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American Morning
Ebersol Plane Crash; Iraq's Future; Medical Marijuana
Aired November 29, 2004 - 9:00 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A desperate search through a freezing night after an airplane crash in Colorado. A powerful name in television is spared. His son, though, is missing.
Also, medical marijuana.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGEL RAICH, MEDICAL MARIJUANA USER: I can't, because I would die. And I'm not willing to allow the federal government to execute me for simply being disabled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Will the Supreme Court settle the question of medical marijuana once and for all? The case goes to Washington today.
And is there something deep in the genetic makeup of women that makes a few of them cheat on their husbands? Tracking a cellular home-wrecker on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Bill is off today. Miles O'Brien is filling in for him.
Good morning. Nice to have you.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Traffic building up there as the shopping season begins, huh?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. A nightmare basically for anybody who is working here trying to get home.
M. O'BRIEN: Trying to get to and fro. All right. Good morning to you.
Some of the other stories we're looking at this morning, in a few minutes we'll get back to the important question of whether the Iraqi elections can be held as scheduled. Serious differences between ethnic groups in Iraq now could postpone the voting. Fawaz Gerges, who knows all about the nuances in Iraq, is with us this morning to talk about what might happen next.
S. O'BRIEN: Also this morning, on a much lighter note, Julia Roberts the proud mama of twins. She also picked some interesting -- meaning way strange -- names for her new babies. "90-Second Pop" is going to take a look at those names and talk a little bit about those new arrivals.
M. O'BRIEN: Phinnaeus and Hazel.
S. O'BRIEN: Good for her.
M. O'BRIEN: Some of your favorite names, right, Jack?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely.
Under what circumstances should marijuana be made legal? AM@CNN.com is "The Question of the Day." The Supreme Court to hear arguments about whether or not doctors ought to be able to prescribe the stuff.
S. O'BRIEN: You're taking those questions. First, though, let's get a check of the headlines with Heidi Collins.
Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. And good morning to you, everybody.
"Now in the News" this morning, two American solders have been killed in Iraq. Military officials say the troops were killed when a roadside bomb went off in northwestern Baghdad. Three others are said to be wounded in a separate attack.
At least six people were killed in a suicide car bombing near Ramadi. Iraqi health officials say at least eight others were wounded there.
Attempts still being made to resolve the weeklong political crises threatening to break up Ukraine. The high court there is considering an appeal for a new vote as opposition supporters take to the streets for an eighth day. But the decision is not expected today.
Turning now to some sports news. The white stuff isn't stopping the silver and black. Oakland Raiders' Kerry Collins threw for 339 yards and four touchdowns to carry the Raiders to a snowy upset yesterday against the Denver Broncos. Final score, 25-24.
Unbelievable. Maybe they could claim like blizzard conditions as a technical? You know?
M. O'BRIEN: They should never build another dome for the NFL.
COLLINS: I know.
M. O'BRIEN: When you see those games, they're great. They're great.
COLLINS: That's true. That's true.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks, Heidi.
Well, NBC sports president Dick Ebersol survived a plane crash in Colorado, but one of his sons still missing this morning. Ebersol and another son were taken to a hospital, along with a third person. That's according to reports.
At least two people were killed in that crash. The plane crashed on Sunday morning southwest of Denver in the town of Montrose. And that is where we find CNN's Sean Callebs this morning.
Good morning to you, Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Soledad.
The weather conditions yesterday at the time of the scheduled takeoff pretty similar to what we're seeing right now. Quite idyllic, snow is falling, a couple of inches on the ground. But without question, different circumstances yesterday.
We know that the 600 Challenger-type aircraft started at this end of the runway and went down. And apparently somewhere on the way down began to veer to the right a bit and then came back toward the center.
At that point it shot across a road, slammed into a ditch area. An eyewitness said that at that point he was able to go running up and looked inside, and the front of the cockpit simply smashed. At that point Dick Ebersol and his oldest son Charles apparently walking away from the accident in a state of shock. And he describes what he saw next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK DISTEL, EARLIER ON AMERICAN MORNING: The man from the airport at that time was yelling into the front of the airplane, trying to see if there was any other survivors in the airplane. We didn't hear any -- any voices in there, and the flames were starting to get larger and larger. I mean, quickly -- within seconds the thing burst into flames.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: Now, shortly after that, Chuck Distel, the eyewitness, took the pictures you're seeing now. You see the thick plume of smoke going up, and the flames begin to come up from the area where the fuselage was.
Soledad talked about it just a moment ago. One agonizing part of all this, Dick Ebersol's 14-year-old son, Edward, or Teddy, apparently the seat he was in was ripped from the airplane at the time of the crash. Investigators, rescue teams were out searching in the snow, searching in a ditch adjacent to the crash site, but they found no trace of the teenager.
The FAA and NTSB are scheduled to be on site very shortly, and they will resume the investigation, and also, presumably, the search for 14-year-old Teddy will also resume at that time. Dick Ebersol and his oldest son, who is a student at Notre Dame, have been taken to a hospital about 70 miles to the north in Grand Junction. Certainly an agonizing time for that family -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: No question about that. What horrible news for them. Our hearts really go out to them this morning. Thanks very much for that, Sean. Appreciate it.
Dick Ebersol, of course, a legendary figure in the TV industry. He's been on the cutting edge for more than three decades, both in entertainment, where he helped create the "Saturday Night Live" franchise, and in sports, where his name has become synonymous with the Olympics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): On Dick Ebersol's watch, NBC has become the network of the Olympics, locking up broadcast rights for the winter and summer games through 2012. A protege of Olympic innovator Roone Arledge, Ebersol has carried on the up close and personal tradition with the emphasis on telling stories rather than just giving results.
Before taking over as president of the sports division in 1989, Ebersol worked as an NBC entertainment executive. He was there for the launch of "Saturday Night Live," and briefly replaced Lorne Michaels as the show's executive producer in the early '80s. One of his lesser broadcast achievements, the ill-fated "XFL" in 2001.
Ebersol is married to actress Susan Saint James. According to NBC, she was not on board the plane.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Ebersol and his wife have three children. One was not on the flight -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Of course one of the issues that they investigate in the wake of any of these sorts of crashes was, of course, the weather. It was obviously very cold there. The possibility of icing looms in those situations.
Rob Marciano at the CNN Center -- Weather Center with more on that particular story, as well as the nation's weather.
Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Rob. Thanks.
With Iraq's elections just about two months away, Iraqis are split over whether it's a good idea. The Sunnis and Kurds are calling for a delay, but Shiite leaders want the vote as planned.
Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges joins us this morning to talk about why the three groups can't seem to agree.
Nice to see you. Thank you very much.
FAWAZ GERGES, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: Thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: Break it down for us. Essentially you have three groups, all with sort of different issues at stake.
What are the real issues behind each group? And let's begin with the Sunnis. Why do they want a delay?
GERGES: You have the Sunni Kurds and the Sunni Arabs. Each of the two communities represent about 20 percent of the population.
The Sunni Kurds have two major concerns, Soledad. They would like to preserve their autonomy which they enjoyed -- they have enjoyed since 1991. And they fear that the Shiites will translate their numerical majority -- the Shiites represent more than 60 percent of the population -- into a political tyranny.
S. O'BRIEN: How does a six-month delay help them, hold onto their piece of the pie, which is 20 percent in the face of another -- the majority with 60 percent?
GERGES: I don't think the delay itself is the question. I think what the Sunni Kurds and the Sunni Arabs would like to do is to define the rules of the games.
They believe that before going to the polls, what are the rules of the game? And, in fact -- and the second concern that the Kurds have is that they would like more time to consolidate their control over some of the disputed towns and cities in northern Iraq, such as the oil-rich Kirkuk. So it's not just about elections, also about settling some of the areas in the north so that they would have the majority in the elections.
S. O'BRIEN: When we hear about security at the polling places, is that sort of not a real concern? Or do you think that's also an issue that's a valid issue when people talk about their concerns?
GERGES: Well, I think the security issue is a valid issue. I mean, as you know, there are, I mean, whole cities, Ramadi, Falluja, Samarra, Baquba, and many areas extremely insecure. I mean, there's a war taking place in Iraq.
Today -- I mean, two American Marines were killed and three injured. Suicide bombings on a daily basis.
I don't think the security issue is the real issue, Soledad. Because, I mean, how do we know that in six or nine months the security situation will not be the same? In fact, it is likely to deteriorate further in the next few months.
I think the big issue on the table is the following: communities such as the Sunni Kurds and the Sunni Arabs would like to determine, define the rules of the games before going to the polls. They believe that the Shiites, being -- having 60 percent of the population, they basically would translate their numerical majority into a political tyranny, and as such that Iraq would be basically transformed from a Sunni dictatorship into a Shiite dictatorship.
S. O'BRIEN: What are the risks if the Sunnis do, in fact, decide that they're going to boycott and the elections go on as planned, as scheduled, so that they're even less represented than maybe they had originally feared they would be?
GERGES: Well, Soledad, this is really the question. The big question is that elections could either serve as a way to help Iraqis overcome their differences -- that is, the communities, all the three communities. Of course there are more communities than just the Shiites, the Sunni Kurds and the Sunni Arabs. Or elections could serve to plunge Iraq deeper into sectarian strife.
For example, if elections are to take place at the end of January, and if Sunni Arabs basically boycott the elections, as seems the case, then, of course, you'll have a Shiite-dominated order. And you'll have Sunnis who feel marginalized and disenfranchised, and then you might have a real civil war on your hands between not just, I mean, Sunni Arabs and the Shiites, but also the Kurds, as well.
S. O'BRIEN: If you had to guess -- and just give me a yes or no -- will these elections go off as planned on January 30?
GERGES: Of course. I mean, I think, Soledad, what you need to understand is that Iraq is deeply divided over the future of their country. And this is why it's essential to hold a conference of national reconciliation before holding the elections.
You want to bring in all Iraqi communities. There's no sacred day, no sacred cow (ph) about holding elections at the end of January.
S. O'BRIEN: Fawaz Gerges, nice to see you, as always. Thank you.
GERGES: My pleasure.
S. O'BRIEN: Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, maybe some people can't get help for their cheatin' heart. It could be genetic. Dr. Sanjay Gupta with an explanation.
Also, the fight over medical marijuana. Users may have their best chance yet of winning in the Supreme Court thanks to a new ally.
Plus, the fight over intelligence reform in Congress. Why is the president meeting so much resistance from his own party?
All that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: The legal debate over medical marijuana is headed for a Supreme Court showdown. This morning, the high court hears arguments in a case that may determine if patients in eleven states are violating federal drug laws. Chris Lawrence with our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Angel Raich is a wife, mother and patient. Just 39 years old, and sick from head to toe...
RAICH: I have an inoperable brain tumor.
LAWRENCE: ... along with a joint disease that causes spasms and seizures.
RAICH: Nausea, severe chronic pain. I really am unfortunately riddled with illness.
LAWRENCE: Raich lives in constant pain. But she also lives in California, which legalized marijuana for medical use eight years ago.
Raich's doctor recommended the treatment, and she lights up every two hours, smoking about three ounces a week. Her stash is grown for her with no money exchanged.
(on camera): Now California and 10 other states have no problem with that. But the federal government does.
(voice-over): Federal health officials say there are no proven benefits for marijuana use. And it may even contribute to cancer. Beyond that, the Bush administration says it's still an illegal narcotic that ultimately funds criminals and terrorists.
A federal appeals court ruled that states are free to adopt medical marijuana laws so long as pot is not sold or transported across state lines. It said, "Federal laws that criminalize marijuana don't apply to patients whose doctors have recommended the drug." Raich says no matter what the Supreme Court decides she won't stop smoking.
RAICH: I can't because I would die. And I'm not willing to allow the federal government to execute me for simply being disabled.
LAWRENCE: With patients and states saying one thing, and the federal government another, it's now up to the Supreme Court to cut through this cloud of conflicting views.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: And, in fact, this is "The Question of the Day."
Good morning again, Jack.
CAFFERTY: How you doing? Under what circumstances should marijuana be legal? Dawn in Harristown, Pennsylvania, "This issue, like most, is about one thing, money. The pharmaceutical industry stands to lose billions. Compared to many prescription drugs, marijuana is more effective, has less side effects."
Chris in Springfield, Illinois, "Marijuana should be legal if a doctor prescribes it. The federal government has enough trouble with war, homeland security, and intelligence failures. The Feds should not tell doctors what to do."
Tim in Tucson, "Became HIV positive 1983, converted to full AIDS 1994. HIV drugs caused crippling peripheral neuropathy. Now I use marijuana to be able to walk and also to keep the nausea under control in order to keep the medications down."
"Should it be legal? Yes. It's very difficult to control a weed that occurs in nature all over the globe."
On the other hand, Karen disagrees. She lives in Hampton Cove, Alabama. "Do you really believe marijuana is the only thing that can lessen pain? The liberal echo chamber continues to spew lies. There is not one study that shows marijuana is the best way to decrease pain. It alters reality, does harm the lungs and kills brain cells."
M. O'BRIEN: Is that the only person who's come out as a...
CAFFERTY: No, there have been a few. Count them on one hand, probably.
S. O'BRIEN: Interesting the way that's running. All right, Jack. Thanks.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the early numbers are in. Will it be a green Christmas for retailers? A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Shoppers, shoppers everywhere. They're right behind me, as a matter of fact, here in New York City. It's kind of a shopping week here.
Of course it was a big holiday weekend for retailers. And it means it's all off and running. Yes, the Christmas season is here.
Scott Krugman with the National Retail Federation joining us from Washington to talk about this weekend's receipts.
They used to call it Black Friday, right? Meaning black in the way of profits. And you are telling us that they posted quite a bit of black.
SCOTT KRUGMAN, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: Yes, that's right. According to an early survey by the National Retail Federation put out yesterday, we discovered that there was about $22.8 billion of business done over the weekend, which is great.
On average, consumers spent $265. So the holiday season started off with a bang.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, $265. And boy, they must have had a great time out there with the crowds, huh?
KRUGMAN: Oh, they sure did. Consumers were lined up probably around 2:00 in the morning to get deals on $18 DVD players.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, that sounds like great, great fun, doesn't it? I guess it's just not my cup of tea.
Let's talk about what they are buying. Is it DVD players, iPods? What's hot this year?
KRUGMAN: Well, there was a lot of buzz about consumer electronics. According to our survey, the number one item purchased over the weekend was apparel, followed by books, DVDs, video games, and then consumer electronics. So they were going after everything over the first weekend.
M. O'BRIEN: And not really like a hot toy item that I have detected thus far this year, right?
KRUGMAN: Yes, the hot toy phenomenon is something we see maybe once every four years.
M. O'BRIEN: Right.
KRUGMAN: This year, we are seeing some strong toys. We're seeing a lot of retro. The '80s are back. According to...
M. O'BRIEN: What, Cabbage Patch is back or something?
KRUGMAN: That's right. You know, Cabbage Patch, My Little Pony, Transformers are all back for the kids.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. All right, let's talk about what's happening over at Wal-Mart. That's the -- those are the figures that really caught a lot of people's eyes this morning.
You know, everybody in the black, and Wal-Mart not so good, telling folks they're off expectations. Let's talk -- I know you don't want to talk about specific companies. Let's talk about in general, discounters. What are the challenges they're facing?
KRUGMAN: Well, you know, we knew all along discounters were going to face a unique challenge this holiday season with higher gas prices. It affects their core customers. It hurts their discretionary income.
While our survey is showing that most people did shop at discounters over the weekend, they're obviously spending a little bit less. But overall, luxury is going to do very well. Department stores are benefiting.
The strength of the industry is going to be fine. We're anticipating a 4.5 percent increase this year. That's pretty good considering we had a pretty strong season last year and there's tougher comparisons.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Well, let's talk about what this last weekend holds for the rest of the season. Is it generally a bellwether for what is to come? There's an awful lot of shopping days left.
KRUGMAN: You know, you bring up a great point. We know this isn't a sprint. It's a marathon.
The first weekend's important. It gets that buzz, it gets the excitement going about the holiday season. But it cannot define the holiday season. Typically, it's the week leading into Christmas and the week after Christmas that's going to tell us what kind of a holiday season we're going to have.
M. O'BRIEN: A week after Christmas meaning people taking advantage of those sales, or the returns, or both?
KRUGMAN: Christmas ends on the 25th. But the holiday season keeps going.
The week after is a big day. People are redeeming gift cards, which retailers can finally count as a sale once it's redeemed.
They're making returns and exchanges. They end up purchasing more items. They're taking advantage of clearance sales.
It's a very busy period for retailers. A retailer can make an additional 10 percent of holiday sales after the holiday season is over.
M. O'BRIEN: Scott Krugman, thanks very much. And happy shopping to you.
KRUGMAN: Thanks, Miles. Take care.
M. O'BRIEN: All right -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, it looked like a bizarre scene out of the North Pole, setting a new world record. 2,797 people dressed as Santa Claus flooded a German amusement park on Saturday.
Anybody who was dressed in a red suit, white hat -- red suit and hat, rather, and a white beard got in free at the gathering. It's the fourth of its kind. The group also rode a roller coaster as part of the event.
It was all organized by a local radio show. The previous record was shattered by more than 100 more Santas. 2,685 Santa Clauses gathered in Sweden. Is it Santa Clauses, Santa Claus?
M. O'BRIEN: Santa Clii?
S. O'BRIEN: I don't know. There's only supposed to be one. But there were lots.
M. O'BRIEN: There's only one, kids, OK? They were just fakers.
S. O'BRIEN: It was a photo op.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: They were fakers.
Still to come this morning, the Monday edition of "90-Second Pop."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Julia Roberts doubles her fun with newborn twins. The babies' names, though, will make you do a double- take.
Plus, why couldn't "Alexander" the Great conquer the box office? Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired November 29, 2004 - 9:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A desperate search through a freezing night after an airplane crash in Colorado. A powerful name in television is spared. His son, though, is missing.
Also, medical marijuana.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGEL RAICH, MEDICAL MARIJUANA USER: I can't, because I would die. And I'm not willing to allow the federal government to execute me for simply being disabled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Will the Supreme Court settle the question of medical marijuana once and for all? The case goes to Washington today.
And is there something deep in the genetic makeup of women that makes a few of them cheat on their husbands? Tracking a cellular home-wrecker on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. Bill is off today. Miles O'Brien is filling in for him.
Good morning. Nice to have you.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Traffic building up there as the shopping season begins, huh?
S. O'BRIEN: Yes. A nightmare basically for anybody who is working here trying to get home.
M. O'BRIEN: Trying to get to and fro. All right. Good morning to you.
Some of the other stories we're looking at this morning, in a few minutes we'll get back to the important question of whether the Iraqi elections can be held as scheduled. Serious differences between ethnic groups in Iraq now could postpone the voting. Fawaz Gerges, who knows all about the nuances in Iraq, is with us this morning to talk about what might happen next.
S. O'BRIEN: Also this morning, on a much lighter note, Julia Roberts the proud mama of twins. She also picked some interesting -- meaning way strange -- names for her new babies. "90-Second Pop" is going to take a look at those names and talk a little bit about those new arrivals.
M. O'BRIEN: Phinnaeus and Hazel.
S. O'BRIEN: Good for her.
M. O'BRIEN: Some of your favorite names, right, Jack?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely.
Under what circumstances should marijuana be made legal? AM@CNN.com is "The Question of the Day." The Supreme Court to hear arguments about whether or not doctors ought to be able to prescribe the stuff.
S. O'BRIEN: You're taking those questions. First, though, let's get a check of the headlines with Heidi Collins.
Good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. And good morning to you, everybody.
"Now in the News" this morning, two American solders have been killed in Iraq. Military officials say the troops were killed when a roadside bomb went off in northwestern Baghdad. Three others are said to be wounded in a separate attack.
At least six people were killed in a suicide car bombing near Ramadi. Iraqi health officials say at least eight others were wounded there.
Attempts still being made to resolve the weeklong political crises threatening to break up Ukraine. The high court there is considering an appeal for a new vote as opposition supporters take to the streets for an eighth day. But the decision is not expected today.
Turning now to some sports news. The white stuff isn't stopping the silver and black. Oakland Raiders' Kerry Collins threw for 339 yards and four touchdowns to carry the Raiders to a snowy upset yesterday against the Denver Broncos. Final score, 25-24.
Unbelievable. Maybe they could claim like blizzard conditions as a technical? You know?
M. O'BRIEN: They should never build another dome for the NFL.
COLLINS: I know.
M. O'BRIEN: When you see those games, they're great. They're great.
COLLINS: That's true. That's true.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks, Heidi.
Well, NBC sports president Dick Ebersol survived a plane crash in Colorado, but one of his sons still missing this morning. Ebersol and another son were taken to a hospital, along with a third person. That's according to reports.
At least two people were killed in that crash. The plane crashed on Sunday morning southwest of Denver in the town of Montrose. And that is where we find CNN's Sean Callebs this morning.
Good morning to you, Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Soledad.
The weather conditions yesterday at the time of the scheduled takeoff pretty similar to what we're seeing right now. Quite idyllic, snow is falling, a couple of inches on the ground. But without question, different circumstances yesterday.
We know that the 600 Challenger-type aircraft started at this end of the runway and went down. And apparently somewhere on the way down began to veer to the right a bit and then came back toward the center.
At that point it shot across a road, slammed into a ditch area. An eyewitness said that at that point he was able to go running up and looked inside, and the front of the cockpit simply smashed. At that point Dick Ebersol and his oldest son Charles apparently walking away from the accident in a state of shock. And he describes what he saw next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK DISTEL, EARLIER ON AMERICAN MORNING: The man from the airport at that time was yelling into the front of the airplane, trying to see if there was any other survivors in the airplane. We didn't hear any -- any voices in there, and the flames were starting to get larger and larger. I mean, quickly -- within seconds the thing burst into flames.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: Now, shortly after that, Chuck Distel, the eyewitness, took the pictures you're seeing now. You see the thick plume of smoke going up, and the flames begin to come up from the area where the fuselage was.
Soledad talked about it just a moment ago. One agonizing part of all this, Dick Ebersol's 14-year-old son, Edward, or Teddy, apparently the seat he was in was ripped from the airplane at the time of the crash. Investigators, rescue teams were out searching in the snow, searching in a ditch adjacent to the crash site, but they found no trace of the teenager.
The FAA and NTSB are scheduled to be on site very shortly, and they will resume the investigation, and also, presumably, the search for 14-year-old Teddy will also resume at that time. Dick Ebersol and his oldest son, who is a student at Notre Dame, have been taken to a hospital about 70 miles to the north in Grand Junction. Certainly an agonizing time for that family -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: No question about that. What horrible news for them. Our hearts really go out to them this morning. Thanks very much for that, Sean. Appreciate it.
Dick Ebersol, of course, a legendary figure in the TV industry. He's been on the cutting edge for more than three decades, both in entertainment, where he helped create the "Saturday Night Live" franchise, and in sports, where his name has become synonymous with the Olympics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): On Dick Ebersol's watch, NBC has become the network of the Olympics, locking up broadcast rights for the winter and summer games through 2012. A protege of Olympic innovator Roone Arledge, Ebersol has carried on the up close and personal tradition with the emphasis on telling stories rather than just giving results.
Before taking over as president of the sports division in 1989, Ebersol worked as an NBC entertainment executive. He was there for the launch of "Saturday Night Live," and briefly replaced Lorne Michaels as the show's executive producer in the early '80s. One of his lesser broadcast achievements, the ill-fated "XFL" in 2001.
Ebersol is married to actress Susan Saint James. According to NBC, she was not on board the plane.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Ebersol and his wife have three children. One was not on the flight -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Of course one of the issues that they investigate in the wake of any of these sorts of crashes was, of course, the weather. It was obviously very cold there. The possibility of icing looms in those situations.
Rob Marciano at the CNN Center -- Weather Center with more on that particular story, as well as the nation's weather.
Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Rob. Thanks.
With Iraq's elections just about two months away, Iraqis are split over whether it's a good idea. The Sunnis and Kurds are calling for a delay, but Shiite leaders want the vote as planned.
Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges joins us this morning to talk about why the three groups can't seem to agree.
Nice to see you. Thank you very much.
FAWAZ GERGES, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: Thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: Break it down for us. Essentially you have three groups, all with sort of different issues at stake.
What are the real issues behind each group? And let's begin with the Sunnis. Why do they want a delay?
GERGES: You have the Sunni Kurds and the Sunni Arabs. Each of the two communities represent about 20 percent of the population.
The Sunni Kurds have two major concerns, Soledad. They would like to preserve their autonomy which they enjoyed -- they have enjoyed since 1991. And they fear that the Shiites will translate their numerical majority -- the Shiites represent more than 60 percent of the population -- into a political tyranny.
S. O'BRIEN: How does a six-month delay help them, hold onto their piece of the pie, which is 20 percent in the face of another -- the majority with 60 percent?
GERGES: I don't think the delay itself is the question. I think what the Sunni Kurds and the Sunni Arabs would like to do is to define the rules of the games.
They believe that before going to the polls, what are the rules of the game? And, in fact -- and the second concern that the Kurds have is that they would like more time to consolidate their control over some of the disputed towns and cities in northern Iraq, such as the oil-rich Kirkuk. So it's not just about elections, also about settling some of the areas in the north so that they would have the majority in the elections.
S. O'BRIEN: When we hear about security at the polling places, is that sort of not a real concern? Or do you think that's also an issue that's a valid issue when people talk about their concerns?
GERGES: Well, I think the security issue is a valid issue. I mean, as you know, there are, I mean, whole cities, Ramadi, Falluja, Samarra, Baquba, and many areas extremely insecure. I mean, there's a war taking place in Iraq.
Today -- I mean, two American Marines were killed and three injured. Suicide bombings on a daily basis.
I don't think the security issue is the real issue, Soledad. Because, I mean, how do we know that in six or nine months the security situation will not be the same? In fact, it is likely to deteriorate further in the next few months.
I think the big issue on the table is the following: communities such as the Sunni Kurds and the Sunni Arabs would like to determine, define the rules of the games before going to the polls. They believe that the Shiites, being -- having 60 percent of the population, they basically would translate their numerical majority into a political tyranny, and as such that Iraq would be basically transformed from a Sunni dictatorship into a Shiite dictatorship.
S. O'BRIEN: What are the risks if the Sunnis do, in fact, decide that they're going to boycott and the elections go on as planned, as scheduled, so that they're even less represented than maybe they had originally feared they would be?
GERGES: Well, Soledad, this is really the question. The big question is that elections could either serve as a way to help Iraqis overcome their differences -- that is, the communities, all the three communities. Of course there are more communities than just the Shiites, the Sunni Kurds and the Sunni Arabs. Or elections could serve to plunge Iraq deeper into sectarian strife.
For example, if elections are to take place at the end of January, and if Sunni Arabs basically boycott the elections, as seems the case, then, of course, you'll have a Shiite-dominated order. And you'll have Sunnis who feel marginalized and disenfranchised, and then you might have a real civil war on your hands between not just, I mean, Sunni Arabs and the Shiites, but also the Kurds, as well.
S. O'BRIEN: If you had to guess -- and just give me a yes or no -- will these elections go off as planned on January 30?
GERGES: Of course. I mean, I think, Soledad, what you need to understand is that Iraq is deeply divided over the future of their country. And this is why it's essential to hold a conference of national reconciliation before holding the elections.
You want to bring in all Iraqi communities. There's no sacred day, no sacred cow (ph) about holding elections at the end of January.
S. O'BRIEN: Fawaz Gerges, nice to see you, as always. Thank you.
GERGES: My pleasure.
S. O'BRIEN: Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, maybe some people can't get help for their cheatin' heart. It could be genetic. Dr. Sanjay Gupta with an explanation.
Also, the fight over medical marijuana. Users may have their best chance yet of winning in the Supreme Court thanks to a new ally.
Plus, the fight over intelligence reform in Congress. Why is the president meeting so much resistance from his own party?
All that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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M. O'BRIEN: The legal debate over medical marijuana is headed for a Supreme Court showdown. This morning, the high court hears arguments in a case that may determine if patients in eleven states are violating federal drug laws. Chris Lawrence with our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Angel Raich is a wife, mother and patient. Just 39 years old, and sick from head to toe...
RAICH: I have an inoperable brain tumor.
LAWRENCE: ... along with a joint disease that causes spasms and seizures.
RAICH: Nausea, severe chronic pain. I really am unfortunately riddled with illness.
LAWRENCE: Raich lives in constant pain. But she also lives in California, which legalized marijuana for medical use eight years ago.
Raich's doctor recommended the treatment, and she lights up every two hours, smoking about three ounces a week. Her stash is grown for her with no money exchanged.
(on camera): Now California and 10 other states have no problem with that. But the federal government does.
(voice-over): Federal health officials say there are no proven benefits for marijuana use. And it may even contribute to cancer. Beyond that, the Bush administration says it's still an illegal narcotic that ultimately funds criminals and terrorists.
A federal appeals court ruled that states are free to adopt medical marijuana laws so long as pot is not sold or transported across state lines. It said, "Federal laws that criminalize marijuana don't apply to patients whose doctors have recommended the drug." Raich says no matter what the Supreme Court decides she won't stop smoking.
RAICH: I can't because I would die. And I'm not willing to allow the federal government to execute me for simply being disabled.
LAWRENCE: With patients and states saying one thing, and the federal government another, it's now up to the Supreme Court to cut through this cloud of conflicting views.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: And, in fact, this is "The Question of the Day."
Good morning again, Jack.
CAFFERTY: How you doing? Under what circumstances should marijuana be legal? Dawn in Harristown, Pennsylvania, "This issue, like most, is about one thing, money. The pharmaceutical industry stands to lose billions. Compared to many prescription drugs, marijuana is more effective, has less side effects."
Chris in Springfield, Illinois, "Marijuana should be legal if a doctor prescribes it. The federal government has enough trouble with war, homeland security, and intelligence failures. The Feds should not tell doctors what to do."
Tim in Tucson, "Became HIV positive 1983, converted to full AIDS 1994. HIV drugs caused crippling peripheral neuropathy. Now I use marijuana to be able to walk and also to keep the nausea under control in order to keep the medications down."
"Should it be legal? Yes. It's very difficult to control a weed that occurs in nature all over the globe."
On the other hand, Karen disagrees. She lives in Hampton Cove, Alabama. "Do you really believe marijuana is the only thing that can lessen pain? The liberal echo chamber continues to spew lies. There is not one study that shows marijuana is the best way to decrease pain. It alters reality, does harm the lungs and kills brain cells."
M. O'BRIEN: Is that the only person who's come out as a...
CAFFERTY: No, there have been a few. Count them on one hand, probably.
S. O'BRIEN: Interesting the way that's running. All right, Jack. Thanks.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, the early numbers are in. Will it be a green Christmas for retailers? A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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M. O'BRIEN: Shoppers, shoppers everywhere. They're right behind me, as a matter of fact, here in New York City. It's kind of a shopping week here.
Of course it was a big holiday weekend for retailers. And it means it's all off and running. Yes, the Christmas season is here.
Scott Krugman with the National Retail Federation joining us from Washington to talk about this weekend's receipts.
They used to call it Black Friday, right? Meaning black in the way of profits. And you are telling us that they posted quite a bit of black.
SCOTT KRUGMAN, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: Yes, that's right. According to an early survey by the National Retail Federation put out yesterday, we discovered that there was about $22.8 billion of business done over the weekend, which is great.
On average, consumers spent $265. So the holiday season started off with a bang.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, $265. And boy, they must have had a great time out there with the crowds, huh?
KRUGMAN: Oh, they sure did. Consumers were lined up probably around 2:00 in the morning to get deals on $18 DVD players.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, that sounds like great, great fun, doesn't it? I guess it's just not my cup of tea.
Let's talk about what they are buying. Is it DVD players, iPods? What's hot this year?
KRUGMAN: Well, there was a lot of buzz about consumer electronics. According to our survey, the number one item purchased over the weekend was apparel, followed by books, DVDs, video games, and then consumer electronics. So they were going after everything over the first weekend.
M. O'BRIEN: And not really like a hot toy item that I have detected thus far this year, right?
KRUGMAN: Yes, the hot toy phenomenon is something we see maybe once every four years.
M. O'BRIEN: Right.
KRUGMAN: This year, we are seeing some strong toys. We're seeing a lot of retro. The '80s are back. According to...
M. O'BRIEN: What, Cabbage Patch is back or something?
KRUGMAN: That's right. You know, Cabbage Patch, My Little Pony, Transformers are all back for the kids.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. All right, let's talk about what's happening over at Wal-Mart. That's the -- those are the figures that really caught a lot of people's eyes this morning.
You know, everybody in the black, and Wal-Mart not so good, telling folks they're off expectations. Let's talk -- I know you don't want to talk about specific companies. Let's talk about in general, discounters. What are the challenges they're facing?
KRUGMAN: Well, you know, we knew all along discounters were going to face a unique challenge this holiday season with higher gas prices. It affects their core customers. It hurts their discretionary income.
While our survey is showing that most people did shop at discounters over the weekend, they're obviously spending a little bit less. But overall, luxury is going to do very well. Department stores are benefiting.
The strength of the industry is going to be fine. We're anticipating a 4.5 percent increase this year. That's pretty good considering we had a pretty strong season last year and there's tougher comparisons.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. Well, let's talk about what this last weekend holds for the rest of the season. Is it generally a bellwether for what is to come? There's an awful lot of shopping days left.
KRUGMAN: You know, you bring up a great point. We know this isn't a sprint. It's a marathon.
The first weekend's important. It gets that buzz, it gets the excitement going about the holiday season. But it cannot define the holiday season. Typically, it's the week leading into Christmas and the week after Christmas that's going to tell us what kind of a holiday season we're going to have.
M. O'BRIEN: A week after Christmas meaning people taking advantage of those sales, or the returns, or both?
KRUGMAN: Christmas ends on the 25th. But the holiday season keeps going.
The week after is a big day. People are redeeming gift cards, which retailers can finally count as a sale once it's redeemed.
They're making returns and exchanges. They end up purchasing more items. They're taking advantage of clearance sales.
It's a very busy period for retailers. A retailer can make an additional 10 percent of holiday sales after the holiday season is over.
M. O'BRIEN: Scott Krugman, thanks very much. And happy shopping to you.
KRUGMAN: Thanks, Miles. Take care.
M. O'BRIEN: All right -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, it looked like a bizarre scene out of the North Pole, setting a new world record. 2,797 people dressed as Santa Claus flooded a German amusement park on Saturday.
Anybody who was dressed in a red suit, white hat -- red suit and hat, rather, and a white beard got in free at the gathering. It's the fourth of its kind. The group also rode a roller coaster as part of the event.
It was all organized by a local radio show. The previous record was shattered by more than 100 more Santas. 2,685 Santa Clauses gathered in Sweden. Is it Santa Clauses, Santa Claus?
M. O'BRIEN: Santa Clii?
S. O'BRIEN: I don't know. There's only supposed to be one. But there were lots.
M. O'BRIEN: There's only one, kids, OK? They were just fakers.
S. O'BRIEN: It was a photo op.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: They were fakers.
Still to come this morning, the Monday edition of "90-Second Pop."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Julia Roberts doubles her fun with newborn twins. The babies' names, though, will make you do a double- take.
Plus, why couldn't "Alexander" the Great conquer the box office? Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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