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CNN Saturday Morning News
Patrick Kennedy Getting Treated At Mayo Clinic; Hayden May Replace Goss; Atmosphere At Churchill Downs; Martin Anderson Suffocated; Saving Money By Keeping Your Home Energy Efficient; British Helicopter Crashes In Iraq's Second Largest City; U.S. Helicopter Crash In Afghanistan Kills 10 Soldiers
Aired May 06, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: A story developing out of Iraq this morning.
These are pictures just in from Basra.
A British helicopter has crashed in the center of Iraq's second largest city. Wire services are reporting that none of the four crew members survived and that a policeman at the scene said the aircraft had been fired on.
Stay with CNN for new information on this developing story.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A U.S. military helicopter has crashed in Afghanistan. The military confirms all 10 soldiers aboard have been killed. A statement from coalition forces says the chopper was not shot down. No word yet on the cause of the crash.
LONG: Patrick Kennedy is waking up this morning in a Minnesota rehab center. The Rhode Island congressman says he's seeking treatment for his addictions and depression. Thursday, Kennedy crashed his car on Capitol Hill, an accident he says he doesn't remember.
Correspondent Tom Foreman brings us the latest on this story in just a minute.
Here it is. Take a look.
HARRIS: Man!
LONG: Proof that baseball-sized hail really does happen.
HARRIS: Wow!
LONG: These scary pictures were taken by a motorist in central Texas. You can see the hail punched out the windows, smashed the sunroof, as well. The amazing thing? No one was seriously injured.
HARRIS: Recognize this man? No?
Well, he's Air Force General Michael Hayden and he's said to be President Bush's choice for the top U.S. spy job. The job is open after CIA boss, Porter Goss, suddenly resigned yesterday. Watch for an announcement on Monday.
LONG: Had to happen -- a book from outed CIA Agent Valerie Plame. The Associated Press reports she's writing a memoir, due next year, and will get seven figures in that book deal. Plame is the former CIA operative whose unmasking led to a federal investigation and the indictment of Vice President Cheney's top aide.
Close, oh so close. Two Australian miners are said to be hours away from being rescued. They have spent 11 days trapped deep inside a gold mine. The men have survived on food and water sent through a slim PVC pipe.
Keeping you informed this morning, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
HARRIS: We've got Melissa Long.
Melissa Long.
LONG: Good morning.
HARRIS: How are you?
LONG: It's such an early wake up call.
HARRIS: It is, isn't it?
LONG: I think I set the alarm for about 3:15. I don't know about you.
HARRIS: For -- wow!
A familiar face? Pipeline, CNN.com, the combination sandwich that we provide for you here, one of the many platforms of CNN where you can get all your information.
Good to have you here this morning.
LONG: It's a perfect opportunity if someone has to be in the know all the time. Go online to CNN Pipeline.
HARRIS: And we will be talking about all the great work you and the rest of your team perform for us at Pipeline a littler later on this morning.
But from the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
7:00 a.m. in Atlanta.
Good morning.
6:00 a.m. in Texas, where some areas are bracing for some more severe weather.
Good morning to you.
I'm Tony Harris.
Thanks for being with us.
LONG: And good morning.
I'm Melissa Long, in this morning for Betty Nguyen.
We have a very busy morning planned for you.
Coming up on SATURDAY MORNING, colas, sugary juices, drinks -- what do you have this morning, Tony?
HARRIS: A little cola, yes. Yes.
LONG: All expelled from several schools this week.
Why did the thirst quenchers get kicked out? Because of what is in them. We're going to break down the ingredients for you and compare all the labels.
Plus, ready for the run-for the roses?
We're going to go "Beyond The Game," or the race, in this case, and chase down the dollars at Churchill Downs.
And coming up, this might -- what does it look like?
HARRIS: What is that?
LONG: Chicken scratch, right?
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
LONG: But this is code, code that kids use to talk about sex, drugs...
HARRIS: Oh, get out of here.
LONG: ... and maybe even rock and roll. So, grab a pen. We're going to teach you how to translate leet speak this morning. We should translate what that means.
HARRIS: What does that mean, yes?
LONG: Who knows?
HARRIS: But we begin with the unfolding saga of Congressman Patrick Kennedy. The Rhode Island Democrat is in rehab this morning for a prescription drug addiction. He checked himself into the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota yesterday, his second stay there in less than five months.
Kennedy's latest troubles began several nights ago with a minor traffic mishap on Capitol Hill in the wee hours of the morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. PATRICK KENNEDY (D), RHODE ISLAND: The incident on Wednesday evening concerns me greatly. I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police or being cited for three driving infractions. That's not how I want to live my life and it's not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Many questions still linger over the incident, especially over police procedures.
CNN's Tom Foreman has a time line of events as they unfolded that night.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The House will be in order.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Representative Kennedy's trip to trouble appears to have started at the end of a long day in Congress, in which he cast his final vote at 9:06 p.m.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ayes are 226. The nays are...
FOREMAN: No on a port security bill.
Shortly afterward, according to his office, he drove to his nearby home to turn in for the evening. And a minute before midnight, Congress adjourned.
By that time, Kennedy says he had already taken the medication in question -- Phenergan for nausea and Ambien to help him sleep, both prescribed by doctors. He says he doesn't remember waking up. But at 2:45 a.m. he got behind the wheel again, headed back to the Capitol complex. Two minutes later, Capitol police say they spotted him traveling at a high rate of speed, with no lights on and swerving into the oncoming traffic lane. One officer says he even had to steer out of the way to avoid Kennedy's rushing car.
When the congressman finally struck the barricade and stopped, police say his eyes were red and watery. His speech was slightly slurred. His balance was unsure. And he told them, at almost 3:00 in the morning, he was headed to the Capitol to make a vote.
The police report says he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, but no sobriety test was administered. Instead, a police supervisor made sure the congressman was given a ride home.
9:00 a.m. Thursday, Representative Kennedy issues a statement saying, "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident." And he pledges full cooperation with the investigation.
KENNEDY: I never asked for any preferential treatment.
FOREMAN: Twelve-and-a-half-hours later, however, as questions mount about what happened, he issues a second statement, and this time he offers an explanation. For the first time, he says prescription drugs may be to blame. "Apparently," he wrote, "I was disoriented from the medication."
(on camera): Kennedy insists he did not ask for any special treatment from Capitol police, but the police now say their supervisors showed bad judgment in how they handled this accident.
(voice-over): And investigators are now asking questions in bars and restaurants along his path, clearly trying to find out if Congressman Kennedy made any stops they don't know about before his final stop at the Capitol.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, next hour we will be discussing the Kennedy case in greater detail in our legal roundtable. At issue is whether Kennedy was treated the same as anyone else or received preferential treatment.
Plus, we'd like to hear what you think about all of this. Send us your thoughts. There's our address, weekends@CNN.com.
There's the question -- what do you think of the Patrick Kennedy case?
Once again, weekends@CNN.com.
And we'll be reading some of your comments a little later this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Porter's tenure at the CIA was one of transition, where he's helped this agency become integrated into the intelligence community. And that was a tough job and he's led ably.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: And President Bush accepts the resignation of CIA Director Porter Goss and thanks him for his service.
Now, the administration is floating the name of a possible successor. He is Air Force General Michael Hayden, the number two man to the director of national intelligence.
As for Goss, his tenure was one of transition and turmoil.
CNN's David Ensor reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First, there was the failure to stop 9/11. Then, the mistaken CIA analysis that Iraq probably had weapons of mass destruction. Those failures prompted the president and Congress to order dramatic change. A new director of national intelligence, John Negroponte. His job? To coordinate and manage the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. He meant he outranked CIA Director Porter Goss. That made it a difficult working relationship from the start.
Negroponte's plan to move people out of the CIA and into the National Counterterrorism Center caused Goss to push back and led to Goss' resignation.
Now, the president needs to name a new CIA chief, who must get Senate approval.
TIMOTHY ROEMER, FORMER 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: This is a critically difficult time for the country. We're in the midst of war with terrorists and now we may have to go through a brutal confirmation hearing, talking about things such as the national security wiretaps, leaks and secret prisons. This is not good for the country.
ENSOR: When Goss, a former congressman, came in with his team from Capitol Hill, they quickly pushed out several top CIA operations officers. That led to bad blood, from which many professionals say he never recovered.
Officials close to Negroponte say he and others felt the CIA was not moving quickly enough to adapt to its new role under the umbrella of Negroponte's office, after for so long being the lead intelligence agency. With so much change and turmoil, CIA veterans say what's needed now for the agency to be effective is a period of stability.
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The community has been relentlessly blamed for just about every national problem you can imagine and very little attention has been given to its successes and its needs. And so it is a community that, at this point, is under some stress and needs to nurtured.
ENSOR: General Michael Hayden, the man sources tell CNN is likely to be named, is a seasoned and respected intelligence professional. But he has never run-human intelligence collecting.
(on camera): As former director of the National Security Agency, he could also face tough questioning in Senate confirmation hearings on the president's warrantless wiretaps program.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable information on your safety and security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Safeguard your family, your personal belongings. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, you heard the sirens and so did they. People in central Florida ran from cover during this brush fire. It's one of three wildfires in the area. It burned about 75 acres and prompted voluntary evacuations of several subdivisions. There have been no reports of injuries or homes burned. A stretch of Interstate 95 was shut down briefly due to heavy smoke from the fire. It reopened this morning.
In Knoxville, Tennessee, police say a bible college student -- listen to this -- has confessed to setting fire to an adult bookstore in January. The 20-year-old student told police his Christian faith motivated him to torch the business, but his conscience since got the better of him, so he turned himself in. The young man now faces an arson charge. No one was hurt in the blaze.
And in southern California, a subdivision near the San Gabriel Mountains had an unwanted visitor yesterday. The presence of the young bear forced a local school to be locked down. The bruin wandered around some backyard swimming pools, cooling his heels a little bit then scampered back into the mountains, as wildlife officials converged on the area.
LONG: It looks like he didn't want to go in for a dip there.
HARRIS: No. No.
And still ahead, instant messages, chat rooms, e-mails -- if kids don't even have to leave the house to talk to strangers, what can parents do to protect them?
We'll tell you later this hour.
And this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINA JONES, ANDERSON'S MOTHER: So the truth is out now. My baby was murdered in the boot camp and he tried to cover it up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: The family of Martin Anderson demand justice after a second autopsy finds the teen was suffocated at a Florida boot camp.
But was there a cover-up?
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Good morning to you.
Parents, you should really pay attention to this, because we are going to show you something very important. What in the world is that? Can you read it?
HARRIS: No.
LONG: I can't either.
If there is an Internet savvy teen in your house, however, chances are they can.
And coming up on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, do you speak leet?
HARRIS: Oh.
LONG: It is an online code language between teenagers.
We have an expert on Internet safety joining us in our 10:00 hour to explain leet speak and why you need to understand it and know about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: And checking our top stories this hour, this man could replace Porter Goss as CIA director. He's Air Force General Michael Hayden, the principal deputy to the national intelligence director. Senior administration sources tell CNN this morning President Bush plans to make an announcement on Monday.
Goss announced his resignation yesterday.
Representative Patrick Kennedy is in the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Kennedy checked himself in yesterday. The congressman says he needs treatment for his addiction to prescription drugs. It comes after Kennedy was involved in a car crash near the Capitol that he says he can't even remember.
And in Texas, hail the size of baseballs destroyed this rear window of a car. Parts of Texas are bracing for more stormy weather today.
HARRIS: Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Reynolds?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Reynolds, thanks.
You are going to flip, flip when you see what we have coming up for you this morning.
Check this out. Well, wow!
We're going to tell you more about this record-breaking leap of faith when we take you to the Water Cooler.
LONG: And it's in Las Vegas, of course.
HARRIS: Yes. Sure, sure.
LONG: Of course. Right.
Plus, what's more important at today's Kentucky Derby -- the parades, the hats, the mint juleps or the horses? Time to prioritize. And a look at all of them next when Rick Horrow takes us...
HARRIS: Oh, no.
LONG: Oh, how cute.
He's going to take us "Beyond The Game."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Good morning to you.
Twenty minutes after the hour.
This new video just in to CNN.
This is the developing story this morning.
We have no official word on casualties from a British helicopter crash earlier today in Iraq. It crashed today in a residential area in the city of Basra. That's according to Iraqi and British officials.
Now, Basra, so you know, it's about 245 miles southeast of Baghdad.
The British military of defense confirming again the casualties in the incident, but not giving any of the details. And a high ranking Basra police official telling CNN that chopper went down right behind the governor's office.
Again, this new video just in to CNN.
We'll keep you posted on this developing story -- Tony.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): The quest for the elusive Triple Crown begins tonight at Churchill Downs. And with the famous Kentucky Derby comes the parade of hats, the mint juleps and, oh, yes, the thoroughbreds.
Two weeks later, it's the Preakness in Baltimore, then the final jewel, the Belmont Stakes in New York.
It's been almost three decades since a thoroughbred has captured the Triple Crown. By the end of the day, we'll know the name of the horse with a chance to make history.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, Affirmed was the last horse to do it. The great thoroughbred won the Triple Crown in 1978. Affirmed remains the standard for all others.
I beg to differ. That would be Secretariat.
Joining us this morning for a look at the Derby money and the atmosphere at Churchill Downs this weekend is sports business analyst Rick Horrow -- Rick, good to see you.
What do you have there? Oh, that's a little weird.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Well...
HARRIS: Be careful.
HORROW: Yes, I understand.
This is a morning...
HARRIS: OK.
HORROW: This is a family show.
HARRIS: Right. Right.
HORROW: But I was there last year. I've got a previous engagement tonight, so this is as close as I'm going to get to the Derby other than watching it so...
HARRIS: Is that a little...
HORROW: We'll leave it right there.
HARRIS: You saddled a little horse.
Are you OK here this morning?
HORROW: It's -- I'm doing Barry -- I'm doing my Barry White this morning.
HARRIS: Yes.
Is that what it is?
HORROW: Yes.
HARRIS: OK, so, wow! -- $2 million, the purse for this year's Derby?
Are we talking about new sponsors?
HORROW: Yes, we're talking about new sponsors and a new category. Yum Brands is the official first presenting sponsor of the Derby and there are 53 major corporate sponsors who are involved in this Derby, an 11 percent increase over last year.
You've got some of the old reliables. You've got Visa. You've got MetLife. You've got Buick and American Airlines.
But, Tony, here is the problem. Sixty-five million of us say we're casual racing fans, but only 11 percent say they're avid. And the bottom line is, as long as these race fans aren't really turned on by product and are intense about the sport, corporate America doesn't really dip into this sport as much as they do others.
HARRIS: Got you.
Got you.
But just -- you mentioned a moment ago that you were there last year.
Describe that atmosphere. It's one of the great days in sport. You've got the hats, the hat parade, it feels like. And the tradition with the Kentucky bourbon, the mint julep. OK. Set that scene for us.
HORROW: Well, if you remember, I grabbed a lime green hat from the first lady I could find...
HARRIS: That's right.
HORROW: ... and I wore it all day. And I fit in perfectly, which doesn't prove anything other than the fact that it was an interesting day.
But here's the dynamic. You have a $1,000 mint julep per customer funds to charity deal, where silver straw and gold plated cup -- that's the kind of money that's being spent.
You also have a sky box at Churchill Downs, a $170 million renovation, on the finish line for $225,000 for the event, just to be in that box.
HARRIS: Man.
HORROW: People also spend about $200 million of economic impact, Tony, around the Louisville area. All this for a two minute race.
HARRIS: Boy, I'd love to play on this one, but I don't pay attention. Maybe that's part of the problem. I don't pay much attention to horse racing so I have no idea who the favorites are in this race. But you do.
So who are you looking forward to watching here and who are you picking to win this thing?
HORROW: Well, first of all, ignorance has never prevented you before today. HARRIS: You know why.
HORROW: So I'm not sure that really ought to matter.
HARRIS: I teed that up for you, didn't I?
HORROW: Yes, you did.
The horse that I'm picking is named Bob and John. And the reason I'm doing that is because he's Bob McNair's horse. Remember, McNair owns the Houston Texans in the National Football League.
HARRIS: Yes, right.
HORROW: And some people say he made a major mistake last week in passing on Reggie Bush. So maybe he'll be excited this year about it.
HARRIS: Oh.
HORROW: And as long as Bob and John go the same way. That's one horse. So if it goes down the road, it'll be fine. Watch him to be an underdog that may come from the back of the pack.
HARRIS: Well, before that last comment, we did have time for fair and foul ball, but we don't now.
Rick, good to see you, as always.
See you again next week, sir.
HORROW: I'll talk faster next week.
HARRIS: OK -- Melissa.
LONG: All right.
I think I know why I haven't been there before, considering the cost of everything at the Kentucky Derby.
Well, later this morning, we are going to be road tripping it up to Louisville to meet Mike Matts (ph), the trainer of one of today's favorites.
And the survivor -- the crash of United Flight 232. That was 17 years ago. His story is sure to inspire you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes you think everything can always happen to somebody else, but it can happen to you and it just makes you wonder -- you know, sort of cherish every moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Hope you will stay with us.
You are watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Looking for a perfect place to play golf this weekend?
Why not Jacksonville, Florida?
Well, we've got some scattered showers there this morning, but into the afternoon we're expecting things to clear out, conditions to be beautiful, partly cloudy skies and high temperatures warming up to 86 degrees, with a light breeze coming in right off the coast. It couldn't be better.
All right, folks, get out there and hit them straight.
This is your Fairway Forecast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Good morning to you.
Casualties are now being confirmed in the British helicopter crash in Iraq today. This is new video just in to CNN this morning.
No word yet on how many deaths. Officials say the chopper crashed in the Basra neighborhood right behind the governor's office. The British military has sealed off the area and is investigating.
We will keep you posted on this developing story.
No survivors -- the military says all 10 U.S. soldiers aboard a U.S. helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan last night were killed. The chopper went down during combat operations in southeast Afghanistan. But officials say the crash was not the result of enemy action.
Congressman Patrick Kennedy is spending his first full day back in rehab. He checked himself into the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota last night for treatment for an addiction to prescription drugs. Kennedy made the decision after a car crash near Capitol Hill that he says he doesn't remember. He also revealed that he was treated at the clinic over Christmas recess.
HARRIS: An announcement is expected Monday on President Bush's pick to be the next CIA director. Senior administration officials tell CNN the choice is Air Force General Michael Hayden. He's the deputy to the national intelligence director. Hayden would replace Porter Goss, who resigned yesterday.
Rescue teams say they're within 10 feet of two trapped gold miners in Australia. They've been using a giant drill to cut through 40 feet of solid rock. Now, they'll start digging by hand. The men have been trapped underground for the past 11 days.
The truth is out. That's what a Florida mother said after a second autopsy found boot camp guards suffocated her son. Fourteen- year-old Martin Anderson died in January after he was kicked and punched by guards at the Panama City camp. But the initial autopsy blamed his death on a benign blood disorder.
CNN's Susan Candiotti has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This time, Martin Anderson's death is being blamed on guards at the boot camp forcing smelling salts up his nose. In a written statement, a second medical examiner appointed by the governor to investigate calls Anderson's death "suffocation due to the actions of the guards."
The teenager's family claimed vindication and accused the original medical examiner of wrongdoing.
JONES: So the truth is out now. My baby was murdered in the boot camp and he tried to cover it up.
CANDIOTTI: The teen collapsed in January during an exercise drill on his first day at the Panama City boot camp. Anderson's family immediately raised questions. So did Florida lawmakers, calling the guards' actions abuse.
The boy's body was exhumed, the governor got involved and so did the Justice Department, investigating whether excessive force was used.
Governor Bush said: "I am disturbed by the findings and consider the actions of the Bay County Boot Camp guards deplorable."
The second medical examiner asked NASA to enhance the video for his review. This is a less clear copy, released after CNN and the "Miami Herald" sued the State of Florida to obtain it.
Here, Anderson's head appears to be pulled back, his mouth covered while guards put ammonia capsules up the teenager's nostrils.
The second medical examiner says that cut off the 14-year-old's oxygen.
A boot camp incident report obtained by CNN says the capsules were used five times. The same report calls the repeated blows "control techniques to make recruits comply with orders."
The latest autopsy agrees with the first, that the pounding was not fatal. The blows left several bruises, but he was not beaten to death. Both autopsies also agree that Anderson had sickle cell trait. But the original medical examiner continues to insist Anderson did not suffocate.
Dr. Charles Siebert says there was no increase in carbon dioxide levels, a key basis for suffocation.
DR. CHARLES SIEBERT, BAY COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER: My findings are backed up by science and I'm comfortable with my findings and I'm going to stand to -- stand by them.
CANDIOTTI: Dr. Siebert found the teenager died of natural causes when physical stress prompted his cells to change form and hemorrhage. Siebert denies any cover-up.
One of the guard's lawyers called the investigation a witch-hunt.
WAYLON GRAHAM, ATTORNEY FOR LIEUTENANT CHARLES HELMS: It's pretty apparent to me that the governor is bending over backwards to please the vocal crowd that's fussing. And I'm very concerned about the governor putting pressure on all of these individuals to reach a result that would please the victim's family.
CANDIOTTI: The same lawyer claims a nurse told the guards the boy was just faking his stress and told them to use smelling salts.
(on camera): A criminal investigation is still going on. Some guards predict they will be charged. If so, a trial could be a battle of the coroners.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: Oh, I don't know if you want to hear this, but a new survey puts the average price for a gallon of gas, $2.92. That is up from $0.71, up from $0.71 from this time last year. The rising gas prices hit all of us where it really hurts, in the wallet. Another new survey asks what changes have you made because of the higher energy prices?
Here are some of the responses.
Sixty-six percent of you have reduced your driving. Sixty-six percent cutting back on air conditioning or heat. Thirty-nine percent have thought about getting a fuel efficient car. Forty-nine percent changing their vacation plans.
So, if prices at the pump give your wallet an unwelcome workout, we're going to see if we can help you to save a nice chunk of change by helping to keep your home energy efficient.
And here to help us to do just that, Dennis Creech, the executive director of the Southface Energy Institute.
Good morning.
DENNIS CREECH, SOUTHFACE ENERGY INSTITUTE: Good morning.
LONG: Thanks for waking up early with us.
We appreciate it.
CREECH: It's a pleasure.
LONG: Well, let's start low and then work our way up, so we don't hit the budget too badly.
Let's start with some of the small energy changes you can make in your home.
CREECH: Well, the first one I would recommend costs nothing at all, and that's to adjust the thermostat.
LONG: Right. OK.
CREECH: Set it a little bit higher in the summer so that you're not buying as much air conditioning, set it a little bit lower in the winter so you're not buying as much heating.
LONG: Give me a number. Target summer low?
CREECH: In the summertime, you might want to set it up close to about 78, 80 degrees. Use ceiling fans to move the air so that you feel cooler but you're not buying as much electricity and you're saving money.
LONG: OK.
Light bulbs. And you even brought us a little prop here.
CREECH: Right.
This is a light bulb that will save you about $50 over the course of its life. What's nice is it'll last about 10 times longer than a regular light bulb...
LONG: It costs you a little bit more.
CREECH: It costs you a little bit more to buy. I can get this one for about $3 now, but it saves me about $50. So it's a great deal. What I love about it is in the summertime, it doesn't put off as much heat, so I don't have to buy air conditioning now. So I'm really saving twice on the light bulb.
LONG: OK.
Also, a recommendation to air seal your doors and your windows. And you brought the suggested...
CREECH: Right.
LONG: ... air seal.
CREECH: Yes, this is a can of spray foam sealant. And so all of the cracks underneath the sink of your bathroom and your kitchen, if you go underneath your house and look usually over around the bathtub, there's a big hole there. You can seal that hole up with this, as well as around doors and windows, anywhere you think air might be leaking in.
LONG: OK. So these are some of the small changes you can make around your home that won't really break the bank. But let's increase the price tag a little bit more.
What are some of the moderate changes you can make at home that you have seen real changes in your budget?
CREECH: Right.
Well, water heating is usually the number two energy cost in most people's homes. So anything you can do to save hot water. And so this is a low flow showerhead. Actually, it's standard now, so if you've got an older showerhead, just replacing it with any new showerhead that you can find in the market is going to save you, typically, about $30 to $50 a year on your hot water bills.
LONG: OK, also...
CREECH: And that's an easy, do-it-yourself project for most people.
LONG: We're running out of time and I want to make sure we get all these tips in.
You suggested earlier changing the thermostat, also installing an automatic thermostat, as well. And you mentioned earlier the ceiling fans.
Now, let's talk about long-term planning. If you have some money to spend, what are some of the changes you should make?
CREECH: Right.
Well, the biggest energy drain in most people's homes that have central heating there would be leaky duct work. And you can take this very simple duct sealing paste and seal those seams in the duct work and that'll cut your energy bills dramatically.
LONG: OK.
And replacing the doors and the windows?
CREECH: Yes. That's going to be a higher ticket item.
LONG: Definitely.
CREECH: And so usually that's going to be involved in a remodeling project.
LONG: Well, when you're speaking of remodeling or even building a new home, you can get some real energy bonuses from the government, as well?
CREECH: Right. There's a new federal energy tax credit for building a new home, up to $2,000, as well as smaller credits for people who are just trying to make energy improvements on their current home.
LONG: All right, Dennis Creech, the executive director of the Southface Energy Institute.
Thanks.
Great tips.
We appreciate it.
CREECH: Thank you.
LONG: And back to you -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK, Melissa.
Appreciate it.
We want to take you back to Basra now, the scene of that British military plane chopper that went down.
We've got new pictures in to CNN.
Can we roll those pictures?
Do we have them yet?
What we have here, what you'll see in a moment is the scene on the ground there, where we apparently -- OK.
Why don't we do this? Why don't we take a break and we'll come back -- all right, we have the pictures right now.
Let's show them to you now.
New video in to CNN. Again, these are pictures on the ground now. You see British troops responding to the scene where the British helicopter crashed in Basra in a neighborhood there. And in a moment, what you will see is that one of the British tanks has been set on fire by people on the ground there.
Now, this is all in response -- the British troops responding to the helicopter that crashed in Basra in a residential neighborhood, right behind the governor's office.
The British military has sealed off the area. One wonders how effectively the British military has sealed off the area.
Let's listen to this scene as it's being played out now in Basra.
OK, just to reset the story and give you a better idea of what you're looking at here as you see rocks and bottles and that tank there that you see, you see some young people around a tank right there, well, there you see it, the tank being set on fire right now. This is a British tank that was called to the scene to respond to a British helicopter going down, crashing in this neighborhood, this residential neighborhood in Basra.
Now, the British military is trying as best it can to sort of cordon off that area, seal it off to the folks who live in that neighborhood. But as you can see and make out clearly for yourself, they're having a difficult time doing that.
We will continue to follow developments on the ground as the British military tries to keep this situation from getting out of hand.
We'll take a break now and come back with more.
You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
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HARRIS: And once again, if you're just joining us, let us bring you up to speed with our developing story at this hour.
Casualties are now being confirmed in the British helicopter crash in Iraq today. This is new video in to CNN this morning. No word yet on how many deaths can be attributed to the crash.
This is the scene that, as you're watching it now, that has unfolded in the aftermath of that crash.
First of all, we should tell you that the helicopter went down in a Basra neighborhood, a residential neighborhood right behind the governor's office. And the scene that has unfolded is, as you watch it right now, young people throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails being tossed at a British tank that you will see here in a second that eventually goes up in flames.
Now, again, this is in Basra. This is south of Baghdad, just to sort of give you a bit of an orientation to where Basra is in relation to Baghdad. This is in the British-controlled area of the country, very near Kuwait.
And this is a scene that we have watched unfold just in the last, oh, 20 to 30 minutes or so. And we understand that we're getting a statement in from the British government.
And, Melissa, do you have that?
I can take a look at it here.
The British military in Basra is confirming that the helicopter has crashed and that there were casualties. The military spokesman has not confirmed that they have seen the pictures of some of the Iraqis cheering. But well, we can tell you, we have seen those pictures of Iraqis cheering around the wreckage of the helicopter.
Well, let me take that back. We have not specifically seen pictures of Iraqis cheering around the helicopter, but we have seen shots of Iraqis cheering.
"There was some public disorder." The statement goes on to say, "that has now been cleared."
OK, the pictures seem to indicate something a little different.
"The site is now secure."
We are going to try to get you additional new video of the scene.
"The military can neither confirm nor deny some reports that the helicopter was hit by a missile."
Ryan Chilcote is our correspondent in Baghdad.
We'll be talking to him as soon as we can.
We'll keep an eye on this developing story.
Casualties now confirmed in this British helicopter crash in the city of Basra.
You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
More after a quick break.
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LONG: Good morning.
Keeping you updated on this developing story this morning.
We take you to the scene of a British helicopter that crashed today in a residential area in the city of Basra.
To give you some geographic perspective, Basra is southeast, 245 miles southeast of Baghdad, an area which has had historic calm compared to Baghdad -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, it really has. And you can see what has unfolded since that helicopter crash. We've got people in the streets now. We've got a little bit of chaos, with young people throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails. At one point you saw a picture of a British tank going up in flames.
What the British government is telling us right now that isn't necessarily jiving with the pictures that we see right now is that calm has been restored to the streets of Basra around this episode. But it's certainly not evidenced in the pictures that you're seeing here. So we'll continue to follow that.
Ryan Chilcote is our correspondent in Baghdad and I understand he is with us on the phone -- and, Ryan, is there -- I think the thing that we're coming to terms with is that this is happening in an area of the country that, up to this point, has been a bright spot in terms of its peace and calm, compared, certainly, to Baghdad.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly correct, Tony.
The south of Iraq is a primarily Shiite area. Basra is a mostly Shiite city. It is the area where the British are most active and it is an area where they have run-into far less problems in terms of violence than the U.S. military has had in the Sunni Triangle, in Baghdad and in the north of the country.
So this is very uncharacteristic. The scenes you're seeing right now on your screen, these are very uncharacteristic moments.
Let's back up and talk about how this all began.
HARRIS: Yes.
CHILCOTE: This all began with a report that a British helicopter had been downed by a missile in the area. The British military is saying they can't confirm that at this point.
HARRIS: Well, Ryan, let me stop you...
CHILCOTE: But we've spoken with the...
HARRIS: Let me stop you there.
CHILCOTE: Yes?
HARRIS: And I'm sure you've got some independent work on this, as well, and I'll allow you to set -- I'll set it up for you by saying that Reuters is now reporting that the helicopter was hit by a missile.
CHILCOTE: Reuters is saying that, quoting a spokeswoman from the British military in Basra. They are now -- the British military that we just spoke with says they were misquoted. They can't confirm that.
HARRIS: Oh.
CHILCOTE: So, what we do know, however, is that a group of security contractors in Basra is saying that that is what happened, that they saw that. And we also know from the Iraqi -- the Iraqi police are saying that. In fact, a policeman is telling us that he both heard an explosion and saw a flash of light, apparently of the impact when this missile hit that helicopter.
So it would appear to be the case, but the British military hasn't confirmed that.
Then, we get this unrest in the streets. And you can see there was first some video of crowds in the streets apparently celebrating this helicopter crash.
HARRIS: Yes.
CHILCOTE: And now this most recent video that you're showing with people around this Brit -- what appears to be a British APC or a British tank. And they appear to be lighting it on fire. Very uncharacteristic scenes for the city of Basra and the British military here in Iraq -- Tony.
LONG: Ryan, the British Ministry of Defense has confirmed that there have been casualties. We haven't been able to confirm any numbers.
Can you shed any light on that?
CHILCOTE: The Iraqi police have said that there were four bodies found at the scene. The British military is saying, as you say, that there are casualties. We can't confirm any more than that.
What we can tell you is that there is some video that we are not showing. It's very, very graphic video that shows the remains of British soldiers at the site.
So, clearly, there were casualties in this attack. That's what the British military is saying. We just don't know exactly how many at this point.
HARRIS: We're not talking about a Mogadishu scene here, are we, Ryan?
CHILCOTE: Well, you know, we just spoke with the British military.
HARRIS: OK.
CHILCOTE: And they said that they're aware of the video and they've seen the video. They're aware of the unrest and they are now in control of the scene. So, no, it doesn't look like that's the case.
HARRIS: Yes.
CHILCOTE: You know, we'll have to watch the next couple of hours in Basra.
HARRIS: OK.
Ryan, we appreciate it.
We know you'll stay on this story and bring you the latest developments.
Certainly, we'd like to talk to you again on -- in our later hours here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
We appreciate it.
Ryan, thank you.
CHILCOTE: Sure thing.
HARRIS: We'll take a break and we will come back with more of CNN SATURDAY MORNING right after this.
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