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CNN Live Today

Pope Recovers From Tracheal Surgery; Bush, Putin Find Common Ground

Aired February 25, 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: Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
The Vatican says Pope John Paul II is breathing on his own this morning without help from a ventilator. However, his spokesman says for the next two days the pontiff will be unable to speak because of tracheotomy surgery. We have a live update from Rome coming up in one minute.

Snowplows are rolling and salt trucks are out, as the northeast battles the late winter lashing. Meteorologist Orelon Sidney joins us shortly with a look at where that storm is headed and how long it is expected to last.

Heavy fog is hampering the search for a missing 9-year-old girl in Homosassa, Florida. Jessica Marie Lunsford was last seen when her grandparents put her to bed on Wednesday night. The father said he discovered she was gone when he came home early this morning. About an hour ago, her family made an impassioned plea for information.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, FATHER: I really need as much help as I can get right now. I just want my daughter home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And two boys are the focus of a search on Grayton Mountain in Ray County, Tennessee. Two boys aged 7 and 8 have been missing since yesterday afternoon. A highway patrol helicopter, outfitted with infrared camera, is assisting emergency crews in the area.

SANCHEZ: I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: Good morning, everyone. I'm Daryn Kagan.

Catholics worldwide are praying for Pope John Paul II.

SANCHEZ: Yes. The pope is breathing on his own after being taken off a respirator, although he still has a tracheal tube in his throat to just to be able to breathe.

Joining us now from Rome is CNN's Matthew Chance.

Matthew, what are we learning this morning from Vatican officials?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, as a frail Pope John Paul II rests in his hospital bed, after undergoing surgery to try to get him to breathe more easily, Vatican officials have been moving to try and allay some of the public concerns about the welfare, the health of the ailing pontiff.

A medical bulletin released by Vatican officials earlier today dispelling rumors that the pope had needed a respirator to breathe. It is said that the pope is now breathing of his own accord without any assistance at all. And has been, in fact, throughout this medical crisis.

The bulletin also ruled out the possibility that the pope had been infected with pneumonia. So that's very good news as well. It also said that doctors had advised the pope not to attempt to speak. To ease the pressure on his larynx. Obviously, it would be very difficult for him to speak anyway because he has had a tracheotomy. A tube has been inserted in his throat. But doctors again are saying that he shouldn't even try and speak, to try and give that larynx an opportunity to heal.

Nevertheless, it's the things the Vatican is not saying at this stage that's causing most concern. For instance, it is not yet clear how long the pope will have to remain inside this, the Gemelli Hospital, in northern Rome. It's an important Christian seasonal period coming up at the end of March. The Easter season celebrations over which the pope would be expected to preside. And it's not altogether clear at this stage he'll be anywhere fit enough for that. And so there's still a great concern over his condition.

Church leaders are still calling on the public in general. Particularly the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, though, to pray for the speedy recovery of the man who is essentially led the Roman Catholic Church for the past 26 years -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Oh, we know he'll still going to have that tracheal tube. Like you said, he can't speak. So one wonders, for example, on Sunday will he be able to give the blessing? Will he be able to communicate in some way with some other Vatican officials? What do we know about this?

CHANCE: Well, we don't know a great deal. The Vatican hasn't been giving us any specific information about what they plan to do with the pope. I think they'll be monitoring the medical situation obviously to see whether he's fit enough to make any kind of appearance perhaps here at the Gemelli Hospital on Sunday.

But certainly the fact that he has this tracheotomy; that it's making it very difficult if not impossible for him to communicate verbally. That may have profound implications on not just his ability to run the church and the way that he's run it, on his papacy in general. This is a pope who has, for the past 26 years, used his voice very much in the media, to travel the world, to communicate the message -- his message, his version of Roman Catholic teachings around the world. He's done that very effectively with his voice. It seems that even if he does make a recovery in this, the papacy will not be the same with a pope who is not able to communicate as effectively -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Matthew Chance following that story for us from Rome.

Thank you, Matthew.

KAGAN: Now we're going to talk about the specifics of a tracheotomy and the challenges facing the pope and his recovery.

Joining us from New York is medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

Good morning.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Good morning, Daryn. Daryn, the pope has been through a lot in the past 24 hours. It is yet another health hurdle that he has had to face in his lifetime. Just to recap, he had the flu 10 days ago. He was discharged. The Vatican said that he was doing better, and then he was put back in the hospital and had a tracheotomy.

Let's talk a little bit about what a tracheotomy is and why people have them. A tracheotomy actually is quite mechanical and really pretty simple. A tube, which you'll see flying in here, this white tube here is put through the neck. An incision is made and it connects directly-to-the windpipe. In that way, air can go directly into the windpipe; it doesn't have to be breathed in through the mouth.

Now, one of the reasons you would do this is if there's some kind of obstruction above that where it is put into the windpipe, some kind of obstruction that's not allowing oxygen to get in.

And at the press conference that the Vatican had earlier this morning, they talked about how he had something called laryngeal stenosis. And what that means is stenosis of the larynx. Stenosis is a medical term for narrowing. And the narrowing of this stenosis can make it difficult for people to breathe.

Why he has laryngeal stenosis is not known. They didn't explain that. It can happen for several reasons. People who have had a trach tube in for a long time can get laryngeal stenosis. People who have some kind of an infection in that area can get laryngeal stenosis. But they really didn't talk much about why that happened.

They did mention that he is not allowed to speak, as we heard earlier from Matthew Chance. But he is able to eat. They said he had a cafe latte, yogurt and 10 small biscuits -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Elizabeth Cohen live from New York, thank you.

SANCHEZ: And we should also tell you special Masses for Pope John Paul II are being held around the world. In fact, we have some live pictures we can show you. This is from services this morning at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. Cardinal Edward Eagan is celebrating Mass there. Also in John Paul's native Poland, we've been told that Catholics are sending special prayers in droves.

In fact, one woman said -- we'll read you this one. "I am praying for him so hard, as hard as he is praying for us."

KAGAN: Returning from his trip to Europe, President Bush issued a statement about the pope. He said, quote, "On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I send our heartfelt best wishes to Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father is in our thoughts and prayers. And we wish him a speedy recovery and return to the service of his church and all humanity."

You can follow Pope John Paul II's recovery on our website. We also have more details about the tracheotomy procedure and a pictorial history of the man who is pontiff. Visit us at cnn.com.

SANCHEZ: There's another big story we'll follow throughout the day. President Bush back home after his five-day European trip. Mr. Bush arrived at Andrews Air Base last night. Because of the snow and the howling winds, the president had to take a motorcade, rather than the usual helicopter ride to the White House.

The climax of Mr. Bush's tour was his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here is now CNN's John King wrapping things up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The post meeting news conference turned into a spirited seminar on democracy and trust. Russia's Putin forcefully rebutting those who say he has turned away from reform and rule of law.

VLADIMR PUTIN, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA (through translator): This is our final choice and we have no way back. Any kind of turn towards totalitarianism for Russia would be impossible, due to the condition of the Russian society.

KING: Mr. Putin said his critics do not understand him, Russian culture, or his country's difficult and continuing transition from the days of the Soviet Union.

PUTIN (through translator): The implementation of the principles and norms democracy should not be accompanied by the collapse of the state and the impoverishment of the people.

King President Bush said he raised a number of concerns in private, including, aides say Kremlin media restrictions, and prosecutions of Putin critics the White House says undermine confidence in Russia's political and investment climates.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think Vladimir heard me loud and clear. And he explained why he made decisions he made. KING: Mr. Bush entered the meeting, held at a scenic hillside castle in Slovakia, under pressure from some conservatives back home to take a tougher line with the man he calls "friend" and "Vladimir." But the president stood by his first impression four years ago, when he spoke of peering into Mr. Putin's soul and finding him trustworthy.

BUSH: Sometimes in politics yes means maybe, and no means if. This is the kind of fellow who when he says yes he means yes. And when he says no he means no.

KING: Both governments cited new agreements as proof of a friendship that can be productive even at times of tension. The commitments were designed to reinvigorate cooperation on several fronts, including: dismantling and securing Russian nuclear materials, improving security at nuclear facilities, preventing illicit sales of shoulder fire missiles and exploring sales of more Russian oil and natural gas to the United States.

And while the two leaders have tactical differences, both said it is critical that Iran and North Korea agree to foreswear nuclear weapons.

(on camera): This was the 14-face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. And they will see each other at least three more times this year. Providing ample opportunities to test those promises of cooperation and to continue their debate about democracy.

John King, Bratislava, Slovakia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, a dispute that didn't go one man's way turns in to a deadly shooting rampage. A local camera crew catches it all on tape as people scramble for safety inside a Texas courthouse.

SANCHEZ: Also, some forceful raids in the middle of the night to try and bring some fugitives. And CNN's cameras are there to capture it for you.

KAGAN: And we have a treat coming up later. They are from Spain, Russia and Africa. And they've got twist and tricks that you won't find anywhere else.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Wouldn't you say this is lively to look at?

KAGAN: It is.

SANCHEZ: Wouldn't you also say preferably from a distance?

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: From the warm inside of our studios. SANCHEZ: Yes, exactly. Much of the northeast is digging out from under a thick blanket of snow. There you see it. We mentioned it earlier about the president not being able to take his helicopter last night, when he got back from his trip to Asia and Europe.

Stubborn winter storm piled up in parts of Maryland, all the way up to New England. These pictures, they were taken last night. They're from Connecticut. The heavy snowfall caused an airport delay, also lots of traffic jams in Washington. The federal government was forced to close early.

KAGAN: Road crews are still trying to remove that big boulder. Remember, we've been showing it to you in Malibu? It has helped keep the Pacific Coast Highway closed for several days. Well, a private contractor is now using a large jackhammer on a crane to break off the top boulder, and then loose the ground behind it. They're trying to make the giant rock roll in a controlled manner. One plan so to inject a gel that will cause the rock to disintegrate from the inside out.

SANCHEZ: That works on my hair.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: They need to use some of that fancy product.

SANCHEZ: You know what's amazing when you think of that story? The whole idea is that they're afraid the rock is going to fall. But now they've done everything possible to make it fall and it won't budge.

KAGAN: Right. But they want it to fall on their terms.

SANCHEZ: Exactly.

KAGAN: Exactly.

SANCHEZ: Maybe it was safe to begin with and it wasn't going to go for 100 years.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: Caught on tape. A Texas courthouse is witness to a shooting gallery. Some dramatic video here.

KAGAN: Wow

SANCHEZ: We're going to tell you and let you actually hear for yourself, as the gunshots ring out and people start running.

KAGAN: Ooh!

And Gerri Willis has insight on living well by renting?

(LAUGHTER)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Right!

SANCHEZ: And she comes with -- look at this. What do you got?

WILLIS: We've got handbags here but they're expensive. We'll show you why you might want to rent them when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: This story is for all those people who just can't seem to be able to commit. Can't commit to buying, that is. You would be surprised the stuff that you can rent nowadays. You know the whole story, try before you buy thing?

Well, here's CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis. She's going to help us in this regard. And she's even bringing along some props a little bit later. She may have shown them already.

Gerri, let's start with vacation homes? Can you deal with that?

WILLIS: I can deal with that. You definitely want to try out that getaway before you buy. Imagine this, you love a place. Maybe it is Cape Cod, it's maybe Miami; you really think you want a second home there. But you're not going to really know what it's like to live there, to spend extended time unless you rent for a number of months. Get a real sense of it. So you know like if you've got services in the area, if you've got garbage pickup when you want it. Just the basics you want to test-drive first.

SANCHEZ: That's a good idea. You know what I like? Sports gear. Because man, if you buy a set of golf clubs these days, sets you back a little bit. And what if you don't like them, for example?

WILLIS: Well, that stuff is really expensive, whether you're skiing or golfing, you can spend a ton buying the equipment you need. Here's an idea. Make sure you check out the equipment before you buy it. Go to one of the demo days that's offered by some of the manufacturers, like K2 Skis, if you're a golfer, Taylor-Made, Calloway. They all offer these demo days. They'll let you test drive; try on that equipment before you actually use it.

And if you're a golfer, here is a great idea. Gear To Go is a website that will actually let you try golf clubs out for a period of time. And they bring them to you.

SANCHEZ: You know, there's something that -- this works. I was reading your material, as I was getting ready to do this interview. And I saw this next one coming up. Pets.

KAGAN: You can rent some pets?

SANCHEZ: Yes. It seems like a wonderful idea, doesn't it?

KAGAN: No.

(LAUGHTER) SANCHEZ: Because you've got to match the animal to your needs and to your family, right?

WILLIS: Well, you know, a lot of people have never had a pet before. And if you haven't, you don't really know what it takes to take care of one. So it may make sense to rent a pet. There's actually a St. Louis shelter that will let you rent a dog and it's called Stray Rescue. You can rent your dog. See if it works for you.

And then there's this other wonderful website I got to tell you about it, netpets.org. You actually take over a pet for somebody in the military who can't take care of them themselves. So this gives you an idea of what it's like. It is especially great for kids because they're always very ambitious about what they can do, right?

SANCHEZ: Yes. You can also change, is suppose, right? I mean if you get a little one and you decide you know what? We're not a little dog family.

WILLIS: That's right.

SANCHEZ: We're a big dog family. We're a backyard dog, as opposed to an inside dog. So I mean you got to mix and match things, I suppose. Although boy, it would be really tough to tell the kids you know what? This hasn't worked out. We're taking the dog back?

WILLIS: Yes, that's a practical problem, Rick. I agree.

SANCHEZ: Been there. Man, I'll tell you it makes you the enemy.

Let's talk about something else. The bling I think is what we often refer to. Can you actually -- can you rent jewelry?

WILLIS: Yes, baby. You can definitely rent jewelry or you can borrow it. Even better. Let's not rent it.

Let's say that have you a relationship with family jeweler in town and you are going to some fabulous event, like the Oscars this weekend, right? And you need something really wonderful. If you have that relationship with the jeweler, you can actually borrow the jewelry without paying anything.

SANCHEZ: Hmm.

WILLIS: Here is the rub, though, Rick. You'll probably have to buy an insurance policy. You could pay, say, $178 a year to insure a pretty expensive piece of jewelry if you're going to use it on and off. You do want to have a backup system. You don't want to just borrow it without any insurance at all.

SANCHEZ: Yes and you better give them some business somewhere along the line, because they're not in the business of just letting people use it.

WILLIS: You bet. It is all about the relationship.

SANCHEZ: Right.

Finally, this one we can break up a little bit. You know, for Daryn, for example, bags. For me, tools, right? Other things that you can get.

WILLIS: That's right. You might want to check out the American Rental Association to find out places that you can rent things that might help you around the house if you want to keep up with the Joneses.

Let's say you want a wallpaper steamer. You don't want to buy one of those because you're only going to use it once or twice, right? You can pick one up for $25 a day. It's a great idea. You don't want to buy it.

However, if you have a handbag issue and you spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars every year on handbags, like this fabulous Stuny & Burk bag, hundreds of dollars. This is a J. Lo bag. I'm telling you, people out there spend a lot of money for handbags. You can actually rent handbags at a website called bagborroworsteal. Pay 20 bucks, pay 50 bucks a month and you get one of these babies.

What do you think of this -- Daryn?

SANCHEZ: Well, you know how many power drills I could buy with just one of those bags?

KAGAN: You can put the power drill in the bag.

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIS: Yes, there you go. And it's a two-for for you.

KAGAN: There you go.

SANCHEZ: They'll be talking about me again.

Hey, Gerri, that was great. We appreciate it.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

SANCHEZ: All the great stuff you can rent. Wow, great segment.

KAGAN: I thought Gerri was about to say you can rent your wallpaper.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: I said now, that's going too far.

SANCHEZ: Especially the tougher you try to pick it off?

KAGAN: Exactly, and give it back.

We have a lot more news ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY. A shooting rampage at a Texas courthouse and it is all caught on tape. We're going to show it to you when we come back.

SANCHEZ: What's it like to try and hunt down fugitives?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you don't come out, we're taking it down! We're taking it down!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's it!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: You hear that? That's part of the action. Federal marshals use surprise, and in some cases, brute force, not to mention sledgehammers, to do their deeds. And we follow along.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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


Aired February 25, 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: Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
The Vatican says Pope John Paul II is breathing on his own this morning without help from a ventilator. However, his spokesman says for the next two days the pontiff will be unable to speak because of tracheotomy surgery. We have a live update from Rome coming up in one minute.

Snowplows are rolling and salt trucks are out, as the northeast battles the late winter lashing. Meteorologist Orelon Sidney joins us shortly with a look at where that storm is headed and how long it is expected to last.

Heavy fog is hampering the search for a missing 9-year-old girl in Homosassa, Florida. Jessica Marie Lunsford was last seen when her grandparents put her to bed on Wednesday night. The father said he discovered she was gone when he came home early this morning. About an hour ago, her family made an impassioned plea for information.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, FATHER: I really need as much help as I can get right now. I just want my daughter home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And two boys are the focus of a search on Grayton Mountain in Ray County, Tennessee. Two boys aged 7 and 8 have been missing since yesterday afternoon. A highway patrol helicopter, outfitted with infrared camera, is assisting emergency crews in the area.

SANCHEZ: I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: Good morning, everyone. I'm Daryn Kagan.

Catholics worldwide are praying for Pope John Paul II.

SANCHEZ: Yes. The pope is breathing on his own after being taken off a respirator, although he still has a tracheal tube in his throat to just to be able to breathe.

Joining us now from Rome is CNN's Matthew Chance.

Matthew, what are we learning this morning from Vatican officials?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, as a frail Pope John Paul II rests in his hospital bed, after undergoing surgery to try to get him to breathe more easily, Vatican officials have been moving to try and allay some of the public concerns about the welfare, the health of the ailing pontiff.

A medical bulletin released by Vatican officials earlier today dispelling rumors that the pope had needed a respirator to breathe. It is said that the pope is now breathing of his own accord without any assistance at all. And has been, in fact, throughout this medical crisis.

The bulletin also ruled out the possibility that the pope had been infected with pneumonia. So that's very good news as well. It also said that doctors had advised the pope not to attempt to speak. To ease the pressure on his larynx. Obviously, it would be very difficult for him to speak anyway because he has had a tracheotomy. A tube has been inserted in his throat. But doctors again are saying that he shouldn't even try and speak, to try and give that larynx an opportunity to heal.

Nevertheless, it's the things the Vatican is not saying at this stage that's causing most concern. For instance, it is not yet clear how long the pope will have to remain inside this, the Gemelli Hospital, in northern Rome. It's an important Christian seasonal period coming up at the end of March. The Easter season celebrations over which the pope would be expected to preside. And it's not altogether clear at this stage he'll be anywhere fit enough for that. And so there's still a great concern over his condition.

Church leaders are still calling on the public in general. Particularly the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, though, to pray for the speedy recovery of the man who is essentially led the Roman Catholic Church for the past 26 years -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Oh, we know he'll still going to have that tracheal tube. Like you said, he can't speak. So one wonders, for example, on Sunday will he be able to give the blessing? Will he be able to communicate in some way with some other Vatican officials? What do we know about this?

CHANCE: Well, we don't know a great deal. The Vatican hasn't been giving us any specific information about what they plan to do with the pope. I think they'll be monitoring the medical situation obviously to see whether he's fit enough to make any kind of appearance perhaps here at the Gemelli Hospital on Sunday.

But certainly the fact that he has this tracheotomy; that it's making it very difficult if not impossible for him to communicate verbally. That may have profound implications on not just his ability to run the church and the way that he's run it, on his papacy in general. This is a pope who has, for the past 26 years, used his voice very much in the media, to travel the world, to communicate the message -- his message, his version of Roman Catholic teachings around the world. He's done that very effectively with his voice. It seems that even if he does make a recovery in this, the papacy will not be the same with a pope who is not able to communicate as effectively -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Matthew Chance following that story for us from Rome.

Thank you, Matthew.

KAGAN: Now we're going to talk about the specifics of a tracheotomy and the challenges facing the pope and his recovery.

Joining us from New York is medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

Good morning.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Good morning, Daryn. Daryn, the pope has been through a lot in the past 24 hours. It is yet another health hurdle that he has had to face in his lifetime. Just to recap, he had the flu 10 days ago. He was discharged. The Vatican said that he was doing better, and then he was put back in the hospital and had a tracheotomy.

Let's talk a little bit about what a tracheotomy is and why people have them. A tracheotomy actually is quite mechanical and really pretty simple. A tube, which you'll see flying in here, this white tube here is put through the neck. An incision is made and it connects directly-to-the windpipe. In that way, air can go directly into the windpipe; it doesn't have to be breathed in through the mouth.

Now, one of the reasons you would do this is if there's some kind of obstruction above that where it is put into the windpipe, some kind of obstruction that's not allowing oxygen to get in.

And at the press conference that the Vatican had earlier this morning, they talked about how he had something called laryngeal stenosis. And what that means is stenosis of the larynx. Stenosis is a medical term for narrowing. And the narrowing of this stenosis can make it difficult for people to breathe.

Why he has laryngeal stenosis is not known. They didn't explain that. It can happen for several reasons. People who have had a trach tube in for a long time can get laryngeal stenosis. People who have some kind of an infection in that area can get laryngeal stenosis. But they really didn't talk much about why that happened.

They did mention that he is not allowed to speak, as we heard earlier from Matthew Chance. But he is able to eat. They said he had a cafe latte, yogurt and 10 small biscuits -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Elizabeth Cohen live from New York, thank you.

SANCHEZ: And we should also tell you special Masses for Pope John Paul II are being held around the world. In fact, we have some live pictures we can show you. This is from services this morning at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. Cardinal Edward Eagan is celebrating Mass there. Also in John Paul's native Poland, we've been told that Catholics are sending special prayers in droves.

In fact, one woman said -- we'll read you this one. "I am praying for him so hard, as hard as he is praying for us."

KAGAN: Returning from his trip to Europe, President Bush issued a statement about the pope. He said, quote, "On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I send our heartfelt best wishes to Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father is in our thoughts and prayers. And we wish him a speedy recovery and return to the service of his church and all humanity."

You can follow Pope John Paul II's recovery on our website. We also have more details about the tracheotomy procedure and a pictorial history of the man who is pontiff. Visit us at cnn.com.

SANCHEZ: There's another big story we'll follow throughout the day. President Bush back home after his five-day European trip. Mr. Bush arrived at Andrews Air Base last night. Because of the snow and the howling winds, the president had to take a motorcade, rather than the usual helicopter ride to the White House.

The climax of Mr. Bush's tour was his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here is now CNN's John King wrapping things up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The post meeting news conference turned into a spirited seminar on democracy and trust. Russia's Putin forcefully rebutting those who say he has turned away from reform and rule of law.

VLADIMR PUTIN, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA (through translator): This is our final choice and we have no way back. Any kind of turn towards totalitarianism for Russia would be impossible, due to the condition of the Russian society.

KING: Mr. Putin said his critics do not understand him, Russian culture, or his country's difficult and continuing transition from the days of the Soviet Union.

PUTIN (through translator): The implementation of the principles and norms democracy should not be accompanied by the collapse of the state and the impoverishment of the people.

King President Bush said he raised a number of concerns in private, including, aides say Kremlin media restrictions, and prosecutions of Putin critics the White House says undermine confidence in Russia's political and investment climates.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think Vladimir heard me loud and clear. And he explained why he made decisions he made. KING: Mr. Bush entered the meeting, held at a scenic hillside castle in Slovakia, under pressure from some conservatives back home to take a tougher line with the man he calls "friend" and "Vladimir." But the president stood by his first impression four years ago, when he spoke of peering into Mr. Putin's soul and finding him trustworthy.

BUSH: Sometimes in politics yes means maybe, and no means if. This is the kind of fellow who when he says yes he means yes. And when he says no he means no.

KING: Both governments cited new agreements as proof of a friendship that can be productive even at times of tension. The commitments were designed to reinvigorate cooperation on several fronts, including: dismantling and securing Russian nuclear materials, improving security at nuclear facilities, preventing illicit sales of shoulder fire missiles and exploring sales of more Russian oil and natural gas to the United States.

And while the two leaders have tactical differences, both said it is critical that Iran and North Korea agree to foreswear nuclear weapons.

(on camera): This was the 14-face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. And they will see each other at least three more times this year. Providing ample opportunities to test those promises of cooperation and to continue their debate about democracy.

John King, Bratislava, Slovakia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, a dispute that didn't go one man's way turns in to a deadly shooting rampage. A local camera crew catches it all on tape as people scramble for safety inside a Texas courthouse.

SANCHEZ: Also, some forceful raids in the middle of the night to try and bring some fugitives. And CNN's cameras are there to capture it for you.

KAGAN: And we have a treat coming up later. They are from Spain, Russia and Africa. And they've got twist and tricks that you won't find anywhere else.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Wouldn't you say this is lively to look at?

KAGAN: It is.

SANCHEZ: Wouldn't you also say preferably from a distance?

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: From the warm inside of our studios. SANCHEZ: Yes, exactly. Much of the northeast is digging out from under a thick blanket of snow. There you see it. We mentioned it earlier about the president not being able to take his helicopter last night, when he got back from his trip to Asia and Europe.

Stubborn winter storm piled up in parts of Maryland, all the way up to New England. These pictures, they were taken last night. They're from Connecticut. The heavy snowfall caused an airport delay, also lots of traffic jams in Washington. The federal government was forced to close early.

KAGAN: Road crews are still trying to remove that big boulder. Remember, we've been showing it to you in Malibu? It has helped keep the Pacific Coast Highway closed for several days. Well, a private contractor is now using a large jackhammer on a crane to break off the top boulder, and then loose the ground behind it. They're trying to make the giant rock roll in a controlled manner. One plan so to inject a gel that will cause the rock to disintegrate from the inside out.

SANCHEZ: That works on my hair.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: They need to use some of that fancy product.

SANCHEZ: You know what's amazing when you think of that story? The whole idea is that they're afraid the rock is going to fall. But now they've done everything possible to make it fall and it won't budge.

KAGAN: Right. But they want it to fall on their terms.

SANCHEZ: Exactly.

KAGAN: Exactly.

SANCHEZ: Maybe it was safe to begin with and it wasn't going to go for 100 years.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: Caught on tape. A Texas courthouse is witness to a shooting gallery. Some dramatic video here.

KAGAN: Wow

SANCHEZ: We're going to tell you and let you actually hear for yourself, as the gunshots ring out and people start running.

KAGAN: Ooh!

And Gerri Willis has insight on living well by renting?

(LAUGHTER)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Right!

SANCHEZ: And she comes with -- look at this. What do you got?

WILLIS: We've got handbags here but they're expensive. We'll show you why you might want to rent them when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: This story is for all those people who just can't seem to be able to commit. Can't commit to buying, that is. You would be surprised the stuff that you can rent nowadays. You know the whole story, try before you buy thing?

Well, here's CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis. She's going to help us in this regard. And she's even bringing along some props a little bit later. She may have shown them already.

Gerri, let's start with vacation homes? Can you deal with that?

WILLIS: I can deal with that. You definitely want to try out that getaway before you buy. Imagine this, you love a place. Maybe it is Cape Cod, it's maybe Miami; you really think you want a second home there. But you're not going to really know what it's like to live there, to spend extended time unless you rent for a number of months. Get a real sense of it. So you know like if you've got services in the area, if you've got garbage pickup when you want it. Just the basics you want to test-drive first.

SANCHEZ: That's a good idea. You know what I like? Sports gear. Because man, if you buy a set of golf clubs these days, sets you back a little bit. And what if you don't like them, for example?

WILLIS: Well, that stuff is really expensive, whether you're skiing or golfing, you can spend a ton buying the equipment you need. Here's an idea. Make sure you check out the equipment before you buy it. Go to one of the demo days that's offered by some of the manufacturers, like K2 Skis, if you're a golfer, Taylor-Made, Calloway. They all offer these demo days. They'll let you test drive; try on that equipment before you actually use it.

And if you're a golfer, here is a great idea. Gear To Go is a website that will actually let you try golf clubs out for a period of time. And they bring them to you.

SANCHEZ: You know, there's something that -- this works. I was reading your material, as I was getting ready to do this interview. And I saw this next one coming up. Pets.

KAGAN: You can rent some pets?

SANCHEZ: Yes. It seems like a wonderful idea, doesn't it?

KAGAN: No.

(LAUGHTER) SANCHEZ: Because you've got to match the animal to your needs and to your family, right?

WILLIS: Well, you know, a lot of people have never had a pet before. And if you haven't, you don't really know what it takes to take care of one. So it may make sense to rent a pet. There's actually a St. Louis shelter that will let you rent a dog and it's called Stray Rescue. You can rent your dog. See if it works for you.

And then there's this other wonderful website I got to tell you about it, netpets.org. You actually take over a pet for somebody in the military who can't take care of them themselves. So this gives you an idea of what it's like. It is especially great for kids because they're always very ambitious about what they can do, right?

SANCHEZ: Yes. You can also change, is suppose, right? I mean if you get a little one and you decide you know what? We're not a little dog family.

WILLIS: That's right.

SANCHEZ: We're a big dog family. We're a backyard dog, as opposed to an inside dog. So I mean you got to mix and match things, I suppose. Although boy, it would be really tough to tell the kids you know what? This hasn't worked out. We're taking the dog back?

WILLIS: Yes, that's a practical problem, Rick. I agree.

SANCHEZ: Been there. Man, I'll tell you it makes you the enemy.

Let's talk about something else. The bling I think is what we often refer to. Can you actually -- can you rent jewelry?

WILLIS: Yes, baby. You can definitely rent jewelry or you can borrow it. Even better. Let's not rent it.

Let's say that have you a relationship with family jeweler in town and you are going to some fabulous event, like the Oscars this weekend, right? And you need something really wonderful. If you have that relationship with the jeweler, you can actually borrow the jewelry without paying anything.

SANCHEZ: Hmm.

WILLIS: Here is the rub, though, Rick. You'll probably have to buy an insurance policy. You could pay, say, $178 a year to insure a pretty expensive piece of jewelry if you're going to use it on and off. You do want to have a backup system. You don't want to just borrow it without any insurance at all.

SANCHEZ: Yes and you better give them some business somewhere along the line, because they're not in the business of just letting people use it.

WILLIS: You bet. It is all about the relationship.

SANCHEZ: Right.

Finally, this one we can break up a little bit. You know, for Daryn, for example, bags. For me, tools, right? Other things that you can get.

WILLIS: That's right. You might want to check out the American Rental Association to find out places that you can rent things that might help you around the house if you want to keep up with the Joneses.

Let's say you want a wallpaper steamer. You don't want to buy one of those because you're only going to use it once or twice, right? You can pick one up for $25 a day. It's a great idea. You don't want to buy it.

However, if you have a handbag issue and you spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars every year on handbags, like this fabulous Stuny & Burk bag, hundreds of dollars. This is a J. Lo bag. I'm telling you, people out there spend a lot of money for handbags. You can actually rent handbags at a website called bagborroworsteal. Pay 20 bucks, pay 50 bucks a month and you get one of these babies.

What do you think of this -- Daryn?

SANCHEZ: Well, you know how many power drills I could buy with just one of those bags?

KAGAN: You can put the power drill in the bag.

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIS: Yes, there you go. And it's a two-for for you.

KAGAN: There you go.

SANCHEZ: They'll be talking about me again.

Hey, Gerri, that was great. We appreciate it.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

SANCHEZ: All the great stuff you can rent. Wow, great segment.

KAGAN: I thought Gerri was about to say you can rent your wallpaper.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: I said now, that's going too far.

SANCHEZ: Especially the tougher you try to pick it off?

KAGAN: Exactly, and give it back.

We have a lot more news ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY. A shooting rampage at a Texas courthouse and it is all caught on tape. We're going to show it to you when we come back.

SANCHEZ: What's it like to try and hunt down fugitives?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you don't come out, we're taking it down! We're taking it down!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's it!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: You hear that? That's part of the action. Federal marshals use surprise, and in some cases, brute force, not to mention sledgehammers, to do their deeds. And we follow along.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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