Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Reports Say Terrell Owens Attempted Suicide; Whispers of Leads About Where Osama bin Laden May Be Located; Economy May Pay Price For Overheating Housing Market; Terrell Owens Press Conference; Shots Fired, Hostages Taken at Colorado High School; FDA Zeroing in on Tainted Spinach

Aired September 27, 2006 - 13:59   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Lin, in for Kyra Phillips.

Cowboys superstar and lightning rod Terrell Owens, did he attempt suicide? The developing story from the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: We begin with developing news. Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens has made his name with stellar play on the field and sometimes outlandish behavior off the field. Now comes word that Owens may be facing problems much more serious than wins and losses. He left a Dallas hospital a short time ago after being rushed there last night, reportedly after trying to commit suicide.

Let's get more now from Rebecca Lopez of WFAA in Dallas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBECCA LOPEZ, REPORTER, WFAA: Yes, we obtained a copy of the police report, and according to a police report by the Dallas Police Department, it says that he may have attempted to commit suicide. Now, according to the report, a woman was with him at the time. She saw him put two pain pills in his mouth. She tried to get those pain pills out.

She also noticed that a prescription bottle of pain medication was empty. She said that on September the 18th she filled that bottle. There were 40 pills inside. He had only taken up to five up until yesterday, and then she noticed that the bottle was empty. At that time she called 911.

Now, when police went to Baylor Medical Center, which is where they took Owens, they asked him if he had taken the remainder of the pills, and he said yes. When they asked him if he had -- was intending to harm himself, he said yes.

So it appears that he may have tried to kill himself, according to a Dallas police report.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. That was Rebecca Lopez of WFAA in Dallas. And we're expecting to hear from Terrell Owens in just a few minutes. Why don't we talk about that with WFAA sports reporter Joe Trahan. He joins me now by phone from Dallas.

Any word on that press conference?

JOE TRAHAN, REPORTER, WFAA: Yes, we do have word, and it should be pretty definitive word this time, Don. The Cowboys' P.R. staff has told us that Terrell Owens will speak here at their Valley Ranch facility at 2:30.

Now, earlier, we were told that he would make a statement outside of his Dallas home, but at one point former Cowboy great Deion Sanders, who is obviously there aiding Mr. Owens, came out and said that he would not have the press conference outside of his home as it was planned. Apparently, his P.R. representative got with the Cowboys' public relations department, and they've now decided to have that press conference at 2:30 Central Standard Time, 3:30 Eastern.

LEMON: Joe, talk about the relationship with Deion Sanders and Terrell Owens.

TRAHAN: Well, this is one of those former players know some of these present players best.

LEMON: Do you think he...

TRAHAN: Also, Terrell Owens is very close friends with Michael Irvin, another former Cowboy great.

LEMON: Do you think...

TRAHAN: Michael and Deion Sanders are obviously close from their playing days. So, those former Cowboys trying to help Owens. In fact, it was widely reported that Michael Irvin was one of the chief reasons why Terrell Owens ended up in Dallas.

And speaking of Michael Irvin, we've heard the first sort of signs of what we will hear from Terrell Owens' camp from Michael Irvin earlier today. Irvin said this -- he said he spoke to Owens and Owens told him that this is a situation where he was taking supplements to try to get back on the football field, and that, mixed with the painkillers, when he also got inside his hyperbaric chamber, created this situation.

So you -- you should expect to hear more of that. We should flesh that out when Terrell Owens speaks at 3:30 Eastern.

LEMON: He got into a hyperbaric chamber where?

TRAHAN: He's actually got one of those hyperbaric chambers in him home.

LEMON: OK.

TRAHAN: And what that hyperbaric chamber does is it increases your blood flow, it increases the number of red blood cells in your body, and it aids in healing. It became famous when Terrell Owens came back sooner than expected from an ankle injury a couple of years ago and played in the Super Bowl.

LEMON: All right. Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin, this could be a case of, well, you know, we're more experienced at this than you are, you're not going to do this at your home, let us help you with this.

Is that what that is?

TRAHAN: Well, part of it is, you know -- I mean, obviously Michael Irvin has been through rough times before. He understands what it's like to deal with the media, especially when they involve touchy situations, situations that are outside of the norm when it comes to sports and when it comes to football.

And I think it's a matter of those guys being older and more experienced and trying to -- trying to help out a younger guy who is finding out about this. I mean, obviously he knows quite a bit about dealing with the media and he's very well-versed at it, but this is something the likes of which he has yet to deal.

LEMON: This is a bit surprising, because yesterday -- and we saw the video of that, and you talked about it -- Terrell Owens was playing around with the players. You saw him, you know, behind one of the big ice bins there joking around. It appears that he was in good spirits, and then now this.

TRAHAN: Yes, and that's -- you know, obviously anyone who would think a guy who is scheduled to make $10 million this season and would do what that police report says he would do would certainly think it's out of the blue. And given his mental state, because from all reports that we have been hearing, that broken bone in his right hand was getting better, they were holding out hope that he might be able to play this week against the Tennessee Titans. That would certainly be sooner than he was expected to come back, so it seemed as though things were going in the right direction.

But as I like to say all the time, we talk to these guys two or three times a week, and what seems to be isn't always. And we don't know if that's the case yet, but we should find out at that 3:30 presser. At least we should -- we should know what Terrell Owens will say about this situation.

LEMON: All right, Joe. This may be the only bit of breaking news coming out, so real quickly, again, Michael Irvin saying that mixed with supplements, the painkillers he's taking, mixed with supplements, and going inside of a hyperbaric chamber in his home, that that may have caused this reaction that some may deem as a suicide attempt?

TRAHAN: That is what we suspect to hear more of. That's the -- that's the thread of this story that we will try and flesh out at this 3:30 presser. But, yes, Michael Irvin has said that, and he said that information was garnered directly from Terrell Owens. They are close friends, and that's what it seems to be Owens is saying at this point.

LEMON: All right. Joe Trahan of our affiliate station WFAA in Dallas telling us that news.

Thank you very much for joining us, sir.

TRAHAN: All right. Thanks so much, Don.

LIN: Joe's been terrific. He really has some insight into this story.

LEMON: Absolutely.

LIN: All right, 3:30 this afternoon Eastern Time that press conference.

In the meantime, we want to follow up on another story that we had breaking over the weekend, whether or not Osama bin Laden was dead or alive. And in the area in which Special Forces and the Pakistani government has been looking is a cold and rugged area, but it is now turning into a real hotspot in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, especially now.

Our Barbara Starr at the Pentagon with the very latest on this search.

So, Barbara, what's new?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, as you say, over the weekend the world watched very closely a number of swirling stories that bin Laden was either dead or dying of some sort of waterborne illness. Now it appears that maybe there have been some whispers of leads about where Osama bin Laden may be located.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): U.S. intelligence sources tell CNN that two months ago there were signs of sudden activity in the remote mountain regions of Pakistan where Osama bin Laden is thought to be hiding. Analysts describe signs of people and movement in an area where the pace of activity is normally predictable.

Part of the movement may have been Arab fighters or Taliban trying to avoid the Pakistani military, but according to one official, there was a source in the region who saw someone, possibly bin Laden himself. There have been tips before, but this time it was all enough to persuade the U.S. intelligence community to once again order reconnaissance assets into a particular area of the tribal border region.

The high-tech hunt, using spy planes and sensors, essentially is aimed at putting an electronic fence around an area where bin Laden might be. Spy satellites are used to look for changes in the landscape below. For example, fresh tire tracks on a mountain pass could mean medical aid is being brought to bin Laden.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: And Carol, intelligence analysts say there's a whole new generation of classified, high-tech sensors that are being used these days that can even trace the most minute indications of broadcast transmissions or cell phone calls, or things like that. But as always, the challenge is getting that electronic fence up and running, getting a line of electronic monitoring around any area that they think bin Laden might be before bin Laden moves -- Carol.

LIN: Barbara, some of the interviews that I was doing over the weekend, the consensus seemed to be that it's possible that al Qaeda -- for al Qaeda, bin Laden is more valuable to the movement dead now than alive.

Is there any sense at all at the Pentagon that some of his own might either be ratting him out and tipping off some of the forces who might be searching for him or his body?

STARR: You know, that is always going to be a risk that bin Laden faces, as he knows better than anybody else. He is in an area where it is said that the tribes, the people that live in those mountain regions, are very loyal to him, and certainly since September 11th there's been a huge reward on his head, something like $25 million. And nobody has turned him in yet.

But as time goes on, most intelligence analysts say that is still one of their hopes, that somebody basically will snitch and rat him out.

LIN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Thank you.

Now, so, if bin Laden is in Pakistan, who should actually go get him? President Bush told CNN he'd be willing to send in U.S. Special Forces if he had credible information that bin Laden was there, instead of letting Pakistan take the lead. Well, not so fast, says Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Here's what he told our Wolf Blitzer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: I have been giving my comments that this is a sensitive area of -- and our decision is that we operate on our side of the border and U.S. forces and allies operate on the other side.

Now, having said that, we are hunting Osama and Zawahiri together. We are on the hunt, we are on the lookout for him. When we locate him, we have to take action, we have to take effective action to do away with him.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: What would be wrong if the United States tried to capture or kill bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri, his number two, in Pakistan? PERVEZ: It is a very sensitive issue. We should not be discussing how and who is to deliver the blow. But whenever we locate him, we have to deal with him. And let's leave it at that and let's not get into the sensitivity of who and how it will be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Tonight, President Bush meets with presidents Musharraf and Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, at the White House. We're going to have complete coverage right here on CNN, and you can watch "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer at 7:00 Eastern.

LEMON: Word just in from Baghdad of an attack on Ramadan worshippers headed to a Sunni mosque in the northern part of the city. Iraqi police report 10 people killed, 11 wounded. That attack just part of the daily violence in Iraq that doesn't appear to be waning.

In fact, the weekly rate of suicide attacks is the highest since the war began. In the words of the U.S. Army spokesman in Baghdad, this has been a tough week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: In terms of attacks, this week's suicide attacks were at their highest level in any given week, with half of them targeting security forces. Last week almost 50 percent of the vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices were suicide attacks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: On the ground and from the air, an American-led force traded fire today with what U.S. leaders call suspected terrorists in Baquba, north of Baghdad. Four gunmen believe linked to be al Qaeda were killed, as were four female civilians. An Army spokesman says the mission was to root out a wanted terror leader. No word if the main suspect was among those killed.

LIN: Twelve months or less, that is how soon most Iraqis wish U.S. troops would leave their country. A University of Maryland project this month polled more than 1,100 Iraqi adults nationwide. More than 70 percent of them responded that they would like to see all U.S. forces withdrawn from Iraq within six months to a year.

Now, the poll summarizes that most Iraqis believe a U.S. pullout will make their government stronger.

Slowing sales, falling prices. Has the housing bubble actually burst?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People who bought in at the top and sell at the bottom can get really hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LIN: Ahead in the NEWSROOM, what the new numbers in the housing market mean to your bottom line.

LEMON: Plus, our top story today, reports today that NFL star Terrell Owens has gone from the Super Bowl to a suicide attempt. New video of Owens leaving his home. We expect to hear from him in the next hour.

We also expect to hear from Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells this hour. T.O. leaving his home right there.

Live coverage from the NEWSROOM coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Has the boom gone bust? Well, homes sales are slowing and prices are falling. That's good for buyers, but not so good for millions of people trying to sell their homes at a premium.

Now, some say all the talk about a housing bubble was for real and that the economy will now pay the price for an overheated market.

Well, I spoke with our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Carol, I'm going to tell you, this is something of a turning point I think in the market. We have a new report out this week. You'll definitely want to see these results. And we even talked to one family that is really struggling with the boom that seems to be going bust.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): Kate and Hans Koning have been trying to sell their eastern Connecticut house for nearly a year. So far there are no takers, even though they cut their price not once, but twice.

KATE KONING, HOMEOWNER: I started at $875,000, and at the time I thought that was really a reasonable price for the house, given the size.

WILLIS: The Konings are not alone. Sellers across the country are struggling with a weakening housing market. Just how weak became apparent Monday when the National Association of Realtors released its monthly housing report showing that median prices for homes fell for the first time in 11 years. Although the tumble was small, just two percent, it represents a turning point for a market that has been on fire for the past decade.

DAVID LEREAH, NATIONAL ASSN. OF REALTORS: The housing markets just went through a very big boom. We need a correction. Prices got too high and now we need prices to come down to bring people back into the buying marketplace. WILLIS: Back into the buying market so prices can go up again. But some say a rebound won't be that easy this time. Economist Robert Shiller correctly predicted the dot com bust of the late 90s. Now he says its housing's turn.

ROBERT SHILLER, AUTHOR, "IRRATIONAL EXUBERANCE": If the U.S. housing market really starts to decline, it will harm confidence and it will cause a possibility of downward momentum in the U.S.

WILLIS: And that means pain for some homeowners.

SHILLER: The people who bought in at the top and sell out at the bottom can get really hurt. And so there will be bankruptcies, foreclosures, and people out of jobs, but we'll recover from it. And this is not nuclear war.

WILLIS: Even Lereah who had previously been optimistic says prices are headed down for a while. Most at risk are places with big backlogs of homes and already high prices like southern Florida, southern California, Nevada and Washington, D.C.

Some say recovery will be months in the future. Others say it could be years. For the Konings, it can't come soon enough.

KONING: I don't know how long this is going to go and how, you know -- I mean, I may have to just decide not to -- not to go anywhere.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: All right. Well, Carol, as you can see, people are struggling with this market right now. And you know what? It's all local, that's the big headline here.

You know, some people see that the median price has actually gone down for the first time in 11 years and they say, "Not in my neighborhood." That can be true, but I've got to tell you, Carol, it pays to watch these prices.

LIN: Yes, because you take a look at that map, Gerri, and I'm thinking the big markets like New York, Florida, California, Arizona, we've heard about those triple-digits gains.

WILLIS: Right.

LIN: But what about places like right here in Atlanta or Nashville, Tennessee, you know, those smaller or mid-markets? I mean there are houses that are selling, so how do you explain that?

WILLIS: Well, absolutely correct, Carol. It's all local. Every market is different, and what's really interesting here is the pundits really got it wrong.

That's right. They said that the declines would happen first in those big markets, but what actually happened is we've seen prices already go down in some Midwestern markets, like Detroit, where the auto industry is really suffering. They're laying off lots of employees. The economy is down, and as a result you see the housing market is really suffering.

LIN: So what -- for people who want to sell right now, what are they realistically looking at? Is it better for them to rent, rent their house out and wait for the market to turn, or is it really a matter of seeing people starting to dump properties?

WILLIS: Well, it really depends on where you are and what situation that market is in. But one thing to really think about here is, how long have I been in my house?

Look, for a lot of people across the country prices have been going up for years. If you have held your home in this country for five years, prices on average have gone up 60 percent. A 3 percent decline simply doesn't matter, and that's the forecast from the NAR -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Gerri Willis, we'll see what happens. Thank you.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: It has been more than 15 years since Romania's deplorable orphanage system shocked the world. You might think it's cleared up its act since then, but you'd be wrong after an undercover reporter exposes a grim reality. We're asking an international adoption expert, is there any way to help these children?

Join us in the NEWSROOM for more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, Carol, the Republicans apparently will be headed to the twin cities in 2008.

LIN: That's right.

LEMON: The Associated Press is reporting that the GOP will hold its national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. A formal announcement is expected later on today. The convention is to be held September 1st through the 4th.

There's an outside possibility the twin cities could host twin conventions. The Democrats are considering Minneapolis-St. Paul, too.

LIN: Can you imagine? Can you imagine?

LEMON: I'd like to see it, actually.

LIN: I wonder if that's ever happened before. We'll have to ask our Bill Schneider.

LEMON: Yes. LIN: One of our senior political analysts.

LEMON: I think it would be very interesting.

LIN: In the meantime today, got money in the market? Almost everybody does with their 401(k) plans, and the Dow is threatening to set a record today.

So let's check in with Cheryl Casone at the New York Stock Exchange for a look at how close it is.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LIN: Well, from the highest to the lowest low, reports today that NFL star Terrell Owens has gone from the Super Bowl to a suicide attempt.

LEMON: Take a look at this. This is new video just in of Owens leaving his home. We expect to hear from him in our next hour.

We also expect to hear from Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells. That is going to happen in just a few minutes.

Live coverage from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Right now in the NEWSROOM, more on a developing story that shocked the sports world. There are numerous reports that NFL superstar Terrell Owens may have attempted suicide last night. He was rushed to a Dallas hospital after reportedly overdosing on pain medication. He left the hospital just a short time ago.

Now, Owens plays for the Dallas Cowboys. He is one of the NFL's top receivers. Fans often refer to him just by his initials, T.O. He has long been a lightning rod for controversy. He has taunted opponents, even publicly mocked his own teammates.

Again, reports today that Terrell Owens tried to commit suicide. But Dallas Police will not confirm a police incident report that details a suicide attempt. And now we have some new video in of Owens leaving his home, and we expect to hear from him in the next hour. We're going to go live to him.

Someone making a statement on behalf of the team.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... we will share it with you. Coach will probably make a brief opening statement, but he is not going to take a series of questions on this subject. So that is the statement on behalf of the organization, and the coach should be here in just a couple minutes.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) notified...

LEMON: And apparently, this may have something to do with Dallas Cowboys head football coach Bill Parcells. He does hold a weekly press conference where he addresses the media, talks about what the team is doing. But in this one, it is expected, obviously, that he will be asked about Terrell Owens and the situation going on there with the possible suicide attempt that we've been hearing about.

So, again, that's a representative for the team coming out today saying that they're going to hold this press conference. Coach Bill Parcells is going to hold a press conference. He will be speaking, and if something happens, we will let you know just as soon as it happens.

LIN: Sounds like the P.R. machine is gearing up, right?

LEMON: Gearing up.

LIN: You know, Terrell wanted to come out outside his house, make a statement. Now that's not going to necessarily happen that way.

LEMON: And I'm glad you said that, because we were talking to a WFAA reporter, Joe -- what's his name?

LIN: Trahan (ph), I think. Something like that.

LEMON: Joe Trahan, who said -- thank you very much, Trahan. Who said that Michael Irvin told him that Terrell said it was supplements -- that he mixed supplements with some painkillers and that he got into a hyperbaric chamber. Apparently, he was taking painkillers because one, he had an injury to his hand and maybe another injury, I believe, in his leg, maybe some muscle in his leg, I forget exactly what it is.

But apparently he was on supplements so that he could get better and get back to work, and then he mixed that with those painkillers that he had been taking and got into a hyperbaric chamber. Very interesting that he has a hyperbaric chamber in his home.

Deion Sanders (ph) also, we saw video of him just a short while ago, going into the stadium there in Dallas, first saying that they were going to hold a press conference, but that the press conference would not be at Terrell Owens' home, as we had heard first.

So we're going to go now to Coach Bill Parcells in Dallas, holding that press conference.

BILL PARCELLS, DALLAS COWBOYS COACH: Honest to goodness, I don't know.

QUESTION: Bill, you mentioned last week that he had had a bad reaction to pain medication. What did you guys as a team do, or as a coaching staff, do after that to try to...

PARCELLS: Well, first of all, the coaching staff isn't involved with pain medication, OK. So you'd have to talk to someone else about that. That's what I was told happened.

QUESTION: What's your expectation about what happened with him from this point forward as you're getting ready for this game?

PARCELLS: You know, I got to get a little clearer picture of what it is. I really don't have a clear picture. I'm telling you the truth. I do not really know. It's just kind of -- you probably know more than I do. Most of the people here probably know more than I do.

QUESTION: Coach, you're a guy that doesn't like distractions. You like to stay focused on football. (INAUDIBLE) seven or eight months had a hamstring problem in spring season. And this situation now. At what does (INAUDIBLE) situation on the team become too big of a distraction?

PARCELLS: Well, you know, I don't think something of this nature is what I would term a distraction. This is apparently an unfortunate set of circumstances. And I'd rather be clear on what they are before I comment on the future. I really would.

QUESTION: When he was sick, after he had the surgery, did they change his medicine? Did they...

PARCELLS: Look, you're talking to the wrong guy. I'm not the team physician. I'm just a coach. I'm trying to get this team ready to play Tennessee. That's what I'm going to do. And I know very little about this situation right now.

QUESTION: Are you expecting -- are you getting the team ready to play, expecting him to be a part of it or not?

PARCELLS: Well, I don't know that. I don't have enough information yet. When I get that, I'll let you know.

QUESTION: So you wouldn't rule out at all that he could play Sunday?

PARCELLS: Well, I wouldn't do anything right now because I'm talking with a good deal of ignorance on the subject.

QUESTION: Coach, when do you expect to talk to him?

PARCELLS: I don't know that I will. We'll see. I don't know -- I don't know -- I don't even really know where he is, myself. I need to -- I was just on the field here for two hours. I mean, I got to get a chance to sit down and talk with people and find out what the hell is going on here. I don't know.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) last...

PARCELLS: I'm sorry?

QUESTION: He was just photographed arriving on the property ten or 15 minutes ago.

PARCELLS: Well, I wasn't on the property. I was out there in the bubble, so I don't know what's going on.

QUESTION: What was the reaction, Bill, from some of the players at practice today. Was there any type of distraction at all?

PARCELLS: Not that I noticed.

QUESTION: You didn't talk to them about it?

PARCELLS: No, I didn't. Absolutely not. Like I tell you, I'm really getting most of this here for the first time. When I leave here, I'll probably get filled in pretty good.

QUESTION: When he left yesterday -- you had talked yesterday he might play Sunday. When he left yesterday...

PARCELLS: I thought he might -- no, I didn't say he might play Sunday. I said he might do something today, and then we'd gauge it based on where we were after that. Obviously, he didn't do anything to that.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) yesterday?

PARCELLS: Excuse me?

QUESTION: Did he complain about any pain yesterday?

PARCELLS: Not to me.

QUESTION: Were you pleased with his recovery after yesterday?

PARCELLS: Excuse me?

QUESTION: Were you pleased with the progress on his recovery after yesterday?

PARCELLS: Yes, I thought it was going OK.

QUESTION: Did you ask Jim (ph) or Britt (ph) -- Jim or Britt or anybody if he had complained of any added soreness after yesterday?

PARCELLS: No, I haven't. No, I haven't done anything. I haven't had a chance to do anything.

QUESTION: If he is on the property, will you try to talk to him today if he is here?

PARCELLS: Well, I don't know what I'll do. Let me find out what the heck's going on. Is there anything else today? I mean, I know it's a story, fellows, so I'm going to try to be polite as I can. But I can't give you information I don't have, so I don't know what else to do here.

But if this is what we're talking about, you're talking to someone that's really doesn't have the best working knowledge of the subject now, and when I get it, I'll be happy to discuss it with you. But right now isn't that time. And I'm not trying to be impolite. Yes?

QUESTION: Would you put any player on the field when it was shown that...

PARCELLS: First of all, first of all -- first of all, that's not my decision, OK? I go by what our medical staff says.

QUESTION: But would you require -- would they require some level of evaluation?

PARCELLS: I don't know any of this. What are you going there for? I don't know. Okay?

QUESTION: Coach, last night when he went to the hospital, did you hear anything about that?

PARCELLS: No. I didn't know anything.

LEMON: All right. We'll leave that picture up. That is Coach Bill Parcells in Dallas, coach of the Dallas Cowboys, holding a press conference, saying in more ways than one -- as many ways as you can -- he really doesn't know about the situation.

He did say that Terrell Owens did not practice today. He hasn't ruled out whether he's going to play this week end or not. He said he doesn't know. He says he -- he hasn't spoken to Terrell Owens today, so he doesn't know what's going on, in fact saying, I really don't -- quote, "I really don't have a clear picture," and the people in the room probably knows more than he does about the situation.

All he says is that, for him, it's not a distraction. It's an unfortunate set of circumstances, he says, and his focus was to get the team ready to play Tennessee this weekend. He's not ruling out anything. He doesn't know and he is like all of us, awaiting word from Terrell Owens on this situation.

But again -- that was Coach Bill Parcells there. We did hear the only bit of breaking news from our reporter -- WFAA in Dallas, our Dallas affiliate -- saying that Michael Irving told him that it was supplements mixed with painkillers and then he got into a hyperbaric chamber, and the coach addressing that -- someone asked him about that as well, about the mix of the painkillers and the supplements. He said he did not know.

LIN: We were just watching pictures -- people might have thought it looked kind of funny -- of Terrell Owens hiding behind a trash can as he's scooting away from the reporters, kind of joking with them that he didn't want to be seen on camera. And that is -- the reporter that you talked to from WFAA was saying that he was just joking around with reporters the other day, he seemed perfectly fine, and we just saw a ...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Yes, as a matter of fact, that video was taken yesterday. More from Terrell Owens, or at least we expect to hear from Terrell Owens in our next hour.

LIN: In the meantime, reports of a school lockdown somewhere in Colorado. Fredricka Whitfield working that story from the breaking news desk -- Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: That's right, Carol and Don.

A lockdown taking place at a high school which also adjoins with a middle school in Jefferson County, Colorado. Right now the schools have been evacuated but students are not allowed to leave the premises. This taking place at the Platte Canyon High School, which is adjoined with the Fitzsimmons Middle School.

Apparently, shots were fired on the high school section of this educational facility, and now the police in that jurisdiction are also indicating that they are going to be sending a bomb squad to Platte Canyon High School, again adjoined with Fitzsimmons Middle School.

It's unclear exactly how many students are in the middle of all this or how these shots were fired. That part of the investigation is still ongoing, and it really is still very early on in the investigation, so right now, school on lockdown.

Students have been evacuated from the building but still on the campus premises -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Fred.

We're going to stay on top of this story and also more on our top story. Reports today that NFL star Terrell Owens has gone from the Super Bowl to a suicide attempt. We just heard from the Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells. We're expecting to hear from Terrell Owens in the next hour. Live coverage from the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Plus, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." A.J., what's on top?

A.J. HAMMER, "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT": Well, Don, shocking revelations from Anna Nicole Smith's attorney. What Howard K. Stern is now saying about his relationship with the reality TV star and the last moments of Daniel Smith's life. I'll have a live report from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Don Lemon.

LEMON: And just when you thought the life of Annie Nicole Smith was out of explosive developments, her lawyer pulls the pin on another shocker. A.J. Hammer, I have to tell you, I was eating dinner watching this Larry King interview, dropped my fork when he said that.

HAMMER: There was no tearing yourself away from the television last night, Don.

LEMON: Yes.

HAMMER: And while the cause of the death of Anna Nicole Smith's son still remains unknown, at least some answers surrounding the reality TV star were revealed last night when Smith's attorney, Howard K. Stern, sat down with Larry King and confessed this shocking secret.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD K. STERN, ANNA NICOLE SMITH'S ATTORNEY: Anna and I have been in a relationship, and we love each other, and it's been going on for a very long time, and because of my relationship as her lawyer, we felt that it was best to keep everything hidden, and we've actually done a pretty good job of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: That's not the really big wow. Along with the announcement of the couple's relationship, Stern had yet another confession. He is the father of the baby girl Smith delivered in the Bahamas just three days before the sudden death of her 20-year-old son, Daniel.

Until now, paternity and the name of the baby girl, Danilynne Hope, had been unknown to the public. Stern says their daughter has become Smith's strength during this very difficult time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STERN: Our baby is the one ray of hope, and it's the one thing that's really keeping her going. And through it all, even with all the pain, she has been a great mom, a very attentive mom, and she's always by Danilynne's side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Danilynne's half brother Daniel Smith died on September 10th while he was visiting his mom at the hospital. It was at that very same room where Anna Nicole noticed that her son had stopped breathing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STERN: Medical staff just came rushing into the room, and they tried to revive him, and they tried to ask -- or tell Anna and myself to leave, but she wasn't going to leave her baby. And she stayed there and we were at the foot of the bed and she was hugging Daniel's legs, and she was praying to Jesus, and she was telling Jesus to take her and not take Daniel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: While an official cause of death is still awaiting toxicology reports, Stern says that there is an indication that several prescription medications, including one for depression, may have been in Daniel's system at the time of his death. Authorities have said there's no evidence of suicide or foul play.

Now, coming up tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," we're going to have much more on this Anna Nicole Smith bombshell with the lawyer claiming that he is the father of the baby that she just said days before Daniel died, but is he telling the truth? We'll be getting into that and whether or not he crossed an ethical line.

We've got the story on TV's most provocative entertainment news show. It's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" 11:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN Headline Prime. Carol and Don, it was absolutely riveting television last night. We will have more highlights from the sit-down with Larry King and Howard K. Stern.

LEMON: You know, A.J., I thought about that ethical thing last night when I was watching, and he certainly did dodge that DNA question, didn't he?

HAMMER: Yes, well, you know, he said that he would submit to a DNA report -- a DNA test if he was required by law to do that. At this point, he said he's not doing the other guy who claims he's the father any favors because of the way he put his story out in the media rather than going to them directly.

LEMON: All right, A.J. Thank you.

HAMMER: Thanks so much.

LIN: Complicated lives.

All right, it's getting more complicated going to the grocery store trying to figure out what's happening with the E. coli scare. Dozens of states got scores of those cases, so when is spinach -- is it actually going to be safe for your salad bowl?

LEMON: And what other potential trip wires are lurking in the produce aisle? Don't finish your shopping list until you check out the latest in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, you might say it's rough times for people who like to eat their vegetables as the nationwide spinach investigation continues. Five tainted bags have turned up in Utah, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio. Not exactly a pattern.

And people have gotten sick in 26 states. West Virginia is the latest to report a case of E. coli. Investigators think the outbreak is tailing off, but plenty of questions remain. What caused it in the first place, and how do we avoid future outbreaks? Dan Glickman was the U.S. agriculture secretary from 1995 to 2001. He joins me from Washington now.

Secretary Glickman, good to have you.

DAN GLICKMAN, FMR. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: Thank you, Carol.

LIN: Are you confident that the government has been able to pinpoint, isolate, identify the source of this e. coli infection?

GLICKMAN: Well, I haven't been involved with this case at all, but it strikes me that they're doing a pretty good job of trying to pinpoint to the source of the bacteria, the virus, whatever the agent that's causing it. So I'm comfortable that they're doing their best right now.

LIN: Well, what's a pretty good job, given that, you know, another state is now on the list and we continue to hear reports of people getting sick?

GLICKMAN: Well, you have a lot of spinach that's gone around the country. And you know, we have a massive, complicated food distribution system, but I think they have reasonably pinpointed the source of the problem in the Salinas Valley, California area. And so, based upon the facts that I know, they have identified and they've traced it, and they're doing the best they can.

That doesn't mean the government system for finding this doesn't need to be improved, but right now I think people should feel fairly comfortable.

LIN: So when is it that we're going to know that spinach is safe to eat?

GLICKMAN: Well, I think that once the FDA and the food distribution companies and the grocery chains indicate that salad material, especially spinach, from that part of the country is safe, that it will be safe. But there's plenty of other material from other parts of the country that, in fact, are in the grocery stores that's perfectly safe to eat.

LIN: Yes, but it's hard to tell, you know. Here I am, I work for CNN, I stay up on the news. I was at the grocery store yesterday and I did not feel comfortable standing in the produce section and making a choice, because if it's not spinach, something else.

GLICKMAN: Well, I think that that's the reason why you have to rely on the government regulators to do the best they can. And one of the things when I was secretary in the Clinton administration, what we tried to do was to increase the number of food safety inspectors, both at FDA and USDA, trying to make them more flexible in terms of what they do, and increase the regulatory penalties that the government could impose on violators.

And I still think we need to do those things, although I still believe that, by and large, we're doing the best job that we know how to do.

LIN: All right.

Mr. Secretary, we're getting some e-mail questions. And we got one from a gentleman by the name of Don Miklas. He's from Morganville, New Jersey. And this is what he says: "Is canned spinach or creamed spinach sold as baby food safe?"

Because we had heard that, even if you cook the spinach, it's still not necessarily going to get rid of the E. coli?

GLICKMAN: Quite honestly, I can't tell you that. I am told that, with respect to this particular pathogen, it can't be cooked out. But you need to talk to your doctor or the local health authorities to get an answer to that question.

LIN: How long do you think this is going to take to wash through the system, Mr. Secretary?

GLICKMAN: I'd say it's fairly quickly. I mean, you know, assuming that we have identified the source of the problem, that's the issue here. This obviously came from some contamination source, probably from livestock that got into the water supply, and, you know, it will ultimately move out of the thing.

I think the public just has to be comfortable that they're getting all the information they need to be getting.

LIN: All right. Secretary Glickman, good to have do you. Let's hope that this doesn't happen again, and somehow, it can be prevented.

GLICKMAN: Thank you.

LIN: Thank you.

LEMON: Coming up, more food news. Dollars to doughnuts, this is going to start a fight. Coming up, what New York City officials want to do about transfatty acids.

LIN: And we also want to hear from you. What do you think? Do you think government should police how much transfat you eat?

LEMON: E-mail us your opinions. Our e-mail address is CNNnewsroom@CNN.com. We'll read some of your responses on the air.

More from the NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com