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American Morning

Iran: Nuke Plant and Drone Bomber Unveiled; Texting: The New Nicotine; Ex-Cop Holds Bus Hostage in Philippines

Aired August 23, 2010 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Carol Costello in for Kiran Chetry this morning.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm John Roberts. Thanks so much for joining us in the Most News in the Morning, Monday, 23rd of August. And at terrible day here in New York City which must feed right into your mood today.

COSTELLO: I have the end-of-summer doldrums because I love summer so much. That's the only reason.

ROBERTS: You have sort of like end-of-days sense about you today.

COSTELLO: Because it's Monday. Mondays are not nice.

ROBERTS: We got a lot to talk about this morning, let's get right to it.

Before you crack that egg this morning, 1,000 people sick. More than half a billion eggs now possibly contaminated with salmonella. The whole thing traced back to two farms owned by a company with a history of violations. The latest on the recall. The outbreak and what you should do about it coming right up.

COSTELLO: Plus, Iran fueling up its nuclear power plant and unveiling what it calls the ambassador of death. A long-range drone that can reportedly move fast and bomb targets. Israel's lashing out and Washington's keeping an eye trained on Tehran. We're live from the Pentagon. We'll break it all down for you with our panel of experts.

ROBERTS: Plus, your teens and their cell phones. Hundreds of texts every day along with e-mails, tweets and status updates. One doctor tells CNN, your kids are addicted, and texting is the new nicotine. That's ahead in our "A.M. original series, Texting Too Much."

COSTELLO: First, just in time for breakfast, bad eggs. An expanding recall and investigation this morning. So far, more than half a billion eggs are being pulled off the shelves. People in 17 states being told to check the fridge so they don't end up like the more than 1,000 people already poisoned by salmonella.

ROBERTS: Yes. The search for egg zero, I guess you might call it, has led investigators to two farms in Iowa. They're owned by the same family. It doesn't have the cleanest report as the head of the Food and Drug Administration told our Don Lemon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MARGARET HAMBURG, FDA COMMISSIONER: There is no question that these farms that are involved in the recall were not operating with the standards of practice that we consider responsible. We're continuing the investigation and as we find problems we, of course, will respond. So the recall may extend. The companies involved have been cooperative and we are working closely with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Our Casey Wian is live for us this morning. He's in Galt, Iowa, where one of the farms is located. Casey, this is awfully surprising to people who put their trust in these producers to give them breakfast foods that aren't tainted with disease.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You don't really thinks about where your eggs come from when you buy them at the supermarket, which most of us don't when we're buying them at the supermarket. And we're outside the facilities of one of the nation's largest egg producer, and for years Wright County Egg has operated largely under the radar, but not now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN: This farm country is at the center of one of the largest food state of scares if recent history. Wright County Egg is based here. We met the chief operating officer inside, but he declined to speak with us about the company and its related businesses and their long history of fines for health and safety violations. They include animal cruelty, sexual harassment of workers, even rape, and the hiring of illegal immigrants.

This undercover video obtained last year by the group Mercy for Animals shows how chickens were treated at the company's farm in Maine. The owner agreed to pay more than $130,000 in fines.

We met several local residents who are not happy with Wright County Egg's expanding presence.

RON ZIN, WRIGHT COUNTY RESIDENT: People moved away, because who wants to live by a mega-site?

DAN BRIDGES, WRIGHT COUNTY RESIDENT: We got more migrant workers than we have our own workers. Wages are low.

WIAN: In a statement the company said "When issues have been raised about our farms, our management team has addressed them swiftly and effectively." It also said the company is cooperating with the FDA investigation into what caused the outbreak of salmonella and led to the recall of more than half a billion eggs.

About 1,000 people have become ill this summer, including the Danielson family in Minnesota.

TODD DANIELSON, TAINTED EGG VICTIM: Everybody had diarrhea. That was the first thing. Then headaches, then throwing up. And then it was body aches. You just couldn't remove. It was like in your joints. It hurt so bad. It was worst than any flu I've had.

WIAN: Already lawsuits are being filed in several states by people who say they became sick by eating eggs from Wright County Egg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN: Now federal investigators are still trying to determine the original source of the salmonella outbreak. And we're still waiting to hear from Wright County Egg. We'd like to know what kind of corrective action they may have taken to make sure that this kind of an event happen again. They say they are cooperating with the FDA. The FDA says the same thing. But so far Wright County Egg is not talking to us to let the public know what exactly they're doing to address this problem.

COSTELLO: That would be nice to know. They're not even saying what -- well, maybe they don't know what the problem is and they can't fix it. Maybe that's it. Who knows?

WIAN: It could be. It's still very early, Carol, in this investigation. They say they're cooperating. A lot of consumers would like to know specifically what corrective action they're taking so they can feel safe and buying eggs at the supermarket again.

COSTELLO: I agree with you there. Casey Wian reporting live from Iowa this morning.

To find out which egg brands have been recalled and whether the carton in your refrigerator is actually safe, go to CNN.com/amfix for a links to the FDA's website. There is also a list of affected brands there. If your eggs are on the list, please throw them out or take them back to the store and get a refund.

ROBERTS: And coming up at 7:40 eastern we'll speak with the FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg. How preventable was this outbreak and how can we be sure our food is safe to eat?

Two announcements from Iran putting the west on edge this morning. The Islamic republic unveiled a new long-range drone capable of bombing ground targets and flying long distances at high speeds according to Iran's state run media. And Iran started fueling its first nuclear power plant, something that Israel is calling "totally unacceptable."

Our Barbara Starr is tracking the latest from the Pentagon this morning. Let's start with the latest on this drone, Barbara. Is it really much of a threat?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it remains to be seen, John. Certainly the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled what he and the Iranian state media is calling now "an ambassador of death." This is a drone he says the Iranians say that will carry cruise missiles that can go perhaps as long as 600 miles. Not enough to hit Israel but enough to cause the U.S. Navy some concern about a potential new threat to shipping in the Persian Gulf.

What we don't know, is this just a prototype, is Iran working on a fleet of these, are they really operational, how well do they work? Nonetheless, a worrisome development about Iran's additional military capabilities. John?

ROBERTS: The other development we're talking about this morning, this far more troubling than the development of a drone, is Iran beginning to put nuclear fuel into its first nuclear plant there at Bushehr. How tense is this whole situation getting?

STARR: Well, this is perhaps, as you say, the greatest concern at the moment. With the assistance of the Russians, the Iranians are now fueling up this nuclear power plant. They say it is only to produce commercial electricity and that it is safeguarded by the Russians, who are overseeing the loading up of the fuel and any future unloading of it.

This is on Iran's southern coast. But make no mistake, plenty of concern. Israel is calling it "totally unacceptable," and the U.S. continues to worry that Iran could be making moves towards enrichment, trying to get that commercial nuclear fuel up to weapons grades grade capability. That remains the bottom line concern here. John?

ROBERTS: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon this morning, thanks.

Stay with us. We'll be talking more on Iran in just a few months. On our panel this morning, Robin Wright, the former diplomatic correspondent for "The Washington Post," and Patrick Clawson with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

COSTELLO: It's six minutes past the hour.

(WEATHER BREAK)

ROBERTS: The debate in New York over a proposed religious cultural center, an Islamic mosque near the site of ground zero. With the numbers of opponents growing, what are supporters of the project saying about it now? Susan Candiotti talked with some workers who say they intend to take a stand.

COSTELLO: Plus, you want your kids to be able to get in touch with you any time they need you or you need them. With texts and tweets and status updates, are your kids actually addicted to their cell phones? We'll take a look. It's eight minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: It's 11 minutes after the hour.

Back-to-back announcements from Tehran sending shockwaves around the globe. The Islamic Republic said it's started fueling its Bushehr nuclear power plant in southwest Iran, something that Israel is calling o "totally unacceptable." President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also made a big show Sunday of unveiling a new long-range bomber drone, calling it a "messenger of glory" and "salvation for humanity" as well as, quote, "an ambassador of death."

No one is watching more closely than Israel. Let's bring in Robin Wright, she's a former diplomatic correspondent for "The Washington Post" and is now a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, she is also with the Institute of Peace, and Patrick Clawson with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Great to see both of you.

Robin, let's start with you. This new drone, it's been nicknamed "The Karar" (ph) which means "the destroyer." Not enough range to reach Israel but enough of a threat to neighbors. At the same time Iran beginning to fuel up that Bushehr nuclear power plant with the help of Russia. What's your read on how high tensions in the region are getting.

ROBIN WRIGHT, PUBLIC POLICY SCHOLAR, WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER: I think this all comes together at a very tense time. It's clear that Iran is not going to comply with the international community after a series of sanctions imposed, that it is continuing to be defiant.

On the Bushehr plant, one thing we need to understand is that the Russians are providing the fuel and will take away the spent fuel rods. So enrichment is not an issue at Bushehr. United States in the 1970s actually approved an arrangement with the monarchy that would allow Iran to have 22 nuclear reactors.

But Bushehr underscores the dangers that Iran's uranium enrichment processing represents, and that is since the Russians are providing the fuel for Bushehr, why does Iran need a uranium enrichment capacity on its own unless it is working on its own nuclear weapons program?

ROBERTS: Patrick, we hear that Iran is having some difficulty in enriching uranium not degree that it would like, but what's your read on when Iran could potentially have enough nuclear material to create a bomb if it doesn't already have it?

PATRICK CLAWSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FOR RESEARCH, THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE: Iran has got enough low enriched uranium for a bomb. But the trick is making that low enriched uranium into high enriched uranium and shaping into a bomb.

And as you said, Iran has been encountering some problems. Its program was racing ahead for a few years, but the last couple years it seems to have been held back, hopefully by the effective sanctions, quite possibly by some western sabotage. We've had some reported spies in that program. We don't have a good sense.

But we do know that so long as the international inspectors are going in there, we'll have some warning about Iran's overt program, and so far they've been pretty bad about keeping any covert facilities hidden. We've been pretty good about finding them. ROBERTS: Robin, back to the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Israel is calling the fueling of that plant "totally acceptable." And we all remember well back in 1981 Israeli jets went in and bombed the Osirak nuclear power plant in Iraq. They also took out of facility in Syria not too long ago.

But the Osirak plant didn't have any nuclear fuel. Is it too late for a preemptive Israeli strike? And, as you mentioned, the fact that Russia is taking back the spent nuclear fuel, does that tamp down the possibility a bit?

WRIGHT: I think even if Israel decided to unilaterally launch a military strike, Bushehr would not be among its targets, or if it was it would be pretty low. The facilities at Natanz and Arak are the two sites that are of greatest concern. And of course there is a secret facility that Iran confessed to building near the holy city of Qom. Those are the sites that are more likely to be Israeli targets.

But I suspect we are still at least a year away from any party taking seriously the possibility of a military option. I think there is a diplomacy that's likely to take place at the United Nations, and potentially even Iran has talked about engaging in international talks this fall with United States and Europeans.

ROBERTS: Patrick, a lot of discussion around in "Atlantic" monthly" article that was written. I know that both of you and Robert were commenting on it by Jeffrey Goldberg, where Jeffrey said, quote, talking about the potential for an Israeli strike, "What's more likely, then, is that one day next spring, the Israeli national security adviser, Uzi Arad, and the Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barack, will simultaneously telephone their counterparts at the White House and the Pentagon, to inform them that their prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has just ordered roughly 100 F-15Es, F-16Is, F- 16Cs, and other aircraft of the Israel's air force to fly east toward Iran."

What do you think is going to be the point of no return for Israel here and how soon do you think it could happen?

PATRICK CLAWSON, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: Well, I'm pretty good in my own life about postponing and making difficult decisions. And I have a lot of respect for Israeli politicians' ability to do the same. So I think that they're going to wait just as long as they possibly can. And at the moment, it looks like there's also some traction from the international sanctions and it looks like at the moment, that Iran's programs encountered some problems. So long as those two things keep going, then it looks like we've got more time.

ROBERTS: All right.

CLAWSON: But at some moment, if the Iranian program starts moving ahead quickly and the sanctions process really isn't going anywhere, then Israel is going to act just as quickly as it can because the longer we go on, the more facilities Iran has, the harder it is for Israel to strike. ROBERTS: At the moment, it doesn't look like there's any good outcomes with this.

Patrick Clawson, Robin Wright, great to catch up with you this morning. Thanks so much for coming in.

WRIGHT: Thank you.

CLAWSON: Thank you.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Still ahead on the Most News in the Morning, new rules about the plastic in your wallet now in effect. Find out what it means for your bottom line.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I feel like it doing it now. "Runnin Down a Dream" going to California.

ROBERTS: Well you were mentioning that in the line there's -- in the song there's a line which is apropos of New York. Last three days the rain was unstoppable.

COSTELLO: Yes, it was - well, it wasn't cold but there was no sunshine.

ROBERTS: No sunshine, yes.

COSTELLO: So excellent song choice this morning. It's 20 minutes past the hour.

What's new this morning? The price of used cars skyrocketing because more consumers are unsure about the economy so they're buying pre- owned instead of new. Edmunds.com says the average hike on a three- year-old car is about 10 percent or $1,800. Some used SUVs and crossover vehicles have jumped by 30 percent or more. The highest jump, used Cadillac Escalades. They're up nearly 36 percent.

ROBERTS: New rules on your credit cards go into effect. They block banks from charging you more than $25 for late fees except in extreme circumstances. Creditors are also banned from charging you for not using your card.

COSTELLO: Betty White won her sixth Emmy on Saturday for her recent stint hosting "Saturday Night Live". But at 88, she was so busy she was not on hand to accept the award. The win came at the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony in Los Angeles. It's held before the main Emmy ceremony which is this coming Sunday.

Other big winners, Neil Patrick Harris for his appearance on the FOX musical comedy "Glee" and for hosting the Tonys. John Lithgow took on the trophy for a guest spot on Showtime's serial killer drama "Dexter." And Old Spice took best commercial for one of its Old Spice guy commercials.

ROBERTS: But the biggest winner of the night was HBO, the premium cable network, which we should tell you, is owned by CNN's parent company, Time Warner. Took home 17 trophies mostly on the success of the World War II miniseries "The Pacific." "True Blood" take anything home, do you know?

COSTELLO: Probably. I don't know. I wasn't paying attention. But I'll get the full list on Google.

ROBERTS: I'll ask my daughter. She's a huge fan.

Coming right up on the Most News in the Morning, you worry about your kids and all the temptation, drugs, drinking, smoking. But what you might not know is that your kids may be addicted to the cell phone in their pocket. Find out why coming up next.

Twenty-two minutes now after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: The top stories just a couple of minutes away now. But first an "A.M. Original," something that you'll see only on AMERICAN MORNING.

For most teens, the cell phone isn't just a gadget in their pocket. It's an actual lifeline.

COSTELLO: Supposedly e-mails, texts, tweets and status updates. Are teenagers actually addicted to these things? Our Deb Feyerick has been asking that question and she's here this morning with some answers in our series "Texting Too Much."

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, and there's definitely something called texting too much. But picture any teenager or preteen sending those texts and, yes, experts say that the behavior, the need to get and receive those texts and the effect it may have on a child's mood mimics addictive behavior, even stimulating the same area of the brain as someone on drugs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: On your mark, get set, go.

(voice-over): How fast can your average 15-year-old text a single line? Let's just say faster than someone not in high school.

(LAUGHTER)

(on camera): Mine's not even English.

(voice-over): For 10th grader Sara Matzkin on the right, Sarah Marshall in the middle, and April Polubiec, texting may be as important as talking.

(on camera): How many text do you send and receive every day?

SARA MATZKIN, TEXTING TEEN: Probably around 200.

SARAH MARSHALL, TEXTING TEEN: Definitely a lot. A couple of hundred.

APRIL POLUBIEC, TEXTING TEEN: It varies.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Varies studies show to the tune of well over 3,000 texts a month for the average teenager. The question now: are teens texting too much?

MARSHALL: It's right by my bed when I go to sleep and it's right by my bed when I wake up. It's like the first thing I go to.

FEYERICK: Eighty percent of all kids own a cell phone and the rate of texting has skyrocketed 600 percent in three years.

(on camera): But why is it so important for you to know when somebody's trying to reach you?

POLUBIEC: You feel like you're missing something. If someone like text me and I missed it, I feel like missed out on the moment like --

FEYERICK: Do you sometimes feel your mood changing depending on how often you're receiving the texts or the speed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

FEYERICK: Like what? Give me -- give me some examples.

MATZKIN: Well, I mean, like if someone responds right away, like, you're like, yes, like, they responded. But if they respond like two to three hours later, you're like, what's going on?

FEYERICK (voice-over): Sound addictive? Well, could be. Doctors say texting and the instant gratification of getting a text back floods the brain's pleasure center with the mood-enhancing dopamine.

DR. MICHAEL SEYFFERT, CHILD NEUROLOGIST: Neuro imaging studies have shown that those kids who are texting have that area of the brain light up the same as an addict using heroin, and they will actually describe, when I don't have it, I feel bad, I feel anxious or I feel sad.

FEYERICK (on camera): So, it's like the new nicotine?

SEYFFERT: That's a good description. Yes. And for many, it may well be.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Brain doctor Michael Seyffert treats teens with sleeping disorders at this New Jersey sleep clinic, and has discovered that one out of five of them are interrupting their sleep to text, triggering problems.

SEYFFERT: With a lack of sleep, they are having a problem performing. They're going from "A" or honor roll students to, you know, barely passing.

FEYERICK: That's the worst case.

These teens, on the other hand, get good grades and take part in afterschool activities, though texting does sometimes get them in trouble.

FEYERICK (on camera): When was the last time you had your phones taken away?

MATZKIN, MARSHALL, POLUBIEC: Yesterday.

MARSHALL: Today.

FEYERICK: Today. OK. So basically within the last 24 hours, you've each had your phone taken away from you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Their school like many struggling to contain a growing distraction for students.

TRACEY BAILEY, ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN EDUCATORS: Most administrators will tell you that if it's not their single greatest problem in terms of discipline and school management, it's at least in the top three.

FEYERICK: Despite the potential downsides, these parents say texting has become a necessary evil.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They don't answer the phone. It's the only way --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They will answer a text.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They don't do e-mail at all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They won't e-mail.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Forget about e-mail. They won. The only way to get a hold of them is to text, so I had to actually to get text messaging in order to communicate with my kids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes they'll only communicate that way.

FEYERICK: And while the behavior can be addictive, teens like Sara Marshall say they're confident they can quit cold turkey.

MARSHALL: Maybe I'd have some, like, withdrawal symptoms, like I get anxious and like wonder like what's going on, but once I realize that nothing bad is happening, it's fine without my phone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And now that school is starting up again, educators are really trying to find the right balance, whether to ban cell phones all together or set very strict rules. The challenge, of course, is that this is the way teens are talking to each other in their own code, their own language. I mean, you know, just to date myself, I passed notes. This is their version of that except they're doing it 100, 200 times a day.

COSTELLO: OK. Well, why not just ban cell phones from the classroom? What's so hard about that? I mean, why does the kid need a cell phone in class?

FEYERICK: Well they've tried that. The kids get them into the class, they know they can text under the desk, as a matter of fact. There are certain behaviors that teachers now look for. Some school districts actually will charge when they confiscate the cell phones. And so that revenue has become actually a big part of the money that they're bringing in.

COSTELLO: Excellent.

ROBERTS: You know what? You know --

FEYERICK: Yes, absolutely.

ROBERTS: You know who they need to police cell phones in schools? Flight attendants.

COSTELLO: That's right.

FEYERICK: They are tough, those breed.

ROBERTS: You know, I wonder when you're talking about the neurological activity when you're texting and the reward centers, I wonder if kids get the same rewards from a one-on-one conversation that they do when that little text goes ding.

FEYERICK: And that's a really great point. Some kids say that they are able to communicate via texting with kids that they don't even talk to during the school day but in texts, children's characters come out. But sometimes face to face it's a much more awkward situation so these girls have been friends for a very long time, they get each other, they know how they think, sarcasm sort of they get when they're texting that. Other kids, no. And so they have friendships that are formed through texting that don't exist in the schools.

ROBERTS: Wow.

COSTELLO: Yes.

ROBERTS: Virtual friendships.

FEYERICK: That's exactly right.

COSTELLO: But still, at least it gets them talking to people they wouldn't normally talk to which is a good thing.

ROBERTS: But are they really talking to them? If you don't really interact with somebody are you really talking to them? It is kind of like a pen pal, right?

COSTELLO: Electronic pen pal.

ROBERTS: This whole thing just -

COSTELLO: It's OK. We're going to talk more about it later. Deb, thank you very much.

ROBERTS: Thanks.

Definitely fascinating.

COSTELLO: It is fascinating. But it comes with dangers, too. Like cyber bullying and sexting. So we're going to explore the issue of how you can protect your child from these things. Some advice at 8:40 Eastern from former Education secretary and talk radio show host Bill Bennett.

ROBERTS: It is - we're now crossing the half-hour. It's time for this morning's top stories. More than half a billion eggs now part of a nationwide recall in a Salmonella scare. The FDA says more than 1,000 people have gotten sick, the outbreak being traced back to two farms in Iowa this morning.

COSTELLO: And tropical storm Danielle is mixing a dangerous brew in the middle of the Atlantic. Here's a live look for you now. The system's packing sustained winds of 60 miles per hour and it is expected to become a hurricane later today. Not expected to hit the United States though. Rob Marciano will have more on Danielle in just a minute.

ROBERTS: The religious leader of a controversial Islamic center and mosque just a stone's throw away from Ground Zero says New York City should move forward with the project. In a Bahraini newspaper yesterday, Abdul Rauf said the center will be built with "an Islamic approach that allows for harmony and understanding among all religions and other ideas."

COSTELLO: And despite attempts by backers of the cultural center and mosque to explain both its purpose and location, the protests of the site of 9/11 attacks continue to grow.

ROBERTS: Hundreds of people gathered there yesterday. And right now Susan Candiotti tells us how blue-collar workers intend to take a stand about all this. She's got more from ground zero.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Carol, good morning. Dueling rallies without facing each other and without, for now, showing much hope of compromise.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Passionate protesters. They argued that an Islamic center and mosque two blocks away from Ground Zero is what they call a slap in the face to those killed on 9/11.

ANDY SULLIVAN, ANTI-ISLAMIC CENTER ACTIVIST: This is Andy from Brooklyn! Forget about it!

CANDIOTTI: Andrew Sullivan is urging blue-collar workers to sign a pledge refusing any job at the proposed religious site. Hardhats were handed out at the protest rally. This man who works for the fire department put one on.

MIKE MEEHAN, ANTI-ISLAMIC PROTESTER: If they built it uptown I would have no problem. Believe it or not. Just not down here.

CANDIOTTI: For others, the Muslims behind the project are nothing short of sinister.

SHAWN GILFREATHER, ANTI-ISLAMIC CENTER PROTESTER: I think the people that are backing it, the people that are funding it, are actually in cahoots with the terrorists.

CANDIOTTI: About a block away, supporters scoffed at suggestions that an Islamic center would be a cover for terrorists.

DR. ALI AKRAM, ISLAMIC CENTER SUPPORTER: There are many Muslims who lost Muslim family members at Ground Zero so when they come to visit Ground Zero as a memorial. They should be able to walk two blocks down and pray for their loved ones.

CANDIOTTI: An Ohio Army reservist on his way to Afghanistan sees the controversy as a perfect platform to prove what troops are fighting for overseas.

LT. COL. CHRIS DZIUBEK, ISLAMIC CENTER SUPPORTER: They have certainly the right and the ability to doing whatever they would like. That's what I like about the country, is the ability for people who disagree with one another to hash it out without guns.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): On Sunday, the wife of the imam involved in the Islamic center controversy said there are no changes planned but the move could be considered after consultations, as she put it, with all major stakeholders.

DAISY KHAN, EXEC. DIR., AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MUSLIM ADVANCEMENT: We have to be cognizant that we also have a constitutional right. We have the Muslim community around the nation that we have to be concerned about and we have to worry about the extremists as well because they are seizing this moment. And so we have to be very careful and deliberate in when we make any major decision.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: The Islamic center planners say they are working with the rabbi to pattern the building like a Jewish community center. That's of little interest to protesters. John and Carol.

CANDIOTTI: Thanks, Susan.

Are your eggs safe? Big question this morning with what millions of eggs being recalled.

ROBERTS: Half a billion eggs recalled.

CANDIOTTI: 1,000 people sick from Salmonella poisoning. We're going to have the FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg joining us live in a couple of minutes. She's going to answer some of the questions that are probably on the top most of your mind as you prepare breakfast this morning. It's 34 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Many people wondering this morning whether it's safe to crack open their eggs. More than half a billion of them have now been recalled over Salmonella fears. Joining us now from Washington is FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. Thanks for joining us this morning.

MARGARET HAMBURG, FDA COMMISSIONER: Sure, my pleasure.

COSTELLO: Half a billion eggs is a lot of eggs to be recalled. Do you feel you have your arms around this problem?

HAMBURG: Well, we're continuing to investigate to make sure that we fully understand the source of the contamination and, of course, as we do that we're going forward with the recall and as you say, we've recalled more than a half a billion eggs so far. It's the largest such egg recall in recent history. We may have to continue with some smaller sub recalls but we think that we are getting to a very important point of control of what's going on.

COSTELLO: So it's not over yet. Do you have any clue at all as to what might have infected these eggs at these farms?

HAMBURG: Well, we're still trying to determine that. It could have been environmental exposures, infection of the laying hens themselves, or feed or some combination. The important thing is that we do know that these eggs are the source of contaminated product. The recall should be taken seriously.

I would advise consumers to go to the web site foodsafety.gov, where they can get all the information on the recall and how to identify whether products that may be in their refrigerators are part of the recall and should be thrown out or returned to their supermarkets for reimbursement.

COSTELLO: What are the farms - I mean, the farms aren't distributing anymore eggs. Right?

HAMBURG: That's right.

COSTELLO: So what exactly are the farms doing to help the FDA figure out what happened there?

HAMBURG: Well, they are working with us to let our inspectors in, to review the conditions on the farms and the records about past conditions and that is very, very important as we really narrow in to identify the initial source of the contamination.

It is also very important that we work with them to understand the networks of distribution, because we have a very complex food production system in this country. The eggs go to wholesalers, distributors, food service companies in different states that then sell or distribute the eggs to other places so that you start with a couple of farms in Iowa and you can get nationwide exposure and that's what creates a challenge.

COSTELLO: Let me ask you about these farms in particular. Because you have said that they were not operating with responsible standards of practice. If you look at the list of infractions against these two farms, it is a long list. I mean, just in June of 2010, 10 civil counts of animal cruelty. 2002, supervisors sexually assaulted and harassed female employees. In 2000, Iowa's AG charged "habitual violator of state environmental laws."

Some say all of these things create this environment where something like this could happen. So did the FDA have its eye on these two particular farms? Were they monitoring them more closely perhaps than other farms throughout the country?

HAMBURG: Well, those infractions that you describe, of course, are extremely worrisome. But FDA is focused on food safety. That's what's in our purview. When we began to learn about cases of egg contamination that might be associated with those farms, that's when we got involved. Going forward, we actually have just put forward new egg safety rules -

COSTELLO: Well, before we get to the new rules, I'm just curious about any government agency that was keeping a close eye on these farms given their history.

HAMBURG: Well, I think obviously there were a number of different entities that had been monitoring and charges had been brought. But the FDA is responsible for food safety. The infractions that you were noting had to do with animal cruelty and with worker conditions and other things.

COSTELLO: And environmental laws. But like I said, some people feel that by doing these things it created this environment for something like a Salmonella outbreak to happen. So I guess you're left wondering, if these farms had so many infractions in their past, why they were - why were they allowed to continue operating?

HAMBURG: Well, I think it speaks to an important issue that you want to work with companies to try to hold them accountable to a certain set of standards and practices. And when they step over the line, you do need to take action. And of course, as I said, our purview is food safety and we are acting very aggressively now to make sure that we fully investigate the source of the contamination and how it happened to put in place preventive measures so it won't happen in the future and to protect consumers by doing a complete and thorough recall of products that may be contaminated.

COSTELLO: Well, I hope the new regulations work. Thank you so much for joining this morning. Margaret Hamburg.

HAMBURG: Sure. Thank you.

ROBERTS: A soaker in the northeast. Plus another tropical storm out there in the Atlantic. Rob Marciano's got your travel forecast coming right up. Stay with us.

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ROBERTS: Well, you're not going to like the weather too much in New York City today. Right now, rain and 70 degrees. Later on today, thunderstorms and a high of just 74. That storm that plagued us all day yesterday hanging around for another day today.

COSTELLO: Maybe it will kill the humidity, though. I'm going to think positively now. I know. It's a complete switch.

ROBERTS: Yes, but it's 100 percent humidity out there because it's raining.

COSTELLO: Is that what you said?

ROBERTS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It is?

ROBERTS: Well, it's pouring out. That would be 100 percent humidity.

COSTELLO: Rob? Hi.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. But - but the other bit of good news, Carol -

COSTELLO: Yes?

MARCIANO: -- is that the temperatures will remain comfortably cool in the 70s today.

COSTELLO: See? Fantastic!

ROBERTS: There you go. But it will be humid.

MARCIANO: It will be rather humid and wet at times.

Sixty-eight degrees in - in Boston. That's the expected high temperature where they're seeing winds blow out of the east at about 30 miles an hour in spots. So it feels like a nor'easter for them. It's going to be wet, certainly, from Eastern New England back to New York.

But Philly and - and D.C. are already kind of broken out of it, and this - those areas are seeing partly cloudy conditions, but it has been rather wet and heavy rain falling in places like New York, up the Hudson, in through Poughkeepsie and, say, Green County and areas there have seen a - a lot of rain here in the last 24 hours. So as places like in South Carolina, where they saw four and a half inches, Syracuse, New York saw over four inches, Poughkeepsie - there you go - 3.6. And as of midnight last night, White Plains have seen three inches. It's just outside of New York City and we saw the flooding - the flooding issues across parts of Queens last night and probably seeing some of that action this morning. So the commute is a little bit treacherous in - especially in New York and in Boston. Those are the areas both on the ground and in the air. You're going to see a bit of a problem as far as delays. So plan ahead for that and certainly bring along the rain gear.

All right, here's the forecast track for tropical storm Danielle, which is forecast to become a hurricane probably later on today or tomorrow. It is getting into favorable conditions for that. The strength of it, we're not too concerned about. Obviously, we're more concerned about the track.

It is heading towards the U.S., but at this trajectory and the way the computer models are shaping things up and what typically drives everything to the west is breaking down. So, at this point, we do expect it to stay out at sea, but things can change and this is looking more and more menacing by the hour. Probably a hurricane later on today or at the very least earlier tomorrow morning.

Got your own little hurricane happening in New York City this morning. It is coming down and deep (INAUDIBLE) of heavy tropical rains there and in Boston. Try to stay - stay dry, guys.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob, I think.

ROBERTS: Thanks, Rob.

Well, we got some news to tell you about, coming to us from the Philippines. A hostage situation unfolding right now. Some - some major action and some scary moments in just the past hour. Police have charged that bus that an ex-cop has taken some folks hostage in.

There's been a lot of action since we last updated you. Authorities say this guy, an ex-cop, got on board a tour bus with 25 people on board. He had a rifle with him. He was initially asking for a ride, and then said I'm taking over the bus here because I want my job back.

And you can see the SWAT team there trying to smash out the windows of this bus and gain access. Obviously they're not being too subtle about their attempts to - to get in and - and take control from this guy.

As far as we know, though, he has not injured anyone. There were initially 25 people on board. Nine hostages have been released. We did see some shots fired out of the front window a little while ago.

No telling exactly what the - the strategy is here by the SWAT department as they try desperately to get inside that bus and can't. You would think, though, that they might be endangering people on board with this tactic, so we're just -

COSTELLO: Yes. It's not exactly sneaking up and hiding bind barricades, is it?

ROBERTS: No. They were - they were sort of hiding along the side of the bus, but definitely an aggressive assault there on the bus that doesn't seem to be, at this point, bearing fruit. So we'll keep watching the situation and keep you updated on it.

COSTELLO: This morning's top stories just minutes away, including a half billion eggs and counting. The latest on the salmonella egg scare. Whether you should crack them or chuck them this morning.

ROBERTS: And at 10 minutes after, the man who warned Roger Clemens before his hearing, do not tell a lie. Former Congressman Todd Davis on The Rocket's chances of going to prison.

COSTELLO: And at 50 minutes past, teens and tweens texting too much, the threats of cyber bullying, the dangers of sexting. So how do you protect your kids? Some advice from former Education Secretary and top radio show host, Bill Bennett.

Those stories and much more at the top of the hour.

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COSTELLO: The head of the U.N. calling it the worst disaster he's ever seen. More than 1,500 are dead in Pakistan's floods, and now disease is spreading.

ROBERTS: The United Nations says up to three and one-half million children are at high risk of deadly water-borne diseases and many of these children are not going to get any help. Hospitals that were left standing simply can't handle the chaos.

Our Sara Sidner visited one of those hospitals. She's back in the capital now, Islamabad, with more on what's happening to the very young survivors of the floods. And it's just - it's really tragic, Sara, what you found out there in the field.

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is so hard to watch. I think one - that's one of the things that we left with. It was for hours on end the sound of crying babies and dozens of I.V. drips all at one time. The hospital that just simply couldn't handle the number of babies and children they were getting every single day.

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SIDNER (voice-over): Six-month-old Kalsun (ph) wouldn't stop crying. His mother is beside herself after rushing her child to the hospital from the flood relief camps.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm like a rolling stone, going here and there. My life is over. I have lost everything, she says. And now I'm at the mercy of others and the government.

SIDNER: At this government hospital, nurses rush to give Kalsun (ph) an I.V. drip to rehydrate him. His tiny body is now wracked with diarrhea and fever.

He's one of hundreds of young but sick survivors of the flood in Pakistan's Punjab Province. SIDNER (on camera): In the Punjab Province, this is the closest children's hospital to the flood zones. There are about 200 sick babies and children who come into this ward daily, but there are only 25 beds, so three or four children have to share a bed.

SIDNER (voice-over): Others are outside on what looks like a long tabletop.

SIDNER (on camera): You sound like you're - it's overwhelming with 200 patients.

DR. AMAR EJAZ (ph), PAKISTANI PEDIATRICIAN: It is. It is. We have 200 plus patients (INAUDIBLE) in 24 hours - in 24 hours. This is a huge amount of patients per day.

SIDNER (voice-over): Overwhelmed is an understatement. This hospital is the only one dedicated to children for an area populated with an estimated 40 million people.

As Dr. Amar Ejaz (ph) rushes around trying to keep up with the wave of flood victims, there's an urgent call about one of her regular patients. A newborn has stopped breathing. Her team is trying everything on tiny 2-month-old Faizan (ph). They managed to keep him alive, but they don't know for how long.

There is no time to mentally process the suffering of each patient here. Instead, the medical team goes right back to the other 200 young patients crying out for help.

EJAZ (ph): We're using our own resources of dealing with the patients. We -

SIDNER (on camera): But you don't have enough --

EJAZ (ph): We don't - we don't have enough.

SIDNER: -- to save them.

EJAZ (ph): We don't have enough - we don't have enough space. We don't have enough doctors. We don't have enough medicines.

SIDNER (voice-over): If doctors here have to keep up this pace with no additional funding, they say they'll completely run out of everything for these tiny little patients in about three months.

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SIDNER: Now, looking at that hospital, it seems very chaotic, it's a very difficult situation. But, in fact, those children and those mothers who are there are lucky because there are hundreds of thousands of children that don't even have shelter, never mind a hospital or medicine - John.

ROBERTS: And what about the chances of getting some more supplies and more personnel out there? SIDNER: There are. Doctors Without Borders are here. The government has been sending from that hospital and others that are still standing teams of doctors out to some of the camps. Those things are starting to happen. We saw those things with our own eyes.

We're also seeing contingents from different countries, Australia, Japan, the U.A.E., the U.S. all out in force trying to help rebuild, trying to give aid to those in need. So there is an effort that seems to be growing here. There's more money coming into the country, more pledges being made.

But if you talk to the people on the ground, they say, yes, we are now starting to see food and water, but they are very concerned about what's going to happen in the future because this is the problem that is going to hit Pakistan for years to come, John.

ROBERTS: Yes. Certainly a tremendous amount of need there.

Sara Sidner for us from Islamabad. Sara, thanks so much.

COSTELLO: Top stories are coming your way right after the break.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANFORD MARSALIS, WORLD RENOWNED SAXOPHONIST: Hi. I'm Branford Marsalis, and we can make an impact by rebuilding New Orleans.

I've got involved with "Habitat for Humanity" with Harry Connick, Jr. What "Habitat for Humanity" does is provide low-income families with affordable housing. The Musicians Village is in the upper ninth ward section of New Orleans. We are currently in the process of building the Ellis Marsalis Education Center for Music.

For everyone in the neighborhood, join the movement, "Impact your World", cnn.com/impact.

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