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CNN Sunday Morning

Look Back at Three Mile Island Disaster; Egypt to Host Arab Summit

Aired March 28, 2004 - 07:30   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three Mile Island was not really a disaster in radiological terms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Then what was that moment of fear that struck America 25 years ago today? Hello, everyone, I'm Catherine Callaway.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield. That story in a moment, but first the headlines at this hour.

Egypt says it will host an Arab Summit as soon as it can be scheduled. A postponed summit, which was supposed to be in tomorrow in Tunisia, had been postponed due to disagreements among the leaders of the 22 participating members. Officials say they're working on picking a new date for the summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMRE MOUSSA, ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL: The consultations are being conducted now. Telephone since this early, very, very early morning on how we should face this setback. And I hope it will be a small setback.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's already pricey, but it's going to cost more to visit the happiest place on earth. Beginning today, California's original Disneyland and tomorrow, Florida's Disneyworld are both raising admission prices by $2.75. The entry fee for guests 10 and older increases to $49.75 at Disneyland. And it's $54.75 at Disneyworld. Officials say the increase is needed to pay for new rides.

At least 12 people are injured following a strong earthquake in eastern Turkey. The quake toppled buildings, including government offices and homes. 10 people were killed in a similar quake in the area just a few days ago.

CALLAWAY: Exactly 25 years ago, a problem at the Three Mile Island Nuclear facility in Pennsylvania made the word meltdown everyone's worst fear. And CNN's Maria Hinojosa takes a look back at the nation's worst nuclear accident.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Katherine Mayberry lived a stone's throw away from Three Mile Island 25 years ago. After the partial nuclear reactor meltdown, she was evacuated.

KATHERINE MAYBERRY: My friend had small children and she said if you take your child out, make sure you cover them with something, a blanket or something.

HINOJOSA: And the thought that this could protect a baby from that.

MAYBERRY: Well, I don't know. I didn't understand what I was protecting her from.

HINOJOSA: The photo of her and her little girl captured America's moment of fear, a scared and trepidations mother escaping the unknown.

MAYBERRY: It was surreal because you're leaving your home, you're being evacuated, and no one could really give you any answers.

HINOJOSA: Others who were there still question how they were affected on that frightening day. Deborah Baker is looking for answers on her own. Using radiation detectors and air filters, mats, an extensive computer tracking system, Baker doesn't know if her son with born Downs Syndrome because he was exposed then.

DEBORAH BAKER, TMI MONITORING NETWORK: Every time there's a cancer or a birth defect or you know, their apt to wonder could it have been.

HINOJOSA: The chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the worrying should stop.

NILS DIAZ, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMM.: Three Mile Island was not really a disaster in radiological terms. There was no significant amount of radiations released. Nobody was hurt. However, there was anxiety.

HINOJOSA: The anxiety has subsided for Katherine, whose daughter now has a healthy newborn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You do breathe a sigh of relief that everything's OK and that he's OK. And you just hope that it continues that way.

HINOJOSA: For as long as it can.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN, Middletown, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CALLAWAY: And since those fateful days at Three Mile Island, no new nuclear power plants have been built in this country.

WHITFIELD: Last year, plaintiffs in Anniston, Alabama received a landmark settlement stemming from two chemical contamination lawsuits. But now, records show the actual payout to residents will be minimal, especially after the lawyers get paid.

Our David Mattingly reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every day of her life, Sylvia Curry of Anniston, Alabama has lived in the shadow of a chemical plant. Her strongest memories are of the smell.

SYLVIA CURRY, RESIDENT: You can't describe the smell it was so bad.

MATTINGLY: But Curry and her neighbors now know there was something much worse in the air, in the soil, and in the water -- dangerous amounts of PCBs, a chemical Curry believes killed her husband with cancer, caused her son's skin disorder, and gave her cancer as well.

CURRY: And I'm very tired, like I'm just drained a lot.

MATTINGLY: But last September, Curry and thousands of others in two class action lawsuits were awarded a staggering $700 million, paid by plant owner Solutia and previous owner Monsanto.

(on camera): Anniston residents wanting long term healthcare and the means to move out of this contaminated neighborhood were elated. Some believed that their problems were over. They were wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn't get nothing but stiffed. That's exactly what we got.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): What started at $700 million soon diminished. $100 million was earmarked for environmental clean-up and a free health clinic. Then, it was split between two sets of plaintiffs. The judge awarded attorneys on one side $120 million, leaving some plaintiffs an average of only about $7,000. Compare the $29 million alone to Johnny Cochran, who handled the litigation and $34 million to the lead Alabama attorney Jere Beazley.

JERE BEAZLEY, PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: The judge found that the fee was necessary, reasonable, and because of the complexity and difficulty, set the fee at this figure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They didn't come in here for the community. They came in here for themselves. And they got it and they're gone.

MATTINGLY: Angry plaintiffs are complaining to the judge and the attorneys. In a letter, Johnny Cochran said he would consult with other attorneys and the judge to provide clarification. Meanwhile, had her husband lived, Sylvia Curry would now be celebrating her 33rd wedding anniversary. Instead, she wonders if she will see enough of the settlement to move away in hopes of prolonging her own life.

David Mattingly, CNN, Anniston, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Without legal fees, plaintiffs would have received more than $14,000 a piece. But some involved in an earlier court decision were paid more than $200,000.

CALLAWAY: Fingerprinting the brain at 8:00 Eastern time, what some are saying is a foolproof method of determining one man's guilt or innocence. And then coming up at 9:00 Eastern time, feeling powerless at the pump? We are breaking down the reasons behind the recent rise in gas prices. Also coming up, the Harlem music legend turns 70. At 9:45 a.m. Eastern time, a look at the Apollo Theater through the ages.

Also, it's not your everyday talk radio. A different kind of talk hits the air this week. What you can expect to hear when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Well this Wednesday, Air America arrives on the airwaves. Its creators say that it is an alternative to right wing talk radio programs. Now even if you don't listen to them, you have almost certainly heard about hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Armstrong Williams.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, HOST: You people, Rush Limbaugh and the excellence in broadcasting network with the president of the United States, George Bush, let's go Mr. President.

Pleasure to have you here. I'm honored that you made time for us today. Best of luck to you.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT: Thank you.

LIMBAUGH: President George Bush on the EIB Network. We'll take a break and be back after this.

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D), MINORITY LEADER: If we're going to try to break through as Democrats, we have to have the same edge that Republicans do. You know, Rush Limbaugh and all of the Rush Limbaugh wanna-bes have a very shrill edge. And that's entertainment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The subject that we are discussing this evening...

Bob, Bob, I don't understand that. I'm lost here at that statement. You have -- you must help me out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just showing you how absurd this whole things is.

G. GORDON LIDDY, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: The vast majority of my audience, sir. And I would even suggest your audience do not believe that there is a micro chip up your rear end.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dark to where your children are shot, and your daughters, nieces have turned out to be whores on the street, where prostitution and pestilence and violence are the norm and the order of the day. That's why it's dark town.

BILL O'REILLY, TALK SHOW HOST: The irony of the "Radio Factor" is that for 40 years, people just said shut up, O'Reilly. Shut up. For the love of God, shut up. That's what I heard 40 years of my life, starting with my parents, then with the nuns, then with the teachers, then with my dates. O'Reilly, shut up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know why?

O'REILLY: And now, yes of course I do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because you speak sense.

O'REILLY: No, no, that's not why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes?

O'REILLY: But now we're on the radio two hours a day, fastest radio rollout in history. Everybody wants me to talk.

Shut up. You had your 35 minutes. Shut up!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Wow. Well that's a sample of radio and a little television from the right. For more on what to expect from Air America, we're joined this morning from Washington by Dan Flynn, who of course is the author of "Why the Left Hates America" and syndicated columnist Julianne Malveaux.

Thank you both for being with us this morning.

Julianne, I bet you think this is a terrific idea.

JULIANNE MALVEAUX, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: I think it's a wonderful idea. I can't wait. I'm looking forward to it. They've got some great personalities lined up. Other people are funny. They're edgy. Al Franken -- I think he can take O'Reilly on any day of the week.

The big challenge here, of course, though, is that they're going to roll out in four markets. And that's hardly national. And so let's wait and see how they do, but I think they're going to do well. And I'm excited. CALLAWAY: Dan, not in a lot of markets, four or five markets to start now. Are these guys bombastic enough for radio?

DAN FLYNN, AUTHOR, "WHY THE LEFT HATES AMERICA": I don't know I -- it might surprise you to know I wish them well. I think we need more voices and not less in the media. And that's why I wish them luck. And they're going to need it. It's not like this hasn't been tried in the past. I mean, if it's something that has been tried and failed. And if you don't believe that, ask, you know, Mario Cuomo or Jim Hightower how their radio shows are doing. And you can pretty quickly discover the answer to that.

CALLAWAY: Well, why do you think that is?

FLYNN: Well, I think the idea of a liberal radio network is a bit redundant because the liberals already dominate the print press.

MALVEAUX: Oh, please.

FLYNN: They already dominate the broadcast media. And so the reason why conservatives have been so successful on talk radio is because there's a liberal monopoly elsewhere in the media. And conservatives look to another media source for their information.

And so to have an alternative to the alternative...

MALVEAUX: Oh, come on, Dan. Come on now.

FLYNN: ...is a bit of a stretch.

MALVEAUX: You know my colleague here is now -- his -- this is as much fiction as his last book was. We're sitting here talking about...

CALLAWAY: Yes, you knocked me on my butt on that one.

MALVEAUX: I mean, he's sitting here talking about, you know, liberals dominating the print media. That's not true. If you look at who publishes, who the publishers are, who the columnists are, you're talking conservative, conservative, conservative.

If you look at the airwaves, where is it that you see liberal domination? It's just not the case.

FLYNN: OK.

MALVEAUX: At the very most, just a moment I let you finished.

FLYNN: You asked a question.

MALVEAUX: Why don't you let me finish? At the very most, you might see some evenness, and not even evenness. You got Fox, which is quite frankly a conservative network. Even here at CNN, the network, people try to balance things so carefully, that you end up with a centrist tilt, not a tilt that's either left or right. I think this guy's blowing smoke who's dominating. And we're not going to let that one go down. Conservatives dominate the FM airwaves quite frankly because they're targeting men, they're targeting conservative men. That's what's been happening. The high power...

CALLAWAY: Go ahead. Let Dan jump in here.

MALVEAUX: ...different cases, but I think this is going to be quite different. I think it's going to be very exciting.

CALLAWAY: All right, Dan?

FLYNN: Well, if you look at, you know, for instance the Freedom Foreign Poll of Washington reporters in 1992, you had 90 percent of them voting for Bill Clinton and something like seven percent of them voting for George Bush. To cite another poll, the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1996 polled 1,000 reporters and found a four to one disparity between reporters who identified as Democrats or liberals and reporters who identified as Republicans.

So maybe that four to one is not a great of a gap as Julianne might want. She might want to tend to one.

MALVEAUX: Oh, please.

FLYNN: That might be sufficient, but...

MALVEAUX: Let's talk about editorialists, let's talk about...

FLYNN: But there is a huge...

MALVEAUX: ...publishers. Let's talk about decisionmakers.

CALLAWAY: All right, wait a minute. One at a time. Julianne?

FLYNN: Julianne, what happened to all the kindness and respect and all that? The...

MALVEAUX: Well, yes, what happened to a balanced conversation? You're not going to -- you might dominate the airwaves...

FLYNN: Yes.

MALVEAUX: ...but not this conversation.

FLYNN: Yes, OK.

CALLAWAY: Let me ask a question to both of you quickly here. Who's going to come out -- who's going to be creme of the crop here on Air America? Julianne, lets start with you. Who's going to be the star?

MALVEAUX: I think Al Franken will be, but I think that Chuck D, Mark Reilly, an old colleague of mine from WLIB is on. I think there's a star studded network, frankly.

CALLAWAY: All right, last word from you, but a quick one please?

FLYNN: I think that Al Franken will be the star, the reason being is that -- and the reason conservatives have succeeded in talk radio is that they tend to be proud of being conservative. Liberals tend to view the name liberal as sort of an insult. Al Franken is different in that sense...

CALLAWAY: All right.

FLYNN: ..because he views it as -- he's proud of being that. And that's why he'll be successful.

CALLAWAY: All right, Dan Flynn, Julianne Malveaux, interesting spirited conversation between you two this morning. We'll see how it all turns out next week. Thank you both for being with us this morning.

MALVEAUX: Thank you.

CALLAWAY: All right. And as we mentioned earlier, Air America will debut this Wednesday in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Their programming will be available on satellite and on the Internet.

And Fred, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot Catherine. Well from a heated debate to a much cooler place, America's sparking Sasha Cohen leaps for the world's gold. We'll find out who became the new skating champ when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Let's fast forward to events coming up this week. Monday, trial begins in New York over a federal law banning what abortion foes call a partial birth abortion. Abortion providers say that the ban is unconstitutional.

Also Monday, gay marriage takes center stage on both coasts. In San Francisco, a court hearing on the legality of such marriages and in Massachusetts, lawmakers resume debate on a ban of -- on same sex marriages.

And then Friday, Michael Jackson's attorneys go to court, where a date will be set for his preliminary hearing on child molestation charges. Jackson is not expected to attend.

WHITFIELD: Well, did you catch the world figure skating championships last night? Lots of surprises for one. A new ice queen was crowned, Japan's Shizuka Arikawa. She snatched the gold after skating a flawless routine, packed with triple jumps. American Sasha Cohen was just one step away from that world title, but a missed triple socow (ph) put her behind.

She was in the lead after a sparkling short program, which earned her four perfect 6's. This silver medal is her first world award. Well, the ice was too think apparently for the five time world time champion and everyone's favorite, Michelle Kwan. She had a few things to blame for a nearly off podium finish. A fall and a triple jump during her qualifying round, a timing penalty, and her short program and then this. A strange streaker want to be in skates. This 30-year old from Montreal was out on the ice right after Kwan's name was announced. And no, we haven't figured out what was written on his chest or his belly for that matter. The semi streaker was eventually escorted out of the security stand. I know they're trying to figure out now how in the world did he get out there.

CALLAWAY: Are you technically a streaker if you're wearing a tutu?

WHITFIELD: Well, that's why he's a semi streaker.

CALLAWAY: Oh, OK, all right. All right, well from the ice in Germany to the ballpark here in the States where spring training is underway, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is there. And in case you missed "Weekend Housecall" yesterday, here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is officially spring, so we're here at spring training with the World Series champions, the Florida Marlins. Most of us aren't going to ever be professional baseball players, but we still worry about getting injured this spring. We're going to hear from the pros how you can prevent yourself from getting benched this summer. That's coming up on "Housecall" 8:30 Eastern.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Look forward to that. Well, first, let's a get taste of the Sunday forecast from our Rob Marciano.

CALLAWAY: Hello, Rob, good morning to you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Well, Madonna is getting ready for her worldwide reinvention tour. The tour kicks off May 24th in Los Angeles. In addition to L.A., the material girl will wow crowds in other major cities in the U.S., New York and Atlanta, and then continue overseas with stops in London and Paris.

WHITFIELD: First the material girl, now the reinvention girl. Or woman.

CALLAWAY: Woman, she's the queen of reinvention.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, time to check out headlines right now. Monday's planned Arab Summit in Tunisia is postponed. One of the reasons for the decision was that leaders couldn't agree on the topics for discussion. The meeting is expected to be moved to Egypt and take place within a month. During a campaign stop, Senator John Kerry criticized National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice for her decision to appear on "60 MINUTES," while refusing to testify under oath in public before the independent 9/11 Commission.

Kerry also accused the Bush administration of a campaign of character assassination against his critics. And that leads us to our e-mail question of the day, is eight months too long for the presidential campaign?

CALLAWAY: Well, we've been getting e-mail, receiving from it all morning, receiving some good ones, too. We had time to read one quickly from Kelly in Michigan.

"Watching the backbiting antics of those battling for the presidency for one week is too long. How on earth are the American people supposed to have the respect that's deserved of the President of the United States after watching them behave like 12-year olds for eight months? Can these candidates at least look like we Americans have some class?"

Keep sending the e-mail. We'll keep putting it on the air for you.

WHITFIELD: All right, meantime the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.

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 March 28, 2004 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three Mile Island was not really a disaster in radiological terms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Then what was that moment of fear that struck America 25 years ago today? Hello, everyone, I'm Catherine Callaway.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield. That story in a moment, but first the headlines at this hour.

Egypt says it will host an Arab Summit as soon as it can be scheduled. A postponed summit, which was supposed to be in tomorrow in Tunisia, had been postponed due to disagreements among the leaders of the 22 participating members. Officials say they're working on picking a new date for the summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMRE MOUSSA, ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL: The consultations are being conducted now. Telephone since this early, very, very early morning on how we should face this setback. And I hope it will be a small setback.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's already pricey, but it's going to cost more to visit the happiest place on earth. Beginning today, California's original Disneyland and tomorrow, Florida's Disneyworld are both raising admission prices by $2.75. The entry fee for guests 10 and older increases to $49.75 at Disneyland. And it's $54.75 at Disneyworld. Officials say the increase is needed to pay for new rides.

At least 12 people are injured following a strong earthquake in eastern Turkey. The quake toppled buildings, including government offices and homes. 10 people were killed in a similar quake in the area just a few days ago.

CALLAWAY: Exactly 25 years ago, a problem at the Three Mile Island Nuclear facility in Pennsylvania made the word meltdown everyone's worst fear. And CNN's Maria Hinojosa takes a look back at the nation's worst nuclear accident.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Katherine Mayberry lived a stone's throw away from Three Mile Island 25 years ago. After the partial nuclear reactor meltdown, she was evacuated.

KATHERINE MAYBERRY: My friend had small children and she said if you take your child out, make sure you cover them with something, a blanket or something.

HINOJOSA: And the thought that this could protect a baby from that.

MAYBERRY: Well, I don't know. I didn't understand what I was protecting her from.

HINOJOSA: The photo of her and her little girl captured America's moment of fear, a scared and trepidations mother escaping the unknown.

MAYBERRY: It was surreal because you're leaving your home, you're being evacuated, and no one could really give you any answers.

HINOJOSA: Others who were there still question how they were affected on that frightening day. Deborah Baker is looking for answers on her own. Using radiation detectors and air filters, mats, an extensive computer tracking system, Baker doesn't know if her son with born Downs Syndrome because he was exposed then.

DEBORAH BAKER, TMI MONITORING NETWORK: Every time there's a cancer or a birth defect or you know, their apt to wonder could it have been.

HINOJOSA: The chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the worrying should stop.

NILS DIAZ, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMM.: Three Mile Island was not really a disaster in radiological terms. There was no significant amount of radiations released. Nobody was hurt. However, there was anxiety.

HINOJOSA: The anxiety has subsided for Katherine, whose daughter now has a healthy newborn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You do breathe a sigh of relief that everything's OK and that he's OK. And you just hope that it continues that way.

HINOJOSA: For as long as it can.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN, Middletown, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CALLAWAY: And since those fateful days at Three Mile Island, no new nuclear power plants have been built in this country.

WHITFIELD: Last year, plaintiffs in Anniston, Alabama received a landmark settlement stemming from two chemical contamination lawsuits. But now, records show the actual payout to residents will be minimal, especially after the lawyers get paid.

Our David Mattingly reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every day of her life, Sylvia Curry of Anniston, Alabama has lived in the shadow of a chemical plant. Her strongest memories are of the smell.

SYLVIA CURRY, RESIDENT: You can't describe the smell it was so bad.

MATTINGLY: But Curry and her neighbors now know there was something much worse in the air, in the soil, and in the water -- dangerous amounts of PCBs, a chemical Curry believes killed her husband with cancer, caused her son's skin disorder, and gave her cancer as well.

CURRY: And I'm very tired, like I'm just drained a lot.

MATTINGLY: But last September, Curry and thousands of others in two class action lawsuits were awarded a staggering $700 million, paid by plant owner Solutia and previous owner Monsanto.

(on camera): Anniston residents wanting long term healthcare and the means to move out of this contaminated neighborhood were elated. Some believed that their problems were over. They were wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn't get nothing but stiffed. That's exactly what we got.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): What started at $700 million soon diminished. $100 million was earmarked for environmental clean-up and a free health clinic. Then, it was split between two sets of plaintiffs. The judge awarded attorneys on one side $120 million, leaving some plaintiffs an average of only about $7,000. Compare the $29 million alone to Johnny Cochran, who handled the litigation and $34 million to the lead Alabama attorney Jere Beazley.

JERE BEAZLEY, PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: The judge found that the fee was necessary, reasonable, and because of the complexity and difficulty, set the fee at this figure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They didn't come in here for the community. They came in here for themselves. And they got it and they're gone.

MATTINGLY: Angry plaintiffs are complaining to the judge and the attorneys. In a letter, Johnny Cochran said he would consult with other attorneys and the judge to provide clarification. Meanwhile, had her husband lived, Sylvia Curry would now be celebrating her 33rd wedding anniversary. Instead, she wonders if she will see enough of the settlement to move away in hopes of prolonging her own life.

David Mattingly, CNN, Anniston, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Without legal fees, plaintiffs would have received more than $14,000 a piece. But some involved in an earlier court decision were paid more than $200,000.

CALLAWAY: Fingerprinting the brain at 8:00 Eastern time, what some are saying is a foolproof method of determining one man's guilt or innocence. And then coming up at 9:00 Eastern time, feeling powerless at the pump? We are breaking down the reasons behind the recent rise in gas prices. Also coming up, the Harlem music legend turns 70. At 9:45 a.m. Eastern time, a look at the Apollo Theater through the ages.

Also, it's not your everyday talk radio. A different kind of talk hits the air this week. What you can expect to hear when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Well this Wednesday, Air America arrives on the airwaves. Its creators say that it is an alternative to right wing talk radio programs. Now even if you don't listen to them, you have almost certainly heard about hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Armstrong Williams.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, HOST: You people, Rush Limbaugh and the excellence in broadcasting network with the president of the United States, George Bush, let's go Mr. President.

Pleasure to have you here. I'm honored that you made time for us today. Best of luck to you.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT: Thank you.

LIMBAUGH: President George Bush on the EIB Network. We'll take a break and be back after this.

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D), MINORITY LEADER: If we're going to try to break through as Democrats, we have to have the same edge that Republicans do. You know, Rush Limbaugh and all of the Rush Limbaugh wanna-bes have a very shrill edge. And that's entertainment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The subject that we are discussing this evening...

Bob, Bob, I don't understand that. I'm lost here at that statement. You have -- you must help me out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just showing you how absurd this whole things is.

G. GORDON LIDDY, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: The vast majority of my audience, sir. And I would even suggest your audience do not believe that there is a micro chip up your rear end.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dark to where your children are shot, and your daughters, nieces have turned out to be whores on the street, where prostitution and pestilence and violence are the norm and the order of the day. That's why it's dark town.

BILL O'REILLY, TALK SHOW HOST: The irony of the "Radio Factor" is that for 40 years, people just said shut up, O'Reilly. Shut up. For the love of God, shut up. That's what I heard 40 years of my life, starting with my parents, then with the nuns, then with the teachers, then with my dates. O'Reilly, shut up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know why?

O'REILLY: And now, yes of course I do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because you speak sense.

O'REILLY: No, no, that's not why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes?

O'REILLY: But now we're on the radio two hours a day, fastest radio rollout in history. Everybody wants me to talk.

Shut up. You had your 35 minutes. Shut up!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Wow. Well that's a sample of radio and a little television from the right. For more on what to expect from Air America, we're joined this morning from Washington by Dan Flynn, who of course is the author of "Why the Left Hates America" and syndicated columnist Julianne Malveaux.

Thank you both for being with us this morning.

Julianne, I bet you think this is a terrific idea.

JULIANNE MALVEAUX, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: I think it's a wonderful idea. I can't wait. I'm looking forward to it. They've got some great personalities lined up. Other people are funny. They're edgy. Al Franken -- I think he can take O'Reilly on any day of the week.

The big challenge here, of course, though, is that they're going to roll out in four markets. And that's hardly national. And so let's wait and see how they do, but I think they're going to do well. And I'm excited. CALLAWAY: Dan, not in a lot of markets, four or five markets to start now. Are these guys bombastic enough for radio?

DAN FLYNN, AUTHOR, "WHY THE LEFT HATES AMERICA": I don't know I -- it might surprise you to know I wish them well. I think we need more voices and not less in the media. And that's why I wish them luck. And they're going to need it. It's not like this hasn't been tried in the past. I mean, if it's something that has been tried and failed. And if you don't believe that, ask, you know, Mario Cuomo or Jim Hightower how their radio shows are doing. And you can pretty quickly discover the answer to that.

CALLAWAY: Well, why do you think that is?

FLYNN: Well, I think the idea of a liberal radio network is a bit redundant because the liberals already dominate the print press.

MALVEAUX: Oh, please.

FLYNN: They already dominate the broadcast media. And so the reason why conservatives have been so successful on talk radio is because there's a liberal monopoly elsewhere in the media. And conservatives look to another media source for their information.

And so to have an alternative to the alternative...

MALVEAUX: Oh, come on, Dan. Come on now.

FLYNN: ...is a bit of a stretch.

MALVEAUX: You know my colleague here is now -- his -- this is as much fiction as his last book was. We're sitting here talking about...

CALLAWAY: Yes, you knocked me on my butt on that one.

MALVEAUX: I mean, he's sitting here talking about, you know, liberals dominating the print media. That's not true. If you look at who publishes, who the publishers are, who the columnists are, you're talking conservative, conservative, conservative.

If you look at the airwaves, where is it that you see liberal domination? It's just not the case.

FLYNN: OK.

MALVEAUX: At the very most, just a moment I let you finished.

FLYNN: You asked a question.

MALVEAUX: Why don't you let me finish? At the very most, you might see some evenness, and not even evenness. You got Fox, which is quite frankly a conservative network. Even here at CNN, the network, people try to balance things so carefully, that you end up with a centrist tilt, not a tilt that's either left or right. I think this guy's blowing smoke who's dominating. And we're not going to let that one go down. Conservatives dominate the FM airwaves quite frankly because they're targeting men, they're targeting conservative men. That's what's been happening. The high power...

CALLAWAY: Go ahead. Let Dan jump in here.

MALVEAUX: ...different cases, but I think this is going to be quite different. I think it's going to be very exciting.

CALLAWAY: All right, Dan?

FLYNN: Well, if you look at, you know, for instance the Freedom Foreign Poll of Washington reporters in 1992, you had 90 percent of them voting for Bill Clinton and something like seven percent of them voting for George Bush. To cite another poll, the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1996 polled 1,000 reporters and found a four to one disparity between reporters who identified as Democrats or liberals and reporters who identified as Republicans.

So maybe that four to one is not a great of a gap as Julianne might want. She might want to tend to one.

MALVEAUX: Oh, please.

FLYNN: That might be sufficient, but...

MALVEAUX: Let's talk about editorialists, let's talk about...

FLYNN: But there is a huge...

MALVEAUX: ...publishers. Let's talk about decisionmakers.

CALLAWAY: All right, wait a minute. One at a time. Julianne?

FLYNN: Julianne, what happened to all the kindness and respect and all that? The...

MALVEAUX: Well, yes, what happened to a balanced conversation? You're not going to -- you might dominate the airwaves...

FLYNN: Yes.

MALVEAUX: ...but not this conversation.

FLYNN: Yes, OK.

CALLAWAY: Let me ask a question to both of you quickly here. Who's going to come out -- who's going to be creme of the crop here on Air America? Julianne, lets start with you. Who's going to be the star?

MALVEAUX: I think Al Franken will be, but I think that Chuck D, Mark Reilly, an old colleague of mine from WLIB is on. I think there's a star studded network, frankly.

CALLAWAY: All right, last word from you, but a quick one please?

FLYNN: I think that Al Franken will be the star, the reason being is that -- and the reason conservatives have succeeded in talk radio is that they tend to be proud of being conservative. Liberals tend to view the name liberal as sort of an insult. Al Franken is different in that sense...

CALLAWAY: All right.

FLYNN: ..because he views it as -- he's proud of being that. And that's why he'll be successful.

CALLAWAY: All right, Dan Flynn, Julianne Malveaux, interesting spirited conversation between you two this morning. We'll see how it all turns out next week. Thank you both for being with us this morning.

MALVEAUX: Thank you.

CALLAWAY: All right. And as we mentioned earlier, Air America will debut this Wednesday in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Their programming will be available on satellite and on the Internet.

And Fred, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot Catherine. Well from a heated debate to a much cooler place, America's sparking Sasha Cohen leaps for the world's gold. We'll find out who became the new skating champ when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Let's fast forward to events coming up this week. Monday, trial begins in New York over a federal law banning what abortion foes call a partial birth abortion. Abortion providers say that the ban is unconstitutional.

Also Monday, gay marriage takes center stage on both coasts. In San Francisco, a court hearing on the legality of such marriages and in Massachusetts, lawmakers resume debate on a ban of -- on same sex marriages.

And then Friday, Michael Jackson's attorneys go to court, where a date will be set for his preliminary hearing on child molestation charges. Jackson is not expected to attend.

WHITFIELD: Well, did you catch the world figure skating championships last night? Lots of surprises for one. A new ice queen was crowned, Japan's Shizuka Arikawa. She snatched the gold after skating a flawless routine, packed with triple jumps. American Sasha Cohen was just one step away from that world title, but a missed triple socow (ph) put her behind.

She was in the lead after a sparkling short program, which earned her four perfect 6's. This silver medal is her first world award. Well, the ice was too think apparently for the five time world time champion and everyone's favorite, Michelle Kwan. She had a few things to blame for a nearly off podium finish. A fall and a triple jump during her qualifying round, a timing penalty, and her short program and then this. A strange streaker want to be in skates. This 30-year old from Montreal was out on the ice right after Kwan's name was announced. And no, we haven't figured out what was written on his chest or his belly for that matter. The semi streaker was eventually escorted out of the security stand. I know they're trying to figure out now how in the world did he get out there.

CALLAWAY: Are you technically a streaker if you're wearing a tutu?

WHITFIELD: Well, that's why he's a semi streaker.

CALLAWAY: Oh, OK, all right. All right, well from the ice in Germany to the ballpark here in the States where spring training is underway, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta is there. And in case you missed "Weekend Housecall" yesterday, here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is officially spring, so we're here at spring training with the World Series champions, the Florida Marlins. Most of us aren't going to ever be professional baseball players, but we still worry about getting injured this spring. We're going to hear from the pros how you can prevent yourself from getting benched this summer. That's coming up on "Housecall" 8:30 Eastern.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Look forward to that. Well, first, let's a get taste of the Sunday forecast from our Rob Marciano.

CALLAWAY: Hello, Rob, good morning to you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Well, Madonna is getting ready for her worldwide reinvention tour. The tour kicks off May 24th in Los Angeles. In addition to L.A., the material girl will wow crowds in other major cities in the U.S., New York and Atlanta, and then continue overseas with stops in London and Paris.

WHITFIELD: First the material girl, now the reinvention girl. Or woman.

CALLAWAY: Woman, she's the queen of reinvention.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, time to check out headlines right now. Monday's planned Arab Summit in Tunisia is postponed. One of the reasons for the decision was that leaders couldn't agree on the topics for discussion. The meeting is expected to be moved to Egypt and take place within a month. During a campaign stop, Senator John Kerry criticized National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice for her decision to appear on "60 MINUTES," while refusing to testify under oath in public before the independent 9/11 Commission.

Kerry also accused the Bush administration of a campaign of character assassination against his critics. And that leads us to our e-mail question of the day, is eight months too long for the presidential campaign?

CALLAWAY: Well, we've been getting e-mail, receiving from it all morning, receiving some good ones, too. We had time to read one quickly from Kelly in Michigan.

"Watching the backbiting antics of those battling for the presidency for one week is too long. How on earth are the American people supposed to have the respect that's deserved of the President of the United States after watching them behave like 12-year olds for eight months? Can these candidates at least look like we Americans have some class?"

Keep sending the e-mail. We'll keep putting it on the air for you.

WHITFIELD: All right, meantime the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.

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