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Rice, Goss Face Tough Questions From Congress; New Strain of HIV Raising Concern Among U.S. Health Officials
Aired February 16, 2005 - 15:00 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Here's what's going on now in the news.
Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan pressing Congress to do something now to shore up Medicare and Social Security. He says both programs face shortfalls as baby boomers retire. While endorsing the idea of private Social Security accounts, he added, any change must be cautious and gradual.
The president was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, today, keeping up his offensive on Social Security. He says private accounts will enable Americans to manage their own retirement. Mr. Bush has promoted his plan in eight states since his State of the Union address earlier this month.
Celebrex, Bextra and other popular pain medications under the microscope, the FDA evaluating the safety of so-called COX-2 inhibitors. Studies have shown the prescription drugs may be linked to increased risk of heart problems. Advisory committees are hearing from doctors and the public as they weigh the risks and the benefits.
Just two hours ago, the National Hockey League announced it is pulling the plug on the remainder of a season. After a five-month lockout, the players and owners still could not agree on a proposed salary cap. We're expecting to hear from the union about an hour from now.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A matter of national security. Some of the biggest names in the U.S. government are being grilled by lawmakers on a number of issues related to that. Among them, the new CIA director, Porter Goss, Defense Chief Donald Rumsfeld and America's top diplomat, Condoleezza Rice.
We begin with our congressional correspondent, Joe Johns -- Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, as if al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden weren't enough, weapons of mass destruction a continuing concern here in Washington. Today, the director of central intelligence, Porter Goss, getting a number of questions about missing nuclear material from Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Can you assure the American people -- and I think this is a yes-or-no-type thing -- can you assure the American people that the material missing from Russian nuclear sites has not found its way into terrorist hands?
PORTER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: No, I can't make that assurance. I can't account for some of the materials, so I can't make the assurance about its whereabouts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Porter Goss, of course, a former member of the House of Representatives, in fact, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, appearing here now as director of central intelligence, an essential part of his appearance today, the notion that a threat of attack by a radical terror group remains -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, speaking of a number of questions, how about the question Condoleezza Rice received with regard to Syria and its possible -- or questions of its involvement in the assassination of Rafik Hariri?
JOHNS: Certainly, Condoleezza Rice on Capitol Hill testifying about a funding request by the administration for money in the war on terror, also addressing particularly the question of Syria's involvement in Lebanon, the thousands of troops there, calling the presence of those troops a destabilizing force, also, of course, referring to the fact that she has recalled the ambassador to Syria in order to have some discussions back here in Washington -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Joe Johns, thanks so much.
Meanwhile, Syria is offering to do whatever is necessary to ease the tensions with Washington. And those tensions have been mounting since Monday, when that massive bomb killed the much revered former Lebanese leader that we just talked about. Hundreds of thousands of people packed Beirut for the funeral of Rafik Hariri, the prime minister until just four months ago.
His allies point to Syria for his downfall and possibly his death, which Damascus emphatically denies.
Now the tensions with Iran. Today, Iran's intelligence chief accused of United States of flying unmanned drones over Iranian nuclear site. And he threatened to shoot them down. Despite official denials, U.S. officials have confirmed to CNN that the United States is using unmanned vehicles to spy on Iranian nuclear installations and air defenses.
Also today, the top U.N. nuclear watchdog is urging the Bush administration to engage Iran diplomatically. In an interview with Mohamed ElBaradei, it suggested an arrangement like the five-nation effort to convince North Korea to halt its nuclear weapons program.
O'BRIEN: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns, terrorists are gearing up for a new attack against the U.S.
CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre joining us live with more -- Jamie. JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld making that comment after an appearance at the House Armed Services Committee today, saying that there is -- quote -- "real intelligence" that al Qaeda is planning for future attacks against the United States.
Of course, that's been the assumption all along. The U.S. military has been dealing under that assumption for quite some time. At that hearing, one of the many questions was, how can the U.S. win the insurgency in Iraq, the counterinsurgency, if it doesn't know how many people it's fighting? And while refusing to give an estimate of the size of enemy forces in Iraq, the Pentagon insisted the U.S. is winning.
And Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers said -- quote -- "that the future for the insurgency is bleak."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: What we know about these insurgents is that, overall, they're not very effective. They can spike in capability, as we saw before elections, but it goes back down to a steady state. We know that they're losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Now, pressed for a response to an Iraqi official's estimate that there were some 40,000 hard-core insurgents and 200,000 part-time fighters, the Pentagon said it -- Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said he had own estimates, different ones from the CIA and the DIA, but refused to give them.
And later he said after the hearing that he didn't think the numbers were the key question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The size of the problem is one thing. The lethality of it is quite a different thing, the nature of it and the quality of it. The Zarqawi group within that problem group of the insurgency clearly is the smallest and it's clearly the most lethal. So, raw numbers don't -- I don't think the issue is being cast quite right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Now, General Myers in that hearing said that he thought that the size of the insurgency was -- quote -- "considerably different and considerably lower" than what the Iraqis said. U.S. military officials have told CNN they believe there's anywhere between 10, 00 and 20,000 insurgents, with maybe 5,000 to 7,000 hard-core insurgents.
But, again, they don't release those official estimates because they're not sure they're right. The Pentagon continues to insist that they'll set no timetable for the withdraw of U.S. troops, because that would signal to the insurgents how long they have to wait to wait it out. They said the key to winning, again, is the preparedness of the Iraqi forces. And they're continuing to ramp up those numbers -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you.
Homeland Security staffers are getting to know their new chief, Michael Chertoff, confirmed by the Senate yesterday as secretary of the department. A short while ago, on his first day at work, Chertoff spoke with his employees. He saluted their spirit and told them he was proud and privileged to lead them.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
PHILLIPS: One hundred and forty-one nations have signed on in a global battle against global warming aimed at curbing greenhouse gases that may be damaging the Earth's protective atmosphere.
But, as the Kyoto protocol goes in effect today, there is controversy over the fact that neither Australia, nor the U.S., two of the world's largest polluters, have signed the pact. Although the Clinton administration signed the treaty in 1997, the Senate never ratified it and the Bush administration pulled out of negotiations in 2001.
One White House complaint is that the treaty exempts so-called emerging economies, such as China and India, from reducing greenhouse emissions.
O'BRIEN: News across America now.
Eight people dead in Colorado after a plane registered to Circuit City crashed near the airport in Pueblo. Weather at the time of the crash was overcast, drizzly and cold, icing reports by many pilots in the area. The flight originated in Richmond, Virginia. In a written statement, Circuit City said no company officers were aboard that flight.
Phoenix, Arizona, now. How many times do we have to tell you, if you come to a place in the road and it's washed out, don't keep going? This is just one of several helicopter rescues required after storm- related flooding hit the area.
In California, a new tax proposal is raising hackles. Officials are mulling a plan that would scrap the state's 18-cents-per-gallon gas tax. But here's the other shoe. Cars would be fitted with mileage-tracking devices that beam signals to a global positioning system satellite. A driver's tax would then be figured on the total miles driven. Yikes.
And, in Nashville, Tennessee, here you see a Rock in a hard place. Kid Rock paid a visit to night court after a dust-up at an adult entertainment club. Rock is accused of -- is that Mr. Rock or just Rock? Rock is accused of punching a deejay in the face after being told it was closing time at Christie's Cabaret. Classy joint, no doubt. He posted $3,000 in bond for a misdemeanor assault charge and is due back in Nashville March 30 for a court date.
PHILLIPS: Well...
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Sorry. He's just a classy guy.
O'BRIEN: It's class in every way.
PHILLIPS: I can't get past it. OK.
O'BRIEN: It's a class act.
PHILLIPS: Sorry. I'll get myself together.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Looks like the battle against AIDS is getting even tougher now. And just ahead on LIVE FROM, health officials are warning of a rare and more aggressive new strain of HIV.
O'BRIEN: Plus, Baby 81, a baby swept away by the tsunami now back in his parents' arms.
And then there's this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: My role probably hasn't changed as much as I've changed and just become more...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A shakeup at the White House, but it's not the president making the changes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Is it the end of the world as we know it? And is the car you're driving partly to blame for global warning?
(voice-over): CNN.com/science helps you demystify global warming as the Kyoto Protocol enters into force today. Now that's an important treaty aimed at curbing emissions of gases from cars and industry, both widely blamed for trapping too much of Earth's heat.
To start, take an interactive journey into space as we explain the greenhouse effect from the ground up. What the heck is the greenhouse effect? Well, you can think of it as Earth's blanket, except made out of heat-trapping gases like methane and carbon dioxide. Human activities, like burning coal and oil, add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, which are blamed for raise earth's temperature.
You're probably asking when scientists first even started thinking about climate change. Well, we've got that, too, in our interactive time line. Did you know the first example of global climate change was actually observed on Mars in 1971? That's right, the Red Planet was enveloped by a massive dust storm that warned the surface by tens of degrees Celsius.
(on camera): Fast forward to today when the Kyoto Protocol takes effect. As to what you can do to help Mother Earth, log on to CNN.com/science for your environmentally friendly guide.
Reporting from the dot-com desk, I'm Christina Park.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Reunited at last. The 4-month-old boy who became known as Baby 81 was handed over to his parents in a joyous reunion today in Sri Lanka. The baby was lost in the tsunami. For seven weeks, the baby's parents battled courts and eight other couples who claimed the baby as their own. DNA tests conducted last week proved the baby was theirs.
U.S. health officials believe a second person has tested positive for a rare, highly aggressive and drug-resistant strain of HIV. This is especially of a concern since the case is not in New York, but thousands of miles away in California. San Diego officials are trying to track down that person who tested positive last fall.
Meanwhile, back in New York, the scare is serving up as a wakeup call in a city that's no stranger to AIDS.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's only one case, one case in a city where as many as 100,000 people are HIV positive or have AIDS.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This particular strain is broadly resistant.
FEYERICK: But for New York City doctors like Roy Gulick, one case is more than enough.
DR. ROY GULICK, WILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE: Because this man progressed from being someone non-infected to someone with AIDS in a matter of months.
FEYERICK: The concern is that this might be a super virus, a rare strain of HIV so aggressive virtually no drugs work. New York City's top health official is warning the gay community to be careful.
DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, NYC HEALTH COMMISSIONER: I want to emphasize that this is a single case. We do not know how widely spread it is or will become.
FEYERICK: The virus was found in a man in his mid 40s. Doctors say he had had unprotected anal sex with numerous men while using the club drug crystal meth.
DR. ANTONIO URBINA, ST. VINCENT'S CATHOLIC MEDICAL CENTER: A rapidly growing crystal methamphetamine epidemic in New York City is facilitating the transmission of HIV at an alarming rate.
FEYERICK: Usually it takes years before HIV turns into full- fledged AIDS. Some doctors say the problem is not the virus, it's the patient. One of the nation's top experts on AIDS, Anthony Fauci, is skeptical about a so-called super bug.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: Is it due to the particular virulence of this microbe or is it due to the fact that this particular single individual was not able to handle HIV very well?
FEYERICK: Local and federal officials usually agree before breaking this kind of news. Local New York City officials decided to go public, in part, to prevent any outbreak. Activists say they did the right thing.
ANA OLIVEIRA, GAY MEN'S HEALTH CRISIS: What we want to tell the public in general is that we don't know enough yet about this particular case that was identified.
FEYERICK (on camera): City officials say they just want to keep the virus from spreading. They're now trying to track down anyone who may have had unprotected sex with the infected man.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: In other health news, do the benefits outweigh the risks? That's what FDA Advisory Committee are asking about popular painkillers such as Celebrex and Bextra. The panels are hearing from government officials, doctors and others during three days of meetings in Washington. That concern follows recent studies suggesting the drug Vioxx can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients.
O'BRIEN: Well, there's a new queen of the canines. Of course, we all know what a female dog is. We're not -- I guess we can't say that on television, can we?
PHILLIPS: Hey, you call me that all the time.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Ahead on LIVE FROM -- I call you pointer all the time, yes.
PHILLIPS: Oh. O'BRIEN: Ahead on LIVE FROM, see which dog does the...
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: ... the best in show at Westminster.
PHILLIPS: And a staff shakeup at the White House. Find out how the first lady is changing things around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: A German shorthaired pointer is now the world's top dog. This is such a cute dog, maybe Kyra would even like her. The brown and white canine named Carlee won the 129 -- no, I guess not, not cute enough for her.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: The stubby tail just doesn't work.
The 129th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog show was hers, beating out more than 2,000 other four-pawed competitors. After winning, the 5-year-old stood to kiss its owner and said something like, that was rough.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Anyway, she'll now retire and be used for breeding, which brings us to this. It's your move, pooch. Two-dogs-playing- poker paintings fetched almost $600,000.
You know. You've seen these, of course, usually on black velvet and stuff. An annual dogs in art action in New York, that price far exceeding expectations -- and really sanity -- and also set a record for the artist, Cassius Coolidge. One comedian calls the paintings the "Bona Lisa" of -- who is that, Foxworthy, the Bona Lisa, the Bona Lisa?
PHILLIPS: That's a dog -- that's a dog art.
O'BRIEN: OK.
PHILLIPS: We got Bona Lisa, dogs.
O'BRIEN: Bona Lisa.
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
PHILLIPS: We've heard about the shakeup inside the West Wing when President Bush's second term began. But a similar thing appears to be happening in the East Wing. The first lady is making some staff changes.
Who is affected and why? Here's national correspondent Kelly Wallace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Laura Bush's East Wing shuffle. In, a new social secretary and chief of staff. Out, the chef, who has been at the White House since 1994. Mrs. Bush gave him the axe.
ANN GERHART, "THE WASHINGTON POST": We don't usually think of Laura Bush as firing anybody. She's just as loyal as anybody else in the Bush family. So I think it is very unusual.
WALLACE: Was it a clash of personalities or something else? We posed those questions to longtime Washington style expert Sally Quinn.
SALLY QUINN, WASHINGTON STYLE EXPERT: I suspect that she and the chef didn't see eye to eye. And that's the kind of thing that happens. I mean, so much of this is chemistry and personality. And so I'm sure they'll get another chef and I'm sure the food will be fine.
WALLACE: Quinn says it's also a sign of the first lady feeling more comfortable in this, the second term. A time when Mrs. Bush says she and her husband plan to do a whole lot more entertaining.
They hosted only four state dinners during the first four years. The same number the elder Bushes hosted during their first six months in the White House.
GERHART: This is how she's spending her capital. She's saying, look, I know you don't want to stay up really late, but darn it, every once in a while I want to have some fun people around.
WALLACE: And as she takes on her first official policy role with her husband's administration, overseeing a new program to help troubled boys, there is something else you notice.
BUSH: My role probably hasn't changed as much as I've changed and just become more...
WALLACE: She has become much more candid with the press. Quinn says that's no surprise.
QUINN: She, I'm sure, is partially responsible for him being re- elected. And I think that she knows that. Everybody knows that. I think she really gets an A+, and I think that's given her an enormous amount of confidence.
WALLACE (on camera): The first lady's words and actions also perhaps a reflection of her sky-high approval rating, numbers any politician would dream of, which means that just about anything Laura Bush does over the next four years will likely be more than all right with the American people.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: That wraps up this Wednesday edition of LIVE FROM.
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 February 16, 2005 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Here's what's going on now in the news.
Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan pressing Congress to do something now to shore up Medicare and Social Security. He says both programs face shortfalls as baby boomers retire. While endorsing the idea of private Social Security accounts, he added, any change must be cautious and gradual.
The president was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, today, keeping up his offensive on Social Security. He says private accounts will enable Americans to manage their own retirement. Mr. Bush has promoted his plan in eight states since his State of the Union address earlier this month.
Celebrex, Bextra and other popular pain medications under the microscope, the FDA evaluating the safety of so-called COX-2 inhibitors. Studies have shown the prescription drugs may be linked to increased risk of heart problems. Advisory committees are hearing from doctors and the public as they weigh the risks and the benefits.
Just two hours ago, the National Hockey League announced it is pulling the plug on the remainder of a season. After a five-month lockout, the players and owners still could not agree on a proposed salary cap. We're expecting to hear from the union about an hour from now.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A matter of national security. Some of the biggest names in the U.S. government are being grilled by lawmakers on a number of issues related to that. Among them, the new CIA director, Porter Goss, Defense Chief Donald Rumsfeld and America's top diplomat, Condoleezza Rice.
We begin with our congressional correspondent, Joe Johns -- Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, as if al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden weren't enough, weapons of mass destruction a continuing concern here in Washington. Today, the director of central intelligence, Porter Goss, getting a number of questions about missing nuclear material from Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Can you assure the American people -- and I think this is a yes-or-no-type thing -- can you assure the American people that the material missing from Russian nuclear sites has not found its way into terrorist hands?
PORTER GOSS, CIA DIRECTOR: No, I can't make that assurance. I can't account for some of the materials, so I can't make the assurance about its whereabouts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Porter Goss, of course, a former member of the House of Representatives, in fact, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, appearing here now as director of central intelligence, an essential part of his appearance today, the notion that a threat of attack by a radical terror group remains -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, speaking of a number of questions, how about the question Condoleezza Rice received with regard to Syria and its possible -- or questions of its involvement in the assassination of Rafik Hariri?
JOHNS: Certainly, Condoleezza Rice on Capitol Hill testifying about a funding request by the administration for money in the war on terror, also addressing particularly the question of Syria's involvement in Lebanon, the thousands of troops there, calling the presence of those troops a destabilizing force, also, of course, referring to the fact that she has recalled the ambassador to Syria in order to have some discussions back here in Washington -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Joe Johns, thanks so much.
Meanwhile, Syria is offering to do whatever is necessary to ease the tensions with Washington. And those tensions have been mounting since Monday, when that massive bomb killed the much revered former Lebanese leader that we just talked about. Hundreds of thousands of people packed Beirut for the funeral of Rafik Hariri, the prime minister until just four months ago.
His allies point to Syria for his downfall and possibly his death, which Damascus emphatically denies.
Now the tensions with Iran. Today, Iran's intelligence chief accused of United States of flying unmanned drones over Iranian nuclear site. And he threatened to shoot them down. Despite official denials, U.S. officials have confirmed to CNN that the United States is using unmanned vehicles to spy on Iranian nuclear installations and air defenses.
Also today, the top U.N. nuclear watchdog is urging the Bush administration to engage Iran diplomatically. In an interview with Mohamed ElBaradei, it suggested an arrangement like the five-nation effort to convince North Korea to halt its nuclear weapons program.
O'BRIEN: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns, terrorists are gearing up for a new attack against the U.S.
CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre joining us live with more -- Jamie. JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld making that comment after an appearance at the House Armed Services Committee today, saying that there is -- quote -- "real intelligence" that al Qaeda is planning for future attacks against the United States.
Of course, that's been the assumption all along. The U.S. military has been dealing under that assumption for quite some time. At that hearing, one of the many questions was, how can the U.S. win the insurgency in Iraq, the counterinsurgency, if it doesn't know how many people it's fighting? And while refusing to give an estimate of the size of enemy forces in Iraq, the Pentagon insisted the U.S. is winning.
And Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers said -- quote -- "that the future for the insurgency is bleak."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: What we know about these insurgents is that, overall, they're not very effective. They can spike in capability, as we saw before elections, but it goes back down to a steady state. We know that they're losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Now, pressed for a response to an Iraqi official's estimate that there were some 40,000 hard-core insurgents and 200,000 part-time fighters, the Pentagon said it -- Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said he had own estimates, different ones from the CIA and the DIA, but refused to give them.
And later he said after the hearing that he didn't think the numbers were the key question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The size of the problem is one thing. The lethality of it is quite a different thing, the nature of it and the quality of it. The Zarqawi group within that problem group of the insurgency clearly is the smallest and it's clearly the most lethal. So, raw numbers don't -- I don't think the issue is being cast quite right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Now, General Myers in that hearing said that he thought that the size of the insurgency was -- quote -- "considerably different and considerably lower" than what the Iraqis said. U.S. military officials have told CNN they believe there's anywhere between 10, 00 and 20,000 insurgents, with maybe 5,000 to 7,000 hard-core insurgents.
But, again, they don't release those official estimates because they're not sure they're right. The Pentagon continues to insist that they'll set no timetable for the withdraw of U.S. troops, because that would signal to the insurgents how long they have to wait to wait it out. They said the key to winning, again, is the preparedness of the Iraqi forces. And they're continuing to ramp up those numbers -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you.
Homeland Security staffers are getting to know their new chief, Michael Chertoff, confirmed by the Senate yesterday as secretary of the department. A short while ago, on his first day at work, Chertoff spoke with his employees. He saluted their spirit and told them he was proud and privileged to lead them.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
PHILLIPS: One hundred and forty-one nations have signed on in a global battle against global warming aimed at curbing greenhouse gases that may be damaging the Earth's protective atmosphere.
But, as the Kyoto protocol goes in effect today, there is controversy over the fact that neither Australia, nor the U.S., two of the world's largest polluters, have signed the pact. Although the Clinton administration signed the treaty in 1997, the Senate never ratified it and the Bush administration pulled out of negotiations in 2001.
One White House complaint is that the treaty exempts so-called emerging economies, such as China and India, from reducing greenhouse emissions.
O'BRIEN: News across America now.
Eight people dead in Colorado after a plane registered to Circuit City crashed near the airport in Pueblo. Weather at the time of the crash was overcast, drizzly and cold, icing reports by many pilots in the area. The flight originated in Richmond, Virginia. In a written statement, Circuit City said no company officers were aboard that flight.
Phoenix, Arizona, now. How many times do we have to tell you, if you come to a place in the road and it's washed out, don't keep going? This is just one of several helicopter rescues required after storm- related flooding hit the area.
In California, a new tax proposal is raising hackles. Officials are mulling a plan that would scrap the state's 18-cents-per-gallon gas tax. But here's the other shoe. Cars would be fitted with mileage-tracking devices that beam signals to a global positioning system satellite. A driver's tax would then be figured on the total miles driven. Yikes.
And, in Nashville, Tennessee, here you see a Rock in a hard place. Kid Rock paid a visit to night court after a dust-up at an adult entertainment club. Rock is accused of -- is that Mr. Rock or just Rock? Rock is accused of punching a deejay in the face after being told it was closing time at Christie's Cabaret. Classy joint, no doubt. He posted $3,000 in bond for a misdemeanor assault charge and is due back in Nashville March 30 for a court date.
PHILLIPS: Well...
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Sorry. He's just a classy guy.
O'BRIEN: It's class in every way.
PHILLIPS: I can't get past it. OK.
O'BRIEN: It's a class act.
PHILLIPS: Sorry. I'll get myself together.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Looks like the battle against AIDS is getting even tougher now. And just ahead on LIVE FROM, health officials are warning of a rare and more aggressive new strain of HIV.
O'BRIEN: Plus, Baby 81, a baby swept away by the tsunami now back in his parents' arms.
And then there's this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: My role probably hasn't changed as much as I've changed and just become more...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A shakeup at the White House, but it's not the president making the changes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA PARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Is it the end of the world as we know it? And is the car you're driving partly to blame for global warning?
(voice-over): CNN.com/science helps you demystify global warming as the Kyoto Protocol enters into force today. Now that's an important treaty aimed at curbing emissions of gases from cars and industry, both widely blamed for trapping too much of Earth's heat.
To start, take an interactive journey into space as we explain the greenhouse effect from the ground up. What the heck is the greenhouse effect? Well, you can think of it as Earth's blanket, except made out of heat-trapping gases like methane and carbon dioxide. Human activities, like burning coal and oil, add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, which are blamed for raise earth's temperature.
You're probably asking when scientists first even started thinking about climate change. Well, we've got that, too, in our interactive time line. Did you know the first example of global climate change was actually observed on Mars in 1971? That's right, the Red Planet was enveloped by a massive dust storm that warned the surface by tens of degrees Celsius.
(on camera): Fast forward to today when the Kyoto Protocol takes effect. As to what you can do to help Mother Earth, log on to CNN.com/science for your environmentally friendly guide.
Reporting from the dot-com desk, I'm Christina Park.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Reunited at last. The 4-month-old boy who became known as Baby 81 was handed over to his parents in a joyous reunion today in Sri Lanka. The baby was lost in the tsunami. For seven weeks, the baby's parents battled courts and eight other couples who claimed the baby as their own. DNA tests conducted last week proved the baby was theirs.
U.S. health officials believe a second person has tested positive for a rare, highly aggressive and drug-resistant strain of HIV. This is especially of a concern since the case is not in New York, but thousands of miles away in California. San Diego officials are trying to track down that person who tested positive last fall.
Meanwhile, back in New York, the scare is serving up as a wakeup call in a city that's no stranger to AIDS.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick explains.
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DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's only one case, one case in a city where as many as 100,000 people are HIV positive or have AIDS.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This particular strain is broadly resistant.
FEYERICK: But for New York City doctors like Roy Gulick, one case is more than enough.
DR. ROY GULICK, WILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE: Because this man progressed from being someone non-infected to someone with AIDS in a matter of months.
FEYERICK: The concern is that this might be a super virus, a rare strain of HIV so aggressive virtually no drugs work. New York City's top health official is warning the gay community to be careful.
DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, NYC HEALTH COMMISSIONER: I want to emphasize that this is a single case. We do not know how widely spread it is or will become.
FEYERICK: The virus was found in a man in his mid 40s. Doctors say he had had unprotected anal sex with numerous men while using the club drug crystal meth.
DR. ANTONIO URBINA, ST. VINCENT'S CATHOLIC MEDICAL CENTER: A rapidly growing crystal methamphetamine epidemic in New York City is facilitating the transmission of HIV at an alarming rate.
FEYERICK: Usually it takes years before HIV turns into full- fledged AIDS. Some doctors say the problem is not the virus, it's the patient. One of the nation's top experts on AIDS, Anthony Fauci, is skeptical about a so-called super bug.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: Is it due to the particular virulence of this microbe or is it due to the fact that this particular single individual was not able to handle HIV very well?
FEYERICK: Local and federal officials usually agree before breaking this kind of news. Local New York City officials decided to go public, in part, to prevent any outbreak. Activists say they did the right thing.
ANA OLIVEIRA, GAY MEN'S HEALTH CRISIS: What we want to tell the public in general is that we don't know enough yet about this particular case that was identified.
FEYERICK (on camera): City officials say they just want to keep the virus from spreading. They're now trying to track down anyone who may have had unprotected sex with the infected man.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: In other health news, do the benefits outweigh the risks? That's what FDA Advisory Committee are asking about popular painkillers such as Celebrex and Bextra. The panels are hearing from government officials, doctors and others during three days of meetings in Washington. That concern follows recent studies suggesting the drug Vioxx can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients.
O'BRIEN: Well, there's a new queen of the canines. Of course, we all know what a female dog is. We're not -- I guess we can't say that on television, can we?
PHILLIPS: Hey, you call me that all the time.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Ahead on LIVE FROM -- I call you pointer all the time, yes.
PHILLIPS: Oh. O'BRIEN: Ahead on LIVE FROM, see which dog does the...
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: ... the best in show at Westminster.
PHILLIPS: And a staff shakeup at the White House. Find out how the first lady is changing things around.
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O'BRIEN: A German shorthaired pointer is now the world's top dog. This is such a cute dog, maybe Kyra would even like her. The brown and white canine named Carlee won the 129 -- no, I guess not, not cute enough for her.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: The stubby tail just doesn't work.
The 129th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog show was hers, beating out more than 2,000 other four-pawed competitors. After winning, the 5-year-old stood to kiss its owner and said something like, that was rough.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Anyway, she'll now retire and be used for breeding, which brings us to this. It's your move, pooch. Two-dogs-playing- poker paintings fetched almost $600,000.
You know. You've seen these, of course, usually on black velvet and stuff. An annual dogs in art action in New York, that price far exceeding expectations -- and really sanity -- and also set a record for the artist, Cassius Coolidge. One comedian calls the paintings the "Bona Lisa" of -- who is that, Foxworthy, the Bona Lisa, the Bona Lisa?
PHILLIPS: That's a dog -- that's a dog art.
O'BRIEN: OK.
PHILLIPS: We got Bona Lisa, dogs.
O'BRIEN: Bona Lisa.
(FINANCIAL UPDATE)
PHILLIPS: We've heard about the shakeup inside the West Wing when President Bush's second term began. But a similar thing appears to be happening in the East Wing. The first lady is making some staff changes.
Who is affected and why? Here's national correspondent Kelly Wallace.
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KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Laura Bush's East Wing shuffle. In, a new social secretary and chief of staff. Out, the chef, who has been at the White House since 1994. Mrs. Bush gave him the axe.
ANN GERHART, "THE WASHINGTON POST": We don't usually think of Laura Bush as firing anybody. She's just as loyal as anybody else in the Bush family. So I think it is very unusual.
WALLACE: Was it a clash of personalities or something else? We posed those questions to longtime Washington style expert Sally Quinn.
SALLY QUINN, WASHINGTON STYLE EXPERT: I suspect that she and the chef didn't see eye to eye. And that's the kind of thing that happens. I mean, so much of this is chemistry and personality. And so I'm sure they'll get another chef and I'm sure the food will be fine.
WALLACE: Quinn says it's also a sign of the first lady feeling more comfortable in this, the second term. A time when Mrs. Bush says she and her husband plan to do a whole lot more entertaining.
They hosted only four state dinners during the first four years. The same number the elder Bushes hosted during their first six months in the White House.
GERHART: This is how she's spending her capital. She's saying, look, I know you don't want to stay up really late, but darn it, every once in a while I want to have some fun people around.
WALLACE: And as she takes on her first official policy role with her husband's administration, overseeing a new program to help troubled boys, there is something else you notice.
BUSH: My role probably hasn't changed as much as I've changed and just become more...
WALLACE: She has become much more candid with the press. Quinn says that's no surprise.
QUINN: She, I'm sure, is partially responsible for him being re- elected. And I think that she knows that. Everybody knows that. I think she really gets an A+, and I think that's given her an enormous amount of confidence.
WALLACE (on camera): The first lady's words and actions also perhaps a reflection of her sky-high approval rating, numbers any politician would dream of, which means that just about anything Laura Bush does over the next four years will likely be more than all right with the American people.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: That wraps up this Wednesday edition of LIVE FROM.
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