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Search for Missing Pregnant Woman; Firefighting Tragedy; Five U.S. Soldiers Killed in IED Attack

Aired June 21, 2007 - 08:59   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Heidi Collins.

Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on Thursday morning. It is June 21st, the first day of summer.

Here's what's on the rundown.

Missing Ohio mom. Volunteers try new tactics this morning -- sonar and a drone. They hope high-tech hardware leads them to the pregnant woman.

HARRIS: New stroke findings. Doctors say middle-aged women with a big middle are twice as likely to have an attack than men the same age.

COLLINS: It's one of the world's most Herculean jobs, and the military is hiring. The Navy looking for a few good SEALs.

CNN exclusive in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: This story just in to CNN. Five U.S. soldiers, three Iraqis civilians and one interpreter were killed when a roadside bomb detonated near a coalition vehicle during combat operations in a northeastern section of Baghdad.

This information just coming to us here at CNN.

One other soldier and two Iraqis civilians were also wounded in this IED attack. The soldiers were killed while working to clear and control a section of Baghdad.

This brings to 14 the number of coalition forces that have been killed in the last two days.

CNN's Hala Gorani is in Baghdad, and we will be talking to her shortly about this latest attack.

COLLINS: Meanwhile, unfolding this hour, pregnant and missing for more than a week. Right now, volunteers are launching a new search for an Ohio mother. It comes after detectives searched a police officer's home for a second time. CNN's Jason Carroll is covering the story in Canton, Ohio.

Good morning to you, Jason.

Where is this morning's search actually taking place?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search is takes place right around Jessie Davis' home in Lake Township. The search will take place in some of the rural areas surrounding her home, in the thick brush. That's where the volunteer force will focus their attention today.

What's also interesting is the search that took place yesterday, Heidi. And that was at the home of Bobby Cuts Jr. This is the father of Davis' 2-year-old son and also the likely father of her unborn baby.

Stark County sheriffs, as well as the FBI, for the second time searched Cutts' home. Now, Cutts has not been named as a suspect. He's not even been called a person of interest. But they are certainly treating him that way.

Again, this is the second time they searched him home. In yesterday's search, that search took place, lasted for about four hours. They removed three large plastic bags, as well as 10 to 20 boxes from his home.

It's likely at this point, Heidi, that investigators are looking for Davis' cell phone and a comforter, both missing from her home. You'll also recall that it was her 2-year-old son who told investigators, "Mommy's in the rug."

Cutts spoke to a local paper -- newspaper reporter about his "status" so far in this investigation.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TODD PORTER, "CANTON REPOSITORY": Have authorities given you any indication if you're a suspect?

BOBBY CUTTS JR.: I mean, they continue to say that I'm not a suspect, but, I mean, I would be dumb and naive to think that they weren't treating me as a suspect by different things I've had to go through in the past couple of days.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CARROLL: In that interview, Cutts also flatly denied having anything to do with his ex-girlfriend's disappearance.

Yesterday, Heidi, I also had a brief opportunity to talk to Cutts' father. As he was standing in front of the home watching this entire search taking place, I asked him about his son, about how he was doing, his son. He said that his son is hanging in there. He also said at this point he just wants everyone to pray for both families -- Heidi. COLLINS: Jason, I'm sure there's still a lot of questions out there today, as well, about that day-old baby that was found nearby. Do we know when the DNA results are due for that?

CARROLL: That is correct. You will recall that that baby girl found about 40 miles from here on the back porch of a nurse found in good condition. DNA test results should be back according to sheriff's investigators anywhere from one to two weeks -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Jason Carroll reporting live this morning from Canton, Ohio.

Jason, thank you.

HARRIS: And to the Middle East now.

Confirmation today that Israel will attend a Mideast summit hosted by Egypt. The meeting is intended to support moderate Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas. He will meet with the Israeli prime minister, Jordan's king, and the Egyptian president Monday in Sharm-el-Sheikh.

The meeting follows the violent takeover of Gaza by the militant group Hamas. That prompted President Abbas to dissolve the unity government dominated by Hamas. He called the takeover of Gaza a bloody coup.

From prime minister to peacemaker, Tony Blair's next role could be Middle East envoy. According to several reports, the Bush administration discussing the possibility with Mr. Blair.

His role would be to spearhead talks between Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states through the so-called Mideast quartet. That's the U.S., the European Union, the U.N. and Russia. No confirmation yet from London or the White House. Mr. Blair steps down as prime minister next week.

COLLINS: Charleston, South Carolina, the search for answers goes on in the worst firefighting tragedy since 9/11. An assistant fire chief says the blaze was initially mistaken for a trash fire outside the building. He now thinks the flames had spread to the building's attic before firefighters arrived. He says if that had been known at the time, all nine firefighters who died might still be alive.

As investigations proceed, survivors are reliving the horror.

More from affiliate WCIV's Sarah DeMarco.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARAH DEMARCO, REPORTER, WCIV: You thought you were going to die?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I did. I thought -- I mean, for a brief second I thought, you know, there's no use. I mean, because there was fire, I mean, all around. There's no way out. DEMARCO (voice over): Both exits blocked by fire. His cries for help unheard. And his only hope, a cell phone. Couldn't get a signal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess the only thing that kept me going was I thought about my little girl and my wife. That I would never see them again.

DEMARCO: Again and again, he dialed 911. Finally, his call went through. As he huddled near the floor breathing the toxic smoke surrounding him, he guided the fire department in his direction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then I heard the firefighters yelling, and when I heard them yelling, I knew exactly where they were.

DEMARCO: Firemen axed their way in and pulled Tyrell (ph) out. One life saved while nine others neared an end.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't -- I don't understand why, you know, I made it out. You know, what happened to them. You know? Why, you know, they couldn't -- why they didn't make it out.

DEMARCO: A question engineer Art Whitner (ph) is trying to answer himself. Monday night, he and six of his fellow firefighters left Station 16. He is the only one who returned.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I can "what if" this to death, but it's not about me. It's about my guys. And yes, I feel guilty as hell. But I think to honor them, I need everybody to know that not only were they great firefighters, they were best friends. And they were fathers and brothers and husbands.

DEMARCO: Brad Baity, the witty one. Mike Benke, all about his family. Melvin Champaign, a man of prayer. James Earl Drayton, known as "The Godfather".

Michael French, one of the youngest. One of the most enthusiastic.

William Hutchinson, the in-house barber who loved to laugh. Mark Kelsey, a motorcycle man. Louis Mulkey, coached he football. Brandon Thompson, it wasn't even his shift.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes, I will feel guilty, and there was nothing I could do. I did my job.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Charleston will honor its fallen firefighters tomorrow morning with a memorial service.

I will be there. We will have coverage live for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Want to quickly now get you an update on the story just in to CNN a short time ago. Five U.S. soldiers have been killed in an IED attack in northeastern Baghdad.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is in Baghdad.

Frederik, what is the very latest? What can you tell us about this IED attack?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, Tony, what we do know is that their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device, by a roadside bomb in northeastern Baghdad.

Now, those five U.S. soldiers were killed, and also three Iraqi civilians and an Iraqi translator. And really, it's been a very deadly last 48 hours for the U.S. forces here in Iraq.

Fourteen U.S. soldiers have been killed, 12 Army soldiers and two Marines. Now, those two Marines were killed in an arms fire attack in Anbar Province. And another big incident happened yesterday when a -- when two -- when an SUV -- when a Humvee of the American soldiers hit an improvised explosive device also in Baghdad. Four U.S. soldiers were killed there.

And also, this morning what we saw is a mortar attack on the Green Zone here. Four mortars hit the Green Zone, and that's becoming a huge problem for the U.S. forces here. So really, it's been a deadly last 48 hours for the American forces here.

HARRIS: OK. Frederik, and this is what the administration officials warned we might see as the troop buildup took full effect in and around those Baghdad neighborhoods.

PLEITGEN: Well, you're absolutely right. I mean, one of the things that they're saying is that they're putting more troops in place. And obviously that's going to lead to incidents like this. But what the U.S. is also saying is that they do see an increase in security in Baghdad. Certainly that's been hard to say for the last couple of days, where we had a huge attack on a Shiite mosque only in central Baghdad, killing 87 people. We had another huge attack on Sunni mosques in and around Iraq, also.

But really what the U.S. is saying is what this troop buildup in Baghdad is allowing them to do is it's freeing forces for other operations. And as you know, there's a huge operation going on in Diyala Province right now with the capital of Baquba, where 10,000 U.S. troops are operating. And what happened there today was actually a very tragic incident, where a U.S. plane bombed a house which was actually full of innocent people. And 11 people were wounded there. And the U.S. personnel say that that was a very tragic mistake and that they are tending to those people and trying to help them -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Frederik Pleitgen for us in Baghdad.

Frederik, thank you.

Just new into CNN just a short time ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be holding a news conference at 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time. We will of course carry that for you live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. COLLINS: The extended mission of the space shuttle Atlantis could be over today if the weather cooperates. NASA will try to bring the shuttle home at 1:55 Eastern this afternoon. But that landing could be nixed by thunderstorms expected near Kennedy Space Center.

Next hour, CNN's space correspondent, Miles O'Brien, will be joing us live from Kennedy Space Center with the very latest.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Well, the top U.S. nuclear envoy is in North Korea right now. Christopher Hill arrived in Pyongyang, hoping to speed up efforts to shut down North Korea's nuclear program. His visit comes ahead of six-party talks expected to resume next month. Hill is the most senior State Department official to visit the communist nation since 2002.

North Korea agreed in February to shut down a nuclear reactor. A financial dispute stalled progress on the agreement, but it was recently resolved.

COLLINS: A Texas man the victim of a deadly mob. Now his family and police are searching for answers.

And in Wisconsin, riot police called out to break up a celebration that got out of hand.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There are certain women out there who are twice as likely to develop a stroke as men. I'll tell you who they are and why that is.

That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And fear drove her from her homeland. Now she is afraid she'll be sent back. An Iraqi woman fights to stay in the United States.

You're in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's take a moment right now to catch you up on two stories that we're following here in the CNN NEWSROOM this morning.

Grim news just in from Iraq about the U.S. casualty count. The military is reporting the deaths of 14 soldiers and Marines over the past 48 hours. The deadliest attack, a roadside bomb that killed five soldiers in northeastern Baghdad.

Our Frederik Pleitgen is following developments on that story for us.

And let's take you to Canton, Ohio, right now. Live pictures into the CNN NEWSROOM of volunteers gathering for another day of searching for Jessie Davis, pregnant, missing for just over a week now -- a week yesterday. And so we are going to follow that story. Wow. Great pictures out of Canton, Ohio. A lot of people obviously showing up concerned about Jessie Davis, her unborn baby, and taking part in the search today.

We will continue to follow developments. Jason Carroll is in Ohio for us in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Pay attention now, ladies. A new study shows middle aged women are twice as likely to have a stroke as men the same age.

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in New York now this morning.

Nice to see you again, Sanjay.

GUPTA: Good morning.

COLLINS: This is pretty devastating piece of information for women. How can we explain why their risk of stroke doubles?

GUPTA: Yes, it is pretty alarming, but potentially very fixable, as well. So that's the good news. We're talking about women specifically between the ages of 45 and 54.

Heidi, it was sort of an interesting study. They looked at 17,000 men and women and followed them along for several years and found that women -- they expected men to have more strokes, but, in fact, women were twice as likely to have strokes when they were in that particular age group.

And they wanted to find out specifically why that is. And two things started to emerge as the most likely culprits.

One was excessive abdominal fat. Just fat around your midsection. And two was increased blood pressure.

If you had those factors, you were much more likely, exponentially more likely, to actually have a stroke or develop symptoms of stroke. So that's what it is. That's who's at risk. And that's why at least they think it is for now.

COLLINS: You are not saying women are fatter than men. Right?

GUPTA: No, you're not. You know, and that's interesting. Not at all.

It's interesting, because you hear that -- most people here that and they say, well, wait a second. I thought men...

COLLINS: Yes.

GUPTA: ... were the ones who actually had the bigger midsections. And they do, for the most part. But for some reason, and they're not entirely sure why, women are much more susceptible to some of the awful affects of that.

COLLINS: I see.

GUPTA: Causing the metabolic syndrome and things like that.

COLLINS: OK. So could gender really actually be the culprit here though?

GUPTA: You know, I think gender is the culprit for both subjective and objective reasons. The subjective is, I still think, Heidi -- and you and I have talked about this -- that there's not a perception that stroke and heart disease are women's problems. So I think the medical community is less likely to treat it and less likely to prevent it in the first place.

But more than that, of that particular age frame, around 45 to 54, women start to enter either perimenopause or menopause. Estrogen levels start to go down, and estrogen can be very protective against some of these symptoms of metabolic syndrome that causes your cholesterol and your blood pressure to get out of whack. Estrogen levels go down, and your body is unable to compensate as well. So women sort of have a double whammy going on right around that time.

COLLINS: You know, we also hear a lot of gender differences in medicine, especially heart disease. Does gender really play a part in how women are being treated for strokes, as well?

GUPTA: You know, I do think so. You know, and I think it's a lot better in terms of awareness and recognition, both by the lay people, as well as the medical community. But I think so.

You know, we talk about heart disease. If a woman goes into the ER with chest pain, doctors are going to more likely think indigestion than they are heart attack. And the same sort of thing with strokes. If someone goes in with minor symptoms of memory loss or some tingling, they might think it's more of a muscular pain than a problem in the brain, where the brain's not getting enough blood supply.

So I think gender differences play a role there.

COLLINS: Any way to reverse this trend, Sanjay?

GUPTA: Yes. I think that's the good news.

I mean, so, if you can point to the culprits, you can potentially try and fix the problem.

Midsection fat, I mean, that's something that women need to focus on as much as men. Really decrease -- adding a little bit of aerobic activity, and really trying to eat a lower-fat diet, especially if you're someone who's at risk of stroke. It seems to make a huge difference.

But also getting your blood pressure checked. I mean, this is simple. That's an easy one. Just get you blood pressure checked even in your late 20s, early 30s to find out if you're at risk for developing some of these problems later on. You can really stave it off if you catch it early. COLLINS: All right. I'm going to increase the number of crunches.

GUPTA: You look great, Heidi. But yes, we could all do a little bit more.

COLLINS: All right.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, our medical expert.

Thanks so much. Nice to see you back in the country.

GUPTA: Thank you.

HARRIS: Falling from the sky and landing. A Louisiana homeowner in hot water with the police. An odd drug bust in Baton Rouge.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ali Velshi, "Minding Your Business".

The iPhone comes out in just more than a week, but are you going to be able to get one? I'll tell you when we come back in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A small plane crash lands a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, woman in hot water. The plane crashed right in her back yard.

Look at that.

When police arrived, they found more than the wreck. They discovered five marijuana plants in the homeowner's yard just 15 feet from the plane.

HARRIS: Uh-oh.

COLLINS: The pilot was not seriously hurt. The homeowner though has been charged with cultivating marijuana.

HARRIS: The iPhone release is more than a week ago, and the buzz, it's palpable. It's under way.

You've got to -- you feel it, don't you?

What's AT&T planning for the big day?

Ali Velshi is here "Minding Your Business".

OK. Let's answer the first question, and then...

VELSHI: You know what the first question is even before that?

HARRIS: What's that?

VELSHI: Am I part of the problem or the solution by having this discussion? I don't know. Am I not part of the hype here? Or is this a service?

HARRIS: Well, I mean, it's exciting technology and folks are talking about it. I mean, Heidi's all over it. So folks want to know.

VELSHI: They are -- I mean, Apple really is -- they do change things.

HARRIS: Exactly.

VELSHI: So I suppose we should talk about this.

HARRIS: Yes.

VELSHI: AT&T is the exclusive distributor of these iPhones. It comes out next Friday, the 29th of June, at 6:00 p.m., whatever time zone you are in in the country.

It will be available from all AT&T company-owned stores.

HARRIS: That's good.

VELSHI: So, if you're planning on getting one, make sure that the one that you're thinking of going to is a company store, not a franchise. It will be available at Apple stores and online from Apple. Not from AT&T yet.

The key is you're not going to get this at the Best Buys and the RadioShacks and the third party sellers. So if you want to go, at least find out where you've got to go first.

HARRIS: Hey, what if I'm in, I don't know, small town Alabama, small town Georgia? Am I going to have a little bit of a problem getting this perhaps? I mean, are supplies getting to some of the smaller towns around the country?

VELSHI: AT&T says they're going to -- you know, they're going to focus on Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, most of California, the places where iPods sell the most. But they're going to distribute this to all of their stores.

They did tell us for sure they're going to run out in some places. Now, I think only way you're going to run out in one of these small towns is if guys like us who figure we're not going to get in it New York...

HARRIS: Yes.

VELSHI: ... end up figuring out where to get it from. I'm not entirely sure that the entire world who wants one of these needs to get it on the first day.

HARRIS: Got you.

VELSHI: They're going to have them. There are reports out there that there are three million iPhones available for -- starting from day one. Neither Apple nor AT&T would confirm that for us.

HARRIS: Are we going to see one of those scenes Thursday night where folks are lining up -- are we going to see those kinds of pictures? Are we going to bring those to you in the NEWSROOM?

VELSHI: It's good for TV. If they're there, we'll have them for you.

HARRIS: Yes.

VELSHI: I'm actually considering how early I'll get over to the Apple store, because I don't want to be the only guy there. But we are told that there's security being hired at malls and at stores around the country because they just don't know what's going to happen.

I mean, who knows? This is not -- this is an expensive little gizmo, first of all. It's $500 or $600, depending on what you want. And you've got to sign a contract.

So, you know, it's not just the impulse purchase.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

VELSHI: It's not just grabbing it and paying for it. I think people have to think this one through. So, you know, I'm curious as to how this is all going to pan out.

HARRIS: I'm thinking Playstation 3. You remember...

VELSHI: Right. Right. I remember.

HARRIS: ... the problems? You remember that?

VELSHI: Yes.

HARRIS: Because -- well, you talked a lot about it.

VELSHI: This is the hype. You see, we're talking about lineups, so I bet you somebody is going to say, I better get in that line.

HARRIS: There he is, "Minding Your Business," Ali Velshi.

Ali, great to see you. Have a great day.

VELSHI: See you, buddy. Yes.

HARRIS: And here we are, bottom of the hour. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN -- good morning, Heidi.

COLLINS: Good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: I can never quite do that as well as you do that.

HARRIS: What?

COLLINS: Good morning to you, everybody.

We actually unfortunately have some pretty grim news to report this morning in from Iraq this morning about the U.S. casualty count. The military is reporting the deaths of 11 soldiers and Marines over the past 48 hours. The deadliest attack, a roadside bomb that killed five soldiers in northeastern Baghdad. Want to get straight to the Pentagon now and Barbara Starr standing by to give us more information about this.

Boy, what an awful day, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Heidi. Whatever success, whatever progress is coming in Iraq is coming at a very high price for American troops.

Actually, we have an update for everyone now: The U.S. military now reporting that in the last 48 hours, 14 U.S. troops have lost their lives in Iraq.

Earlier today, one horrific IED attack in Baghdad. Five U.S. soldiers died, as well as three Iraqi civilians, and an interpreter. Nine people in all in one IED attack.

Yesterday, four soldiers in another attack in Baghdad. And two additional soldiers, also, killed in still yet another attack, as well as two Marines out in the West in Al-Anbar province. This comes, Heidi, as the U.S. military, of course, is struggling in this security crackdown, operating in a number of areas, including Baghdad, out west in Al Anbar province, and Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad. Also struggling, really, with some basic equipment issues, to get some of those new, improved armored vehicles into the fight, into Iraq as quickly as possible, vehicles they believe will be better able to protect the troops.

And, Heidi, later today, at 1:45 Eastern Time as we know, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Peter Pace will meet with reporters here in the Pentagon. You can bet all of this will be a primary topic of conversation -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, I'm certain of that.

Barbara, you may not know the answer to this, but because of the events of last 48 hours, is it likely the tactics of all of what's going on in Diyala province will change and they'll try to do something a little bit different with this latest offensive?

STARR: Reporter: Well, you know, what had appears to have been happening over the last several weeks is IEDs which have been the No. 1 killer, if you will, of U.S. troops in the last many years, the IEDs are getting larger and larger, and they are becoming, tragically, more successful in destroying some of the heaviest U.S. armored vehicles. So this is becoming a major challenge.

What the U.S. military is trying to do is go into these areas around Baghdad, as you say, Diyala province and other areas, where they believe the insurgents have set up shop to make these IEDs, to make suicide car bombs. They're trying to go after these networks as fast as they can.

But as we've seen now in the last 48 hours, again, a heavy price being paid, Heidi. In the month of June alone, 21 days into the month, already some 68 U.S. troops have lost their lives in Iraq -- Heidi.

COLLINS: CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. And just a quick reminder for everyone here. At 1:45 today, we just heard Barbara reporting, that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Peter Pace will be addressing the press and taking some questions. 1:45, we will have that for you.

HARRIS: New developments this morning in the case of a missing Ohio mother. Volunteers are right now searching areas around Jessie Davis' home. They're being helped by the same recovery team that searched for Natalee Holloway. Davis disappeared more than a week ago, just days before she was to deliver a baby girl. The father of that unborn child, and Davis' son is Canton police officer Bobby Cutts. Investigators returned to his home for a second search yesterday.

"The Canton Repository" newspaper reports that Cutts was read his Miranda Rights before the search. Police say he is not a suspect in the case, but speculation surrounding him is placing a strain on Davis' mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA PORTER, MISSING WOMAN'S MOTHER: Bobby Cutts is my grandson's father. This is the most painful part of this whole thing for me, is that I pray every day that it's not Bobby Cutts. It is my prayer that it is not him. I want it to be someone that doesn't even know us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Cutts has said he had nothing to do with Davis' disappearance.

COLLINS: Commuter glitches, flight delays, missing luggage and steaming passengers. The airlines long, hot summer ahead.

HARRIS: And protecting the president. Split-second decisions to save a high-value terrorist target.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The military is making an unprecedented push to recruit more Navy SEALS. I'm Chris Lawrence live on the obstacle course in Coronado, California, and I'll have that story coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(MARKET CHECK) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

COLLINS: The Navy SEALS want you, only if you pass what's called the toughest training anywhere.

Chris Lawrence joins us now from Coronado, California, with a CNN exclusive.

And, Chris, good to see you. What is the issue with finding enough SEALS?

LAWRENCE: They need more, Tony. It's the wars that they've got going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's turning out to be the largest and longest deployment in the history of SEALs.

Picture this. You are getting ready for work this morning. Think about how tired you would feel if you got only four hours of sleep. Well, during Hell Week, SEAL recruits get four hours of sleep -- over the entire five and a half days.

Gives you an idea how hard it's going to be to find 500 more men.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): A Navy SEAL team deploys in a California desert. Terrain almost identical to parts of Iraq and Afghanistan. CNN was given exclusive access.

There are fewer than 2,500 SEALs in the world. And the government now wants to add another 500.

SOCM K.C. WELKER, NAVY SEAL: That's a huge jump. Huge jump. Do we need them? Yes, we do.

LAWRENCE: Finding them begins here at basic underwater demolition school or BUDS.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you get halfway, you swim buddy's got to be there to take the dumbbell from you.

LAWRENCE: It's called the toughest training in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

LAWRENCE: Six months of sheer hell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't see (EXPLETIVE)

LAWRENCE: Historically, 75 percent of those that start training never finish.

CAPT. ROGER HERBERT, NAVY SEAL: They're volunteering for BUDS. That's like volunteering for a 2x4 across your forehead. LAWRENCE: Captain Robert Herbet says the success rate is rising -- in large part because the SEALs are targeting men more likely to succeed. Unconventional athletes like water polo players and recruiters coach candidates like Charles Sanchez before they ever show up here.

CHARLES SANCHEZ, SEAL RECRUIT: Used to play (UNINTELLIGIBLE) every weekend, so I had a little idea of what to expect.

LAWRENCE: The SEALs also offer an extremely high enlistment bonus and don't want recruits motivated by money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go, Johnson. He just passed you up.

CMDR. DUNCAN SMITH, NAVY SEAL: When it's wet, cold, and miserable, and you are going through this kind of physical training, $40,000 really doesn't mean much to you.

LAWRENCE (on-camera): But new recruits mean nothing if they can't keep the men they've got, combat volunteers that double their salary by working for private security contractors like Blackwater.

That's why the Navy is offering some officers one of the largest bonuses ever, $125,000 to re-enlist for five more years.

HERBERT: There's simply no way we're ever going to replace a veteran Seal, a guy with two, three, four combat deployments with a new guy.

LAWRENCE (voice-over): In the last few years, 18 SEALs have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but those deaths motivate this class. On the morning of their five-mile swim.

More than four hours in cold, ocean water. Each stroke a little closer to earning the SEALs' trident.

CHRISTOPHER MADDOX, SEAL RECRUIT: I guess it's a piece of metal that you put on your shirt, but knowing where that piece of metal comes from, everybody that's died or gotten hurt for it, it just means more to me than anything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: SEALs cannot lower their standards, but their targeted recruiting of these extreme sport athletes seems to be working. Last year, they had a success rate of 32 percent.

Now, that's still less than a third but for the SEALs, that's real progress. Tony?

HARRIS: Wow. Chris, I love that sound bite. It's like volunteering for -- what is it -- a 2x4 across your forehead.

LAWRENCE: Across the forehead, yes.

HARRIS: Okay. Chris Lawrence for us in Coronado, California. Chris, good to see you, thanks.

COLLINS: The fish are jumping.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: But this is not a fisherman's dream. It is an ecological nightmare in the making.

And fear drove her from her homeland. Now she is afraid she'll be sent back. An Iraqi woman fights to stay in the U.S.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The Secret Service says President Bush is expected to be a high value terrorist target after he leaves office.

CNN's John King shows us how the Secret Service is adjusting to the potential threats now and in the future.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Jim Galvin's firearms class is a must for new Secret Service recruits.

JAMES GALVIN, WEAPONS SPECIALIST: Gentlemen, you are looking at a 50 caliber Smith&Wesson Model-500 revolver.

KING: The vintage weapons offer a glimpse of history and traditional threats of those under Secret Service protection.

GALVIN: The weapons system is cocked.

KING: Then comes the cell phone gun and a critical lesson. You don't just see gizmos like this in the movies.

This is a working cigarette lighter and deadly weapon. This pen also can fire a fatal shot as can this tiny device built to resemble a tire gauge.

GALVIN: This is a very, very articulately made zip gun.

KING: The challenges of protecting a high value target are dramatically more complicated in a world of fast-changing technology, not to mention global terrorism.

GALVIN: This is probably the most prolific rocket propelled grenade system in the world.

KING: Protective and defensive driving has long part of Secret Service training. But now, avoiding IEDs and a terrorist ambush is an added skill set for those that drive the presidential limo.

It is training retired agent Terry Samway says is modelled after real life events.

TERRY SAMWAY, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: So, if there's an IED explosion in Lebanon that attacked or in Russia that went after a political leader, we send people there and analyze it. Immediately, that is put into the training scenario.

BOB DIEHL, DRIVING INSTRUCTOR: This is a 1983 Cadillac. It is last convertible ever to be built by the Secret Service.

KING: is a driving instructor, a 17-year veteran who warns new recruits, all the armor doubles the weight of the limos and SUVs.

DIEHL: It is a humbling experience, I guess is a way to put it, especially if you think you can negotiate curves that you saw out here on our course. They don't react like a standard car does. Everything is a little slower in motion. Obviously, the braking distances are increased and things like that.

KING: Most of those in training now, are existing agents refreshing their skills for presidential campaign in duty, but there is also an unusually large class of new recruits preparing for an unprecedented post campaign challenge.

The Secret Service believes George W. Bush will be the most challenging former president in history to protect. Because his wartime stewardship will make him a high value terrorist target long after he leaves the White House.

SAMWAY: That's why we have the mandate to make sure that whatever they did during the presidency they're still safe from any of those lingering issues after their presidency.

KING: But before they can protect a president, or former president, the new recruits are drilled in the basics, including target practice at 100 yards, and then a sprint to load up and fire again, this time much more up close and personal.

John King, CNN, Beltsville, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: New York Major Michael Bloomberg staying out of the fray, but making an impact nonetheless.

HARRIS: The toddler's juice had a kick. Now her parents are kicking up a fuss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All I could think about is what if, and I started bawling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If she drank more, she could have gotten sick, or worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Who serves vodka to a 3-year-old?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So, everyone forgets every now and then. But what can you do to keep memory loss from becoming a real problem? Dr. Sanjay Gupta has good tips for keeping your brain fit in today 30, 40s and 50s report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, James. It's Linda.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Reporter: Who doesn't forget a word here and there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A big...

GUPTA: Or occasionally the name of a person they just met.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like hey, guy. How are you doing, instead of saying, hey, Joe. How are you doing?

GUPTA: But Lately, 54-year-old Linda Jenkins, a busy saleswoman, and 65-year-old entrepreneur Woody Fillhower (ph) are experiencing those memory lapses a lot more often.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's his name? Dr. who? What? At where? What school?

GUPTA: Starting in your 30s, some memory loss can be expected.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the first symptoms that people have is forgetting names -- names of people, names of movies or books they read.

GUPTA: But how do you keep your mind sharp through the years? Juggling fast-track careers and growing families means serious multitasking, and serious stress.

Under this sort of pressure, your memory could be improved by sleeping at least eight hours each night, getting regular exercise and forcing yourself to remember phone numbers without having to at your cell phone or your BlackBerry. Some people in their 40s are turning to memory courses, or memory boot camps. Boot camps teach mind benders, like puzzles, to keep the brain active.

Other suggestions includes stocking up on brain-healthy foods rich in antioxidants and omega III fatty acids, which may keep brain cells from dying. And again, exercising, cutting down on stress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The one problem is that if one stops doing that over a period of time, your memory will gradually decline back to where it was.

GUPTA: At 50, just forgetting names is no big cause for concern. But there are warning signing to watch out for that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They lose track of things and start missing appointments, which they were in the habit of keeping regularly, lose their way when driving to a familiar place.

GUPTA: If this is happening to you, seek out a specialist, a neurologist or a psychotherapist. If your memory problems are serious, a brain scan may be in order. Regardless of age, there's no specific formula for staving off memory loss, but Dr. Dave Annan (ph) believes...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's good for the heart is good for the brain.

GUPTA: So watch your weight, exercise, don't smoke -- all good tips for keeping your brain fit.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Devastating losses for U.S. troops in Iraq -- 14 killed over the last 48 hours. Live from Baghdad, ahead.

HARRIS: And missing-mom search happening right now. Volunteers look for an Ohio woman who is nine months pregnant. New developments in the case coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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