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California's Stormy Days; Leading Iraqi Prime Minister Candidate Emerges
Aired February 22, 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.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: It started on Saturday when a bagel shop owner and pregnant mother of one failed to show up for a baby shower in Texas. Police found blood in the Fort Worth home of Lisa Underwood and her 7-year-old son, Jayden.
Now, yesterday, they found Underwood's SUV abandoned in a creek some 30 miles away. And today, a one-time boyfriend was charged with capital murder. And at least one body was also found today in water near the Texas town of Denton.
Here's a portion of a news conference you may have seen live this morning on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GENE JONES, FORT WORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT: We know that Mr. Barbee and Ms. Underwood were at one time romantically involved. I can't tell you what their relationship is -- what their current most relationship status was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: So, earlier, police said both bodies were found. Late reports suggest that they may have been wrong, no word yet on the discrepancy. But we of course will keep you posted. One body has been found.
In Denver, a computer glitch, human error or even both are blamed for a failure by police to identify and pick up a suspected sexual predator. A man by the name of Brent Brents was arrested late Friday, 3 1/2 months after DNA that allegedly matches his was taken from a rape victim and sent to Denver's crime lab for analysis.
The results were supposed to be sent straight away to the CBI, Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Well, that didn't happen, apparently because of a technician's oversight during a switch-over to a new computer server. Eventually, the sample was compared to a database of unknown offenders, on which Brents appears because of child molestation convictions in the late 1980s.
By then, however, he was suspected in five new attacks of women and girls. The CBI and Denver Police acknowledge -- and we quote -- "A match to the October 2004 case should have occurred earlier."
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Just a short time ago, we got a look at something you don't see every day. A water spout formed in the Pacific off Santa Monica, California.
Authorities issued a special marine warning, but the funnel apparently caused no damage. A little later, the Weather Service posted a tornado watch until 6:00 p.m. local time for an area north of Los Angeles to south of San Diego.
Will the sky ever clear in Southern California? Of course it will. So far this year, though, nearly 32 inches of rain have fallen and more is on the way. The earth is so saturated that roadways are beginning to buckle and hillsides keep sliding in six communities around Los Angeles so far.
CNN's Chris Lawrence is on the scene in Glendale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the things you can't do is to judge the situation here in Southern California by the way it looks right at this moment. It's been raining off and on pretty much all day. And even though it's not raining right now, you can see that the damage is pretty much already been done.
You can take a look and see just a steady stream of water come down the mountain there. That's been coming on for at least a few hour.
And many of these slopes are so unstable and soaked with water when that rain does start up again, it's a pretty good bet the mud will start rushing back down the hill.
And to show you the power of that mud and what it can do, we take you to Highland Park. It's an area in Los Angeles County where homes are literally on the brink of slide down the hills. Swimming pool, look like it's just inches away from collapsing. Patio in the same situation, and that's because the soil there is very quickly slip away.
Police have cordoned off and evacuated four homes in Highland Park. And officials there and across the city are going through and trying to determine whether they should put a yellow tag on certain homes in which case the homeowner could come in and go during the daytime hours, or to red-tag the home in which case no one would be allowed to get near it.
A lot of the people who live here say they're used to seeing a little bit of rain during the winter months, but nothing to extent of what they have seen here.
STEVE REIDINGER, GLENDALE RESIDENT: It carries mud, tree, debris. We shoveled out the storm drains here on the streets a couple of times because they would just get plugged up, and then the water's got no place else left to go.
LAWRENCE: And because of the way this storm has come, literally in waves, it's making it very hard for firefighters to predict exactly how many more homes may have to be evacuated and whether the people who live here in this neighborhood will even be allowed to stay.
Reporting from Glendale, California, I'm Chris Lawrence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: In other news today, the Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to its landmark 1973 abortion ruling, a challenge brought by the very woman at the center of the case known as Roe vs. Wade.
The court today declined to hear an appeal from Norma McCorvey, who says she now regrets that her case led to constitutional -- constitutionally protected abortion rights.
Now, the Supreme Court is considering whether cities and states can condemn someone's private property and sell or lease it to someone else. The legal principle of eminent domain lets governments seize property with just compensation and convert it to public use, like clearing slums or building public works, such as roads or schools. But municipalities in recent years have claimed that just growing the tax base is a public use.
Bill Prasad is in Washington covering today's case. And he joins us now with the latest on this -- hi, Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.
This is an issue that has been argued in local and federal government courthouses for decades. It's an extremely controversial issue. It comes down to this question: Does the government have a right to seize your property for the greater public good?
Now, all of this is called eminent domain. It means the government can take your land for the greater public good, for example, to build a highway or a school. In the Supreme Court today, homeowners from New London, Connecticut, challenged the right to take property to pave the way for commercial development.
They say that if eminent domain is used in their situation, it will be a dangerous precedent, because you are seizing land for economic expansion, as opposed to con -- construction issues such as highway or schools. But developers, many mayors across the country say that, in many cases, eminent domain is very essential to the economic future of that particular city or jurisdiction.
So, once again, Betty, a very controversial issue. And the Supreme Court, perhaps, may have a decision on this particular case, the New London case, sometime later this year -- Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: Hey, Bill, on another note, we hear today that the D.C. mayor was in court. What's that all about?
PRASAD: Well, the mayor of D.C., Anthony Williams, did show up outside in front of the Supreme Court today. And here's another situation where there's a possibility eminent domain could be used to develop an economic area. For example, there is a proposed site for a baseball stadium. Baseball is finally coming back to the nation's capital. And there is a situation where some homeowners may be forced to sell their properties in order to develop the area around this new baseball park. So, it's extremely important to the residents here in D.C. also -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Bill Prasad in Washington, we thank you.
In other legal news today, next term, justices will hear arguments for and against the only law in the nation permitting doctor-assisted suicide. Oregon's Death With Dignity Act has enabled more than 170 terminally ill people to end their lives since 1998.
Now, the Bush administration claims assisted suicide is not a legitimate medical purpose. Oregon says it's none of the fed's business. And just last month, the high court refused to interfere with a Florida law passed specifically to keep one person, Terri Schiavo, on life support over her husband's objections.
HARRIS: Well, here's a face we're likely to get to know. More than three weeks now since Iraq's historic election, Ibrahim al- Jaafari emerged today as the odds-on favorite to lead the new government.
With the story from Baghdad, CNN's Nic Robertson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's taken the United Iraqi Alliance, the Shia Muslim grouping that has just over more than half the seats in the assembly, well over a week to come up with their nomination for prime minister.
It happened because Ahmad Chalabi decided to stand down, saying that he wanted to maintain the unity of the party. It could have been that the interim prime minister, who just yesterday said that he was throwing his name back in the ring for the possibility of prime minister, although he's not inside that -- inside that particular bloc, or perhaps that compelled the United Iraqi Alliance to look very seriously at their own position and say, we must come up with a nomination.
They did that today, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, widely seen as a good thing to unify the government. Why? Because, in his period of time in exile in opposition to Saddam Hussein, he was seen as somebody who was able to work with and bring together some of the disparate political elements at that time, and perhaps that's why he's emerged as a top nominee.
While he was in exile, he lived in Iran. He moved to London. He is a medical doctor. He is a -- seen as a moderate Islamist within his party. There are many more extreme Islamists, if you will, within the United Iraqi Alliance. He is seen as well as a politician who has reached out to Sunnis. And it's certainly the view of a lot of people here that, if the country is going to be united, then whoever the prime minister is needs to be able to encourage the Sunnis into the political process.
Otherwise, divisions could open up. But this isn't the end of the political road, if you will, in nominating a prime minister. The United Iraqi Alliance has put their candidate, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, forward, but now they have to get the backing of other political -- other political groupings.
And, in principle, the Kurdish Alliance will have to give their support. And, at this time, they're indicating that that could take quite some time. There's a lot of issues that are very important to them that they want to negotiate, want to hear the government's position on certain key policies that are key to them.
So the -- so, before there is a final nomination for prime minister, it still could be quite some time.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: President Bush is wrapping up his two-day stay in Brussels. The highlight today was NATO's commitment to share at least part of the burden of training Iraq's security forces. At a news conference about an hour and a half ago, the subject turned to Iran.
Take a listen to this and you can make of the statement what you will.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. Having said that, all options are on the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Also today in Brussels, police tussled briefly with demonstrators outside NATO headquarters. Authorities say about 1,000 protesters braved the cold weather to denounce the American president.
HARRIS: With her husband expected tomorrow, first lady Laura Bush traveled ahead to Germany today, where she thanked American troops for their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mrs. Bush addressed troops at the massive American base just outside of Frankfurt. She also met with more than a dozen wounded soldiers and with a group of American children.
And Hillary Rodham Clinton is part of a Senate delegation that met in Kabul today with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. After the meeting, Senator John McCain called for a long-term U.S. military presence within Afghanistan, where U.S. forces overthrew the Taliban and continue to hunt down armed Islamic militants.
Up next on LIVE FROM, skiing to the extreme.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good set up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, this is a great setup. Going off in style.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: A daredevil filmmaker dies on the slopes. Hear from the friends who filmed his final moments.
NGUYEN: Plus, Barry Bonds speaks out. The slugger is expected to address steroid allegations for the first time.
HARRIS: And, later, why does the world's most famous gorilla want women to reveal some private parts?
NGUYEN: What? Private parts?
HARRIS: That's the story.
NGUYEN: Uh-oh.
HARRIS: Our Jeanne Moos with a story you won't want to miss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Brother, as that big winter storm continues to swamp most of Southern California under torrential rains, look at this. The folks in Big Bear are at least able to get out and enjoy the plentiful snows the system has spawned. Resorts in the area say they've gotten more than 2 1/2 feet of snow since Friday, fresh powder. And it's still coming down.
NGUYEN: Which is why the lure of fresh powder is all but irresistible to skiers and snowboarders.
But the quest for steeper trails and riskier terrain can turn deadly.
CNN's Jason Carroll on one young skier who was dedicated to pushing the limits and the family that is now left to mourn him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good setup?
ALEC STALL, SKIER: Yeah. This is a great setup. Going off in style.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was Alec Stall, getting ready to do what he loved most, skiing. But not your average run down a slope type skiing. That was Stall doing it his way. Exploring chutes off marked trails, far from crowded resorts, risky terrain, but for Alec and his friends, it became a passion, so much so they documented their adventures over the past two years. Each new chapter a worry for his parents, who are experienced skiers themselves.
TODD STALL, ALEC'S FATHER: It was never our intention to stop him from following what his passion in life was. And I think that's a very difficult thing to do.
CAROL STALL, ALEC'S MOTHER: Toward the end, I would always say to him, you know what? Don't tell me before. Just call me afterwards. So.
CARROLL: Last Monday, a call came. Alec was killed while skiing with friends on Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont. He was 23.
C. STALL: It was just a very tragic incident.
CARROLL: His father says it all began with a two-hour hike last Monday morning, to the top of a remote area.
T. STALL: At the end of this chute, there was a cliff, but everyone had skied down to within 30 feet of that cliff and made a turn and skied off it. Alec skied down the chute and must have caught a tip, and must have fallen, but it was not an unusual fall.
And as he was gathering himself, a slough of snow -- not necessarily an avalanche -- enough snow can break off, and usually it's just the top layer, and it can gather speed. And you're not prepared for it, it can catch you unaware, which it did with Alec, and from what I understand, it hit him and drove him over the edge of the cliff.
CARROLL: Stall and his group were popular skiers, known for their abilities and filmmaking. They were even featured in Skiing magazine as extreme skiers.
His parents say while Alec may have admired extreme skiing, featured in Warren Miller's popular film, they say what Alec did was not extreme.
T. STALL: They were challenging themselves and perhaps skiing areas where no one else had skied before. I -- it's not that I don't like the term extreme. I just think that some people just don't understand what that means.
CARROLL: His family just wants to reflect on what Alec meant to them.
C. STALL: When we saw him for the last time on Sunday morning, he gave us each a big hug and a kiss. And he always told us how much he loved us, and us, him, and the same with his sisters.
T. STALL: He had a beautiful life. And we know that we were part of it and that we were able to give that to him. So we were fortunate that at least we got to spend those 23 years with him.
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, Poughkeepsie, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Elsewhere across America, Michael Jackson is back in court. Lawyers are trying to pick a jury for his child molestation trial. Jury selection was delayed a week so the pop star could recuperate from the flu.
Another emergency stay for Terri Schiavo. It was issued last hour shortly after an appeals court cleared the way for her husband to order her feeding tube removed. Now nothing can be done now until 5:00 Eastern tomorrow at the earliest. The severely brain-damaged woman has been the subject of a legal tug-of-war between her husband and her parents for 15 years now.
Media madness awaits Barry Bonds, expected soon at the Giants' training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona. Everyone is waiting to hear whether the San Francisco slugger will say anything about the steroid controversy surrounding him. He hasn't spoken publicly since his grand jury testimony was illegally leaked in December. In it, Bonds said he didn't known substances given to him by a trainer were steroids.
NGUYEN: All right, switching gears, you have to see this story. Still ahead on LIVE FROM, it's become quite a hairy situation. Tell me about it. Find out why some folks are becoming so galled over this gorilla.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: This story landed in my lap.
NGUYEN: Oh, it's all you, baby, all you.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Yes. OK.
If you have ever felt like your office was a zoo, well, listen to this. Two California women are suing the caretakers of Koko the gorilla. They say they were fired for refusing to bare their chests to the great ape.
Here's our Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's bad enough when guys act like gorillas, but imagine being told to display your breasts to a female ape.
DR. PENNY PATTERSON, TAUGHT KOKO SIGN LANGUAGE: Nipple. Nipple have Koko's love.
MOOS: Koko, the ape famous for apparently having learned American Sign Language, is at the center of a lawsuit. Two female employees of the Gorilla Foundation say they were ordered to bond with Koko by displaying their breasts. STEPHEN SOMMERS, FORMER EMPLOYEES' ATTORNEY: At first it was just shock, like, oh my God, I can't believe that just happens. And the third time it was like if I don't do this, I'm going to get fired.
MOOS: This is far from Koko's first brush with fame. Dr. Penny Patterson began teaching Koko sign language when the ape was a year old.
PATTERSON: Can you blow?
MOOS: She's 33 now and is said to have mastered more than 1,000 signs.
(on camera): Here at Koko's Web site, there's a section where you can learn to sign with Koko. It includes 48 of her favorite signs. Breast is not among them.
(voice-over): The lawsuit alleges Koko has a nipple fetish.
SOMMERS: Dr. Patterson would say something along the lines of, oh, Koko, you get to see my breasts all the time. Maybe Nancy will show you her breasts.
MOOS: But Nancy Alperin and Kendra Keller refused. Their dismissal came after the pair reported sanitary violations to authorities. Talk about sanitary.
PATTERSON: Koko, here's a napkin, your chin has something on it. That's your eye.
MOOS: The Gorilla Foundation denies the allegations, saying to manipulate a purported employment issue and miscast it purely for publicity purposes is particularly hurtful...
At least the former employees didn't respond to the breast overtures like Charlton Heston did.
CHARLTON HESTON, ACTOR: Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!
MOOS: Newscasters in nearby San Francisco couldn't keep a straight face.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... who takes care of Koko, denies this charge.
MOOS: And to think the country went ape over Janet Jackson's exposure. What's Koko into next, making X-rated videos?
PATTERSON: Hold it. Hold it carefully.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Come on, Jeanne. Come on. NGUYEN: Come on, Jeanne.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: No, not Koko.
HARRIS: Well, Koko's going through some things.
NGUYEN: Apparently, she is.
HARRIS: She is. She's going...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Some really weird things.
HARRIS: Right. OK.
NGUYEN: Yes. We're done with that one.
HARRIS: Right.
That wraps up this Tuesday edition of LIVE FROM.
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Aired February 22, 2005 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: It started on Saturday when a bagel shop owner and pregnant mother of one failed to show up for a baby shower in Texas. Police found blood in the Fort Worth home of Lisa Underwood and her 7-year-old son, Jayden.
Now, yesterday, they found Underwood's SUV abandoned in a creek some 30 miles away. And today, a one-time boyfriend was charged with capital murder. And at least one body was also found today in water near the Texas town of Denton.
Here's a portion of a news conference you may have seen live this morning on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GENE JONES, FORT WORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT: We know that Mr. Barbee and Ms. Underwood were at one time romantically involved. I can't tell you what their relationship is -- what their current most relationship status was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: So, earlier, police said both bodies were found. Late reports suggest that they may have been wrong, no word yet on the discrepancy. But we of course will keep you posted. One body has been found.
In Denver, a computer glitch, human error or even both are blamed for a failure by police to identify and pick up a suspected sexual predator. A man by the name of Brent Brents was arrested late Friday, 3 1/2 months after DNA that allegedly matches his was taken from a rape victim and sent to Denver's crime lab for analysis.
The results were supposed to be sent straight away to the CBI, Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Well, that didn't happen, apparently because of a technician's oversight during a switch-over to a new computer server. Eventually, the sample was compared to a database of unknown offenders, on which Brents appears because of child molestation convictions in the late 1980s.
By then, however, he was suspected in five new attacks of women and girls. The CBI and Denver Police acknowledge -- and we quote -- "A match to the October 2004 case should have occurred earlier."
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Just a short time ago, we got a look at something you don't see every day. A water spout formed in the Pacific off Santa Monica, California.
Authorities issued a special marine warning, but the funnel apparently caused no damage. A little later, the Weather Service posted a tornado watch until 6:00 p.m. local time for an area north of Los Angeles to south of San Diego.
Will the sky ever clear in Southern California? Of course it will. So far this year, though, nearly 32 inches of rain have fallen and more is on the way. The earth is so saturated that roadways are beginning to buckle and hillsides keep sliding in six communities around Los Angeles so far.
CNN's Chris Lawrence is on the scene in Glendale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the things you can't do is to judge the situation here in Southern California by the way it looks right at this moment. It's been raining off and on pretty much all day. And even though it's not raining right now, you can see that the damage is pretty much already been done.
You can take a look and see just a steady stream of water come down the mountain there. That's been coming on for at least a few hour.
And many of these slopes are so unstable and soaked with water when that rain does start up again, it's a pretty good bet the mud will start rushing back down the hill.
And to show you the power of that mud and what it can do, we take you to Highland Park. It's an area in Los Angeles County where homes are literally on the brink of slide down the hills. Swimming pool, look like it's just inches away from collapsing. Patio in the same situation, and that's because the soil there is very quickly slip away.
Police have cordoned off and evacuated four homes in Highland Park. And officials there and across the city are going through and trying to determine whether they should put a yellow tag on certain homes in which case the homeowner could come in and go during the daytime hours, or to red-tag the home in which case no one would be allowed to get near it.
A lot of the people who live here say they're used to seeing a little bit of rain during the winter months, but nothing to extent of what they have seen here.
STEVE REIDINGER, GLENDALE RESIDENT: It carries mud, tree, debris. We shoveled out the storm drains here on the streets a couple of times because they would just get plugged up, and then the water's got no place else left to go.
LAWRENCE: And because of the way this storm has come, literally in waves, it's making it very hard for firefighters to predict exactly how many more homes may have to be evacuated and whether the people who live here in this neighborhood will even be allowed to stay.
Reporting from Glendale, California, I'm Chris Lawrence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: In other news today, the Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to its landmark 1973 abortion ruling, a challenge brought by the very woman at the center of the case known as Roe vs. Wade.
The court today declined to hear an appeal from Norma McCorvey, who says she now regrets that her case led to constitutional -- constitutionally protected abortion rights.
Now, the Supreme Court is considering whether cities and states can condemn someone's private property and sell or lease it to someone else. The legal principle of eminent domain lets governments seize property with just compensation and convert it to public use, like clearing slums or building public works, such as roads or schools. But municipalities in recent years have claimed that just growing the tax base is a public use.
Bill Prasad is in Washington covering today's case. And he joins us now with the latest on this -- hi, Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Betty.
This is an issue that has been argued in local and federal government courthouses for decades. It's an extremely controversial issue. It comes down to this question: Does the government have a right to seize your property for the greater public good?
Now, all of this is called eminent domain. It means the government can take your land for the greater public good, for example, to build a highway or a school. In the Supreme Court today, homeowners from New London, Connecticut, challenged the right to take property to pave the way for commercial development.
They say that if eminent domain is used in their situation, it will be a dangerous precedent, because you are seizing land for economic expansion, as opposed to con -- construction issues such as highway or schools. But developers, many mayors across the country say that, in many cases, eminent domain is very essential to the economic future of that particular city or jurisdiction.
So, once again, Betty, a very controversial issue. And the Supreme Court, perhaps, may have a decision on this particular case, the New London case, sometime later this year -- Betty, back to you.
NGUYEN: Hey, Bill, on another note, we hear today that the D.C. mayor was in court. What's that all about?
PRASAD: Well, the mayor of D.C., Anthony Williams, did show up outside in front of the Supreme Court today. And here's another situation where there's a possibility eminent domain could be used to develop an economic area. For example, there is a proposed site for a baseball stadium. Baseball is finally coming back to the nation's capital. And there is a situation where some homeowners may be forced to sell their properties in order to develop the area around this new baseball park. So, it's extremely important to the residents here in D.C. also -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Bill Prasad in Washington, we thank you.
In other legal news today, next term, justices will hear arguments for and against the only law in the nation permitting doctor-assisted suicide. Oregon's Death With Dignity Act has enabled more than 170 terminally ill people to end their lives since 1998.
Now, the Bush administration claims assisted suicide is not a legitimate medical purpose. Oregon says it's none of the fed's business. And just last month, the high court refused to interfere with a Florida law passed specifically to keep one person, Terri Schiavo, on life support over her husband's objections.
HARRIS: Well, here's a face we're likely to get to know. More than three weeks now since Iraq's historic election, Ibrahim al- Jaafari emerged today as the odds-on favorite to lead the new government.
With the story from Baghdad, CNN's Nic Robertson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's taken the United Iraqi Alliance, the Shia Muslim grouping that has just over more than half the seats in the assembly, well over a week to come up with their nomination for prime minister.
It happened because Ahmad Chalabi decided to stand down, saying that he wanted to maintain the unity of the party. It could have been that the interim prime minister, who just yesterday said that he was throwing his name back in the ring for the possibility of prime minister, although he's not inside that -- inside that particular bloc, or perhaps that compelled the United Iraqi Alliance to look very seriously at their own position and say, we must come up with a nomination.
They did that today, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, widely seen as a good thing to unify the government. Why? Because, in his period of time in exile in opposition to Saddam Hussein, he was seen as somebody who was able to work with and bring together some of the disparate political elements at that time, and perhaps that's why he's emerged as a top nominee.
While he was in exile, he lived in Iran. He moved to London. He is a medical doctor. He is a -- seen as a moderate Islamist within his party. There are many more extreme Islamists, if you will, within the United Iraqi Alliance. He is seen as well as a politician who has reached out to Sunnis. And it's certainly the view of a lot of people here that, if the country is going to be united, then whoever the prime minister is needs to be able to encourage the Sunnis into the political process.
Otherwise, divisions could open up. But this isn't the end of the political road, if you will, in nominating a prime minister. The United Iraqi Alliance has put their candidate, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, forward, but now they have to get the backing of other political -- other political groupings.
And, in principle, the Kurdish Alliance will have to give their support. And, at this time, they're indicating that that could take quite some time. There's a lot of issues that are very important to them that they want to negotiate, want to hear the government's position on certain key policies that are key to them.
So the -- so, before there is a final nomination for prime minister, it still could be quite some time.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: President Bush is wrapping up his two-day stay in Brussels. The highlight today was NATO's commitment to share at least part of the burden of training Iraq's security forces. At a news conference about an hour and a half ago, the subject turned to Iran.
Take a listen to this and you can make of the statement what you will.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. Having said that, all options are on the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Also today in Brussels, police tussled briefly with demonstrators outside NATO headquarters. Authorities say about 1,000 protesters braved the cold weather to denounce the American president.
HARRIS: With her husband expected tomorrow, first lady Laura Bush traveled ahead to Germany today, where she thanked American troops for their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mrs. Bush addressed troops at the massive American base just outside of Frankfurt. She also met with more than a dozen wounded soldiers and with a group of American children.
And Hillary Rodham Clinton is part of a Senate delegation that met in Kabul today with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. After the meeting, Senator John McCain called for a long-term U.S. military presence within Afghanistan, where U.S. forces overthrew the Taliban and continue to hunt down armed Islamic militants.
Up next on LIVE FROM, skiing to the extreme.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good set up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, this is a great setup. Going off in style.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: A daredevil filmmaker dies on the slopes. Hear from the friends who filmed his final moments.
NGUYEN: Plus, Barry Bonds speaks out. The slugger is expected to address steroid allegations for the first time.
HARRIS: And, later, why does the world's most famous gorilla want women to reveal some private parts?
NGUYEN: What? Private parts?
HARRIS: That's the story.
NGUYEN: Uh-oh.
HARRIS: Our Jeanne Moos with a story you won't want to miss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Brother, as that big winter storm continues to swamp most of Southern California under torrential rains, look at this. The folks in Big Bear are at least able to get out and enjoy the plentiful snows the system has spawned. Resorts in the area say they've gotten more than 2 1/2 feet of snow since Friday, fresh powder. And it's still coming down.
NGUYEN: Which is why the lure of fresh powder is all but irresistible to skiers and snowboarders.
But the quest for steeper trails and riskier terrain can turn deadly.
CNN's Jason Carroll on one young skier who was dedicated to pushing the limits and the family that is now left to mourn him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good setup?
ALEC STALL, SKIER: Yeah. This is a great setup. Going off in style.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was Alec Stall, getting ready to do what he loved most, skiing. But not your average run down a slope type skiing. That was Stall doing it his way. Exploring chutes off marked trails, far from crowded resorts, risky terrain, but for Alec and his friends, it became a passion, so much so they documented their adventures over the past two years. Each new chapter a worry for his parents, who are experienced skiers themselves.
TODD STALL, ALEC'S FATHER: It was never our intention to stop him from following what his passion in life was. And I think that's a very difficult thing to do.
CAROL STALL, ALEC'S MOTHER: Toward the end, I would always say to him, you know what? Don't tell me before. Just call me afterwards. So.
CARROLL: Last Monday, a call came. Alec was killed while skiing with friends on Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont. He was 23.
C. STALL: It was just a very tragic incident.
CARROLL: His father says it all began with a two-hour hike last Monday morning, to the top of a remote area.
T. STALL: At the end of this chute, there was a cliff, but everyone had skied down to within 30 feet of that cliff and made a turn and skied off it. Alec skied down the chute and must have caught a tip, and must have fallen, but it was not an unusual fall.
And as he was gathering himself, a slough of snow -- not necessarily an avalanche -- enough snow can break off, and usually it's just the top layer, and it can gather speed. And you're not prepared for it, it can catch you unaware, which it did with Alec, and from what I understand, it hit him and drove him over the edge of the cliff.
CARROLL: Stall and his group were popular skiers, known for their abilities and filmmaking. They were even featured in Skiing magazine as extreme skiers.
His parents say while Alec may have admired extreme skiing, featured in Warren Miller's popular film, they say what Alec did was not extreme.
T. STALL: They were challenging themselves and perhaps skiing areas where no one else had skied before. I -- it's not that I don't like the term extreme. I just think that some people just don't understand what that means.
CARROLL: His family just wants to reflect on what Alec meant to them.
C. STALL: When we saw him for the last time on Sunday morning, he gave us each a big hug and a kiss. And he always told us how much he loved us, and us, him, and the same with his sisters.
T. STALL: He had a beautiful life. And we know that we were part of it and that we were able to give that to him. So we were fortunate that at least we got to spend those 23 years with him.
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, Poughkeepsie, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Elsewhere across America, Michael Jackson is back in court. Lawyers are trying to pick a jury for his child molestation trial. Jury selection was delayed a week so the pop star could recuperate from the flu.
Another emergency stay for Terri Schiavo. It was issued last hour shortly after an appeals court cleared the way for her husband to order her feeding tube removed. Now nothing can be done now until 5:00 Eastern tomorrow at the earliest. The severely brain-damaged woman has been the subject of a legal tug-of-war between her husband and her parents for 15 years now.
Media madness awaits Barry Bonds, expected soon at the Giants' training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona. Everyone is waiting to hear whether the San Francisco slugger will say anything about the steroid controversy surrounding him. He hasn't spoken publicly since his grand jury testimony was illegally leaked in December. In it, Bonds said he didn't known substances given to him by a trainer were steroids.
NGUYEN: All right, switching gears, you have to see this story. Still ahead on LIVE FROM, it's become quite a hairy situation. Tell me about it. Find out why some folks are becoming so galled over this gorilla.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: This story landed in my lap.
NGUYEN: Oh, it's all you, baby, all you.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Yes. OK.
If you have ever felt like your office was a zoo, well, listen to this. Two California women are suing the caretakers of Koko the gorilla. They say they were fired for refusing to bare their chests to the great ape.
Here's our Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's bad enough when guys act like gorillas, but imagine being told to display your breasts to a female ape.
DR. PENNY PATTERSON, TAUGHT KOKO SIGN LANGUAGE: Nipple. Nipple have Koko's love.
MOOS: Koko, the ape famous for apparently having learned American Sign Language, is at the center of a lawsuit. Two female employees of the Gorilla Foundation say they were ordered to bond with Koko by displaying their breasts. STEPHEN SOMMERS, FORMER EMPLOYEES' ATTORNEY: At first it was just shock, like, oh my God, I can't believe that just happens. And the third time it was like if I don't do this, I'm going to get fired.
MOOS: This is far from Koko's first brush with fame. Dr. Penny Patterson began teaching Koko sign language when the ape was a year old.
PATTERSON: Can you blow?
MOOS: She's 33 now and is said to have mastered more than 1,000 signs.
(on camera): Here at Koko's Web site, there's a section where you can learn to sign with Koko. It includes 48 of her favorite signs. Breast is not among them.
(voice-over): The lawsuit alleges Koko has a nipple fetish.
SOMMERS: Dr. Patterson would say something along the lines of, oh, Koko, you get to see my breasts all the time. Maybe Nancy will show you her breasts.
MOOS: But Nancy Alperin and Kendra Keller refused. Their dismissal came after the pair reported sanitary violations to authorities. Talk about sanitary.
PATTERSON: Koko, here's a napkin, your chin has something on it. That's your eye.
MOOS: The Gorilla Foundation denies the allegations, saying to manipulate a purported employment issue and miscast it purely for publicity purposes is particularly hurtful...
At least the former employees didn't respond to the breast overtures like Charlton Heston did.
CHARLTON HESTON, ACTOR: Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!
MOOS: Newscasters in nearby San Francisco couldn't keep a straight face.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... who takes care of Koko, denies this charge.
MOOS: And to think the country went ape over Janet Jackson's exposure. What's Koko into next, making X-rated videos?
PATTERSON: Hold it. Hold it carefully.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Come on, Jeanne. Come on. NGUYEN: Come on, Jeanne.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: No, not Koko.
HARRIS: Well, Koko's going through some things.
NGUYEN: Apparently, she is.
HARRIS: She is. She's going...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Some really weird things.
HARRIS: Right. OK.
NGUYEN: Yes. We're done with that one.
HARRIS: Right.
That wraps up this Tuesday edition of LIVE FROM.
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