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American Morning

First High-Level Demotion in Prisoner Abuse Scandal Approved; 'Battle Fatigue'

Aired May 06, 2005 - 08:30   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to the headlines first, though, with Carol Costello. Hello again.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Good morning, everyone. Now in the news, President Bush says each generation has a responsibility to work to achieve peace. The comments came as President Bush heads to Europe. He left in the last hour. The trip is spent to commemorate 60 years since the end of World War II. It will include stops in the Baltics, then in Russia, and will include a visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Another attack on Iraqi police. This time in Tikrit. Officials say a suicide bomber rammed his car into a bus carrying Iraqi police officers to work. At least seven were killed, three others wounded in that attack.

Actor McCauley Culkin is expected to soon testify on behalf of pop star Michael Jackson, perhaps as early as next week. He's one of the defense witnesses expected to refute claims that Jackson has a history of inappropriate behavior with boys. The defense began presenting its case on Thursday. Two witnesses denied Jackson has molested them as boys, even though that they had slept in the pop star's bedroom, in his bed, at Neverland Ranch on several occasions.

And a London fountain built in memory of Princess Diana is reopening today in Hyde Park. The memorial has been closed off and on since last July for repairs. Among the problems a broken pump that turned the fountain into a mud bath, and a tourist slipped and fell over in the water because the floor of the fountain is slippery. It was meant for people to walk in it. So they replaced the slippery tile with a rougher surface so people wouldn't slip and fall and perhaps get seriously hurt.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, carol.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol.

HEMMER: The first high-level demotion in the prisoner abuse scandal now has been approved.

To the Pentagon and Barbara Starr. Barbara, good morning.

Much of a surprise here?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not a surprise particularly inside the military, but indeed Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the Reserve Army general who was in charge of Abu Ghraib Prison and other prisons at the time of that prison abuse scandal now demoted to colonel. And that demotion, Bill, was directly approved by President Bush.

Karpinski oversaw several prisons in Iraq, and she was investigated, if you will, on the following charges. Dereliction of duty, misrepresenting to be a investigating team, failure to obey a lawful order, and yes, shoplifting. She was found essentially liable on two charges, dereliction of duty and the shoplifting, dereliction for essentially failing to properly oversee the prisons, to make sure she knew what was going on. And that very unusual shoplifting charge, Bill. It was back in 2002. She was detained at a military store here in the United States which when she was still a colonel for apparently shoplifting about $22 worth of cosmetics. Some of her Army colleagues here in the Pentagon already saying perhaps not the most expensive shoplifting, but nonetheless, certainly one cannot be a general in the United States army and have a charge of shoplifting-- Bill.

HEMMER: Well, That surprises us, Barbara. Does it surprise you?

STARR: There had been some word about all of this. What apparently really did General Karpinski in was the dereliction of duty at Abu Ghraib. She was found to have failed to have fulfilled her duties. On the shoplifting, Bill, it apparently happened when she was a colonel, and then when she was promoted to brigadier general, she filled out paperwork that is essential, where she was mandatory, where you're supposed to answer many questions about what may have transpired, that the military needs to know about.

Apparently, we are told by sources she did not mention the shoplifting, and that means she failed to essentially tell the truth, something that is frowned upon.

HEMMER: One more thing, Barbara, here. More high-level officials are they going to take the fall for this or not.

STARR: Well, that is difficult to say at this point, but so far, apparently not. One person who was cleared of all allegations at this point is Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the man who was in charge of all U.S. forces in Iraq at the time.

The question now for General Sanchez, now that he has been cleared, the most high level general, is whether he will get a promotion and a fourth star. That will essentially be up to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. And so far, he's been asked many times, but Secretary Rumsfeld refusing to say whether he supports a promotion for General Sanchez -- Bill.

HEMMER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon this morning. Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Now, to our special series "Battle Fatigue." Coming home from war is a joyous occasion for military families, but to some couples, readjusting to civilian life can put a big strain on their marriages, and now the Army is trying to help.

CNN's Adaora Udoji joins with us more. Good morning, Soledad. Indeed.

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Indeed, when we think of the Army, we don't necessarily think of marriage counseling, but what started as a small pilot program six years ago has blossomed into a program helping many young soldiers build strong marriages. This is especially important when so many military spouses are serving overseas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to feed Coco?

UDOJI (voice-over): Bob Cabell, father of two young boys, husband to Elizabeth, knew after the 9/11 attacks he'd be called to duty. One of an unprecedented number of Army Reservists activated for the war on terror, he spent most of last year in Iraq, serving in the Sunni triangle, the most deadly area for U.S. soldiers, earning two bronze stars.

In 2001, it was Afghanistan. The communications expert was there for the bloody offensive Operation Anaconda in search of Osama Bin Laden. All the while, Elizabeth was at home in Virginia, taking care of the boys, taking on Bob's role, paying bills and mowing the lawn.

ELIZABETH CABELL, MILITARY WIFE: It was difficult at times when I had stress going on here with the kids and -- or myself.

UDOJI: Often, they couldn't speak, and when they did, Elizabeth heard sounds of war.

BOB CABELL, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: When I would be on the phone with her maybe at night, you know, and I wouldn't even maybe recognize it, but we were getting mortared, and she would hear the loud boom, and I wouldn't even think about it.

UDOJI: He learned to live with constant danger, while worrying about his family. She worried about his safety, and if he would come back a changed man.

B. CABELL: There was a disconnect in our relationship with just general stuff, making decisions and how we do that. I wanted it the way it was a year ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So right now, you're just determining how you both feel.

UDOJI: Trying to speed up the reconnection, they signed up for the Army's marriage-enrichment retreat.

E. CABELL: Welcome home.

UDOJI: A rare chance to go out on a date. Alongside 60 other military couples, also a chance for the soldiers to change gears from war to relationships, listening to a chaplain's sometimes humorous lessons on communicating. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does it take to turn a woman on to want to have sex? You guys aren't getting any, are you?

UDOJI: Bob and Elizabeth say the program is priceless.

E. CABELL: I think we've uncovered one of our miscommunications.

UDOJI: The Army says the pressures of military duty on families is real. One study pre-9/11 found military divorce triples when a spouse is deployed. To help, the Army set up building strong and ready family programs like this. Expecting greater need this year, spending has gone up to $2 million. That's four times what it was five years ago.

COL. TOMMY SMITH, CHAPLAIN: We want to help that soldier emotionally to be readjusted back into their home life, back home, as well as save some marriages, and also retain that soldier.

UDOJI: Part of that is having couples renew their wedding vows, a moment the Cabells treasure. They also know Bob could be called up again. But this time, they feel more prepared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UDOJI: And the program has just gotten bigger. The National Guard has joined in, getting $5 million this year for programs like you one you just saw. Altogether, that's nearly 200 seminars the military will sponsor this year -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Which is good news.

Now the Cabells look like it worked for them. But what if they're really struggling past the couple of days and maybe even a year later, what do they do?

UDOJI: Absolutely. And the Army has addressed that specifically, and what they've done is unit chaplains are the ones who conduct these seminars. These unit chaplains are the ones who lip live and work among the soldiers, so say a week, or a month or even a year later, if that couple is still having problems, they already have a relationship with that chaplain, someone that they can turn to in times of trouble.

HEMMER: How are Cabells doing? The kids are cute.

UDOJI: They're doing very well. They're adorable. I mean, they're just an amazing family. We had a great time visiting them. They're doing very well. They're moving out of the D.C. area. They're going to Florida. Elizabeth just got a big promotion with her company, and Bob works for AT&T, and he will be happily moving alongside his wife down to Florida.

That's terrific. Adaora, thank you very much. A great update on that family. Appreciate it.

(WEATHER REPORT) HEMMER: We told you this story a couple weeks ago about this image in Chicago underneath a highway underpass that some say looked like the Virgin Mary. Hundreds flocked to it. They left flowers and candles and said prayers. Last night, though, someone used black shoe polish to deface the image and police say they had no other choice to paint over it. A 37-year-old man now under arrest for damaging state property. What a reaction they had in Chicago when that word got, too. Hundreds going through there.

O'BRIEN: That will be interesting to see the reaction to that now today.

Well, the latest big job numbers have come out. Andy's got details. He's "Minding Your Business" just ahead.

HEMMER: Health officials linking these cute little pets to serious illnesses all the way across the country. Ten different states, in fact. Important advice for owners of so-called pocket pets in a moment, when we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: They are known as pocket pets, little hamsters or guinea pigs found at any pet store. They are seemingly safe, but apparently they can cause health problems for their owners. The CDC is now saying these pets have been linked to salmonella. Health officials say up to 30 people in ten states were stricken with salmonella after exposure to such animals. Many victims were children. Six were hospitalized. The infecting bacteria in each case showed resistance to multiple antibiotics, which could be a concern for health officials.

Dr. Louise Murray is here this morning. She's director of medicine at the ASPCA's Byrd (ph) Memorial Animal Hospital here in New York City. Good morning, doctor. Pretty low numbers here, relatively speaking.

DR. LOUISE MURRAY, ASPCA: Relative to the number of people who get salmonella in the country every year, this is a tiny, tiny percentage.

HEMMER: But one of the key things that I just mentioned here is the antibiotics. Resistant.

MURRAY: Exactly.

HEMMER: How much does that concern you?

MURRAY: Exactly. What -- if people want to figure out what to worry about in this situation, it's not the very small numbers of people that have been infected by their pets. Of course, that's something to worry about. We don't want anybody to get sick. We need to be careful and use good hygiene.

But I think, looking at the big picture, if people want to say, well, what's to worry about here, is that this was drug-resistant strain of bacteria. What that means is that these bacteria are resistant to multiple antibiotics. And that's a situation that's been created by the way that we use antibiotics in this country.

HEMMER: Yes, and so when we usually think about salmonella, we think usually about chicken.

MURRAY; Right. Well, actually, the vast majority of people who get salmonella in this country get it not from pets, but from food. And probably the top culprits are eggs and meat.

HEMMER: How do you get it from a pet, then?

MURRAY: The way you would get from a pet if pet was either sick with salmonella. Maybe the pet would, you know, show some diarrhea. Or there can even be a healthy pet who might carrying it. So the way that you would get it is by not using good hygiene after handling the pet or especially a sick pet.

HEMMER: I think you mention one of the key things. Well, let our viewers know a couple of things you want to pass along today. Wash after holding a pet. Boy, we cannot stress that enough. Also, use extra care if the pet is ill, which you mentioned, too. And be careful when buying a pet. What kind of questions do you ask? What are you looking for?

MURRAY: Well, one of the most important things is just to take a really good look. When you go into the store, when you look into the enclosure where the animals are being kept, you want to make sure none of the animals look ill. You want to see if you see any diarrhea in the pen. You don't buy a pet that looks quiet or tired or sick. You want a healthy-looking pet. But even if your pet that you're looking at looks healthy, but other animals in the pen look ill, you want to leave that store and try going to a different store.

HEMMER: We mentioned these cute furry things here. You know, we talk about little reptiles and little turtles and stuff. Does this apply to dogs and cats, too?

MURRAY: Well, we all pass salmonella around to each other. We can give salmonella to each other, we can give to our pets, our pets can give it to us. So yes, there is a potential for a dog or cat to carry salmonella. Any animal that has an upset stomach, you just want to use very good hygiene.

HEMMER: Well noted. Louise Murray. Thank you, doctor.

MURRAY: Thank you.

HEMMER: Nice to see you this morning. Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still ahead this morning, e-Bay hosts a frenzied bidding war for Pope Benedict's car. Andy tells us who got the winning bid and how much they paid for the second hand VW. He's "Minding Your Business" up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HEMMER: All right. Welcome back.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good advice in the last segment of AMERICAN MORNING, to always wash your hands after handling your chicken.

A major jobs report out this morning. And just how much did the pope-mobile fetch on eBay? Andy Serwer's is here "Minding Your Business."

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Jack.

I'm still letting the last remark settle in.

CAFFERTY: That's just a hygiene thing, you know.

SERWER: There's some common sense involved.

CAFFERTY: Good common sense to do that, if you're going to be handling your chicken, to wash your hands afterwards. You don't get that salmonella situation going on.

SERWER: Situation indeed.

Jobs report came in, Jack, and it was much better than expected, and that's good news for all of us. Here's what we got: 274,000 jobs created in April, much more than expected. We were looking for 175,000. The unemployment rate stays at 5.2 percent, which is just fine. And as you might expect, the stock market futures are rising as we talk. Previous to this eight of the past 10 months, jobs number had come in below expectations. And very good news there.

And here's a question for you, Jack, how much would you pay for a 1999 VW Golf with 47,000 miles on it?

CAFFERTY: I don't know.

SERWER: Fifteen-hundred bucks?

CAFFERTY: I don't know how much they're worth. That's not too many miles, right?

SERWER: Well, but yes, I mean, it's six years old.

CAFFERTY: Car's in good condition, well-cared for.

SERWER: OK, how about a quarter-of-a-million dollars.

CAFFERTY: I wouldn't pay that much.

SERWER: That's how much the pope-mobile went for on eBay, and of course this is the -- you may remember this story from a couple days ago. This is the pope's -- the current pope's old car. Sold by this gentleman in Germany, and he got a quarter of a million dollars for it. And, you know, I hate to say this, but you know who bought the car is goldenpalace.com. I mean, and they're doing this all for publicity, so we're saying it. These are the same folks that bought the Abe Lincoln french fry and Britney Spears' pregnancy test. Seriously. They're buying a lot of wacky stuff.

O'BRIEN: Now people are saying what the heck is goldenpalace.com. Let me go check it out.

SERWER: I don't know, but we're not going to find out.

HEMMER: They'll have a heck of a museum, too.

SERWER: They're going to have a museum with weird stuff in Vegas, and a lot of people are probably going to go to that.

CAFFERTY: Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: Time for the File. Odds of this happening, I don't know what this are, astronomical. A construction worker in Florida, a guy named Emory Johnson, hit by lightning twice, and he's still alive talking about it. He was working on an air-conditioning system yesterday when he got hit by a bolt of lightning, knocked him cold. He said he felt like he was burning inside. And hours later, when he talked about, still shaking. He was hit by lightning the first time in 1986, sitting in his truck at an intersection. Florida is the lightning capital of the United States, has the nation's highest death rate from lightning.

I think it was Chad the other morning who was watching these thunderstorms go over. He said there was a lightning strike like every two seconds down there when one of these bands of -- so that's a...

SERWER: Wow, did not know that.

CAFFERTY: Matter of time. Did you listen to Star 94 Radio in Atlanta, Bill, when you lived down there.

HEMMER: No.

CAFFERTY: Well, they've got this "runaway bride" contest going on this morning. Contestants will race around a park wearing a bridal veil in order to win a bus ticket for two to Las Vegas and Albuquerque. The radio station says the contest is BYOV, for bring your own veil.

The real runaway bride insists that hers was not a case of cold feet, she's just nuts. Contestants will have to soak their feet in ice, though, before beginning their run here for the radio station.

SERWER: Very cute.

CAFFERTY: And the money, the reason we did this, the money raised will go to the Gwinnett County Police Department, who spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to find this whack job, and they thought she might have been kidnapped or some harm, but it was nothing.

CAFFERTY: Mother's Day Sunday, lest you forget. Strong evidence moms are America's favorite parent, Soledad. You knew that.

O'BRIEN: I knew that.

CAFFERTY: A survey by the AARP found 40 percent of people say mom is their favorite parent, compared to only 20 percent who favored dad. Sixty-three percent say love is the strongest emotion they feel toward their mother. Only 41 percent say the same about their father. I wonder what the answer would have been if you asked about fear. It probably would have been different.

Hallmark, listen to this, how much do you pay for a greeting card? Hallmark says they'll sell 152 million Mother's Day cards this year. Only 95 million Father's Day cards will be sold. And I know who better be buying four of them. Get my drift there, Julie, and Jill, and Leslie and Lee?

The National Retail Federation says last year, Americans spent $10 billion on Mother's Day gifts, only $8 billion for dads. Mother's Day was a national holiday created in 1914. Us fathers didn't get our day until 1972.

O'BRIEN: It's not a competition, for god's sakes.

CAFFERTY: Obviously not. We're getting our butts kicked. If it was a competition, we'd be in it somewhere.

SERWER: We're not in it.

CAFFERTY: We're getting waylaid, wasted.

O'BRIEN: Oh, please. The mothers do the bulk of the work. You forgot to put that in, Jack, in your report.

CAFFERTY: And make sacrifices.

O'BRIEN: Yes, there you go. I don't see that in your script there.

Thank you, Jack.

Well, in just a moment, an incredible story out of Kansas, a pilot shot in the head while he helps police track down a suspect. Well, somehow he managed to land his plane. You're going to meet him ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 6, 2005 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to the headlines first, though, with Carol Costello. Hello again.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Good morning, everyone. Now in the news, President Bush says each generation has a responsibility to work to achieve peace. The comments came as President Bush heads to Europe. He left in the last hour. The trip is spent to commemorate 60 years since the end of World War II. It will include stops in the Baltics, then in Russia, and will include a visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Another attack on Iraqi police. This time in Tikrit. Officials say a suicide bomber rammed his car into a bus carrying Iraqi police officers to work. At least seven were killed, three others wounded in that attack.

Actor McCauley Culkin is expected to soon testify on behalf of pop star Michael Jackson, perhaps as early as next week. He's one of the defense witnesses expected to refute claims that Jackson has a history of inappropriate behavior with boys. The defense began presenting its case on Thursday. Two witnesses denied Jackson has molested them as boys, even though that they had slept in the pop star's bedroom, in his bed, at Neverland Ranch on several occasions.

And a London fountain built in memory of Princess Diana is reopening today in Hyde Park. The memorial has been closed off and on since last July for repairs. Among the problems a broken pump that turned the fountain into a mud bath, and a tourist slipped and fell over in the water because the floor of the fountain is slippery. It was meant for people to walk in it. So they replaced the slippery tile with a rougher surface so people wouldn't slip and fall and perhaps get seriously hurt.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, carol.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol.

HEMMER: The first high-level demotion in the prisoner abuse scandal now has been approved.

To the Pentagon and Barbara Starr. Barbara, good morning.

Much of a surprise here?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not a surprise particularly inside the military, but indeed Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the Reserve Army general who was in charge of Abu Ghraib Prison and other prisons at the time of that prison abuse scandal now demoted to colonel. And that demotion, Bill, was directly approved by President Bush.

Karpinski oversaw several prisons in Iraq, and she was investigated, if you will, on the following charges. Dereliction of duty, misrepresenting to be a investigating team, failure to obey a lawful order, and yes, shoplifting. She was found essentially liable on two charges, dereliction of duty and the shoplifting, dereliction for essentially failing to properly oversee the prisons, to make sure she knew what was going on. And that very unusual shoplifting charge, Bill. It was back in 2002. She was detained at a military store here in the United States which when she was still a colonel for apparently shoplifting about $22 worth of cosmetics. Some of her Army colleagues here in the Pentagon already saying perhaps not the most expensive shoplifting, but nonetheless, certainly one cannot be a general in the United States army and have a charge of shoplifting-- Bill.

HEMMER: Well, That surprises us, Barbara. Does it surprise you?

STARR: There had been some word about all of this. What apparently really did General Karpinski in was the dereliction of duty at Abu Ghraib. She was found to have failed to have fulfilled her duties. On the shoplifting, Bill, it apparently happened when she was a colonel, and then when she was promoted to brigadier general, she filled out paperwork that is essential, where she was mandatory, where you're supposed to answer many questions about what may have transpired, that the military needs to know about.

Apparently, we are told by sources she did not mention the shoplifting, and that means she failed to essentially tell the truth, something that is frowned upon.

HEMMER: One more thing, Barbara, here. More high-level officials are they going to take the fall for this or not.

STARR: Well, that is difficult to say at this point, but so far, apparently not. One person who was cleared of all allegations at this point is Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the man who was in charge of all U.S. forces in Iraq at the time.

The question now for General Sanchez, now that he has been cleared, the most high level general, is whether he will get a promotion and a fourth star. That will essentially be up to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. And so far, he's been asked many times, but Secretary Rumsfeld refusing to say whether he supports a promotion for General Sanchez -- Bill.

HEMMER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon this morning. Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Now, to our special series "Battle Fatigue." Coming home from war is a joyous occasion for military families, but to some couples, readjusting to civilian life can put a big strain on their marriages, and now the Army is trying to help.

CNN's Adaora Udoji joins with us more. Good morning, Soledad. Indeed.

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Indeed, when we think of the Army, we don't necessarily think of marriage counseling, but what started as a small pilot program six years ago has blossomed into a program helping many young soldiers build strong marriages. This is especially important when so many military spouses are serving overseas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to feed Coco?

UDOJI (voice-over): Bob Cabell, father of two young boys, husband to Elizabeth, knew after the 9/11 attacks he'd be called to duty. One of an unprecedented number of Army Reservists activated for the war on terror, he spent most of last year in Iraq, serving in the Sunni triangle, the most deadly area for U.S. soldiers, earning two bronze stars.

In 2001, it was Afghanistan. The communications expert was there for the bloody offensive Operation Anaconda in search of Osama Bin Laden. All the while, Elizabeth was at home in Virginia, taking care of the boys, taking on Bob's role, paying bills and mowing the lawn.

ELIZABETH CABELL, MILITARY WIFE: It was difficult at times when I had stress going on here with the kids and -- or myself.

UDOJI: Often, they couldn't speak, and when they did, Elizabeth heard sounds of war.

BOB CABELL, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: When I would be on the phone with her maybe at night, you know, and I wouldn't even maybe recognize it, but we were getting mortared, and she would hear the loud boom, and I wouldn't even think about it.

UDOJI: He learned to live with constant danger, while worrying about his family. She worried about his safety, and if he would come back a changed man.

B. CABELL: There was a disconnect in our relationship with just general stuff, making decisions and how we do that. I wanted it the way it was a year ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So right now, you're just determining how you both feel.

UDOJI: Trying to speed up the reconnection, they signed up for the Army's marriage-enrichment retreat.

E. CABELL: Welcome home.

UDOJI: A rare chance to go out on a date. Alongside 60 other military couples, also a chance for the soldiers to change gears from war to relationships, listening to a chaplain's sometimes humorous lessons on communicating. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does it take to turn a woman on to want to have sex? You guys aren't getting any, are you?

UDOJI: Bob and Elizabeth say the program is priceless.

E. CABELL: I think we've uncovered one of our miscommunications.

UDOJI: The Army says the pressures of military duty on families is real. One study pre-9/11 found military divorce triples when a spouse is deployed. To help, the Army set up building strong and ready family programs like this. Expecting greater need this year, spending has gone up to $2 million. That's four times what it was five years ago.

COL. TOMMY SMITH, CHAPLAIN: We want to help that soldier emotionally to be readjusted back into their home life, back home, as well as save some marriages, and also retain that soldier.

UDOJI: Part of that is having couples renew their wedding vows, a moment the Cabells treasure. They also know Bob could be called up again. But this time, they feel more prepared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UDOJI: And the program has just gotten bigger. The National Guard has joined in, getting $5 million this year for programs like you one you just saw. Altogether, that's nearly 200 seminars the military will sponsor this year -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Which is good news.

Now the Cabells look like it worked for them. But what if they're really struggling past the couple of days and maybe even a year later, what do they do?

UDOJI: Absolutely. And the Army has addressed that specifically, and what they've done is unit chaplains are the ones who conduct these seminars. These unit chaplains are the ones who lip live and work among the soldiers, so say a week, or a month or even a year later, if that couple is still having problems, they already have a relationship with that chaplain, someone that they can turn to in times of trouble.

HEMMER: How are Cabells doing? The kids are cute.

UDOJI: They're doing very well. They're adorable. I mean, they're just an amazing family. We had a great time visiting them. They're doing very well. They're moving out of the D.C. area. They're going to Florida. Elizabeth just got a big promotion with her company, and Bob works for AT&T, and he will be happily moving alongside his wife down to Florida.

That's terrific. Adaora, thank you very much. A great update on that family. Appreciate it.

(WEATHER REPORT) HEMMER: We told you this story a couple weeks ago about this image in Chicago underneath a highway underpass that some say looked like the Virgin Mary. Hundreds flocked to it. They left flowers and candles and said prayers. Last night, though, someone used black shoe polish to deface the image and police say they had no other choice to paint over it. A 37-year-old man now under arrest for damaging state property. What a reaction they had in Chicago when that word got, too. Hundreds going through there.

O'BRIEN: That will be interesting to see the reaction to that now today.

Well, the latest big job numbers have come out. Andy's got details. He's "Minding Your Business" just ahead.

HEMMER: Health officials linking these cute little pets to serious illnesses all the way across the country. Ten different states, in fact. Important advice for owners of so-called pocket pets in a moment, when we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: They are known as pocket pets, little hamsters or guinea pigs found at any pet store. They are seemingly safe, but apparently they can cause health problems for their owners. The CDC is now saying these pets have been linked to salmonella. Health officials say up to 30 people in ten states were stricken with salmonella after exposure to such animals. Many victims were children. Six were hospitalized. The infecting bacteria in each case showed resistance to multiple antibiotics, which could be a concern for health officials.

Dr. Louise Murray is here this morning. She's director of medicine at the ASPCA's Byrd (ph) Memorial Animal Hospital here in New York City. Good morning, doctor. Pretty low numbers here, relatively speaking.

DR. LOUISE MURRAY, ASPCA: Relative to the number of people who get salmonella in the country every year, this is a tiny, tiny percentage.

HEMMER: But one of the key things that I just mentioned here is the antibiotics. Resistant.

MURRAY: Exactly.

HEMMER: How much does that concern you?

MURRAY: Exactly. What -- if people want to figure out what to worry about in this situation, it's not the very small numbers of people that have been infected by their pets. Of course, that's something to worry about. We don't want anybody to get sick. We need to be careful and use good hygiene.

But I think, looking at the big picture, if people want to say, well, what's to worry about here, is that this was drug-resistant strain of bacteria. What that means is that these bacteria are resistant to multiple antibiotics. And that's a situation that's been created by the way that we use antibiotics in this country.

HEMMER: Yes, and so when we usually think about salmonella, we think usually about chicken.

MURRAY; Right. Well, actually, the vast majority of people who get salmonella in this country get it not from pets, but from food. And probably the top culprits are eggs and meat.

HEMMER: How do you get it from a pet, then?

MURRAY: The way you would get from a pet if pet was either sick with salmonella. Maybe the pet would, you know, show some diarrhea. Or there can even be a healthy pet who might carrying it. So the way that you would get it is by not using good hygiene after handling the pet or especially a sick pet.

HEMMER: I think you mention one of the key things. Well, let our viewers know a couple of things you want to pass along today. Wash after holding a pet. Boy, we cannot stress that enough. Also, use extra care if the pet is ill, which you mentioned, too. And be careful when buying a pet. What kind of questions do you ask? What are you looking for?

MURRAY: Well, one of the most important things is just to take a really good look. When you go into the store, when you look into the enclosure where the animals are being kept, you want to make sure none of the animals look ill. You want to see if you see any diarrhea in the pen. You don't buy a pet that looks quiet or tired or sick. You want a healthy-looking pet. But even if your pet that you're looking at looks healthy, but other animals in the pen look ill, you want to leave that store and try going to a different store.

HEMMER: We mentioned these cute furry things here. You know, we talk about little reptiles and little turtles and stuff. Does this apply to dogs and cats, too?

MURRAY: Well, we all pass salmonella around to each other. We can give salmonella to each other, we can give to our pets, our pets can give it to us. So yes, there is a potential for a dog or cat to carry salmonella. Any animal that has an upset stomach, you just want to use very good hygiene.

HEMMER: Well noted. Louise Murray. Thank you, doctor.

MURRAY: Thank you.

HEMMER: Nice to see you this morning. Here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still ahead this morning, e-Bay hosts a frenzied bidding war for Pope Benedict's car. Andy tells us who got the winning bid and how much they paid for the second hand VW. He's "Minding Your Business" up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HEMMER: All right. Welcome back.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good advice in the last segment of AMERICAN MORNING, to always wash your hands after handling your chicken.

A major jobs report out this morning. And just how much did the pope-mobile fetch on eBay? Andy Serwer's is here "Minding Your Business."

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Jack.

I'm still letting the last remark settle in.

CAFFERTY: That's just a hygiene thing, you know.

SERWER: There's some common sense involved.

CAFFERTY: Good common sense to do that, if you're going to be handling your chicken, to wash your hands afterwards. You don't get that salmonella situation going on.

SERWER: Situation indeed.

Jobs report came in, Jack, and it was much better than expected, and that's good news for all of us. Here's what we got: 274,000 jobs created in April, much more than expected. We were looking for 175,000. The unemployment rate stays at 5.2 percent, which is just fine. And as you might expect, the stock market futures are rising as we talk. Previous to this eight of the past 10 months, jobs number had come in below expectations. And very good news there.

And here's a question for you, Jack, how much would you pay for a 1999 VW Golf with 47,000 miles on it?

CAFFERTY: I don't know.

SERWER: Fifteen-hundred bucks?

CAFFERTY: I don't know how much they're worth. That's not too many miles, right?

SERWER: Well, but yes, I mean, it's six years old.

CAFFERTY: Car's in good condition, well-cared for.

SERWER: OK, how about a quarter-of-a-million dollars.

CAFFERTY: I wouldn't pay that much.

SERWER: That's how much the pope-mobile went for on eBay, and of course this is the -- you may remember this story from a couple days ago. This is the pope's -- the current pope's old car. Sold by this gentleman in Germany, and he got a quarter of a million dollars for it. And, you know, I hate to say this, but you know who bought the car is goldenpalace.com. I mean, and they're doing this all for publicity, so we're saying it. These are the same folks that bought the Abe Lincoln french fry and Britney Spears' pregnancy test. Seriously. They're buying a lot of wacky stuff.

O'BRIEN: Now people are saying what the heck is goldenpalace.com. Let me go check it out.

SERWER: I don't know, but we're not going to find out.

HEMMER: They'll have a heck of a museum, too.

SERWER: They're going to have a museum with weird stuff in Vegas, and a lot of people are probably going to go to that.

CAFFERTY: Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: Time for the File. Odds of this happening, I don't know what this are, astronomical. A construction worker in Florida, a guy named Emory Johnson, hit by lightning twice, and he's still alive talking about it. He was working on an air-conditioning system yesterday when he got hit by a bolt of lightning, knocked him cold. He said he felt like he was burning inside. And hours later, when he talked about, still shaking. He was hit by lightning the first time in 1986, sitting in his truck at an intersection. Florida is the lightning capital of the United States, has the nation's highest death rate from lightning.

I think it was Chad the other morning who was watching these thunderstorms go over. He said there was a lightning strike like every two seconds down there when one of these bands of -- so that's a...

SERWER: Wow, did not know that.

CAFFERTY: Matter of time. Did you listen to Star 94 Radio in Atlanta, Bill, when you lived down there.

HEMMER: No.

CAFFERTY: Well, they've got this "runaway bride" contest going on this morning. Contestants will race around a park wearing a bridal veil in order to win a bus ticket for two to Las Vegas and Albuquerque. The radio station says the contest is BYOV, for bring your own veil.

The real runaway bride insists that hers was not a case of cold feet, she's just nuts. Contestants will have to soak their feet in ice, though, before beginning their run here for the radio station.

SERWER: Very cute.

CAFFERTY: And the money, the reason we did this, the money raised will go to the Gwinnett County Police Department, who spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to find this whack job, and they thought she might have been kidnapped or some harm, but it was nothing.

CAFFERTY: Mother's Day Sunday, lest you forget. Strong evidence moms are America's favorite parent, Soledad. You knew that.

O'BRIEN: I knew that.

CAFFERTY: A survey by the AARP found 40 percent of people say mom is their favorite parent, compared to only 20 percent who favored dad. Sixty-three percent say love is the strongest emotion they feel toward their mother. Only 41 percent say the same about their father. I wonder what the answer would have been if you asked about fear. It probably would have been different.

Hallmark, listen to this, how much do you pay for a greeting card? Hallmark says they'll sell 152 million Mother's Day cards this year. Only 95 million Father's Day cards will be sold. And I know who better be buying four of them. Get my drift there, Julie, and Jill, and Leslie and Lee?

The National Retail Federation says last year, Americans spent $10 billion on Mother's Day gifts, only $8 billion for dads. Mother's Day was a national holiday created in 1914. Us fathers didn't get our day until 1972.

O'BRIEN: It's not a competition, for god's sakes.

CAFFERTY: Obviously not. We're getting our butts kicked. If it was a competition, we'd be in it somewhere.

SERWER: We're not in it.

CAFFERTY: We're getting waylaid, wasted.

O'BRIEN: Oh, please. The mothers do the bulk of the work. You forgot to put that in, Jack, in your report.

CAFFERTY: And make sacrifices.

O'BRIEN: Yes, there you go. I don't see that in your script there.

Thank you, Jack.

Well, in just a moment, an incredible story out of Kansas, a pilot shot in the head while he helps police track down a suspect. Well, somehow he managed to land his plane. You're going to meet him ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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