Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Car Plows Into Crowd, Kills 6; Gulf Oil Disaster Update; New Emergency Contraception Pill
Aired August 15, 2010 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
A car plows into a crowd at a nighttime off-road race in California, and at least six people are dead, several more injured. We'll show you the video.
Also this morning, Gulf Coast officials got the picture they wanted. The president of the United States in the water.
Also, does it prevent pregnancy or does it terminate pregnancy? That is the question at the heart of a debate over a new emergency contraception pill that can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Hello to you all. I'm T. J. Holmes. Glad you could start your Sunday morning right here with us.
Also, as always, want to give a special good morning this hour to our military men and women watching on the Armed Forces Network around the world. Certainly glad you can be here with us this morning as well.
Other stories you will see us cover over the next 90 minutes of the CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
Buffalo police made an arrest in yesterday's restaurant shooting that killed four people, but it turns out the shooter may still be on the loose. Our affiliate, WGRZ quotes the district attorney as saying the man in custody may be the wrong guy and charges against him could be dropped. Keep it here. We are keeping a close eye on this story.
Also, National Guard veterans, many of whom that served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, find another battle when they get home - finding work. We're looking at one man's search and the decision he ended up making.
Also, a new facet in the national debate over same-sex marriage - money. An online magazine called "Equally Wed" said that same-sex marriages are legalized nationwide, they could pump $16 billion into the economy. We're looking into that. All of that on the CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
But let me get back to a big story we're keeping an eye on. At least six people dead, several others injured after this off-road race in California. On these off-road races - this is part of the MDR. It's called the Mojave Desert Racing series.
You see the area, Lucerne Valley there. Let's go ahead and bring this video up and listen to the sound as well. Now you see these vehicles going by. Now, this is part of a race. It's a - it's a 50- mile course and they do four laps.
Now, this next vehicle coming by, the white one, just go ahead and listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, everybody off the track! Wave them down! Wave them down!
HOLMES (voice-over): So you see the spectators now, some of them trying to tell the next vehicle to stop. Deidre (ph), if you can re- rack this one for me, I'm going to show it one more time.
But a lot of you might initially look at this video and think, what in the world are these people doing standing that close to this particular race? Now, this is the second video we have. We have some sound on as well. You can hear a lot of spectators just trying to figure out what's going on.
But in the middle of the picture there and a little to the right, you see that vehicle, the white one I showed you in the earlier picture, upside down and is completely turned over. Again, at least six people killed.
These - and what happens in these races - well, a lot of people may not be familiar with this. These are off road races that take place in the Mojave Desert. This is a 50-mile course and they do four laps. People come out. They bring their vehicles. The spectators, they get on the side of the road. They hang out and it's an all-night affair. This race actually goes seven and a half hours it's scheduled for.
But the vehicles are off road vehicles. Some of them buggies, others trucks that are retrofitted to handle these bumps and jumps. Again, this is one vehicle going by, and you see the spectators literally 10 feet at most away from these vehicles going up to a hundred miles an hour past them.
This is the second vehicle you can see now. This is the white one, and go ahead and listen in again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, hey, everybody off the track! Wave them down! Wave them down! Yes. Good race is on the line (ph) -
HOLMES: Now, again, you're starting to see some of the aftermath here. But, again, we're talking about a 50-mile course and you have tens of thousands of people who show up in line this course in the desert. And, again, this is an all-night affair for the most part. There are plenty of rules that govern the people who actually are driving the vehicle, the drivers themselves. But as far as the rules go for the spectators, they only said you're supposed to be a hundred feet away from the actual course.
Well, it's hard to police a 50-mile course to keep people back. There are no barricades up like you would see in lot of the races you're used to seeing on TV. There are very strict rules for NASCAR and other type of racing bodies that have barriers and fences that keep people away.
But you see these vehicles and you see people laid out here as well in some of this video which can be tough to watch. But, again, the people are so close to the race. You see the vehicle upside down there. At least six people killed but several others were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
This is certainly going to raise some questions about this type of racing and what the rules should be for the spectators as we roll this again.
Josh, let me go ahead and bring you in, who's also looking into this. And, again, the part that's going to stand out to a whole lot of people who may not understand this racing and this phenomenon with this desert off-road racing, why in the world are these people standing literally 10 feet and less away from a vehicle that's going a hundred miles an hour over a bumpy desert road.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): ... is dramatic stuff. This - this video that you're seeing right here is what will be studied and more video that's going to come in over the following hours.
Here's what I'm going to do. I want everyone to know - now, the spectators are expected to know certain rules going in and there are written rules surrounding how this works. Some people might think this kind of racing just takes place on its own. Well, they have a website and it specifically lays out what these rules are.
And I want to show the video more, because it's going to just show you what I'm talking about and how it relates to what's actually happening here. A few of the rules written there from the website, first of all, it says do not spectate within 100 feet of the course. Now, it also says spectate only on the pit side of the course. We are seeing people on both sides, when you take a look now, clearly, from our perspective, what the pit side is which is now we don't know. But we are seeing people lining the streets.
Also, as a series of other rules for spectators, cross the course only at road crossings. Do not interfere with the teams in the pits. It's not - it talks about where you should park. It talks about not lining up to watch this race anywhere near a curve or anywhere near a turn. Not standing or driving anywhere near the course itself.
All of this is written on the website of the organization, mdrracing.com. It's Mojave Desert Racing that talks about this. So where the authorities would be and how the people are expected to know all these rules and what happens if they're not following these rules, one thing we need to know.
And there are also a series of rules written here about the drivers themselves, and it's pretty intense stuff. They're talking about what kind of nets you have to have covering all windows. The cages you need to have. The harnesses that have to be five-point harnesses, specific types of fire extinguishers they're required to have, specific types of first aid kits, the fuel cells, drive shaft boots (ph). There were kinds of lights they're using, and a lot of rules surrounding this as a sport.
And the people who go to these and have been going to a lot of these and you would think that these rules would be followed more often, either that or it's just in a lot of cases not enforced in all parts of the course.
The section that we're seeing - we've been watching this video closely. We have a couple of videos you're looking at this morning. The section that we've been seeing here does not appear to be on a major turn and major curve. That said, these rules are written to be for the entire race.
And one thing that's interesting to us, when you look on the spectator information on this website, what the rules say what the spectators are supposed to do, the first one, very first thing says, and I'm reading here, quote, "Be aware, the desert tortoise is a protected species." And then the next one goes unto what spectators actually to protect themselves, cross the course only at road crossings. Do not interfere with teams in the pits. Do not park with your lights tracing (ph) on coming vehicles." These kinds of things.
And then it leads up to do not spectate within 100 feet of the course. Do not stand or drive on the course. No noise after 11:00 P.M. on - on the night before the race. Remove all trash and spectate only on the pit side of the course. They also talk about the speed limit surrounding the pits.
So all of these things leave a lot of questions, a lot of unanswered questions this morning, and certainly nobody wants to see a tragedy like this with people being killed, people being injured.
We, right here at CNN, are looking into this and are trying to get a hold on how often these things are held and how often people are actually told, hey, these are the rules, stay a hundred feet back. Or if and for some reason, maybe we don't know, maybe there is a reason that in some cases they're allowed closer but it's certainly not what's written here - T.J.
HOLMES: Now, it shouldn't to be written - it shouldn't have to be written quite frankly.
LEVS: It's pretty obvious.
HOLMES: Vehicles are going a hundred miles an hour past a few bumping on the road. We're not - certainly not blaming spectators necessarily here, but there are certainly rules. And, again, we're used to - to NASCAR and also IRL Racing and all this other stuff, but those rules are so strict.
And we've seen accidents over the years even in NASCAR racing. They go out of their way to build those fences up a certain height. They go out of their way to make sure the - the walls can sustain a certain impact because they're trying to protect the drivers and the spectators.
Can you imagine seeing people standing on a NASCAR track this close to a vehicle going a hundred plus miles an hour past them? Of course you couldn't. And you've to take into account (ph) that you have this course that's bumpy and hilly and part of the race is supposed to be these vehicles going over these mountains and these hills and doing all this jumping. That is part of this particular kind of racing.
Something else here, and I'm certainly not making any kind of judgment about who was driving this vehicle, but these races do allow for a - a driver to be as young as 15 years old if they get their parents' permission. So you can be - and, again, I have no idea about this particular driver, but you can be as young as 15 and be in this kind of race.
They do these races, the MDR here, Mojave Desert Racing. They do six or seven a year, so not very many, buy they are long races, and, again, it's a 50-mile course out here in Lucerne Valley, this particular one. So you can imagine, it's almost impossible to put up fencing or railing over a 50-mile course.
They do four laps of a 50-mile course. It takes seven plus hours they have scheduled for in this particular race. But just an awful, awful tragedy we're seeing play out - out in California.
Thanks to our Josh Levs. We're certainly going to keep an eye on this story throughout the morning, throughout the day expecting more details, trying to get people on the lines and possibly even some people who were there to talk to us this morning. But we will continue to follow the story.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (on camera): It's about 11 minutes past the hour. We're just getting started here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. As we said, a whole lot more to bring you on this Sunday morning but that unfortunately is how we are getting started.
A quick break. We are right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Fourteen minutes past the hour now here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
We turn to the president's brief trip to the gulf. This trip was of course intended to help people focus on coming back to the gulf, help the industry down there, possibly, get some more tourism dollars in.
But it turns out the president's trip was a bit overshadowed by something else. The president had to clarify earlier comments he made about the plans to build that community center and mosque near Ground Zero.
CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry was in Panama City Beach.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The whole point of the First Family's vacation here is to show that the Gulf Coast is open for business despite the worst oil spill in American history, that the water is clean, that the seafood is safe.
But the president runs the risk now of having that message overshadowed by what he did on Friday night, when at a Ramadan celebration at the White House he decided to basically come out and seemingly endorse the construction project, a mosque and a Muslim community center near Ground Zero, in New York City. It kicked off a huge controversy.
So, on Saturday, I had a chance to catch with the president one- on-one and pressed him on what exactly he meant, Republicans charging it's insensitive for this project to go forward. The president tried to tell me that there's a distinction here, that basically he was not endorsing this specific project, that he was not speaking out on the wisdom of this mosque and whether it should go forward, but, instead, was speaking broadly about religious freedom.
HENRY (voice-over): What do you think about the reaction to your speech about the mosque? What about the reaction to the - to your speech (ph)?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, the - you know, my intention was to simply let people know what I thought, which was that in this country we treat everybody equally, in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion.
I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there, I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about, and I think it's very important that, you know, as difficult as some of these issues are, you know, we stay focused on who we are as a people and - and what our values are all about.
HENRY: But the president's comments to CNN only sparked even more controversy, leading to speculation that the president was backing off his original comments on Friday.
That forced White House spokesman Bill Burton to clarify the president's clarification, Bill Burton saying that in fact the president is not backing off what he originally said on Friday. Burton adding, quote, "It is not his role as president to pass judgment on every local project, but it is his responsibility to stand up for the constitutional principle of religious freedom and equal treatment for all Americans."
The problem for the White House is that various Republican critics are not buying this. People like Congressman Peter King of New York saying the president's original comments are simply insensitive. That has put the White House a bit on the defensive and it has some Democrats pretty nervous heading into those midterm elections where the party was already on the defensive. Now, there's a fear that there's yet another issue that is going to put Democrats in a tough position come November.
Ed Henry, CNN, with the president in Panama City, Florida
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And, again, you heard Ed talking about there, the whole point of this trip was to draw attention to the gulf region, to try to encourage people, say, hey, it's safe. Come on back down. Come visit. But, again, so much is about the controversy over the mosque now.
But, at the same time, there is news to report about that well. No, oil is not leaking still, but Reynolds Wolf is in Gulf Shores for us this morning. Reynolds, we're talking about we could be a week away from being done with this thing, and when I say done with this thing, I'm talking about just the well itself. We could be a week away.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I mean, I would definitely say if this were a horse race, we were in the home stretch. I mean, it looks like we're very close to the finish line. The thing is we may have a few obstacles. We're going to get to that in a few moments.
Let's first start off with a teleconference yesterday from retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen. He mentioned a couple of key things in it. One, he want to make this perfectly clear, the first thing they plan on doing is to finish the relief well. The second objective is to complete the bottom kill. It was the two big things he did that (ph).
But before - but before we get to that point, though, he wants to - he's actually going to release an order to BP where he wants them to conduct some pressure tests inside the well head itself, and if the pressure readings seem OK, they're going to proceed with the bottom kill operation and with, of course, the relief well. However, those results are not going to come back until Monday or Tuesday, and then once they're back in place, it is going to take at least about four days or so to set everything up and then continue with the relief well and then, of course, the bottom kill.
There's one interesting thing, though, that's now kind of throwing a little bit of a wrinkle in the whole fray, and that has to do with tropical depression number five, the remnants of tropical depression number five, which caused a delay in this whole operation just a few days ago. It has now hovered over parts of South Alabama.
There's about a 20 percent chance now that that storm system or what's left of it may drift back over the Gulf of Mexico. If that happens, that may cause additional delays to what's happening in the gulf and with this procedure. You see the radar right here with some of those concentric rings, if you will, just north of (INAUDIBLE) and right along the I-10 corridor. So, yes, weather may play a very big part in this.
Let's go back to the oil, though, and speaking of the oil, here where we happen to be, in Gulf Shores, Alabama, we have had some oil washing up onshore, especially as tropical depression number five was making its way onshore, the oil came up with it.
We had some video yesterday showing that despite a little bit of rain showers and thunderstorms we had in the area, the conditions on the water were just phenomenal. Take a look at some of these video. CNN photojournalists Ken Tillis had the assignment, went down there. He got some great shots. You see the people out there enjoying the waves, the winds, moms, dads. You see the kites there - oh, butterfly kite. You see the clear, blue skies back here, with some clouds here and there.
Everyone's having a great time out there, and, I'll tell you, these conditions are being seen up and down much of the Gulf Coast, and the reason why is because the hard work of a lot of the cleanup crews. They get out here at the nighttime hours. They clean up - it's (ph) cleaned up a lot of things.
We actually spoke with some BP workers off camera just the other day. In fact, it was just last night, and they are told us they're now moving to a different mode of cleanup where they're going to be bringing in a lot of that boom offshore. The idea is to really get it offshore and store it away before the peak of hurricane season really comes on in parts of the Gulf of Mexico.
So certainly some busy developments, all kinds of things happening, and of course we're going to tackle that weather scenario, coming up very soon.
Let's send it back to you, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Renny (ph), we will talk to you here shortly, handling double duty for us, handling the Gulf Coast disaster and the spill -
WOLF: Definitely (ph).
HOLMES: -- and cleanup and also the weather as well. We'll talk to you here shortly, buddy.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: Well, there's a startling new number out of Pakistan this morning. Twenty million, the number of people now displaced in that terrible flooding there called the worse natural disaster in that country's history. A visit by the U.N. Secretary General helps keep the tragedy front and center on the world stage. We will be heading live to Pakistan coming up next.
It's 21 minutes past the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Twenty-four minutes past the hour now.
We turn to Pakistan, where the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is calling on the international community to provide more aid in the wake of the historic flooding there. The U.N. chief arrived there today. He was given a tour of some of the flooded areas.
Our Reza Sayah joins once again from Islamabad. Reza, good morning to you.
I guess, tell us how can this trip by the Secretary General - I guess, how can it lift spirits there but also draw more attention to what's happening?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think that's why he's here, T.J. He wants to draw attention to what is a dire situation.
These floods hit more than two weeks ago and over the past several days it's become clear that things aren't improving. They're actually getting worse. And I think that's why the U.N. chief is here.
He was in Dubai. Pakistan's Interior Minister out there to escort him back. A CNN crew was on that flight. During that flight, the Interior Minister briefed Mr. Ban on the situation on the ground, and, using maps, showed him the flood zones that extend all the way from Northwest Pakistan to Central Pakistan. The U.N. says one-fifth - one-fifth of Pakistan is underwater. Now, that's the equivalent of the state of Florida underwater.
Mr. Ban says this disaster in Pakistan is worse than the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the '05 earthquake here in Pakistan combined, and he says he's here to see the devastation himself.
HOLMES: And, another thing here, we always hear in disasters, oftentimes, Reza, that there's a second wave of disaster that could potentially come if help doesn't come quickly enough, and that's often a second wave of disease. Are - is there a threat of that now? We've gone through the first wave of disaster, but if something's not done quickly, we could see a lot more people dying because of disease.
SAYAH: Yes, no question about it. And one of the biggest concerns is an outbreak of cholera. Cholera is a very serious infection caused by bacteria that's found in infected food and water, and millions of flood victims have only had access to - to dirty water and dirty food. They haven't had clean water and food. So, certainly, cholera could set in early on. This is a disease that could be treated. If you leave it untreated, it could be a life- threatening situation and I think that's why Mr. Ban is here in Pakistan, to call on the international community to step up its aid before things really deteriorate - T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Reza Sayah for us, once again in Islamabad. Reza, we appreciate you, as always, this morning.
I want to turn not to professor Akbar Ahmed of American University in Washington. He's Pakistan's former ambassador to Great Britain. He's been talking to family members in the Swat Region of Pakistan about what's happening there.
Sir, thank you for being with us this morning. You just heard our Reza -
AKBAR AHMED, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Good morning, T.J.
HOLMES: -- our Reza Sayah talking about Ban Ki-moon wanting to draw attention to what's happening in Pakistan. Are we not - is the rest of the world - people just not paying enough attention and get enough of an understanding exactly how big of a disaster this is?
AHMED: T.J., you're absolutely right. The feeling in Pakistan is precisely that, that somehow the world responds quite differently to disasters in other areas.
The scale of this thing is unimaginable. It really is biblical in terms of proportions, 20 million displaced, something like 2,000 dead, and then cholera cases already now on the surface.
And then, don't forget, T.J., that the River Indus, which is the lifeline of Pakistan, goes right down from the north to the south, is flooded completely, and at one point in the south, it is 25 miles wide. It's devastation on an unprecedented scale and the government's response has been shambolic, the international aide has been tawdry, and you see a sense of crisis, because remember what happens in Pakistan is directly linked with the war in terror according to General David Petraeus. Pakistan is critical in the war on terror.
HOLMES: And you called it shambolic there. I want to get back to that word and that point you're making. A lot of the international aide possibly not coming in, a lot of criticism, possibly, for how the world has reacted. But a lot of criticism as well, and have you been seeing and hearing maybe from people you know and even family members that in fact this isn't going so well for the president of Pakistan who's now being criticized for how he's handled it and some of his travel during this whole disaster?
AHMED: You're right. He took his sweet time coming back to Pakistan. It took several weeks before he actually visited the areas. He was in France, showing his chateau, which is bought in France. He was in the U.K. and part of the Pakistani media, the Pakistani people were really furious by this lack of response. The fact that the president of Pakistan is abroad at this great - a time of crisis. If you recall, T.J., it's like President Bush responding with some hesitation to Katrina and people of course were very critical of that, and this is much worse for Pakistan.
So they really wanted the president of the country to be there in their midst, encouraging them, consoling them and really give - showing leadership, and that did not happen. So that has somehow symbolized the response of the government itself.
HOLMES: I want to get back to another point you were - you were making here. A lot of people here, disaster, and we know about this humanitarian need there, but you might not - a lot of people might not automatically think how this could possibly play into the war on terror and the fact that the Taliban could be impacted in some way, and our - our war with the Taliban could be impacted in some way.
Make that point again your were trying to make there, how the Taliban - how this could play into - to the Taliban's rule in - particularly the regions being affected.
AHMED: T.J., that's a great question, and I hope America is listening, because General David Petraeus was really a brilliant - I've had the fortune of meeting him. He's a brilliant soldier. He understands these connections. His entire philosophy and policy is to win the hearts and minds, and thereby marginalize the Taliban, and support for the Taliban.
Now, if the government is shambolic and slow in the responses, the anger is growing in Pakistan. And remember the theater of conflict, the war is taking place against the militants in the frontier province primarily. This is where the people of Pakistan have been hardest hit. Which means that if the government is not really very visible the Pakistan army, to its credit, has been out there, and the Americans are now turning up with helicopters and so on.
Now if that does not happen fast enough, the people of Pakistan are going to obviously be leaning towards opposition to the government. And the opposition is coming from militants who are saying America is an enemy of Islam, the government of Pakistan is an ally of the Americans. You can see that connection and the connecting of the dots.
HOLMES: That is a great point to make there. Certainly you should always do the right thing. And doing the right thing here for the people of the Pakistan could lead to some fortunate consequences down the road in the fight against the Taliban.
Akbar Ahmed, sir, we appreciate you coming on with us this morning, lending us your expertise. And best of luck to certainly your family members and friends, I know you have, that are being impacted right now as well. Sir, thank you so much for your time.
AHMED: Thank you, T.J.
HOLMES: It is 31 minutes past the hour, now.
Coming up, when a bride-to-be plans her wedding, there are plenty of magazines out there, of course, you know, to look at. But what if the bride is gay?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just said to her, there is nobody else I want to spend the rest of my life with or create a family with, or be on this journey with, so I want to do this with you. And I asked her to spend my life with me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Coming up, we are looking at the business now of gay marriage. That's coming up on this SUNDAY MORNING.
Also, we will give you the latest, and the developments continue to come on that tragic, tragic accident at an off-road race in California. You are looking at the video that resulted in six people, at least six people being killed when one of the vehicles, in this off-road race, this white one that is coming by your screen now, goes off the road and plows into the crowd. Again, at least six people killed. We will continue to update you on that story throughout this CNN SUNDAY MORNING:
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It is 35 minutes past the hour here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
This is the week that gay marriages could resume in California, but first the appeals court has to decide on a couple of appeals they are looking at right now. The two sides right now have filed some briefings with the appeals court out there. Some of them saying, yes, allow the marriages to go forth on Wednesday. That's what a district judge said should happen.
However, the proponents of Proposition 8 have also filed their own briefing saying, no, you should not let the marriages go forward until the court of appeals hears both sides of the case.
The appeals court gave supporters until Monday to file the response, but they got it in already. Have you seen this back and forth over Proposition 8 after a district judge, just a week or so ago, said in fact Prop 8 was unconstitutional. And now gay marriages could go forward by Wednesday if an appeals court does no step in.
Well, if every state legalized same-sex marriage, some say that the federal budget could get a boost, a pretty big one. A government report finds there are billions of dollars of untapped revenue from gay weddings. But first you have to plan them. Our Fredricka Whitfield takes a look at "Equally Wed", an online magazine for gay couples, and that's where they go to look for some guidance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): No, they are not sisters, cousins, or just friends. They consider themselves wife, and wife.
MARNI BROWN, DOCTORAL CANDIDATE, GEORGIA STATE UNIV.: I just said to her, there is nobody else that I want to spend the rest of my life with, or create a family with, or be on this journey with. I just want to do this with you. And I asked her to spend her life with me.
WHITFIELD: Casey accepted Marni's marriage proposal and they had a ceremony in Georgia, but they have to go to Vancouver to get a marriage certificate. The two women were not only celebrated by their friends and family, but also by a one-of-a-kind magazine. They made the front page of "Equally Wed", a new online magazine catering to gay brides and grooms. The owners, Kirsten and Maria Palladino, publish the online quarterly from an office in their Georgia home.
When they were planning their wedding they say traditional bridal magazines were not much help. So, "Equally Wed" became the answer to same-sex couples who have concerns like these.
MARIA PALLADINO, PUBLISHER, EQUALLY WED MAGAZINE: Honeymoon destinations? Where? There are countries out there where it's still illegal and they can basically throw you in prison, in a sense, for being gay.
Even straight couples that have had lesbian bridesmaids and they don't want to wear a dress. So what is the suit for being a bridesmaid?
I'm a man, I want to propose to my boyfriend, you know, should I propose with a ring?
WHITFIELD: "Equally Wed" has been online a little over four months. And the owners say it gets 12,000 unique hits, monthly.
KIRSTEN PALLADINO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "EQUALLY WED" MAGAZINE: We have hits from Sweden, Ireland, London, South America.
WHITFIELD: In 2004, a congressional budget office study found if all 50 states extended the legal rights and obligations of marriage to same-sex couples, gay weddings would generate about $1 billion in revenue each year in the federal budget. And "Forbes" magazine estimated if all states legalized gay marriage, the same sex couples already waiting for that to happen would spend over $16 billion on weddings. So in the meantime, why spend anything on a ceremony if few states legally acknowledge the union?
CASEY BROWN, MARKETING ANALYST, ALTERNATIVE APPAREL: It comes down to, you know, the fact that we love one another. And it's just a public commitment with our family and friends.
WHITFIELD: Marni and Casey are heading to Canada to get legally married, and enjoy the honeymoon. But that matrimony won't be recognized when the come home. Only nine out of 50 states recognize same-sex marriage, and Georgia is not one of them. For now, this does not phase Marni or Casey. They say they are only interested in love, and perhaps one day being equally wed. Fredricka Whitfield, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. Let me show you a little something here, that you probably don't see every day. No, I know you don't see this everyday. It's a pair of zebras making a run for it. This is on the streets of Sacramento. My obligatory animal story coming up. It's 40 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It's 43 minutes past the hour. Reynolds is here with me, because you have covers stories with me over the years. Don't know if you have ever covered one quite like this, and those are zebras.
And you saw them running down the street. Go ahead and let's go ahead and put this video up, full here, Dierdre (ph).
And these are running through neighborhoods and down the streets. You see the police department. They had a pretty good police presence out. This is in Sacramento. They were galloping through town.
Now, Reynolds, the part that got me, when I heard about zebras on the loose, and I said, OK, the zoo out there clearly needs to increase security procedures or something. No, these are pet zebras.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Pet zebras?
HOLMES: Somebody had them at their house. I did not know you could do that.
WOLF: That's insane. You know the thing about zebras that have always puzzled me, it seems like they're not supposed to be in nature. And what I mean by that, is remember the movie, "Brother Where Art Thou?" You know, like they are wearing for the prisoners, and George Clooney is wearing that prison uniform. It is like the black and white stripes?
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: Why in nature would you wear something that a prisoner would normally wear? You know, like the black and white stripes? I don't get it. I mean, it is a nice look and all, but it does not really-it is not conducive for survival in the wild.
(CROSS TALK)
HOLMES: I don't think so either, but they do belong -they belong in the wild, I thought. They got on the loose. One of them had to go on the vet, apparently, the other one is back home. This went on for hours. I am sure the police had other things they would rather do out in California, but they had to chase down a couple zebras that were running around.
I'm going to move to another one. Reynolds, I think you have done a story about a swarm of bees before, but if our viewers can see this video. What you see there, those are flies. This is in Germany. It's a small town. Thousands and thousands of flies, now, it looks horrible, yes. But we are told it smells even worse than it looks. They say it's just unbearable.
But here is the kicker for you, Reynolds. The flies, I am told here in the script by our trusty writer, Richard, this is supposed to be somewhat romantic, because these flies they go here to breed every year, one last time, and then they die.
Reynolds is shocked.
WOLF: Yeah, this is normally the point where I come up with something great, but I have no words for something like this. That's is just unbelievable.
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: Again, why would they converge there? What would the point be? I think of Germany I think of nice people. I think of oompah-oompah music, and fine beer. Not necessarily in that order. Maybe that's the thing that is bringing them there, you never know.
HOLMES: But flies, you go there to mate and then you die. Not the worse way to go out, I suppose. But still some the news of the weird we wanted to bring you this morning.
Reynolds will be back with us to do some weather, here in just a bit. We went too long on the animals and the flies. We'll get back to you here, in just a bit. Thank you so much, buddy.
WOLF: Wow.
HOLMES: I have a unique concept for a hotel, and wonder if you would be willing to stay in this type of a hotel? You pay for only what you use.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like Tune (ph) because it has everything that I need. If I am not using it, I am not paying for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yeah, but you have got to pay for a towel, and maybe you have to pay for the TV. You have to pay for the toilet paper. You have to pay for the shampoo? I don't know. Hotel a la cart? Will this work for you? We will tell you all about it. Where it is now and where it could be coming to next. It is 46 past the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, 49 minutes past the hour now. India celebrating 63 years of independent rule today.
And also can it be a new era in the hotel industry. Hotel a la carte? You only pay for what you actually use. The only thing is, it is actually some of the stuff we used to take for granted anyway. CNN Editorial Producer Nadia Bilchik, joining me now again this morning. Showing us some stories from around the world.
It sounds kind of good, I guess. There are a lot of stuff in the hotel room I don't usually use.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: That's the idea. Tune hotel said, look, what do you need? You need a fabulous bed. So they've got the five-star bed. And you need a power shower. And you need a power shower. And then everything else you'll pay for.
So let's look at what you pay for. So, you have a breakfast set, which will be about 4.75, maybe $7.25 if you multiply by dollars, because that is in pounds. If you are going to rent a towel, it will be a pound, which is about $1.50, 1.56.
HOLMES: So, wait, wait, wait.
BILCHIK: Yes, a towel.
HOLMES: I have to pay for a towel?
BILCHIK: Yes, you have to pay for a towel which comes with a toiletry set. But think about this. When you go to a hotel, you use your towel. You probably use two or three towels. They're saying let's be totally eco-friendly. One of the best ways to save money is not on the laundry. And you do different things in a hotel room with towels than you would, so they are saying pay for that. Pay for your hair drier. Pay for your wi-fi, pay for your Internet.
The idea is, what do you really need? Now what they offer you- now, they opening in London. It's Waterloo-it's a wonderful location. They say we will give you a great location, we will giver you security, and we'll give you a clean room. Now room cleaning costs.
HOLMES: Wait a minute now.
BILCHIK: Room cleaning costs about 7 pounds, which is about $18, to change your pillowcases or your sheets. Think about that. You come into a clean room. But then if you want it cleaned while you are staying there, you pay extra. I spoke to Mark Lancaster, who is the CEO, and he said, you know if you stayed in all of these fancy hotels, and what are you paying for? You are paying for the spa and sauna you don't even use. So, what do you need? He said the best linens, and a power shower, and the rest are add ons.
HOLMES: But is the hotel room the initial charge for it? Is it a little less?
BILCHIK: Now, it's around 35 pounds, so let's say $51 or so. And it depends on the supply and demand. If there are major events in London will charge more. They have a special next year and it's 9 pounds. So, times 1.55, and it's already sold-out. But there is obviously a huge demand. An in fact, they will opening in India in 2011. They want to have 20 hotels in 2011, and they eventually want to have 100 hotels in India. This is the first one in London. Up until now they've been in Malaysia and Indonesia.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: But think what costs. It is the housekeeping. So they cut down so much on housekeeping.
HOLMES: Did you get-did you get toilet paper? Or do you have to pay for that?
BILCHIK: I assume you do.
HOLMES: So, shampoo, the basic stuff?
BILCHIK: It's probably the most eco-friendly hotel chain in the world.
HOLMES: You talk about expanding into India, and quickly before we go. We talked about Pakistan's anniversary yesterday.
BILCHIK: Yes. Today is India Independence Day. Remember, Pakistan yesterday because they had their main ceremony on the 14th of August. Today, India. Note I am wearing orange, which is one of the colors of the India flag, orange, green and white. You will see lots of balloons in orange, green and white in India today. And Next week, T.J., I'm going to talk to you about South Africa, media, laws, and the South African journalism community is deeply concerned about a proposed ANC law.
HOLMES: Now that is a fascinating story you have been telling us about this week. But we are looking forward to bringing that important story, quite frankly, that people need to be hearing about what is happening in South Africa.
Nadia, it is so good to have you.
Again, Nadia is going to be hanging out with us, giving us news from around the world. Little nuggets you need to know about.
we promise you free towels.
BILCHIK: And we promise you free towels here.
HOLMES: Free towels here.
(LAUGHTER)
All right, Nadia. Thank you so much.
Coming up, seven minutes to the top of the hour.
A soldier puts his life on the line in Iraq. But the problem is, when he gets home why is it he cannot even find a job? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was putting out resume after resume, and I would have some interviews, and I just did not get hired.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Coming up, our Kate Bolduan looking at the challenges many of the National Guard soldiers are facing on the job front.
Also, we are keeping a close eye on the story out of California. The deaths of spectators at an off-road race in California. There is the video. But again, it is the story that happened overnight. And we continue to get new information about it. Right now at least six people dead. We have the video and the new details coming up. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A story we are keeping a close eye, six people have been killed after this race, this accident at an off-road race in California. This is in the Mojave Desert. This is 100 miles or so north of Los Angeles. But you see the vehicles here. Spectators close by. The white vehicle there goes off the road and hits spectators, at least six are killed. A number of others are injured. We will tell you a whole lot more about this throughout the morning.
Actually in a couple minutes, when we start at the top of the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
First, I want to tell you about a new battle facing America's veteran. Trying to find a job after completing their enlistments. CNN's Kate Bolduan reporting for us. It is tougher for vets compared to civilian job seekers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD WILKS, UNEMPLOYED NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIER: I am looking up security and law enforcement type of jobs that they might be offering.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Forty-five-year old Richard Wilks has served with the Army National Guard for five years, fighting eight months in Iraq, only return home in 2008, to a new battle he never expected, the fight to find a job.
WILKS: I was putting out resume after resume, I would have some interviews, and I just did not get hired.
BOLDUAN: Frustrated and out of money, Wilks turned to the only place he knew would hire.
WILKS: I have to go back overseas because I could not find work. I volunteered to go back to Iraq.
BOLDUAN: Employers are required, by law, to hold jobs for Reservists called to duty and are banned from discriminating against a job applicant because of their military service, but soldiers like Wilks fear their Guard service makes employers reluctant to take them on.
WILKS: They don't want to take the time to hire someone and then have them deployed and then have to rehire someone.
BOLDUAN: Wilks is back home once again, and again facing the same transition to civilian life without work. He is not alone. The jobless rate among veterans that served since 9/11, rose to 11.8 percent last month. Compare that to the national rate of 9.5 percent. The Army National Guard says this problem is especially troubling among their ranks.
CAPT. BRIAN ZDUNOWSKI, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: They have skills and they have training that should, in a good economy, give them an edge over their peers.
BOLDUAN (on camera): But what is the reality that you are seeing?
ZDUNOWSKI: The edge is gone because they are getting lost in the volume of people.
BOLDUAN: Unemployment is such a big issue for the Army National Guard that some states are testing out programs to help their part- time soldiers. Captain Brian Zdunowski runs one program in Maryland.
ZDUNOWSKI: I see the employers that are out there. What I am, in essence, doing is into the sea throwing a life ring for them, and pulling that life ring until one of these employers picks them up.
BOLDUAN (voice over): The help includes resume tips, interview coaching, also a data base of military friendly employers and job openings.
ZDUNOWSKI: They deserve the assistance because they have stepped forward for their country.
BOLDUAN: Richard Wilks continues his search. A tough economy, another tough battle ahead. Any regrets?
WILKS: I don't have any regrets at all. I love serving in the military, and I love serving my country.
BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Good morning. Welcome back to this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
At least six people are dead, and several others injured in an off-road race in California after one of the vehicles racing plows into a crowd. We'll tell you exactly what happened here last night in Lucerne Valley. Also this morning, in the Gulf Coast, the officials got the picture they wanted from the president. He was in the water -- the president making a brief trip down there to the Gulf Coast. The picture of him swimming is moving around, however, the president has to deal with another controversy that's following him down there.
Also, coming up this half hour, we're going to be talking about the controversy of a new pill, a new pill that is said to prevent pregnancy even after five days of unprotected sex. But some are saying that's not exactly the case, and the pill is being packaged wrong. We will be getting into all of that this half hour.
But again, taking you back to California and a tragedy we saw happen overnight there. At least six people are dead after this accident. Again, this is an off-road race in the Mojave Desert. Let's go ahead -- and, Deidre (ph), and roll this video.
But, first, we have, this was taken by a spectator there on cell phone camera. This is the aftermath of it. This is the second piece of video we have. You see there, almost in the center, a little on the right, you see those wheels up. But the vehicle is upside down and you see some people laid out on the ground.
What is happening out here is called the -- again, the Mojave Desert Racing, the MDR racing. A lot of people may not be familiar with this. But these are off-road races that take place in the Mojave Desert. Tens of thousands of people, spectators, they go out and line this course. This is a 50-mile course and the vehicles, the drivers actually go four miles, excuse me, four laps around. So, that takes quite a while, as you can imagine, to make this race.
Now, this is the first video we see. You see one of the vehicles go by. You'll see another one here go by as well. But take a look at just how close the spectators are to these vehicles that are going up to 100 miles an hour. This third one you see, that's the white one that wrecks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFEID MALE: Hey, everybody off the track! Wave them down! Wave them down!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You hear somebody starting to yell "Wave them down," telling other vehicles to stop because of the accident that had just taking place. This is bumpy terrain. Even a part of the race, it's supposed to be that bumpy terrain.
These vehicles are retrofitted so they can take those bumps. They are supposed to be jumping over these mounds, these hills. That's part of the excitement of this type of racing. These vehicles are trucks that are retrofitted. You have some vehicles that are more like buggies that are retrofitted, to handle this type of terrain.
You're seeing the aftermath here as people start to surround this particular vehicle where the accident happened. But this is, as you can imagine, going to stir a lot of debate and controversy over the races. Accidents have happened over the years, but here, it's something like you've never seen before when you think of any type of automotive racing, why spectators would be literally 10 feet or less away from the vehicles as they go by at 100 plus miles an hour -- any spectator there at any point that step out there and touch that truck if they wanted to.
That's clearly not safe. It's not what intended, not what's intended, and it's quite frankly not a part of the actual rules for spectators. They are supposed to be a lot further back than they are. You will certainly hear a whole lot more debate about the safety of these vehicles and the safety of these races.
Josh Levs, though, is looking more into those particular rules.
But, again, Josh, that's the first thing that stood out to anybody. Why in the world are they standing that closely to the track? If you can call it a track, a road, it's an off-road race. But again, they're not supposed to be according to the rules.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. There are rules.
And let's stay on this video and I'll tell you a little bit about these rules because they are written, and I think they expect spectators to know them, and what we're not seeing there is any sign that these rules are necessarily being enforced.
I have a lot of questions this morning, given what we're seeing here. Let me go tell you some of the written rules. They go along with the section on the Web site for the organization, MDR racing.
You have, first of all: Do not spectate within 100 feet of the course. Now, clearly in this video, it looks like they are a lot closer. And we are seeing other videos online of previous races at various times where people appear to be a lot closer than 100 feet.
Another one of the rules: Spectate only on pit side of course. Now, we can't tell from our view, which is the pit side. But we do know that there are people lining both sides of the course right there.
A couple more rules that are written here: Do not stand or drive on the course. Technically, it doesn't look like they may be physically on the course, but it depends on how you define course, because they're darn close. As you're saying, it looks like they could touch it as it comes by.
Do not spectate on the outside of a curve or a turn -- is another one of the rules.
It also says: Do not park with your lights on and face on coming race vehicles.
Now, as we see this, another thing to keep in mind: is that the way these cars are designed, they are supposed to minimize accidents as well, minimize crashes. The cars themselves face all sorts of rules about the kinds of cages, the nets they have to have, the kinds of fire extinguishers they have to have on, the safety harnesses. And they have to go through various inspections before they can take part in this.
So, some people here racing, they think, maybe thing just kind of happens organically. There are no rules surrounding it.
This is organized. This event was advertised, and this certainly does seem to be something that's supposed to be following these rules. So, how this happened, we don't know.
Let me also show you where in California we're talking about. We have a Google Earth image that's going to take you in. "Los Angeles Times" describes this as being a mecca for this kind of racing for off-street racing.
And what you're going to see as we go into Lucerne Valley -- it's east of L.A., east of San Bernardino, and you can see the terrain in this image there that shows you why it's such a hot bed for this kind of racing.
So, a lot of questions this morning about what rules were followed, what rules were not followed and why, and what needs to be done in the future to try to prevent a tragedy like this and try to keep people safe, T.J. That's what we're looking at.
HOLMES: Yes. And again, to our viewers who you are used to watching, when you hear racing, you're thinking about the NASCAR, you think about the Indy Car Series, people are on tracks. But there are so many rules about -- and so many strict -- they're very strict about the type of fencing they have up in the walls to protect the spectators specifically.
But you're talking about a -- literally, folks, a 50-mile course they describe this as, and you just have so many people just coming out there along the 50-mile course. It's borderline impossible to try to put up fencing everywhere. This is off-road racing. It's not the same thing as what we're used to on a track. But, certainly, something needs to be done if you can be that close to these vehicles going over bumps and can go out of control and going 100 miles an hour.
And another note, which we do not know: the age of this driver. But you can be as young as 15 to enter some of these races. You have to have your parents' consent.
But we don't have any idea, and certainly not casting any aspersions on this particular driver, but there are so many things we don't know about this type of racing. They're just going to come and it certainly will come to the forefront now.
We'll continue to keep a close eye on the story and thanks to our Josh Levs for the breakdown there as well.
We turn to the Gulf now and turn to a picture that a lot of people were hoping to see. Maybe this will do it. Will this encourage you to get back into the water if you take a trip to the Gulf? Well, a lot of the people in the Gulf hoping it will. We'll talk about that in a second.
Also, does it prevent pregnancy or does it terminate pregnancy? That is the question at the heart of a debate over a new emergency contraception pill that can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex.
It's eight minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Eleven past the hour now.
The president is heading down to the Gulf, everybody was wondering if he was going to get in the water. Yes, he did.
But it seems -- Ed Henry, our White House correspondent -- Ed, it seems there was an issue overshadowing what a lot of people thought was a big deal. Just the fact him being there and being in the water, but he's still dealing with this mosque controversy.
ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You're right, T.J. It's pretty remarkable that a couple of days ago, there was all this controversy: will he get in the water? Will he not get in the water? And also, is here long enough? You know, he and the first family are only going to be here about 27 hours on the ground. There are some people saying, maybe he's giving a short trip.
All of that seems like a distant memory now, not really a big deal in the context of this controversy that's following up after Friday evening when the president, at a White House event, basically said, you know, he would back, broadly speaking, this project to build the mosque, Muslim community center there near Ground Zero in New York City.
It's very interesting because yesterday, I had a chance to catch up with the president one-on-one and pressed him on this very issue. Rather than run away from it, he was very eager to answer my question about it, and wanted to sort of explain, add more context by making a distinction about his Friday night comments, but it may have backfired.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: What do you think about the reaction to your speech about the mosque? What about the reaction to your speech?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, my intention was to simply let people know what I thought, which was that, in this country, we treat everybody equally, in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion. I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding. That's what our country is about.
And I think it's very important that, you know, as difficult as some of these issues are, we stay focused on who we are as a people and what our values are all about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: So, the president trying to make a distinction there that he was not passing judgment on the wisdom of building a mosque near Ground Zero. That struck -- caused all kinds of speculation after CNN added those comments as to whether the president was now running away from his original comments on Friday, sparked an extraordinary sort of clarification from the White House of the president's clarification to CNN.
Bill Burton -- pardon me -- the White House spokesman, saying last night, quote, "Just to be clear, the president is not backing off in any way from the comments he made last night," saying it's basically though not the president's role to comment on every single local issue around the country, but just that he wanted to talk about the broad principle of religious freedom.
Well, that's kind of strange because for a couple weeks now, the White House had been saying, we're not going to comment on a local issue, and that's what's making people wonder: why did the president now jump in to a local issue then if they're saying he doesn't want to jump in a local issue?
So, he was kind of an extraordinary clarification of the president's clarifications, T.J.
HOLMES: Yes, you're probably not in a good place if you have to clarify what you just clarified. But on one other note, quickly here if you can, the president, anybody was wondering if he's going to get in the water -- OK, he did.
HENRY: Yes, he did. And I had asked him about that yesterday and he said, "There's only one catch, Ed, I'm not going to be taking my shirt off and let you guys take a picture of it because they got so much heat when I did that in Hawaii." Remember all the tabloid fodder about the president taking the shirt off.
Now, there's sort of maybe a new mini-controversy, if you will, because the president technically did not get into the Gulf behind me, instead, he went into a bay nearby. Now, it may have been because it was more private and more secure.
Obviously, the Secret Service just not going to throw him out into the middle of the Gulf, number one. But number two, I will say there were some red flags out behind me yesterday, not because of oil, but because of some the red tides and it was very windy, and some major tides. And so, again, for safety, it seemed like they were not going to put him out there, there were red flags saying you can't swim in that Gulf right behind me. Instead, he swam in the bay.
Bottom line is: he got in the water, that's the pictures the locals here wanted -- big symbol for the commander-in-chief. He got in the water and say, look, it's safe, folks -- T.J.
HOLMES: I think that's an interesting way to put it, the Secret Service is not just going to throw the president out in the Gulf.
Ed Henry, always, good to see you, buddy. Thanks so much. Enjoy the rest of your time there in the Gulf.
HENRY: I will.
HOLMES: All right. Thanks as well.
You knew this was going to create some talk: the FDA approving a pill that could prevent a pregnancy if taken within five days of having unprotected sex. Coming up: we're going to examine both sides of this issue with two ladies: one, in favor this pill, the other, against it.
It's a quarter past the hour on the CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The Food and Drug Administration has approved a controversial new emergency contraceptive. That's what it's billed as. It's a new pill and can be taken within five days of unprotected steps.
Abortion rights groups are happy about this approval. Anti- abortion rights activist not so happy.
We have both sides here with us this morning.
Cindy Pearson is executive director of the National Women's Health Network, joins us this morning from Washington. Good morning to you.
And also, Catherine Davis is with Georgia Right to Life, joining me here in the studio.
Ladies, hello to you both.
And, Ms. Pearson, I will start with you by asking: do you see this as a pill that is meant to terminate a pregnancy or a pill that is meant to prevent a pregnancy from happening?
CINDY PEARSON, NATIONAL WOMEN'S HEALTH NTWORK: This is a pill that's meant to prevent a pregnancy from happening. There's no doubt about it. That's what it's been studied for. That's what it's been shown to do, and very effectively and we're pleased that women have this new choice.
HOLMES: Well, Ms. Davis, do you see it that way? It's certainly billed supposed to prevent a pregnancy. Do you see it that way as well?
CATHERINE DAVIS, GEORGIA RIGHT TO LIFE: I do not. This pill actually will cause an abortion. When it was tested in human tissue, it had the exact same affect as RU486. And as we all know, RU486 is a drug causes abortion.
HOLMES: Now, RU486 has been around a little long. But a lot of people do refer to that specifically as the abortion pill. But at the same time, they say, yes, it's a -- I think the term they use is it's a chemical relative, but it's supposed to behave a little differently and it's supposed to prevent a process from happening in a woman and prevent that pregnancy in the first place.
But what are you seeing? Or how -- what is your argument that it doesn't?
DAVIS: Well, the European Medical Association which has done some studies on this pill required the woman to have a pregnancy test before they take that pill. So if it doesn't cause abortion, why do they care about a pregnancy test?
I submit it's because this pill actually does perform an abortion, and it does prevent an abortion, it depends -- I mean, a pregnancy.
HOLMES: Yes.
DAVIS: It depends on where you are in your menstrual cycle.
HOLMES: Well, Ms. Pearson, do you -- I guess by that logic as well, as far as, you know, why would they be testing a woman, why would they give her a pregnancy test first. But there is debate and back-and-forth, do you think the evidence is conclusive that this thing does actually just prevent a pregnancy and it can't terminate one?
PEARSON: I am basing what I think on the hundreds of pages of documentation that were submitted to the FDA and made public a couple months ago. And our review of those studies show that when given to women who have had an unintended accidental exposure to intercourse without protection, this pill reduces the risk of those women getting pregnant when they didn't want to very significantly and for a period of up to five days after intercourse. That's been studied in hundreds of women, actual real women, not just in the tissues in the lab.
That's what we know about the pill. And that's a real need that women have, to -- after something unexpected happens or another method of birth control inadvertently fails during intercourse, women can still have some action to take to prevent that pregnancy that they know that's not right for them.
HOLMES: Well, Ms. Pearson, would you say that, yes, no matter what's intended to do, and as the back-and-forth about the medical literature, but would you say -- would you admit that -- it's supposed to, yes, prevent a pregnancy -- but would you say as well that it's capable of terminating one as well? PEARSON: No, no. That is not known. That has not been established. And what we do know is that it's a very effective after- the-fact contraceptive. Now, if one chemical is somehow related to another, that may indicate that they'll act the same way when they get to humans, but they may act differently when they get to humans.
HOLMES: And, Ms. Pearson, you said it's not established.
And you're shaking your head next to me here. I mean, you're seeing that differently?
DAVIS: Absolutely. I'm astounded that we are not testing this pill to see what the affects would be. The European Medical Association, which is the equivalent of our FDA, is giving exactly opposite information than this young woman is saying today. They are saying it does cause abortion. They are saying that in mice, in monkeys, and guinea pigs, et cetera, that it does cause abortion, which is why they require a test.
HOLMES: But just like Ms. Pearson said there, it hasn't necessarily been established. Would you admit though that maybe some evidence suggest, but would you say that it hasn't been established yet in humans that it does, in fact, it will abort a pregnancy?
DAVIS: I disagree. I think that's exactly what the literature is saying, is that it does cause abortion, which is why the European Medical Association requires the pregnancy test. The other thing that we don't know about this drug is its impact. Let's say that you had sex with someone consensually, you are already pregnant, and you take this pill, will it cause an abortion? The literature says, yes, it will.
There has been at least one child whose mother took the pill and was born, that had severe optic damage when it was born as a result of taking Ella.
We also don't know what it will do in the body of a minor, the very hormone that this pill blocks is the hormone that's needed for reproductive development. And if a teenager were to be prescribed this drug, what impact would it have on her body? We don't know because it's not been studied.
HOLMES: Well, last thing, and I beg you all to 10 seconds each on this last question.
Ms. Pearson, to you first. Same question to both of you. Is this just a matter of you're going to read the medical research depending on your ideology, wherever you fall on the abortion debate, is that how you're going to read the medical literature?
PEARSON: I think so. This is a pill that works after a woman has had intercourse. It's effective to prevent pregnancy. We believe that women still have control after unprotected intercourse.
HOLMES: Ms. Davis, you wrap it up for me. DAVIS: I belief that regardless of your position with regard to abortion, that you should have every available piece of data to make a decision on taking any pill, and we don't have that information because it's not been studied.
HOLMES: Ladies, this is a very important discussion to have. And the more information, the more sides we get out, the better, because at least the more informed the public.
Again, Catherine Davis, here in studio with me, from Georgia Right to Life -- thank you so much for coming in here with us.
And also, Cindy Pearson, executive director of the National Women's Health Network, joining me from Washington, D.C.
Ladies, thank you so much for a good discussion this morning. I appreciate you both, you two. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
DAVIS: Thank you.
HOLMES: It's 25 minutes past the hour. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: I will continue to update you on a big story we're watching, a tragic story out of California, the Mojave Desert in particular, where this road race, an off-road race, turned tragic. Six people dead after one of the vehicles involved in this race went off road, plowed into a crowd.
And as you can see from the video we got from a spectator, spectators were right on top of these cars as they zip by. That white vehicle was the one involved in the accident, and it went over that hill as you saw. It plowed into a crowd, killing six people, a number of others were injured, some of them seriously.
A lot of questions now about why spectators would be allowed to be so close in a race like this, vehicles going up to 100 miles an hour, bouncing over hills and mounds out there on this off-road race. The rules say the spectators are supposed to be 100 feet away from the road -- clearly, that is not the case. We'll continue to follow that throughout the morning.
I'll be back with more live news at the top of hour. Right now, I want to hand this thing over to "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D."
