heaven.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: More now on a developing story right here in Atlanta. Here's what we know. A suspicious package at the Georgia State Capitol. That's according to the Atlanta police department. Atlanta police are helping out with the State Capitol police. At this point, there's a bomb squad on scene. There is a robot, as well.

Let's go ahead and bring in Officer James Polite. He's the PIO for Atlanta Police Department. What else can you tell us about what's going on here?

VOICE OF OFFICER JAMES POLITE, ATLANTA POLICE: Basically right now, we do have a perimeter set up around the Capitol building. We are in assisting mode with Capitol State police and also, we have our bomb squad here on the scene. We don't know what the package is. The call came in shortly after 10:00 a.m. this morning. So, we're basically having all precautions in place. The GBI has been notified.

KEILAR: What is -- sorry, what is the GBI?

POLITE: The Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

KEILAR: OK.

POLITE: They've been notified. So, we're just trying to have all the precautions put in place and have a perimeter set to determine what we do have at this time.

KEILAR: Who called this in at about 10:00 a.m.?

POLITE: Well basically, we received a call through the Capitol City police requesting our assistance for our bomb squad.

KEILAR: And can you tell us what this suspicious package looked like? Do you know?

POLITE: No, I have not had the liberty nor do I want to get too close to it. We just do know that it is a suspicious package, something that is out of the ordinary. So, we do have precautions set in place. We have the perimeter and our bomb squad is there to assist in any shape and fashion.

KEILAR: And we are looking now at a robot that's being brought in to take a look at this suspicious package. Is it heading inside the building or is this happening near the building but outside of it?

POLITE: As far as I know, near the building, the outside perimeter. That's where basically the concentration is being sought after at this particular time.

KEILAR: OK, all right. Officer James Polite with the Atlanta Police Department. Thanks for your time.

Just to recap what's going on here, a suspicious package at the Georgia State Capitol here in downtown Atlanta. A bomb squad on the scene. They're looking at this suspicious package which is near the building, but outside. You can see that bomb dismantling or inspecting robot right there. We're going to bring you the latest on this as it becomes available.

HARRIS: Yes. "YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up at the top of the hour, oh, about 11 minutes or so from right now. Hala Gorani standing by with a preview. Good to see you, Hala. Merry Christmas.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And Merry Christmas to you too, as well it's Boxing Day in the U.K.

KEILAR: Happy Boxing Day, yes.

HARRIS: Yes, that's right, that's right.

GORANI: All right, well, Tony and Brianna, there's a lot coming up in international news. At the top of the hour on "YOUR WORLD TODAY" with Jim Clancy and myself.

Tragedy in Indonesia. Mudslides kill dozens, perhaps hundreds more buried under massive mud on the third anniversary of the tsunami as well. So, it's a tragic day for many people in Indonesia. Also, we will be taking you live to Venezuela. Hugo Chavez trying to score some political PR points. He's right now holding a live news conference, George W. Bush's arch nemesis in Latin America. He's expected to announce the release of long-held hostages in Colombia. We are monitoring this news conference for you.

Also, our Richard Quest sits down with the first lady, Laura Bush. We'll bring you all that and more at the top of the noon. Also, we're going to be telling you about a rebound. Talk about a rebound for the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. You know, he got divorced in October. He's already dating -- he's not dating just anybody.

HARRIS: A model and a singer, huh?

GORANI: He's dating a former super model turned singer. And we have video of them holding hands in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. So, a lot of exciting stuff going on and romance for the French president as well.

Back to you guys.

KEILAR: Oh, holding hands.

GORANI: He doesn't waste any time, President Sarkozy. One could only envy how quickly he moves on.

HARRIS: Yes, OK. All right, Hala, appreciate it.

KEILAR: Thanks Hala.

HARRIS: Thank you. See you at the top of the hour.

You know, we hear from you all the time, too much bad news. So, here is a story to make you smile. A kid with all the chips stacked against him beats the odds. Ray Grissom was born to a single teenage mom. During high school, Grissom had to work to help his mom pay the bills. But he never let his grades slip and next year he's got a full ride to Yale. The first in his family to go to college. Just a little while ago I asked him about what it was like growing up and his plans for the future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAY GRISSOM, TEEN AWARDED FULL RIDE TO YALE: I felt underprivileged at times. Of course, when I like needed rides to go places or something to do and my mom couldn't do it, then I had to find a way. So, I felt like I had to go around some type of obstacle. But other times I know that I got one of the best educations in the state, maybe even the country. So underprivileged financially, but outstandingly privileged in too many more ways.

HARRIS: Tell us about this tremendous program at Campbell High School. That's in Smyrna, correct?

GRISSOM: Yes, sir.

HARRIS: In Smyrna, Georgia, just North and a little West of Atlanta. Tell us about this program at this school because you have to pay off the school and the teacher who made a real difference for you.

GRISSOM: I attend the IB program, which is...

HARRIS: What is that? What is the IB program?

GRISSOM: ...International Baccalaureate.

HARRIS: Fancy, fancy stuff. OK.

GRISSOM: And it is an international world school and we get a very outstanding education.

HARRIS: Uh-huh. GRISSOM: And the teachers are phenomenal. They teach you academically, but also personal and character traits. It's just an outstanding school.

HARRIS: What was your reaction to the news that you were not only -- you were going to Yale on a full -- come on, come on, this is Yale.

GRISSOM: Yes.

HARRIS: New Haven. What was your reaction?

GRISSOM: I was silent and I went to go take a nap.

HARRIS: Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Back up here. Did you just say you were silent and you took a nap?

GRISSOM: Yes, sir. It was too much to handle.

HARRIS: Let me, let me -- there you go. So let me ask the question again. What was your real reaction to the news?

GRISSOM: I was speechless, shaking, like I am now. There's just a lot to handle at one time.

HARRIS: Do you feel worthy of it?

GRISSOM: Yes, I do.

HARRIS: That's great.

GRISSOM: I worked hard.

HARRIS: I mean, that's great. Have you been to New Haven yet?

GRISSOM: No, sir.

HARRIS: When are you going?

GRISSOM: Next month.

HARRIS: You know, I come from a city -- I have to say this, a little personal note -- I come from a city where three-quarters of the young men, black men, who enter high school in Baltimore never graduate, never graduate. How is it -- what piece of advice would you have for young black men? Because, you know, folks are going to see you here and you're going to look like something of an example to young folks. What is that example and what would you say to the young folks who, for whatever reason, can't figure out a way to make it through?

GRISSOM: For me, I had to realize that I wasn't doing things for myself alone, it was for my family also.

HARRIS: What do you mean by that, for your family? GRISSOM: Because, you know, my name is all that I have. So, if I do something, it affects my mom, it affects my little brother, it affects my aunt, my grandparents. So, the decisions that I make will lead to other people. So, I think I realized that first and that's what made me, I guess, me.

HARRIS: What are you going to be studying?

GRISSOM: Architecture.

HARRIS: Architecture. We're so happy for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Amazing story. That is so great, just so great to see someone achieving so much and overcoming so much.

HARRIS: He's looking at a life in motion there, full motion. Look out, America. Footnote here, the scholarship is funded by Quest Bridge. That's a program that helps bright, motivated low-income students attend top schools.

KEILAR: Christmas wishes, warm, funny and, oh yes, they're mailed from the grave? A late arrival. A timely message.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Holiday cards, you know, we've all made excuses for coming up short on the seasonal chore. I know I have friends and families who won't be opening the ones I sent until probably tomorrow or the next day. I apologize. Well with this next story, prepare to be shamed because these cards, they went out on time even though the sender had the perfect excuse. He is dead. Now, before passing away two months ago, Chet Fitch made arrangements for the cards to be sent out at Christmastime. He wanted to assure loved ones that he and his late wife were finally reunited.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBBIE HANSEN-BERNARD, POSTCARD RECIPIENT: Jessie and I have been dancing up a storm here in that big dance hall in the sky, all good squares. I asked Big Guy if I could sneak back and send some cards to my dance friends, family and a few others. At first he said no, but at my insistence he finally said OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now Chet Fitch always wanted the last laugh, so he worked on this idea for 15 years and he made plans with his barber to mail the cards.

HARRIS: Nice.

KEILAR: And the coolest part, the return address, heaven.

HARRIS: Love it, love it, together again in Heaven. Love it. KEILAR: Wonderful, wonderful. Well, thanks for joining us here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home.

I'm Tony Harris.

KEILAR: I'm Brianna Keilar. Have a wonderful day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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