CNN.com - Transcripts

Transcript Providers

Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Pope Rushed Back to Hospital; Bush and Putin Meet in Slovakia

Aired February 24, 2005 - 10:00 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.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We have a lot of news to get to here in Atlanta, including looking forward to the president will be speaking live having a news conference with Vladimir Putin.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Scheduled for 11:30. Probably some time-ish, as they say. Here's what's happening right now though in the news.

A day after appearing on closed circuit television, instead of his usual balcony perch, Pope John Paul II returns to a hospital in Italy suffering a relapse of his earlier condition. Now, a Vatican spokesperson is saying the 84-year-old pontiff is receiving specialized treatment. He was released two weeks ago after a nine-day stay for breathing problems. We're going to have a live report on this in just a little bit.

Nearly four hours after addressing the people of Slovakia, President Bush is now in a summit session with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two are expected to agree on improving Russian nuclear security. However, they may disagree on Russia's democratic reforms and Russia's role in Iran. The news conference, as Daryn mentioned, expected in about an hour and a half. We'll certainly bring it to you right here as it happens.

Now, more violence across parts of Iraq have claimed at least 19 lives in the last 24 hours. The incidents include a suicide bombing near a police station in Tikrit that killed at least a dozen officers. Also, a roadside bomb that killed two police officers in Kirkuk. And a high-ranking police official was gunned down in Baghdad. Two U.S. soldiers died in roadside bombings in northern Iraq.

Also, we want to you take a look at something. It's a spectacular blaze that broke out inside a commercial building in the garment district of Los Angeles earlier today. Firefighters struggle to try to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby residences. So far, the good news, no injuries reported.

And hello again, everyone. I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: And good morning, I'm Daryn Kagan.

Our top story this hour, one we've been following all morning on CNN, Pope John Paul II is back in the hospital. The Vatican says that he suffered a relapse of the flu and is having trouble breathing.

Our Walter Rodgers is following the story from Rome -- Walter. WALTER ROGERS, CNN SR. INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Good morning. Behind me you see the now familiar Gemelli Hospital, on the top floor, which you can also see Pope John Paul II back in hospital because they say there's been a relapse of flu. What we're told is that the pope now has a fever again and that there's congestion. He had difficulty breathing.

So as I say, about 5 1/2 hours ago, a hospital -- an ambulance brought His Holiness to this hospital because the Vatican has some medical facilities, had nothing adequate to the task of what's needed at this point. We are not going to get another medical bulletin until 10:00 tomorrow morning or so.

Still, that being the case, the alarm is being raised here because the pope only left this hospital 13 days ago, again, with the same symptoms, complications of the flu, difficulty breathing and a fever. They apparently could not be treated in the Vatican.

Still, the pope put in an appearance yesterday in the Vatican. He held a closed circuit television audience, appeared quite well at the time. But apparently shortly after that, the pope began to experience these recurring flu-like symptoms yesterday afternoon. They apparently were not sufficiently worrying at that time.

But this morning the pope did, indeed, continue these conditions persisted, a stubborn case of the flu at the very least. And the alarm of more than a few Pope John Paul II is back in this hospital -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Walter Rodgers from Italy. Thank you for that.

Let's bring in our Dr. Sanjay Gupta talking about the flu and the medical condition that the pope faces.

So he's back in the hospital 13 days after he was there. What special challenges do old people fight when they have the flu?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Twice in a month now. I think for anybody, it would be a challenge. Relapse of the flu is what they're calling it. An 84-year-old that has significant medical problems, you've all heard about these problems, it's concerning.

Now, while it is not unusual for someone to have a relapse of the flu, the most commonly really is just that they didn't quite get over it the first time enough. Even though he kept that public schedule up to some degree, he probably never fully recovered.

What is hard to figure out here, Daryn, is the first time he had upper airway spasm. Which can be a medical emergency. It can also be very easily treated. This time they said he had breathing difficulties but was still relaxed. It is hard to put together because the Vatican has good medical facilities. So what is it precisely that's taking him to the hospital? Still haven't been able to get to the bottom of that. KAGAN: Let's talk about Parkinson's disease. Which is pretty well known the pope suffers from. Parkinson's patients tend to have trouble with breathing.

GUPTA: Yes. You typically think of Parkinson's and the tremors, right? And the slowness of movement. Actually that same process affects all the muscles in the body including the larynx, the upper airway. So if you have got someone who already has the flu, somewhat sick, having some difficulties breathing and on top of that Parkinson's disease, and it suddenly can become much worse.

Again, we're hearing that he's doing OK. Did not require a breathing tube for example, which is something that we would be concerned about. Not taking antibiotics. It's going to be interesting to see how the next couple of days develop for him.

KAGAN: We'll be watching it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: It's a big story that we're going to be following throughout the day. The summit is on. President Bush before winding up his European tour is in Slovakia this hour. He's meeting with his Russia counterpart, Vladimir Putin. About an hour ago the two appeared together briefly before heading into a private session. On the table, nuclear security, anti-terrorism, Iran and Russia's role there, and also the state of democracy inside Russia.

President Bush and Putin are personal friends, but as CNN's senior White House correspondent John King reports today they also now have some very serious differences.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): June 2001, a picturesque walk in Slovenia and a first impression that has defined U.S./Russia relations since.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I looked the man in the eye, I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul.

KING: Four years later, the man Mr. Bush calls Vladimir is widely seen as halting, if not reversing Russia's path toward democracy.

NATAN SHARANSKY, ISRAELI MINISTER: There is no Gulag, no KGB. But it is right to be very concerned about some of their restrictions.

KING: So as he prepares for Thursday's meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, Mr. Bush faces pressure to reconsider his early verdict.

RICHARD PERLE, FMR. PENTAGON ADVISER: When you gaze into souls, it is something you should update periodically, because souls can change. KING: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with her Russian counterpart earlier this month and raised concerns about shutting down media critics and Kremlin prosecutions of Putin foes. The White House also is frustrated, among other things, with Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran and missile sales to Syria.

And Senator John McCain says Mr. Putin must be pressured to keep a promise to pull Russian troops out of neighboring Georgia.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R) ARIZONA: Sooner or later he has got to realize that the path that he's on is one, which will eventually bring his government down. I mean you can't continue this kind of consolidation of power and not expect to be eventually isolated, at least to some degree in the world.

KING: The meeting comes a month after an inaugural address linking support of freedom and human rights to strong relations with Washington. A critical time, as Senator Joseph Lieberman puts it, to talk turkey.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I think it is in that sense a test of this president's foreign policy credibility when he meets with Putin. And I'm confident he's going to meet the test.

KING: But White House officials also stress an upside, calling Mr. Putin a strong ally in the war on terror. And in much of Europe there is less concern than Mr. Bush hears back in Washington.

WOLFGANG ISCHINGER, GERMAN AMBASSADOR, U.S.: On the fundamental question, is Russia moving away from us or against us? We don't think so. We think Putin has the right instinct.

KING: The meeting will test Mr. Bush's view that a close personal bond helps most when there are problems in a relationship. U.S. officials concede that bond is now strained and the relationship drifting. And say Mr. Bush will make clear to his friend that it is up to him to set it back on course.

John King, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Presidents Bush and Putin will hold a news conference in about an hour and a half. You can stay right here for live coverage on CNN. We're going to be bringing it to you right here as soon as that happens.

KAGAN: Update now on the man who secretly taped private conversations with President Bush. He now says he regrets releasing those tapes to the public. Last night, author Doug Wead canceled plans to be on MSNBC's "Hardball."

In a letter to the host Chris Matthews, Wead writes, quote, "Contrary to a statement that I made to "The New York Times," I have come to realize that personal relationships are more important than history." Wead says he wants future proceeds from his book, "The Raising of a President," to go to charity and he wants the tapes given to the president.

SANCHEZ: Usually the person who commits a crime is not the one who tells on himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You guys have a Plan B?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A Plan B, like as if he were to get a cop?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Run like hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: still to come, a tattletale thief uses the airwaves to brag about his crime. But he probably won't get the last laugh.

KAGAN: Plus, new opinions on the suspect in the case of a family murdered in Texas. We'll explain.

SANCHEZ: And then later, yesterday we told you about a dangerous chemical in breast milk. But where does it come from? And what can nursing mothers do to protect their babies? We're going to have the answers.

Stay with us, we're coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Southern California is getting a much-needed break from days of drenching rain, floods and mudslides. Crews are clearing or repairing more than 20 major roads. Landslides have destroyed a dozen of homes. A 100 others are deemed unsafe and uninhabitable, and have been red tagged by authorities.

SANCHEZ: It's amazing. And they still have to worry about some of the rocks that haven't fallen yet, but might because of the moisture in the ground.

KAGAN: The huge boulders along up the Pacific Coast Highway. We're going to have more of that ahead.

Right now, let's check on the weather with Orelon Sidney.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: We have some free advice to perspective crooks on this day. Don't brag about your capers. An alleged bank robber in Chicago was so proud of his $81,000 heist last April that he couldn't resist bragging about it on a local radio show. Even though the caller remained anonymous, he revealed enough clues that the FBI was able to crack the case just by listening to the radio. He even fingered a bank employee as one of his accomplices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We knew the girl that worked in the bank. So we set everything up. We planned it out. Turned her house into the back actually and acted it out for like weeks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Really. Yes. The call was made about five months ago. Investigators finally were able to catch up with the caller and the bank employee last week. Police are also looking for others believed to be part of the crime.

People just don't know how sophisticated forensics has become these days.

KAGAN: Isn't that like in the first couple pages of the bank robber's manual.

SANCHEZ: I guess so.

KAGAN: What not to do.

SANCHEZ: Forgot to read it.

KAGAN: Yes.

We're looking at health news ahead. Feeding your baby hazardous chemicals? It might sound bizarre. But a new study has found it might be in breast milk, of all places.

SANCHEZ: Also still to come on CNN LIVE, a look at perchlorate and its hazards. This is the particular chemical that we're talking about in this case.

KAGAN: Plus, Gerri Willis is along with some tips to share.

Hi, Ger.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, guys. Good to see. You thought zero percent financing was just for credit cards? Well, think mortgages. We'll have more details when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here's something that certainly sounds good to any one of us who is possibly hunting for a home. Zero percent financing for your house. Like the auto industry's done. The mortgage banking industry is now offering rock bottom introductory interest rates. But as usual, the devil's in the details.

Here with us now in our "Top Five Picks" as usual "Home Edition" is CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis to take us through this.

Hmm. Sounds almost too good to be true.

WILLIS: Yes. Pretty much. I got to tell you, Rick, you're going to have to pay a lot of attention to this. The hottest new mortgage offers feature bargain basement rates. One to even zero percent for a short period of time, just like the credit cards. Now, bankers are calling these loans Loan Option Adjustable Rate Mortgages or Pay Option Loans. Because in addition to the teaser rates they also give consumers choices when it comes to deciding how much to pay each month.

SANCHEZ: How is it possible, though? How can they do this and still make money and ferret it out in the end?

WILLIS: Well, imagine this, Rick, you can pay just the interest due on your loan that month, an interest-only payment. Or you can opt to make a minimum payment for you to get your introductory interest rate. Or you can opt to make a higher payment that would be similar to a plain vanilla mortgage. The choice and the responsibility is up to you.

SANCHEZ: Yes. That means usually there is a down side, though, right?

WILLIS: You bet. If you consistently pay the least amount of money each month, you can end up adding to your mortgage debt rather than reducing it. The net effect would be more like renting your house than buying it.

SANCHEZ: Aside from people who are perhaps thinking about going into bankruptcy in the next 10 years, do these loans really suit anybody at all?

WILLIS: Well, yes. Some people are tailor made for these loans. Consider high salaried workers whose incomes are lumpy. Think of an investment banker, or maybe a sales person, anyone who relies on bonuses or other special incentives for most of their compensation. For those people having some flexibility makes sense.

Anyone who signs up for these loans, though, needs to be highly disciplined to make ensure that they pay off their mortgage in a timely fashion. That means it may be a bad idea to sign one of these loans if you're stretching to buy that dream house.

And Rick, also in our show this weekend coming on Saturday, 9:30 "Open House," we'll talk more about this topic. But then we'll also discuss negotiating a lower commission for your real estate agent if you are thinking about selling this spring. How to stage your house if you are going to put it on the market. Managing your agent, something that a lot of people don't think of.

And we've got our weekend project, "Ton of Fun." Will you have an Oscar party? How to make your TV have surround sound.

SANCHEZ: How to make your TV have surround sound. That's good. I like that. It works for me. Just don't go out and buy it with one of those zero interest loans that you can't pay back later on. WILLIS: There you go. It's circular isn't it, Rick? Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Yes. We're circumlocuting now. Thank you.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: We're getting back to our top stories straight ahead, including more on the pope's condition.

SANCHEZ: Also, more information on the Texas family murder we've been telling you about. You are going to be able to hear what the suspect's wife has to say in this case now.

KAGAN: Plus, he's just 5 months old and his life is on the line. It's a mother's fight coming up.

SANCHEZ: Also later, what are you feeding your baby? The dangers found in breast milk. We're going to explore that issue for you. Stay with us. We're coming back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: As we told you a little earlier in the show, Pope John Paul II has had a relapse. He's been returned to the hospital. And earlier, we broke this down from a medical perspective; we brought you the details of the story. Let's do an analysis now from the Vatican perspective.

And to do that, we're joined by our CNN Vatican analyst John Allen, who is with the "National Catholic" magazine. He's a reporter. He's joining us live from New York.

Thanks so much for being with us John, again. The question here I guess is the effect it's having on Catholics in the Vatican, given that it's the second time we've seen the pope go back there.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Rick, I'm afraid I'm not able to hear you. So I'm afraid I didn't get that question.

SANCHEZ: Can you hear me now? Can you hear me at all now? I guess not. All right. John, sorry about that. You know what? We'll try and hook up with you in just a little minute. We're going to take a quick break and we'll try and get back into this story.

Stay with us. You're watching CNN LIVE.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're getting close to the half hour. Good morning once again, I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: We're going to try and figure out some of the problems we've been having making contact with John Allen. We'll do that in just a bit.

But first, here's the news. KAGAN: Pope John Paul II remains in a hospital this hour. Vatican officials say the pontiff has a fever and is having trouble breathing, after suffering a relapse of the flu. It is the second time this month the frail 84-year-old pope has been hospitalized.

A Syrian government official says his country is willing to cooperate with the U.N. on withdrawing its troops from Lebanon. But he adds Lebanon must be ready to fill the vacuum in a way that would not disturb either country's security.

After speaking to a crowd in Slovakia, President Bush is huddling this hour with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit there. On the table: Iran, democracy in Russian, nuclear terrorism and atomic weapons arsenals. The two will answer reporters' questions at a news conference this morning. It is expected one hour from now. CNN will carry it live.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean heads into red territory. He's spending two days -- well, looks like got the wrong video up there. He is spending two days in Kansas, a Republican state since 1964. Democrats there are thrilled. Tickets for tomorrow night's appearance in Lawrence, Kansas sold out in about 2 1/2 hours.

SANCHEZ: And with fingers crossed, we try to hook up once again with CNN's Vatican analyst John Allen, who is good enough to join us.

John, first of all, you can hear me?

ALLEN: I can, Rick. Thanks.

SANCHEZ: I'm glad we got that figured out. Thanks for hanging out with us.

Are you more worried now that the pope has had to go back to the hospital? What concerns does this raise?

ALLEN: Sure. I think it's always alarming. And particularly when there was wide belief in the Vatican that the pope had more or less made a full and complete recovery from the flu and the breathing difficulties, that took him to Gemelli on February 1.

Now, I did speak to a Vatican official about one hour ago who told me that they had been advised by the pope's medical team that with elderly people suffering from Parkinson's, in about 70 percent of cases when somebody gets the flu, there is a relapse. So this is not a complete surprise.

But nevertheless, given his age, given his medical history, I mean obviously, he is in a zone of risk and have you to be concerned.

SANCHEZ: I guess the concern, and probably the one that they expressed to you, is that he could have some kind of problem or difficulty breathing, which they wouldn't be able to care for there at the Vatican, but at Gemelli Hospital, they would be able to, because they've got the right equipment and people, right? ALLEN: That's exactly right. But as you know, at the Gemelli, the 10th floor of the hospital, which is the top floor, is permanently set aside for the pope's use. And obviously it's full of state-of- the-art equipment, including a respirator under that.

And so, obviously, the doctors in this case decided that they wanted him to be next to that equipment should he experience some kind of emergency. But I do think the huge note of caution we have to strike here is that this is the pope's 10th hospitalization. And with the previous nine, he's come through all of them and been able to return to work. And there's no particular reason not to think in this case it will happen that way again.

SANCHEZ: Yes, but, John, the effect that it has on Catholics all over the world, after a while when you start to see this pattern of the pope going back and forth, back and forth into the hospital, one does begin to wonder if maybe he is really fulfilling his mission as the pontiff?

ALLEN: Yes. And of course, Rick, it comes down to the question of, how do you define that mission? If you see the pope largely as a political leader or corporate CEO, then obviously as his time on task and his efficiency begins to go down, then it does raise questions about whether he ought to continue.

On the other hand, other Catholics would argue that the pope is fundamentally the father of the spiritual family that Catholicism understands itself to be. And in that sense, even when he's suffering and not able to do anything in a literal sense that he still continues to fulfill that role, and I think that debate within the Catholic world about whether the pope ought to stay or go and why is going to be with us, and certainly will accelerate as his health continues to decline.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and as we see more cases of him being returned there to the hospital.

John Allen, our Vatican analyst, good enough to share some of his thoughts with us. We thank you, John.

ALLEN: You bet, Rick.

KAGAN: A detention hearing has been postponed until Tuesday for the young Saudi-American accused of plotting to assassinate President Bush.

Government papers filed yesterday with the court labeled Ahmed Omar Abu Ali a grave danger and a flight risk. That is a far cry from the image that's being presented by family and friends.

CNN Justice Department correspondent Kelli Arena has our report in today's "Security Watch."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ahmed Abu Ali spent most of his life in northern Virginia and was just 19 years old when he left home to study in Medina, Saudi Arabia, in 2000. His sister says he was on a religious quest.

TASNEEM OMAR ABU ALI, SISTER: Mecca and Medina are the two holiest cities for us. Ahmed went there to study. He was a student on a full scholarship. And he was a very spiritual person, and a very good person.

ARENA: The siblings were raised in a community with a large Muslim population. Abu Ali attended school at Islamic Saudi Academy, where he graduated valedictorian. He started to study engineering at the University of Maryland, but changed his mind.

His father, originally from Jordan, works for the Saudi embassy. His mother is a pharmacist.

Abu Ali returned to Virginia from Saudi Arabia in August of 2000. He was known to attend his family mosque five times a day. The imam there says he did not notice any change in him.

IMAM JOHARI ABDUL-MALIK, DAR AL-HIJRAH ISLAMIC CENTER: Well, I saw consistent development. I didn't see anything inconsistent either before or after he was in Saudi Arabia.

ARENA: Abu Ali was in the United States during the September 11 attacks. He spoke about them with a close family friend, Shaker el- Sayeed.

SHAKER EL-SAYEED, FAMILY FRIEND: Uncle, the only way to change the world to any better place, if there is a chance, is through education. We have to learn our religion, and we have to teach it and apply it in our life.

ARENA (on camera): Still, according to the government, immediately upon his return to Saudi Arabia in September of 2002, he told his former roommate that he wanted to join al Qaeda.

(voice-over): About the same time, el-Sayeed, who has known Abu Ali since he was born, went to visit him.

EL-SAYEED: He was also a person who was about, you know, serious about his life. He wants a future in which he would do something good for people around him.

ARENA: The indictment lists some of the things found at Abu Ali's home in Virginia, a document on conducting surveillance, another praising the September 11 attacks, audiotapes promoting violent jihad, and a book written by al Qaeda's number two, Ayman al Zawahiri.

EL-SAYEED: If we are going to try people for having books at their home, we better try people who incite violence publicly in books that they wrote.

ARENA: His parents say they trust the truth will eventually come out, pitting a life story against the bare bones of an indictment. Many supporters say even if he is convicted, they will never believe what they say are trumped-up charges.

Kelli Arena, CNN, America Bureau, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

SANCHEZ: I want to share with you now some of the other stories making news from coast to coast.

KAGAN: The wife of a man charged with murdering his pregnant ex- girlfriend and a little boy reportedly said it's impossible he committed the crime. Trish Barbee tells Dallas and Fort Worth newspapers that her husband, Stephen Barbee, is the sweetest thing in the world. Police say Stephen Barbee confessed to suffocating Lisa Underwood and her 7-year-old son.

SANCHEZ: In Sacramento, a 30-year-old teaching intern is on paid leave from the school system, this after allegedly being caught is having sex with a teenage student. Police say they found the couple in a car parked behind an elementary school. The woman's toddler was also in the car at the time.

KAGAN: And in the ongoing saga over the state of Terri Schiavo, her feeding tube is set to be removed at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, unless there are more legal interventions. An order to remove the tube yesterday was delayed 48 hours to give the courts more time to review a flurry of motions and appeals. Schiavo has been kept alive by mechanical means since suffering severe brain damage 15 years ago.

SANCHEZ: And we take you to Texas. There the life of a 5-month- old baby on life support is on the line. The baby is slowly suffocating, and doctors say they can't do much about it. They say it's inhumane to prolong the life with machines.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim has more from Houston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His name is Sun Hudson, and a machine keeps him alive. When he was born five months ago Sun Hudson was diagnosed with thenatophoric displasea (ph), a skeletal disorder that prevents his lungs from maturing. Since birth he's been on life support. Connected to feeding tubes and a respirator at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, William Winslade, a bioethicist, has followed the case and explained the prevailing medical opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eventually, even with life support, the baby will die.

OPPENHEIM: The baby's condition led Texas Children's Hospital to convene a panel of specialists in neonatal care and medical ethics, a team that concluded it would be wrong to keep Sun Hudson on life support. Hospital officials would not speak on camera. But in a statement said, "Sun is currently heavily sedated, although he is capable of feeling discomfort and pain. We are deeply saddened that no treatment can save this child."

WILLIAM WINSLADE, MEDICAL ETHICIST: Normally once the parents or the patients understand the circumstances, they will come to an agreement with the hospital about what to do.

OPPENHEIM: Wanda Hudson, the single mother of Sun, has not come to any such agreement.

WANDA HUDSON, MOTHER: We all have a right to continue living. Just because something is so small, it doesn't mean that it can't speak and it doesn't have a voice.

OPPENHEIM: Wanda Hudson believes all her son needs is more time, more time he can only get on life support.

(on camera): So you believe that your child will grow and eventually be healthy?

HUDSON: Yes, I saw the vision.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Her vision is that the sun is her creator, and created the baby boy that she then named after it. While her beliefs are unusual, some, even her parents say, delusional, her attorney, Mario Caballero, says what matters in the court of law is Wanda's desire to get treatment for her baby.

MARIO CABALLERO, MOTHER'S ATTY.: Deep down, putting aside philosophy, she has an instinct as a mother for her child to live. Many parents would feel that if their child was in the same medical condition that Sun is in that they would want their child to live and continue to get medical treatment.

OPPENHEIM: What's driving this case is a conflict between different laws here in Texas.

(on camera): On the one hand, by law, Texas patients can request life support, even if the condition is terminal or irreversible. On the other, Texas has established a process by which a hospital can refuse to respect a family's wishes if treatment is futile. Texas Children's officials say they contacted 40 other hospitals, but none would take the case, all agreeing no treatment could save Sun Hudson.

(voice-over): Just last week, a judge, acting under the latter law, lifted restrictions Texas Children's, giving the hospital the authority to decide whether to continue treatment for Sun Hudson. But a stay from the Texas court of appeals has kept the case, and the infant, alive.

While his mother and the hospital that is caring for him agonize over what is the right thing to do, Sun Hudson remains connected to life support.

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Houston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Interesting story. More stories about babies just ahead. Two things you wouldn't usually put together, rocket fuel and breast milk. The two have more in common than you think.

SANCHEZ: And it could be affecting mothers and their babies. And we're going to put these two together and give you an explanation, when we come back.

KAGAN: Plus, health care costs are expecting to soar over the next decade. The bottom dollar coming up next in business news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: A story we did yesterday really needed a lot more explanation. It's a concern for nursing mothers. A new study finds an ingredient found in rocket fuel is turning up in breast milk.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and you ask how is it possible? Well, is it still possible that it could be in any way healthy or unhealthy for your baby? That's today's "Daily Dose. " And we're going to break it down for you when CNN LIVE returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In today's "Daily Dose," a frightening appearance of a toxic substance in breast milk. CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains what it is, where it comes from and how much of a risk it is to newborns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Rockets are probably the last thing that come to mind when you think of breast feeding. But new research finds that perchlorate, a toxic part of rocket fuel, is found in breast milk at potentially damaging levels. Turns out people are exposed through runoff water in irrigation of crops. Perchlorate can make it into tap water and growing fruit and vegetables irrigated by contaminated water.

Now a new study by researchers at Texas Tech University looked at 36 women in 18 states. Levels five to eight times higher than those considered safe by the EPA were found in those mothers' breast milk. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing the paper.

RICHARD WILES, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: It's without question that the majority of infants will exceed what EPA considers a safe dose.

GUPTA: Nursing mothers eat perchlorate contaminated foods and pass it through breast milk to their nursing children. Higher levels can affect the thyroid gland and negatively impact brain development. WILES: What you need is a high exposure for a relatively short period of time that can affect brain development and produce I.Q. deficits and in worst cases, even mental retardation.

GUPTA: That's a serious price for nursing babies and their mothers, and it's spurring strong reaction.

SANDRA STEINGRABER, MOTHER & BIOLOGIST: I think that most women see their relationship between their nursing infant and themselves as a one of a kind of sacred communion.

GUPTA: At home there is no real way to control perchlorate levels. You can't wash it off your produce. You can't filter is out of your water with traditional systems, and there are no commercial tests. For now, women like Steingraber are still focusing on the bigger picture.

STEINGRABER: In my mind the answer to this is not to take babies back to formula, which is an inferior food for babies, but rather to get the chemicals out of the environment in the first place and out of women's breasts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Medical experts say the harmful effects of perchloarate can be offset by getting more iodine into the diet. As always, check with your physician or your pediatrician first.

SANCHEZ: And also in health news on this day, the federal government is getting proactive about the bird flu. The disease is already a problem in Asian poultry stocks. And there's some genuine concern that it will spread to the U.S. poultry industry, or even to people. The U.S. has stockpiled about two million dose of vaccines and antiviral drugs. It is preparing to test them to see if they maintain their potency in storage.

Global health officials fear that if unchecked, this virus may mutate into a form that could be passed from one person to another. To get your daily dose of health news online, all you got to do is log on to our Web site, find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on both diet and fitness. The address, CNN.com/health.

KAGAN: 10:51 right now on the East Coast, 7:51 on the West Coast. Stay with us. We're back in a moment with a quick check of your morning forecast.

Also...

SANCHEZ: The Oscars always generating a buzz, as you well know, since you're always invited, big star that you are. Big buzzword is diversity this year, how is it actually making an impact on the star- studded event. We'll tell you all about this when CNN LIVE continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Diversity is the buzzword in Hollywood, and the gold rush at this year's annual Academy Awards.

CNN's Sibila Vargas explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILIA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like the character he plays in "Ray," Jamie Foxx has made history in the world of entertainment.

At this year's Academy Award nominations, Foxx heard his name twice, once for the lead role in "Ray," and again for a supporting role in "Collateral," an unprecedented feat for a black actor.

VARGAS: But the story of diversity at these Oscars doesn't end here. For the first time ever, people of color were nominated in every acting category, including Colombian actress Catalina Sandino Moreno.

CATALINA SANDINO MORENO, BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE: It's wonderful. People just like good stories and good acting. And I think people are changing.

JAMIE FOXX, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE: It's fabulous, it lets you know that things are moving.

VARGAS: In the Awards' 77 year history, black actors account for just over three percent of nominees. This year, they're 25 percent, a far cry from 1996, when a complete lack of black acting nominees spurred Jesse Jackson and others to protest the awards.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, PROTESTED OSCARS IN 1996: There is no wrong time to march against injustice.

VARGAS: Nine years later, the nominations also include Supporting Actress Sophie Okonedo from "Hotel Rwanda."

(on camera): Do you feel there's a great movement for diversity?

SOPHIE OKONEDO, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINEE: I feel that maybe if this film had come out ten years ago, maybe it wouldn't have gotten to the Oscars. There's -- I do think there is a move towards that.

VARGAS (voice-over): This year the move was fueled by "Hotel Rwanda" and "Ray," two Oscar caliber biopics, which showcased a broad array of black performers.

FOXX: Everybody got a chance to see these guys put it down and so now we've got a chance. There are a lot of scripts out there that we're going ask Taylor Hackford to help us out with.

VARGAS: "Ray" director Taylor Hackford and others will have the opportunity to bring more roles for all people of color to the big screen, and Jamie Foxx is convinced they will.

FOXX: But I know the cast that you see right here, this is not the end of it.

I'm going to make it do what it do, baby. Yes.

VARGAS: Sibila Vargas, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And we invite you to tune in this Sunday night for Hollywood's gold rush. The live show that airs before the Oscars. It will be hosted this year by Sibilia Vargas and Karyn Bryant.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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 24, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: We have a lot of news to get to here in Atlanta, including looking forward to the president will be speaking live having a news conference with Vladimir Putin.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Scheduled for 11:30. Probably some time-ish, as they say. Here's what's happening right now though in the news.

A day after appearing on closed circuit television, instead of his usual balcony perch, Pope John Paul II returns to a hospital in Italy suffering a relapse of his earlier condition. Now, a Vatican spokesperson is saying the 84-year-old pontiff is receiving specialized treatment. He was released two weeks ago after a nine-day stay for breathing problems. We're going to have a live report on this in just a little bit.

Nearly four hours after addressing the people of Slovakia, President Bush is now in a summit session with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two are expected to agree on improving Russian nuclear security. However, they may disagree on Russia's democratic reforms and Russia's role in Iran. The news conference, as Daryn mentioned, expected in about an hour and a half. We'll certainly bring it to you right here as it happens.

Now, more violence across parts of Iraq have claimed at least 19 lives in the last 24 hours. The incidents include a suicide bombing near a police station in Tikrit that killed at least a dozen officers. Also, a roadside bomb that killed two police officers in Kirkuk. And a high-ranking police official was gunned down in Baghdad. Two U.S. soldiers died in roadside bombings in northern Iraq.

Also, we want to you take a look at something. It's a spectacular blaze that broke out inside a commercial building in the garment district of Los Angeles earlier today. Firefighters struggle to try to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby residences. So far, the good news, no injuries reported.

And hello again, everyone. I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: And good morning, I'm Daryn Kagan.

Our top story this hour, one we've been following all morning on CNN, Pope John Paul II is back in the hospital. The Vatican says that he suffered a relapse of the flu and is having trouble breathing.

Our Walter Rodgers is following the story from Rome -- Walter. WALTER ROGERS, CNN SR. INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Good morning. Behind me you see the now familiar Gemelli Hospital, on the top floor, which you can also see Pope John Paul II back in hospital because they say there's been a relapse of flu. What we're told is that the pope now has a fever again and that there's congestion. He had difficulty breathing.

So as I say, about 5 1/2 hours ago, a hospital -- an ambulance brought His Holiness to this hospital because the Vatican has some medical facilities, had nothing adequate to the task of what's needed at this point. We are not going to get another medical bulletin until 10:00 tomorrow morning or so.

Still, that being the case, the alarm is being raised here because the pope only left this hospital 13 days ago, again, with the same symptoms, complications of the flu, difficulty breathing and a fever. They apparently could not be treated in the Vatican.

Still, the pope put in an appearance yesterday in the Vatican. He held a closed circuit television audience, appeared quite well at the time. But apparently shortly after that, the pope began to experience these recurring flu-like symptoms yesterday afternoon. They apparently were not sufficiently worrying at that time.

But this morning the pope did, indeed, continue these conditions persisted, a stubborn case of the flu at the very least. And the alarm of more than a few Pope John Paul II is back in this hospital -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Walter Rodgers from Italy. Thank you for that.

Let's bring in our Dr. Sanjay Gupta talking about the flu and the medical condition that the pope faces.

So he's back in the hospital 13 days after he was there. What special challenges do old people fight when they have the flu?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Twice in a month now. I think for anybody, it would be a challenge. Relapse of the flu is what they're calling it. An 84-year-old that has significant medical problems, you've all heard about these problems, it's concerning.

Now, while it is not unusual for someone to have a relapse of the flu, the most commonly really is just that they didn't quite get over it the first time enough. Even though he kept that public schedule up to some degree, he probably never fully recovered.

What is hard to figure out here, Daryn, is the first time he had upper airway spasm. Which can be a medical emergency. It can also be very easily treated. This time they said he had breathing difficulties but was still relaxed. It is hard to put together because the Vatican has good medical facilities. So what is it precisely that's taking him to the hospital? Still haven't been able to get to the bottom of that. KAGAN: Let's talk about Parkinson's disease. Which is pretty well known the pope suffers from. Parkinson's patients tend to have trouble with breathing.

GUPTA: Yes. You typically think of Parkinson's and the tremors, right? And the slowness of movement. Actually that same process affects all the muscles in the body including the larynx, the upper airway. So if you have got someone who already has the flu, somewhat sick, having some difficulties breathing and on top of that Parkinson's disease, and it suddenly can become much worse.

Again, we're hearing that he's doing OK. Did not require a breathing tube for example, which is something that we would be concerned about. Not taking antibiotics. It's going to be interesting to see how the next couple of days develop for him.

KAGAN: We'll be watching it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: It's a big story that we're going to be following throughout the day. The summit is on. President Bush before winding up his European tour is in Slovakia this hour. He's meeting with his Russia counterpart, Vladimir Putin. About an hour ago the two appeared together briefly before heading into a private session. On the table, nuclear security, anti-terrorism, Iran and Russia's role there, and also the state of democracy inside Russia.

President Bush and Putin are personal friends, but as CNN's senior White House correspondent John King reports today they also now have some very serious differences.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): June 2001, a picturesque walk in Slovenia and a first impression that has defined U.S./Russia relations since.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I looked the man in the eye, I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul.

KING: Four years later, the man Mr. Bush calls Vladimir is widely seen as halting, if not reversing Russia's path toward democracy.

NATAN SHARANSKY, ISRAELI MINISTER: There is no Gulag, no KGB. But it is right to be very concerned about some of their restrictions.

KING: So as he prepares for Thursday's meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, Mr. Bush faces pressure to reconsider his early verdict.

RICHARD PERLE, FMR. PENTAGON ADVISER: When you gaze into souls, it is something you should update periodically, because souls can change. KING: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with her Russian counterpart earlier this month and raised concerns about shutting down media critics and Kremlin prosecutions of Putin foes. The White House also is frustrated, among other things, with Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran and missile sales to Syria.

And Senator John McCain says Mr. Putin must be pressured to keep a promise to pull Russian troops out of neighboring Georgia.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R) ARIZONA: Sooner or later he has got to realize that the path that he's on is one, which will eventually bring his government down. I mean you can't continue this kind of consolidation of power and not expect to be eventually isolated, at least to some degree in the world.

KING: The meeting comes a month after an inaugural address linking support of freedom and human rights to strong relations with Washington. A critical time, as Senator Joseph Lieberman puts it, to talk turkey.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I think it is in that sense a test of this president's foreign policy credibility when he meets with Putin. And I'm confident he's going to meet the test.

KING: But White House officials also stress an upside, calling Mr. Putin a strong ally in the war on terror. And in much of Europe there is less concern than Mr. Bush hears back in Washington.

WOLFGANG ISCHINGER, GERMAN AMBASSADOR, U.S.: On the fundamental question, is Russia moving away from us or against us? We don't think so. We think Putin has the right instinct.

KING: The meeting will test Mr. Bush's view that a close personal bond helps most when there are problems in a relationship. U.S. officials concede that bond is now strained and the relationship drifting. And say Mr. Bush will make clear to his friend that it is up to him to set it back on course.

John King, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Presidents Bush and Putin will hold a news conference in about an hour and a half. You can stay right here for live coverage on CNN. We're going to be bringing it to you right here as soon as that happens.

KAGAN: Update now on the man who secretly taped private conversations with President Bush. He now says he regrets releasing those tapes to the public. Last night, author Doug Wead canceled plans to be on MSNBC's "Hardball."

In a letter to the host Chris Matthews, Wead writes, quote, "Contrary to a statement that I made to "The New York Times," I have come to realize that personal relationships are more important than history." Wead says he wants future proceeds from his book, "The Raising of a President," to go to charity and he wants the tapes given to the president.

SANCHEZ: Usually the person who commits a crime is not the one who tells on himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You guys have a Plan B?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A Plan B, like as if he were to get a cop?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Run like hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: still to come, a tattletale thief uses the airwaves to brag about his crime. But he probably won't get the last laugh.

KAGAN: Plus, new opinions on the suspect in the case of a family murdered in Texas. We'll explain.

SANCHEZ: And then later, yesterday we told you about a dangerous chemical in breast milk. But where does it come from? And what can nursing mothers do to protect their babies? We're going to have the answers.

Stay with us, we're coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Southern California is getting a much-needed break from days of drenching rain, floods and mudslides. Crews are clearing or repairing more than 20 major roads. Landslides have destroyed a dozen of homes. A 100 others are deemed unsafe and uninhabitable, and have been red tagged by authorities.

SANCHEZ: It's amazing. And they still have to worry about some of the rocks that haven't fallen yet, but might because of the moisture in the ground.

KAGAN: The huge boulders along up the Pacific Coast Highway. We're going to have more of that ahead.

Right now, let's check on the weather with Orelon Sidney.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: We have some free advice to perspective crooks on this day. Don't brag about your capers. An alleged bank robber in Chicago was so proud of his $81,000 heist last April that he couldn't resist bragging about it on a local radio show. Even though the caller remained anonymous, he revealed enough clues that the FBI was able to crack the case just by listening to the radio. He even fingered a bank employee as one of his accomplices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We knew the girl that worked in the bank. So we set everything up. We planned it out. Turned her house into the back actually and acted it out for like weeks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Really. Yes. The call was made about five months ago. Investigators finally were able to catch up with the caller and the bank employee last week. Police are also looking for others believed to be part of the crime.

People just don't know how sophisticated forensics has become these days.

KAGAN: Isn't that like in the first couple pages of the bank robber's manual.

SANCHEZ: I guess so.

KAGAN: What not to do.

SANCHEZ: Forgot to read it.

KAGAN: Yes.

We're looking at health news ahead. Feeding your baby hazardous chemicals? It might sound bizarre. But a new study has found it might be in breast milk, of all places.

SANCHEZ: Also still to come on CNN LIVE, a look at perchlorate and its hazards. This is the particular chemical that we're talking about in this case.

KAGAN: Plus, Gerri Willis is along with some tips to share.

Hi, Ger.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, guys. Good to see. You thought zero percent financing was just for credit cards? Well, think mortgages. We'll have more details when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here's something that certainly sounds good to any one of us who is possibly hunting for a home. Zero percent financing for your house. Like the auto industry's done. The mortgage banking industry is now offering rock bottom introductory interest rates. But as usual, the devil's in the details.

Here with us now in our "Top Five Picks" as usual "Home Edition" is CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis to take us through this.

Hmm. Sounds almost too good to be true.

WILLIS: Yes. Pretty much. I got to tell you, Rick, you're going to have to pay a lot of attention to this. The hottest new mortgage offers feature bargain basement rates. One to even zero percent for a short period of time, just like the credit cards. Now, bankers are calling these loans Loan Option Adjustable Rate Mortgages or Pay Option Loans. Because in addition to the teaser rates they also give consumers choices when it comes to deciding how much to pay each month.

SANCHEZ: How is it possible, though? How can they do this and still make money and ferret it out in the end?

WILLIS: Well, imagine this, Rick, you can pay just the interest due on your loan that month, an interest-only payment. Or you can opt to make a minimum payment for you to get your introductory interest rate. Or you can opt to make a higher payment that would be similar to a plain vanilla mortgage. The choice and the responsibility is up to you.

SANCHEZ: Yes. That means usually there is a down side, though, right?

WILLIS: You bet. If you consistently pay the least amount of money each month, you can end up adding to your mortgage debt rather than reducing it. The net effect would be more like renting your house than buying it.

SANCHEZ: Aside from people who are perhaps thinking about going into bankruptcy in the next 10 years, do these loans really suit anybody at all?

WILLIS: Well, yes. Some people are tailor made for these loans. Consider high salaried workers whose incomes are lumpy. Think of an investment banker, or maybe a sales person, anyone who relies on bonuses or other special incentives for most of their compensation. For those people having some flexibility makes sense.

Anyone who signs up for these loans, though, needs to be highly disciplined to make ensure that they pay off their mortgage in a timely fashion. That means it may be a bad idea to sign one of these loans if you're stretching to buy that dream house.

And Rick, also in our show this weekend coming on Saturday, 9:30 "Open House," we'll talk more about this topic. But then we'll also discuss negotiating a lower commission for your real estate agent if you are thinking about selling this spring. How to stage your house if you are going to put it on the market. Managing your agent, something that a lot of people don't think of.

And we've got our weekend project, "Ton of Fun." Will you have an Oscar party? How to make your TV have surround sound.

SANCHEZ: How to make your TV have surround sound. That's good. I like that. It works for me. Just don't go out and buy it with one of those zero interest loans that you can't pay back later on. WILLIS: There you go. It's circular isn't it, Rick? Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Yes. We're circumlocuting now. Thank you.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: We're getting back to our top stories straight ahead, including more on the pope's condition.

SANCHEZ: Also, more information on the Texas family murder we've been telling you about. You are going to be able to hear what the suspect's wife has to say in this case now.

KAGAN: Plus, he's just 5 months old and his life is on the line. It's a mother's fight coming up.

SANCHEZ: Also later, what are you feeding your baby? The dangers found in breast milk. We're going to explore that issue for you. Stay with us. We're coming back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: As we told you a little earlier in the show, Pope John Paul II has had a relapse. He's been returned to the hospital. And earlier, we broke this down from a medical perspective; we brought you the details of the story. Let's do an analysis now from the Vatican perspective.

And to do that, we're joined by our CNN Vatican analyst John Allen, who is with the "National Catholic" magazine. He's a reporter. He's joining us live from New York.

Thanks so much for being with us John, again. The question here I guess is the effect it's having on Catholics in the Vatican, given that it's the second time we've seen the pope go back there.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Rick, I'm afraid I'm not able to hear you. So I'm afraid I didn't get that question.

SANCHEZ: Can you hear me now? Can you hear me at all now? I guess not. All right. John, sorry about that. You know what? We'll try and hook up with you in just a little minute. We're going to take a quick break and we'll try and get back into this story.

Stay with us. You're watching CNN LIVE.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're getting close to the half hour. Good morning once again, I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: We're going to try and figure out some of the problems we've been having making contact with John Allen. We'll do that in just a bit.

But first, here's the news. KAGAN: Pope John Paul II remains in a hospital this hour. Vatican officials say the pontiff has a fever and is having trouble breathing, after suffering a relapse of the flu. It is the second time this month the frail 84-year-old pope has been hospitalized.

A Syrian government official says his country is willing to cooperate with the U.N. on withdrawing its troops from Lebanon. But he adds Lebanon must be ready to fill the vacuum in a way that would not disturb either country's security.

After speaking to a crowd in Slovakia, President Bush is huddling this hour with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit there. On the table: Iran, democracy in Russian, nuclear terrorism and atomic weapons arsenals. The two will answer reporters' questions at a news conference this morning. It is expected one hour from now. CNN will carry it live.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean heads into red territory. He's spending two days -- well, looks like got the wrong video up there. He is spending two days in Kansas, a Republican state since 1964. Democrats there are thrilled. Tickets for tomorrow night's appearance in Lawrence, Kansas sold out in about 2 1/2 hours.

SANCHEZ: And with fingers crossed, we try to hook up once again with CNN's Vatican analyst John Allen, who is good enough to join us.

John, first of all, you can hear me?

ALLEN: I can, Rick. Thanks.

SANCHEZ: I'm glad we got that figured out. Thanks for hanging out with us.

Are you more worried now that the pope has had to go back to the hospital? What concerns does this raise?

ALLEN: Sure. I think it's always alarming. And particularly when there was wide belief in the Vatican that the pope had more or less made a full and complete recovery from the flu and the breathing difficulties, that took him to Gemelli on February 1.

Now, I did speak to a Vatican official about one hour ago who told me that they had been advised by the pope's medical team that with elderly people suffering from Parkinson's, in about 70 percent of cases when somebody gets the flu, there is a relapse. So this is not a complete surprise.

But nevertheless, given his age, given his medical history, I mean obviously, he is in a zone of risk and have you to be concerned.

SANCHEZ: I guess the concern, and probably the one that they expressed to you, is that he could have some kind of problem or difficulty breathing, which they wouldn't be able to care for there at the Vatican, but at Gemelli Hospital, they would be able to, because they've got the right equipment and people, right? ALLEN: That's exactly right. But as you know, at the Gemelli, the 10th floor of the hospital, which is the top floor, is permanently set aside for the pope's use. And obviously it's full of state-of- the-art equipment, including a respirator under that.

And so, obviously, the doctors in this case decided that they wanted him to be next to that equipment should he experience some kind of emergency. But I do think the huge note of caution we have to strike here is that this is the pope's 10th hospitalization. And with the previous nine, he's come through all of them and been able to return to work. And there's no particular reason not to think in this case it will happen that way again.

SANCHEZ: Yes, but, John, the effect that it has on Catholics all over the world, after a while when you start to see this pattern of the pope going back and forth, back and forth into the hospital, one does begin to wonder if maybe he is really fulfilling his mission as the pontiff?

ALLEN: Yes. And of course, Rick, it comes down to the question of, how do you define that mission? If you see the pope largely as a political leader or corporate CEO, then obviously as his time on task and his efficiency begins to go down, then it does raise questions about whether he ought to continue.

On the other hand, other Catholics would argue that the pope is fundamentally the father of the spiritual family that Catholicism understands itself to be. And in that sense, even when he's suffering and not able to do anything in a literal sense that he still continues to fulfill that role, and I think that debate within the Catholic world about whether the pope ought to stay or go and why is going to be with us, and certainly will accelerate as his health continues to decline.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and as we see more cases of him being returned there to the hospital.

John Allen, our Vatican analyst, good enough to share some of his thoughts with us. We thank you, John.

ALLEN: You bet, Rick.

KAGAN: A detention hearing has been postponed until Tuesday for the young Saudi-American accused of plotting to assassinate President Bush.

Government papers filed yesterday with the court labeled Ahmed Omar Abu Ali a grave danger and a flight risk. That is a far cry from the image that's being presented by family and friends.

CNN Justice Department correspondent Kelli Arena has our report in today's "Security Watch."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ahmed Abu Ali spent most of his life in northern Virginia and was just 19 years old when he left home to study in Medina, Saudi Arabia, in 2000. His sister says he was on a religious quest.

TASNEEM OMAR ABU ALI, SISTER: Mecca and Medina are the two holiest cities for us. Ahmed went there to study. He was a student on a full scholarship. And he was a very spiritual person, and a very good person.

ARENA: The siblings were raised in a community with a large Muslim population. Abu Ali attended school at Islamic Saudi Academy, where he graduated valedictorian. He started to study engineering at the University of Maryland, but changed his mind.

His father, originally from Jordan, works for the Saudi embassy. His mother is a pharmacist.

Abu Ali returned to Virginia from Saudi Arabia in August of 2000. He was known to attend his family mosque five times a day. The imam there says he did not notice any change in him.

IMAM JOHARI ABDUL-MALIK, DAR AL-HIJRAH ISLAMIC CENTER: Well, I saw consistent development. I didn't see anything inconsistent either before or after he was in Saudi Arabia.

ARENA: Abu Ali was in the United States during the September 11 attacks. He spoke about them with a close family friend, Shaker el- Sayeed.

SHAKER EL-SAYEED, FAMILY FRIEND: Uncle, the only way to change the world to any better place, if there is a chance, is through education. We have to learn our religion, and we have to teach it and apply it in our life.

ARENA (on camera): Still, according to the government, immediately upon his return to Saudi Arabia in September of 2002, he told his former roommate that he wanted to join al Qaeda.

(voice-over): About the same time, el-Sayeed, who has known Abu Ali since he was born, went to visit him.

EL-SAYEED: He was also a person who was about, you know, serious about his life. He wants a future in which he would do something good for people around him.

ARENA: The indictment lists some of the things found at Abu Ali's home in Virginia, a document on conducting surveillance, another praising the September 11 attacks, audiotapes promoting violent jihad, and a book written by al Qaeda's number two, Ayman al Zawahiri.

EL-SAYEED: If we are going to try people for having books at their home, we better try people who incite violence publicly in books that they wrote.

ARENA: His parents say they trust the truth will eventually come out, pitting a life story against the bare bones of an indictment. Many supporters say even if he is convicted, they will never believe what they say are trumped-up charges.

Kelli Arena, CNN, America Bureau, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

SANCHEZ: I want to share with you now some of the other stories making news from coast to coast.

KAGAN: The wife of a man charged with murdering his pregnant ex- girlfriend and a little boy reportedly said it's impossible he committed the crime. Trish Barbee tells Dallas and Fort Worth newspapers that her husband, Stephen Barbee, is the sweetest thing in the world. Police say Stephen Barbee confessed to suffocating Lisa Underwood and her 7-year-old son.

SANCHEZ: In Sacramento, a 30-year-old teaching intern is on paid leave from the school system, this after allegedly being caught is having sex with a teenage student. Police say they found the couple in a car parked behind an elementary school. The woman's toddler was also in the car at the time.

KAGAN: And in the ongoing saga over the state of Terri Schiavo, her feeding tube is set to be removed at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, unless there are more legal interventions. An order to remove the tube yesterday was delayed 48 hours to give the courts more time to review a flurry of motions and appeals. Schiavo has been kept alive by mechanical means since suffering severe brain damage 15 years ago.

SANCHEZ: And we take you to Texas. There the life of a 5-month- old baby on life support is on the line. The baby is slowly suffocating, and doctors say they can't do much about it. They say it's inhumane to prolong the life with machines.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim has more from Houston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His name is Sun Hudson, and a machine keeps him alive. When he was born five months ago Sun Hudson was diagnosed with thenatophoric displasea (ph), a skeletal disorder that prevents his lungs from maturing. Since birth he's been on life support. Connected to feeding tubes and a respirator at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, William Winslade, a bioethicist, has followed the case and explained the prevailing medical opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eventually, even with life support, the baby will die.

OPPENHEIM: The baby's condition led Texas Children's Hospital to convene a panel of specialists in neonatal care and medical ethics, a team that concluded it would be wrong to keep Sun Hudson on life support. Hospital officials would not speak on camera. But in a statement said, "Sun is currently heavily sedated, although he is capable of feeling discomfort and pain. We are deeply saddened that no treatment can save this child."

WILLIAM WINSLADE, MEDICAL ETHICIST: Normally once the parents or the patients understand the circumstances, they will come to an agreement with the hospital about what to do.

OPPENHEIM: Wanda Hudson, the single mother of Sun, has not come to any such agreement.

WANDA HUDSON, MOTHER: We all have a right to continue living. Just because something is so small, it doesn't mean that it can't speak and it doesn't have a voice.

OPPENHEIM: Wanda Hudson believes all her son needs is more time, more time he can only get on life support.

(on camera): So you believe that your child will grow and eventually be healthy?

HUDSON: Yes, I saw the vision.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Her vision is that the sun is her creator, and created the baby boy that she then named after it. While her beliefs are unusual, some, even her parents say, delusional, her attorney, Mario Caballero, says what matters in the court of law is Wanda's desire to get treatment for her baby.

MARIO CABALLERO, MOTHER'S ATTY.: Deep down, putting aside philosophy, she has an instinct as a mother for her child to live. Many parents would feel that if their child was in the same medical condition that Sun is in that they would want their child to live and continue to get medical treatment.

OPPENHEIM: What's driving this case is a conflict between different laws here in Texas.

(on camera): On the one hand, by law, Texas patients can request life support, even if the condition is terminal or irreversible. On the other, Texas has established a process by which a hospital can refuse to respect a family's wishes if treatment is futile. Texas Children's officials say they contacted 40 other hospitals, but none would take the case, all agreeing no treatment could save Sun Hudson.

(voice-over): Just last week, a judge, acting under the latter law, lifted restrictions Texas Children's, giving the hospital the authority to decide whether to continue treatment for Sun Hudson. But a stay from the Texas court of appeals has kept the case, and the infant, alive.

While his mother and the hospital that is caring for him agonize over what is the right thing to do, Sun Hudson remains connected to life support.

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Houston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Interesting story. More stories about babies just ahead. Two things you wouldn't usually put together, rocket fuel and breast milk. The two have more in common than you think.

SANCHEZ: And it could be affecting mothers and their babies. And we're going to put these two together and give you an explanation, when we come back.

KAGAN: Plus, health care costs are expecting to soar over the next decade. The bottom dollar coming up next in business news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: A story we did yesterday really needed a lot more explanation. It's a concern for nursing mothers. A new study finds an ingredient found in rocket fuel is turning up in breast milk.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and you ask how is it possible? Well, is it still possible that it could be in any way healthy or unhealthy for your baby? That's today's "Daily Dose. " And we're going to break it down for you when CNN LIVE returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In today's "Daily Dose," a frightening appearance of a toxic substance in breast milk. CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains what it is, where it comes from and how much of a risk it is to newborns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Rockets are probably the last thing that come to mind when you think of breast feeding. But new research finds that perchlorate, a toxic part of rocket fuel, is found in breast milk at potentially damaging levels. Turns out people are exposed through runoff water in irrigation of crops. Perchlorate can make it into tap water and growing fruit and vegetables irrigated by contaminated water.

Now a new study by researchers at Texas Tech University looked at 36 women in 18 states. Levels five to eight times higher than those considered safe by the EPA were found in those mothers' breast milk. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing the paper.

RICHARD WILES, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: It's without question that the majority of infants will exceed what EPA considers a safe dose.

GUPTA: Nursing mothers eat perchlorate contaminated foods and pass it through breast milk to their nursing children. Higher levels can affect the thyroid gland and negatively impact brain development. WILES: What you need is a high exposure for a relatively short period of time that can affect brain development and produce I.Q. deficits and in worst cases, even mental retardation.

GUPTA: That's a serious price for nursing babies and their mothers, and it's spurring strong reaction.

SANDRA STEINGRABER, MOTHER & BIOLOGIST: I think that most women see their relationship between their nursing infant and themselves as a one of a kind of sacred communion.

GUPTA: At home there is no real way to control perchlorate levels. You can't wash it off your produce. You can't filter is out of your water with traditional systems, and there are no commercial tests. For now, women like Steingraber are still focusing on the bigger picture.

STEINGRABER: In my mind the answer to this is not to take babies back to formula, which is an inferior food for babies, but rather to get the chemicals out of the environment in the first place and out of women's breasts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Medical experts say the harmful effects of perchloarate can be offset by getting more iodine into the diet. As always, check with your physician or your pediatrician first.

SANCHEZ: And also in health news on this day, the federal government is getting proactive about the bird flu. The disease is already a problem in Asian poultry stocks. And there's some genuine concern that it will spread to the U.S. poultry industry, or even to people. The U.S. has stockpiled about two million dose of vaccines and antiviral drugs. It is preparing to test them to see if they maintain their potency in storage.

Global health officials fear that if unchecked, this virus may mutate into a form that could be passed from one person to another. To get your daily dose of health news online, all you got to do is log on to our Web site, find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on both diet and fitness. The address, CNN.com/health.

KAGAN: 10:51 right now on the East Coast, 7:51 on the West Coast. Stay with us. We're back in a moment with a quick check of your morning forecast.

Also...

SANCHEZ: The Oscars always generating a buzz, as you well know, since you're always invited, big star that you are. Big buzzword is diversity this year, how is it actually making an impact on the star- studded event. We'll tell you all about this when CNN LIVE continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Diversity is the buzzword in Hollywood, and the gold rush at this year's annual Academy Awards.

CNN's Sibila Vargas explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILIA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like the character he plays in "Ray," Jamie Foxx has made history in the world of entertainment.

At this year's Academy Award nominations, Foxx heard his name twice, once for the lead role in "Ray," and again for a supporting role in "Collateral," an unprecedented feat for a black actor.

VARGAS: But the story of diversity at these Oscars doesn't end here. For the first time ever, people of color were nominated in every acting category, including Colombian actress Catalina Sandino Moreno.

CATALINA SANDINO MORENO, BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE: It's wonderful. People just like good stories and good acting. And I think people are changing.

JAMIE FOXX, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE: It's fabulous, it lets you know that things are moving.

VARGAS: In the Awards' 77 year history, black actors account for just over three percent of nominees. This year, they're 25 percent, a far cry from 1996, when a complete lack of black acting nominees spurred Jesse Jackson and others to protest the awards.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, PROTESTED OSCARS IN 1996: There is no wrong time to march against injustice.

VARGAS: Nine years later, the nominations also include Supporting Actress Sophie Okonedo from "Hotel Rwanda."

(on camera): Do you feel there's a great movement for diversity?

SOPHIE OKONEDO, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINEE: I feel that maybe if this film had come out ten years ago, maybe it wouldn't have gotten to the Oscars. There's -- I do think there is a move towards that.

VARGAS (voice-over): This year the move was fueled by "Hotel Rwanda" and "Ray," two Oscar caliber biopics, which showcased a broad array of black performers.

FOXX: Everybody got a chance to see these guys put it down and so now we've got a chance. There are a lot of scripts out there that we're going ask Taylor Hackford to help us out with.

VARGAS: "Ray" director Taylor Hackford and others will have the opportunity to bring more roles for all people of color to the big screen, and Jamie Foxx is convinced they will.

FOXX: But I know the cast that you see right here, this is not the end of it.

I'm going to make it do what it do, baby. Yes.

VARGAS: Sibila Vargas, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And we invite you to tune in this Sunday night for Hollywood's gold rush. The live show that airs before the Oscars. It will be hosted this year by Sibilia Vargas and Karyn Bryant.

(WEATHER REPORT)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com