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American Morning
Link to Al Qaeda; Fear and Confusion Over Deadly Asian Flu Virus
Aired April 13, 2005 - 08:00 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Link to al Qaeda -- terror suspects now behind bars in an alleged plot to attack the U.S. But are other members of the deadly network still hiding here in this country?
There is fear and confusion over the deadly Asian flu after thousands of samples of the virus are mistakenly shipped around the world.
And Pope John Paul II's final resting place now open to the public and now another public outpouring at the Vatican, all ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Welcome, everybody.
And also this morning, the final explanation for a deadly bombing spree in the South. This morning, Eric Robert Rudolph is entering his guilty pleas for the Olympic bombing, among others. We're going to find out what else he's going to tell the courts.
HEMMER: Also this hour, the opera soprano that was the sensation of the world until she was fired for being overweight. Deborah Voigt is back, 100 pounds lighter, getting rave reviews all over again. And she took some drastic measures to get there. We'll talk to her this hour, too.
O'BRIEN: Yes, she's got a great story.
HEMMER: Yes.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's up with that? If opera singers were fired for being overweight, Pavarotti would never have sung a note at The Met.
HEMMER: But he is Italy and she's in...
O'BRIEN: And he's a guy and I'm going to guess...
CAFFERTY: Well, he sang at The Met here in New York.
HEMMER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: I mean, you know, right? I mean, it's, oh you think it's like a sex thing?
O'BRIEN: No, I think that there are probably more stringent standards for women. But I'm guessing.
CAFFERTY: What about that expression that it ain't over until the fat lady sings? Have you heard that one?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Now it's the skinny lady.
CAFFERTY: It's not over -- the saying is, it's not over until the fat man sings, is it?
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I'm not following the connection at all, but OK.
CAFFERTY: Well, no, you just mentioned that it was maybe a thing based on gender and I just pointed out this old euphemism that singles out your sex.
Coming up in "The Cafferty File," it's Wednesday, time for "Things People Say."
Surprise, the nation's chief executive has now admitted there is no Social Security Trust Fund. It's bankrupt. The politicians have spent all the money. The Trust Fund consists of a drawer of IOUs in Washington.
Country singer Wynonna Judd on the ultimate mood elevator.
And, finally, a Republican memo on Terri Schiavo under S for stupid.
O'BRIEN: Interesting.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thank you for...
CAFFERTY: Remember we talked about early in that Schiavo thing, we said this was a political ploy by the Republicans rushing back to Washington to? There's a memo that tends to confirm that idea.
O'BRIEN: Oh, interesting.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, we'll look at that ahead this morning.
Thank you, Jack.
The headlines now.
Carol Costello is with us -- good morning. CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
HEMMER: Hello.
COSTELLO: Good morning to all of you.
Now in the news, the World Health Organization is urging labs in the United States, Canada and 16 other countries to destroy test samples of an Asian flu virus. Researchers say that same strain triggered a pandemic in 1957. A spokesman at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control stressed there is no public health risk. Samples should be destroyed, though, within a day or two.
A full scale search underway this morning for a missing girl in Florida. Volunteers are combing through the Hillsborough County of Ruskin for 13-year-old Sarah Lunde. Officials are also speaking with registered sex offenders in the area. The girl was last seen Saturday night. Her family says the girl has run away from home in the past, but she's never been gone for this long. We're expecting to hear some more from police some time this morning.
A convicted felon at the center of a nationwide manhunt is expected to appear in court today. Stephen Stanko was arrested Tuesday at a shopping center in Augusta, Georgia. Officials had been looking for him in connection with two killings and a rape in South Carolina. He's being held on a federal charge of wrongful flight to avoid prosecution.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul this morning. You're looking at live pictures from Afghanistan. The two are holding this joint news conference. The defense secretary visited with U.S. commanders and forces in Kandahar earlier today, following a one day visit to Iraq. Rumsfeld reportedly told soldiers "you're earning your place in history."
Talking about history, it was a big night for Sammy Sosa. The seven time All Star homered for the first time with his new team on Tuesday, sending the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-6 victory over the Devil Rays at Tampa. It is the 575th home run for Sammy Sosa.
And the Orioles, by the way, are doing great this season.
HEMMER: So far.
COSTELLO: They took two from the Yankees.
HEMMER: That they did. The Yankees in last place, by the way, which really makes all the guys out here very happy, right, Shane?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SHANE: Yes.
HEMMER: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure. O'BRIEN: Well, there's still no word on whether three suspected al Qaeda supporters will be extradited to the United States. That is the focus of our CNN "Security Watch."
The men were indicted yesterday in Britain, where they are being held. They're accused of plotting to attack U.S. financial institutions, including New York's Citicorp building and the New York Stock Exchange, the Prudential building in Newark, New Jersey and the IMF and World Bank buildings in Washington, D.C.
O'BRIEN: Well, last summer, the terror alert was raised because of that threat.
Deputy U.S. Attorney James Comey is in Washington, D.C. this morning.
Good morning.
It's nice to have you, sir.
Give me a sense of what you believe these three men did.
JAMES COMEY, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: We've charged these three men in an indictment returned by a grand jury in New York with conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction against targets that they were selecting in New York and Washington. We charged that they conspired to do this from starting in about 1998 up to August of last summer.
O'BRIEN: Weapons of mass destruction. Then do you believe that they had plans to use biological or nuclear weapons?
COMEY: We haven't alleged that. In our world, the legal definition of weapons of mass destruction includes improvised explosive devices, and that's the only kind of WMD that's mentioned in the indictment.
O'BRIEN: You have not alleged in the indictment any kind of connection to al Qaeda.
I was wondering, why leave that out?
COMEY: Well, I guess I can't say. It's not alleged in the indictment. I'm not saying there isn't a connection to al Qaeda, but that was not alleged. We've tried to be very careful of what we've alleged. We've tried very carefully not to step on the prosecution that's ongoing in the United Kingdom. And so beyond that, I really can't say.
O'BRIEN: You have described it as an elaborate conspiracy that was, and I'm quoting you, "alive and kicking until August of '04."
Was this plot, do you believe, underway before 9/11?
COMEY: Yes. The planning for this, the surveillance for this began, as we said before, 2000. And in particular, there was a surveillance trip where extensive work was done by these defendants in April of '01. So in the same year as 9/11, but months before.
O'BRIEN: The targets include the New York Stock Exchange, the Citicorp building, the Prudential building in New Jersey, the International Monetary Fund building and the World Bank, those in Washington, D.C.
COMEY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Why are you announcing the indictments now, when we heard about the allegations some eight months ago?
COMEY: Well, we discovered the surveillance reports last summer and took steps to alert those that were in the affected areas, particularly the financial sectors in Washington and New York. And then we set to work to try and figure out exactly who was involved and what proof could we assemble against them. And that work was done in the grand jury indictment that was just returned.
The British grabbed these three guys at a -- in August of last year and brought their own case. But we've focused on the surveillance and the planning in the United States and the conspiracy to kill Americans here.
O'BRIEN: What's the status of their case against them? I mean do they have to convict them first before they're brought to the United States for trial? What would the time line be?
COMEY: Yes, we go second. The British have already commenced a prosecution. I don't know the exact timing of it, but there will be a trial there. And at the end of that, the United States will go forward on its extradition request, to bring these guys here, to try them on what they did in the United States.
O'BRIEN: And as far as you know, is there now no plot to try to bring down these buildings that I mentioned?
COMEY: Well, I'm not aware of a specific plot. As I said yesterday in announcing this, this highlights the nature of the enemy that we face. We've got people all over the world who are bent on killing Americans in a spectacular fashion, and they are very patient and very sophisticated.
So nobody in law enforcement or intelligence would ever tell you that we're certain there's nothing ongoing. But I'm not aware of any targeting of these buildings right now.
O'BRIEN: James Comey talking with us.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.
HEMMER: Eight minutes past the hour now.
It will be a busy day for accused bomber Eric Robert Rudolph. He'll appear in two courtrooms in two different cities today, taking responsibility for four different bombings. David Mattingly has the latest in Birmingham, Alabama.
Rudolph is set to appear there about an hour from now -- and, David, take us through what you expect today in court.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, this is -- we're going to see the beginning of a very well scripted day for Eric Robert Rudolph. He will walk into federal court today, where he is expected to plead guilty to the bombing of a Birmingham women's clinic that performs abortions. That back in 1998.
After that is done, he will be taken by federal marshals to Atlanta, Georgia and back into federal court there, where he is expected to plead guilty to three more bombings, first of all, the bombing in Centennial Olympic Park in 1996; then, the bombing of an office building in suburban Atlanta that housed a clinic that performed abortions, that in 1997; then the bombing of a gay and lesbian nightclub in Atlanta, that also in 1997.
Afterward, attorneys are going to be holding a news conference in Atlanta and here in Birmingham, where they will speak to the media for the first time. And a great deal of anticipation now, because we've learned that Eric Robert Rudolph will be releasing a written statement, possibly telling everyone why he carried out these bombings. So a great deal of speculation now of what will be in that written statement later today, after he's finished pleading guilty to all of these charges -- Bill.
HEMMER: That is intriguing.
Do you know -- a couple of things here, David.
Do you know how long the statement is, how detailed it could be? And will he say anything vocally in court other than the guilty plea?
MATTINGLY: It's going to be a very minimal process in court today. It's expected to be a lot of yes and no questions with the judge. All he has to do is convince the judge that the charges against him will stick and that he is pleading guilty for a very good reason.
As far as the written statement, the -- his attorneys have that and will release it after all the court proceedings happen today. So, again, everyone very much interested in seeing what Eric Robert Rudolph has to say about his crimes.
HEMMER: One more thing. Where will he likely serve this life sentence?
MATTINGLY: Well, because of this deal that he's made with prosecutors, he's avoiding the death penalty. This life sentence he's going to get will be at a super max prison, a federal prison in Colorado that has become the last home for a variety of domestic terrorists, including Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. It's not going to be a very good existence by any measure. He will spend up to 23 hours a day in a cell. He will eat all of his meals in this single cell. He will be alone in this cell for the rest of his life. He will get out only for about an hour every day for any kind of recreation and have very limited contact with other inmates for the rest of his life -- Bill.
HEMMER: David, thank you.
We're watching that story from Birmingham to Atlanta, and we will all be waiting for that statement a bit later today.
David, thanks for that.
We want to check the weather right now.
Watching that with Chad Myers at the CNN Center.
A decent day, I think, yes?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Well, it depends on where you are.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, President Bush marks the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. But with thousands of U.S. troops still in Iraq, is it really reason to celebrate? As closer look ahead.
HEMMER: Also, that world class soprano who was fired for being overweight -- why it may have been a blessing in disguise. She'll share her story in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(VIDEO CLIP FROM OPERA)
O'BRIEN: Whether she is singing Wagner or Verdi, Deborah Voigt has few rivals on the opera stage. For years, the size of her talent was matched only by her size. Well, now there's a new soprano in town. Meet the woman who faced the fears about her weight, to reach new heights.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): One of the world's leading sopranos is defying operatic conventional wisdom that big voices must come from big bodies. Deborah Voigt has lost more than 100 pounds after gastric bypass surgery.
DEBORAH VOIGT, OPERA SINGER: But I've tried every other diet imaginable and this sort of seemed like the right thing at the right time.
O'BRIEN: Voigt struggled with weight as a teenager. She underwent the drastic obesity surgery last June, just weeks after her size became an international issue. She was dropped from a London opera production for being overweight. Now that she has gone public, Voigt says she didn't have the surgery because she was fired. VOIGT: That's really important for me to get across because it's a very -- this is a very, very serious, very dangerous procedure and to have it because one set of persons think that you aren't appropriate because of whatever is wrong with you or they think is wrong with you, is no reason to have this procedure.
O'BRIEN: Seven weeks after her surgery, Deborah Voigt was back on the stage, hitting the high notes again. This woman, in her vocal prime, says the gastric bypass was a blessing.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN: You're very clear -- Deborah Voigt joins us this morning.
Nice to have you.
You're very clear that you didn't have the surgery because of what you call the black dress incident. A director of an opera wanted you in this sort of slinky black dress.
VOIGT: Right.
O'BRIEN: And it didn't fit. And you said but having the surgery, the drastic measure, wasn't the reason why you had it.
VOIGT: No, it really wasn't. I was beginning to have a lot of orthopedic problems. My knees were bothering me and, of course, we all know that obesity can lead to all sorts of serious problems -- diabetes, hypertension. And I had...
O'BRIEN: Had you been thinking about it for a while?
VOIGT: I had been thinking about it for 20 years...
O'BRIEN: Really?
VOIGT: ... since I had first heard about the procedure. But, of course, it was even more drastic and dangerous that long ago. So now that it has been proved extensively, I thought, well, the timing is right and I've tried everything else. And I think that's the most important thing, that you try everything before you do something so serious.
O'BRIEN: As you well know, people die from this surgery. I mean, that's a fact. In your case, though, you must have also had thoughts about what will this do to my voice. I mean, you know, this is your life, your career.
VOIGT: Right.
O'BRIEN: What -- how did you balance the two of those things?
VOIGT: Well, I knew that carrying around all that extra weight was going to endanger my career and my life, as well. And so I had to balance it out and decide which was the better way to go, to stay 100 plus pounds overweight or take the risk of the surgery.
I was not so concerned about the actual surgery itself, because it was done laproscopically. I was concerned about having a tube put down my throat and to be put to sleep. But the doctors were very much aware of what I do for a living and were very cautious.
O'BRIEN: The "New York Times" reviewed your performance after the surgery and they said, essentially, how does she sound now? How does a waiflike version sound? That's what they called you.
VOIGT: Please. Waiflike...
O'BRIEN: How does she sound now? Absolutely terrific.
How does that feel?
VOIGT: Well, that felt really nice, just to put it mildly. I mean I feel like I'm very much still in transition. It hasn't even been a year since I lost the weight. And so I'm still getting used to how I -- my body responds to being lighter and trying to sing on a big operatic stage.
O'BRIEN: You were back to work, I read, within seven weeks after your surgery.
VOIGT: Right.
O'BRIEN: Were there no side effects, no negative -- I mean it went very smoothly?
VOIGT: I had a lot of trouble with stamina initially. And that passed within the six months or so. And I certainly have to pay more attention to the way I care for myself now. But in the end, it's all worth it.
O'BRIEN: The director of the production in London...
VOIGT: Right.
O'BRIEN: ... who sort of -- you said it was humiliating to be fired because you were overweight.
Do you feel revenge now? I read that you're going to perform "Salome"...
VOIGT: I am.
O'BRIEN: ... which is the, you know, the famous dance of the seven veils.
VOIGT: Right. Right.
O'BRIEN: You couldn't have done that before.
VOIGT: Well, I used to call it the dance of the 77 veils, so I think it's probably more viable for me to do it now. O'BRIEN: Well, now it's announced. Did you cut it out and send it anonymously to the director back in London?
VOIGT: Tempting though that was, no, no, no. I'm just going to let that all go.
O'BRIEN: How are you feeling now? And what do you think you're going to be doing, you know, X number of years down the road? Would you like to lose more weight?
VOIGT: Oh, yes, I'd like to...
O'BRIEN: Do you feel like you're fine in New York?
VOIGT: No, no, I'd like to get another maybe 30 or 40 pounds off. But we'll see. I think my body will probably tell me when it's enough.
O'BRIEN: It's nice to have you.
VOIGT: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Congratulations on all your amazing success, and your good health, as well.
VOIGT: Thanks, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks for talking with us this morning.
You can hear more of Deborah on her CD. It's called "Obsessions." And you can see her, of course, on stage at the Metropolitan Opera. That's here in New York until May 3 -- Bill.
HEMMER: Way to go, Deborah.
In a moment here, Congress gets a crack at the president's pick to be national intelligence director. The career is distinguished, we know that. Critics also say, though, he's too much of a yes man to get the right job done. A closer look with Kamber and May this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: If you are watching the clock, you have about 63 hours until this year's tax deadline. If you haven't done it already, get it done. A new Gallup poll gives us some new numbers, too, showing more than half of those surveyed say their federal taxes are too high. Shocker. Forty-four percent say they're about right, 2 percent say too low.
Which taxes are the least fair, we asked them? Forty-two percent say the property tax. Hmmm.
O'BRIEN: Well, who are the 2 percent who are saying their taxes are too low? I want to meet these people.
HEMMER: Give them more.
O'BRIEN: That is bizarre.
HEMMER: That list right there shows just about every tax there, too.
O'BRIEN: That's weird.
CAFFERTY: See that thing about the extension, we were just talking, if you file an extension, you still have to send the money in, right?
O'BRIEN: Yes. It saves you time, but not a dime.
CAFFERTY: You can file the return later, but they want the money yesterday.
HEMMER: A glorious time of the year, isn't it?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CAFFERTY: Put it in that Social Security Trust Fund that doesn't exist.
Instead of figuring out why the Green Bay Packers don't win as often as they used to, the people of Wisconsin have decided to legalize cat hunting instead. The residents there voted last night to designate feral cats as an unprotected species, just like skunks or gophers, which means that any domestic cat without a collar that isn't under the owner's direct control could be fair game for hunters.
One animal advocacy group estimates there are 80 million stray cats in the United States, about as many as there are pets.
So the question this morning, and we're getting a bunch of mail on this, is should Wisconsin legalize cat hunting?
Monica in Virginia writes: "Would they have open season on dogs next? Frankly, this is absurd. I would think there are other things for Wisconsin to be concerned with."
This one unsigned: "I plan to never ever buy any more Wisconsin cheese. They are such fools. Statistically, cats simply do not catch that many birds and the feral ones can kill the mice and bolls that carry the deer ticks to humans. After all, nobody gets lime disease standing next to Bambi."
Sara in Maryland writes: "I think it's a ridiculous idea, cat hunting. This is just another opportunity for the redneck folk to be rednecks. Hey, let's shoot them with our guns, guys. Pass me another Budweiser."
And Shirley in Florida writes: "Yes, the cats have to go. They should hunt them in the winter, so the little corpses will freeze and then can be packed up and sent down here to feed our one million alligators."
O'BRIEN: Oh.
CAFFERTY: Some of you are just heartless.
HEMMER: Good for something.
CAFFERTY: And cold.
O'BRIEN: And you love them, each and every one of them.
CAFFERTY: Oh, yes, those are my -- they're my people.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Viewers.
CAFFERTY: Those are my folks.
HEMMER: Remember this guy at the Capitol the other day? They blew up his bag and...
CAFFERTY: Yes, but did they over react to that?
HEMMER: Well...
CAFFERTY: I mean, that seemed a bit...
O'BRIEN: Well, in hindsight maybe it looks like it, but who knows?
CAFFERTY: Well, I guess that's true.
O'BRIEN: If they had been wired to a bomb, maybe not.
CAFFERTY: You don't know what you're dealing with. Yes, yes.
HEMMER: It's a post-9/11 world and that's the reason why so much is going on.
CAFFERTY: Yes. That's right.
HEMMER: Jay Leno had some fun with this, by the way.
Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
JAY LENO, HOST: Well, a very scary moment in Washington yesterday. You probably saw this on the news. Capitol Hill police tackled, tackled -- that's what it is, not hung -- tackled and dragged away a desperate man with two suitcases. You see that guy? He stationed himself in front of the Capitol Building, stood there for an hour and demanded to get into the White House. You know, I think John Kerry is starting to lose it, you know? (END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: He's had a string of John Kerry jokes where he's kind of nailing him a little bit.
CAFFERTY: That was right over the middle of the plate, that one.
O'BRIEN: Yes. And yet, very funny.
CAFFERTY: Yes. It was cute.
O'BRIEN: Well, still to come this morning, the Cookie Monster quits cold turkey. Well, not exactly. But he is kind of cutting back. The reason behind "Sesame Street's" new health kick is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, how young is too young when it comes to cosmetic surgery? We are "Paging Dr. Gupta" about an alarming trend on America's college campuses. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Good morning.
Welcome back, everybody.
Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Coming up this morning, thousands and thousands of young women in America fresh out of high school now getting cosmetic surgery. And most of them are getting breast implants. Sanjay says that many of these women come to regret it. He's going to explain that, just ahead this morning.
HEMMER: Also, down on "Sesame Street," the Cookie Monster is giving out diet tips now. We'll look at the Muppet makeover that could help stop childhood obesity. And so often we talk about it with younger kids in America. So we'll see if there's a difference there and talk about the campaign, too.
O'BRIEN: He's got a little rap message for kids.
HEMMER: Nice.
O'BRIEN: It's good to know.
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 April 13, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Link to al Qaeda -- terror suspects now behind bars in an alleged plot to attack the U.S. But are other members of the deadly network still hiding here in this country?
There is fear and confusion over the deadly Asian flu after thousands of samples of the virus are mistakenly shipped around the world.
And Pope John Paul II's final resting place now open to the public and now another public outpouring at the Vatican, all ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Welcome, everybody.
And also this morning, the final explanation for a deadly bombing spree in the South. This morning, Eric Robert Rudolph is entering his guilty pleas for the Olympic bombing, among others. We're going to find out what else he's going to tell the courts.
HEMMER: Also this hour, the opera soprano that was the sensation of the world until she was fired for being overweight. Deborah Voigt is back, 100 pounds lighter, getting rave reviews all over again. And she took some drastic measures to get there. We'll talk to her this hour, too.
O'BRIEN: Yes, she's got a great story.
HEMMER: Yes.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's up with that? If opera singers were fired for being overweight, Pavarotti would never have sung a note at The Met.
HEMMER: But he is Italy and she's in...
O'BRIEN: And he's a guy and I'm going to guess...
CAFFERTY: Well, he sang at The Met here in New York.
HEMMER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: I mean, you know, right? I mean, it's, oh you think it's like a sex thing?
O'BRIEN: No, I think that there are probably more stringent standards for women. But I'm guessing.
CAFFERTY: What about that expression that it ain't over until the fat lady sings? Have you heard that one?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Now it's the skinny lady.
CAFFERTY: It's not over -- the saying is, it's not over until the fat man sings, is it?
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I'm not following the connection at all, but OK.
CAFFERTY: Well, no, you just mentioned that it was maybe a thing based on gender and I just pointed out this old euphemism that singles out your sex.
Coming up in "The Cafferty File," it's Wednesday, time for "Things People Say."
Surprise, the nation's chief executive has now admitted there is no Social Security Trust Fund. It's bankrupt. The politicians have spent all the money. The Trust Fund consists of a drawer of IOUs in Washington.
Country singer Wynonna Judd on the ultimate mood elevator.
And, finally, a Republican memo on Terri Schiavo under S for stupid.
O'BRIEN: Interesting.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jack, thank you for...
CAFFERTY: Remember we talked about early in that Schiavo thing, we said this was a political ploy by the Republicans rushing back to Washington to? There's a memo that tends to confirm that idea.
O'BRIEN: Oh, interesting.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, we'll look at that ahead this morning.
Thank you, Jack.
The headlines now.
Carol Costello is with us -- good morning. CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
HEMMER: Hello.
COSTELLO: Good morning to all of you.
Now in the news, the World Health Organization is urging labs in the United States, Canada and 16 other countries to destroy test samples of an Asian flu virus. Researchers say that same strain triggered a pandemic in 1957. A spokesman at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control stressed there is no public health risk. Samples should be destroyed, though, within a day or two.
A full scale search underway this morning for a missing girl in Florida. Volunteers are combing through the Hillsborough County of Ruskin for 13-year-old Sarah Lunde. Officials are also speaking with registered sex offenders in the area. The girl was last seen Saturday night. Her family says the girl has run away from home in the past, but she's never been gone for this long. We're expecting to hear some more from police some time this morning.
A convicted felon at the center of a nationwide manhunt is expected to appear in court today. Stephen Stanko was arrested Tuesday at a shopping center in Augusta, Georgia. Officials had been looking for him in connection with two killings and a rape in South Carolina. He's being held on a federal charge of wrongful flight to avoid prosecution.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul this morning. You're looking at live pictures from Afghanistan. The two are holding this joint news conference. The defense secretary visited with U.S. commanders and forces in Kandahar earlier today, following a one day visit to Iraq. Rumsfeld reportedly told soldiers "you're earning your place in history."
Talking about history, it was a big night for Sammy Sosa. The seven time All Star homered for the first time with his new team on Tuesday, sending the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-6 victory over the Devil Rays at Tampa. It is the 575th home run for Sammy Sosa.
And the Orioles, by the way, are doing great this season.
HEMMER: So far.
COSTELLO: They took two from the Yankees.
HEMMER: That they did. The Yankees in last place, by the way, which really makes all the guys out here very happy, right, Shane?
O'BRIEN: Yes.
SHANE: Yes.
HEMMER: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure. O'BRIEN: Well, there's still no word on whether three suspected al Qaeda supporters will be extradited to the United States. That is the focus of our CNN "Security Watch."
The men were indicted yesterday in Britain, where they are being held. They're accused of plotting to attack U.S. financial institutions, including New York's Citicorp building and the New York Stock Exchange, the Prudential building in Newark, New Jersey and the IMF and World Bank buildings in Washington, D.C.
O'BRIEN: Well, last summer, the terror alert was raised because of that threat.
Deputy U.S. Attorney James Comey is in Washington, D.C. this morning.
Good morning.
It's nice to have you, sir.
Give me a sense of what you believe these three men did.
JAMES COMEY, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: We've charged these three men in an indictment returned by a grand jury in New York with conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction against targets that they were selecting in New York and Washington. We charged that they conspired to do this from starting in about 1998 up to August of last summer.
O'BRIEN: Weapons of mass destruction. Then do you believe that they had plans to use biological or nuclear weapons?
COMEY: We haven't alleged that. In our world, the legal definition of weapons of mass destruction includes improvised explosive devices, and that's the only kind of WMD that's mentioned in the indictment.
O'BRIEN: You have not alleged in the indictment any kind of connection to al Qaeda.
I was wondering, why leave that out?
COMEY: Well, I guess I can't say. It's not alleged in the indictment. I'm not saying there isn't a connection to al Qaeda, but that was not alleged. We've tried to be very careful of what we've alleged. We've tried very carefully not to step on the prosecution that's ongoing in the United Kingdom. And so beyond that, I really can't say.
O'BRIEN: You have described it as an elaborate conspiracy that was, and I'm quoting you, "alive and kicking until August of '04."
Was this plot, do you believe, underway before 9/11?
COMEY: Yes. The planning for this, the surveillance for this began, as we said before, 2000. And in particular, there was a surveillance trip where extensive work was done by these defendants in April of '01. So in the same year as 9/11, but months before.
O'BRIEN: The targets include the New York Stock Exchange, the Citicorp building, the Prudential building in New Jersey, the International Monetary Fund building and the World Bank, those in Washington, D.C.
COMEY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Why are you announcing the indictments now, when we heard about the allegations some eight months ago?
COMEY: Well, we discovered the surveillance reports last summer and took steps to alert those that were in the affected areas, particularly the financial sectors in Washington and New York. And then we set to work to try and figure out exactly who was involved and what proof could we assemble against them. And that work was done in the grand jury indictment that was just returned.
The British grabbed these three guys at a -- in August of last year and brought their own case. But we've focused on the surveillance and the planning in the United States and the conspiracy to kill Americans here.
O'BRIEN: What's the status of their case against them? I mean do they have to convict them first before they're brought to the United States for trial? What would the time line be?
COMEY: Yes, we go second. The British have already commenced a prosecution. I don't know the exact timing of it, but there will be a trial there. And at the end of that, the United States will go forward on its extradition request, to bring these guys here, to try them on what they did in the United States.
O'BRIEN: And as far as you know, is there now no plot to try to bring down these buildings that I mentioned?
COMEY: Well, I'm not aware of a specific plot. As I said yesterday in announcing this, this highlights the nature of the enemy that we face. We've got people all over the world who are bent on killing Americans in a spectacular fashion, and they are very patient and very sophisticated.
So nobody in law enforcement or intelligence would ever tell you that we're certain there's nothing ongoing. But I'm not aware of any targeting of these buildings right now.
O'BRIEN: James Comey talking with us.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security -- Bill.
HEMMER: Eight minutes past the hour now.
It will be a busy day for accused bomber Eric Robert Rudolph. He'll appear in two courtrooms in two different cities today, taking responsibility for four different bombings. David Mattingly has the latest in Birmingham, Alabama.
Rudolph is set to appear there about an hour from now -- and, David, take us through what you expect today in court.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, this is -- we're going to see the beginning of a very well scripted day for Eric Robert Rudolph. He will walk into federal court today, where he is expected to plead guilty to the bombing of a Birmingham women's clinic that performs abortions. That back in 1998.
After that is done, he will be taken by federal marshals to Atlanta, Georgia and back into federal court there, where he is expected to plead guilty to three more bombings, first of all, the bombing in Centennial Olympic Park in 1996; then, the bombing of an office building in suburban Atlanta that housed a clinic that performed abortions, that in 1997; then the bombing of a gay and lesbian nightclub in Atlanta, that also in 1997.
Afterward, attorneys are going to be holding a news conference in Atlanta and here in Birmingham, where they will speak to the media for the first time. And a great deal of anticipation now, because we've learned that Eric Robert Rudolph will be releasing a written statement, possibly telling everyone why he carried out these bombings. So a great deal of speculation now of what will be in that written statement later today, after he's finished pleading guilty to all of these charges -- Bill.
HEMMER: That is intriguing.
Do you know -- a couple of things here, David.
Do you know how long the statement is, how detailed it could be? And will he say anything vocally in court other than the guilty plea?
MATTINGLY: It's going to be a very minimal process in court today. It's expected to be a lot of yes and no questions with the judge. All he has to do is convince the judge that the charges against him will stick and that he is pleading guilty for a very good reason.
As far as the written statement, the -- his attorneys have that and will release it after all the court proceedings happen today. So, again, everyone very much interested in seeing what Eric Robert Rudolph has to say about his crimes.
HEMMER: One more thing. Where will he likely serve this life sentence?
MATTINGLY: Well, because of this deal that he's made with prosecutors, he's avoiding the death penalty. This life sentence he's going to get will be at a super max prison, a federal prison in Colorado that has become the last home for a variety of domestic terrorists, including Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. It's not going to be a very good existence by any measure. He will spend up to 23 hours a day in a cell. He will eat all of his meals in this single cell. He will be alone in this cell for the rest of his life. He will get out only for about an hour every day for any kind of recreation and have very limited contact with other inmates for the rest of his life -- Bill.
HEMMER: David, thank you.
We're watching that story from Birmingham to Atlanta, and we will all be waiting for that statement a bit later today.
David, thanks for that.
We want to check the weather right now.
Watching that with Chad Myers at the CNN Center.
A decent day, I think, yes?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Well, it depends on where you are.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, President Bush marks the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. But with thousands of U.S. troops still in Iraq, is it really reason to celebrate? As closer look ahead.
HEMMER: Also, that world class soprano who was fired for being overweight -- why it may have been a blessing in disguise. She'll share her story in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(VIDEO CLIP FROM OPERA)
O'BRIEN: Whether she is singing Wagner or Verdi, Deborah Voigt has few rivals on the opera stage. For years, the size of her talent was matched only by her size. Well, now there's a new soprano in town. Meet the woman who faced the fears about her weight, to reach new heights.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): One of the world's leading sopranos is defying operatic conventional wisdom that big voices must come from big bodies. Deborah Voigt has lost more than 100 pounds after gastric bypass surgery.
DEBORAH VOIGT, OPERA SINGER: But I've tried every other diet imaginable and this sort of seemed like the right thing at the right time.
O'BRIEN: Voigt struggled with weight as a teenager. She underwent the drastic obesity surgery last June, just weeks after her size became an international issue. She was dropped from a London opera production for being overweight. Now that she has gone public, Voigt says she didn't have the surgery because she was fired. VOIGT: That's really important for me to get across because it's a very -- this is a very, very serious, very dangerous procedure and to have it because one set of persons think that you aren't appropriate because of whatever is wrong with you or they think is wrong with you, is no reason to have this procedure.
O'BRIEN: Seven weeks after her surgery, Deborah Voigt was back on the stage, hitting the high notes again. This woman, in her vocal prime, says the gastric bypass was a blessing.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN: You're very clear -- Deborah Voigt joins us this morning.
Nice to have you.
You're very clear that you didn't have the surgery because of what you call the black dress incident. A director of an opera wanted you in this sort of slinky black dress.
VOIGT: Right.
O'BRIEN: And it didn't fit. And you said but having the surgery, the drastic measure, wasn't the reason why you had it.
VOIGT: No, it really wasn't. I was beginning to have a lot of orthopedic problems. My knees were bothering me and, of course, we all know that obesity can lead to all sorts of serious problems -- diabetes, hypertension. And I had...
O'BRIEN: Had you been thinking about it for a while?
VOIGT: I had been thinking about it for 20 years...
O'BRIEN: Really?
VOIGT: ... since I had first heard about the procedure. But, of course, it was even more drastic and dangerous that long ago. So now that it has been proved extensively, I thought, well, the timing is right and I've tried everything else. And I think that's the most important thing, that you try everything before you do something so serious.
O'BRIEN: As you well know, people die from this surgery. I mean, that's a fact. In your case, though, you must have also had thoughts about what will this do to my voice. I mean, you know, this is your life, your career.
VOIGT: Right.
O'BRIEN: What -- how did you balance the two of those things?
VOIGT: Well, I knew that carrying around all that extra weight was going to endanger my career and my life, as well. And so I had to balance it out and decide which was the better way to go, to stay 100 plus pounds overweight or take the risk of the surgery.
I was not so concerned about the actual surgery itself, because it was done laproscopically. I was concerned about having a tube put down my throat and to be put to sleep. But the doctors were very much aware of what I do for a living and were very cautious.
O'BRIEN: The "New York Times" reviewed your performance after the surgery and they said, essentially, how does she sound now? How does a waiflike version sound? That's what they called you.
VOIGT: Please. Waiflike...
O'BRIEN: How does she sound now? Absolutely terrific.
How does that feel?
VOIGT: Well, that felt really nice, just to put it mildly. I mean I feel like I'm very much still in transition. It hasn't even been a year since I lost the weight. And so I'm still getting used to how I -- my body responds to being lighter and trying to sing on a big operatic stage.
O'BRIEN: You were back to work, I read, within seven weeks after your surgery.
VOIGT: Right.
O'BRIEN: Were there no side effects, no negative -- I mean it went very smoothly?
VOIGT: I had a lot of trouble with stamina initially. And that passed within the six months or so. And I certainly have to pay more attention to the way I care for myself now. But in the end, it's all worth it.
O'BRIEN: The director of the production in London...
VOIGT: Right.
O'BRIEN: ... who sort of -- you said it was humiliating to be fired because you were overweight.
Do you feel revenge now? I read that you're going to perform "Salome"...
VOIGT: I am.
O'BRIEN: ... which is the, you know, the famous dance of the seven veils.
VOIGT: Right. Right.
O'BRIEN: You couldn't have done that before.
VOIGT: Well, I used to call it the dance of the 77 veils, so I think it's probably more viable for me to do it now. O'BRIEN: Well, now it's announced. Did you cut it out and send it anonymously to the director back in London?
VOIGT: Tempting though that was, no, no, no. I'm just going to let that all go.
O'BRIEN: How are you feeling now? And what do you think you're going to be doing, you know, X number of years down the road? Would you like to lose more weight?
VOIGT: Oh, yes, I'd like to...
O'BRIEN: Do you feel like you're fine in New York?
VOIGT: No, no, I'd like to get another maybe 30 or 40 pounds off. But we'll see. I think my body will probably tell me when it's enough.
O'BRIEN: It's nice to have you.
VOIGT: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Congratulations on all your amazing success, and your good health, as well.
VOIGT: Thanks, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Thanks for talking with us this morning.
You can hear more of Deborah on her CD. It's called "Obsessions." And you can see her, of course, on stage at the Metropolitan Opera. That's here in New York until May 3 -- Bill.
HEMMER: Way to go, Deborah.
In a moment here, Congress gets a crack at the president's pick to be national intelligence director. The career is distinguished, we know that. Critics also say, though, he's too much of a yes man to get the right job done. A closer look with Kamber and May this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: If you are watching the clock, you have about 63 hours until this year's tax deadline. If you haven't done it already, get it done. A new Gallup poll gives us some new numbers, too, showing more than half of those surveyed say their federal taxes are too high. Shocker. Forty-four percent say they're about right, 2 percent say too low.
Which taxes are the least fair, we asked them? Forty-two percent say the property tax. Hmmm.
O'BRIEN: Well, who are the 2 percent who are saying their taxes are too low? I want to meet these people.
HEMMER: Give them more.
O'BRIEN: That is bizarre.
HEMMER: That list right there shows just about every tax there, too.
O'BRIEN: That's weird.
CAFFERTY: See that thing about the extension, we were just talking, if you file an extension, you still have to send the money in, right?
O'BRIEN: Yes. It saves you time, but not a dime.
CAFFERTY: You can file the return later, but they want the money yesterday.
HEMMER: A glorious time of the year, isn't it?
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CAFFERTY: Put it in that Social Security Trust Fund that doesn't exist.
Instead of figuring out why the Green Bay Packers don't win as often as they used to, the people of Wisconsin have decided to legalize cat hunting instead. The residents there voted last night to designate feral cats as an unprotected species, just like skunks or gophers, which means that any domestic cat without a collar that isn't under the owner's direct control could be fair game for hunters.
One animal advocacy group estimates there are 80 million stray cats in the United States, about as many as there are pets.
So the question this morning, and we're getting a bunch of mail on this, is should Wisconsin legalize cat hunting?
Monica in Virginia writes: "Would they have open season on dogs next? Frankly, this is absurd. I would think there are other things for Wisconsin to be concerned with."
This one unsigned: "I plan to never ever buy any more Wisconsin cheese. They are such fools. Statistically, cats simply do not catch that many birds and the feral ones can kill the mice and bolls that carry the deer ticks to humans. After all, nobody gets lime disease standing next to Bambi."
Sara in Maryland writes: "I think it's a ridiculous idea, cat hunting. This is just another opportunity for the redneck folk to be rednecks. Hey, let's shoot them with our guns, guys. Pass me another Budweiser."
And Shirley in Florida writes: "Yes, the cats have to go. They should hunt them in the winter, so the little corpses will freeze and then can be packed up and sent down here to feed our one million alligators."
O'BRIEN: Oh.
CAFFERTY: Some of you are just heartless.
HEMMER: Good for something.
CAFFERTY: And cold.
O'BRIEN: And you love them, each and every one of them.
CAFFERTY: Oh, yes, those are my -- they're my people.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Viewers.
CAFFERTY: Those are my folks.
HEMMER: Remember this guy at the Capitol the other day? They blew up his bag and...
CAFFERTY: Yes, but did they over react to that?
HEMMER: Well...
CAFFERTY: I mean, that seemed a bit...
O'BRIEN: Well, in hindsight maybe it looks like it, but who knows?
CAFFERTY: Well, I guess that's true.
O'BRIEN: If they had been wired to a bomb, maybe not.
CAFFERTY: You don't know what you're dealing with. Yes, yes.
HEMMER: It's a post-9/11 world and that's the reason why so much is going on.
CAFFERTY: Yes. That's right.
HEMMER: Jay Leno had some fun with this, by the way.
Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO," COURTESY NBC)
JAY LENO, HOST: Well, a very scary moment in Washington yesterday. You probably saw this on the news. Capitol Hill police tackled, tackled -- that's what it is, not hung -- tackled and dragged away a desperate man with two suitcases. You see that guy? He stationed himself in front of the Capitol Building, stood there for an hour and demanded to get into the White House. You know, I think John Kerry is starting to lose it, you know? (END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: He's had a string of John Kerry jokes where he's kind of nailing him a little bit.
CAFFERTY: That was right over the middle of the plate, that one.
O'BRIEN: Yes. And yet, very funny.
CAFFERTY: Yes. It was cute.
O'BRIEN: Well, still to come this morning, the Cookie Monster quits cold turkey. Well, not exactly. But he is kind of cutting back. The reason behind "Sesame Street's" new health kick is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, how young is too young when it comes to cosmetic surgery? We are "Paging Dr. Gupta" about an alarming trend on America's college campuses. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Good morning.
Welcome back, everybody.
Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Coming up this morning, thousands and thousands of young women in America fresh out of high school now getting cosmetic surgery. And most of them are getting breast implants. Sanjay says that many of these women come to regret it. He's going to explain that, just ahead this morning.
HEMMER: Also, down on "Sesame Street," the Cookie Monster is giving out diet tips now. We'll look at the Muppet makeover that could help stop childhood obesity. And so often we talk about it with younger kids in America. So we'll see if there's a difference there and talk about the campaign, too.
O'BRIEN: He's got a little rap message for kids.
HEMMER: Nice.
O'BRIEN: It's good to know.
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