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President Bush Gets Set to Deliver State of the Union Address; Coretta Scott King Dies at 78
Aired January 31, 2006 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Energy prices, health care, schools, war -- what you talk about around the house is what President Bush will talk about tonight in the House of Representatives, site of his fifth State of the Union speech.
To the White House now. Our Elaine Quijano looks ahead for us.
Elaine, what can we expect from the president tonight?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra.
Well, aides say that President Bush is going to try to strike an optimistic tone in his State of the Union address tonight. And this is really coming at a time when polls show that many Americans don't think that the country is headed in the right direction. So, aides say the president is going to focus on issues the White House believes are important to Americans, the so-called kitchen-table issues, as you mentioned, things like the economy, energy and gas prices, also retirement and health care.
But we also expect the president to outline perhaps some new proposals dealing with the issue of America's competitiveness around the world, its ability to compete in a global setting. And, on foreign policy, of course, expect the president to once again discuss Iraq. That, of course, has been a big concern for many Americans. Expect the president to once again vigorously -- vigorously defend his Iraq policy.
A couple of housekeeping note, too -- we're told that President Bush, at last count, was on his 31st draft of the address, Kyra. And, so far, it's running about 38 minutes without applause -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So, what do you think? Could we hear a little something for Coretta Scott King?
QUIJANO: You know, it's a distinct possibility.
The president, in fact, already has issued a statement, the White House releasing this earlier that, basically, upon hearing the news, the -- the president, as well as the first lady, were deeply saddened to learn of her passing. In the statement, he called Coretta Scott King a remarkable and courageous woman.
And he also noted that he and Mrs. Bush did have the chance, in fact, to spend some time with Mrs. King, and said that they would always treasure the time they spent with her. And, of course, also, they are sending their condolence to the King family -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And, finally, the Alito confirmation, we weren't sure if we were going to hear today. We did end up hearing about it. So, no doubt, Samuel Alito will be sitting there at the speech?
QUIJANO: That's exactly right. Samuel Alito is now Justice Samuel Alito, a big win, a big boost for President Bush, as well as social conservatives, who, of course, form a key part of President Bush's base, heading into the State of the Union address, this Senate vote coming down.
Alito, and his wife, we should say, watched it, actually, taking place from the Roosevelt Room here at the White House. And shortly after that, today, he was congratulated by President Bush. And, also, issuing a statement, the president said that he was pleased, calling him a brilliant and fair-minded judge, said he strictly interprets the Constitution and will not legislate from the bench -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Elaine Quijano from the White House -- thanks, Elaine.
It's become the custom for a president to sprinkle the visitors' gallery with a few special guests on State of the Union tonight.
CNN's Dana Bash caught up with one family so honored last year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His dress blues hang in the hall, near the flag that draped his casket. You may not remember Sergeant Norwood, but you were introduced to him this time last year.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah.
BASH: His parents were VIP guests, as the president read a letter from mom, Janet.
BUSH: "He just hugged me and said, 'You've done your job, Mom."
JANET NORWOOD, MOTHER OF SOLDIER KILLED IN IRAQ: "It's my turn to protect you now."
I was just floored. You know, it was pretty unreal.
BASH: So was this embrace with an Iraqi woman, Safia.
(APPLAUSE)
J. NORWOOD: The expression in her eyes was an expression that Byron had described to us as the look of hope. I couldn't have stopped myself from hugging her.
BASH: Safia keeps in touch with e-mails from Iraq.
J. NORWOOD: We seem to have a whole lot in common, just as women, as mothers.
BASH: E-mail from Byron had been so precious, Janet put a baby monitor next to her computer to hear the knocking sound at night when he logged on.
One night, it sounded different. She woke her husband, Bill.
J. NORWOOD: You know, he was going to go to the computer. And I said, no, Bill, it's not the computer. I could see the brass buttons reflecting the light of the -- a sight I will never forget. You know, there's something inside of me still says to this day, if we just hadn't opened the door.
BASH (on camera): So, this table is always like this?
(voice-over): Fourteen months later, his memory is everywhere, picture, scrapbooks, letters. Bill reads his son's journal.
BILL NORWOOD, FATHER OF SOLDIER KILLED IRAQ: "They did it for us in the other wars, World War II and such. And now it is my turn."
BASH (on camera): How does that make you feel?
J. NORWOOD: Incredibly proud.
B. NORWOOD: Just incredible.
BASH (voice-over): We called the Norwoods last summer, when another mom dominated the news. They wanted no part of it.
(on camera): When you hear somebody like Cindy Sheehan saying, my son died in vain, what does that make you think?
J. NORWOOD: It makes me angry, because our son did not die in vain, and I don't believe her son did either.
BASH (voice-over): Part of coping is writing to Byron's comrades back in Iraq for a third tour. This is also where Janet mailed her White House letter, a post office now named for her son.
J. NORWOOD: This is the one that's modeled after Byron.
BASH: And they helped build a war memorial in a park where Byron played as a boy and dreamed of being a Marine.
J. NORWOOD: I love seeing his face.
BASH: They come here often to remember -- so hard to let go.
Dana Bash, CNN, Pflugerville, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And stick with CNN tonight for complete State of the Union coverage. We will start with a preview at 7:00 Eastern, with Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn hosting a special edition of "THE SITUATION." That's followed by live coverage of the president's speech at 9:00 Eastern. Then, Anderson Cooper brings you reaction at 10:00. Larry King hosts an hour of insight and analysis at midnight.
CNN Pipeline also planning special coverage of the president's State of the Union address.
Richard Lui joins me now with a preview.
What you got for us, Richard?
RICHARD LUI, CNN PIPELINE: Well, Kyra, we have got a lot of stuff.
First off, we are going to be covering the State of the Union tonight on Pipeline, live, uninterrupted. You will get all the blemishes. You will get the motorcade arriving. In addition to what is going forward, we're also offering a look back.
And I'm going to go down over to the player to show you some of the previous State of the Union addresses. Now, what you need to do, if you're on the Pipeline player -- it's one of the abilities -- again, this is a broadband feature -- all you have to do is go to CNN.com.
Go to the search video in the upper right-hand corner. I have typed in there State of the Union. I'm just going to hit return here. And, in this, as you can see here, I have got State of the Union addresses 2005, going all the way back to, like, 1991. So, if you want to see how President George W. Bush's father did at the State of the Union, you will see them pop up right down here -- Colin Powell looking a bit younger there, as you can probably tell.
So, you can search through all of that. It's on demand, up to an hour-and-a-half, these previous State of the Union addresses, looking back.
Kyra, that is just some of the stuff we have got on the player for you.
PHILLIPS: Added feature for history buffs, you will actually be able to click on and listen to other speeches, right, from previous years?
LUI: Yes, you can.
Actually, we have got other commentary, other than the previous addresses. We have got focuses, for instance, on the war on terror.
And, then, on CNN.com, specifically, we have the transcripts, for instance, of all of the State of the Union addresses. We also have a little quiz. So, if you have interest, perhaps, in seeing how well your trivia is, you could go to CNN.com.
In fact, I have a question for you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Oh, no. Don't put me on the spot. LUI: Oh, no. I didn't get it right either, so I want to ask you anyway.
(LAUGHTER)
LUI: Which president was the first president to have a televised State of the Union address? Was it Kennedy, Truman, Eisenhower or Roosevelt?
PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. I mean, I know Kennedy was the -- was the first televised news conference.
LUI: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And so, would I be guessing...
LUI: I would give you a toaster if you get it right.
(LAUGHTER)
LUI: But, you know, I didn't win a toaster either. It is...
(LAUGHTER)
LUI: Yes. I would love -- I can give you a Pipeline toaster. That is actually what I would like to do. It -- it is actually Truman.
PHILLIPS: Truman. Right.
LUI: And if you want to test your -- your knowledge about State of the Union, you can go to CNN.com.
PHILLIPS: Very good.
LUI: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Thank you so much. I will do that. I will brush up next time. Whew.
LUI: All right.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Richard.
LUI: All right. You bet.
PHILLIPS: Political leaders, civil rights activists, and ordinary folks are honoring Coretta Scott King today. Many are leaving flowers at the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which Mrs. King founded in Atlanta after her husband's assassination.
Our Drew Griffin is there.
And, Drew, what are some of the civil rights pioneers saying about Coretta's life and legacy as they come through there today?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they can't say enough about her courage, her strength and her devotion to her husband's legacy, and her ability to keep the civil rights struggle that she and her husband fought so hard for, to keep that dream alive long after he died.
I mean, as you think about it, Kyra, in 1968, here's this woman whose husband was assassinated, a widow with four children to raise. She could have turned bitter. She could have walked away from the whole thing and -- and tried to just raise her children. She didn't do that.
She faced up to the challenge that I think her husband left her, and she built this entire center. She continued to build on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.
And, this morning, Andrew Young, a former mayor of Atlanta, put it so succinctly, that this was a woman who was a partner with her husband in the struggle of civil rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW YOUNG, FORMER MAYOR OF ATLANTA: It was as though she was -- she was born for the breadth and depth of responsibility that she incurred as the wife of Martin Luther King. Indeed, she was -- she was as strong, if not stronger, than he was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: And she is being remembered by so many people here who have come to pay their respects, to lay flowers at the -- the reflecting pool that surrounds the grave of her husband.
It's about the sixth time, I think, that they have moved the flowers from this rail over to the actual tomb that carries the body. We haven't heard any word of the family on what exactly the next step will be, in terms of funeral arrangements or a memorial service.
And that is the buzz here. People want to know. They want to be able to take part in it, to take their children to see and to be a part of that remembrance. And all morning long, as you can see, and all afternoon now, parents are coming with their children to pay their respects and to, also, they say, to be here at this historic moment, the passing of the civil rights leader, Coretta Scott King, a civil rights leader in her own right -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Drew, just while we have the live picture, you know, folks that have been here know how incredible it. Those that haven't been there, sort of explain to our viewers. I mean, not only can you come and see this final resting place for MLK, the beautiful reflecting pool, incredible museums, but next to this reflecting pool, the church where he actually preached. You can sit in the pews, listen to his sermons.
I mean, it's such an amazing area in this block where he -- he grew up.
GRIFFIN: Yes.
It -- it is an area, and it's an area where he lived and where he worked. And they have set this center up and the surrounding national historic site up, so that you could feel what it must have been like to walk down this street, when -- when you would be walking down the street and walking into the church to hear the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King preaching on that Sunday morning, or to -- to shop at the shops that he shopped at here in the Sweet Auburn area, as they call it.
It's a -- it's a living experience. And so many children come here on field trips to learn about that struggle and to -- and to live through the lives of Reverend Martin Luther King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, to understand what it was like back then, to preserve it in history, and, also, to move forward with the struggle of civil rights.
And I think that's why it's such a -- a happy and fun place, even though it is a place where Reverend Martin Luther King is also buried.
PHILLIPS: Drew Griffin, thanks so much.
Straight ahead, it has been a training ground for al Qaeda, one of many front lines in the war on terror. Now Yemen is the site of a special counterterror campaign involving U.S. special operations troops and Muslim students, girl students -- a CNN exclusive when LIVE FROM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: More heat over Iran's nuclear program. Iran now is threatening to cut off all talks with United Nations and resume frozen nuclear activities, if the Security Council takes up that issue.
And that seems likely, now that the U.S., Britain and France have gained support from Russia and China to send the case to U.N. headquarters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI LARIJANI, IRANIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR (through translator): A U.N. referral or report to the United Nations Security Council is the end of the road for diplomacy, and this is not a positive step. For the Europeans and the IAEA board, this step will not be a bright moment.
And, if I may say, it will be a bad move to refer a country's nuclear file for further investigation to the Security Council. And to do this with Iran's file, it will be a bad direction to take for the Europeans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And there's still a flicker of hope that the impasse might be resolved. The U.S., Europe, China and Russia have agreed to hold off on the next step until the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog and the IAEA issues its report in March.
Giving Muslim girls an education, a different strategy in the fight against terror -- one such program is under way in Yemen.
And CNN's Barbara Starr got an exclusive first-hand look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. Army Captain Billy Wilkins, from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at the Zeneb (ph) Girls High School in Aden, Yemen. Wilkins counts this school in the victory in the global war on terror. He heads a four- man special operations team inside Yemen working on education projects.
CAPTAIN BILLY WILKINS, U.S. ARMY: Through our humanitarian assistance projects, we attempt to deter the people from joining extremist organizations, going the extremist route.
STARR: At this school, the team hired local contractors to build a new third floor of classrooms. Many girls in Yemen marry young and never complete their education.
With the expansion, 300 additional students are enrolled. Over 1,000 girls now attend this school. Wilkins has worked hard to adjust to this culture.
WILKINS: It is a shock. But it's just great to see them being educated and us being able to contribute through this project to allow more girls to be educated.
STARR: They learn not just English, but biology and economics. This is pure academics. Many of these girls have plans for their future that go beyond marriage, babies and obedience. And that is a revolution in Yemen.
Eighteen-year-old Mona (ph) tells us she wants to be a lawyer. Once Billy and the other men are not around, these high school girls do what girls do, laugh and talk, about shopping, lifestyles. And, then, they talk about their hopes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every person want to go in America.
STARR: Handshakes, smiles and back to class at the Zeneb (ph) Girls High School, young Muslim girls looking to fulfill their dreams in classrooms provided by the U.S. military, just one of its investments in this Arab country's future.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Aden, Yemen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: From federal court to Supreme Court in lots of lots of not-so-easy steps. Samuel Anthony Alito Jr., son of an Italian immigrant, began his day as a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Shortly after noon, he was America's 110th Supreme Court justice. Alito was at the White House with the president when the Senate confirmed his nomination. The vote, much like the debate, was largely along party lines. All but one Republican, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, voted for the lifetime appointment. All but four Democrats voted against.
Tonight, expect to see Justice Alito with his new colleagues at the State of the Union.
We all know what happened. Hurricane Katrina hit, the levees burst, and hundreds of thousands of people lost everything. Many of them were stranded on rooftops or in makeshift shelters, waiting days for help. Five months later, people still have questions, especially people in Congress.
House and Senate committees are having hearings today from -- and they're hearing, also, from some of those in charge of the rescue and evacuation efforts -- their mission, to figure out what went wrong and fix it before the next storm hits.
He moved fans to tears in both triumph and defeat. Olympic gold medalist Dan Jansen here to talk about his experience at the Games and the hot winter competition coming your way in less than two weeks.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Alan Greenspan's parting shot. At the longtime Fed chairman's last Fed policy meeting, Greenspan oversaw one more hike in interest rates, bringing the so-called federal funds rate to 4.5 percent.
Greenspan's retirement marks the end of an era, but he sure won't be forgotten. His face graces dozens of larger-than-life paintings being snapped up by collectors who can't get enough of that elusive, some say very elusive, Greenspan charisma. The artist never met her subject. She first painted his portrait for an arts festival with a money theme, then quickly recognized the commercial potential.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIN CROWE, ARTIST: There are a lot of challenges in painting Alan Greenspan's face. His brow gets furrowed. His lips, you know, make funny shapes, whether he's, like, angry or whether he's smiling or laughing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the Greenspan paintings can cost thousands of dollars. But if buying one seems like irrational exuberance, you can look at them at a special "Goodbye Greenspan" exhibit at a New York gallery.
Kraft Foods, the nation's largest food manufacturer, is cutting more jobs.
Allan Chernoff has the news now live from the New York Stock Exchange.
Allan, tell us about it.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra.
Kraft is planing to eliminating an additional 8,000 jobs. That would be 8 percent of its workers. And it plans to close 20 production plants worldwide. The company is already in the middle of a three-year cost-cutting program that has led to 5,500 layoffs. In the process, Kraft has also dropped about a fifth of its product line. And it plans to drop more this year. The high cost of raw materials, everything from coffee beans to energy, has been eating away at Kraft's bottom line over the past year -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, let's -- let -- while don't we check the numbers one time before we go to break.
CHERNOFF: OK. Absolutely.
Well, as you know, just over an hour ago, the Federal Reserve did vote to raise interest rates a quarter-point to 4.5 percent. And that really hasn't had too much impact on the financial markets at all. The markets did look at the statement from the Federal Reserve. And the committee did drop a longstanding phrase about the likely need for measured rate hikes, which is a hint that the increases could be ending.
Still, we do have some movement in the market right now. At the moment, the Dow industrial average is higher, by a little more than seven points. And the Nasdaq composite is still in positive territory.
And that's the latest from Wall Street. Join me at the end of the hour for the complete wrapup of the trading day.
LIVE FROM continues right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Betty, we keep checking in with you about this chemical plant explosion.
Quite a different turn, though, actually, some great news coming out of New Orleans.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is fantastic news.
We have learned today that the 2006 Jazz Festival in New Orleans will go on as planned. Katrina cannot stop the music down in New Orleans. We have learned, though, that this year's festival will have a sponsor, the first time ever. The Shell oil company is stepping up for that. It's not known how much they're shelling out for this, but organizers say, if it wasn't for this sponsorship, this may not happen at all.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUINT DAVIS, JAZZ FESTIVAL PRODUCER: I can tell you, unequivocally, that, in the partnership with his office, we will leverage the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to spearhead the largest national marketing and advertising campaign this country has ever seen for a jazz festival, to bring Americans back to New Orleans, New Orleans, the soul of America.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: People clapping, very happy about today's announcement.
So, the lineup of the musical acts, that's going to be announced just a little bit later. But I can tell you that Miles Davis is going to be on that list. Now as we know, he -- I'm sorry -- not Miles Davis -- Fats Domino is going on that list.
He has a home in the Ninth Ward, which was destroyed by Katrina, lots of flooding there. But he is coming back to the state, coming back to New Orleans for the festival.
And, in fact, if we can take a look at it, he is on the poster for Jazz Fest -- Fats Domino taking part in this year's Jazz Festival. And, to give you another idea of what's taking place right now, a lot of repair is going on, because, as you know, the Jazz Festival takes place in the historic Fair Grounds horse racing track.
Well, the -- the -- the track got some extensive damage because of Katrina. And those -- those damages are being repaired, so everything will be all and well for the festival -- another look right now of Fats Domino on the Jazz Festival poster.
And, quickly, though, I have to tell you, Jazz Festival brings in a lot of money for the state, brings in half-a-million people. And that equates to about $200 million for the state. So good news there in New Orleans today, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: That's one fun party. That is for sure. A lot of zydeco and Dr. John.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: You can't forget him, as well. Betty Nguyen ...
NGUYEN: Fats Domino this year.
PHILLIPS: There you go. All right.
Well, skating, skiing and snowboarding, hot sports for cold temperatures. The 2006 winter games are less than two weeks away, and though Dan Jansen isn't competing this time, he's counting the minutes.
He won a gold medal, as you remember, speed skating at the 1994 Olympics after years of training and disappointment. We're going to talk about that, of course, but he's going to be a commentator for the games in Torino, Italy. First he's making a stop right here though, at LIVE FROM. Good to see you.
DAN JANSEN, 1994 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Thank you. Good to be here.
PHILLIPS: Are you excited to head to Italy?
JANSEN: I can't wait. I'm leaving in just a few short days, and I'm really excited.
PHILLIPS: You're packed and ready to go.
JANSEN: Well, I'm not packed yet, but I'm ready it go.
PHILLIPS: Oh you're not? Of course, that's right. You're a man. I've got to remember that. It's last-minute stuff.
JANSEN: That's right.
PHILLIPS: But you're used to picking up quickly and having to move around.
JANSEN: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: What are you going to be doing there? Is it going to be all skating involved?
JANSEN: Yes, pretty much. I'm commentating and between men and women, there are 12 -- 14 days of events now out of the 16 days, so there's really only two days I won't have an event to cover.
PHILLIPS: Wow. You're going to be busy.
JANSEN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: All right. I know you have your eye on a couple of the athletes. Hopefully they can live up to you standards, but the first one I want to talk about J-Rod, Jennifer Rodriguez, a Cuban, so that's neat. She's a female. We got a diversity factor. Why are you watching her?
JANSEN: You know, Jen is -- for one, she's a returning medalist. She won bronze in Salt Lake in the 1,000 meters, world sprint championship last year. And she's skating well. She's our best woman right now and certainly our best hope for a medal on the women's side. Just a great gal too. I just -- I'm pulling for her. I love her to death.
PHILLIPS: Yes, she has a near background too, just the influence from her father. They came here and, you know, he was really pushing her to -- I mean, he noticed she had a talent. JANSEN: Yes, and you don't see many speed skaters from Miami, Florida, so she came from in-line skating, which many of the skaters are doing these days.
PHILLIPS: Wow. All right, number two, Chad Hedrick. Am I saying that right?
JANSEN: Yes, you are.
PHILLIPS: OK. I had to read up on him. His claim to fame, this technique, a bit unorthodox called the double push. All right, school me. Can you do it?
JANSEN: I can't. I've never tried it. Chad -- he also came from in-lining, and what he does is he puts -- as soon as he puts his foot down -- normally we put it down and we push out. He first puts it down, pushes in, off this edge, and then out.
So he's getting two pushes with each -- you know, on each leg and it's working. It works because he's got an amazing motor. And the guy does not get tired. He goes and goes and goes. He's not a sprinter, but he'll skate four individual events. So he's got a lot of chances for medals.
PHILLIPS: That's funny when you said he goes and goes and goes. Didn't your dad at one point say to you after you had lost a big event ...
JANSEN: Yes, he did.
PHILLIPS: And he said there's more to life than just going around in circles.
JANSEN: Yes, he did. There is, but not at that time in your life there's not.
PHILLIPS: That's right. You don't want to hear that. It's like, dad, yes, that's all I want it do.
JANSEN: That's right.
PHILLIPS: I don't want to go back to the roller rink, pop. Let's talk about Shani Davis. I don't know. I just love this guy. I was looking at his Web site, looking at these pictures. The first African-American, right, to participate in this sport. Tell me about it.
JANSEN: Yes, at the Olympic level. And unbelievable amount of talent. Again, he will -- it's going to be interesting because he and Chad will go against each other in those four events. Shani probably favored in the 1,000 and 1,500 meters, whereas Chad 1,500 on up.
But they're going to be great. And Shani has got so much, so much talent. He's the one guy who's dabbled in short track as well as long track, didn't make the team in short track this year, but it's helped him a lot. It helps his turns. PHILLIPS: I love his story, raised by his mom on the South Side where he was raised in Chicago, started roller skating and the cops used to chase him around because he was going so fast, and the skate guards would say you need to slow down. I love that story.
Just -- I want to go back for you. Now you're coming back and judging. But '94, wow, what a year for you, and what a wonderful thing that you said when you received that medal, thinking about your sister. Talk about her for a minute and the influence she was in your life?
JANSEN: Well, yes, my sister Jane was huge part of my life. She was the youngest of my five sisters and closest in age to me, and a brother in between us, but such a big effect on my life.
She -- you know, I remember when I was growing up, and she talked about skating to me and she would say well, when you win the worlds, when you're a world champion -- never an if or of that.
And she gave me so much confidence and so much -- and then when, you know, she got ill, it was a tough time. She was diagnosed with leukemia about a year before the '88 games in Calgary. You know, who knows why, but they came together the same day and she passed away the day of my race.
PHILLIPS: You are tearing up. You're making me tear up, so we're going to take that beautiful story and memory of your sister and just -- that's exactly what the U.S. Olympic Spirit Awards Represent.
JANSEN: It is.
PHILLIPS: It's exactly what your sister did for you and how she made you feel.
JANSEN: She did. And, yes, I was actually a recipient of the Olympic Spirit Award twice in '88 and again when I won in '94. And DHL is delivering that Olympic Spirit Award this year. I'm part of their team and an ambassador to represent them and helped to choose this year's Spirit Award winner and -- along with four other athletes, Scott Hamilton, Sarah Will, Chris Klug and -- I'm spacing out on the last one.
PHILLIPS: That's OK, because we got talking about your sister. so we threw you a little bit. Sorry about that.
JANSEN: But it's -- they're doing a great thing. And really to keep, you know, the integrity of the Olympics -- there's so much other stuff out there, and we want to keep what the Olympics are about and that spirit is very important. DHL is back involved and I love t.
PHILLIPS: Well, and you've said if only governments could operate like the Olympics do, it would change the world.
JANSEN: You know what? We get together and compete with each other on a friendly basis. I mean, you wish that governments could do the same sometimes. PHILLIPS: Dan Jansen, what a pleasure to have you. I love the letter from your favorite musician, Jimmy Buffett, too.
JANSEN: You like that?
PHILLIPS: Yes, when you had won, "blow the volcano." He sends a fax to you.
JANSEN: The night before my last race.
PHILLIPS: I love that. You're a true parrothead, yes?
JANSEN: Yes, I am.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll remember that. There it is. "Dan, blow the volcano, Jimmy Buffet." He knows how to blow the volcanoes, all right. That's for sure. Dan Jansen, we'll be following you. And come back afterwards. There us how it went. That would be great.
JANSEN: I would love to. Thanks very much.
PHILLIPS: It was a pleasure.
JANSEN: Thanks for having me.
PHILLIPS: Two American journalists who were seriously wounded in Iraq are headed home now. Just ahead -- and our in-house -- our brain surgeon, Sanjay Gupta, is actually going to join me to talk about those two men, their conditions and the prognosis. So stay with us. We'll talk more about it.
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PHILLIPS: It's being called the deadliest workplace shooting ever carried out by a woman. Police say a former postal worker went on a rampage at a mail plant in California last night, killing five people then herself. One person is in critical condition.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff says the woman used a nine millimeter handgun and reloaded it at least once. Her name isn't being released, but a postal inspector says she's been on medical leave and had many problems at work.
One hundred deaths, 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter, one anticipated guilty plea to all of it. A judge says the former manager of the heavy metal group Great White has agreed to plead guilty to the charges arising from the Rhode Island nightclub fire that killed 100 people in 2003.
Dan Biechele is expected in court a week from today and expected to spend no more than ten years in prison. Great White was performing at a nightclub called The Station almost three years ago when the band's pyrotechnics sparked a fire. Police say Biechele ignited the display that turned that club into an inferno.
Situation scary, but prognosis is excellent. That from a German neurosurgeon who treated ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and photographer Doug Vogt after both were badly wounded in a roadside bombing in Iraq. Woodruff and Vogt were treated in the field, then in Germany, and now they're on their way to the brain injury center at Bethesda Naval Hospital near Washington.
CNN senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon himself, specializes in these types of injuries.
The fact that he is -- or both of them are leaving Germany and coming here to the states, what does that say about their condition?
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, when they talk about stable, what they're really referring usually is your heart rate and your blood pressure, things like that that would make you not in a life-threatening sort of condition. And this not unusual to get someone out of Baghdad within 24 hours to this hospital in Landstuhl and then subsequently, within two or three days, to move them back to the States.
So this is a pretty typical thing. But stable a very relative term, Kyra, when you talk about someone's heart rate and blood pressure being fine, obviously, that's important, but their neurological status, how they're going to recover. Especially Bob Woodruff, as we know, a little bit more seriously injured. That's still impossible to say really just based on the fact that they're transporting him.
PHILLIPS: So we're hearing that most of Bob's injuries were to the skull. I mean, do we have any idea, you know, how deep those injuries were? I mean, is there anything that you can tell us about what you know?
GUPTA: Yes, sure. When you think about an IED, an improvised explosive device, there's two things are critical. One is how close were they to the device? And two is how powerful was the device itself?
Three things really happen. One thing is that you have the shrapnel sort of that can possibly injure somebody. And then what you see there, Kyra, the sort of concussive injury, this trauma blast, blunt injury to the brain. The brain goes back and forth in the skull and can develop some swelling, as you'll see there.
Now this could be treated in all sorts of different ways. One of the ways that it might possibly be treated here -- and I have a model of the brain. But basically trying to remove some of the bone around the brain to give the brain some room to swell. The skull confines the brain, so it has no place to swell. If you remove some of the bone, the brain has a place to swell. And when the swelling subsides, then you can put the bone back.
PHILLIPS: That's interesting. That's what they did to Ariel Sharon. They took part of the bone out to try and relieve some of that swelling.
GUPTA: That's exactly right. And for his case, it was a different sort of problem. It was a stroke. And a stroke can actually cause a swelling as well. In this case, you know, I don't know what Bob's injuries specifically were, but the swelling of the brain after trauma can be treated that same way.
PHILLIPS: Why go to Bethesda? You would think he has his own doctors and medical teams right where he lives. Why go to the military hospital?
GUPTA: Well, you know, one thing, Kyra -- and I know you were out in this part of the world, and I was as well. You know, the types of injuries you see in a conflict like this are really different than anything else that you see in just our regular society. I mean, I work at a hospital here in Atlanta. I certainly see gunshot wounds of small munitions. And you see trauma from car accidents and things.
But we're talking about a totally different pattern of injuries here. The reason I bring that up is it's really important for doctors who have treated these type of injuries to take care of people like Bob and Doug both because this what they do. This is what they see this day after day. They see head injuries as a result of explosions, as opposed to head injuries as a result of car accidents. And there's different issues involved there.
So I think that, you know, most people would say let's go to the docs who take care of this pretty regularly. At Bethesda, they do. At Landstuhl, they do. And Bilad (ph), as well, the first hospital where they were treated, this what they do.
PHILLIPS: The doctor in Germany said the word excellent, I think, when he was talking about both of the men. Are you hearing the same word being used? You know, because they've dealt with a number of different doctors in different areas now.
GUPTA: Yes, you know...
PHILLIPS: But we're still not hearing a lot.
GUPTA: We're not hearing a lot, and I'm always so hesitant, Kyra, and I know you are, as well...
PHILLIPS: You don't want to guess.
GUPTA: Well, you don't want to guess. And one of the things that is so important is that excellent in terms of what? You know, excellent in terms of living, yes, perhaps. You know, excellent in terms of neurological function? I think that's what a lot of people are sort of asking. Is -- are Bob and Doug going to be the same guys that they were before?
And you know, it's just too early to tell probably after any sort of head injury. We're only talking about a couple, three days now. So I think it's just too early to tell. There's going to be a lot of speculation on this sort of thing. But, you know, an explosive injury is something that needs to be taken very seriously for a long period of time. Recovery is measured in months, not days. PHILLIPS: And also, just quickly wanted to make the point that in no way are we forgetting what's happening to the men and women serving in the military and dying overseas. But this is someone that we're used to seeing in our living rooms every single night, so it really just brings home the fact that everybody is vulnerable in this war.
GUPTA: It's very dangerous. And again, you and I have both been in this part of the world. And you know, you do -- your hats really do go off to these guys. And, you know, they've pointed out that they got him to the hospital within 37 minutes.
PHILLIPS: That's amazing.
GUPTA: And this is in the face of an explosion. So in the face of danger, they went and got these guys...
PHILLIPS: And the military would do that for anybody, journalists or their own.
GUPTA: That's right. It's really remarkable. And I think that that 37 minutes is really crucial in terms of saving or prolonging someone's life.
PHILLIPS: Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, they're calling her the little miracle. A tiny baby in a pink dress pulled out of a black bag in a lagoon. But where was her mother? It's pretty amazing video. You won't want to miss this story. It's next on LIVE FROM.
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PHILLIPS: It sounds like a tale from the Old Testament. A baby is rescued while floating in a lake in Brazil. It happened Saturday and unlike biblical occurrences, it was caught on tape. The baby has captured the hearts of Brazilians, hundreds of whom want to adopt her.
CNN's Tim Lister reports.
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TIM LISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the miracle that's gripped a nation. In a park in a Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, a couple walking see a black bag floating in the lagoon. It sounds as if a kitten is inside.
As people gather, a man with a video camera films the rescue. As they unwrap the bag, shock and amazement. A 2-month-old baby girl in a pink dress, crying at the top of her tiny lungs. A small wooden board has apparently kept the bag from sinking.
The baby was rushed to the very hospital where she was born, but astonishingly, was none the worse for her ordeal. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): She is very well. She is very peaceful, eating normally like a healthy baby.
LISTER: As the Brazilian media converged on the story, the child's mother was tracked down, 27-year old Simone Cassiano Da Silva.
SIMONE CASSIANO DA SILVA, MOTHER OF ABANDONED BABY (through translator): I couldn't stay with her. I wasn't mentally prepared for her. There was a group of people by the side of the lagoon. I asked them to leave the baby somewhere because I did not want to see it.
LISTER: She said she paid the group a couple of dollars left. Police don't believe her story and she is now in jail charged with attempted murder.
Hundreds of people have gone to the hospital with gifts or hoping to catch a glimpse of the baby. Hundreds more have offered to adopt her. As yet, she has no name. But to millions across Brazil she will always be the little miracle in the pink dress.
Tim Lister, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well the baby is now in the care of protective services. A juvenile court will decide where she goes from here.
Some say her fortitude rivaled that of her husband, we're talking about Coretta Scott King. We'll remember her remarkable life ahead on LIVE FROM.
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PHILLIPS: In death as in life, Coretta Scott King is being held up as a model of courage and character. Mrs. King died last night at a holistic health center in Mexico where he was undergoing therapy for the stroke and heart attack that she suffered last august. She was 78.
White House spokesperson Scott McClellan says "President Bush and the first lady were deeply saddened to learn of her passing. Mrs. King was a remarkable and courageous woman and America mourns her loss. We are keeping the King family in our thoughts and prayers. The president has spent time with her over the past few years. He and Mrs. Bush feel blessed to have known her and they treasure the time that they spent with her."
Our Soledad O'Brien has more on Coretta Scott King's remarkable life.
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SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): She became known to the world as a woman of courage and conviction. But as a girl from rural Alabama, Coretta Scott King probably never dreamed of the historic events that awaited her life. She studied music at Antioch College in Ohio. In 1951, she received a scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. While there, she met and married Martin Luther King Jr., who was studying theology at Boston University.
In 1954, Dr. King began his career as a pastor and his civil rights work in Montgomery, Alabama. Mrs. King worked closely with her husband behind the scenes while raising their four children. In December 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., DECEASED CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: And we feel (INAUDIBLE) that one of the great glories of American democracy is that we have the right to protest.
S. O'BRIEN: It set off the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott. The civil rights movement had begun. It was a dangerous time for the King family.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He was beaten and stabbed and jailed and came close to losing his wife and baby daughter when their house was bombed.
S. O'BRIEN: In 1960, the Kings moved to Atlanta where King was jailed until Mrs. King appealed to then presidential candidate John F. Kennedy to intervene.
ANDREW YOUNG, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: I know of the times that Coretta got up early in the morning to go out and help women organize as hospital employees.
S. O'BRIEN: Coretta King balanced mothering with movement work, organizing sit ins at segregated restaurants, and marches. She also performed in freedom concerts, singing and reading poetry, to raise money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
She was present at many of the major events in the civil rights movement, like the Washington Mall March where her husband gave his "I have a dream" speech. In 1968, an assassins bullet shattered her world killing Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis. His death sparked outrage and riots. Coretta moved from the role of wife to that of caretaker of her husband's legacy.
YOLANDA KING, DAUGHTER: At the same time, she was raising four children, encouraging and teaching us by example to be the very best that we could be.
S. O'BRIEN: She created a living memorial dedicated to advancing King's dream. Mrs. King remained a dynamic figure for civil rights. She joined the battle to end apartheid in South Africa. But life in the endless spotlight proved to be grueling. There was a bitter public fight between the King family and the National Park Service over preserving King's birth place and his tomb. And the controversial absolution by her youngest son, Dexter King, of James Earl Ray, the man who confessed and then recanted to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. DEXTER KING, SON: Believe and, as I said, my family believes that he is innocent.
S. O'BRIEN: Like others who survived racism, intolerance, and great loss, Mrs. King lived life with a special kind of grace. She challenged future generations to dream of more.
CORETTA SCOTT KING: We must make our hearts instrument of peace and nonviolence. Because when the heart is right, the mind and the body will follow.
S. O'BRIEN: A civil rights icon herself, she ranks among the most influential African-Americans of all time.
Soledad O'Brien reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the 14th straight time today. More importantly, Alan Greenspan presided over his last meeting as Fed chairman. Let's get the rest of the story from Allan Chernoff, who is standing by live at the New York Stock Exchange, getting ready for the opening (sic) bell.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
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