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American Morning
Flooding Hits Atlanta Area; Terror Suspect in Custody in Denver; Obama to Hosting Talks with Israeli, Palestinian Leaders; Harrison Ford Promotes Awareness of Environmental Issues; Gun Owners Increase Purchases Fearing Gun Restrictions Imminent
Aired September 22, 2009 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Crossing the top of the hour. Thanks very much for being with us on this Tuesday, the 32nd of September. I'm John Roberts.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us.
Here are the stories that we're going to be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes. We're starting with flooding in the Southeast. It has now killed six people.
State officials in Georgia are urging commuters in the Atlanta area to stay home this morning. There's a state of emergency declared in 17 Georgia counties.
Our Rob Marciano is going to be showing us the dramatic boat rescues that have been taking place, and also to talk more about how long the rain will last.
ROBERTS: Terror suspects in court for the first time. Prosecutors say one of the men admitted to getting explosives training in Pakistan. Our Deborah Feyerick has the latest on the investigation and the men in custody.
CHETRY: The shouting at the town halls, the screaming at the tea parties, a lot of people say there's a lot of fury, but where's it coming from? Today we do a special series, "Mad as Hell," and we're taking a look at some angry and armed Americans and why they're so fired up about Second Amendment rights.
We begin the hour though with the deadly flooding across the southeast. And people are waking up in shelters, in hotels, in some cases with family and friends.
In Georgia schools are shut down and state officials are telling people to stay home from work, don't leave your house, and don't attempt to try to pass these roadways because they are not safe.
Even with entire neighborhoods underwater, there is more rain in the forecast right now, and at least six people have died because of the flooding, including a two-year-old boy. Officials say the rising waters just tore apart their trailer home and that the boy was swept away as his father was holding him. Our Rob Marciano is tracking this story from Georgia this morning in the outskirts of Atlanta with more on what the situation's like out there this morning. Hey, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Kiran.
Well, it's a mess, to say the very least. And just to think, a few months ago we were struggling to get some rain. For the past few years we've been in this drought seemingly that would never end, with water levels getting to dangerously low levels and water restrictions for the last several years for Atlanta residents.
Well, too much of a good thing, to say the least. It turns out after 12 hours of ten inches of rain in some cases and a week of over 20 inches of rain, this weather event has been a flood of historic proportions across the Atlanta area.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: It's a cruel irony. After months of drought, heavy rains spawning deadly floods. Across much of the southeast, streets are covered, homes are destroyed, tranquil creeks now on a rampage.
In some places near Atlanta, nearly two feet of rain fell.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the highest water that I've seen, and I've been living around here all my life.
MARCIANO: This couple was rescued by boat late last night. In the pitch black they had to use flashlights to see. And the only thing they could bring with them, their dog and a few family treasures.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are our wedding pictures.
MARCIANO: But they were luckier than others, others who lost something more dear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His girlfriend was talking to him at 12:30 last night. He said, "Water is flooding my car. I cannot get it open." He said, "I've got to call 911," and then his phone went dead.
MARCIANO: In Georgia right now 17 counties under a state of emergency. Officials say they're in rescue and recovery mode. But those rescues, especially around Atlanta, have been slow and difficult.
Pictures showing just how crippled some areas of the city are. In the western suburb of Powder Springs, a house is left to burn. Next to it, a fire truck stranded, helpless in the rising floodwaters.
These two men had to get around on inflatable mattresses. And so many people are stunned by what they're seeing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now, shock. I don't think it's really set in that this is real. We're flooded out. We don't have a home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: And we are in a subdivision in Austell, Georgia, to the northwest of Atlanta. And this scene is certainly echoed around the Atlanta area. This particular subdivision, at 8:00 in the morning yesterday, fire crews came in here and knocked on doors, told people to get out.
And people looked around and said, "What do you mean?" And boom, in a matter of minutes water was lapping up their doors, in some cases around that corner, up to the second stories of their homes.
And the water has receded a great deal just this morning. In the last hour or so, it's come down about five feet. That's the encouraging part.
But it is still a big mess across the Atlanta metropolitan area. At least three interstates are closed in spots. Hundreds of roads shut down, power outage. You know, schools are closed, and this coming after a time when we were begging and begging for rain.
And just an unbelievable weather event here in the Atlanta area. Needless to say, the drought is over. If there is a silver lining, that's it. But folks right now across the area, it doesn't give them much comfort -- John and Kiran.
CHETRY: You're right, the cruel irony is it had to come all at once, and we're seeing the devastation firsthand, thanks to you. Rob, thank you.
ROBERTS: After terror raids lead the FBI more than halfway across the country, the Afghan man at center of the probe is not going anywhere this morning. Najibullah Zazi, who lives in Denver, is being held without bond by a federal judge.
Prosecutors say he admitted to getting explosives training in Pakistan before he was pulled over on the George Washington Bridge.
And here in New York, the feds say a religious leader was trying to help Zazi and his father bomb the city's transportation system. The Muslim cleric is also being held without bond. Our Deborah Feyerick is tracking that side of the story for us, and she's here this morning. Hi, Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
John and Kiran, all signs point to New York City's transportation system being a likely target, but law enforcement officials stress it could be any train or subway station in the country. Right now members of the joint terrorism task force are working to determine how the imam was involved and how many others there might still be out there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FEYERICK: As he entered a federal courtroom in Brooklyn, 37- year-old Imam Ahmad Afzali smiled at his wife, father, and brother sitting in the front row, later blowing them kisses.
Federal agents say the imam told Denver suspect Najibullah Zazi authorities were monitoring him, the imam allegedly asking Zazi whether any, quote, "evidence," unquote, was in the rental car Zazi drove from Denver to New York which was impounded and searched by FBI agents near a Queens mosque.
The imam told Zazi it was a quote, "good sign," unquote, that authorities had come to the imam asking what he knew.
RON KUBY, AFZALI'S ATTORNEY: The authorities generally requested that the imam find out any way he can where Zazi is, where he's been, where he's going, and what he is up to. That's what they wanted to know.
And that makes sense, because they thought he was coming to New York for the purpose of carrying out a terrorist attack.
FEYERICK: Defense lawyer Ron Kuby, known for taking on controversial terrorism cases, says FBI agents specifically asked the imam to reach out to Zazi to help gather information.
KUBY: The government asks to search his home. And he consents to a search of his home. They asked to take a DNA sample. He consents to a DNA sample. They ask him for more oral statements. He waives his Miranda rights. He gives an oral statement.
FEYERICK: Afzali and his family fled Afghanistan in 1981 following the Soviet-led invasion. He grew up in Flushing, Queens and worked for several years at this Masjid Hazrat Abubakar Islamic Center, New York's largest Afghan mosque.
Several years ago he left the mosque to open a funeral business that caters to Muslims. A longtime friend who spoke to Afzali on the days leading up to the raids on several Queens apartments says it would be completely out of character for Afzali to have any connection to terrorism.
AHMAD WEISH, MASJID-AL-SAALIHEEN MOSQUE: As far as I know, how much I know him, it does not match his character.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Now, the imam was identified by U-Haul employees as one of the guys in Queens who tried to rent a large U-Haul truck in the days leading up to the September 11th anniversary. The group was turned away after failing to provide a credit card or proper I.D. need to do rent using cash.
His lawyer says, though, that they just misidentified the guy, that it wasn't him.
ROBERTS: When you think about U-Haul trucks and not having cash or whatever, remember back to the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 where they tried to get the money back for the truck that they blew up.
FEYERICK: That's exactly right. And there are all these little pieces that altogether seem to make up a larger plot. But, again, nobody's willing to go that far and say that.
ROBERTS: Yes, all right. Deb Feyerick for us this morning. Deb, thanks so much.
So we heard in the last couple days that the White House talked to Governor David Paterson of New York and said, by the way, if you're thinking about running for governor, don't. Well, yesterday a bit of an awkward moment when the president was in the same room.
CHETRY: Yes, the president shaking hands with current governor David Paterson and then also one of the Democratic contenders out there who is said to be favored. They were side by side, everyone shaking hands. A bit of an awkward moment in Albany yesterday, and we'll show you the pictures.
It's nine minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: It's 12 minutes past the hour.
We take a look at the political ticker this morning. Former Senator John Edwards may soon admit to another lie. "The New York Times" is reporting Edwards may soon admit that he did, in fact, father a child with his former mistress, Rielle Hunter. They site associates of Edwards cited as their sources.
The child is now 19 months old, a little girl. Edwards has already confessed to the affair but has maintained before this that he is not the father.
ROBERTS: ACORN under pressure this morning. The Justice Department's inspector general says he will now launch a limited investigation of the group after a request from Republican Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas.
ACORN has been under fire from conservative critics following the release of hidden camera video showing employees giving advice to a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute.
CHETRY: Well, talk about awkward. For the first time since the news broke that President Obama told New York Governor David Paterson that maybe he should abandon his campaign for the good of the Democratic Party, the two then crossed paths.
The meeting was at Albany International Airport and had the president greeting the governor. Some who were there said it was a stiff greeting, that they shook hands, a couple of back pats, but not many smiles on both sides. And of course, the papers, the local tabloids, love that type of thing. Here is the front page of "The Daily News." It says, "Hey, you still here?" And then the second one says, "My man!" And it goes on to say that Obama greets Andy, meaning Andrew Cuomo, as governor looks like the odd man out.
So there you have it, a little bit of an awkward situation.
ROBERTS: Certainly Robert Gibbs, the spokesman, didn't do anything to disabuse people of the notion that they had called Paterson to say, don't run, saying only that politics is a tough business.
CHETRY: Yes. As Jason Carroll pointed out yesterday, his poll numbers are in the 20s, which is difficult to overcome.
ROBERTS: Well, they could still go down.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: That's true, too. Poor guy.
Now for the latest buzz from the best political team any time. Just go here, CNN.com/ticker.
ROBERTS: This morning, the president preparing to wade into the fragile peace process in the Middle East. President Obama bringing together Israeli and Palestinian leaders for talks today. We're also awaiting the arrival of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to New York.
There's a lot at stake this week for the president. Here to help us all break it all down, Robin Wright, a fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and author of "Dreams and Shadows: the Future of the Middle East," and Salameh Nematt. He is the international editor at "The Daily Beast." Both of them are in our Washington bureau this morning.
Great to see you. Robin, let's start with you. The White House has said it has no grand expectations to come out of just one meeting. What do you expect from the meeting between the president, Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
ROBIN WRIGHT, FORMER DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Virtually nothing. I think president Obama faces even tougher obstacles today than George Bush did eight years ago.
The Israelis are not interested in cooperating on the kinds of conditions that would be conducive to peace talks such as freezing settlements. The Palestinians, on the other hand, are divided between two factions, and President Mahmoud Abbas represents only half of them.
So we're bogged down in just trying to get a process going and even further away from substance than ever.
ROBERTS: Salameh, President Clinton, who came oh so close in the summer of 2000 with those talks at Camp David is still optimistic that a peace deal can be reached. He spoke with our Larry King last night. Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think there's a fair chance we'll get a peace agreement.
LARRY KING, CNN HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": What part does Obama play?
CLINTON: Well, what he and the secretary of state...
KING: I've heard of her.
CLINTON: ... and George Mitchell, the envoy, what they all have to do is keep looking for the formula that will get the negotiations started again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Salameh, do you share the former president's optimism?
SALAMEH NEMATT, INTERNATIONAL EDITOR, "THE DAILY BEAST": Not as long as this hard-line rightist government continues in Israel continues to be in office. I'm afraid there is no chance of that happening considering that the Prime Minister Netanyahu refuses to freeze settlements in the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories. He has rejected the White House request in that regard.
And Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas cannot even enter peace negotiations unless he secures the freeze of settlements of some sort.
ROBERTS: Hasn't the prime minister agreed to a temporary freeze of six months or so, but at the same time, continue construction on nonresidential buildings?
NEMATT: He has offered that, but that falls far short than what President Obama has requested. And the way things are going, it would be political suicide for President Abbas to go ahead with peace talks with the Israeli government under these conditions.
ROBERTS: Right.
Let's switch gears here and talk about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who will be arriving in New York. He's also going to speak at the United Nations General Assembly.
Iranian officials saying, Robin, that he's bringing a message of peace just a day after he warned his country is now stronger than ever and said Iran will retaliate with full might against anyone who dares to attack it. What are you expecting from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this year?
WRIGHT: I suspect we'll see an effort to try to command the world stage and gain the legitimacy in New York that he's been unable to get at home since the June 12th reelection which is widely believed to have been fraudulent.
This is going to be a moment that tests also the U.S. interest in engagement, because anything that he says, such as his holocaust denial, which he's said not only repeated this week, but said he's proud of denying the holocaust, is going to make it even tougher for the United States to engage with him.
President Obama faces a really tough challenge, I think, on this one, particularly because the Israelis have made clear that their priority is containing Iran rather than the peace with the Palestinians.
ROBERTS: Salameh, on that point of seeking legitimacy here at the United Nations after he made that statement Robin alluded to last week saying the holocaust is a lie created by western nations to justify the creation of Israel, can he find any legitimacy, or does he risk any further isolating himself?
I mean, even the Russians were upset at him for that statement.
NEMATT: There is a risk of that happening, definitely. He is facing a situation of legitimacy at home after the June 12th elections.
But he may try to run forward in a sense and escalate a foreign crisis over the nuclear issue in order to distract from the internal problems. He has done that before. But that could eventually lead to further sanctions or tighter sanctions against Iran, and that would damage him back at home.
ROBERTS: And Robin, last point to you. We had Suzanne Malveaux on just a few minutes ago saying that foreign leaders are watching very closely the health care debate in this country to see if people will actually defy President Obama, sort of wondering what the game is going to be like on the international stage.
What are the risks for him this week?
WRIGHT: Oh, enormous. Remember that coming into his election he was criticized for not having significant enough foreign policy experience.
He's -- he has just as much on his plate internationally as he does at home. And there will be close examination both domestically and internationally about what he can achieve this week.
Whether it's in trying to deal with the Iranian challenge, on Middle East peace, on climate change, on North Korea, his agenda is enormous. And the honeymoon will be over really this week.
ROBERTS: It will be a fascinating week with the president on the world stage even though he's here at home. Robin Wright, Salameh Namat, always great to see you. Thanks for coming in this morning.
WRIGHT: Thank you.
NEMATT: Thank you
ROBERTS: It's nineteen and a half minutes now after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Did you like our little A.M. playlist in the corner? You learn something new every day.
Meanwhile, it's 21 minutes past the hour. Christine Romans is minding your business, and she was a lucky lady yesterday. You got to talk to Harrison Ford.
(LAUGHTER)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Look, climate change is on the agenda, and Harrison Ford the actor along with some CEOs and president of Guyana got together. They are trying to gain momentum for international treaty for climate change. The president's speaking about it today at the U.N. There's a U.N. day-long conference about climate change.
It's tough. You have a lot of different country, a lot of different agendas. But I sat down with Harrison Ford and asked him, you know, what's he trying to do, and why is he casting this wide net trying to get companies to help out?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Environmentalists have sometimes said that companies are part of the problem, that corporate America and big multinational is part of the problem. You're embracing certain companies and CEOs and saying let's do this together.
HARRISON FORD, ACTOR: Why don't they have a place at the table? They may be part of the problem. Some of them are. But they are a great part of the solution.
ROMANS: Right.
FORD: Our alliances with corporations have shown us that they feel responsible to their consumers and their employees. And they know that serving the environment is good business. It makes sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The Harris CEO was there, the S.C. Johnson, the Wal-Mart chairman, some other folks, the president of Guyana was there, Harrison Ford in particular, and particularly interested in deforestation. He points out that 20 or 30 percent of all global greenhouse emissions are because of deforestation, so he's very interested in that.
I asked him too -- look, he's an actor who uses his star power to bring to this issue. He's been working with Conservation International for, like, 15 years or something. You know, he really brings kind of a green credibility to this. Sometimes celebrities have their issue, but he really works hard and passionately at this.
But I did ask him "Indy 5," is he going to do another "Indy" movie? He kind of sighed. He says if it's a good script, he will. He's got a couple of projects coming up next year. He's going to start something early this year.
So you'll be seeing Harrison Ford coming up maybe "Indy 5" if somebody can get him a good script.
CHETRY: People know Sometimes celebrities when they do that, but would we be talking about it today? It's a huge issue, it's a big problem around the globe, deforestation especially. But would we be talking about it if Harrison Ford wasn't lending his time and his time to this cause?
ROMANS: That's right. And he's promoting this, and I'm promoting the show "Your Money" on Saturday at 1:00 and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. eastern time.
(LAUGHTER)
You can see the whole interview. We talked about a lot of different things, but really got into the subject. You can you see the whole interview with Harrison Ford Saturday at 1:00 p.m. eastern.
ROBERTS: Shameless self-promotion.
ROMANS: You've got to do it.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: I'm going to plant a tree in your honor today and his and for "Indy 5."
ROMANS: Really? Good.
CHETRY: Thanks, Christine.
ROBERTS: So the nation is mad as hell and many people aren't going to take it anymore. Carol Costello coming up next with the second installment of our special series this week, looking at gun owners and why they're so mad.
It's 24 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
As the recession has raged on, gun sales have skyrocketed. "The Wall Street Journal" reports they they're up by double digits. The reason, experts say, it's because Democrats control both Congress and the White House, and the thought -- just the very thought -- of new gun laws has some people mad as hell.
Our Carol Costello is tracking the debate. She's in Washington this morning with the second installment of our special series. Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. I think that's the perfect way to put it. Gun advocates who believe all kinds of guns, even AK-47s, ought to be legal are still fighting mad even though President Obama has not made any significant move to ban guns of any kind.
And gun control advocates are losing ground because of it.
So is there any middle ground? I talked to both sides.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Dante Barksdale runs on faith.
DANTE BARKSDALE, "SAFE STREETS" BALTIMORE: I'm going to just take a little walk.
COSTELLO: An ex-con, he's fighting to end gun violence. It's not easy. Last week six people were gunned down in Baltimore. There have been more than 300 shootings in the city this year.
COSTELLO (on camera): We like our guns in America. We love our guns in America, don't we?
BARKSDALE: In the urban parts of, you know, the city, you know, they tell us, you know, the biggest guy, the guy who has the most people are afraid of, the guy with the biggest gun, this is what a man is.
Safe Streets -- we're all we got.
COSTELLO: Barksdale works with Safe Streets, which is aimed at reducing gun violence among 15 to 24-year-olds in Baltimore.
Guns are a part of life in rural America, too, but the aim here -- to keep them and use them. They put food on the table and make many feel safe.
COSTELLO (on camera): There are some people who say that owning a gun is a God-given right. Do you consider it to be that?
IRWIN POLANSKY, PENNSYLVANIA GUN OWNER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Why?
POLANSKY: Because I need to protect myself.
COSTELLO: From?
POLANSKY: From the bad guys, or whoever, or an animal.
BARKSDALE: What we deal with in the urban part of the communities is that people use guns to resolve their problems, and that this is not normal.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Two very different viewpoints reflecting a debate in America that seems to have become polarized.
TOM GLASS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: People that might otherwise have been in the middle about gun control, gun liberties, have been pushed to polar extremes.
COSTELLO: And in dollar terms, the debate over guns appears, well, uneven. According to the most recent available tax return, the national Rifle Association took in more than $332 million in revenue in 2007. The Brady center/Brady campaign, the largest gun control lobbying groups, pulled in just over $6 million in 2008.
It all depends on where you're coming from.
COSTELLO (on camera): Do you think that you'd feel differently about guns if you lived in a high crime area?
POLANSKY: No.
COSTELLO: Really?
POLANSKY: I wouldn't feel any different.
COSTELLO: You really wouldn't?
POLANSKY: I might even buy more guns.
(LAUGHTER)
POLANSKY: Or I might buy an AK-47 just to -- so I'm not outgunned. But no, I wouldn't feel any different.
BARKSDALE: Yes, people use guns. You know, what I'm saying, to hunt, to do whatever they do. But in my neighborhood, guns are used to resolve conflict. There isn't going to be in killers in east Baltimore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Now, that's not to say everyone in rural America thinks anybody should be able to buy weapons like AK-47s or that urban America wants to ban hunting rifles. It largely does not. But the more moderate voices on this issue have largely been silenced by this fear that government will take all gun rights away. There seems, John, to be no middle ground right now.
ROBERTS: Yes. I'm sure we're going to hear a lot more about this as well as the hours progress here this morning. We invite people to comment on our blog. Yesterday in our "Mad as Hell" series, you focused on the political debate in this country, the tea party protests, health care town halls and all the anger that we've been seeing from people. You've been hearing from folks?
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. A lot of people have things to say. We asked our viewers to let us know, are they mad as hell, too? We got tons of calls to our "A.M. Fix" hotline. Here's just a few.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: If they're a liar, call them a liar even if they're the president. We have had enough of letting these people get away with this nonsense.
CALLER: I've been a Democrat since 1972. I made the mistake of voting for Obama, but that will never happen again.
CALLER: What really makes me angry is the fact that the Republicans are stirring up all of this. Obama is doing a good job.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Well, what about today's report? Where do you come down on the gun control debate? Let us know. That number is 1-877- my-AM-FIX or you can write to my blog at cnn.com/amfix and give us your comments. We got more than 100 yesterday morning. I want to hear from you. What can you done about the gun control debate? Is there any middle ground? We want to know.
ROBERTS: All right. We'll find out what folks have to say. Carol, always comfortable being in the center of the controversy. Good to see you this morning, Carol.
And tomorrow, by the way, Carol's going to see whether we can heal some of the wounds across the country with people so polarized, can the country be put back together, or will America stay a house divided? That's tomorrow in our "Mad as Hell" series right here on the most news in the morning.
Crossing the half hour now, and here are this morning's top stories. The former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan says to turn the tide there, the Pentagon has to help protect the population. Earlier here on AMERICAN MORNING, Zalmay Khalilzad said that that will foster cooperation from the Afghan people. His comments came after the top general in Afghanistan requested more U.S. troops to avoid failure.
CHETRY: Hundreds of firefighters are battling flames in Sonoma County in California this morning. The wildfires started around noon local time yesterday. So far it's burned about 300 acres. Officials, though, say that containment is going pretty well. It's 50 percent contained right now. And that they should get the flames out completely sometime today. They also say that a half dozen homes are still threatened.
ROBERTS: And smoking ban. Seemed to be saving lives. "USA Today " reports that heart attack rates are down by 17 percent a year after communities and towns slapped bans on smoking in public. A lot of numbers were crunched to find those - to reach those findings. The paper cites two new reports collecting information from 22 different studies.
CHETRY: Well, a couple's greatest joy has become in some ways their worst nightmare. Carolyn and Sean Savage wanted to have another child, and they were having trouble, so they turned to in vitro fertilization. Then they learned the horrifying news that doctors had implanted Carolyn with another couple's embryo.
Now, despite history of difficult pregnancy, Carolyn, along with Sean, made the decision to carry the child to term and then to give that baby to its biological parents. But they also wanted to tell their story in some ways as a warning to other couples. Carolyn and Shawn join us live from Sylvania, Ohio, this morning to talk more about the situation. Thanks so much for agreeing to be with us.
Carolyn, you're 35 weeks pregnant right now. I understand you actually went to the hospital last night.
CAROLYN SAVAGE, IMPLANTED WITH ANOTHER COUPLE'S EMBRYO: Yes. We just had a little false alarm last night. But being 35 weeks pregnant for me is nothing sort of miraculous because I delivered my third child at 32 weeks. And my second child at 30 weeks. And so it's been 15 years since I've been this pregnant. And I just didn't quite know what was going on last night. So we just went in for safety - safety purposes.
CHETRY: Right.
C. SAVAGE: And everything's fine. So hopefully we'll be able to squeeze a little more time out of this.
CHETRY: Wow. Everything's going fine physically thank goodness. Emotionally, it must be such a difficult time for both of you as you're trying to figure out what to do. First of all, take us back to the beginning. You decided that you needed to get in vitro fertilization to be able to become pregnant with your fourth child. When did you realize that terrible mistake had been made and actually another couple's embryo had been implanted, Carolyn?
SEAN SAVAGE, WIFE IMPLANTED WITH ANOTHER COUPLE'S EMBRYO: I received a call, actually, at my desk in my office on my cell phone sharing with us that we were pregnant, but at the same time, that they had transferred another couple's embryos to Carolyn. So the news came simultaneously. And it was absolutely a shock.
CHETRY: Carolyn, how did you react when you heard it?
C. SAVAGE: Well, I was at home. The news went to Sean in error. They thought they were calling me. And they called his cell phone by mistake. Sean came home and told me right away. It was just a very shocking moment. We - I couldn't even comprehend what he was saying. I know I was kind of yelling at him, asking him if he was joking. Clearly his physical demeanor indicated that there was no joke about the news he was delivering to me.
CHETRY: You guys say that the decision was instantaneous. You were not going to terminate this pregnancy. You were going to carry this child. You also sought the guidance, right, as I understand it, of a priest as well as some reproductive endocrinologists within this hospital who said you understand that you're going to have to give this baby to its biological parents.
So as you're making all these decisions, explain how you came to the conclusion or at least came to have some peace with the decision that you were going to carry this baby and then give it away.
S. SAVAGE: Well, that was something that within minutes of learning of the news and after I came home to share the information with Carolyn, we almost immediately came to that conclusion. It was something that there was no other option based on our belief system, based on our history. And so that decision came without hesitation. And some of the other issues and items that followed were very, very difficult to deal with. But we took it one step at a time.
CHETRY: I understand. And Carolyn, has there been any explanation given that satisfies you from the clinic about how this happened?
C. SAVAGE: Not to this date. We spoke with the doctor who performed the embryo transfer the day that we were informed that I was pregnant. But it was somebody else's genetic child. After that date and then a few days later when we communicated with him, we terminated all contact with the clinic responsible. We just thought it was best at that point. So no, no explanation to date has been given.
CHETRY: It's a tough situation. I can't even imagine what you guys must be going through. But have you thought about legal options? Are you going to sue? Are you going to try to seek monetary damages, try to shut this clinic down?
S. SAVAGE: We have legal representation, and they will be speaking on our behalf relating to those issues. Our focus is right now the health and well-being of the child and the health and well- being of Carolyn. And hopefully a safe delivery in the coming days.
CHETRY: Oh, certainly we hope that for you as well. As I understand it, you have established communication with this other family. And how is that whole thing going to work after you give birth, Carolyn?
C. SAVAGE: Well, we obviously - it's a C-section, so hopefully that will afford them enough time. They're not local to us. So hopefully they'll be able to get to the hospital in time to be there for the delivery. They won't be in the O.R. during the delivery, but they'll be close by and be reunited with their son hopefully within minutes of the birth. After that, Sean and I have made a decision that we'll defer to their judgment as his parents as to any kind of contact that may be afforded to us in the role that we played in bringing him into this world.
CHETRY: In some ways you look at this as a gift to them? I mean, clearly they were having reproductive issues as well which is why they sought IVF. And because of your tragedy, they're getting a blessing.
C. SAVAGE: Yes. We made a choice, as we've gone along, and it's been exceptionally difficult, but as we approach the delivery, we're trying to frame this situation as a gift to the other family despite the loss that we'll incur. We're bringing a new child into this world, and we really believe that it is a gift. CHETRY: Well, you guys are certainly making the best out of a difficult situation by any stretch of the imagination. Thank you for sharing your story with us. And we understand that it is your oldest son's birthday. He's 15 today. So happy birthday to him. Thanks so much for being with us, Carolyn and Sean.
S. SAVAGE: Thank you, Kiran.
CHETRY: Good luck with everything.
C. SAVAGE: Thanks, Kiran.
CHETRY: Forty minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
A dazzling array of world leaders has descended on New York and the United Nations today. And if all the world's a stage, this is opening night on Broadway. Emotions are already running high. Our Richard Roth is at the epicenter of the theatrics. He's live outside the U.N. this morning. Richard, give us a preview.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm actually inside, John, though it may look like I'm outside. Tickets are free to the leaders of the world. The public, sorry. It's an all-star dazzling cast of international diplomatic characters as the world descends here on the United Nations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH (voice-over): The United Nations is the stage for an amazing array of world visitors.
VAHYA MAHMASSANI, LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES AMB.: This has got to be the largest, the largest, gathering of heads of states in the recent history of the United Nations. This is going to be the mother of all sessions.
ROTH: The cast of characters is a dream for foreign policy and drama lovers alike. Obama, Gadhafi, Ahmadinejad, Chavez.
President Obama has never spoken to the world from here inside the U.N. general assembly hall. One guarantee, no one will yell out "you lie" to the U.S. president.
Seconds after President Obama leaves the podium, Libya's mercurial leader, Moammar Gadhafi, makes his first U.N. appearance, too, despite ruling since 1969. He arrives after outrage in the west when a Libyan agent convicted of the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 was warmly welcomed home, freed from a Scottish jail.
SUSAN RICE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: How President Gadhafi chooses to comport himself when he attends the general assembly and the security council in New York has the potential either to further aggravate those feelings and emotions or not.
ROTH: Gadhafi stays in Manhattan after being denied permission to sleep in a tent in New Jersey. The victim's families plan to welcome Gadhafi on the streets of New York.
KATHLEEN FLYNN, SON KILLED ON PAN AM 103: Oh, we'll be there. Rest assured.
ROTH: Protester row has more targets this year. But a familiar foe is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who won a highly disputed election. And Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez makes his first general assembly speech since declaring he smelled the devil hours after President Bush appeared.
Even a president who was thrown out of his own office and country, Honduras' Manuel Zelaya, will be speaking for his nation. If things aren't going to get hot enough, today is a special debate on climate change. President Obama and Chinese President Hu.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So I'd say this is one of the more important years for the U.N. and it should be a good one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: And Bill Clinton's wife Hillary, secretary of state, will be here with President Obama. And at a nearby hotel for Middle East talks, there may be a change in the guest list. We're going to have to see if Honduras' president who fought his way back into the country yesterday does indeed decide to speak to the United Nations general assembly. John.
ROBERTS: Richard Roth for us. And I've got to say, you look pretty good behind that podium. I feel inspired to launch the Richard Roth for U.N. secretary general campaign.
ROTH: Thank you. It felt like I was a ruler there for about two seconds.
ROBERTS: Or at least a potentate. All right. Richard, thanks so much.
CHETRY: Still ahead, you know, people have a lot of questions about the swine flu. The vaccine, should they get it for their kids? Is it safe? When does it kick in? Do you have to go for a booster? We're "Paging Dr. Gupta." He has all the answers for us this morning. It's 46 minutes after the hour.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
We know that the swine flu vaccine is now approved for adults and for the elderly, but there's new information this morning on where it stands when it comes to children. And we're paging Dr. Sanjay Gupta to find out what parents need to know.
CNN's chief medical correspondent is in Atlanta this morning. And Sanjay, thanks for being with us. Good to see you, by the way.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Thank you.
CHETRY: I was reading about you on the cover of "Parade" magazine, this Sunday. I though about you, by the way. "How to survive a heart attack." OK. So we're talking about H1N1 and we talked about these clinical trials. Because they were actually conducting trials up until this past month. So what's the status right now of swine flu vaccines for kids?
GUPTA: That's right. They had been conducting trials and we're hearing that it is now approved over the last week. So the vaccine will be available for adults and for children. Some of these most recent trials, Kiran, they're trying to answer an important question, which is how many shots, specifically, will kids need?
You may remember, Kiran, it's been going back and forth, one shot versus two shots. What they're saying now, we're just getting some of this information over the last day or so, is that for children between the ages of 10 and 17, they're only going to need one shot, and children between the ages of six months and nine years, they're going to need two shots.
Now, the way this works, Kiran, as you may know is when you give a shot, when you give a vaccine, you're basically try to recruit the body's own immune system to sort of kick into overdrive. So if they see this virus at any point over the season, they'll know how to fight it. And what they find is that in kids between the age of 10 and 17, about 76 percent of them had a strong immune response with just one shot. So that was important.
But as you went further down in age, for example, between the ages of three and nine years old, you had a lower percentage. About 36 percent had a strong immune response. Between six months and 35 months, only 26 percent. So you see those bottom two categories, Kiran. Those are the people who are going to need two shots. Their immune systems not quite strong enough.
A couple of other really important points is that, you know, a lot of people are saying there's the regular flu shot, there's the H1N1 flu shot. Everything that we're hearing from health officials, kids will need both. So you can get the seasonal flu shot now if it's available in your area and then get the H1N1 in mid-October when it becomes available.
CHETRY: Got you. All right. So for parents that are a little bit still concerned about safety, it's fine?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, so as a parent myself, you'd always like to have longer term data. You'd love to see several-year data on shots. Obviously, you don't have that luxury because you make the flu shot and it has to be given within a few months. But they make this H1N1 shot pretty similar to the way they make the regular flu vaccine shot. There's been a lot of safety data on that.
So, you know, I talked to some of the clinical trial investigators, they say with the H1N1, we were seeing really no adverse effects. It's not even the redness around the arm or a sore arm that you sometimes see with a regular flu shot. You know, again, you would like to see long-term data, but they say it's good to go.
CHETRY: All right. Well, I know a lot of schools, churches, temples, et cetera are getting prepared for it for this season for sure, you know, to help make sure the kids don't get. Sanjay, thanks so much. Great to see you as always.
GUPTA: Thanks, Kiran. You too.
CHETRY: Fifty-two minutes past the hour.
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ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
A developing story now. The White House reportedly considering stepping up attacks on Al Qaeda suspects in Pakistan using spy drones to launch missiles at them. The "Associated Press" reports President Obama has not decided yet whether to move forward with the plan.
The president also, finds himself at a crossroads in Afghanistan. His top commander there says the conflict with the Taliban will fail if we don't send in more American forces. Polls show many Americans are growing weary of the war. So what might the president's plan ultimately be? Our Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon this morning. And Barbara, what options is the president mulling over?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the president may now be thinking about changing his strategy in Afghanistan, a strategy that he put into place.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): As violence increases daily in Afghanistan, some are calling for a major troop buildup. The president signaling when he ordered a review of the Afghan war, he wasn't anxious to quickly send tens of thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban insurgency.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let's do a soup- to-nuts re-evaluation, focusing on what our original goal was, which was to get al Qaeda. The people who killed 3,000 Americans.
STARR: Attacking al Qaeda is fundamentally a counter terrorism strategy, requiring a limited number of new troops. It's the plan B advocated by some in the White House, according to a senior Pentagon official.
But General Stanley McChrystal, the top commander, is still calling for a counter insurgency strategy to strengthen Afghanistan to the point the Taliban have no safe haven there. That could take tens of thousands of more troops beyond the 68,000 now planned. Retired General Montgomery Meigs says it's a must.
GEN. MONTGOMERY MEIGS (RET.), U.S. ARMY: If you're going to get the tribe over on your side and the side of government, you have to have enough people there to make things happen for them, economically, socially, and in terms of security.
STARR: Could the Pentagon put U.S. firepower, such as fighter jets and drones, in neighboring countries to reduce the U.S. presence inside Afghanistan?
MEIGS: My point is, if you don't have the kind of intelligence you need to make those systems effective, you are going to swing in this a lot.
STARR: The powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee says more U.S. troops right away are not the answer for another reason.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI), CHAIR, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I've been recommending to the president that, first of all, before any consideration is made of additional combat forces, that we get the Afghan army bigger, better equipped.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: But General McChrystal, General Petraeus and the Joint Chiefs of Staff all now say it would take a significant number of additional U.S. troops on the ground to make Afghanistan work. And lurking behind the scenes, what's really going on here, John, there is tremendous anxiety from the White House to the Pentagon about the disputed Afghan elections.
It could take months to resolve that. And if Hamid Karzai takes office and is seen by his own people as not being a legitimate leader in the face of these election disputes, it's going to make it very tough for the U.S. to commit more troops to the fight. Many officials agree. John -
ROBERTS: A whole lot of problems going on there. Barbara Starr for us this morning from the Pentagon. Barbara, thanks so much.
