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CNN Saturday Morning News
British Forces Seized; Politics of Health; Dangers of Night Patrol in Iraq; Poisoned Pet Food; Fighting Over the War in Iraq
Aired March 24, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, hello there, everybody.
From CNN Center in Atlanta, this is March 24th.
Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, T.J.
HOLMES: Good morning, dear Betty.
NGUYEN: Dear Betty, today? I've done something right.
HOLMES: I'm in a good mood today.
NGUYEN: Well, good morning dear viewers out there. We appreciate you joining us today.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
Thanks for being with us.
We do have some new developments in the death of Pat Tillman. The former Arizona Cardinals safety was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, and the Pentagon reportedly planning to hold some military brass accountable for mishandling that investigation of his death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our hearts go out to the thousands of pet owners across Canada and the United States for their losses and their worries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: First, the death, then the recall, now the investigation. We've got the latest on a massive pet food scare that has sickened hundreds of animals.
NGUYEN: And severe weather strikes. Want to check this video out. Look at that.
Twisters, they are touching down. In fact, they did overnight. And the Midwest is on a flood watch.
We're going to bring you up to speed on all of this. It's CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
HOLMES: But first we're going to start with Pat Tillman, the former football star turned Army Ranger. He was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
You may remember this story. We have new developments on it now in that investigation.
According to The Associated Press, the Pentagon now -- now reporting that they will recommend that nine officers be held accountable for mistakes in the aftermath of Tillman's death. That includes up to four generals. Again, all this according to The Associated Press.
Now, for weeks after Tillman's death, almost three years ago, the Army told his family he was killed in an ambush, but dozens of soldiers knew within minutes or hours that his death was a result of friendly fire. We're following this story.
NGUYEN: There is a diplomatic crisis adding to the tensions with Iran this morning. Britain is demanding the safe return of the 15 marines and sailors seized by Iranian forces. It happened in the Persian Gulf near a disputed waterway that separates Iran and Iraq.
Our European political editor, Robin Oakley, joins us now from London with the latest on this.
Robin, what have you learned?
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Betty, once again we have got what is essentially a war of words between the Iranian and British authorities over who has violated territorial integrity, who has overstepped the mark.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OAKLEY (voice over): Patrol boats sent out from British warships regularly board vessels in Iraqi waters, with the authority of the United Nations and the Iraqi government. Fifteen marines from the Type 22 frigate HMS Cornwall boarded a dow (ph) Friday to inspect its cargo. Their business peacefully completed, they were surrounded by Iranian patrol boats and escorted into Iranian waters.
The commander of British naval forces in the region said he wants his men released.
COMMODORE NICK LAMBERT, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: Well, my immediate concern, obviously, is to my people. I've got 15 sailors and marines who've been arrested by the Iranians, and my immediate concern is that they are -- their safety and their safe return to me is ensured. And I can assure all of the families who are listening out there that everything is being done to the highest level of the U.K. government.
OAKLEY: Commodore Lambert said there head been no violence and insisted the seized men had been conducting routine patrols in Iraqi waters. LAMBERT: There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they were in Iraqi territorial waters. Equally, the Iranians may well claim that they were in Iranian territorial waters. The extent and the definition of territorial waters in this part of the world is very complicated.
OAKLEY: The Iranian ambassador was summoned to the British Foreign Office, and Britain's foreign secretary underscored the message given to him there.
MARGARET BECKETT, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: We have sought a full explanation of what happened, and left the Iranian authorities in no doubt that we expect the immediate and safe return of our service personnel and boats. I understand the meeting with my permanent secretary was brisk, but polite, but as I say, we have left them in no doubt, we want our personnel and equipment back.
OAKLEY: Iranian authorities countered by summoning Britain's main envoy in Tehran to explain what Iranian state TV called an incursion into Iranian waters. This is not the first such seizure in the Shatt al Arab waterway.
Back in 2004, in a similar incident, 14 sailors and marines and their boats were seized by Iranian authorities who made a similar claim. On that occasion, after being blindfolded and paraded on television, the men were released after two days, though their boats were never returned.
Since then, the confrontational Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has taken over as Iran's president. Diplomatic tensions are already running high, with the West accusing Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of a uranium enrichment program that Iran insists is for purely peaceful power generation purposes. The latest incident comes as the U.N. Security Council is preparing to discuss a new round of sanctions against the Iranian regime in an effort to secure suspension of the uranium enrichment program.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OAKLEY: The Iranian authorities certainly don't seem to be in the mood yet to cool things down. An Iranian news agency has reported today that the British soldiers have been taken to Tehran to explain what are described there as their aggressive actions -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Very little information coming out of Iran, except for what we have learned on state television. But let me ask you this, what happens now? Has there been any info as to what needs to be done to secure the release of these British troops?
OAKLEY: Well, what's being done, basically, is to resume diplomatic talks as much as they can at this stage. It still seems to be rather in the shouting at each other phase, rather than getting down to practical negotiations. But the British authorities will be asking other coalition partners and other countries in the region to help them to persuade the Iranians to release the men, and they are insistent, of course, the British, that the British sailors and marines were operating in Iraqi waters. And they would hope that the whole thing can be explained in terms of a mistake, as happened with the incident back in 2004 -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Robin Oakley.
We appreciate your time. Thank you, Robin.
HOLMES: Meanwhile, Iran's president expected to be a no-show at the United Nations today. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had asked to speak to the Security Council before it votes on new sanctions against his country. But, Iranian officials say his flight crew did not receive their U.S. visas in time. However, the State Department, the U.S. State Department, says the necessary visas had been approved and had been issued.
A claim of responsibility today in the assassination attempt against Iraq's deputy prime minister. A terrorist group linked to al Qaeda says it carried out the attack yesterday against Salam al- Zubaie. He was wounded and nine people were killed. According to reports, al-Zubaie underwent surgery and is in serious but stable condition.
Meanwhile, more bloodshed in Baghdad today. Police say a suicide bomber killed 11 people and wounded almost two dozen in the city's Dora district.
NGUYEN: There are new questions, new controversy in the firing of those federal prosecutors. A late-night revelation once again puts embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in the spotlight.
The Justice Department reveals Gonzales discussed the dismissals in a meeting held in late November, and that could contradict his claim that he was out of the loop on the firings. Critics from both parties have called for Gonzales to resign or be fired. They say the federal prosecutor's firings were motivated by partisan politics.
HOLMES: At least 16 people injured after severe storms sweeps through eastern New Mexico. Several tornadoes were spotted near the Texas border, and that is just a heck of a sight, those pictures.
NGUYEN: Yes. Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider is here with a look at the damage.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, there is new information concerning the pet food recall. A lot of people very interested in this. And it has a lot of pet owners very upset, because a chemical used in rat poison has been found in the recalled food that killed several animals and sickened hundreds of others.
Now, there's no word yet on how it got there. But yesterday, Menu Foods expanded the recall to include all brands of its Cuts and gravy style pet food.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PAUL HENDERSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MENU FOODS: Our primary concern at this time is in regard to the product recall associated with that and the continued investigation to find out how these products got into our system. The issue of the litigation will have to -- will follow up in due course. Our principal concern is pet safety, and that's where we're focusing our time and attention.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But do you admit that there has been negligence on your part?
HENDERSON: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. Here are some of the symptoms to look for: loss of appetite, tiredness, vomiting, frequent urination.
For recall information, call the number on the screen, it's there right now. We're going to put that up, in fact. There it is -- 1- 866-895-2708.
HOLMES: We've got an avalanche of controversy to tell you about. Controversy over sex.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN STANTON, FIRED LARGO, FLA., CITY MANAGER: Dealing with Susan is going to be no different than it's been dealing with Steven.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: OK. So he wants to be a she and get his or her job back. It is a packed House, and we have the results of a vote after a city manager announces that he wants a sex change.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN PIPELINE ANCHOR: And it's been two days since Elizabeth Edwards announced her cancer had returned. Her husband John continuing his presidential campaign.
How do you feel about this? I'll have some of your e-mails next from the .com/DESK.
HOLMES: All right. Thank you, Veronica. We'll see you soon.
And the House has spoken. Pull the troops out of Iraq. So, what is milk doing in that same emergency bill? There's also something in there about spinach.
NGUYEN: Huh?
HOLMES: Yes. But while we're on the food theme, we'll take a look at this pork spending as it's called. That's coming up on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, welcome back here.
Well, your health and Las Vegas, usually probably two things don't go together when you plan a trip, think about your health and Vegas. But healthcare is exactly what's being talked about in Las Vegas, being talked about by a lot of the presidential candidates there.
Actually, the two leading candidates, you're seeing them here and you probably recognize them by now. Of course, that's Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Barack Obama. They are participating.
Also participating, another Democrat, Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. He's there, as well. Now, more than a year and a half before the elections, healthcare really emerging as a major, major issue.
Now, the topic, of course, hits home, real close to home for John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth. Thursday, they announced her cancer has returned, and it is not curable. The Edwards campaign says his campaign for the White House will continue, despite that diagnosis.
NGUYEN: Yes. It's not the news that they wanted to hear, obviously, T.J. And CNN's Veronica De La Cruz joins us from the CNN .com/DESK.
You've been tracking the impact of this decision by John Edwards to continue his presidential campaign following, of course, the return of his wife's cancer.
What have you been able to find out?
DE LA CRUZ: Well, Betty, we've been asking people how they feel about his decision to continue. And obviously, there are some mixed emotions.
I'm going to share a couple of those e-mails coming up. But first, I wanted to talk about his wife's battle with cancer.
You can go to CNN.com, where our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a special report on the fight against the disease, which is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. It is estimated more than 1,500 people die from cancer every day. And according to the American Cancer Society, you can reduce your chances of getting cancer by 50 percent if you eat well, exercise, and not smoke.
Now, not smoking is number one, two, and three on Dr. Gupta's top 10 tips to cut your cancer risk. Smoking is linked to at least three of every 10 cancer deaths in the United States.
Also, at this special report at cnn.com/savingyourlife, you can watch video clips from several cancer survivors discussing the challenges, their fears, and the overall emotional aspects of fighting the disease.
You can also check out a map for screening centers in your state. Again, the special report can be found online at our Web site. It is cnn.com/savingyourlife.
Now, Betty, let's get back now to thoughts on the Edwards announcement. We've been receiving a lot of I-Reports. Here are a couple of them now.
Rebecca Marks of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is saying that, "I'm also a stage IV breast cancer survivor, and I applaud their decision to continue their campaign. Elizabeth sets a wonderful example for everyone. Her husband, John, does well as her support. The whole family has cancer, not just the patient, and now they have made all of us a community dealing with this dreadful disease."
Now on the flip side, Shelly Johnson of Santa Clarita, California says, "I do not believe that you can effectively run for the office of commander in chief and support your family in a serious and life- threatening illness such as cancer. For him to run seems unfair to the people of this country and to his family. Some might also think that he is banking on sympathy votes."
Now, if you'd like to weigh in with your thoughts, you can always e-mail us by logging on to cnn.com/ireport -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Veronica, thank you for that.
In fact, we want to let our viewers know that in the next half hour we're going to talk with a top expert on breast cancer. Dr. Ruth O'Regan will tell us some of the treatments that she is working on. So you'll want to join us for that live interview. It is at 7:30 Eastern.
HOLMES: Well, a pet food recall that was already massive, it expands now to include more brands.
Keep it right here to find out what you need to look for.
NGUYEN: Also, counting their blessings, and their days. U.S. soldiers on a dangerous nighttime mission in Iraq. Our John King joins them.
That is next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about science and the search for clues in the killing of a world famous coach. Fifty-eight-year-old Bob Woolmer was found strangled in his Kingston hotel room on Sunday. Now, that was hours after team Pakistan suffered a shocking loss in cricket's World Cup.
Well, police in Jamaica have taken DNA samples from the country's delegation, players, coaches, even managers, and police aren't identifying any suspects, but did say, "We have a few definite lines of inquiry."
HOLMES: To Iraq now. The mission is vital, but the risk is high. Each step, each bend in the road could be your last. It's another night on the edge for U.S. soldiers delivering critical supplies to forward operating bases in Iraq.
CNN's John King goes along for the ride.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every pothole, trash pile and lump of grass a potentially deadly enemy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead, 33. This is (INAUDIBLE) 4.
KING: Specialist Terrence Dixon searches the roadside with a spotlight. His position is the most vulnerable -- exposed some even with the upgraded armor. But if he has to be out here, in the gunner's turret is where Dixon wants to be.
SPEC. TERRENCE DIXON, U.S. ARMY: It feels like you can defend yourself if you're the actual person bringing the hammer down.
KING: Mine clearing trucks check the roads regularly, as do unmanned surveillance drones. The driver is the last line of defense against an enemy that could be anywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The way it is now in Iraq, though, everything is really out of the ordinary because, I mean, there's trash all over the place and there's holes all over the place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to pull over and let him go around.
KING: Forward Operating Base Gabe is tonight's destination and the halfway point of another night on the edge.
(on camera): This base, just on the edge of Baquba, is populated mostly by Georgian troops, but also a small contingent of U.S. Marines. Because of its very limited facilities, it's taking nearly three hours to unload the water trucks, but we're almost ready now to head back.
(voice-over): Quick swerves on the way home are shaped by Haywood's (ph) memory of the trip out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damn, what the hell is that?
It looks like a stack of grass or something. When the road is clear like this and then all of a sudden you see something that wasn't there when you came through. Not all the time is it an IED, but it keep you alert, though.
KING: A narrow bridge then lights on the horizon mean camp is close. Up to 100 major supply convoys a week in Iraq. Five or six have IED incidents on a slow week. Fifteen or more a week is more the norm. So everyone counts their blessings and everyone counts their days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they say go to Iraq then I ain't got no choice but to go and just do my time over here and then hopefully make it back. Six months to go. Six months to go. KING: John King, CNN, Balad, Iraq.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, he was a hero on and off the field, but now new developments in how the investigation into Pat Tillman's death was handled. At issue, accountability.
HOLMES: Also, she's fighting a killer disease during a big-time campaign -- Elizabeth Edwards' battle against breast cancer. We'll talk to one of the nation's top experts on that disease.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, HOST, "OPEN HOUSE" (voice over): Tax time is less than a month away. That means time to figure out what records to keep and which ones to trash.
Hold on to bills for big items for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage. Keep original receipts until you get your monthly statements. Then shred the receipts if the two match up. And keep those statements for seven years if tax-related expenses are documented.
Retirement and savings plan records, hold onto them permanently. And the absolute golden rule, shred any and all documents with personal information.
(on camera): I'm Gerri Willis, and that's your "Tip of the Day".
Coming up a special edition of OPEN HOUSE. We'll take at ways to boost your credit score, lower your taxes, and we'll be exploring the country's mortgage meltdown. Finally, one Senate committee is getting down and dirty, putting industry executives and regulators in the hot seat.
That's OPEN HOUSE, today, 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Do you think she could have eaten anything?" He goes, "It's toxic. Everything's coming up toxic."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A healthy dog suddenly sedate. Well, the same thing happened to hundreds of pets.
NGUYEN: In fact, we want to talk about deaths, a recall, now an investigation. We have information that you need to know.
We want to welcome you back, though, to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
We're so glad you could be here with us this morning.
NGUYEN: Well, a football star turned Army ranger killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. We are following new developments this morning in the Pat Tillman investigation. And according to The Associated Press, a Pentagon report will recommend that nine officers be held accountable for mistakes in the aftermath of Tillman's death. And that includes up to four generals.
Now, for weeks after Tillman's death, almost three years ago, the Army told his family that he was killed in an ambush. But dozens of soldiers knew within just minutes or even hours that his death was the result of friendly fire.
HOLMES: Standing up to the president, or political posturing? The House barely passed a war spending bill that calls for troop withdrawal by next year. Of course, a lot of people talking about that, but it's the other stuff in that bill that people are also talking about.
That story now from CNN's Senior National Correspondent John Roberts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It took a week of arm-twisting and some outright vote-buying, but House Democrats managed to squeak out the 218 votes they needed for a measure to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq by September, 2008.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: They voted no to giving a blank check to an open-ended commitment to a war without end to the president of the United States. And yes, to begin the end of the war and the redeployment of our troops.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the end, though, it was just so much posturing. Even if the bill makes it out of Congress, which is unlikely, the president has promised to veto it.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today's action in the house does only one thing; it delays the delivery of vital resources for our troops.
ROBERTS: The measure doesn't actually cut funding for the troops. But unless the president signs it, he won't get the money he needs to fight the war. Democrats can drive him crazy without actually touching the purse strings. And for this Democratic ally, that shows a certain lack of political courage.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) CONNECTICUT: This is a time for acting in a way that's responsible. If you really want to stop the war, cut the funding, it does make you accountable for what happens thereafter, but you've done something as a matter of principle.
ROBERTS: What's also drawing fire is the way Democrats got the votes. The bill says Tom Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste is stuffed with pork, $21 billion worth. What kind of bacon are we talking about here?
TOM SCHATZ, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVT. WASTE: It is mostly in agriculture. We've got spinach; we've got the milk income loss contract program. And we've got peanut storage costs.
ROBERTS: Granted, some projects may have merit. like $6 billion in Katrina disaster relief. But look at this, $25 million to spinach growers to cover losses from the E. Coli outbreak, $74 million to store peanuts. or how about $252 million for a milk program. It would create a surplus of milk that another government program would buy. That gem came right from David Obey chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. What does any of it have to do with Iraq? Why nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a lot of politics. It's a lot of vote buying. But it's business as usual only more expensive.
ROBERTS: Next week, it's the Senate's turn to take up the spending bill, another timetable and more pork to suck up votes. Didn't Democrats say they were the party of change?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They said, fiscal discipline. So maybe they really wanted to spend $40 billion and they only spent $20 billion. But we won't know that.
ROBERTS: John Roberts, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And one programming note here for you. Tonight "This Week at War" investigating what's working in Iraq, what is not working in Iraq. CNN's John Roberts hosts. That's tonight at 7:00 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Well, presidential hopeful John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth got the news no one wants to hear. And that is that the cancer is back. It is a battle Mrs. Edwards has already fought once before.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH EDWARDS, JOHN EDWARDS WIFE: This is what happens to every cancer survivor. Not that you ultimately get a bad diagnosis. But every time you get something suspicious, you go in to alarm mode. And that's every cancer survivor that you know personally has exactly that experience. Of knowing that that pain they feel in their side, the aches they feel some place, could be the sign of something worse. This turned out to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Mrs. Edwards' cancer is classified as stage four, treatable but incurable. And we want to share with you exactly what that means. And so for that, Dr. Ruth O'Regan is an oncologist at Emery University. She joins us this morning to walk us through the steps here. But the first thing I want to ask you about is what we've learned through Mrs. Edwards' diagnosis is she has cancer that has spread to the bone. What does that mean?
DR. RUTH O'REGAN MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST, EMERY UNIV.: What that basically means is that she's got metastatic or stage four breast cancer. Unfortunately as you mentioned that is an incurable disease but it is treatable with some of the treatments that we currently have available. So you can control the disease but unfortunately you can't eradicate all the disease with the drugs that we have currently.
NGUYEN: So are you telling me that even though you can treat it you cannot prevent it from spreading?
O'REGAN: Well, you can prevent it from spreading for a short time. But unfortunately, ultimately it will spread again. But the time line on that really depends on how well she responds to treatments that the doctor is going to give her.
NGUYEN: What kind of treatments are we talking about?
O'REGAN: Well it really depends on what type of breast cancer she has. We make treatment decisions based on certain proteins that are present on breast cancer cells. So could be as simple as a hormone pill she takes every day or it could be some combination of chemotherapy with some antibody treatments.
NGUYEN: Now I have seen people in stage four actually survive and live for many, many years. I mean this is not necessarily a death sentence right now, correct?
O'REGAN: Well, that's correct. The median survival for patients with stage four-breast cancer is about two years. The reason for that is there are patients that do very poorly with aggressive cancers and don't live that long. But there are also patients that can live for many, many years. In fact about 25 percent of patients with stage four-breast cancer will live past five years.
NGUYEN: We have a graphic up. Help us understand the difference between these stages. Because stage four obviously is a very aggressive cancer, it's one of the worst stages to be in. So walk us through the difference between stages one and stage four.
O'REGAN: Well, in all cancers, the way we base it is based on the size of the initial tumor and whether it spreads to the surrounding lymph nodes and the distant organ sites. So stage 1 is a small breast cancer that hasn't spread to the regional lymph nodes. Stage 2 means it is a little larger or it spreads to the regional lymph nodes. Stage 3 is where it's involved the tissues around the breast. And then stage 4 is where its spread to other organs like in Mrs. Edwards' case is the bones.
NGUYEN: When you're in stage 4 does this mean that you will undergo treatment for the rest of your life? O'REGAN: In general, that's generally what it means. In general patients get treated with one drug, eventually it stops working. In other words the cancer becomes more active and then you change to another treatment and keep going with that. We actually are lucky because we've many treatments for breast cancer currently and many more that we're currently researching.
NGUYEN: That is some good news there. Dr. Ruth O'Regan talk to us if you would, just for a minute, again reminding us, as we've been saying, that this is not an immediate death sentence, and when you do have cancer of this magnitude, of this stage, what do we mean in terms of a life span here?
O'REGAN: Well, that's a great question. I mean in general, one of the aims of the medicines that we give are to actually improve quality of life and keep the patients as symptom free as possible, but also prolong life for as long as possible. So that's really essentially the aim. But it's very likely that Mrs. Edwards can have a very functional life, hopefully for a long time.
NGUYEN: That is good to know. Dr. Ruth O'Regan a medical oncologist at Emery University. Thank you very much for being with us today, we appreciate it.
O'REGAN: Thank you very much
HOLMES: At least 15 cats and a dog poisoned. Scientists say they have found rat poison in samples of pet food from the massive menu pet food recall. So the question now, how did it get there? CNN's Stan Nurenberger reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STAN NURENBERGER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): More than a dozen dead animals later, and exactly one week after the announcement of a massive pet food recall, one possible culprit revealed.
PATRICK HOOKER, NY STATE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER: A collaborative effort between the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and the New York State Food Laboratory identified aminopterin, which is a toxic chemical --
NURENBERGER: A chemical found in rat poison. Researchers say high levels of it was found in samples of recalled cat food and by manufacturers menu foods. Food made by the company is believed to have killed at least 16 cats and dogs, many of them suffered from kidney failure. One of the victims was this dog, Princess, a bullmastiff that died suddenly after eating IAMS brands Select Bites one of 95 brands of gravy style dog and cat food yanked off store shelves. Pet owners have filed lawsuits.
SANDY BOBB, SUING MENU FOODS: Sick to my stomach that how a company like that could, you know -- where is the quality control? How did something like this happen?
NURENBERGER: A question Menu Foods says it is determined to answer.
PAUL K. HENDERSON, PRESIDENT, MENU FOODS: How did this substance get in to our products? At this stage, we don't know. Our immediate next steps will be to begin testing all of the suspect raw materials with the goal of quickly identifying the means through which this substance entered our supply chain.
NURENBERG: Stan Nurenberger, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Now want to head back over to our Veronica De La Cruz, taking a look at how this huge recall is generating a lot of buzz on the Internet. Good morning to you again Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, T.J. a lot of people obviously very upset about this recall. Especially those who have been affected by it, all those pet lovers out there. I want to show you a couple blogs on-line. This one is ogblogdogster.com. It has a couple of different entries from people who have been affected by this recall. This one from Suzanne who says I just returned from leaving my 14-week-old Pug in intensive care at a local veterinary emergency hospital, his kidneys are just starting to shut down. He's been on IAMS wet puppy food since I got him. Another one from Ken Carnes who said we're sad to report that our 7-year-old Toy Fox Terrier Pedro has been at the vet since 8:00 a.m. on the 15th and he has acute renal failure. Again that blog is dogblogdoingster.com.
Then at CNN.com we are sharing ways that you can reach out to find out more on a couple of different things. A class action lawsuit that's been filed by all these different people. Also you can read the article on this pet recall, and you can find out which foods have been affected. Now, Menu Foods has recalled 60 million cans of pet food produced by its company throughout North America over 95 pet food brands have been affected. Kidney failure is just one of the symptoms that has been reported. That's just one of the symptoms. So far Menu Foods has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats, one dog. Though reading some of the blogs, T.J., there are those that believe that number is much higher.
If you think that you might have been affected by this recall, some of the symptoms that you can look out for, does your cat or dog suddenly lose its appetite? Is your pet always tired, vomiting or frequently urinating? For recall information you can call this number, 866-895-2708. It is right at the bottom of your screen. We are asking you this morning it is our question of the day, will this pet food recall affect the way that you feed your pets? A lot of the food that has been recalled has been wet pet food. Maybe you might be switching to dry. You might be reading the back of those containers a little bit more closely. You can go ahead and weigh in with your thoughts at WEEKENDS@CNN.com. We're going to be reading some of those e-mails in the 10:00 Eastern hour.
Betty.
HOLMES: We'll take it from here. I'll take it here Veronica. Thank you so much. Of course we know a lot of folks probably going to be changing pet food.
NGUYEN: Including yourselves, because you have a couple cats.
HOLMES: They do the dry stuff, different brand; they're good to go.
NGUYEN: Whew.
All right. Well remember that controversial book by O.J. Simpson that never made it to the bookshelves? Well, someone is going to be making money off of that. And we're going to tell you what a judge has decided to do with the manuscript.
HOLMES: Also a dozen supporters couldn't save this city manager from getting his job back. He wanted to become a she. More on this story. Stick around right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your cold and flu report for Saturday. The spring season is here, but we still have outbreaks of the flu to report. In fact, widespread activity from the northern Plains down through Texas. You'll find local outbreaks across much of the southeast and parts of the west, including California, but for the Great Lakes right now they are looking at only regional outbreaks of the flu at places like Illinois and Indiana. That's a look at your cold and flu report for Saturday. I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Remember that talk about that O.J. Simpson book called "If I Did It" caused quite an uproar, so much of one that it was never actually published. Well a California judge now has ordered the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department set up a date to auction the book's rights. In "If I did it," O.J. Simpson speculates how he might have killed ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Auction proceeds will go to Goldman's family. They're trying to collect on a $33.5 million civil judgment against O.J. Simpson.
Also it looks like a single contaminated field is to blame for last year's deadly spinach E. Coli outbreak. Investigators have traced the E. Coli laced spinach to a crop-growing field in central California. They don't know if tainted water or animal waste caused the contamination. Last summer's outbreak killed three people, more than 200 got sick.
NGUYEN: Something new to tell you about this morning dealing with that Florida city manager who is seeking a sex change. Well, just after midnight, city commissioners in Largo, Florida, voted to move ahead with firing the man who plans a new life as a woman. Josh Rojas of CNN affiliate Bay News 9 was on hand for that vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOSH ROJAS, BAY NEWS 9: Steve Stanton only needed to change one city commissioner's mind to keep his job. Steve Stanton was greeted like a celebrity as he walked in to Largo City Hall before the meeting. Once inside the commission chambers, Stanton and his team quickly got to business on his appeal. First to speak on Stanton's behalf was a transsexual who's a CEO of a large company.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was the first person to change genders on the job in Prudential, and instead of asking me to resign, they supported my decision.
ROJAS: Stanton also brought in a doctor who's a transsexual expert. He told the commissioners Stanton would likely be a more effective city manager as Susan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And once this issue is addressed for them, they can move on and they actually move on to contribute either in the same or better ways than they've done before because this is a burden that has been lifted for them.
ROJAS: Finally Stanton took to the podium and told commissioners why he's still fighting for his job.
STEVE STANTON: Largo has not been a job to me. Largo has been a passion. Largo has been my passion. And one does not just replace one's passion.
ROJAS: Then Stanton asked his seven bosses who make up the city's commission to restore his position as city manager.
STANTON: I'm asking for you to give me a chance to show you I can do the job. Deal with Susan, who's going to be no different than it's been dealing with Steven.
ROJAS: Once Stanton finished his appeal, it was the public's turn to speak, about 100 people signed up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Give him a chance to prove that he can do the same job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are a couple people here who want to make Largo into a weirdo town.
ROJAS: More than six hours after the meeting started, the city commissioners voted 5-2 to fire Stanton.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I support the removal of the city manager from office, because I find it to be in the best interest of the residents of our city of Largo to do so.
MAYOR PAT GERARD, LARGO, FLORIDA: I'm hoping that there will come a time soon when our gay, lesbian and trans-gendered staff can feel like valued members of our community again and feel like they're safe in their jobs because that is not the case right now.
STATON: I don't know, maybe there's a greater role for me in some other Largo far, far from Florida. I'll find out.
ROJAS: Stanton's 14-year reign as city manager is now over.
Josh Rojas, Bay News 9.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We're going to talk to our Bonnie Schneider here shortly. She's going to take a look at who's getting some rain this weekend.
Plus this story here.
NGUYEN: Yes, the Miss USA crown has been tarnished with controversy. And that was then. But this is now. The new Miss USA, take a look.
Plus --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've heard a couple of people who use the phrase bait and switch. I don't think we're doing that.
HOLMES: Luring people in a lurid way? Talking about sex? We'll let you know what we're talking about in our faces of faith segment on a Sunday. But join us tomorrow at 7:00 Eastern on "CNN Sunday Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Caught on tape and film, our viewers are sending in dramatic images of a devastating blast at a weapons depot in Mozambique. A freelance filmmaker actually happened to be shooting a documentary in that area when his camera captures the explosion. Check that out in the lower right-hand side of your screen. He said it sounded like thunder and blew out a window at his apartment building. Another viewer says he was a few miles away from that explosion but still it felt like an earthquake. He submitted these photos through I- report. Mozambique's government says high temperatures may have triggered that blast, sending rockets down on residential areas, at least 83 people were killed, and hundreds were hurt.
HOLMES: And if you see something happening in your area you can send us an I-report. Go to CNN.com, click on I-report or you can type in Ireport@CNN.com into your cell phone and share your photos and video with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First runner up is Miss Rhode Island.
NGUYEN: All right, there she is Miss USA. T.J. is clapping his hands.
HOLMES: I'm excited.
NGUYEN: The now former Miss USA Tara Conner ended her tumultuous reign. Last night she handed over the tiara to the title, as Miss Rachel Smith will now be wearing that title, who was the reigning Miss Tennessee a southern gal there.
HOLMES: Southern girl, yes.
NGUYEN: As lovely as it is, the coveted crown is not without controversy. You know that, especially this year.
HOLMES: Yeah, you know, we've all been keeping up with all those pageant issues. If you need a refresher course, we've got CNN's Brooke Anderson for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miss USA 2007 is Tennessee!
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's the beginning of a new chapter for both 21-year-old Rachel Smith, from Clarksville, Tennessee, as well as for the contest organizers, who have crowned her.
DONALD TRUMP, PAGEANT CO-OWNER: This has been a very difficult time for the Miss USA Pageant.
ANDERSON: Smith is stepping in to some, well, very publicized shoes.
TARA CONNER, FORMER MISS USA: We all have personal demons that we have to face at some point.
ANDERSON: Tattoos, body piercing, all-night partying, and admitted underage drinking and cocaine use. Last year's winner Tara Conner offered pageant organizers a different kind of beauty queen, until she got caught.
CONNER: I want to apologize to my family, if I set any disgrace upon you.
ANDERSON: Nine months into her reign, a tearful Conner received a very public slap on the wrist from pageant owner Donald Trump, who promptly sent her to rehab, but let her keep her title.
CONNER: I loved it. I was like -- I was like the great a rehab student.
ANDERSON: Having a less than sweet time was Miss Nevada, Katie Rees. She was stripped of her crown after several topless and compromising photos surfaced on the Internet.
KATIE REES, FORMER MISS NEVADA USA: So many of us just don't realize how our actions, even one night of poor judgment, can affect the rest of our lives.
ANDERSON: Then there was Miss New Jersey, Ashley Harder, who resigned after violating pageant rules by becoming pregnant. While Mothers Against Drunk Driving publicly severed ties with Miss Teen USA Kate Blair for alleged underage drinking while partying with Conner.
CONNER: It was crazy, because when I got out there was all of this controversy, and not only my own but everyone else's and I was thinking gees Louise, what's going on?
ANDERSON: Racked with all the scandalous twists and turns usually saved for a daytime open opera, pageant organizers this year are hoping for a year a little less controversial.
PAULA SHUGART, PAGEANT PRESIDENT: I'm looking forward to a calmer year, probably.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to see what the new girl has to offer to this title. I think it's going to be great.
TRUMP: The only advice I can do is just really telling them that it's not going to be easy. You really become a major public figure, and everybody's watching every step. So just be very careful.
ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: She is a beauty.
HOLMES: She is.
NGUYEN: You know what, though, we do have to talk about something that is not so great to look at. That is tornadoes in New Mexico, Bonnie. What's happening there?
SCHNEIDER: We have 15 reports of tornadoes across parts of New Mexico and Texas yesterday. Check out this video. This is from Clovis, New Mexico. There it is the funnel cloud. This one did touch down and we did have reports of tornado damage across eastern New Mexico. If we come back to the map I can show you where the storm is right now. It's working its way across New Mexico in to Colorado. We are going to be looking at the threat of severe weather eastward in to Texas today.
Betty, T.J.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Bonnie.
HOLMES: We're going to continue with more on that massive pet food poisoning that killed over a dozen animals.
NGUYEN: And the legendary escapist artist Harry Houdini took many secrets to his grave. But there is one he may be forced to give up decades after his death.
And then 8:30 Dr. Sanjay Gupta isn't just our chief medical correspondent. He is practicing as a neurosurgeon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Living a dream.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know every Monday, I've got my time, and I have my OR. and it's all ready for me to go.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta; I'm an attending of neursurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital.
NGUYEN: He is not practicing. He, indeed, is a neurosurgeon. A highly acclaimed one at that. And for three weeks CNN was given exclusive access to follow Dr. Sanjay Gupta and four residents at the Atlanta Hospital.
HOLMES: "House Call" at 8:30. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL HENDERSON, CEO, MENU FOODS: If your pets are showing any signs of illness after consuming any recalled pet food, see a veterinarian immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, a scary situation for pet owners all over this morning. More deaths, hundreds of sick animals, and an ongoing investigation. We've got the information you need on the pet food recall.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: We want you to take a look at this twister. There it is. At least 13 tornadoes touched down overnight. Homes are destroyed, injuries on the ground. We'll bring you the latest.
HOLMES: And disputed waters, and we've got some diplomatic trouble. Iran seizes 15 British marines. New developments to tell you about this morning.
We are live in London and Tehran.
NGUYEN: Live from the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Good morning, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
We're so glad you're starting your day right here with us.
NGUYEN: But first, though, some new developments this morning in that massive pet food recall. At least 15 cats and a dog died. Others sickened.
Now, the cause, apparently, rat poisoning. This is according to scientists who tested samples of the tainted pet food, and now this may be the answer to how those animals died or got sick.
CNN's Mary Snow asked the question we all want to know.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): How did rat poison wind up in pet food? That is still uncertain. But investigators in New York say what they do know is that they found a toxin called aminopterin in samples of pet food suspected of being tainted. The toxin is not a legal pesticide in the U.S. Doctors say it can be found in some forms of cancer treatments.
PATRICK HOOKER, NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER: This is one step in a long process that will lead all of us to know what has happened.
SNOW: The CEO of Menu Foods, the company that recalled over 90 brands of dog and cat food, says he's both relieved and happy investigators found the problem during what he called an unprecedented search.
HENDERSON: Our hearts go out to the thousands of pet owners across Canada and the United States for their losses and their worries.
SNOW: But the CEO says he is at a loss to explain where the toxin came from, and he says the campaign will test raw products to trace the origin. Veterinarian Dr. Ann Hohenhaus says knowing that rat poison is involved can prevent animals from dying if they are suffering kidney failure.
DR. ANN HOHENHAUS, NEW YORK ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER: Well, it sounds to me like giving fluids intravenously or maybe by other routes is going to be key to trying to prevent or fix this problem.
SNOW: But, she adds, there are a new set of worries.
HOHENHAUS: We don't know what the long-term effects are on their kidney function, and only time is going to answer that question.
SNOW (on camera): Another question being posed, what about compensation for pet owners who lost a pet? The CEO of Menu Foods says the company will take financial responsibility if it's proven that medical problems were linked to the food.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: OK. So, we want to know your thoughts today. Will the pet food recall affect the way you feed your pets? I'm sure it will to some extent, but we want to know, so e-mail us, weekends&cnn.com.
HOLMES: He gave up a pro football career to fight in Afghanistan and was killed by friendly fire. And this morning we're following new developments in the Pat Tillman story.
According to The Associated Press, a Pentagon investigation will recommend that nine officers be held accountable for mistakes following Tillman's death. That includes up to four generals. For weeks, the Army told Tillman's family he died in an ambush in April of 2004, but dozens of soldiers apparently knew he was killed by friendly fire.
NGUYEN: Well, there is bloodshed in Baghdad today. This just into CNN. Police say a suicide bomber blew up a truck packed with explosives at an Iraqi police station. Authorities say at least 18 people were killed and more than two dozen wounded. That attack happened in the Dora district, which is in the southern part of Baghdad.
HOLMES: A diplomatic crisis adding to the tensions with Iran this morning. Britain is demanding the return of the 15 marines and sailors seized by Iranian forces. This happened in the Persian gulf Gear a disputed waterway that separates Iran and Iraq.
The details now from our European political editor, Robin Oakley, who is in London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR (voice over): Patrol boats sent out from British warships regularly board vessels in Iraqi waters, with the authority of the United Nations and the Iraqi government. Fifteen marines from the Type 22 frigate HMS Cornwall boarded a dow (ph) Friday to inspect its cargo. Their business peacefully completed, they were surrounded by Iranian patrol boats and escorted into Iranian waters.
The commander of British naval forces in the region said he wants his men released.
COMMODORE NICK LAMBERT, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: Well, my immediate concern, obviously, is to my people. I've got 15 sailors and marines who've been arrested by the Iranians, and my immediate concern is that they are -- their safety and their safe return to me is ensured. And I can assure all of the families who are listening out there that everything is being done to the highest level of the U.K. government.
OAKLEY: Commodore Lambert said there head been no violence and insisted the seized men had been conducting routine patrols in Iraqi waters.
LAMBERT: There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they were in Iraqi territorial waters. Equally, the Iranians may well claim that they were in Iranian territorial waters. The extent and the definition of territorial waters in this part of the world is very complicated.
OAKLEY: The Iranian ambassador was summoned to the British Foreign Office, and Britain's foreign secretary underscored the message given to him there.
MARGARET BECKETT, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: We have sought a full explanation of what happened, and left the Iranian authorities in no doubt that we expect the immediate and safe return of our service personnel and boats. I understand the meeting with my permanent secretary was brisk, but polite, but as I say, we have left them in no doubt, we want our personnel and equipment back.
OAKLEY: Iranian authorities countered by summoning Britain's main envoy in Tehran to explain what Iranian state TV called an incursion into Iranian waters. This is not the first such seizure in the Shatt al Arab waterway.
Back in 2004, in a similar incident, 14 sailors and marines and their boats were seized by Iranian authorities who made a similar claim. On that occasion, after being blindfolded and paraded on television, the men were released after two days, though their boats were never returned.
Since then, the confrontational Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has taken over as Iran's president. Diplomatic tensions are already running high, with the West accusing Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of a uranium enrichment program that Iran insists is for purely peaceful power generation purposes. The latest incident comes as the U.N. Security Council is preparing to discuss a new round of sanctions against the Iranian regime in an effort to secure suspension of the uranium enrichment program.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And our Robin Oakley joins us now live from London.
And Robin, any word on when these British marines might be released, how soon that might happen?
OAKLEY: No sign of that yet, T.J. At the moment, the diplomatic spat seems to be intensifying rather than cooling down.
We have had statements from the Iranian Foreign Ministry saying that this is a blatant violation of Iranian waters, that these are suspicious moves. And British diplomats won't be heartened by reports of an Iranian news agency that the 15 men have been taken to Tehran, apparently to explain what the Iranians are calling their aggressive actions.
So things are not calming down at the moment. Obviously, diplomatic contacts will continue, but the war of words is a pretty brisk one.
Margaret Beckett, the British foreign secretary, when she said that the exchanges with the Iranian ambassador here had been brisk, basically the kind of language, that means in diplomatic terms, is what the hell do you think you're doing? So I think it's going to get a little bit worse in terms of words, at least, before we get a resolution of this question.
But, of course, the last British personnel to be held in 2004 were released after three days. British diplomats will hope it will be a similar interval on this occasion -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Our Robin Oakley explains to us just what in the world they are doing over there.
Robin Oakley for us in London.
Thank you so much, Robin.
NGUYEN: There are new questions, new controversy in the firing of those federal prosecutors. A late-night revelation once again puts embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in the spotlight.
The Justice Department reveals Gonzales discussed the dismissals in a meeting held late November, and that could contradict his claim that he was out of the loop on the firings. Critics from both parties have called for Gonzales to resign or be fired, and they say the federal prosecutors' firings were motivated by partisan politics.
It was a sweet victory for the new Congress. The House approved a war spending bill that calls for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by September 2008. But when it comes to the fight over the war, that battle is far from over.
CNN's Andrea Koppel reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: The yays are 218. The nays are 212.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From start to finish, their own party deeply divided, Democratic leaders fought an uphill battle filled with raw emotions to get the votes needed to win.
REP. DAVID OBEY (D), WISCONSIN: And this is the best we can do, given the tools we have, and I make absolutely no apology for it.
MURTHA: We're going to make a difference with this bill. We're going to bring those troops home. We're going to start changing the direction of this great country.
KOPPEL: For Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose prestige was on the line, the narrow victory was sweet.
PELOSI: I stand here with great pride on this historic day. This new Congress voted to bring an end to the war in Iraq.
KOPPEL: But 14 Democrats, conservatives and liberals, defied their speaker and sided with Republicans to oppose the bill's September 2008 deadline for combat troops to leave Iraq. Among them, anti-war presidential candidate, Ohio's Dennis Kucinich, whose against spending more money on the war and wants troops out now.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: I believe you cannot say you are for peace and vote to keep this war going.
KOPPEL: Two Republicans crossed the aisle to support the bill, but most fought unsuccessfully to defeat it. REP. GRESHAM BARRETT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I cannot do enough to protect you. Men and women halfway across this world, laying their life on the line for me and my family and my children and my country, and everything I believe in.
KOPPEL: Republicans also argued Democrats were trying to micromanage the war.
REP. ERIC CANTOR (R), VIRGINIA: Our troops march to the order of one commander in chief, not 535.
KOPPEL (on camera): But at the moment, a majority of the 435 House members have decided to support a deadline for combat troops to withdraw. And next week the full Senate is expected to consider a similar bill which sets a goal of March 31st next year for troops to withdraw from Iraq.
Andrea Koppel, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: A busy, busy Saturday night in Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She has open head trauma. She is intubated and in traumatic arrest. No blood pressure, no pulse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have no room. We have nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: We're going to take you behind the scenes of "Grady's Anatomy." Plus, we're also going to give you a look at that stormy weather outside.
Good morning, Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Betty.
These red dots indicate over 15 reports of tornadoes across New Mexico and Texas. Hail and wind damage stretching all the way into Kansas.
What about today's forecast? I'll tell you where the threat of severe weather exists today, coming up.
HOLMES: All right. And then later at 8:30, sobering up students.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I got off work, I'd stop at the gas station, get a six-pack to get ready to go out for the evening.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: A unique program at one university paving the way when it comes to dealing with the growing number of alcohol and drug- addicted co-eds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. At least 16 people are hurt after more than a dozen tornadoes ripped through eastern New Mexico yesterday. Here's a look at some of that damage.
The worst, in fact, in Logan and Clovis. Powerful storms packing at least 13 tornadoes damaged buildings, sent power lines just flying, and then flooded streets on top of all that. Some two dozen mobile homes were destroyed, at least five people are actually hospitalized, still in critical condition.
HOLMES: Our Bonnie Schneider watching the weather for us
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, an 80-year-old mystery. An escape artist's relative says it was murder, and he wants to prove it. A Houdini whodunit right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Now here's a look at "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Betty.
You know, I know you've seen those amazing before and after shots from weight loss operations. Well, now some insurance companies are saying it's just too risky, too expensive to do so many of them, so they're cutting back. We're going to have that story.
Plus, staying sober on college campuses. The numbers are remarkable.
Also, follow me inside my other job. It's at a level one trauma center here in Atlanta.
You don't want to miss it. All of that's on "HOUSE CALL" at 8:30.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Most Americans spend close to 2,000 hours per year at their desks. That's 2,000 hours you can't use to stay fit. But Corey Ritter, founder of Body Design, says it doesn't have to be that way.
COREY RITTER, BODY DESIGN FOUNDER: No matter what your current fitness level is, there are things that you can do in the workplace to help you feel and look your absolute best.
COSTELLO: First, he says, plan ahead and pack water.
RITTER: Before you come into the workplace, you'll want to pack a healthy lunch, two snacks, and bring them in with you.
COSTELLO: Are you having one of those mid-afternoon energy slumps? Then it might be a good time to get in a few stretches. Corey recommends crossing your legs and just leaning over, a good stretch for your back.
Simple neck rolls can help stretch your neck muscles. And a quick torso turn can loosen up the cramped muscles in your midsection. You'll want to hold each stretch for about 15 to 20 seconds, but Corey says the most important thing is...
RITTER: Drink as much water as you possibly can.
COSTELLO: Carol Costello, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, it's a far cry from the scripted plot lines of "Grey's Anatomy," a busy Saturday night in Atlanta where hospital staffers are stretched to their limits. It's something Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta knows a whole lot about.
When he's not here in the NEWSROOM with us, he's often in the operating room at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta as an attending physician training residents there.
This weekend he takes us inside the world of "Grady's Anatomy." Here now, a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's starting to go down. Saturday night, Grady Red Zone.
DR. DEB HOURY, ATTENDING PHYSICIAN: As you can see, we got hit with about five trauma patients all at once. And Robin's one of our interns. Usually second-years are the ones that run traumas, but because we were busy, I asked her to assist.
DR. ROBIN LOWMAN, FIRST-YEAR E.R. RESIDENT: Sir, pain? (SPEAKING SPANISH)?
When I went in there, I was a little shocked at how severely hurt this patient was.
Pupils are equal and reactive to light.
Literally, his foot is almost gone, you know. He has an open fracture on one leg -- I mean, he had a lot going on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a tentative ETA on a 45-year-old female involved in a head-on MBC (ph) about 45 miles per hour. She has open head trauma, she intubated and in traumatic arrest.
HOURY: Oh my god.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No blood pressure, no pulse.
HOURY: We have no room. We have nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, whoa, whoa.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming up. Coming up. Coming up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We finally get the woman in. They're doing chest compressions. We move her to the bed and get the ultrasound out to see if she has any cardiac activity, see if we can see the heart moving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No cardiac movement?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got no pulse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No pulse.
HOURY: Fatal injury to the head?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HOURY: Time of death, 10:00 p.m., fatal injury to the head.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time of death?
HOURY: 10:00 p.m.
LOWMAN: Death is hard to deal with. I tend to pray. I'll just grab my cross just to make sure that it's there. It's just comforting for me. And that's been hard for me to understand that there is nothing we can do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: You're not going to want to miss this. Again, that's "Grady's Anatomy". That's a CNN Special Investigations Unit special. That premiers tonight at 8:00 Eastern, and you can only see that right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: And Veronica De La Cruz joins us now with more online with this.
And I hear, Veronica, Dr. Sanjay Gupta also writes a blog.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN PIPELINE ANCHOR: Yes, not only is he an award-winning journalist, Betty, he's also saving lives, and he's also writing about it, too. You can find Sanjay's blog at CNN.com/health.
Let's take a look.
CNN.com/health is the place, and if you click on his blog, he's talking about gastric bypass surgery at the top. But if you scroll down, he's asking the question, can TV make you a better doctor?
And I wanted to read an excerpt from the blog. It truly is amazing.
Here he says, "Today, I get to return function to a broken and damaged body. On the very best days, I get to save a life."
"A resident doesn't have the same sense of confidence and calm. I tell my residents, it's fine to have butterflies, just make sure that they are flying in formation."
"There may be surprises, there is certainly a sense of urgency, but chaos is not an option. It is never an option."
And as you can imagine, a lot of people have responded to his blog.
Nancy, who is a physician assistant, a couple of other responses there. But again, you can log on to CNN.com/health to read all about it.
And I'm telling you, I have no idea how this man finds the time to do so many things. He truly is Superman.
Back to you guys.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, I know. I see him around the NEWSROOM. He's flying from one coast to the other, sometimes halfway around the world to do stories. And then, of course, he's a neurosurgeon on top of all that.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, I believe he has a twin and we just don't know about it.
NGUYEN: You think so?
All right. Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, we're going to stick with the Dr. Sanjay Gupta theme. He's now going to let us know what's on the charts for today's "HOUSE CALL."
GUPTA: T.J., thanks.
We're going beyond the headlines in medical news this week. I'm checking in on a soldier I operated on while embedded with the military in Iraq. We're going to give you his story of survival and how he's working in the system.
And spring allergies are starting, T.J. I know because I'm already suffering. Many people think it's a cold. How do you know?
We're going to give you a checklist of what to watch out for.
All of that is coming up on "HOUSE CALL" at 8:30.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Harry Houdini, his name conjures up images of death- defying stunts. The world is still talking about how he managed to escape every time and how he died at a fit 52.
The generally-accepted version holds that Houdini succumbed to a ruptured appendix from a punch in the stomach. Others have suggested he was poisoned perhaps by some so-called spiritualists he considered frauds. There was no autopsy. Houdini's nephew says it's time to take a second look, and he's not the only one.
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