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American Morning
Actor Heath Ledger Dead at 28; Highlights of Ledger's Career: Promise Unfulfilled; Market Turmoil: Stocks React to Fed Cut; Border Breach: Palestinians Pour Into Egypt; Video Games on the Web: Poking Fun at Politics
Aired January 23, 2008 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): "Financial Security Watch" -- rocky ride on Wall Street. Today, signs of a slight rebound. We're on the road, cross-country, finding out how the economic downturn is impacting you.
Slinging more mud.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He clearly came last night looking for a fight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Clinton versus Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand that's the political tactics that we've become accustomed to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Are the issues being shoved to the sidelines? On this AMERICAN MORNING.
And good morning to you. Thanks very much for being with us on this Wednesday, January 23rd. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. We begin this morning with some sad news and the search for answers in the death of actor Heath Ledger. An autopsy is going to be conducted today to find out what caused his death. He was just 28 years old.
New York City police say they're looking at the possibility of a drug overdose. Ledger was found yesterday in his New York City apartment. Ledger, just 28, had finished shooting a new "Batman" sequel called "The Dark Knight" where he played the Joker. He also earned an Oscar nomination for his role in "Brokeback Mountain." Throughout the night, Ledger's fans came to his New York City apartment to pay their respects, and that's where our Jason Carroll is live for us this morning. I know many of those fans expressing shock to hear the news of Heath's passing. JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kiran. It really was a very sad ending to a promising career. And outside Ledger's apartment, you can see some of the flowers and cards that already started to arrive. What will also arise will be questions about how and why the actor died.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): A tragic end of a promising acting career captured by a crowd of paparazzi. Outside a New York City apartment building, Heath Ledger's fans gathered outside as well, some still in shock over the loss.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a mess. I've been crying all day. I just -- I can't believe something would happen to someone so talented and --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a great actor. I mean, he had the potential to be a fantastic actor. So to do so many things, it's just sad to see how it ended, you know?
CARROLL: It's not clear yet just what caused Ledger's death. Fire department spokespersons says Ledger died of a possible drug overdose, but police would not speculate on the cause, only to say there was no indication of suicide. 28-year-old actor's body was found by a housekeeper and a massage therapist around 2:45 yesterday afternoon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was found facedown on the floor at the foot of the bed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Face down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he was naked, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had no clothes. Correct.
CARROLL: The housekeeper and therapist tried to revive Ledger but could not. Paramedics arrived at the fourth floor Soho Apartment around 3:30 and pronounced him dead. Police say they found several bottles of prescription medicine in the apartment, including sleeping pills found near the actor's bed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, maybe not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Ledger is perhaps best known for his Oscar-nominated role in "Brokeback Mountain." And while his career was a success, privately the actor struggled. Recently, Ledger had broken up with actress Michelle Williams whom he met while filming "Brokeback." The two have a baby girl. In the actor's hometown of Perth, Australia, the star's family tried to make sense of the loss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM LEDGER, HEATH LEDGER'S FATHER: He was a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving, unselfish individual who was extremely inspirational to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: And an autopsy is scheduled for later today. Toxicology tests will be performed as well. And ultimately, it will be up to the medical examiner, Kiran, to determine an exact cause of death.
CHETRY: All right. Jason Carroll for us outside of Ledger's apartment this morning in Manhattan. Thank you.
ROBERTS: Heath Ledger's promising career ended too soon, playing the Joker in "The Dark Knight," a new film coming out later on this year. It seemed to be another big break and what was already a successful career. Joining us for more on this is AMERICAN MORNING entertainment correspondent Lola Ogunnaike. Of course, he came to global attention in "Brokeback Mountain" playing that role. What was it that was special about that role that really broke him out as an artist?
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a really quiet role, but he played it with such tenderness and such passion and such a palpable intensity that you couldn't turn away from him. Jake Gyllenhaal actually had more lines and he played the character of Ennis. But again, he really was just such a powerful and commanding presence on the screen that that was really the role that set him apart and really established him as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
ROBERTS: He was actually kind of a quiet fellow. I shared a row with him on a flight out to Chicago last summer. We chatted a little bit. He's, you know, very quiet sort of guy. But he liked to choose challenging roles. In fact, talking about the new Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There," Ledger talked to CNN about why he chooses those roles. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATH LEDGER, ACTOR: If it's something I've done before, it's just not worth the time and the effort because it's all so tedious and takes you away from living. I try to look for something that teaches me something and requires me to do more to give something that I haven't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So how was he perceived by his peers in Hollywood?
OGUNNAIKE: He was very well regarded. When he first arrived in Hollywood, he did the standard sort of heartthrob roles but quickly decided that that wasn't for him. He could have easily been cast as the leading man, the guy who saved the planet, you know, from aliens. But he decided to stay away from those roles and to really go after meaty roles that would establish him as an actor's actor, John.
ROBERTS: Yes. It says -- Kiran and Jason were saying that there were some pills, sleeping pills found in the apartment. "Washington Post" has got a report this morning that like many Americans he suffered from -- I don't want to say insomnia, but certainly difficulty sleeping.
OGUNNAIKE: Well, he spoke with Sara (ph) Lyle of "The New York Times" actually, in November about his difficulty sleeping while shooting "Batman." He said that some nights he was only averaging about two hours of sleep. He really threw himself into his work, really threw himself into his roles and oftentimes that made for long, long nights and times where he would just lie awake, unable to shut his mind off and shut his eyes and get some sleep.
ROBERTS: What a shame. Such a promising actor. Such a nice fellow as well.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes. And he was so well regarded and so well respected. And he really was on course to be one of the great actors, especially one of the great actors from Australia, right up there with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.
ROBERTS: Yes, right.
OGUNNAIKE: It's a huge loss.
ROBERTS: What a shame. Lola, thanks very much.
OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.
ROBERTS: Kiran?
CHETRY: We're also on "Financial Security Watch" this morning. Stocks overseas appear to be doing well after yesterday's emergency interest rate cut here in the U.S. Some investors used that opportunity to look for bargain stocks, but experts say to expect more wavering before some may see the surprise rate cut as an admission of a problem.
Major markets around the world are rebounding. Japan's Nikkei closing two percent higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained more than 10 percent, recovering from Tuesday's record losses. And London's FTSE gaining three percent Tuesday. Right now, it's trading slightly down.
AMERICAN MORNING is on top of everything that matters to your money. Senior business correspondent Ali Velshi watching things from the road who's actually aboard the CNN Election Express talking to everyday people and communities around the country about how the economy is affecting them personally.
Also, we have Stephanie Elam at the New York Stock Exchange this morning. We begin with Ali as he is in Georgia and rolling toward the Alabama line. What's the thing you're hearing most out there from people as they address their concerns about the economy, Ali? ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kiran, you know, despite that emergency rate cut yesterday, we get a chance as we roll across the country to stop and talk to people in South Carolina and in Georgia last night. You know, a few things are coming up. Health care seems to be a prevalent theme around here. One of the things that they debated on Monday night in South Carolina was the issue of health care came up and we heard a lot of people talking about concerns about health care. They would like better health care. Jobs are an issue.
South Carolina, where we were, has the third highest unemployment rate in the country. So people are concerned about jobs. We had some people talking to us about minimum wage being a concern. One gentleman last night in Atlanta told us that housing is a problem. He really like the government to invest in getting rid of slums and low- income housing around the country and building, rebuilding housing of a better quality. Poor people who don't have housing, he says, the fact that the conditions under which some people live in the United States is really a problem.
We spoke to a small business owner who said that he sees people, his staff who work 40 hours a week and they still can't make ends meet because costs are higher for commodities, for wheat, for groceries that they buy, for gasoline to heat their home, things like that. So there are real economic concerns. And it was an interesting day, Kiran, because we set out from Myrtle Beach headed to California.
We're going to take six days to get there through nine states. And yesterday was such a big day on the market. Stephanie is going to talk to you a little bit more about this. On the ground here, those macroglobal issues are not playing out. People are worried about their jobs, about interest rates, about home prices, and about gasoline. You did mention the Fed cut. Let's just take a look at what happened. The Fed dropped rates by 0.75 percent to 3.5 percent.
Take a look at how Fed rates have looked over the last few years -- 3.5 percent. We're getting down to those low points -- (AUDIO GLITCH)
CHETRY: All right. Well, you know --
VELSHI: ... just a few years ago. The major banks dropped those prime rates yesterday. Sorry, Kiran.
CHETRY: No, it's OK. You're coming to us via broadband, and as we said you're on the road, and so sometimes you drop out and you drop back in. But we got you for the end of it. We'll be checking in with you throughout the morning. Let us know your progress, and we'll keep checking in with you, Ali. Thanks.
ROBERTS: It's amazing that you can be traveling down the road like that and hear Ali, for the most part, pretty good as well.
Hey, on to politics now. Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson calls it quits. Thompson announcing on Tuesday that he is ending his White House bid. Thompson's decision comes after his disappointing third place showing in last weekend's South Carolina primary. The state was seen as make or break for the Thompson campaign. No word on whether he's going to endorse any of the remaining candidates. But he is certainly is friends with John McCain.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still sparring after their confrontation in Monday's South Carolina debate. Clinton says Obama is frustrated after losing in New Hampshire and Nevada and came into the debate just spoiling for a fight. And at a rally for his wife in South Carolina last night, Bill Clinton said he enjoyed the campaign crossfire but that it shouldn't trump the issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have to say, all of the publicity was about the spat that Hillary had with Senator Obama and that's part of politics and it happens. But the thing I liked about it best was the second part where they sat down, the two of them, and they all said the same thing. They said, isn't it interesting that we're here discussing things that aren't even being talked about in the other party's primary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Obama for his part says both Clintons continue to distort his record and suggest that the attacks reveal it. His chief rival is on the defensive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The other side must be rattled that they're continually saying false things about us, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: One of Obama's supporters, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle says some of Bill Clinton's criticisms of Obama are, quote, "not presidential," and he worries that the backbiting could destroy the party.
And remember, our political coverage continues tonight in primetime. Join Soledad O'Brien and me tonight for CNN's Election Center. It all starts at 8:00 Eastern -- Kiran.
CHETRY: And our Alina Cho is here with some other stories developing this morning. She joins us now. Hi, Alina. Good to see you.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good to see you. Welcome back, John. You're going to have a long night. Good morning, everybody.
Here's what's happening. He's the most wanted man in the world. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf says capturing Osama bin Laden is not his first priority. During a swing through Europe yesterday, Musharraf said it's more important for his troops to root out Taliban leaders than to search for Al-Qaeda leaders, including bin Laden. Pakistan has about 100,000 troops along the border with Afghanistan. That's the area where bin Laden is thought to be hiding.
New York City has a controversial new tactic in the battle against obesity. Kiran, listen to this. One, the city's Board of Health has voted to require chain restaurants -- and those are with 15 or more outlets -- to list --
You're pregnant now. You know, you get a --
We're both a little -- or at least I'm calorie obsessed. Anyway, the requirement is to list calorie counts next to each item on their menus. The city says it will help New Yorkers make informed, healthier choices even when you're pregnant. The critics call it a prime example of, quote, "nanny state public health policy." The new regulation, by the way, takes effect on March 31st.
Obesity surgery may be the answer in the fight against type II diabetes. A dramatic new study says 73 percent of obese patient who had stomach surgery were cured of diabetes. Diet and exercise only achieved a 13 percent success rate. Nineteen million Americans have type II diabetes. Fifty-four million more are at risk for it.
And as the great debate continues over whether New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is or isn't injured. New published reports say well, he is. "The Boston Globe" is among those reporting Brady is suffering from a high ankle sprain. Now, that would explain the walking cast he was seen wearing on his right foot earlier this week in Manhattan.
But Brady was later seen apparently without the cast having dinner here in New York City with his supermodel girlfriend, Giselle Bundgen. Now, that prompted speculation he was faking the injury. Brady has said the injury is minor and that he will be ready for the Super Bowl in less than two weeks. The big game, by the way, against the New York Giants is February 3rd in Arizona. Mind games, I say. Mind games.
CHETRY: Yes, I know. It must be. Or either that or he got sick of everyone chasing him around, so he just took it off.
CHO: That's right.
CHETRY: Amazing study about diabetes.
CHO: That's right.
CHETRY: And for the millions of people.
CHO: Yes, it is. It's something to consider, you know, especially so many people are using the traditional sort of treatment, diet and exercise and so forth. My mom is among those who has type II diabetes. So, yes, encouraging news certainly.
CHETRY: We're going to hear from Sanjay about it coming up in a little while. Thank, Alina.
CHO: You bet.
CHETRY: A tense situation finally boils over in Gaza where thousands of Palestinians tear apart walls and barbed wire pouring into Egypt, looking for food supplies. We're live from the scene with the latest on the Israeli blockade and what some are calling a humanitarian emergency.
Also, more arctic air headed to the northeast. Watch out, California, where storms are bearing down. AMERICAN MORNING's Rob Marciano tracking all of your extreme weather. He's going to be joining us live after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Some of the incredible shots today -- burning tires and blocking traffic. Hundreds of students burning the capital city of Katmandu, Nepal to a near a stand still, protesting rising fuel cost. The state-owned monopoly raised fuel prices of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas by some 20 percent to cut losses, the second rise in three months. The students said poor people are suffering because of this hike.
Well, they were born joined at the chest and abdomen. But if you look at them now, you could never tell. These are the 2-year-old twins getting ready to leave Stanford University Hospital and head back home to Costa Rica after successful surgery to separate them in November. They have to have some followup operations, but doctors say they are healthy and they are safe.
And, save a horse, ride a mountain. Nearly 70 pro rodeo riders took part in the 34th annual Cowboy Downhill Skiing Event. It was Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There you see them out there, including cowboys and cowgirls, and had a fun time racing down the mountain.
You know, Rob Marciano could easily be one of those skiers. Because I know you were in Steamboat Springs, and I know you're a heck of a skier.
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: Oh, I appreciate that, but I'm a lousy cowboy. So there you go then. It's a big event out there as you mentioned, Kiran. The annual Cowboy Downhill is certainly fun to watch. And they have plenty of snow not only in Colorado but in other spots, and we get to that.
Meanwhile, reinforcing shot of cold air coming down the pike for the Great Lakes and through the northeast. So if you thought you're going to warm up, you know, into above average temperatures across the east coast, think not, because the reinforcing shot of arctic air will be driving down to the south. We're already starting to see some of that action across parts of the Great Lakes.
Minus three in Green Bay. Minus four. These are actual temperatures. These aren't wind chills. So we got a cold front right above there that's pushing east, and that's where the cold air is going to be. Some lake-effect snow, the usual spots. We were just north of Syracuse yesterday, so those lake-effect snow bands will begin to fire up.
All right. Let's move the map over to the west. This is a big story out west. Low pressure right about here in through California. You've got your rain and snow across the Sierra Nevadas. But we head the map a little farther to the south across southern California, Malibu and through Santa Barbara, we got some heavy rain moving in here. So flash flooding is going to be an issue. But, also, notice a little bit of white there, how about that?
Look at this? Twelve to 24 inches of snow expected across the higher elevations of the Santa Barbara mountains, just to the north of Los Angeles. Above about 3,000 feet will see that much snow. Locally, Kiran, we could see three feet of snow just a stone's throw away from Hollywood Boulevard. So interesting weather happening across the country for sure. And, you know, folks in southern California, a little snow. Clean up the -- make it look a little nicer. Why not?
CHETRY: I just can't believe that they're getting snow, and we haven't gotten any snow in New York City.
MARCIANO: Oh, God, you just won't stop with that. Maybe, if you just chilled out and, you know, maybe asked nicely...
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: It's just that --
MARCIANO: Mother nature will provide you with --
CHETRY: Who am I supposed to ask?
MARCIANO: Yes. Don't ask me.
CHETRY: You're not providing any.
MARCIANO: No. Right. Don't ask me. I'll see what I can do, though.
CHETRY: A crazy winter for sure. All right. Rob, thanks.
MARCIANO: Forget it.
ROBERTS: A desperate situation reaches the boiling part in Gaza with Palestinians now pouring across the border into Egypt, looking for food and supplies. Thousands of people tore down barbed wire and blew holes in walls separating Gaza from Egypt. Gaza has been cut off from necessity since Israel imposed a blockade last week against Hamas.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Rafah along the Gaza, an Egyptian border. He joins us now with the latest details of these thousands of Palestinians now in limbo along that border. And Ben, they're taking matters in their own hands. They're not getting the supplies they need, so they're trying to get them elsewhere.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, right. Actually, John, there have been tens of thousands of people. I suspect, a good portion of the population of Gaza has basically gone into Egypt since the early hours of the morning. What happened was that militants using high explosives and acetylene torches cut this wall behind me, this steel wall behind me at around 1:00 in the morning. Residents told me they heard massive explosions, and the wall came tumbling down. And since then, really, as word has got around, Gaza basically that there are no border controls.
Tens of thousands of people have crossed over. They're going over to buy just about everything you can imagine. We've seen people coming back with dishwashing liquid, furniture, cigarettes, coca-cola, everything you can imagine because, of course, obviously the situation in Gaza for the last week in particular, since Israel tightened its blockade at the Gaza Strip, has gotten very difficult. And this certainly is going to allow some people to get a bit of relief with the situation. Now, the Egyptian border guards are simply watching this on. Nobody is trying to control the flow of people in and out of Gaza, John.
ROBERTS: Israel expressing some concern as well, Ben. It's in addition to coca-cola and cigarettes and radical fighters and weapons may be coming across the border there as well. Ben Wedeman for us in Rafah this morning. We'll get back to Ben a little bit later on and check on developments there -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, still ahead, politics is not just a spectator sport anymore. Thanks to the Internet. A lot of Web sites are now popping up with video games involving the candidates. Our Veronica De La Cruz will be along to show us.
And we're tracking the markets before Wall Street opens this morning. We're going to see how the experts are dealing with the market's dramatic swings. Alina Cho spent a day with a broker, on the phone ringing off the hook. What advice on your investment should you be listening to this morning. We're going to have that story when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, welcome back. Your "Financial Security Watch" continues now. We have an update on President Bush's economic stimulus package. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson starts negotiations on the plan today. It's another sign of cooperation. Paulson says he's now willing to include breaks even for those who pay little or no income taxes. But what could it mean for you?
Rebates of up to $800 or $1,600 for married couples. And it brings us to this morning's "Quick Vote" question. Should the government do more to avert a recession? Yes or no? Cast your vote, CNN.com/am, and we're going to have a tally of the votes coming up later in the hour.
ROBERTS: Looking forward to that. Twenty-six minutes after the hour now. The presidential candidates all seem to be on the offensive as of late, but there is no need to feel left out because our Veronica De La Cruz is here with a look at how you can throw some political punches of your own. Good morning.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you. It's nice to see you. You know, you too, I can get in all of the action taking shots at the presidential contenders through these various games found online. There are lots of Web sites popping with video, video games involving all the candidates.
Now, some of them discuss serious issues. Others are just fun distractions. This one you're looking right here. It's called Presidential Paint Ball. It can be found on the smokinggun.com. You pick from six candidates then you get to run around what appears to be the White House, taking aim at the competition, trying to eliminate them. You then advance to the next shootout.
And some people find the game offensive. It's been somewhat controversial, but it is paint ball. And paint balls never really hurt anyone, right?
ROBERTS: That's a rendition of the cross hall in the White House where you usually see the president standing there with other leaders of state in press conferences.
(CROSSTALK)
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly. And, yes, these presidential candidates shooting at each other. So, some people are offended by the game. But it's just paint ball. That's it. Just paint ball. So that's one of them.
The other Web site I wanted to show you. Leftvsright.com lets you find out about all the candidates with a dash of humor sprinkled in. You can plug in various issues and virtual pundits highlight the different stances taken by Republicans and Democrats. And, of course, those responses dripping with sarcasm.
And now, if all of the politics are wearing you out you need a distraction, you can always go to the site, Jibjab.com. One of our favorites. Get a laugh there. You can check out videos like "Night of the Living Democrats," "Night of the living Republicans," depending on which party you would rather make fun of.
That's at jibjab.com. But it is also online on our own Web site at CNNpolitics.com. And John, I know that you remember that one very well. I think that you actually made a guest appearance in one of them.
ROBERTS: Yes, because you can change the faces of the jibjab, "Night of the Living Democrats" or is it "Night of the Living Republicans" as well?
DE LA CRUZ: I don't know. You tell me.
ROBERTS: What is it? DE LA CRUZ: Which one was it? Kiran --
ROBERTS: Well, I think it was Democrats.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. Either or. You can pick for either or, from those sites, though.
ROBERTS: All right. The night of the living independents would describe me.
DE LA CRUZ: There you go. Night of the living independents.
CHETRY: All right. Thanks, Veronica.
Well, it's time for our "Hot Shots." This was sent in by a viewer. Meet Mr. Pinky. He is the doggy back scratcher. Let's check it out.
There he is. Every morning, he gets a treat after he scratches his owner's back. How about it? Lisa Schneider (ph) from Alaska is the I-Reporter that's also benefiting from Mr. Pinky's pretty cool trick there. Magic paws. How about it? Congratulations, Mr. Pinky.
And if you've got a "Hot Shot," send it to us. Head to CNN.com/am, scroll down on the page and click "Hot Shots."
ROBERTS: It's a great thing to be able to teach your pet. Almost as good as getting the newspaper, you know.
CHETRY: Exactly. Well, behind the scenes in the trading room. You know, we talked about yesterday's market jitters and how the futures had the Dow down at 500 a couple of hours before it opened. Can you imagine being a broker yesterday?
ROBERTS: You know, I got to check in with a friend of mine because he's in the financial business. I'm sure he's tearing his hair out.
CHETRY: Well, our Alina Cho actually spent the day with one of them. See what it's like answering all the phone calls, keeping your eyes on the market, and what advice a broker may have for you when it comes to what to do with your money in this very volatile time. Alina's coming in to bring us that story when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. It is Wednesday, January 23rd. I'm Kiran Chetry.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Thanks for being with us. I'm John Roberts. New this morning, tragic news. An autopsy will be conducted today in the body of actor Heath Ledger to determine what caused his death.
Ledger was found yesterday in the floor of his New York City apartment. New York City police say they are looking at the possibility of a drug overdose. Throughout the night, Ledger's fans brought flowers to a makeshift memorial outside of his New York City apartment. Ledger's father gave a statement thanking all of Ledger's fans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM LEDGER, HEATH LEDGER'S FATHER: We would like to thank our friends and everyone around the world for their well wishes and kind thoughts at this time. Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life but few had the pleasure of truly knowing him. He was a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and selfless individual who was extremely inspirational to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Ledger had just finished shooting a new "Batman" movie called "The Dark Knight" in which he played the joker. But he was probably best known for his role in "Brokeback Mountain," which earned him an Oscar nomination.
And then they were five. Fred Thompson has dropped out of the Republican race for president. The former senator turned actor got into the race late and failed to raise enough money or voter interest to keep going. The South Carolina primary was make or break for Thompson and he finished a disappointing third. He's not saying yet if he plans to endorse any of his former GOP rivals.
A relative of a marine wanted for murder is telling CNN that he saw his cousin near Guadalajara, Mexico a week ago. Corporal Cesar Laurean is suspected of murder in the death of Lance Corporeal Maria Lauterbach who was 8 months pregnant at the time of her death.
Last night, "NANCY GRACE" took on authorities and the marines over the investigation of the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Can they screw the case up any more than they already have? The woman makes a rape claim. Real or not -- he should have been the prime suspect at that juncture. They do nothing. I'm talking about the Onslow sheriffs. I'm talking about the marines. You know what, deal with it, Marine Corps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Also, on Tuesday, the FBI released photographs of Laurean that said were taken within the past eight months including one showing a tattoo of his, a phoenix rising from the ashes.
It's an ad campaign that help make big profits for two major drug companies. Now, it's off the air after a study showed that the drug may have missed the mark.
MERCK/Schering-Plough says they are pulling ads for Vytorin. You may have seen them. They show food and people dressed like food to show that cholesterol is related to your diet and your genes. The decision comes after research that showed that Vytorin, a combination drug, works no better than one of its components alone which sells as a generic for about a third of the costs.
A sushi scare in New York City and possibly elsewhere across the country. Laboratory tests conducted for "The New York Times" found so much mercury in tuna that a regular diet of a few pieces a week could actually be a health hazard.
Levels were found to be so high in 5 out of 20 places that the FDA may sue to get sushi off the market. "The Times" says most of the tuna tested was blue fin. The FDA has warned pregnant women and children to limit certain types of canned tuna. More recent study suggested that mercury may also caused health problems for adults. We're going to be paging our Dr. Gupta and he'll talk about the risks associated with that in the next hour here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Eating just a few pieces a week gets you to the EPA max guidelines on mercury.
CHETRY: That's shocking.
ROBERTS: It is.
CHETRY: I know many, many people who think they're doing the healthy and the right thing by eating raw fish because of the essential oils and other things.
ROBERTS: Surprise.
CHETRY: All right. We'll certainly break that down with Sanjay coming up.
Meanwhile, we're still on the "Financial Security Watch" this morning. It looks like the Federal Reserve's emergency interest rate cut may have calmed markets a bit. The Dow was down 465 points yesterday morning. Within five minutes of the opening bell. But then came back up closing down 128 points. The S&P fell just 14 and the NASDAQ shed 48 points. So how are things looking this morning?
For that, we go to business correspondent Stephanie Elam. She is live at the New York Stock Exchange for us this morning.
Hey, Steph.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran. Yes, it definitely was not as bad as it could have been for the U.S. markets on Tuesday. Taking a look at the numbers, the futures yesterday were showing a drop of 550 points. But then, the Fed stepped in and we saw what was going on there with the emergency rate cut coming in and making the biggest one-day cut since October of 1984. And the first time that they've actually cut in between scheduled meetings since right after the 9/11 attacks.
So, that tells you that they are very concerned about what's happening here with the economy. So now the rate that affects what everyday people use, the federal funds rate is now at 3.5 percent. That's for your auto loans, your credit cards. All of that is what we care about there as consumers. And then the discount rate, which is the rate at which banks can borrow directly from the central bank. That was cut to 4 percent as well.
Well, that news came out about an hour before the markets opened. We did see the Dow go down 460 points right at the beginning. But then, it came back. It was down only about 20 points but it couldn't hold on at the end, losing steam. So, there we have -- there we have that whole situation that led to the market selling off. Futures right now, Kiran, though, are looking like we're going to have another weaker day despite the mixed results overseas.
Back to you.
CHETRY: So futures at this point down.
ELAM: Oh, yes, they are down. We are looking for a weaker opening right now. Of course, things could change. We have some weak earnings. We're still on earnings season. That gives us a lot of guidance. There's no economic data on the calendar today. So we have to look for earnings.
CHETRY: All right. Stephanie Elam at The New York Stock Exchange for us. Thank you.
ROBERTS: Coming up now on 38 minutes after the hour. The wild gyrations in the markets have a lot of brokers and investors feeling jittery.
AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho spent the day talking to brokers, finding out what kind of advice the experts have for people like you and me. But first of all, I mean, what was their state of mind yesterday when all of this was going on.
CHO: A lot of people anxious. John and Kiran, good morning. Good morning, everybody.
The more than 450-point drop at the open on Wall Street yesterday was enough to make your stomach churn. So we wanted to know exactly how are traders and brokers dealing with all of the calls they're getting from their clients. What's their advice? Buy, sell, or hold?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): Even before the opening bell, everyone sense a blood bath was coming. By 9:33 a.m., the Dow was down more than 450 points.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't panic and sell into these things.
CHO: People clearly were panicked.
But by lunchtime, the Dow gained back more than .75 of its losses. Now down 120 points. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been big reverse on the market.
CHO: Money manager Matt Levin spent most of his day reassuring his clients.
MATT LEVENS, ING FINANCIAL NETWORK: This is a 9/11-type response and there wasn't a 9/11 today.
CHO: He sees opportunity.
LEVENS: They always tell you, buy when there's blood in the streets. And it's the most difficult thing to do.
CHO: His advice, stick with brand names.
LEVENS: Phillip Morris, Johnson & Johnson. You know, people aren't going to stop shaving when the market's going down.
CHO: Sounds good, but are investors listening?
(on-camera): We're not even through the month of January yet, and already, many people with 401Ks have lost everything they've gained last year. That has them really anxious, really worried about what happens next.
(voice-over): Just ask 62-year-old, Mary Chione.
When you look at what's going on, on Wall Street right now.
MARY CHIONE, INVESTOR: I'll be scared to death.
CHO: Why? In a word, instability.
CHIONE: If I had the resources, I would go into gold. I swear, I would.
CHO: By the 4:00 p.m. close, the Dow finished down 128 points. A 1 percent loss on the day.
JASON WEISBERG, FLOOR TRADER, SEAPORT SECURITIES: Some people might not be able to digest it as well as others.
CHO: Are you digesting it?
WEISBERG: I'd rather be up 450 than down 450.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Wouldn't that be nice? We went into another brokerage firm. A trader there told there's been a lot of holding and a lot of hand holding. He says holding stocks, buying stocks is good. Just don't sell. Keep in mind, though, he's also a trader and stands to gain guys every time a client buys them stocks.
But you know, a lot of jittery feelings especially we're looking at Dow futures down again. Maybe another down day in the market. But the experts I spoke to said stocks were on sale. Time to buy.
ROBERTS: Can you imagine what would happen though, if the Fed had not stepped in yesterday.
CHO: It would have been, by all accounts, 400, 500 point loss on the day potentially. So, 120 points, comparatively speaking is not so bad.
ROBERTS: We would have been drinking Maalox by the gallon.
CHETRY: And you know what, Gerri Willis said yesterday think of it as a giant shoe sale (INAUDIBLE) in terms of bargain hunting.
CHO: Good way of thinking about it.
CHETRY: Thanks. Well, a hot topic among the Democratic candidates. In fact, in one of the debates, you heard it mentioned more than half a dozen times. Green-collar jobs. What are green- collar jobs? Well, we're taking a look. And we're going to see from our own Polly Labarre, whether or not, this is the wave of the future.
Also, a couple overpays for a house. Did they fail to do their homework? Or were they the victim of a real estate broker who wasn't truthful with them. AMERICAN MORNING's legal analyst Sunny Hostin is going to be stopping by in a minute to tell us, whether or not, they have a case. Coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, you've heard of blue and white-collar jobs, but what about green collar? The term popped up several times, the other night, during the Democratic debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I have proposed for green-collar jobs. We'll create jobs within 30 or so days.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to put money into clean energy jobs. Green-collar jobs.
EDWARDS: Investment in green infrastructure which creates jobs.
CLINTON: The green-collar job piece of this is important.
EDWARDS: To green the economy, create green infrastructure, yes.
CLINTON: We'll move us more quickly toward a green economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: What are green-collar jobs and are they a way to help the environment while providing a ticket out of the recession. Our Polly Labarre is here now to talk about it.
Tell us first of all, what are these green-collar jobs? A lot of people not familiar with this.
POLLY LABARRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, the green wagon is officially full at this point. We've got carbon neutral campaigns and now we've got some falling over each other to say green.
Green-collar jobs are essentially blue-collar jobs in green industry. So skilled, manual labor, manufacturing jobs, service jobs in clean tech, green construction, sustainable landscaping, you name it. But what they are high-quality jobs with the low barrier to entry offering a great living wage in growing industries.
So, it's essentially a new category of opportunity for people who don't really have it.
ROBERTS: So what are we talking about here? Installing solar panels or landscaping.
LABARRE: Sure.
ROBERTS: When you talk about landscaping. What are we landscaping?
LABARRE: These are the jobs. It's the ultimate tool for the campaign. Because what you're doing is advancing energy security. At the same time, you're advancing economic security. You're figuring out a way to alleviate poverty. At the same time, you're figuring out a way to alleviate global warming.
So this has been going on at the grassroots level. This is not just a campaign promise. On the west coast, you've got people with the Ella Baker Center and Oakland Green Job Corps installing solar panels. Here, in the Bronx, you've got people installing Green Roofs with Sustainable South Bronx. They are model organization of the grassroots have been working on this green collar agenda for years.
ROBERTS: So tell the viewer, what's a green roof?
LABARRE: A green roof is not only a beautiful roof that looks like a garden on the roof, but it something that actually insulates a building, that catches toxic water or rainfall, and certainly it's an environmental solution as well as beautifying the look and feel of the building.
ROBERTS: And some of these are actually putting these gardens on top of roofs to cut down the amount of heat that's radiated back in.
LABARRE: Absolute. So it's about beautifying environments that are generally pretty toxic. These urban environments that are not the nicest environments in our country. But it's about retrofitting buildings, making them more energy efficient and it's creating jobs that can't be outsourced because they're in the buildings right here in this country.
ROBERTS: So obviously, the presidential candidates are on the bandwagon here. What about Congress? Are they supporting these organizations? LABARRE: Well in December, the energy bill actually included the green jobs act which allocated $125 million for green jobs over the next couple of years. Not a huge amount of money, but a really important first stake in the ground. And the U.S. conference says mayors have now just gotten $10 billion over the next five years for green initiatives, including green jobs, green-collar job development.
ROBERTS: Growing industry in a feel-good job too.
LABARRE: It's an important one.
ROBERTS: Polly Labarre, thanks for coming in. Good to see you.
Kiran?
CHETRY: All right. Still ahead, the Hollywood writer's strike turning the Golden Globes into a news conference. Will it also be a quiet Grammy night? We're going to have more on that decision coming up.
Also, a couple buys a house and then they find out that their real estate agent didn't tell them about similar houses in the area that sold for less. They say that he wanted a bigger commission. And that they -- and that he withheld information. He says, they should have done some more research. So who has a case here?
AMERICAN MORNING's legal analyst Sunny Hostin joins us next with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Ten minutes to the top of the hour here. And if you're just joining us, here's a look at what's making headlines this morning.
An autopsy will be performed today to try to determine what cause the death of actor Heath Ledger. Right now, police are treating it as a possible drug overdose. The 28-year-old, Ledger, was best known for his role in "Brokeback Mountain" which garnered him an Oscar nomination. He just finished playing the joker in a new "Batman" movie set to come out this summer.
The United States says it is not satisfied with the intelligence that it's getting from Pakistan. The State Department's counterterrorism chief, Dell Dailey, yesterday said that he does not have enough information on al Qaeda or the Taliban, but he says U.S. forces will not act on their own within Pakistani borders. There are 100 about military trainers and advisors working in Pakistan right now.
Jose Padilla is going to prison for 17 years in four months on terrorism charges. The 37-year-old American was once accused of an al Qaeda plot to set off a dirty bomb and held without charge as an enemy combatant. Prosecutors never pursued the dirty bomb charge in court.
At striking Hollywood writers won't picket the Grammy Awards. The decision could save the music industry's big night, and guild still has not granted a waiver allowing union writers to work on the show. But the Grammy's are more about the music than the dialogue. The writers yanked the red carpet out from underneath last month's Golden Globes and we're all wondering whether or not the strike could affect the Oscars as well.
And now, let's go over to Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Well, a California couple is trying to sue their real estate agent. They say that he never told them other houses in that same neighborhood, just like the one they bought, were going for cheaper. They say it is because he would have lost out on a $30,000 commission.
The agent says that they should have done their homework. So, is it bad business or buy or beware. Do these people have the case?
AMERICAN MORNING's legal analyst, Sunny Hostin, joins us now with more on this right now.
So, first, break down for us. They ended up buying a house in this neighborhood. Come to find out later that other comparable houses were selling for less. And they are saying that their buying agent wasn't truthful with them.
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And let's face it, Kiran. This is a fiduciary duty that is owned by the buyer's agent to the buyer. And that is one of the highest duties under the law. That duty requires an agent to be loyal to a buyer, to be obedient to a buyer. There's disclosure, there's confidentiality, reasonable care and diligence, accounting.
That agent must disclose all material facts leading to the buyer getting a good price. And these buyers are saying they ordered an appraisal and the buyer's agent, their agent, did not give them that appraisal. That could be a problem. You know, I think that they do have a case. It certainly passes the smell test of the law.
CHETRY: Really. So I'm just playing devil's advocate here. I mean, you're about to spend a lot of money on what's probably, you know, you're largest investment that you're going to make in a very long time. Shouldn't you also be doing your homework about it?
HOSTIN: Well, sure, but then why hire the buyer's agent. That person is supposed to look out for you and look out for your best interests. And so, yes, you have to do your homework but also you have someone that is in your corner, in your camp, doing what they are you're supposed to do for you.
You know, I'm a lawyer, but I'm not a real estate agent. So I don't necessarily know everything there is to know about buying real estate. And that's why when you buy a house you hire this person to help you. And in this case, they're saying, you know, I didn't get the help that I needed. And they certainly didn't get comparables. And that is a material fact that could affect the price. Apparently, they are alleging, at least, that they bought a house maybe $200,000 more than they should have. That's a significant amount.
CHETRY: In some of this reporting they're also saying that it's could be the first of many. This could open the door to some lawsuits against real estate agent. Does this also a -- a sign or perhaps a symptom of the larger housing crisis that's going on?
HOSTIN: Of course, absolutely. And I have to tell you, Kiran, I think we're going to see a lot, a lot more of these cases. I think that, you know, people are trying to recoup money. I think that the real estate bubble, everybody knows, has burst. And agents are going to be on the hook for this sort of activity. So we need to watch, because this is a test case. It hasn't happened before.
CHETRY: All right. Well, we'll see what happens. I'm not sure. You think that they definitely have a case? We'll see what the outcome is.
HOSTIN: I do.
CHETRY: Sunny Hostin, thanks for joining us.
HOSTIN: My pleasure.
CHETRY: John?
ROBERTS: Well, quickly now at this morning's "Quick Vote" question. Should the government do more to avert a recession? Cast your vote at cnn.com/am.
Right now, it's pretty one-sided. 85 percent of you say, yes, the government should do more. 15 percent, say no. Of course, there's a lot of folks out there who don't believe the government shouldn't be involved at all in the economy. We're going to continue to tally your votes throughout the morning. We'll bring you a final look just before we go off the air at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time today.
Trapped, face-down in the snow for more than four days with an ATV on top of him. How a paramedic survived and who came to the rescue.
And John Edwards' hair has becoming somewhat famous. So it should come as no surprise that David Letterman wanted to run his fingers through it. We'll show you what happen, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Couple of minutes now to the top of the hour. Lots of questions this morning surrounding the death of actor Heath Ledger. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has got more on that coming up in just a few minutes. What else coming up for the next hour, Sanjay?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're going to talk about the tuna story. That's a big story. How much mercury is in that tuna? Also, I'm fascinated by this idea that surgery -- gastric bypass surgery or some sort of lap band surgery could actually improve your chances of staving off diabetes more so, than the conventional therapy. I'll talk about why that might be. We're talking about both those things.
ROBERTS: Looking forward to. See you soon.
GUPTA: All right, thanks.
CHETRY: Thanks, Sanjay. All right, the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING starts right now.
ROBERTS: Tears in Tinsel town. Heath ledger, a young and rising star following too soon. A look at his life and the latest on his sudden death.
Rebound overseas. (INAUDIBLE) here at home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were in panic mode for the last couple of months.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Most people think, too little, too late.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: We're on the "Financial Security Watch."
Sightseeing and suspicion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was quite scary. I'm scared for my personal safety.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Mistaken for a terrorist during a photographic journey across America. How he ended up on "The List" on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And good morning. Thanks very much for being with us, Wednesday, January the 23rd with Ali Velshi on the road on the CNN Election Express. I'm John Roberts.
And I'm Kiran Chetry. Thanks for being with us. You know, we begin with sad news this morning. And that's a search for answers in the death of a promising actor, Heath Ledger. An autopsy will be conducted today to find out what caused the 28-year-old's death.
The New York City police say they are looking at the possibility of a drug overdose, possibly accidental. Ledger was found yesterday on the floor of his New York City apartment. Ledger, just 28 years old, and finished shooting a new "Batman" sequel called "The Dark Night" where he played the Joker.
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