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American Morning
North Korea Destroys the Water Cooling Tower at Yongbyon Facility; High Court Struck Down Near Total Ban on Handgun Ownership in Washington, D.C.; Americans Changing Their Driving Habits
Aired June 27, 2008 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Breaking news. Reactor down.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Basically it means that the plutonium production is shut down.
ROBERTS: North Korea demolishes a symbol of its nuclear power overnight.
And united they stand.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will do whatever it takes to try to win back this White House.
ROBERTS: Clinton and Obama hit the road together today. But hard core Clintonites remain.
It's the most politics in the morning on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: And good morning. Thanks very much for joining us on this Friday, which is always a nice -- it kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: It sure is.
ROBERTS: 27th of June. A lot of big news this morning including we're going to be talking with former British prime minister Tony Blair in just a few moments. Big climate conference scheduled for -- early next month in Japan and we'll be talking to him about what he thinks needs to be done to curb global warming before it's too late.
Sounding a real alarm bell here.
CHETRY: Global warming and our diminishing resources especially when it comes to oil. So we're going to talk all about that.
But we begin with breaking news. And a symbol of North Korea's nuclear ambitions blown to pieces.
According to South Korean media this morning, explosives brought down a plutonium cooling tower at North Korea's nuclear reaction. The implosion happening after Pyongyang handed over a dossier on its nuclear program.
And for that President Bush lifted some sanctions against North Korea and promised to take the communist nation off of the U.S. list of countries that sponsor terrorism.
These developments also are putting Iran in the spotlight. The U.S. and its European allies are also trying to get Tehran to stop its nuclear program but so far Iran has not stepped up to the plate.
CNN's Zain Verjee is live in Washington. And it's interesting to know, I guess, the differences in diplomacy and how they're dealing with North Korea versus Iran as it relates to the nuclear ambition.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Kiran.
Iran is really watching closely how the U.S. is dealing with North Korea here. Many diplomats are wondering if the North Korean nuclear strategy shouldn't be -- actually be applied as well to Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE (voice over): With North Korea the U.S. is flashing a diplomatic green light, lifting sanctions in response to North Korea's actions.
With Iran the red light stays on. The U.S. wants Iran to stop its uranium enrichment before it will sit down and talk.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: If Iran cannot make the right choice, then it will face consequences.
VERJEE: Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is holding firm. Using the official Iranian new site to blast what he calls the U.S. language of threat and bullying.
Experts say leaders of both Iran and North Korea use the nuclear issue to cement their hold on power. But unlike North Korea, which is totally isolated and poor, Iran is rich in oil and a powerful force in the Middle East. It's getting even richer and insulated from sanctions, thanks to rising energy prices.
JAMES PHILLIPS, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: I don't think Iran is likely to follow North Korea's lead because it doesn't have the same need to lift economic sanctions. Its economy is much stronger. And it doesn't need international aid to the same degree that North Korea's embattled regime did.
VERJEE: Experts say Iranian leaders are running out the clock on this White House.
AFSHIM MOLAVI, NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION: Iranian leaders like leaders around the world are playing a waiting game right now -- waiting out the Bush administration, waiting to see who the next president is going to be -- before they make their next strategic move.
VERJEE: And one of Barack Obama's foreign policy advisers says the administration missed the chance to engage Iran in tough negotiations.
WENDY SHERMAN, PRINCIPAL, THE ALBRIGHT GROUP: I think what we've seen in North Korea and what we've seen in Libya is, one, having direct talks between the United States and these very difficult countries does and can produce results.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: The Bush administration also points to Libya as a success story where Moammar Qaddafi did eventually decide to give up his weapons of mass destruction -- Kiran?
CHETRY: Yes, and we want to let our viewers know that a little later in the show we will be getting video of that explosion of the cooling tower, that significant action that took place.
Exactly how significant is that, Zain?
VERJEE: Well, blowing something like that up really, many experts are saying, is mainly symbolic. But what it does do, in practical terms, it makes it a lot harder for North Korea to make the plutonium for nuclear bombs.
For the past few months North Korea has been taking a bunch of different steps at Yongbyon to disable the reactor there. So with this act today, the North Koreans is sending the U.S. a message that they're serious about getting rid of their nuclear program. But you know, Kiran, this is North Korean, and few in the U.S. government really trust them.
CHETRY: We've also been getting a little inside scoop on the inspectors. What have you learned?
VERJEE: Well, the inspectors were telling me that when they're at the facility at Yongbyon they stay in a guest house that's nearby. It's pretty basic. They've got some dining rooms, a pool table, people who visit tend to leave their books there because there's not that much to do.
There was a TV and a VCR. They're not sure if it's still there. And in order to communicate at all with the outside world they can only use North Korean land lines and faxes. So they can listen to what the inspectors are saying and know what they're up to.
So they were just giving us a little flavor of what it's like to actually be on the ground.
CHETRY: That is fascinating.
Zain Verjee for us this morning. Good to see you. Thanks.
And we also want to remind our viewers that CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour was one of just a few journalists who actually witnessed the destruction of the North Korea's cooling tower and she is going to be joining us live a little bit later in the show. ROBERTS: Breaking news. Oil for the first time ever hitting more than $141 a barrel this morning. Even more alarming the president of OPEC predicts that oil could actually hit $170 a barrel before summer is over. And another economist predicting $7 a gallon gasoline by the year 2010.
Our Ail Velshi just back from the tar sands in northern Alberta. He's got the gloves and he's got the oil drum...
ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
ROBERTS: It should not be full of sand this morning.
VELSHI: Well, I'm much smarter than I was. When I first got this barrel I didn't think to put oil in it. It would have been a little bit extra, I think, ever cost me 80 or 90 bucks to fill up. And now look where we are.
$141.71 is where oil hit just this morning. It's down in that range right now, still around $141.
I was up in the oil sands of northern Alberta and I was scooping around the oil sands, which is sand with oil in it in these gloves. Guess what, I'm keeping the gloves.
CHETRY: You also have the...
VELSHI: These are going to be worth about...
CHETRY: ... mosquito bites to prove it, too.
VELSHI: I have a lot of mosquito bites on my arms. We have -- we've had a busy, busy day. It was worth it because the price of oil has been going up, as you know. That's where it was yesterday.
Let me just show you what happened just yesterday in the price of oil. It settled at $139.64. And that, again, is a gain of $5. Now a few weeks ago we were talking about $5 swings being pretty significant and very rare in the world of oil. Now we're seeing it very often. And despite positive news yesterday -- on Wednesday we found out that the oil supply in the United States is actually higher than we expected, the stockpiles of oil, it still is not helping. Oil keeps gravitating to these high levels.
The head of OPEC which is right now from -- from Algeria -- I'm sorry -- suggested that oil could hit $170 this year alone. And as John mentioned, Jeff Rubin of CIBC who we'll have later on in -- on CNN today was suggesting that gasoline could hit $7 by 2010.
Let me just show you what this has all done to markets. There are other things weighing on markets. But it was a very rough day. The worst loss of the year for the Dow. 3 percent to down 358 points. And NASDAQ had a loss of more than 3 percent. The S&P 500 also down almost 3 percent.
This is, so far, the worst June for the Dow since 1930. So, rough day.
ROBERTS: Lots of trouble. We're glad that you're back.
VELSHI: Good to be back. Thank you.
ROBERTS: To tell us all about it.
VELSHI: Thank you. I'm going to take my barrel and see that nothing happens to it.
ROBERTS: All right. Make sure you use the gloves, too.
VELSHI: And the gloves.
ROBERTS: Don't be selling those.
The most politics in the morning now. A day of unity for Democrats. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama making their first joint campaign appearance since he clinched the nomination. They will share at an afternoon rally in, where else, Unity, New Hampshire.
Last night they met privately with Clinton's fundraisers in Washington. Obama and his wife each wrote a check for $2300. That's the maximum allowed to help pay off Clinton's campaign debt.
Senator Obama said that he is asking his top fundraisers to do the same. Senator Clinton told the gathering they need to work together for one goal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: This was a hard fought campaign. That's what made it so exciting and intense. And why people's passions ran so high on both sides. You know? I know my supporters have extremely strong feelings. And I know Barack's do as well.
But we are family. And we have an opportunity now to really demonstrate clearly, we do know what's at stake and we will do whatever it takes to try to win back this White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Obama says he wants Senator Clinton campaigning for him as much as possible.
And if you're away from your television today you can watch the entire Obama/Clinton rally at CNN.com. We will start streaming it live from Unity, New Hampshire at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
CHETRY: Also new this morning, CNN's electoral map is changing. Minnesota and Wisconsin now moving from toss-up states in the general election to those now leaning toward Barack Obama. That would give Obama an additional 20 votes.
This morning the CNN estimate has him leading John McCain, 231 to 194 electoral votes. 270 are needed to win the White House. ROBERTS: And key to winning the White House, of course, will be courting big money donors including Hollywood heavyweights.
So now that Hillary is out of the presidential race, who will her Hollywood A-listers support?
CHETRY: Also a new threat along the fire line in California. A fresh round of storms today could touch off new wildfires. A lot of these are being sparked by the lightning that's hitting in these areas. And they're already closing in on some big money homes.
Our Rob Marciano has the forecast.
ROBERTS: And how to stop harassing calls from creditors when you have defaulted on a loan. Sunny Hostin has got some important advice in her weekly "Legal Hotline" segment.
You're watching the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Ten minutes after the hour.
This morning Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton head to Unity, New Hampshire for their first joint public rally. The event is supposed to repair any rifts that may have existed during the primaries and unify the Democratic Party. And that includes convincing the long list of big Hollywood donors who once backed Clinton to switch to Obama's camp.
CNN's Kareen Wynter is following that story for us.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John and Kiran.
With Hillary Clinton out, the question now is: will more of Hollywood's elite unite with Barack Obama?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLINTON: Thank you.
WYNTER (voice over): It was one of the most closely contested presidential primary campaigns in American history. And no place was more divided than Hollywood.
LAURA LINNEY, ACTRESS: I'm a Hillary person.
MARTIN SHORT, ACTOR: Barack Obama.
WYNTER: Now that Senator Obama is a presumptive Democratic nominee, that split is beginning to mend. Gradually.
KATHY NAJIMY, ACTRESS: I had my couple days of grieving period. And am I wholeheartedly on the Obama band wagon? absolutely.
WYNTER: Former Clinton supporters like Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones are switching to Obama.
QUINCY JONES, MUSICIAN: '08 for Obama.
WYNTER: Director Rob Reiner made no secret of his preference during the primaries.
ROB REINER, FILM DIRECTOR: I support Hillary.
WYNTER: His spokesman told CNN Reiner will now do, quote, "Whatever it takes to help elect Barack Obama."
The candidate himself was trying to expand his fan base at a Hollywood fundraiser this week that drew stars like Dennis Quaid, Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson.
NOAH MAMET, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CONSULTANT: A lot of former Hillary supporters were there, contributed, helped with the event.
WYNTER: But not every prominent Clinton supporter is ready to convert.
TED JOHNSON, MANAGING EDITOR, VARIETY: I think there's still some sting left from her loss and some of the things that happened during the campaign.
WYNTER: Clinton backer and "Ugly Betty" star America Ferrera declined to comment on whether she's now supporting Obama, according to her publicist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: I'm Jack Nicholson and I approve this message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WYNTER: Jack Nicholson taped a YouTube video in support of Clinton earlier this year. No public word yet on whether he's switching his allegiance to Obama.
Ditto for ardent Hillary fan, Elizabeth Taylor.
JOHNSON: So it's not the easiest thing for them to just kind of drop everything and then plunge full speed ahead into the Obama campaign.
WYNTER: But political pundits say no matter how attached some in Hollywood were to Clinton, they're unlikely to abandon party loyalties and embrace John McCain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER: Meantime, Obama's war chest continues to grow. Steven Spielberg and his Dreamworks partners hope to throw a fundraising bash for Obama this fall.
John and Kiran?
ROBERTS: Kareen Wynter for us this morning.
That'll be a big question is how much of that Hollywood money does go his way.
CHETRY: Exactly.
ROBERTS: I assume a lot of it.
CHETRY: Yes. A lot.
Well, gun critics say that a Supreme Court ruling on guns will lead to more violence. In our special series we're going to take you to one town where residents take gun responsibility very seriously.
Also our Rob Marciano is here in studio with us today. He's watching extreme weather.
Hey, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kiran. Hey, John.
We're looking at fires in California. The floods continue in the Midwest. And it's going to get oppressively hot. We're almost into July. So hang on to your hats. Weather is coming up when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
ANNOUNCER: "Minding Your Business" brought to you by...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Sixteen minutes past the hour now. We have Rob Marciano with us here in New York today.
You have spent some time yesterday at that big waterfall under the Brooklyn bridge.
MARCIANO: And the two -- the one question I got from both of you, is it as cool up front, up close?
CHETRY: We are wondering, because it looked very neat in person -- I mean on TV.
ROBERTS: Rob's always -- he seems to be associated with water today.
MARCIANO: Well, listen, it's -- you know, it's water, fire, everything that you can't control.
ROBERTS: There's a lot of water in here lately.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: It's just a quick subway trip away.
MARCIANO: That's right.
ROBERTS: Why not? Rob, thanks so much.
MARCIANO: All right, guys.
ROBERTS: A dire warning this morning about the future of our planet. Former British prime minister Tony Blair urging world leaders to join forces to stop global warming or face catastrophic consequences.
We're going to talk with him live in just a minute.
And how to stop harassing calls from debt collectors. Our legal analyst Sunny Hostin has got some answers for you. We'll have those coming up.
You're watching the most news in the morning.
ANNOUNCER: "Business Travelers Advisory" brought to you by...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. It's Friday and that means it's time for our "Legal Hotline."
AMERICAN MORNING legal analyst Sunny Hostin joins me with some answers to your legal questions. You write in and Sunny checks it out and gives you free legal advice.
A win-win situation.
Good to see you this Friday, Sunny.
SUNNY HOSTIN, AMERICAN MORNING LEGAL ANALYST: Good to see you.
We have Bob from Philly and he writes, "I have a student loan that I'm in default on. And due to being out of work I'm out of deferments. Do you have any other options I can use to stop the harassing phone calls?"
Well, there are options. And I got to tell you, Kiran, we're hearing about this all the time now. And I think it's because with the economy where it is, people are having to make the -- the very difficult decisions.
Am I going to pay my light bill or am I going to eat? Am I going to pay my student loans or am I going to pay my rent? And that is the position that Bob is in.
But the harassing phone calls are illegal. You can actually sue a collection agency for doing something like this. The law protects you in this sort of situation. And the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, in particular, was passed to prevent this kind of behavior.
Let's take a look at what it says. It basically says that causing a telephone to ring or engaging any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with the intent to annoy, abuse or harass any person at the called number is illegal. That is protected activity. And from what we're hearing from Bob is they're calling him not once, not twice but 10 times a day. That is completely illegal and, Bob, you are protected.
CHETRY: All right. So what does he do about it then?
HOSTIN: There are a couple of things that Bob can do under the act. One, of course, he can sue. He can hire an attorney and sue. The other thing that he can do is he can send a certified letter to the collection agency asking them to stop. Once you've asked them to stop calling you, they must stop.
You can also, when you call, speak to a supervisor. Don't call, Kiran, the person who's been calling you and harassing you. But speak to a supervisor. Get that -- the activity to stop.
Also, document the calls. Bob is in a good job of documenting those phones calls so that he does have a legal -- leg to stand on. And finally, please look at the Web site, www.ftc.gov. has wonderful information about this act and all the information that you need to protect yourself.
CHETRY: All right. Tough times for some people. So you know...
HOSTIN: Very difficult times.
CHETRY: ... they're getting these calls a lot.
Sunny, thank you.
HOSTIN: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Twenty-three minutes after the hour.
Our planet is in immediate danger. That is the warning from former British prime minister Tony Blair. He says world leaders have one year to agree on how to tackle climate change.
Coming up, we're going to talk with the former prime minister. He's there live at the British embassy in Tokyo and we'll be with him in just a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (voice over): Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, driven to change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As soon as it got to, like what, $3, we're like oh, wait.
CHETRY: From car pools to train. How $4 gas is changing the way we commute.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: It's not a big squeeze for you, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a squeeze and I think it's ridiculous.
CHETRY: And he's got six cars in the driveway.
You're watching the most news in the morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Just coming up now in 26 minutes after the hour, climate change. It is an issue that will be front and center at next month's G8 meeting in Tokyo.
And this morning a stark warning from former British prime minister Tony Blair. He says world leaders have until next year to agree on a strategy to curb climate change or face dire consequences.
And joining me this morning from Tokyo is former British prime minister Tony Blair.
Prime Minister Blair, good to see you this morning. Thanks very much for joining us.
Not far from you, just a few hundred miles away, is North Korea. And we have independent confirmation this morning because CNN has a correspondent -- Christiane Amanpour -- on the ground there, that they have, in fact, imploded this water cooling tower.
And I'm wondering if you can give us your thoughts on how significant an event you believe this is in terms of the disarmament of North Korea and the -- in curbing nuclear proliferation?
TONY BLAIR, FMR. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is a big breakthrough. It's a really important step. It's not the last step. It's the first step. But there's no doubt at all. This will greatly enhance the prospects of a more secure, more stable world, and reduce the possibilities of nuclear proliferation. So it's actually important news.
ROBERTS: I know that nuclear proliferation was a huge issue during your administration. Do you believe that the North Koreans are coming clean this time or do you think that there's a possibility they could cheat as they did in the 1994 agreed framework?
BLAIR: I think everyone is going to watch it very carefully. But one of the things that this administration in America has done is its involved other countries, notably China, Japan, in this as well. So these six-party talks, as they're called, give us, I think, quite a good chance of making sure that this first step is not the last step and that we carry on making advances.
ROBERTS: Right.
Prime Minister, let me switch, if I could, to this issue of climate change because I know that's why you're there in Tokyo. It's very, very important. You have a new report out called "Breaking the Climate Deadlock."
It calls for radical and urgent action to solve the problem of global warming. How radical? How urgent? BLAIR: I think it's got to be radical and urgent. It's also got to be realistic, incidentally. But I think there are reasons for acting, not just to do with our climate but, you know, you've just been talking about the rising oil price when you've got the prospect of $150 a barrel of oil.
Then I think there are good reasons to wean ourselves off of oil dependence in the future and good reasons of energy security to make sure that we grow our economies in a different way. Now it's a big challenge. Don't misunderstand me.
But when the world's leading scientists are telling us again and again and again this is a threat, potentially a catastrophic threat to our climate, we've got to act. And what we're trying to do is to suggest a way that we can act sensibly, realistically, that protects our economy as well as protect our environment.
ROBERTS: In your report you talk about a tipping point. There's a certain concentration of carbon dioxide that we shouldn't go beyond. There's a certain degree rise in temperature that we shouldn't go beyond. And a very urgent window of action here before we get past the tipping point. What is that tipping point?
BLAIR: Well, the tipping point is basically when the emissions have risen so much because there's an accumulated stock of them built up in the atmosphere, that the climate change becomes irreversible and then, you know, we're in a very difficult situation, indeed.
What I'm actually suggesting -- because this is very, very difficult negotiation. You've got America on the one side, China or another major developing countries on the other. What I'm suggesting is for the next year's negotiation, let's do the maximum that is realistically possible, get this action under way, and then make sure that over the next few years we're adjusting and reviewing as our understanding of this problem changes.
ROBERTS: You know we hear a lot about the economic impacts of curbing emissions of global warming gases, which is why President Bush walked away from the Kyoto Protocol.
Is it possible to achieve the reductions that you're suggesting without affecting the economy and are countries like China and India willing to come on board? They seem to think that this is a problem of the developed world, not the developing world.
BLAIR: Well, first of all, it is possible if we proceed carefully. That makes substantial changes over time to ensure that our economies carry on great. But we do it more sustainably. And of course, there are hundreds of thousands of jobs being created worldwide now in the new environmental economy and technology.
So actually potentially over time there are big benefits for us. But you're absolutely right. We've got to have a deal in which America, Europe, Japan on the one side, China and India and other developing countries are in it. Now they're in a different stage of development. You know, China is going to develop in the most extraordinary way over the next couple of decades. It's going to lift hundreds of millions of people from poor subsystems agriculture into industry. But if we work with them and if we are developing science and technology that allows us to grow more sustainably, then we can help make sure that they don't as it were repeat in their growth the mistakes and problems that we repeated in ours.
ROBERTS: Well, your own climate envoy is not predicting a breakthrough at next month's meeting, but we do wish you a lot of luck. It's a very important issue.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, good to be with you this morning. Thanks.
BLAIR: Thank you.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: We're just crossing the half hour. And we're following breaking news here on AMERICAN MORNING, as we just reported, CNN now confirming that North Korea has destroyed the water cooling tower at one of its main nuclear facilities. Experts say that this, along with the disabling of the Yongbyon nuclear plant last summer, is a giant step toward the denuclearization of North Korea.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour is one of the few journalists who actually witnessed this implosion. She is in Pyongyang and she joins us on the phone now.
Christiane?
VOICE OF CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We just came back from the Yongbyon nuclear facility where just over 2-1/2 hours ago, the North Koreans imploded the cooling tower. They kept us about a kilometer away for safety, but they had built a reviewing stand. U.S. State Department officials who were there including the press and indeed U.S. and IAEA technical monitors and experts who maintain a continuous presence.
They fired a warning flare and then in three minutes the whole thing came tumbling down in a massive cloud of smoke. The bricks came tumbling down and just shortly after that the massive explosion ran through the air. U.S. State Department official Sung Kim who is the U.S. pointman on North Korea said that this is a very significant disablement step.
He said its complete demolition of the cooling tower and puts the U.S. in the (INAUDIBLE) bringing up the dismantlement part of Yongbyon to show that they are committed to continuing this disarmament process. U.S. technical experts, we know that they're somewhat worried that perhaps the collapse wouldn't happen as planned because it is very complicated.
But the North Koreans spent about two weeks watering the tower. And afterwards the U.S. experts were very impressed that it came down and this is nothing but rubble now.
Kiran?
CHETRY: You know, there was some talk all along about the national pride associated with the nuclear projects and nuclear ambitions there. How is the North Korean government playing this as they implode publicly this -- this big cooling tower, a symbol of their military dominance, if you will?
AMANPOUR: Well, it is. We're not sure how they're playing it yet because we haven't seen anything in the press. But we can tell you what we asked officials who were there. For instance, the director of safeguards at Yongbyon who I've met last February when we had that unprecedented access.
He said that, yes, he was sad because he saw a lifetime's technical work collapsing. However, he said that the explosion of the cooling tower will make a contribution to peace, not only to the Korean peninsula but to the whole world. Those were his words after the collapse of the tower. But certainly there was stunned silence after it came down. Everybody not moving for a moment as the full weight of what had happened sort of sunk in.
Kiran?
CHETRY: That is fascinating. Christiane, as we said, you are in Pyongyang. Where just a few hours ago, you witnessed that implosion. Hopefully, all of our viewers will be able to witness it as well as we get that video some time during the show this morning.
Christiane, thank you.
ROBERTS: It's 34 minutes after the hour. For the first time in American history, the Supreme Court has at least partially defined gun rights under the Second Amendment. In a 5-4 decision, the high court struck down a near total ban on handgun ownership in Washington, D.C.
And as part of a special series filmed and produced by CNN's photo journalists, we're giving you a unique perspective on guns in America. This morning we take you to Freedom Armory in York County, Pennsylvania where responsible gun use is taken very seriously.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT MORRIS, PRESIDENT, FREEDOM ARMORY: This is southern York County. I guess you would describe this as a semi-rural area. To my knowledge, I don't know of any other street in the United States named Second Amendment Drive. There's two players in this world that keep us in business. One is the founding fathers and one are our customers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: $130.12. OK.
MORRIS: We have the largest indoor shooting range east of the Mississippi River. The calibers that we can handle, unlike most indoor ranges, is any caliber you can own in this country. That's in rifle from 50 Browning machine gun round down to .22 and handguns from 500 Smith & Wesson Magnum down to .22s. JIM BODDINGTON, HEAD FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR, FREEDOM ARMORY: The course we're teaching tonight is an NRA course. It's called First Steps Pistols.
It's to get them so that they are safe, understand the fundamental of shooting and can execute the shooting sport without endangering themselves or anyone else.
You can't always say up is safe. You can't always say down is safe. What you do say is always point it somewhere away from where someone's going to get hurt. We have a variety of classes for a pistol, rifle, shotgun, personal protection.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How big is the (INAUDIBLE) difference between (INAUDIBLE).
MORRIS: I would understand if you said I want to go there.
PHYLLIS KLEIN, STUDENT GUN OWNER: Some people know some of the safety about it. But majority of them don't come to a class like this. I would have to say your most responsible people are the ones that come here.
MORRIS: A gun is just an object and if you're trained to use it, it's perfectly safe.
BODDINGTON: The main thing is, though, for people to be able to come some place and learn the right way to do it. And that's what's been lacking in many places with firearms -- the training, proper education on how to properly use guns. And that's what we're here. That's what we're all about. To make sure people do it right so we have a strong country and a strong community.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: We will have more on America's relationship with guns, coming up. And if you'd like to watch our entire special series, check out our Web site at cnn.com/am. Just click on the link "In Focus: Guns in America."
CHETRY: $4 a gallon gas may have been the tipping point for many Americans who now say they're driving less and saving more. We're going to have a live report.
ROBERTS: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first time that I met Barack, I was so star struck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: But were they really e-mail buddies? Obama finally talks about his star studded inbox. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning." (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's driving everyone crazy. No question about it. With gas prices now north of $4 a gallon, Americans are changing their driving habits -- car pools, commuting, you name it. They're finding less expensive and more efficient ways to get from here to there on a daily basis.
CNN's Allan Chernoff is live in Short Hills, New Jersey, for us and he's got more on people's efforts to try to save at the pump.
Good morning to you, Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. You know, traveling in the comfort and privacy of your own car just doesn't have the same appeal it once had. Many people are leaving their cars in the garage to take the train or they're sharing a ride.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF (voice-over): Jen Castanio (ph) parks near her home and shares a 40-minute ride with co-worker Ceslie Robinson (ph) to their office in Danbury, Connecticut. With gas prices so high, car pooling is a big money saver for both of them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did it cost to fill this up, Ceslie?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my gosh, like 60, 70 bucks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know.
CHERNOFF: Rich Levy, a pharmaceutical executive, doesn't have to worry too much about gas. He's got six vehicles sitting in his driveway including a motor scooter. Even so, he still takes the train whenever possible.
RICH LEVY, NEW JERSEY COMMUTER: I think it's ridiculous. I think it's not only the monetary, but it's the principle of it as well.
CHERNOFF: Rich, Jen and Ceslie reflect what's happening around the country. As gas prices soar, Americans are driving less. For six months in a row, motorists have been curbing their driving, logging nearly 30 billion fewer miles between November and April, the latest month on record, than during the same period a year earlier, when gas prices were averaging well below $3 a gallon.
CHERNOFF (on camera): The expensive gas is the primary motivator for Americans to drive less. But there are other reasons as well. They're trying to avoid traffic, high tolls, and, they say, they want to be more environmentally conscious.
MARY PETERS, U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: We all are much more conscious about the environmental effects and much more conscious about energy and what are our sources of energy today. CHERNOFF (voice-over): $4 gas seems to have sparked something in the psyche of our car-loving nation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF: If gas prices keep on rising or even remain at their sky- high levels, the trend away from driving may have just begun.
John?
Kiran?
ROBERTS: All right. Allan Chernoff for us this morning. And Allan, I think your ride is coming up behind you there. So, we'll let you get on board.
CHERNOFF: Got to go, that's right.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks very much, Allan.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, we're getting word that any minute now we are going to see the pictures from North Korea of the implosion of their cooling tower at their nuclear facility in Yongbyon. This is a significant and historic moment and we are getting the pictures any moment. We'll bring them to you when we do.
Also ahead, Barack Obama setting the fashion world on fire. Versace's new line inspired by the candidate himself, from the shirts and the pants to man bags. But some say the honor may not sit well with some blue-collar workers. We're going to take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's 45 minutes after the hour. We got breaking news this morning. We are following the implosion of that water cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear facility in Yongbyon, which is about 60 miles north of Pyongyang, which is the capital of North Korea.
These are pictures that were taken by our Christiane Amanpour and crew as they were on their way to Yongbyon. I'm sorry. No, these are actually APTN pictures. Our Christiane Amanpour was also there.
A small group of reporters -- South Koreans, some Western reporters -- were invited to come there to witness this symbolic destruction of this water cooling tower at the main nuclear reactor there.
The Yongbyon nuclear facility has been in operation in one way or another going all the way back to the 1960s, but has been used since 1994 to produce plutonium, which the North Korean government has extracted to use for nuclear weapons.
Of course, one of those was exploded not too long ago, raising a lot of alarms and putting a lot more pressure on this administration and as well the other members of the so-called six-party group to try to rein in North Korea's nuclear program.
As we await this feed of this implosion of this water tower, let's bring in our Zain Verjee.
And Zain, while this is seen to be symbolic because a water tower can easily be reconstructed, take a number of months, maybe to a year, and it could be back on line, it is fairly significant at least in the eyes of the administration?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: It is, absolutely, because first of all, they have something practical they can point to. They can say, look, here's this four to five-storey cement tower that is really key on a nuclear facility because it kind of works like an air conditioner.
You know, the actual reactor generates a lot of heat. So it needs to be cooled down in some way before it can be functional, in order for it to produce the plutonium to make nuclear weapons. So destroying it really does set it back. It just makes it a lot harder for the North Koreans to produce plutonium in Yongbyon.
John?
ROBERTS: And again, Zain, just for our viewers here, noticing the tape rewinding on the air here. This is a feed from APTN. APTN had a crew and a correspondent there as well. Our Christiane Amanpour and her crew were along as well. But we're getting these pictures in from APTN. And they're just feeding them out now.
So, we're watching this coming across -- we're watching it at the same time as you are. We did not get these pictures previous to this. So, bear with us a little bit if things look a little rough. This appears to be preparations to either be leaving for Yongbyon or maybe the early arrival there because the nuclear facility is just outside of the town of Yongbyon.
A couple reactors there, one of which has been producing plutonium, again, for these nuclear weapons. There you see the Yongbyon plant. There's the reactor building with the smokestack coming out of the top of it. And there's the cooling tower off to the right.
As we get a closer picture of that, as our Christiane Amanpour was telling us, they sent off a flare. They were kept about a mile away at this reviewing stand. The government sent off a flare and then three minutes later, a large explosion, cloud of dust, as the bricks and motor of that cooling tower came down.
We'll continue there to look at this video here. Expect that we'll see the implosion. There it is. Boom. I mean, very much like, you know, any implosion that we see here in the United States of an apartment building, an old stadium or something like that.
But this carries much more significance because that is an essential part of that reactor complex there. As Zain was saying, the water that cools the reactor, then goes to that cooling tower where it -- we see all the steam if you've ever, you know, seen a nuclear plant in this country or flown over one. You see all that steam, Kiran, coming out of those cooling towers.
CHETRY: Yes, this is part of what President Bush talked about yesterday when we took his comments live -- action per action. And this certainly a significant action on the part of the North Korean government.
In return, we will be making moves ourselves here in the United States including removing North Korea from the list of states that sponsor terror -- a State Department list of nations that sponsor terror. And, perhaps, a lifting down the road of some key sanctions.
ROBERTS: President Bush said yesterday in the Rose Garden that this is one step of a multi-step process. The implosion of this cooling tower follows North Korea delivering its declaration of its plutonium program to China, which was acting as the chair of these six-party talks.
And now, according to President Bush, the big task is verification to make sure that this reactor is disabled, dismantled. Then, North Korea has to give up its plutonium, which it's using for its bomb- making process. And that is still a long road to go.
Do we have Christiane Amanpour on the phone with us? No, we don't. OK.
CHETRY: We saw Christiane in a couple of the shots. She was one of the few journalists and there, we see her. It looks like she's in the yellow shirt in the front there talking about what it was like to actually witness that implosion.
And she said that she had spoken to one of the technical experts who said, you know, this is a lifetime of work. And so, there is some sadness to seeing it. But he says if it can open the road to peace not only for the Korean peninsula but also for the world, then that was very significant and a contribution in that way. And she also talked about really just the stunned silence after that implosion happened.
ROBERTS: Right. There you're seeing some close ups as well of what's left of the cooling tower and other parts of that facility. Let's take the tape back again a little bit and we'll show you that implosion again.
Again, just like an apartment building, boom, or an old stadium. There comes down this water cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear facility. But, again, much more significant than urban renewal because this does mark a real turning point in the nuclear standoff between the United States and North Korea.
No sound on the tape there but certainly the impact of that is quite evident. All right. Well, we'll continue to follow the story for you this morning.
CHETRY: Yes. One more look again. This is some of the first video coming out in the western world of this significant action in North Korea today. This public symbol to really show an end to nuclear activities in North Korea. And our Zain Verjee is joining us from Washington.
You had a chance to see it as well. What are your thoughts as you see that cooling tower implode there?
VERJEE: It's so dramatic and it's very rare for us to get this kind of access, these sorts of images at the Yongbyon nuclear facility. This is something that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her top diplomat, Christopher Hill, who has been working the North Koreans, working regional allies to bring it to this moment. They can say, look, our diplomacy, our engagement got these really dramatic results. And this is what the world is witnessing right now.
The real question is, as dramatic as this is, as symbolic and as important as this implosion of the cooling tower is, the question everyone is asking is - OK, fine. This is significant. But when it really comes time to hand over the plutonium, to hand over the nuclear weapons that this Yongbyon nuclear facility has been churning out, are the North Koreans really going to do it? And that's the key question. That's a huge question.
And while this is a significant milestone and something the administration can practically point to and say we got results, there's still a long road and a very difficult one. North Korea, many in the United States just don't trust.
ROBERTS: And probably with good reason after what happened. They had that agreement in 1994 which North Korea cheated on. There's also this idea, Zain, of whether or not there is a highly-enriched uranium program. The United States believed that.
Remember, James Kelly, the undersecretary of state accused North Korean in October of 2002 of having a highly-enriched uranium program. It appears that that's in question now, though Condoleezza Rice mentioned the other day that there is a lot more to know about this.
So these are all things that need to be worked out in future negotiations here, but certainly a symbolic step. This is our top story of the morning. We're going to continue to follow it. We're going to get Christiane Amanpour up on the phone with us very shortly from Pyongyang to talk more about her trip out there. We'll take a short break. We'll be right back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: All right. We want to show you this video that you're going to only see here on CNN this morning. This is video of the implosion of a cooling tower in North Korea at their main nuclear facility -- the Yongbyon facility, and this implosion that happened just within the past few hours.
Really a powerful public symbol of a move to end nuclear activities by North Korea. And our own Christiane Amanpour, one of a few journalists on the ground to actually witness this historic event in U.S. diplomacy.
ROBERTS: Yes. Christiane will be joining us in just a couple of minutes. She's back in Pyongyang now after the trip there to Yongbyon to witness the implosion.
But let's bring up our State Department correspondent Zain Verjee who has been following the six-party negotiations with North Korea for a number of years now.
This whole thing started, Zain, back in the fall of 2002 when U.S. diplomat James Kelly accused the North Koreans of cheating. How far have we come from that point?
VERJEE: We have come a very long way. With North Korea diplomacy is always about fits and starts and hurdles to overcome. For instance, since 2002, since then President Bush had put North Korea on a list of countries that he called the Axis of Evil. After that, North Korea kicked out international inspectors. They pulled out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. And they fired up this reactor that we're seeing right here at the Yongbyon nuclear facility.
There was a rare moment to have the press on the ground -- technical monitors, members of the International Atomic Energy Agency there. As well as a senior State Department official Sung Kim had this to say just a short while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUNG KIM, SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: I think it was a very complete collapse of the cooling tower. I think they did a very good job of doing it safely and effectively. As you all saw, the cooling tower is no longer there. It's complete demolition of the cooling tower.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: So the message that the North Koreans are sending people like Sung Kim there to people here in the United States and around the world is that North Korea is committed to getting rid of its nuclear weapons program.
And the U.S. can also say, this is how far our diplomacy got us. And this is something that the rest of the world is going to be watching, particularly countries like Iran where the U.S. is engaged in a nuclear standoff.
John?
ROBERTS: All right. Zain Verjee for us at the State Department. Zain, thanks.
CHETRY: On the phone right now is Christiane Amanpour, one of the Western journalists who had a chance to witness this as it happened from Pyongyang this morning.
Christiane, what's the latest?
AMANPOUR: Well, we've just returned from Yongbyon where three hours ago, just about three hours ago, North Korea, as you know and as we've reported, did, in fact, come through with its commitment to explode, destroy its cooling tower. We witnessed that and we witnessed quite a lot of -- if you like ceremonies that went around it.
North Korea had invited the U.S. State Department officials who came on behalf of the six-party countries in order to witness this. They had created a sort of reviewing stand (INAUDIBLE). And they had put us about 1,000 meters, about a kilometer, for safety. They gave a signal. They fired a warning flare.
And within three minutes, there was this massive puff of smoke, where huge billowing smoke and the bricks of the cooling tower crumbled and collapsed upon themselves. And only after a few seconds did the huge sound of the explosion rip through the air. There was a moment really of stunned silence after it happened as people sort of took in the magnitude of what had just taken place. The U.S. State Department officials Sung Kim who is the pointman on North Korea turned to the director of safeguard at Yongbyon.
