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American Morning
California Mudslide; Chicago Parking Lot Blast; National Guard Woes
Aired January 13, 2005 - 07:30 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It's 7:30 from a foggy New York City. That stuff rolled in yesterday and is still with us today, huh?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it is.
HEMMER: Later it's going to move out.
O'BRIEN: I hope so. Is it going to be nice today?
HEMMER: And it's going to warm up, yes, like 61 degrees.
O'BRIEN: All right, good.
HEMMER: It's January.
O'BRIEN: All right.
HEMMER: In a moment here, another look at this explosion in a shopping mall in Chicago late yesterday. It looks pretty bad on the videotape. Cars just all over the place, too. We'll talk with the fire department commissioner about what happened there and how bad the situation could have been. So, we'll get you to the south side of Chicago in a couple minutes here.
O'BRIEN: Also, is the Army National Guard in big trouble? According to some reports, recruitment is way down. Weapons and equipment are being used up in Iraq. We're going to talk with the head of the Guard Bureau about what it's going to take to get things back up to speed, and in fact even if they can do it all.
HEMMER: Yes. Back up the street with us is Carol Costello. She's been on the mat for a couple of days.
O'BRIEN: Oh, sick.
COSTELLO: I'm much better.
HEMMER: Healthy now.
COSTELLO: But, you know, the good thing about the flu, I've lost those five holiday pounds. They're gone.
HEMMER: Bonus.
O'BRIEN: It's the silver ling.
COSTELLO: It's like the glass is half-full. It's fabulous. Good morning to you. Good morning, everyone.
"Now in the News."
We begin in Fort Hood, Texas, where more testimony is set for today in the military trial for Army Specialist Charles Graner. He's accused of being the ringleader in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. Under cross-examination yesterday, a defense witness said that Graner routinely disobeyed orders. Graner could take the stand in his own defense today.
In Graniteville, South Carolina, nearly 3,000 people are expected to head back home this morning a week after being forced out by a chemical spill. A cloud of chlorine gas leaked in last Thursday's train collision. Nine people were killed and 240 others injured. Police say the first wave of residents could start heading back home in the next hour.
And boxing promoter Don King is suing ESPN for -- get this -- $2.5 billion. He isn't messing around, baby! The lawsuit says the ESPN show, "Sports Century," aired a segment last May accusing King of being -- quote -- "a snake oil salesmen, a shameless huckster" and worse. ESPN's vice president of communications yesterday defended the integrity of "Sports Century," but said he had not read a copy of this massively huge lawsuit.
O'BRIEN: Wow! I guess $2.5 billion, if you win that, you're done.
COSTELLO: For calling someone a huckster, though.
O'BRIEN: A snake oil salesman.
COSTELLO: Hasn't he been called worse?
O'BRIEN: One would think, right?
HEMMER: Do you think he would settle for 20 grand?
COSTELLO: Knowing him, he probably would.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. All right, Carol, thanks.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Well, rescue efforts continue at this hour for the victims in the California mudslide. CNN's Peter Viles is in La Conchita now with the very latest for us.
Hey, Peter, good morning.
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
As you heard earlier in your show, this is still considered to be a rescue mission. That means they are still holding out hope, and the hope does get slimmer by the hour, but they are holding out hope that there is a possibility, a slim possibility, that there could still be someone alive in that pile of mud.
And because it is a rescue mission, that means it is very slow- going. They're doing a lot of work by hand, digging with shovels and picks and axes, trying not to disturb this anymore than they have to under this slim, slim hope that there could be someone alive in there.
That said, they haven't brought out any bodies in the past 24 hours since that family of four was found yesterday morning all dead. There is a belief -- there's some confusion as to whether or not there is anybody in there alive or dead. Some reports have come out saying they believe that everyone is accounted for, nobody would be inside.
But we have talked to a number of rescue workers just in the past half-hour who say they still believe -- and this is a belief, nobody really knows -- but they still believe there are three bodies three or three people there, three still missing at this hour.
That said, the rescue mission here has become larger than the town itself. There are about 600 rescue workers working here in shifts of 250 or 300 at any given time. This is only a town of 260 people. And they are having some difficulties on that mountain of mud, Soledad, because it's starting to shift a little bit under them. So, they have to be very careful and very slow-going here -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Of course, because of all of those concerns about the rescuers, and that has put a big impact on how quickly the rescuers have been able to work. Peter, thank you very much for that update. We sure appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: From California to Chicago. A parking lot of a Chicago mall was blown to pieces after an apparent natural gas explosion. It happened late yesterday evening just as the Ford City Mall on the south side of town was getting ready to close. Nine people were injured. And the blast left a 150-foot crater. It also damaged several cars.
Chicago Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter is now with us this morning from the south side of Chicago to talk about this.
Good morning to you. What happened last night? Describe it for us.
CORTEZ TROTTER, CHICAGO FIRE COMMISSIONER: Well, Bill, we received calls for explosions in the parking lot outside of the Ford City shopping mall shortly after 8:00. Once we arrived on the scene, we found, as you described, a huge crater as a result of a gas main explosion. It was a 20-inch main. There was no construction going on.
So, the investigation is ongoing as to what actually caused the rupture, although we've ruled out any type of foul play.
We've transported last night nine people to area hospitals suffering from minor to minor head injuries, mostly from falling debris. And some people were transported with some shortness of breath as a result of the gas fumes. But we were able to walk away from this one, at least at this point until we get completely to the bottom of this crater, with only minor to moderate injuries which makes this a good day.
HEMMER: Boy, I note in your voice there a lot of optimism that this could have been worse. Is my read correct there?
TROTTER: No, you're reading that correct. I think when you take a look what's happening in other parts of the country as well as around the globe, if we're standing here talking about this type of an incident that had the potential of being far more destructive than it actually ended up being, I think yes, a note of optimism is discernible, yes.
HEMMER: Yes. Do you think this gas line should be a big concern at this point because this took everybody by surprise, and now you're going to have to consider a lot more about what's underneath a lot of this area, maybe not just this mall but this entire area of Chicago? Have you looked into that yet? Or where does your investigation take you?
TROTTER: Well, we continue to work with people's gas, and they are the utility responsible for the gas line infrastructures in Chicago. We believe that they are on top of this, and they are well- aware of what limitations or what capacity their infrastructure has. Again, they're out here now. They have been out here through the night. And later on, they will be able to give us a better idea of exactly what happened here in the parking lot, but...
HEMMER: One more thing here...
TROTTER: ... as I mentioned...
HEMMER: Yes, do you believe all of these people will recover, those who were injured?
TROTTER: Yes, and, in fact, the last report that I received about a half an hour ago, that all of the people had been treated and released from area hospitals. Fortunately, this didn't happen on the weekend or about a month ago or a little under a month ago when we had our shopping season going on. So we are very fortunate.
HEMMER: Good luck to you, Cortez Trotter there in Chicago.
TROTTER: I appreciate it.
HEMMER: You got it -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: A rare public ceremony in Louisiana for six soldiers who were killed in Iraq. Flag-draped caskets were unloaded from a transport plane yesterday. The soldiers were riding together in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Baghdad when they hit a roadside bomb.
The soldiers' families wanted a public ceremony for their loved ones who trained together and fought together and eventually died together. The Army National Guard agreed against the wishes of the Pentagon, which has tried to minimize the coverage of flag-draped coffins returning home from war.
Also this morning, the head of the Army National Guard Bureau says trouble is brewing. Since the United States military became involved in Iraq and Afghanistan, recruiting efforts for the Army National Guard are 30 percent below goals. And that same involvement is costing the Guard weapons and equipment, too. In fact, the head of the Guard says he needs $20 billion to replace all of the gear.
Lieutenant General Steven Blum joins us from the Pentagon this morning.
Nice to see you, sir. Thank you for joining us this morning. Just how concerned are you about these numbers, 30 percent below recruiting goals?
LT. GEN. STEVEN BLUM, NATIONAL GUARD: Well, Good morning, Soledad. We're very concerned, but we don't view this as a crisis. We have a plan to recover probably by the third quarter of this year. I just want to highlight the resources and the policies that we'll need to make that recovery, so that we can be always ready, always there when our nation needs us.
O'BRIEN: So, give me a sense of what some of those resources are if you're going to recover 30 percent of what you're missing so far in recruitment efforts.
BLUM: Well, we have to basically change our marketing plan and our business plan for how we recruit. We have a change in our demographics, and we need to adjust to that. We're applying the resources to recruit and retain the most high-quality young men and women our nation has to offer. And I'm very optimistic that we can make these adjustments with the increased bonuses, incentives and some changes of policy that Congress is allowing us.
O'BRIEN: Some of those increased incentives, for example, $15,000 signing bonuses for experienced soldiers...
BLUM: That's right.
O'BRIEN: ... 10,000 for those who are new to joining the military.
BLUM: Yes, that's correct.
O'BRIEN: Are those going to work? Is that enough to cover the shortfall?
BLUM: We think so, but we'll watch it and we'll evaluate it. And if we can make the recovery with these adjustments, I think we'll be fine. If not, then we'll come in and ask for the resources that we need, you know, to make the numbers that we need to defend our nation here at home and abroad.
O'BRIEN: What do you blame for these numbers being 30 percent below what you'd expected? BLUM: Well, we're quite busy, as you know. Since 9/11, 11 September 2001, we've averaged over 100,000 citizen soldiers and airmen, National Guard soldiers and airmen deployed all around the world on any given day. Today, it's about 120,000 citizen soldiers deployed overseas.
So, we have to be very careful to make sure that we balance the employer, the family, and the citizen soldiers' concerns, so that they can respond to the governors here at home and also provide trained and ready forces for the Army and the Air Force for the use of the combatant commanders overseas in this war on terrorism.
O'BRIEN: There was an op-ed in "The New York Times" that said this: "The extended unplanned deployment of American forces is taking a heavy cumulative toll, especially on the Army and Army National Guard. It's undermining readiness and morale." Do you agree with that?
BLUM: No, I really don't. We're not taking any greater toll than our active-duty counterparts. We're standing shoulder to shoulder. We make up half of the United States Army and air Force. And right now, about 40 percent of the troops in harm's way overseas are citizen soldiers, and that's the way it should be. America should never go to war without its National Guard, because when you call out the Guard, you call out America. And that's a very powerful statement for both our adversaries, and it strengthens our soldiers' fighting spirit when they're employed.
O'BRIEN: When you look at the numbers over at the Army Reserves, your counterpart there says he is experiencing similar problems. And he's mentioning that maybe people will start talking about the draft at some point if these numbers don't change. Do you agree with that?
BLUM: That's talking about is possible. But I think the country made a very wise decision about 31 and a half years ago when we stopped the draft. The citizen soldiers or the men and women that answer the call to colors in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are the finest and the most magnificent young men and women that have ever served their nation and I think going back. I served in the draft Army, and I would much prefer to serve with the soldiers and the quality of soldiers that we're getting with this all- volunteer force. It is working.
O'BRIEN: Lieutenant General Steven Blum from the National Guard joining us this morning. Thank you, sir. Appreciate your time.
BLUM: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: We have talked about wacky weather all week long. Here in New York City right outside of our studios, we are fogged-in. It starts right around the 20th floor and probably runs up -- I don't know -- maybe to the 10,000-foot marker. But this is a shot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Somewhere in there we are told the Brooklyn Bridge you can find it. (WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, Apple's new iPod is already making a splash on Wall Street. But is it good or is it bad? Andy is going to take a look at that when he minds your business ahead.
HEMMER: Also, this graphic report on grand jury testimony in the Michael Jackson matter. How damaging could this be? Jeff Toobin is up in a moment right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Michael Jackson's child molestation trial is now scheduled to start at the end of this month; only two weeks away, in fact. And the judge has yet to decide if past accusations of child abuse can be admitted in Jackson's current case. A number of questions this morning for our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, with us today in Washington, D.C.
Good morning -- Jeff.
JEFFERY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, Bill.
HEMMER: First things first. ABC News is reporting that it has now seen and read this secret grand jury testimony and very graphic testimony from the accuser. I've seen their story. You've seen their story. You're the attorney. How damaging could it be, Jeff?
TOOBIN: Well, you know, it all depends whether the jury believes it. It has to be graphic. Given the nature of the charges, the accuser has to say what happened, and the charges are graphic. But, you know, there are no eyewitnesses. There is no evidence in the grand jury of Michael Jackson's defense, because grand juries, by definition, are one-sided presentations for the prosecution. So, I think it's very hard to say, you know, what significance it will have. It's not surprising that it exists.
HEMMER: What gives with leaked testimony from what's considered a secret grand jury?
TOOBIN: You know, ACB reports that they have read 1,900 pages of grand jury testimony. It's often the case that a little bit leaks, but 1,900 pages is an awful lot. And it's surprising and it's quite a scoop for ABC.
HEMMER: Let's talk about what happened yesterday. The judge has not yet decided whether or not he will allow past accusations into this case until he learns more about the accuser's claims, essentially. We're 14 days away, right? Does this surprise you right now that there's no ruling?
TOOBIN: Well, it does a little bit, because this is by far the biggest legal issue in the case. You know, we've talk about this before. In 1995, California changed its law because of the priest molestation cases to make it easier for prosecutors to use prior accusations even if there were no charges, even if there were not convictions in the past.
So, it seems like some of this evidence will be admissible, particularly the 1993 case, where Michael Jackson paid all of that money to settle it. But the judge, you know, as judges tend to do, is putting it off until he absolutely has to make the decision. But it's going to be a critical, critical ruling in the case.
HEMMER: Let me try and get to two more points here. Martin Bashir is a journalist. He produced a documentary. It really was the start of all of this matter. Will he testify? And if so, how significant?
TOOBIN: A tough issue, because he's now been subpoenaed. We learned that yesterday. Journalists often try to fight these subpoenas, as we know what's going on in the Valerie Palm (ph) case in Washington. I don't know. It depends how critical it is. I don't know how much he actually saw that's relevant to the case, but it's going to be a tough issue.
HEMMER: Yes, he was the one who got the interview, we know that.
TOOBIN: Right.
HEMMER: The judge has also said it is unlikely that he can keep these hearings secret. Does that mean we're going to see cameras in the courtroom on this case?
TOOBIN: Not cameras, but we may see these issues debated in public. Bill, this case has been conducted in incredible extraordinary secrecy more than any case I've ever seen. Virtually all of the important pretrial proceedings have been held in secret. There won't be cameras, but the judge has indicated that at least the hearing will be open to the public; that is, people like me who will be able to see the evidence before it's presented in court. But I've never seen a case conducted in secrecy like this. So, maybe that's starting to lift a little bit.
HEMMER: We'll see if that sticks or not. Thank you, Jeff. Good to see you down in D.C.
TOOBIN: OK, Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, does Wall Street think Apple's new iPod is worth all the buzz? Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We've been telling you just how hot Apple's iPod has been for months. Well, the numbers are now in. With a look at that plus a preview of the markets, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
That's a big tease. We're not going to tell them the numbers yet. Talk about the markets.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: We are. Yes, we'll do that. Stunning numbers, though. Some stunning numbers from Wall Street, too. The biggest gains of the year. Of course, that's not saying much, because it's been a terrible year so far.
Dow has been down five out of seven sessions, but up here yesterday. Intel leading the way. Also HCA, the hospital giant, was up as well. Futures are flat this morning, though, as we might expect.
Now, Apple Computer. This was just amazing. After the bell last night, they reported numbers for the quarter for the Christmas season, 4.5 million iPods sold. And listen to this. Sales up 75 percent. Profits quadrupled. Quadrupled. You just don't see that in big companies like this. Up to $295 million.
Now, this morning, the stock is up 12 percent in pre-market trading. There's the stock over the past 12 month, which has been stunning. So the stock is up from $65 to $73 in pre-market.
And the question is, though: Where does Apple go from here? Could this be a high water mark for iPod sales? Or is it starting to get saturated? We'll have to see.
I was down at an Apple's store, though, earlier this week. And let me tell you something, there was no post-Christmas lull at all. The place was packed. There were lines. It was nighttime. It was sleeting out, and there were still people in there buying stuff. So it's just a very, very hot company with hot products.
O'BRIEN: They've always been very good, I think, about sort of dealing with things tapering off.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: They always start looking for the next thing...
SERWER: Well, marketing, they're so good at that.
O'BRIEN: Right. All right, Andy, thanks.
SERWER: You're welcome.
HEMMER: Back to Jack, the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: No good deed, Bill, goes unpunished, apparently. The Indonesia government yesterday announced it wants U.S. troops helping tsunami victims out of the country by March. Indonesia's vice president said -- quote -- "three months are enough. In fact, the sooner they leave the better" -- unquote.
The Indonesians also refused to allow the Marines coming ashore to rebuild roads, establish a base camp or carry arms. Indonesia is the most populated Muslim country in the world. Here's the question: How should the United States respond to Indonesia's demands? And don't you know we touched a button with this. We got a whole lot.
HEMMER: Here we go.
CAFFERTY: Some of these letters I can actually read on television.
Jerry in Georgia: "It's very disturbing to see how much the United States is both feared and hated in the Muslim world. The Marines should be withdrawn immediately, showing respect for the desires of the Indonesian government."
Jack in Louisiana: "It's perfectly understandable that a Muslim nation would not want U.S. troops on their soil any longer than necessary. While we have done a lot for their people, our continued presence will eventually create violent protests from religious extremists within that country."
Greg in Westville, Nova Scotia writes: "They should get out as ordered, but don't forget to take your wallet and a stop payment on the check is definitely in order."
Ian in Providence, Rhode Island: "Let me get this straight. The country whose schools teach their children to hate America and who blow up Westerners in nightclubs for sport is unhappy about the way in which Americans are saving their lives. My grandfather used to say the difference between a dog and a man is when you feed a starving dog, it doesn't try to bite you."
And William in New York writes this: "Fine. Pull out our troops. Leave the cash. This is a devastated country that desperately needs to prove it can govern itself and restore order on its own. If my mother-in-law gave us $300 and said she'd spend the next three weekends with us to help us spend it properly, I think I'd take a pass."
HEMMER: There's a thing crossing the wires 15 minutes ago, people warning right now in Indonesia, if they don't get immediate aid now, malaria could take 100,000 more lives in that part of the world alone. That lets you know how much needed the U.S. military is there and the aid that's going in.
Thank you, Jack.
Top stories in a moment here, including that nasty streak of weather that's causing trouble from the Pacific Coast to the Midwest. We'll tell you what's coming next, and there is more. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 13, 2005 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It's 7:30 from a foggy New York City. That stuff rolled in yesterday and is still with us today, huh?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it is.
HEMMER: Later it's going to move out.
O'BRIEN: I hope so. Is it going to be nice today?
HEMMER: And it's going to warm up, yes, like 61 degrees.
O'BRIEN: All right, good.
HEMMER: It's January.
O'BRIEN: All right.
HEMMER: In a moment here, another look at this explosion in a shopping mall in Chicago late yesterday. It looks pretty bad on the videotape. Cars just all over the place, too. We'll talk with the fire department commissioner about what happened there and how bad the situation could have been. So, we'll get you to the south side of Chicago in a couple minutes here.
O'BRIEN: Also, is the Army National Guard in big trouble? According to some reports, recruitment is way down. Weapons and equipment are being used up in Iraq. We're going to talk with the head of the Guard Bureau about what it's going to take to get things back up to speed, and in fact even if they can do it all.
HEMMER: Yes. Back up the street with us is Carol Costello. She's been on the mat for a couple of days.
O'BRIEN: Oh, sick.
COSTELLO: I'm much better.
HEMMER: Healthy now.
COSTELLO: But, you know, the good thing about the flu, I've lost those five holiday pounds. They're gone.
HEMMER: Bonus.
O'BRIEN: It's the silver ling.
COSTELLO: It's like the glass is half-full. It's fabulous. Good morning to you. Good morning, everyone.
"Now in the News."
We begin in Fort Hood, Texas, where more testimony is set for today in the military trial for Army Specialist Charles Graner. He's accused of being the ringleader in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. Under cross-examination yesterday, a defense witness said that Graner routinely disobeyed orders. Graner could take the stand in his own defense today.
In Graniteville, South Carolina, nearly 3,000 people are expected to head back home this morning a week after being forced out by a chemical spill. A cloud of chlorine gas leaked in last Thursday's train collision. Nine people were killed and 240 others injured. Police say the first wave of residents could start heading back home in the next hour.
And boxing promoter Don King is suing ESPN for -- get this -- $2.5 billion. He isn't messing around, baby! The lawsuit says the ESPN show, "Sports Century," aired a segment last May accusing King of being -- quote -- "a snake oil salesmen, a shameless huckster" and worse. ESPN's vice president of communications yesterday defended the integrity of "Sports Century," but said he had not read a copy of this massively huge lawsuit.
O'BRIEN: Wow! I guess $2.5 billion, if you win that, you're done.
COSTELLO: For calling someone a huckster, though.
O'BRIEN: A snake oil salesman.
COSTELLO: Hasn't he been called worse?
O'BRIEN: One would think, right?
HEMMER: Do you think he would settle for 20 grand?
COSTELLO: Knowing him, he probably would.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. All right, Carol, thanks.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
O'BRIEN: Well, rescue efforts continue at this hour for the victims in the California mudslide. CNN's Peter Viles is in La Conchita now with the very latest for us.
Hey, Peter, good morning.
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
As you heard earlier in your show, this is still considered to be a rescue mission. That means they are still holding out hope, and the hope does get slimmer by the hour, but they are holding out hope that there is a possibility, a slim possibility, that there could still be someone alive in that pile of mud.
And because it is a rescue mission, that means it is very slow- going. They're doing a lot of work by hand, digging with shovels and picks and axes, trying not to disturb this anymore than they have to under this slim, slim hope that there could be someone alive in there.
That said, they haven't brought out any bodies in the past 24 hours since that family of four was found yesterday morning all dead. There is a belief -- there's some confusion as to whether or not there is anybody in there alive or dead. Some reports have come out saying they believe that everyone is accounted for, nobody would be inside.
But we have talked to a number of rescue workers just in the past half-hour who say they still believe -- and this is a belief, nobody really knows -- but they still believe there are three bodies three or three people there, three still missing at this hour.
That said, the rescue mission here has become larger than the town itself. There are about 600 rescue workers working here in shifts of 250 or 300 at any given time. This is only a town of 260 people. And they are having some difficulties on that mountain of mud, Soledad, because it's starting to shift a little bit under them. So, they have to be very careful and very slow-going here -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Of course, because of all of those concerns about the rescuers, and that has put a big impact on how quickly the rescuers have been able to work. Peter, thank you very much for that update. We sure appreciate it -- Bill.
HEMMER: From California to Chicago. A parking lot of a Chicago mall was blown to pieces after an apparent natural gas explosion. It happened late yesterday evening just as the Ford City Mall on the south side of town was getting ready to close. Nine people were injured. And the blast left a 150-foot crater. It also damaged several cars.
Chicago Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter is now with us this morning from the south side of Chicago to talk about this.
Good morning to you. What happened last night? Describe it for us.
CORTEZ TROTTER, CHICAGO FIRE COMMISSIONER: Well, Bill, we received calls for explosions in the parking lot outside of the Ford City shopping mall shortly after 8:00. Once we arrived on the scene, we found, as you described, a huge crater as a result of a gas main explosion. It was a 20-inch main. There was no construction going on.
So, the investigation is ongoing as to what actually caused the rupture, although we've ruled out any type of foul play.
We've transported last night nine people to area hospitals suffering from minor to minor head injuries, mostly from falling debris. And some people were transported with some shortness of breath as a result of the gas fumes. But we were able to walk away from this one, at least at this point until we get completely to the bottom of this crater, with only minor to moderate injuries which makes this a good day.
HEMMER: Boy, I note in your voice there a lot of optimism that this could have been worse. Is my read correct there?
TROTTER: No, you're reading that correct. I think when you take a look what's happening in other parts of the country as well as around the globe, if we're standing here talking about this type of an incident that had the potential of being far more destructive than it actually ended up being, I think yes, a note of optimism is discernible, yes.
HEMMER: Yes. Do you think this gas line should be a big concern at this point because this took everybody by surprise, and now you're going to have to consider a lot more about what's underneath a lot of this area, maybe not just this mall but this entire area of Chicago? Have you looked into that yet? Or where does your investigation take you?
TROTTER: Well, we continue to work with people's gas, and they are the utility responsible for the gas line infrastructures in Chicago. We believe that they are on top of this, and they are well- aware of what limitations or what capacity their infrastructure has. Again, they're out here now. They have been out here through the night. And later on, they will be able to give us a better idea of exactly what happened here in the parking lot, but...
HEMMER: One more thing here...
TROTTER: ... as I mentioned...
HEMMER: Yes, do you believe all of these people will recover, those who were injured?
TROTTER: Yes, and, in fact, the last report that I received about a half an hour ago, that all of the people had been treated and released from area hospitals. Fortunately, this didn't happen on the weekend or about a month ago or a little under a month ago when we had our shopping season going on. So we are very fortunate.
HEMMER: Good luck to you, Cortez Trotter there in Chicago.
TROTTER: I appreciate it.
HEMMER: You got it -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: A rare public ceremony in Louisiana for six soldiers who were killed in Iraq. Flag-draped caskets were unloaded from a transport plane yesterday. The soldiers were riding together in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Baghdad when they hit a roadside bomb.
The soldiers' families wanted a public ceremony for their loved ones who trained together and fought together and eventually died together. The Army National Guard agreed against the wishes of the Pentagon, which has tried to minimize the coverage of flag-draped coffins returning home from war.
Also this morning, the head of the Army National Guard Bureau says trouble is brewing. Since the United States military became involved in Iraq and Afghanistan, recruiting efforts for the Army National Guard are 30 percent below goals. And that same involvement is costing the Guard weapons and equipment, too. In fact, the head of the Guard says he needs $20 billion to replace all of the gear.
Lieutenant General Steven Blum joins us from the Pentagon this morning.
Nice to see you, sir. Thank you for joining us this morning. Just how concerned are you about these numbers, 30 percent below recruiting goals?
LT. GEN. STEVEN BLUM, NATIONAL GUARD: Well, Good morning, Soledad. We're very concerned, but we don't view this as a crisis. We have a plan to recover probably by the third quarter of this year. I just want to highlight the resources and the policies that we'll need to make that recovery, so that we can be always ready, always there when our nation needs us.
O'BRIEN: So, give me a sense of what some of those resources are if you're going to recover 30 percent of what you're missing so far in recruitment efforts.
BLUM: Well, we have to basically change our marketing plan and our business plan for how we recruit. We have a change in our demographics, and we need to adjust to that. We're applying the resources to recruit and retain the most high-quality young men and women our nation has to offer. And I'm very optimistic that we can make these adjustments with the increased bonuses, incentives and some changes of policy that Congress is allowing us.
O'BRIEN: Some of those increased incentives, for example, $15,000 signing bonuses for experienced soldiers...
BLUM: That's right.
O'BRIEN: ... 10,000 for those who are new to joining the military.
BLUM: Yes, that's correct.
O'BRIEN: Are those going to work? Is that enough to cover the shortfall?
BLUM: We think so, but we'll watch it and we'll evaluate it. And if we can make the recovery with these adjustments, I think we'll be fine. If not, then we'll come in and ask for the resources that we need, you know, to make the numbers that we need to defend our nation here at home and abroad.
O'BRIEN: What do you blame for these numbers being 30 percent below what you'd expected? BLUM: Well, we're quite busy, as you know. Since 9/11, 11 September 2001, we've averaged over 100,000 citizen soldiers and airmen, National Guard soldiers and airmen deployed all around the world on any given day. Today, it's about 120,000 citizen soldiers deployed overseas.
So, we have to be very careful to make sure that we balance the employer, the family, and the citizen soldiers' concerns, so that they can respond to the governors here at home and also provide trained and ready forces for the Army and the Air Force for the use of the combatant commanders overseas in this war on terrorism.
O'BRIEN: There was an op-ed in "The New York Times" that said this: "The extended unplanned deployment of American forces is taking a heavy cumulative toll, especially on the Army and Army National Guard. It's undermining readiness and morale." Do you agree with that?
BLUM: No, I really don't. We're not taking any greater toll than our active-duty counterparts. We're standing shoulder to shoulder. We make up half of the United States Army and air Force. And right now, about 40 percent of the troops in harm's way overseas are citizen soldiers, and that's the way it should be. America should never go to war without its National Guard, because when you call out the Guard, you call out America. And that's a very powerful statement for both our adversaries, and it strengthens our soldiers' fighting spirit when they're employed.
O'BRIEN: When you look at the numbers over at the Army Reserves, your counterpart there says he is experiencing similar problems. And he's mentioning that maybe people will start talking about the draft at some point if these numbers don't change. Do you agree with that?
BLUM: That's talking about is possible. But I think the country made a very wise decision about 31 and a half years ago when we stopped the draft. The citizen soldiers or the men and women that answer the call to colors in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are the finest and the most magnificent young men and women that have ever served their nation and I think going back. I served in the draft Army, and I would much prefer to serve with the soldiers and the quality of soldiers that we're getting with this all- volunteer force. It is working.
O'BRIEN: Lieutenant General Steven Blum from the National Guard joining us this morning. Thank you, sir. Appreciate your time.
BLUM: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: We have talked about wacky weather all week long. Here in New York City right outside of our studios, we are fogged-in. It starts right around the 20th floor and probably runs up -- I don't know -- maybe to the 10,000-foot marker. But this is a shot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Somewhere in there we are told the Brooklyn Bridge you can find it. (WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, Apple's new iPod is already making a splash on Wall Street. But is it good or is it bad? Andy is going to take a look at that when he minds your business ahead.
HEMMER: Also, this graphic report on grand jury testimony in the Michael Jackson matter. How damaging could this be? Jeff Toobin is up in a moment right after this.
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HEMMER: Michael Jackson's child molestation trial is now scheduled to start at the end of this month; only two weeks away, in fact. And the judge has yet to decide if past accusations of child abuse can be admitted in Jackson's current case. A number of questions this morning for our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, with us today in Washington, D.C.
Good morning -- Jeff.
JEFFERY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, Bill.
HEMMER: First things first. ABC News is reporting that it has now seen and read this secret grand jury testimony and very graphic testimony from the accuser. I've seen their story. You've seen their story. You're the attorney. How damaging could it be, Jeff?
TOOBIN: Well, you know, it all depends whether the jury believes it. It has to be graphic. Given the nature of the charges, the accuser has to say what happened, and the charges are graphic. But, you know, there are no eyewitnesses. There is no evidence in the grand jury of Michael Jackson's defense, because grand juries, by definition, are one-sided presentations for the prosecution. So, I think it's very hard to say, you know, what significance it will have. It's not surprising that it exists.
HEMMER: What gives with leaked testimony from what's considered a secret grand jury?
TOOBIN: You know, ACB reports that they have read 1,900 pages of grand jury testimony. It's often the case that a little bit leaks, but 1,900 pages is an awful lot. And it's surprising and it's quite a scoop for ABC.
HEMMER: Let's talk about what happened yesterday. The judge has not yet decided whether or not he will allow past accusations into this case until he learns more about the accuser's claims, essentially. We're 14 days away, right? Does this surprise you right now that there's no ruling?
TOOBIN: Well, it does a little bit, because this is by far the biggest legal issue in the case. You know, we've talk about this before. In 1995, California changed its law because of the priest molestation cases to make it easier for prosecutors to use prior accusations even if there were no charges, even if there were not convictions in the past.
So, it seems like some of this evidence will be admissible, particularly the 1993 case, where Michael Jackson paid all of that money to settle it. But the judge, you know, as judges tend to do, is putting it off until he absolutely has to make the decision. But it's going to be a critical, critical ruling in the case.
HEMMER: Let me try and get to two more points here. Martin Bashir is a journalist. He produced a documentary. It really was the start of all of this matter. Will he testify? And if so, how significant?
TOOBIN: A tough issue, because he's now been subpoenaed. We learned that yesterday. Journalists often try to fight these subpoenas, as we know what's going on in the Valerie Palm (ph) case in Washington. I don't know. It depends how critical it is. I don't know how much he actually saw that's relevant to the case, but it's going to be a tough issue.
HEMMER: Yes, he was the one who got the interview, we know that.
TOOBIN: Right.
HEMMER: The judge has also said it is unlikely that he can keep these hearings secret. Does that mean we're going to see cameras in the courtroom on this case?
TOOBIN: Not cameras, but we may see these issues debated in public. Bill, this case has been conducted in incredible extraordinary secrecy more than any case I've ever seen. Virtually all of the important pretrial proceedings have been held in secret. There won't be cameras, but the judge has indicated that at least the hearing will be open to the public; that is, people like me who will be able to see the evidence before it's presented in court. But I've never seen a case conducted in secrecy like this. So, maybe that's starting to lift a little bit.
HEMMER: We'll see if that sticks or not. Thank you, Jeff. Good to see you down in D.C.
TOOBIN: OK, Bill.
HEMMER: Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, does Wall Street think Apple's new iPod is worth all the buzz? Andy is "Minding Your Business" just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
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O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We've been telling you just how hot Apple's iPod has been for months. Well, the numbers are now in. With a look at that plus a preview of the markets, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
That's a big tease. We're not going to tell them the numbers yet. Talk about the markets.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: We are. Yes, we'll do that. Stunning numbers, though. Some stunning numbers from Wall Street, too. The biggest gains of the year. Of course, that's not saying much, because it's been a terrible year so far.
Dow has been down five out of seven sessions, but up here yesterday. Intel leading the way. Also HCA, the hospital giant, was up as well. Futures are flat this morning, though, as we might expect.
Now, Apple Computer. This was just amazing. After the bell last night, they reported numbers for the quarter for the Christmas season, 4.5 million iPods sold. And listen to this. Sales up 75 percent. Profits quadrupled. Quadrupled. You just don't see that in big companies like this. Up to $295 million.
Now, this morning, the stock is up 12 percent in pre-market trading. There's the stock over the past 12 month, which has been stunning. So the stock is up from $65 to $73 in pre-market.
And the question is, though: Where does Apple go from here? Could this be a high water mark for iPod sales? Or is it starting to get saturated? We'll have to see.
I was down at an Apple's store, though, earlier this week. And let me tell you something, there was no post-Christmas lull at all. The place was packed. There were lines. It was nighttime. It was sleeting out, and there were still people in there buying stuff. So it's just a very, very hot company with hot products.
O'BRIEN: They've always been very good, I think, about sort of dealing with things tapering off.
SERWER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: They always start looking for the next thing...
SERWER: Well, marketing, they're so good at that.
O'BRIEN: Right. All right, Andy, thanks.
SERWER: You're welcome.
HEMMER: Back to Jack, the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: No good deed, Bill, goes unpunished, apparently. The Indonesia government yesterday announced it wants U.S. troops helping tsunami victims out of the country by March. Indonesia's vice president said -- quote -- "three months are enough. In fact, the sooner they leave the better" -- unquote.
The Indonesians also refused to allow the Marines coming ashore to rebuild roads, establish a base camp or carry arms. Indonesia is the most populated Muslim country in the world. Here's the question: How should the United States respond to Indonesia's demands? And don't you know we touched a button with this. We got a whole lot.
HEMMER: Here we go.
CAFFERTY: Some of these letters I can actually read on television.
Jerry in Georgia: "It's very disturbing to see how much the United States is both feared and hated in the Muslim world. The Marines should be withdrawn immediately, showing respect for the desires of the Indonesian government."
Jack in Louisiana: "It's perfectly understandable that a Muslim nation would not want U.S. troops on their soil any longer than necessary. While we have done a lot for their people, our continued presence will eventually create violent protests from religious extremists within that country."
Greg in Westville, Nova Scotia writes: "They should get out as ordered, but don't forget to take your wallet and a stop payment on the check is definitely in order."
Ian in Providence, Rhode Island: "Let me get this straight. The country whose schools teach their children to hate America and who blow up Westerners in nightclubs for sport is unhappy about the way in which Americans are saving their lives. My grandfather used to say the difference between a dog and a man is when you feed a starving dog, it doesn't try to bite you."
And William in New York writes this: "Fine. Pull out our troops. Leave the cash. This is a devastated country that desperately needs to prove it can govern itself and restore order on its own. If my mother-in-law gave us $300 and said she'd spend the next three weekends with us to help us spend it properly, I think I'd take a pass."
HEMMER: There's a thing crossing the wires 15 minutes ago, people warning right now in Indonesia, if they don't get immediate aid now, malaria could take 100,000 more lives in that part of the world alone. That lets you know how much needed the U.S. military is there and the aid that's going in.
Thank you, Jack.
Top stories in a moment here, including that nasty streak of weather that's causing trouble from the Pacific Coast to the Midwest. We'll tell you what's coming next, and there is more. Back after this.
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