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American Morning

Show of Support; Gas Gauge; Cancer Cluster; New Terror Tape; Fueling Anger

Aired April 26, 2006 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad. Two members of the Bush Cabinet are here on a surprise visit. I'll have that story in a minute.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The face of terror in Iraq. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi offering bullets and bluster in the desert and a message for President Bush.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Forecast for Snow. A television commentator is now poised to take on one of the toughest jobs around. We're awaiting the official announcement this morning on President Bush's new press secretary.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Bob Franken in Silver Spring, Maryland, where good news for public transit follows the bad news for automobile drivers. That's coming up.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And I'm meteorologist Chad Myers. Well we had a growing season in Chicago. The morning low, 30. Denver 31. You'll have to plant some of those plants again. Coming up.

M. O'BRIEN: And a cancer cluster in Massachusetts. The long- running mystery may finally be solved on this AMERICAN MORNING.

S. O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us this morning.

We begin in Baghdad this morning and an unannounced, unusual, simultaneous visit by two U.S. Cabinet secretaries. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice now in Iraq. Their visit comes at a political crossroads for that country. A new prime minister now has the reins of power, but it is still unclear if he can bring warring factions together.

In addition to sizing up the new Iraqi leadership, Rice and Rumsfeld will also, of course, spend some time with U.S. troops caught in the middle of escalating sectarian violence.

Ryan Chilcote joining us now from Baghdad with more.

Ryan, what's the latest?

CHILCOTE: Well, Miles, we fully expect the secretary of defense, the secretary of state to meet with Iraq's new prime minister- designate and we expect them to tell him, to encourage him to form his government of national unity as quickly as possible.

The United States believes that that government of national unity is the only way to get the insurgency and the sectarian violence under control. And of course, also, just simply by meeting with the prime minister-designate, the U.S. hopes to show its support for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: It's not a governing council, it's a government, a government of Iraq, and that's an important thing. This is a sovereign country and they are making impressive progress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHILCOTE: This, obviously, is also designed to send a message back to the United States, a reassuring message that the United States is making progress both politically and militarily here in Iraq. And that this will all -- we're moving in a direction where U.S. troops can start to come home -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Ryan, I understand you had a conversation with the new Prime Minister al-Maliki. What did he have to tell you?

CHILCOTE: That's right. The prime minister told us that he thinks that it is possible that the U.S. military could start -- that, rather, the Iraqi security forces could start taking over the bulk of the fighting in about 18 months.

Now the secretary of defense, the top military commander, General George Casey, they were also asked about that today. They refused to be cornered, but General Casey did say that he is on track with his timeline. And earlier, that timeline he has said means that the U.S. should be able to reduce a significant number of its troops here by the end of the year -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad, thank you very much -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: We are awaiting word this morning from the White House that Fox News commentator Tony Snow is going to be President Bush's new press secretary. Three inside Republican sources tell CNN that Snow has accepted and that the announcement will probably come in the next few hours. Tony Snow will be replacing Scott McClellan who resigned last week.

One pressing matter for the White House, or -- and certainly the new White House spokesman, convincing Americans that the administration is doing all it can to drive down high gas prices. President Bush announced on Tuesday that he's temporarily stopping shipments into the Strategic Oil Reserve. He hopes that's going to increase the supply of oil in the marketplace.

Gauging gas prices this morning. The average price across the country, $2.92 for a gallon of regular.

With gas prices at record levels, more people, though, are taking public transportation.

AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken in Silver Spring, Maryland, that's just outside of Washington, D.C., right outside a Metro Station, right, Bob? Good morning.

FRANKEN: That's right. Metro, that's the Washington, D.C. subway system, where they've been having a record for nonevents. By that I mean not for an inauguration or something. Record highs of ridership in the last week or so, which matches the experience around the country. Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, San Francisco, you name it, there have been huge jumps in ridership and everybody is attributing that to that big jump in gasoline prices.

Here we have people who have been using the Metro for a long time, at least it's available here. Riders like Dan Bryder.

Dan, if you could come over here. You have been riding for quite a while, but you've noticed, as I understand it, quite a jump in the crowds?

DAN BRYDER, SILVER SPRINGS, MD., RESIDENT: Yes, I have. I have seen quite a few increases in the ridership. I've been riding about 13 years. And, actually, I've been seeing increases since I've been riding, not just recently, but it's just gradually been increasing.

FRANKEN: You know in some cities, in Rhode Island, for instance, they've had to turn people off the trains. It's not that bad here yet?

BRYDER: No. I only take one stop, so I don't see down in D.C. where it actually gets really, really crowded I hear.

FRANKEN: But you must be gloating just a little bit about the fact that here you are the experienced Metro rider and a lot of people out there stuck in traffic paying big prices for gasoline.

BRYDER: Yes, I love it. I mean I'm actually just one stop and I walk to the Metro, which I get my little exercise in the morning, so, and I work right up the hill here.

FRANKEN: So it's the way to go. Part of the problem is in many cities they don't have this convenience, people are not able to get to metropolitan transportation.

BRYDER: Yes, that's right, and I'm real fortunate that I do have that, that I can just have a lot of different options for coming to work and the Metro is my favorite.

FRANKEN: And suddenly a lot of people in the United States are discovering mass transit. The problem is, is that before it can be expanded, if that's what people want to do, it's about a 10-year waiting period for the construction -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, Bob Franken.

A decades old Erin Brockovich-style cancer mystery in Massachusetts may finally be solved.

Carol Costello now live from the newsroom with more.

Hello, -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles, and good morning to all of you.

A dye plant and cancer now officially linked. The families are feeling some sense of relief, but feeling very little consolation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just afraid to hear all of this. It makes me very, very frightened.

COSTELLO (voice-over): Grim news about a former industrial site linked to a cluster of cancer cases.

LIZ LAHENS, ASHLAND RESIDENT: It really hits home. I mean my house was on the yellow map. My house was in the exposed area.

COSTELLO: Home is Ashland, Massachusetts, west of Boston. A seven-year study found that people who came into contact with waste ponds near the Nyanza dye making plant between 1965 and '85 were two to three times more likely to develop cancer. For those with a family history of cancer, the chances were four times as great.

SUZANNE CONDON, MASS. DEPT. OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Unfortunately, we believe because of the young age of people who were exposed during those periods of time that a cancer risk will remain.

COSTELLO: Near that 35-acre site, a number of homes and the Ashland junior and senior high schools. People there say they'd know what color dye the plant was making on a given day by the color of the stream down the street.

The area was added to the Federal Super Fund Cleanup List back in 1983. The government has now spent $46 million to clean it up.

Neil MacLennan played at the site as a kid. Now he has sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Three childhood friends have already died from this same disease.

NEIL MACLENNAN, CANCER PATIENT: Come to find out, we played around areas we shouldn't have been playing in and you know it elevated our risk for cancers. And, unfortunately, three very good people are no longer with us.

COSTELLO: One of those friends, Kevin Kane, was 26 when he died in 1998. As he battled cancer, he fought for answers.

KEVIN KANE, CANCER VICTIM: I don't think anyone should have to go through what I'm going through, you know what I mean, so that gets me angry.

COSTELLO: Kevin's anger and his activism helped convince the state to take a closer look at the Ashland industrial site. For his family, having their suspicions confirmed is bittersweet.

MARIE KANE, KEVIN KANE'S MOTHER: And he just wanted to save other people from the same fate that was to become his.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm proud of my brother for what he started and he didn't die in vain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: As for how these kids got cancer, well they figure they swan in those ponds that turned different colors depending on what kind of dye the company was making that day. They think that's what gave them the tumors, that's what gave them cancer.

A lot of things are complicating this case, though. The company no longer exists. The families have hired a lawyer. And you can bet there is legal action to come, but who will pay off the lawsuits? Well, that's anybody's guess right now.

M. O'BRIEN: Carol Costello in the newsroom, thank you -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: What a horrible story.

Following what's happening in America this morning, the horrors of 9/11 now on the big screen. "United 93" is the first feature film about the terror attacks. Premiered last night at New York's Tribeca Film Festival. It opened near ground zero. Some of the relatives of those who were killed on that United flight were at the screening. And the movie opens nationwide on Friday.

In Houston, police responding to a report of gunshots instead found a group of 15 undocumented immigrants hiding in a closet. The shots were reportedly from a gun battle between rival smugglers. Two men have been arrested.

Colorado health officials are urging people to make sure that their children's vaccinations are up to date. This, after a Colorado woman tested positive for mumps. She's one of 25 suspected cases in the state. The woman became ill after a visit to Iowa. More than 1,000 suspected cases there. It's said to be the worst mumps outbreak in two decades.

A group of armed robbers tried to make David Copperfield's money disappear. Instead, though, the illusionist tried to make them reappear in jail. Copperfield and two assistants held up after a performance in West Palm Beach, Florida. He showed them only empty pockets while he concealed his wallet and his cell phone. Got his license plate number of the guys as they sped away, and that all led to the eventual arrest.

M. O'BRIEN: Presto, arrest. S. O'BRIEN: Yes, you probably don't want to do that to a guy who's good at chilling (ph).

M. O'BRIEN: No, wouldn't mess with him. He'll make you disappear, if you know what I mean.

S. O'BRIEN: Good for him.

M. O'BRIEN: Chad Myers, good morning to you. How are you, -- sir?

MYERS: That's really funny. I just -- I can just see him going nothing up my sleeve.

M. O'BRIEN: Right, yes.

S. O'BRIEN: See if you can find it.

MYERS: Watch. Watch my hands never leave my body and neither will my wallet.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Absolutely.

MYERS: Back to you. Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: And then the 60s are a good but for sure, yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Perfectly fine.

MYERS: Good for shopping.

M. O'BRIEN: Absolutely.

MYERS: My wife will be there. Say hi to her.

M. O'BRIEN: She will.

S. O'BRIEN: Is she?

M. O'BRIEN: You don't get to come?

MYERS: No, well, I'll be golfing.

S. O'BRIEN: Is she going to come visit us?

M. O'BRIEN: Is she visiting?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, you want to ditch the husband when you go shopping, trust me. Of this I know for sure.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, we're in favor. Actually, we second that emotion.

S. O'BRIEN: All right. Well we're going to visit, Chad, but maybe we'll get to check in with her. Is she going to bring the baby?

MYERS: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Well good. Good.

MYERS: Yes, she will.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, looking forward to that.

MYERS: OK.

M. O'BRIEN: See her right here, I hope.

MYERS: All right.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come on this morning, a show of support of Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld joined by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Iraq. They're meeting with Iraqi officials as the country works to set up a new government. We're expecting to hear from the two of them in a joint news conference sometime today to talk about that.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Nic Robertson in London. Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq shows his face to the world for the first time with a brazen new video. His message, I'm still the boss.

M. O'BRIEN: And more death threats against top Latino politicians in California. The issue is immigration and there are calls for an investigation.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news on this Wednesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Top stories this morning.

Both Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Baghdad right now. This, as a new prime minister is getting settled into some office in some very unsettled times. Both trips were unannounced.

Fox News commentator Tony Snow on his way from the right wing to the West Wing as White House press secretary. The official announcement expected this morning.

And today is the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the world's worst nuclear accident. At least 31 people died. Thousands more have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer as a result of that meltdown.

S. O'BRIEN: U.S. intelligence officials today are going over a new videotape from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It comes just two days after an audio tape message from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Al- Zarqawi is the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. And the videotape, running about 35 minutes, was posted on an Islamic Internet Web site.

CNN's senior international correspondent Rick Robertson -- Nic Robertson breaks it down for us this morning live in London.

Hey, Nic, good morning to you. First, the timing, why now?

ROBERTSON: Soledad, if you look at the message, there's a lot of references to the situation in Iraq. He is playing on the Sunni fears, the Sunni minority community in Iraq in the west of Iraq where most of the trouble, most of the violence is. He is playing on their fears. He is playing to their sense of honor.

He is telling them that he doesn't believe in a new Iraqi government. He has always been for civil war. And is saying anyone that gets involved with that government, any Sunni that gets involved with it would just be a stooge, essentially, of the United States.

S. O'BRIEN: He shows off, essentially, these newly developed missiles, Nic. What do we know about those missiles and what they can do?

ROBERTSON: Two missiles. The first one they call it the cater one (ph) missile. It's got a range of about 25 miles. He says it can carry a payload of 22 pounds of explosives. The second missile, he says they call it the kuds (ph) missile. He says this particular missile could have an armor penetrating capability.

S. O'BRIEN: Here's a guy who's finally showing his face openly after the last tape we saw in 2004 where it's believe to be Zarqawi who was masked. Why the difference this time around?

ROBERTSON: I think the difference this time around is he's feeling more confident about his security. He's trying to present a new face to Iraqis, a more softer image, if you will. Those last videos, they're very bloody, there are beheadings. Now he's trying to get Iraqi people to support him, trying to give himself legitimacy in Iraq. That's how intelligence officials around Iraq are looking at Zarqawi, trying to legitimize himself inside Iraq, make himself a leader of the Sunnis in Iraq in case of civil war -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson breaking it down for us this morning.

Nic, thanks -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: It's time for business news.

Carrie Lee is here.

I'll give you two guesses what the story is. First guess doesn't count. It's oil. It's oil. It's all about...

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And gas.

M. O'BRIEN: And gas, too. There you go.

LEE: There you go, two answers. S. O'BRIEN: Well, you know.

M. O'BRIEN: I like that. Yes.

LEE: Yes.

President Bush yesterday speaking some plans to increase supplies for oil and gas, and hopefully bring prices down a little bit. He wants to give the Environmental Protection Agency the OK to lighten up on environmental standards for gasoline.

And also, regarding oil, wants to stop making deposits to Strategic Petroleum Reserve, basically not set the oil aside but use it in the hope that, partly, prices will come down, although a lot of analysts say that that is not likely to happen. So that is what's coming from President Bush.

The bigger story here, or another big story, Iran. We know that they have this enriched uranium program. Well the Security Council wants Iran to stop that program by Friday. So the world is watching this.

Now, Iran's oil minister now says the country will not cut its oil exports despite this nuclear standoff. This is different from what Iran officials have said in the past. They said that they would cut this. Iran is one of the biggest oil producers in the world, number two in OPEC. So it's going to be interesting to see if they stand by this oil minister's word or not.

M. O'BRIEN: But as we watch that whole crisis unfold, it is so linked to what happens to world oil supplies, isn't it?

LEE: Exactly. It really is. And it comprises about 50 percent of Iran's government revenue, so big implications for Iran, as well as the world, regarding oil.

A quick check on BP. Posted lower profits in the first quarter of the year. Still, they made $6.6 billion and they did see a 15 percent low last year in terms of profits.

One thing we are watching today, oil and gas inventories. We get this every Wednesday once the market opens an hour into the session. Right now it's looking like we could see a little bit of buying at the 9:30 bell.

S. O'BRIEN: Why is BP down 15 percent when everybody is sort of posting record highs?

LEE: I don't know, maybe they had just a really good year last year. That could be one thing. They did get hit with a big fine for safety violations, so that could have something to do with it as well.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, -- Carrie Lee.

LEE: OK.

S. O'BRIEN: Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you.

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, Chad has got a look at the workday forecast. That's coming up in just about two minutes.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING on this Wednesday morning. We're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Here are some of the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

An "Essence" magazine reporter telling CNN that the alleged rape victim in that Duke lacrosse case is running scared. The reporter spoke extensively with the girl's family. She says the victim is staying in a number of undisclosed locations and is afraid to tell her parents where she is.

A 29-year-old Maryland kindergarten teacher has been named teacher of the year. Kimberly Oliver's students are mostly from low- income families. Many don't even speak English. The new teacher of the year is being praised for boosting test scores, involving parents and getting students engaged in learning.

And scientists say they have found the secret to gas free beans. They have identified two kinds of bacteria that when added to beans make them much less likely to cause gas. Well good news all around.

M. O'BRIEN: I think I really need that.

S. O'BRIEN: Actually, there are certain places in the world where they rely heavily on beans as a staple of their diet, and so it has bigger implications than just...

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, you know it's the musical fruit, of course. Right. All right.

Chad Myers, better take this away before we get completely downhill here.

MYERS: The more you eat, the more you toot, the more you toot, the better you feel, so have some beans at every meal.

S. O'BRIEN: You know I thought I did a fairly decent job in getting through that perfectly well. There are...

M. O'BRIEN: You know I thought I had taken it too low.

MYERS: You put that story before me for some reason, I don't know. And you have me in Atlanta for some reason, I don't know.

S. O'BRIEN: I give up on the both of you. God!

M. O'BRIEN: Couldn't get away. MYERS: Good morning.

Rain showers across -- well I'm glad it's the 6:00 hour and I'm glad everybody has got a smile on their face now for some reason.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Back to you guys.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

This morning's top stories are straight ahead, including a shocking story out of California. Latino lawmakers on the receiving end of death threats in the midst of that immigration debate. Our Chris Lawrence in Los Angeles with that story.

S. O'BRIEN: Also fueling the fury at the gas pumps, some residents say the president's attempts to control price at the pump are like taking aspirin to treat prostate cancer. We've got a reality check on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Checking our top stories this morning, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on an unannounced visit right now to Baghdad. They're showing backing for the new government and to meet with U.S. military commanders.

Mayors from more than a dozen U.S. cities sign a resolution aimed at stopping illegal guns from spreading to their communities. Several say the federal government is not doing enough to stop gun violence.

Florida lawmakers are close to a deal to close the state's military-style boot camps for juvenile offenders. The move comes after the January death of a 14-year-old at one of those camps.

Welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.

M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.

The gas pump wars have reached the White House. President Bush ordered a probe Tuesday into any sign of price gouging. He also stopped deposits to the government's emergency petroleum reserves. Critics say it's all just a drop in the oil bucket.

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