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Rescue From Recession?; Cold Medicine Warning; Jet Misses Heathrow Runway
Aired January 17, 2008 - 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: So call him the toy king. You may not know the name Richard Knerr, but I'm sure you've played with one of his Frisbees, maybe Silly String. And what about the world famous Hula Hoop?
Richard Knerr died Monday in California. He co-founded the Wham- O toy company. He came up with the Hula Hoop in -- wow, way back in 1958, about the same tape Wham-O bought the rights to something called the Pluto Platter. You know it as the Frisbee.
Richard Knerr was 82.
And good morning again, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The Frisbee is a much better name, don't you think?
HARRIS: It is.
COLLINS: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
Developments keep coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM on Thursday, the 17th day of January. Here's what's on the rundown now.
The anemic economy. The president and Fed chairman back a quick booster shot. Will it head off recession?
HARRIS: A jumbo jet misses the runway and mangles a wing. Live to the scene.
COLLINS: Men, a new and relatively cheap way to figure out your risk for prostate cancer, it's all in the genes.
Right here in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Pumping up the economy by putting more money in your pocket, it's an idea gaining support at the White House an don Capitol Hill this morning. Just a short time ago, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke told a House panel that he supports a temporary economic stimulus plan if lawmakers act quickly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN BERNANKE, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: To be useful, a fiscal stimulus package should be implemented quickly and structured so that its effects on aggregate spending are felt as much as possible within the next 12 months or so. Stimulus that comes to too late will not help support economic activity in the near term and it could be activity destabilizing if it comes at time when growth is already improving.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Bernanke did not endorse any specific plans for boosting the economy.
HARRIS: Well, President Bush says the economy does need some short-term help. He is consulting with lawmakers today on what to do.
Live now to the White House and CNN's Brianna Keilar.
And Brianna, it looks like the president is getting -- oh, the snow behind you -- some bipartisan congressional support for an economic stimulus package.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony. And not only that, the first indication from the White House today that President Bush is leaning towards backing an economic stimulus package. White House spokesman Tony Fratto saying that President Bush supports a short-term boost to the economy to get through what the White House is characterizing as a soft patch in the economy, not a recession, a soft patch.
Now, the president, as you said, he's fresh off his trip to the Middle East. He's going to meet with congressional leaders, Democrats and Republicans from both the House and the Senate.
This is going to be a conference call because Senate leaders are out of town. But all of them, Republicans, Democrats, the White House, they're all talking bipartisanship. And the White House calling this a consultation, not a negotiation, though they aren't really saying what proposals are on the table at this point.
As far as Congress goes, though, a tax rebate, basically cutting checks to taxpayers, pumping money into the economy. This is the one area where it seems Republicans and Democrats are overlapping.
What won't be in the stimulus package, Democrats say that they will scuttle any efforts to attach a proposal to extend the president's tax cuts beyond 2010. And Republicans even privately acknowledging that they don't have the votes to push that through anyway.
Now, after today's conference call, you've got leaders in the House, Republicans and Democrats, who are going to powwow again today as they did yesterday. Senate and House leaders are going to be meeting with President Bush again here at the White House on Tuesday, and House speaker Nancy Pelosi really putting an ambitious timeline out.
She says she wants people who are taking part in this meeting on Tuesday to come to terms here during that meeting at the White House, and that she wants to come out of that meeting with a legislative proposal, Tony. So things moving very fast, at least by appearances.
HARRIS: For sure. OK. Brianna Keilar in the snow in Washington, D.C.
Man, that looks great there.
Brianna, appreciate it. Thank you.
And log on to cnnmoney.com for more on how proposals to stimulate the economy could affect your taxes and your wallet.
COLLINS: Chicken soup and tender loving care, we're going to talk about that in just a few minutes for parents trying to treat their young children who have colds. But first, we want to get to this information that we are just getting now.
We have confirmed from the police here in Atlanta this story that we've been telling you about for a couple of days about the two DeKalb County police officers that were killed overnight as they were off duty on their security jobs. There has been a second man now who was arrested in all of this for the killings of those two county police officers.
The chief, Terrell Bolton, has announced the arrest of Deanthius Jamal Johnson. There was a news conference that was held just a little while ago. He also has another name. He's known as "Little Man". He's going to be charged apparently with two counts of murder.
So more information coming in as we go on here and continue to follow that very sad story, again, out of DeKalb County.
HARRIS: All right. Let's get to Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Fred, I know you're following some breaking news. I'm not sure of the details, but I know you are.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. This in Florida, in Cocoa, Florida.
A pretty sizable fire if you take a look at the pictures that we're getting in. A fire at a recycling plant. This taking place just west of US-1 and north of 528 there in the Cocoa, Florida, area.
That are the pictures, live images of the black plumes of smoke, a very active and fairly sizable fire at this recycling plant. We don't know anything about any sorts of injuries that may be reported there, or if anyone was at that recycling plant, but you know how tire burning goes. It just goes and goes and goes, and it's difficult to put out, as you see right there.
But they've got the apparatus in place in which to do so. And of course when we get any more information about any people that might be involved in the fire at this recycling plant there in Cocoa, Florida, we'll bring it to you.
HARRIS: Boy, as you make that point, you're absolutely right about that. You talk about those fire fires, and they just burn and they're toxic and nasty...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: ... and you feel for the firefighters that have to take them on. And this could go on for hours, Fred.
WHITFIELD: It really could...
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ... because there has been that psychology, you know, that you really can't put out a tire fire.
HARRIS: So just let them burn out, yes.
WHITFIELD: You just let it burn. But perhaps they have an updated way of attacking it, because you see the firefighters are on the job there trying to put it out.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: And you can see through those flames there the different sizes of tires. So this is a pretty serious and fairly widespread tire recycling plant where they've got a little bit of everything there. And it's a nasty-looking fire.
HARRIS: It really is.
OK, Fred. Appreciate it. Thanks.
COLLINS: And we were mentioning a little bit earlier today there's an awful lot of talk about how to treat young children who might be coming down with a cold. Well, the FDA is releasing a warning right now about the common cold and the cough medicines you might or might not want to consider using.
Our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, is here now with more on all of this.
Hi there, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi.
Well, there's going to be a lot of unhappy parents right now.
COLLINS: I bet.
COHEN: I just want to tell you that, because parents love these drugs, these decongestants and antihistamines that you give to a kid when they have a cold. Parents often say, oh, it made my kid better. But what the FDA is saying is, uh-uh, do not give these to children under the age of 2. And I'll tell you why. There's been some statistics that have come out -- 1,500 kids in the past two years have gone to the emergency room because of these drugs. That's what a study says that was presented to the FDA. And more than 100 kids have died.
Now, this is for kids under the age of 2, but the FDA is looking at kids between the ages of 2 to 11. There might be something coming from the FDA in the future that says don't give it to them either.
COLLINS: Now, this is possibly because of overdoses?
COHEN: Well, it's...
COLLINS: A combination.
COHEN: Right. Well, that something was going on. That parents maybe gave too much, or maybe they gave a cold medicine, and in addition they gave them some other medicine.
COLLINS: Right. Right.
COHEN: It's unclear in some of these cases.
COLLINS: I mean, when you think about it, you know, we were talking earlier about how it kind of makes the parent feel better when you're able to do something for the child. But there might be some better alternatives out there, what you really could do.
COHEN: There are alternatives. And parents forget because they've gotten so dependent on these drugs. So we can talk about what some of these alternatives are.
First of all, you can put a vaporizer, or some people call it a humidifier, in the room to sort of moisten up the air, and that's going to help your child quite a bit. Also, saline noise drops. Those things are fabulous. They will unclog your child.
And then after that you use -- they look so awful, these rubber nose bulbs. You hate to use it. The kids screams and scream, but you k now what? It gets that junk out of their nose and it's all worth it in the end.
Chicken soup, you mentioned it earlier. We weren't kidding. Liquids, liquids, liquids -- chicken soup especially. There's something in there.
COLLINS: It makes your nose run, doesn't it? Or is that just me?
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: You know, who knows? There haven't been enough studies on chicken soup, but people do know that it works. And of course you should always talk to your doctor when you child is sick.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes, OK. Some great advice. Got to get away from those drugs if at all possible.
COHEN: Right. That's right.
COLLINS: All right. CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
Thank you.
HARRIS: Boy, a real scare today for the passengers and crew of a British Airways jet. The plane landed short of the runway at London's Heathrow airport.
CNN's Richard Quest, he is our global traveler. He is in and out of Heathrow all the time. Still on the phone with us right now.
Richard, what happened here? We're hearing a kind of catastrophic electrical failure. Is that what you're hearing?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, yes. I mean, we are hearing just about every rumor and every piece of gossip, and that is entirely normal when you have these sort of accidents.
There are cases, Tony, where you will have people saying they saw things from the plane and they saw -- they heard loud noises and they heard this and saw that and the other. And they all have to be taken with a pinch of salt. In extremes, people remember differently to that which actually occurred.
The facts that we know, British Airways Flight 38 from Beijing was on its approach into the southern runway at Heathrow airport. And it came down short, a couple of hundred feet from the end of the runway.
The plane then ran along the grass. The main undercarriage broke away and the engines and the wings touched the ground. The engines then, of course, threw up debris. The passengers were evacuated from the aircraft by the emergency chutes -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. And Richard, so, it sounds like, at least in the reporting we've heard so far, no one was injured. So that's really good news, obviously. But I'm wondering -- my goodness, we're talking about Heathrow International Airport. I can only imagine what this all means for air traffic in and out of that airport and the ripple effect.
QUEST: Well, let's take that bit by bit.
The fact that there were only six (INAUDIBLE) and minor injuries, mainly as a result of having gone down the evacuation slides, that is a miracle in itself. I've been to the site of the crash and I've seen what it looks like, and I've seen the plane, and I can understand that had this been marginally different, we would have a much more serious situation on our hands.
On the question of what actually happened and why it came down, the rumors going around, everything from running out of fuel, to electrical power problems. The reality is, we just don't know. The chief executive of B.A., Willie Walsh, came out and said they are assisting in the investigation, which is now under way.
HARRIS: OK. All right.
Richard Quest, again, our global traveler. He travels everywhere in the world, and oftentimes right out of the Heathrow International Airport.
Richard, great to talk to you. Thank you.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Defense Secretary Robert Gates taking fire from key U.S. allies this morning. They are outraged about his apparent criticism of NATO troops serving in Afghanistan. He said many were not qualified to fight insurgents.
Last hour, Gates said those concerns are not behind the Pentagon's decision to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: This deployment of Marines does not reflect dissatisfaction about the military performance in Afghanistan of allied forces from other nations. I mention this because there have been several recent media reports of discontent in the United States and among other NATO members about operations in Afghanistan. This does not reflect reality or, I believe, the views of our governments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Let's go ahead and talk with CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre more about this.
Jamie, maybe we should start by talking about exactly what he said that may have offended some of these NATO allies.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, you know that fire, that tire fire that's burning out of control down in Florida?
COLLINS: Yes.
MCINTYRE: That may still be out of control, but the Pentagon seems to be doing a pretty good job of putting this fire out with NATO allies, making it clear that the statements that were quoted by the "Los Angeles Times" yesterday were not intended to be directed against key NATO allies Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands, which are operating in the southern part of Afghanistan.
Secretary Gates said he was talking about -- when he said that some troops are not properly trained for counterinsurgency and some NATO countries aren't equipped to fight a counterinsurgency, he was talking about the alliance as a whole, not those individual countries. And he said, in fact, those countries are bearing some of the brunt of the fighting.
There were a lot of calls between the U.S. and some NATO allies yesterday. You know, he said, "I'm worried we're doing" -- "... that some of the military advisors are not properly trained. I'm worried that we have some military forces that don't know how to do counterinsurgency operations."
Around the phone calls, some consultations. A lot of people have seemed to calm down. For instance, British conservative lawmaker Patrick Mercer, who yesterday called Gates' comments "bloody outrageous," talked just a short time ago to one of my producers, Laura Yuri (ph), on the phone from London, and he basically accepted Gates' explanation, said it was perfectly reasonable, understood what he was talking about. Said that he was reacting because he, Mercer, had friends who had died in Afghanistan in the last year, so he was a little outraged.
He said he wished that the comments had been a little clearer or that they had been reported better. I think we're seeing basically that they're able to sort of smooth over these differences.
But that said, there are some real deficiencies in NATO. And one of the points that the United States tried to make today -- because, of course, the United States is part of NATO. It's the biggest, most powerful member of NATO...
COLLINS: Sure.
MCINTYRE: ... is that the U.S. itself has some deficiencies in fighting counterinsurgencies. Everybody is learning as they go along.
So I think this is short-lived flap is about to sort of die out. And we'll get back to the regular level of sniping that goes on between NATO allies.
COLLINS: Oh, good. All right.
CNN's Jamie McIntyre with the update on all of the controversy with the defense secretary.
Thanks so much, Jamie.
MCINTYRE: Thanks a lot.
HARRIS: Well, Fred Thompson has made little headway in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Now he is hedging his bets on South Carolina.
CNN Chief National Correspondent John King following the Thompson campaign in Columbia.
John, good to see you.
How are things going for Thompson? I know there was a bit of a dustup this morning you can report. JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, there's a -- Senator Thompson is taking after the man who he thinks is most challenging him here in South Carolina, quite a bit in recent days, and that is the former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee. He was just here at the Sunset restaurant, Senator Thompson was in West Columbia. He's making his way now up to a town called Prosperity, South Carolina.
Look, this is a make-or-break state for Senator Thompson. Remember all the hype when he got into the race over the summer? People said this was the next Ronald Reagan, a man with experience in Washington, but also a man with those television skills from his acting career, another great communicator to come in for a conservative base of the Republican Party that was desperate for a candidate.
Well, he has fizzled and stalled in the polls. He's running about third here in South Carolina right now, although talking to his aides after the event here just moments ago, they say they still think they can win here in South Carolina, or they're now saying, Tony, if he places a strong second, perhaps because the Republican race is so jumbled, he will go on.
But even his own staff is clearly frustrated. But he is from Tennessee. This is South Carolina. He says he's at home here, he speaks the language. And so Saturday night is a key test for Senator Thompson, a candidate who got into the race with such high hopes and has had such struggles.
Leading in the polls here in South Carolina at the moment, John McCain. Governor Huckabee a little bit behind him.
Again, the Thompson campaign hopes to pull off a surprise, Tony. And it's been such a wacky campaign, you know, normally you would say this guy is done if he doesn't win here. But the rules just simply don't apply. This has been such a strange year.
HARRIS: Yes. Hey, John, I'm curious -- we remember all kinds of claims of push polling in South Carolina from elections past. I'm wondering if you're hearing anything about that kind of activity going on in South Carolina this time around.
KING: It is much tamer than it was back in 2000...
HARRIS: Yes.
KING: ... when you had the Bush/McCain Republican primary here back in 2000. But, yes, we are hearing complaints from several of the campaigns.
At just about every stop now, either Senator McCain or his supporters say there are people getting calls here in South Carolina that say Senator McCain supports abortion rights.
HARRIS: Yes.
KING: And he says he has a 24-year record in the United States Senate opposing abortion.
Senator Thompson just said at this event here -- complained that similar calls are being made about his record on abortion. This is a very conservative state, of course. The anti-abortion forces, social conservatives, a very strong piece of the electorate.
Senator Thompson cracked a joke. He said, well, I don't want to name any names about who is responsible because Governor Huckabee says he doesn't know anything about it. So Senator Thompson clearly pointing the finger at Governor Huckabee.
One of the groups making these calls, we do know, is a group that supports Governor Huckabee but says it has no direct affiliation with his campaign. Governor Huckabee says he's not responsible for it, that independent organization is. But it is a source of contention.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
KING: In the 48 hours, Tony, phone calls, faxes, e-mails, that's what happens.
HARRIS: CNN Chief National Correspondent John King for us in Columbia, South Carolina.
John, great to see you. Thanks.
COLLINS: Democrats face their South Carolina test a week from Saturday, and they're banking on star-studded help.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is our star. She's in Charleston this morning.
Hey there, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Heidi.
COLLINS: One of those big-name supporters actually making news this morning and now offering an apology, too. What's the deal here?
MALVEAUX: Well, you're absolutely right. You may recall that just last week it was the founder, former CEO of BET, Bob Johnson. It really raised some eyebrows, as well as some criticism when he made comments.
He is a big Clinton supporter. He alluded to Barack Obama's acknowledged drug use back when he was a teenager. This is something the Clinton campaign said was often limits here. Well, last week he was denying those comments.
This morning he is apologizing to Barack Obama for them, giving him this letter saying, "I'm writing to apologize to you and your family personally for the uncalled for comments I made at a recent Clinton event. In my zeal to support Senator Clinton, I made some very inappropriate remarks for which I'm truly sorry. I hope that you will accept this apology. Good luck on the campaign trail. Warm regards, Bob Johnson."
Now, the reason why this is important, Heidi, because it really underscores -- it goes to shows the lengths to which the Clinton campaign, as well as the Obama campaign, are going after important groups in South Carolina -- African-American voters, young voters, and their need to use black leaders, as well as celebrities, to do just that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice over): Queue the campaign theme songs, because look out, South Carolina. In days, Hollywood's biggest stars will be descending on you.
HILL HARPER, ACTOR, OBAMA SUPPORTER: We're going to go to churches, we're going to go to beauty shops, barber shops. And that's going to be great. Bu it's not just me. There are many people from Los Angeles.
MALVEAUX: Actor on "CSI New York" and best-selling author and youth activist Hill Harper will be just one of many campaigning in South Carolina, going after that hot commodity, young folks who could tip the balance of power and determine who gets the Democratic nod.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Thank you, South Carolina.
MALVEAUX: There's fierce competition for their attention. On Barack Obama's side, Oprah Winfrey, Scarlett Johansson, Will Smith, Halle Berry, and Harper, who was one of Obama's secret weapons in Iowa, where he was a big hit recruiting college students.
HARPER: So we want to find out if they're registered, are they going to vote, who are they going to vote for, what are the issues they care about? And educate them about the senator if they're not already committed to voting for him.
Fifteen million people watching a week. It creates a platform. We know that young people in particular pay attention to celebrities.
MALVEAUX: Actors Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins have been frequent traveling companions for the trailing John Edwards. Hillary Clinton's big-name backers tend to be older, reflecting the Democratic establishment with deep pockets, and President Bill Clinton's close ties to Hollywood, like Barbara Streisand, Ted Danson, Quincy Jones and Magic Johnson.
While Hollywood stars can raise lots of money, the question is who will be more successful in the fight over fresh voters. Clinton supporter Anthony Singleton is not that much impressed with the star power.
ANTHONY SINGLETON, CLINTON SUPPORTER: I think, for me, it's gimmick.
SAMUEL ROBINSON, OBAMA SUPPORTER: It's a hodgepodge. It's a hodgepodge. MALVEAUX: Obama supporters, Samuel Robinson also downplayed the celebrity influence.
ROBINSON: I am a free thinker. I think for myself.
MALVEAUX: Predictably older voters are more dismissive. Sheryl Mack is a grandmother and Clinton supporter.
SHERYL MACK, CLINTON SUPPORTER: I think the bottom line is that people will make decisions based upon what they think Hillary brings to the table.
MALVEAUX: But getting young voters to the table in South Carolina is key. Many who are still on the fence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess Hillary or Obama mostly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is important, the election. But I haven't been following it that closely.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And, Heidi, we talked to a lot of young voters. What are they asking about, talking about. Well, they want to know how do we afford college tuition, how do get our next job? Those are issues they're concerned about. What makes South Carolina unique is that nearly 50 percent of the Democratic voters are African-American. So winning over that group, that young group, is really going to be critical to the winning candidate -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, interesting, too, that you mention that they're interested in learning how to get into college and not Hollywood, huh? Fascinating.
All right, CNN's Susan Malveaux from Charleston, South Carolina. Thank you, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thanks.
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins and Tony Harris.
COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. Seems like Friday, but it's not.
HARRIS: It's not.
COLLINS: It's 11:30 Eastern Time now. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM.
Pumping up the economy by putting more money in your pocket. It is an idea gaining support at the White House and on Capitol Hill this morning. Just a short time ago Fed chairman Ben Bernanke told a House committee that an economic stimulus package could work if lawmakers act quickly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN BERNANKE, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: To be useful, a fiscal- stimulus package should be implemented quickly and structured so that its affects on aggregate spending are felt as much as possible within the next 12 months or so. Stimulus that comes too late will not help support economic activity in the near term, and it could be actively destabilizing fit comes at a time when growth is already improving.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Bernanke did not endorse any specific plans for boosting the economy.
COLLINS: An Iraqi boy born in the so-called Triangle of Death. His greatest hope, now in a Pennsylvania hospital. One soldier's mission to bring him to America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. Listen up, men. Are you at risk for prostate cancer? There may be a new way to tell.
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta with us now. Wow, what are you doing here? Like you don't have enough to do. Hey, Sanjay, this is great. Great to have you here.
First of all, talk to us about this new test. Is this a better predictor than the PSA test, which I guess is pretty standard right now, isn't it?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is, and a very different test. This is what's so interesting. PSA tests typically will tell you that something has already happened with your prostate.
HARRIS: Yes.
GUPTA: It could be benign. It could malignant. You're not always sure until you do a biopsy.
HARRIS: Right.
GUPTA: What this is talking way before any of that. We're talking about a genetic test simply to tell you whether or not you might be at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
HARRIS: Well, this sounds great.
GUPTA: Yes. So if you have five genetic markers, which they measure, and you have a family history, in a nutshell, it means you're nine times more likely to develop prostate canner than if you didn't have those things.
Now, keep in mind, you don't have to be a certain age. You can have this done as a young child, and it can tell you that at some point in your life, you're going to have a higher probability of developing prostate cancer than if you didn't have these genes.
HARRIS: OK, so I've got a couple of questions. First one first -- so when might we see this new test/ When might it be available in doctors' offices around the country?
GUPTA: You know, it's interesting. Usually when you ask me that question, I say, well, it's years down the line. But in this case, I could actually say it's probably just a couple of months before we see this sort of thing. We're talking about a saliva test here, just you actually just provide some saliva. The way that it might work is they can actually even do this at home, ultimately.
There's a Web site out there. You can see the Web site on your TVs right now, Proactive Genomics. You can even sign up, get an e- mail if you're interested in this. They'll actually e-mail you when the test becomes available. This was developed by a bunch of scientists at Wake Forest and a few universities around the country. It seems like the real deal. Obviously we won't know until lots of people start using it. But it can give you a good indicator.
HARRIS: So here's the next question, so you take the test and you find out that you are at a heightened risk, what do you do now to avoid prostate cancer?
GUPTA: Great question, and I think it's a question people always have to ask before developing the test. Because if there's nothing you can do about it, the test is really sort of meaningless. In this case there are some things that you can do about it. Some of it's going to seem sort of commonsensical, yearly checkups. But yearly checkup, you may be more diligent about it, Tony, if you know that you're at a higher risk, actually getting those checkups, actually getting your PSA checked. But all the basics still apply here because we know people who don't smoke, who watch their diet, who lose weight and exercise can reduce their chance of developing prostate cancer.
HARRIS: You reduce your risk for so many things if you just, really if you went down that list and applied those to your life, you would reduce the risk for so many of the things that we talk about here.
GUPTA: As much as we talk about technology and medical advancement advancements, the basics still apply. If people just did those things, we may not need as much technology. I'm not pointing any fingers at anyone.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, exactly. Great to see you. Thanks, Sanjay.
Yes, the both of us. But I see you in the gym all the time.
And a reminder, you can catch more of Sanjay on his show, "HOUSE CALL." How about this weekend? "House Call" airs Saturday and Sunday mornings 8:30 Eastern right here on CNN.
COLLINS: He was born in war and now faces a medical battle in the United States. A Pennsylvania soldier brought home this 4-year- old Iraqi boy for surgery on a dramatic intestinal birth defect. The youngster has to wear a colostomy bag and the defect has stunted his growth. Allentown area groups raised money for the operation. It's to take place in a couple of months, and then the boy will return to the Iraq with the aunt who accompanied him here.
HARRIS: Another arrest in the killing of two Atlanta-area police officers. More on this story and the latest developments coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right, to business news now. There are more red arrows on Wall Street after Fed chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony before Congress. So, what happened? What did the markets hear? Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details.
Susan, good morning. What happened?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's talking the talk and then there's walking the walk. Meanwhile, you know, the hits just keep coming here on Wall Street in terms of negative economic data. But Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, speaking live right now, is not endorsing a specific stimulus package, but he acknowledges that something must be done.
The Fed chairman did warn that any package must be both fast acting and temporary. The reason, he wants immediate help that won't add to the national debt. Democrats and Republicans alike have been talking but no specific plans are on the table. Lobbyists are reportedly in over drive trying to get their projects included in the package.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of reasons for concern about the overall economy today, including fresh signs that the U.S. may already be in a recession. A report shows factory activity in the mid- Atlantic region contracting more than expected this month. Well, the market is reacting predictably. The Dow Industrials recording what could be its sixth triple-digit decline in 12 trading days of the new year. The NASDAQ Composite, meanwhile, down 16 points, about two thirds of a percent. Right now we are at session lows, Tony.
HARRIS: Oh, boy. And Susan, you know there's another concern out there for you and me, isn't there?
LISOVICZ: There's so many reasons right now. But it's good to have a job for starters. This little story probably won't affect the overall economy. But it's a hit to the wallet, nonetheless. And it's a pet peeve for a lot of people. Chase bank is increasing its non- customer ATM fees. Right?
HARRIS: Fees, fees. LISOVICZ: It's a pet peeve. Several news outlets in the Chicago area report that ATM fees there are up to $3. It used to be $2 or less, depending on location. Chase is one of the largest ATM networks in the country. Now it also has one of the most expensive, Tony.
HARRIS: Oh, my goodness. These fees. They're killing us. And half the time we don't even know of all the fees.
LISOVICZ: Yes, it comes back later.
HARRIS: I'm so done.
LISOVICZ: Well, there are ways you just avoid it. Go to your, own as I do. I'll go out of my way to go to my own bank ATM machine.
HARRIS: Boy. All right. Susan, great seeing you.
LISOVICZ: Good to see you.
HARRIS: Thank you, even with the shaky news, great to see you.
COLLINS: Boy versus burglar, boy beats him with a bat. What the burglar did, next.
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COLLINS: Quickly want to take you straight over to Fredricka Whitfield now in our newsroom.
Because, apparently, Fred, there's some information on an NHL player who is going to go to prison.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, a very tough sentence for a bad accident, Heidi.
A former NHL player, Rob Ramage, just learned that he's going to get four years in prison for a car accident which claimed the life of another NHL player. You're looking at the pictures right now of Rob Ramage going to court to hear his fate. Keith Magnuson was the other passenger in his vehicle who ended up dying in 2003 when the rental car that was being driven by Ramage slammed head on into another vehicle just north of Toronto.
Prosecutors had argued that Ramage had up to four times the legal blood alcohol limit at the time of the crash. And so the jury also found him guilty and, consequently now, we're learning of his sentence of four years in prison of the death of the other -- of Magnuson. And we understand that, you know, Ramage certainly had a pretty impressive record with the NHL after spending 15 years in the NHL with eight teams winning Stanley Cup finals with the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadians. It's a tragic incident from start to finish, Heidi.
COLLINS: Absolutely, no question about that, Fred. All right. Thanks for the update -- Fredricka Whitfield. HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up in 12 minutes, or so, at the top of the hour, right here on CNN. Jim Clancy standing by with a preview.
Jim, good morning.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Tony and to Heidi there.
We're going to continue to follow the markets, but we're also taking a close look at Kenya and what's going on there. The most stable democracy in east Africa under threat. More violence, more tear gas, more protests and a call from Washington and the president and the opposition to spend a lot more time negotiating instead of bickering and get out of this crisis.
Plus, the U.S. election front. It's getting a bit nasty out there. We're not talking about the weather, either. We're going to get the latest from the front in South Carolina.
Plus, Prince William takes off. He's enthusiastic at having reached a milestone in his military career. He shares some of his thoughts on the moment with us.
Join us in just a few minutes, top of the hour, "YOUR WORLD TODAY." For now, Tony, Heidi, back to you.
HARRIS: Jim, appreciate it. Thank you.
COLLINS: Thanks, Jim,
HARRIS: A deception that cost America lives in Vietnam now coming to light.
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COLLINS: Disturbing revelations at the Vietnam War and friendly fire. Some of it was actually orchestrated by the enemy.
Here now, CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chilling new information that one of America's most notorious enemies tricked U.S. forces into firing on their own troops. It comes from a newly declassified report from the National Security Agency. Mid 1960s, north Vietnamese intelligence units infiltrate American radio communications dozens of times. On eight occasions, the report says, "the Communists were able by communicating on Allied radio nets, to call in Allied artillery or air strikes on American units."
STEVEN AFTERGOOD, FED. OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS: I can't think of a single documented case where an opposing force was able to use Allied communications against U.S. forces. I just -- I'm not sure it's ever happened before, and it shows tremendous sophistication on the part of the north Vietnamese.
TODD: Experts are not sure if the north Vietnamese spoke English when they called in the air strikes, or spoke Vietnamese to south Vietnamese forces, who were American allies. It's also not known how many Americans were killed or wounded in those air strikes. But it's believed friendly fire accounted for roughly 15 percent of all U.S. deaths in Vietnam.
The report was made public by a branch of the Federation of American Scientists that works to get government documents declassified. This report also backstops an extraordinary finding by the NSA two years ago, about the key second north Vietnamese strike on U.S. warships in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964, which brought the U.S. into the Vietnam War.
AFTERGOOD: There was no second attack. And so in a sense, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was built on an error -- a misunderstanding with tremendous consequences, as we all know.
TODD (on-camera): How did that mistake happen in the Gulf of Tonkin? The report says basic miscommunication. That U.S. signals intelligence picked up something from the north Vietnamese indicating something had happened, but ambiguous language on the part of translators led to a critical misinterpretation.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington,
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: To catch a thief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the only thing I had to use, so I decided to hit him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Have some. The heist that ended in a headache.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Home alone and a burglar's target. No movie, but real life danger for an Arizona teen. Peter Bush, of affiliate KPHO, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER BUSH, KPHO REPORTER: The bad guys on the other side of the door. You've run out of time. What do you do?
9-1-1 OPERATOR: Are you still locked in your room?
MICHAEL SIX, ATTACKED BURGLAR: He's breaking in.
OPERATOR: In your room? M. SIX: Yes.
OPERATOR: You need to get out the window.
M. SIX: I can't.
BUSH: At first, 14-year-old Michael Six did what most of us would do, he hid in his closet. But with the burglar now in his own bedroom, just a few feet away, he did what most of us would only dream of. He took a Louisville Slugger and let the burglar have it.
M. SIX: This is the only thing I had to use so I decided to hit him.
BUSH: You can hear the ensuing tussle, loud and clear on the 9- 1-1 tape. But then the call goes silent.
OPERATOR: Michael?
BUSH: Michael's parents hadn't heard the harrowing tape until we played it for them tonight.
RANDY SIX, FATHER: I don't know how I would have reacted if I would have been in the same situation and standing in my bedroom.
M. SIX: He turned it around and he had like a screw driver, or like a knife or something, and he said he was going to kill me.
BUSH: In retrospect, Mike was lucky to be telling this story. The burglar was twice his size. And when police nabbed him running from the house, they found out he had a big rap sheet to match.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow. OK, that suspect has been linked to other burglaries in the area.
COLLINS: Him and Carrie Underwood. Louisville Slugger, and both headlights.
HARRIS: Have some.
COLLINS: CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now.
HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home.
I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Have a great Thursday, everybody.
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