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Rice Debate; Kofi Annan Questioned in Oil-for-Food Probe; Oscar Nominations
Aired January 25, 2005 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: As a principal architect of our failed policy, Dr. Rice is the wrong choice for secretary of state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Rice emphasized that support for freedom, democracy and the rule of law...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A floor fight. Secretary of state nominee Condoleezza Rice becomes the center of a Senate debate on the war in Iraq.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And a big spender. The White House wants $80 billion more dollars to pay for the war. Where is the money coming from?
O'BRIEN: Pistol-packing pilots taking aim against terror. We'll take you inside the training to defend the cockpit.
NGUYEN: And how do humans feel empathy? Unlocking the science behind the sentiment.
From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips, who is on assignment today.
O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
NGUYEN: We begin this hour with the cost of transforming Iraq. There is word today from the White House and Congress that the former will ask the latter for another $80 billion to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mostly Iraq for the next few months.
Now, that would bring the total price of both conflicts to roughly $300 billion to date. And speaking of dates, a top official at the Pentagon says there are plans to keep about 120,000 troops in Iraq through at least 2006. Another cost, human.
Kidnapped victim American citizen Roy Hallums appears in a video clip with a rifle to his head, pleading for help. Not from his own government, but from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Hallums was taken hostage November 1, but we have no way of knowing when he was put before that camera.
A powerful Iraqi judge paid the price today for defending the rule of law when attackers gunned him down outside his home. They also killed the man's son. Claiming responsibility is the same group that says it bombed the U.S. mess tent in Mosul last month.
O'BRIEN: The Iraq war's rationales and results are being re- debated on Capitol Hill today in the guise of a confirmation skirmish over one Condoleezza Rice. It's all but certain the national security adviser and Iraq war principal will be confirmed as secretary of state, but her Democratic detractors are out to make a point just the same. Not about her, but themselves.
Here's CNN congressional correspondent Joe Johns with more on that.
Hello, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
This is something of a public relations war developing on Capitol Hill right now. Sharp criticism of Condoleezza Rice by a handful of Democrats in the United States Senate, even though it is quite clear that at the end of the day, actually tomorrow, she will be confirmed in the Senate for secretary of state. Some particularly sharply- worded comments today from Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota, accusing his colleagues on the Republican side of protecting Condoleezza Rice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARK DAYTON (D), MINNESOTA: They defend him, they protect him, and they allow his top administration officials to get away with lying. Lying to Congress, lying to our committees, and lying to the American people. It's wrong, it's immoral, it's un-American, and it has to stop.
It stops by not promoting top administration officials who engage in the practice, who have been instrumental in deceiving Congress and the American people. And regrettably, that includes Dr. Rice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Now, Republicans, of course, are vigorously defending Condoleezza Rice on and off the Senate floor, including the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, going to a news conference just a little while ago with several African-American leaders, including C. Dolores Tucker and Andrew Young in support of Condoleezza Rice. On the Senate floor, meanwhile, there has been more talk about her and her record from a positive point of view, including Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: One of the leaders who has kept the steady focus on exactly what we are doing in the war on terrorism and why it is important to stay the course in Iraq is the woman who is before us today. It is Condoleezza Rice who has kept the steady aim and helped our president see all of the minefields that are out there and helping our country come behind our president in staying the course in the war on terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Democrats, of course, are saying they have a constitutional duty to speak up on this. But at the end of the day, of course, Democrats realize they're going to have to use the power of debate to get their message across because of their weakened numbers after the election -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. Joe, let me ask you this. Does it look like we're going to have a confirmation vote as early as tomorrow, perhaps?
JOHNS: It certainly does. It appears there will be a vote sometime tomorrow, possibly tomorrow morning, and that Condoleezza Rice will, in fact, be the next secretary of state.
O'BRIEN: Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Thanks -- Betty.
NGUYEN: News "Across America" now.
Questions of illegal immigrant smuggling near the Rio Grande, but not who you'd expect. Federal agents forced a small plane to land in San Antonio, Texas, overnight. They're questioning the pilot and four Chinese passengers about a suspected smuggling operation involving Chinese nationals.
A dramatic confrontation with police in Tucson. Responding to a call about a fight, police fired pepper balls, hitting an Arizona man almost 70 times after he resisted arrest. What you can't hear on this video is police yelling at the suspect to get down on the ground.
They're reviewing tapes to determine if appropriate force was used. The bruised suspect says it was overkill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GABRIEL GANDARA, SUSPECT: They took it way too far, way too far. Because, I mean, they could have had me from the beginning. And they didn't even have to pull out that -- the pepper ball. You know, that was uncalled for. That was way too much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And they're making no butts about it in Michigan. If you light up and you work for WEYCO Incorporated, you can kiss your paycheck good-bye. The company, which administers health benefits, was fired -- or has fired four workers for refusing to take a test to determine if they smoke. Company policy means employee can't smoke even at home -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right.
Let's go to the United Nations in New York, where we're just hearing word that the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, is being questioned in connection with that big oil-for-food scandal.
Richard Roth is our senior correspondent on site there.
Richard, what's the latest?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was to be expected. We just didn't know when it would happen, or if it happened. And today I asked U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard if the secretary-general was formally questioned by U.N.-authorized investigator Paul Volcker and his team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED ECKHARD, U.N. SPOKESMAN: He has met more than once for an expanded -- an extended period of time with Mr. Volcker and his investigators. So yes, the secretary-general is part of the investigation, is a subject like anyone else involved in oil-for-food in the secretariat. And he has been questioned, and -- and most likely will continue to -- to be questions as Mr. Volcker's investigation continues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The term "secretariat" is the arm of the U.N. run by Kofi Annan, the administrative side of the U.N. staff. Kofi Annan reportedly met for maybe between an hour and two hours each with the Volcker people. There could still be more meetings.
Sources close to the Paul Volcker investigation say that they're holding up the release of their interim report which was tentatively scheduled for January 31. It's now been postponed to the first week of February to give time to people involved to respond.
There's no indication at all yet that there's anything going to be said about Kofi Annan in this interim report. But his son, Kojo, has been the -- one of those subjects who has been investigated in connection with this $60 billion program. And, of course, Miles, as you know, there are several congressional investigations which continue apace -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. Lots to keep track of. Richard Roth at the United Nations, thank you very much.
Pilots training for every possible situation in the sky, including a terror attack in the cockpit. Later on LIVE FROM, I'll show you the intense preparation for a worst-case scenario.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The race is on in Hollywood. Oscar nominations have been handed out. And I'll tell you who was praised and who was snubbed when LIVE FROM continues. O'BRIEN: And should "The Passion of the Christ" have been nominated for best picture? E-mail us. LiveFrom@cnn.com. We will share some of your pithy comments with us a little later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, "The Aviator" is soaring in Oscar nominations. The list was announced this morning, and CNN entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson joins us now live from Los Angeles with a look at who's on it and who is not.
Hey there, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hey, Betty. That's right. And the list was announced pretty early this morning, 5:38 a.m. Pacific Time, in fact.
And, of course, all the nominees were ecstatic. But none more so than actor Jamie Foxx. CNN's Sibila Vargas caught up with him moments after he learned he was nominated for best actor for "Ray" and also best supporter actor for "Collateral."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: Everybody's calling. Everybody's happy. And people on the street is happy, too.
You walk out of the hotel, there's people giving you thumbs up. And that's the great thing about this film. It seems everybody's kind of on board with it. Because once they've seen it, got touched by it, said, "We hope that everything works out for you."
So it's just been great. I've been floating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, there were other celebrations and cheers going on as well. The cast of "Sideways,", "The Aviator" and "Million Dollar Baby" are all smiling from ear to ear.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADRIEN BRODY, ACTOR: I'm pleased to announce the films selected as the best picture nominees for 2004 are...
ANDERSON (voice-over): As widely expected, three films, "The Aviator"...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "THE AVIATOR": Good girl.
ANDERSON: ... "Million Dollar Baby"...
HILARY SWANK, ACTRESS, "MILLION DOLLAR BABY": If I'm too old for this, then I got nothing.
ANDERSON: ... and "Sideways"...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "SIDEWAYS": You really get your nose right in there.
ANDERSON: ... dominated the Academy Awards nominations. There were no shining surprises, except the absence of two of the year's most controversial and profitable films, "The Passion of the Christ" and "Fahrenheit 9/11, " both of which were submitted in the best picture category.
Two bio-pics completed the best picture group, "Ray" and "Finding Neverland." Each earned best actor nods for their leading men, Jamie Foxx for his capturing of Ray Charles and Johnny Depp for his portrayal of the author of "Peter Pan," JM Barrie.
Also nominated in the best actor category, Don Cheadle, for "Hotel Rwanda"; Leonardo DiCaprio, for "The Aviator"; and Clint Eastwood for "Million Dollar Baby." Notably absent was Paul Giamatti who garnered critical acclaim for "Sideways."
In the best actress category Annette Bening in "Being Julia" is expected to duke it out with Hilary Swank for "Million Dollar Baby," creating an award rematch from five years ago when Swank won for "Boys Don't Cry."
Also nominated, Imelda Staunton for "Vera Drake"; Catalina Sandino Moreno for "Maria Full of Grace"; and Kate Winslet for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
"The Aviator's" Martin Scorsese is flying high with his fifth directing nomination, though he's never actually won an Oscar. Nominated with him are Clint Eastwood, for "Million Dollar Baby"; Taylor Hackford for "Ray"; Alexander Payne for "Sideways"; and Mike Leigh for "Vera Drake."
Long criticized for limited diversity among honorees, the academy this year nominated people of color in all four acting categories.
This year's Academy Awards will take place Sunday, February 27. And with no "Lord of the Rings" invading from middle Earth, expect an exciting night at the Kodak Theatre.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: An exciting night, indeed, Betty. Chris Rock is going to host the event. So expect the unexpected.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, the jokes will be flying. Hey, I want to ask you quickly, though -- we saw the Golden Globes just a couple weeks ago, now the Oscar nominations are out. Are we going to see some of the same winners in the same categories that we saw at the Golden Globes?
ANDERSON: The Golden Globes are considered a predictor for the Oscars, Betty. The Oscar voters are watching the Golden Globes to see who wins.
For instance, "The Aviator" won best drama. Here it's nominated for best picture. Clint Eastwood won the Golden Globe for best director, in fact. Martin Scorsese is going to try to edge him out for the Oscar here.
Also, the Oscar voters are looking at the acceptance speeches, if you can believe that. But the people who come up as genuine, gracious, emotional, open, who act like they really, really want it, that could help them in the race for the Oscar as well. So it's a big predictor, yes.
NGUYEN: So that acceptance speech scratched on a napkin is really important when it comes to these awards.
ANDERSON: Yes, it is.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Brooke.
All right. As Brooke mentioned, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is absent from the best picture category. What do you think? Should "Passion" have been nominated?
E-mail us your thoughts at livefrom@cnn.com. And we will read some of those e-mails a little bit later on in the show.
O'BRIEN: All right. Before you get your keyboard out to type those e-mails, something called mirror neurons are worth thinking about.
NGUYEN: Very interesting. Ahead on LIVE FROM, a fascinating sneak peek at a new "Nova" episode where scientists are unlocking a fascinating secret of the brain.
O'BRIEN: And defending the cockpit. Pilots learning to take down terrorists. I'll take you to the school where they get their training.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. Coming up, homeowners are feeling the pain of higher property taxes, and some have had enough. I'll tell you what they're doing coming up on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: As we told you at the top of the hour, the White House is set to ask Congress for $80 billion more for the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Where will that money come from? Well, CNN contributor Bob Barr joins us now to talk about all that.
Thanks for being with us today.
BOB BARR, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Before we get to where will the money come from, let's talk about where the money is going. Where is this $80 billion going? What's it buying?
BARR: Well, that's a very, very good question, because when you talk with some of the soldiers over there, it's not going for the equipment that they need. But clearly, it's going somewhere.
Just the logistics of having 120,000 or 130,000 men and women over there is phenomenally expensive. A lot of it just gets eaten up in the overhead of all of that, I'm afraid. And that's going to continue.
I mean, any way you cut it, Iraq is going to be at the top of the news. We're going to have the trial of the century with Saddam Hussein over there probably starting up this spring or summer. And then you have this phenomenal cost which just never seems to end.
NGUYEN: And let's talk about that cost. $80 million more. Where is that money coming from? I'm sorry, $80 billion more. Where is that money coming from?
BARR: You got your wallet with you? It's coming...
NGUYEN: I don't have that much in my wallet, Bob.
BARR: It's coming from you and me and the rest of us tax-paying citizens of this country. And it's very clever, what the administration is doing.
They don't include it as part of the main budget. They send out these supplemental which make it seem a little smaller. And they can maybe slip it in so it gets less attention. But this is about the third one of these that they've sent up there. And pretty soon Congress is going to start putting up a fuss about this.
NGUYEN: Yes, I was going to ask about that, because is there a point in time when Congress says no, enough is enough, we're not going to give you any more money for this? Or does that just look bad in a time of war?
BARR: Even when Bill Clinton was in the White House and there was a lot of congressional grumbling over the operations and Somalia and the operations in Bosnia, even though Congress grouses about it, when it comes to national security they really very, very rarely ever put their foot down. And I don't see that happening now. But the taxpayers of this country, sooner or later, are going to start asking the question that you just asked, where is all of this money going?
NGUYEN: And how can you justify it? Where -- where does it come in that the goals are met in Iraq, and this money was sent there, and it did what it was supposed to do? How do you justify that? How do you clarify that?
BARR: Well, that's a wonderful thing when you're president. You can define "success" any way you want it. And whatever happens in Iraq in the elections or in terms of internal security, they're going to find some way to spin it into success.
But a lot of that also will be determined when we have the Saddam Hussein trial later on and what happens with the elections. But your question is very, very good because thus far, we clearly have not seen the success that the administration promised us a year and a half ago that we'd see by this point.
NGUYEN: And with the budget deficit as high as it is now, do you think Americans will continue to say sign off on this money going to Iraq for years to come?
BARR: I'm not sure whether they'll be able to do this for years to come. I don't think that a major problem will surface in terms of congressional approval this year. But if we go into this time next year and they're asking for a second or a third $80 billion supplemental budget, they're going to have trouble.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN analyst Bob Barr, we thank you for your time and insight.
BARR: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Homeowners across the country are getting hit with higher property taxes. And some are fighting back. Susan Lisovicz joins us from the New York Stock Exchange.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(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
Aired January 25, 2005 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: As a principal architect of our failed policy, Dr. Rice is the wrong choice for secretary of state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Rice emphasized that support for freedom, democracy and the rule of law...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A floor fight. Secretary of state nominee Condoleezza Rice becomes the center of a Senate debate on the war in Iraq.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And a big spender. The White House wants $80 billion more dollars to pay for the war. Where is the money coming from?
O'BRIEN: Pistol-packing pilots taking aim against terror. We'll take you inside the training to defend the cockpit.
NGUYEN: And how do humans feel empathy? Unlocking the science behind the sentiment.
From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips, who is on assignment today.
O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
NGUYEN: We begin this hour with the cost of transforming Iraq. There is word today from the White House and Congress that the former will ask the latter for another $80 billion to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mostly Iraq for the next few months.
Now, that would bring the total price of both conflicts to roughly $300 billion to date. And speaking of dates, a top official at the Pentagon says there are plans to keep about 120,000 troops in Iraq through at least 2006. Another cost, human.
Kidnapped victim American citizen Roy Hallums appears in a video clip with a rifle to his head, pleading for help. Not from his own government, but from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Hallums was taken hostage November 1, but we have no way of knowing when he was put before that camera.
A powerful Iraqi judge paid the price today for defending the rule of law when attackers gunned him down outside his home. They also killed the man's son. Claiming responsibility is the same group that says it bombed the U.S. mess tent in Mosul last month.
O'BRIEN: The Iraq war's rationales and results are being re- debated on Capitol Hill today in the guise of a confirmation skirmish over one Condoleezza Rice. It's all but certain the national security adviser and Iraq war principal will be confirmed as secretary of state, but her Democratic detractors are out to make a point just the same. Not about her, but themselves.
Here's CNN congressional correspondent Joe Johns with more on that.
Hello, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.
This is something of a public relations war developing on Capitol Hill right now. Sharp criticism of Condoleezza Rice by a handful of Democrats in the United States Senate, even though it is quite clear that at the end of the day, actually tomorrow, she will be confirmed in the Senate for secretary of state. Some particularly sharply- worded comments today from Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota, accusing his colleagues on the Republican side of protecting Condoleezza Rice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARK DAYTON (D), MINNESOTA: They defend him, they protect him, and they allow his top administration officials to get away with lying. Lying to Congress, lying to our committees, and lying to the American people. It's wrong, it's immoral, it's un-American, and it has to stop.
It stops by not promoting top administration officials who engage in the practice, who have been instrumental in deceiving Congress and the American people. And regrettably, that includes Dr. Rice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Now, Republicans, of course, are vigorously defending Condoleezza Rice on and off the Senate floor, including the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, going to a news conference just a little while ago with several African-American leaders, including C. Dolores Tucker and Andrew Young in support of Condoleezza Rice. On the Senate floor, meanwhile, there has been more talk about her and her record from a positive point of view, including Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: One of the leaders who has kept the steady focus on exactly what we are doing in the war on terrorism and why it is important to stay the course in Iraq is the woman who is before us today. It is Condoleezza Rice who has kept the steady aim and helped our president see all of the minefields that are out there and helping our country come behind our president in staying the course in the war on terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Democrats, of course, are saying they have a constitutional duty to speak up on this. But at the end of the day, of course, Democrats realize they're going to have to use the power of debate to get their message across because of their weakened numbers after the election -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. Joe, let me ask you this. Does it look like we're going to have a confirmation vote as early as tomorrow, perhaps?
JOHNS: It certainly does. It appears there will be a vote sometime tomorrow, possibly tomorrow morning, and that Condoleezza Rice will, in fact, be the next secretary of state.
O'BRIEN: Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Thanks -- Betty.
NGUYEN: News "Across America" now.
Questions of illegal immigrant smuggling near the Rio Grande, but not who you'd expect. Federal agents forced a small plane to land in San Antonio, Texas, overnight. They're questioning the pilot and four Chinese passengers about a suspected smuggling operation involving Chinese nationals.
A dramatic confrontation with police in Tucson. Responding to a call about a fight, police fired pepper balls, hitting an Arizona man almost 70 times after he resisted arrest. What you can't hear on this video is police yelling at the suspect to get down on the ground.
They're reviewing tapes to determine if appropriate force was used. The bruised suspect says it was overkill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GABRIEL GANDARA, SUSPECT: They took it way too far, way too far. Because, I mean, they could have had me from the beginning. And they didn't even have to pull out that -- the pepper ball. You know, that was uncalled for. That was way too much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And they're making no butts about it in Michigan. If you light up and you work for WEYCO Incorporated, you can kiss your paycheck good-bye. The company, which administers health benefits, was fired -- or has fired four workers for refusing to take a test to determine if they smoke. Company policy means employee can't smoke even at home -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right.
Let's go to the United Nations in New York, where we're just hearing word that the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, is being questioned in connection with that big oil-for-food scandal.
Richard Roth is our senior correspondent on site there.
Richard, what's the latest?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was to be expected. We just didn't know when it would happen, or if it happened. And today I asked U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard if the secretary-general was formally questioned by U.N.-authorized investigator Paul Volcker and his team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED ECKHARD, U.N. SPOKESMAN: He has met more than once for an expanded -- an extended period of time with Mr. Volcker and his investigators. So yes, the secretary-general is part of the investigation, is a subject like anyone else involved in oil-for-food in the secretariat. And he has been questioned, and -- and most likely will continue to -- to be questions as Mr. Volcker's investigation continues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The term "secretariat" is the arm of the U.N. run by Kofi Annan, the administrative side of the U.N. staff. Kofi Annan reportedly met for maybe between an hour and two hours each with the Volcker people. There could still be more meetings.
Sources close to the Paul Volcker investigation say that they're holding up the release of their interim report which was tentatively scheduled for January 31. It's now been postponed to the first week of February to give time to people involved to respond.
There's no indication at all yet that there's anything going to be said about Kofi Annan in this interim report. But his son, Kojo, has been the -- one of those subjects who has been investigated in connection with this $60 billion program. And, of course, Miles, as you know, there are several congressional investigations which continue apace -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right. Lots to keep track of. Richard Roth at the United Nations, thank you very much.
Pilots training for every possible situation in the sky, including a terror attack in the cockpit. Later on LIVE FROM, I'll show you the intense preparation for a worst-case scenario.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The race is on in Hollywood. Oscar nominations have been handed out. And I'll tell you who was praised and who was snubbed when LIVE FROM continues. O'BRIEN: And should "The Passion of the Christ" have been nominated for best picture? E-mail us. LiveFrom@cnn.com. We will share some of your pithy comments with us a little later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, "The Aviator" is soaring in Oscar nominations. The list was announced this morning, and CNN entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson joins us now live from Los Angeles with a look at who's on it and who is not.
Hey there, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hey, Betty. That's right. And the list was announced pretty early this morning, 5:38 a.m. Pacific Time, in fact.
And, of course, all the nominees were ecstatic. But none more so than actor Jamie Foxx. CNN's Sibila Vargas caught up with him moments after he learned he was nominated for best actor for "Ray" and also best supporter actor for "Collateral."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: Everybody's calling. Everybody's happy. And people on the street is happy, too.
You walk out of the hotel, there's people giving you thumbs up. And that's the great thing about this film. It seems everybody's kind of on board with it. Because once they've seen it, got touched by it, said, "We hope that everything works out for you."
So it's just been great. I've been floating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, there were other celebrations and cheers going on as well. The cast of "Sideways,", "The Aviator" and "Million Dollar Baby" are all smiling from ear to ear.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADRIEN BRODY, ACTOR: I'm pleased to announce the films selected as the best picture nominees for 2004 are...
ANDERSON (voice-over): As widely expected, three films, "The Aviator"...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "THE AVIATOR": Good girl.
ANDERSON: ... "Million Dollar Baby"...
HILARY SWANK, ACTRESS, "MILLION DOLLAR BABY": If I'm too old for this, then I got nothing.
ANDERSON: ... and "Sideways"...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "SIDEWAYS": You really get your nose right in there.
ANDERSON: ... dominated the Academy Awards nominations. There were no shining surprises, except the absence of two of the year's most controversial and profitable films, "The Passion of the Christ" and "Fahrenheit 9/11, " both of which were submitted in the best picture category.
Two bio-pics completed the best picture group, "Ray" and "Finding Neverland." Each earned best actor nods for their leading men, Jamie Foxx for his capturing of Ray Charles and Johnny Depp for his portrayal of the author of "Peter Pan," JM Barrie.
Also nominated in the best actor category, Don Cheadle, for "Hotel Rwanda"; Leonardo DiCaprio, for "The Aviator"; and Clint Eastwood for "Million Dollar Baby." Notably absent was Paul Giamatti who garnered critical acclaim for "Sideways."
In the best actress category Annette Bening in "Being Julia" is expected to duke it out with Hilary Swank for "Million Dollar Baby," creating an award rematch from five years ago when Swank won for "Boys Don't Cry."
Also nominated, Imelda Staunton for "Vera Drake"; Catalina Sandino Moreno for "Maria Full of Grace"; and Kate Winslet for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
"The Aviator's" Martin Scorsese is flying high with his fifth directing nomination, though he's never actually won an Oscar. Nominated with him are Clint Eastwood, for "Million Dollar Baby"; Taylor Hackford for "Ray"; Alexander Payne for "Sideways"; and Mike Leigh for "Vera Drake."
Long criticized for limited diversity among honorees, the academy this year nominated people of color in all four acting categories.
This year's Academy Awards will take place Sunday, February 27. And with no "Lord of the Rings" invading from middle Earth, expect an exciting night at the Kodak Theatre.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: An exciting night, indeed, Betty. Chris Rock is going to host the event. So expect the unexpected.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, the jokes will be flying. Hey, I want to ask you quickly, though -- we saw the Golden Globes just a couple weeks ago, now the Oscar nominations are out. Are we going to see some of the same winners in the same categories that we saw at the Golden Globes?
ANDERSON: The Golden Globes are considered a predictor for the Oscars, Betty. The Oscar voters are watching the Golden Globes to see who wins.
For instance, "The Aviator" won best drama. Here it's nominated for best picture. Clint Eastwood won the Golden Globe for best director, in fact. Martin Scorsese is going to try to edge him out for the Oscar here.
Also, the Oscar voters are looking at the acceptance speeches, if you can believe that. But the people who come up as genuine, gracious, emotional, open, who act like they really, really want it, that could help them in the race for the Oscar as well. So it's a big predictor, yes.
NGUYEN: So that acceptance speech scratched on a napkin is really important when it comes to these awards.
ANDERSON: Yes, it is.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Brooke.
All right. As Brooke mentioned, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is absent from the best picture category. What do you think? Should "Passion" have been nominated?
E-mail us your thoughts at livefrom@cnn.com. And we will read some of those e-mails a little bit later on in the show.
O'BRIEN: All right. Before you get your keyboard out to type those e-mails, something called mirror neurons are worth thinking about.
NGUYEN: Very interesting. Ahead on LIVE FROM, a fascinating sneak peek at a new "Nova" episode where scientists are unlocking a fascinating secret of the brain.
O'BRIEN: And defending the cockpit. Pilots learning to take down terrorists. I'll take you to the school where they get their training.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. Coming up, homeowners are feeling the pain of higher property taxes, and some have had enough. I'll tell you what they're doing coming up on LIVE FROM.
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NGUYEN: As we told you at the top of the hour, the White House is set to ask Congress for $80 billion more for the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Where will that money come from? Well, CNN contributor Bob Barr joins us now to talk about all that.
Thanks for being with us today.
BOB BARR, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Before we get to where will the money come from, let's talk about where the money is going. Where is this $80 billion going? What's it buying?
BARR: Well, that's a very, very good question, because when you talk with some of the soldiers over there, it's not going for the equipment that they need. But clearly, it's going somewhere.
Just the logistics of having 120,000 or 130,000 men and women over there is phenomenally expensive. A lot of it just gets eaten up in the overhead of all of that, I'm afraid. And that's going to continue.
I mean, any way you cut it, Iraq is going to be at the top of the news. We're going to have the trial of the century with Saddam Hussein over there probably starting up this spring or summer. And then you have this phenomenal cost which just never seems to end.
NGUYEN: And let's talk about that cost. $80 million more. Where is that money coming from? I'm sorry, $80 billion more. Where is that money coming from?
BARR: You got your wallet with you? It's coming...
NGUYEN: I don't have that much in my wallet, Bob.
BARR: It's coming from you and me and the rest of us tax-paying citizens of this country. And it's very clever, what the administration is doing.
They don't include it as part of the main budget. They send out these supplemental which make it seem a little smaller. And they can maybe slip it in so it gets less attention. But this is about the third one of these that they've sent up there. And pretty soon Congress is going to start putting up a fuss about this.
NGUYEN: Yes, I was going to ask about that, because is there a point in time when Congress says no, enough is enough, we're not going to give you any more money for this? Or does that just look bad in a time of war?
BARR: Even when Bill Clinton was in the White House and there was a lot of congressional grumbling over the operations and Somalia and the operations in Bosnia, even though Congress grouses about it, when it comes to national security they really very, very rarely ever put their foot down. And I don't see that happening now. But the taxpayers of this country, sooner or later, are going to start asking the question that you just asked, where is all of this money going?
NGUYEN: And how can you justify it? Where -- where does it come in that the goals are met in Iraq, and this money was sent there, and it did what it was supposed to do? How do you justify that? How do you clarify that?
BARR: Well, that's a wonderful thing when you're president. You can define "success" any way you want it. And whatever happens in Iraq in the elections or in terms of internal security, they're going to find some way to spin it into success.
But a lot of that also will be determined when we have the Saddam Hussein trial later on and what happens with the elections. But your question is very, very good because thus far, we clearly have not seen the success that the administration promised us a year and a half ago that we'd see by this point.
NGUYEN: And with the budget deficit as high as it is now, do you think Americans will continue to say sign off on this money going to Iraq for years to come?
BARR: I'm not sure whether they'll be able to do this for years to come. I don't think that a major problem will surface in terms of congressional approval this year. But if we go into this time next year and they're asking for a second or a third $80 billion supplemental budget, they're going to have trouble.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN analyst Bob Barr, we thank you for your time and insight.
BARR: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Homeowners across the country are getting hit with higher property taxes. And some are fighting back. Susan Lisovicz joins us from the New York Stock Exchange.
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