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CNN Saturday Morning News

Dick Cheney in Surgery; Phoenix Air Crash; What is in Bottled Water?; Housing Market Troubles

Aired July 28, 2007 - 09:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm T.J. Holmes and this is a special, special CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Why is that, T.J.?

HOLMES: We have Betty Boop back.

NGUYEN: It's so great to be missed.

HOLMES: We've missed you for awhile here, Betty. Welcome back.

NGUYEN: Well, thank you. I was off on a humanitarian aid trip to Vietnam. It's great to be back. We want to thank you for being with us today, have a lot to tell you about.

HOLMES: Including this. Look out! We have kids here to show you, standing in the road? Not quite. We're going to show you how one family is trying an unusual tactic to slow down speeders in their neighborhood.

NGUYEN: Kid's a little stiff there.

Plus, whether you own or are looking to buy or sell our consumer guru is coming up with tips to help you navigate the ups and downs of the latest housing slump.

First up though, a deadly mid-air collision in Phoenix. NTSB inspectors are expected to arrive on the scene this morning and FAA officials are already there. They'll be looking into how two local news helicopters collided while covering a high-speed chase. We want to get more from CNN's Carol Costello.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not sure which helicopters they were.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT(voice-over): Thick, black smoke in a Phoenix park as horrified witnesses watched two TV helicopters crash in mid air and fall into flames on the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was standing right inside the park when I seen two helicopters -- what looked like they were in mid air and they crashed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard like a loud gunshot. And then about two seconds after that, there was a real loud, like a huge bang and then just two helicopters coming straight down, falling in about three different areas and bursting into flames and debris is all over the place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was devastated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's coming up to Third Street and Osborn (ph)...

COSTELLO: According to local TV affiliates, the news choppers were following a police chase on a Phoenix highway. Police say a suspect had stolen a city vehicle and at one point jumped out of that car and into another vehicle on the highway. Police say it was at that point the helicopters collided.

Our affiliate ABC 15 is reporting its pilot Craig Smith and its photographer Rick Krolak are dead. KTVK is reporting pilot Scott Bowerbank and photographer Jim Cox were killed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Also got a tragedy at an air show to tell you about. It happened in Wisconsin. A pilot was killed and another person injured while their vintage planes collided while landing. You can see this odd picture there. The single-engine war plane that just finished a performance at the air show in Oshkosh yesterday. Witnesses say one plane hit the tail of the other and flipped upside down in a fireball.

NGUYEN: American Airlines could face some hefty fines for workplace safety violations. The Labor Department has cited the airline over concerns at Chicago's O'Hare international airport. Now the company could face more than 230,000 in fines. Those safety concerns include electrical issues, trip and fall hazards and blocked exits. American Airlines says it's overall workplace safety record has improved in the past two years and fixed most of the Labor Department's concerns.

HOLMES: Vice President Dick Cheney in a Washington hospital right now. He's having surgery to replace the device monitoring his heart rhythms. We'll get more from now our Ed Henry.

He's outside George Washington University Hospital. Ed, it's been an interesting couple of weeks for the president and vice president. Last week it was President Bush having a procedure if you will. Vice President Cheney having a different procedure here certainly.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The president, as you noted, T.J., last week had that colonoscopy check up. They did find some polyps. But it was all good in the end. He was healthy and the vice president here today arrived in the last hour, about 8:01 Eastern time, with his wife, Lynne.

He got out of the limo looking fine, his normal self. He's expected to have this procedure last about an hour and then maybe some down time to make sure everything went well. So we should see him relatively soon.

You will remember that back in 2001, Mr. Cheney had a defibrillator implanted to regulate his heartbeat. That year, he showed CNN a duplicate of that device. That device now out of date.

Last month, his doctors found he needed new batteries and rather than just replace the batteries, they decided to replace the entire device.

Obviously, technology has advanced significantly in the last six years. Now medical experts back up the vice president's office when they say this is a relatively routine procedure. But listen very closely to this cardiologist who told us while it's routine, it's also very serious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. RAMIN OSKOUI, CARDIOLOGIST: We remove the device, which has been disabled, put on a new device in the pocket and then actually more deeply sedate him and induce cardiac arrest to be certain the new device will work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: You can hear that, they actually induce cardiac arrest to make sure this new device is working. That shows you how serious this is. The vice president, obviously 66-years-old, a history of heart trouble.

Nonetheless, medical experts stress they believe the vice president will be home today resting comfortably if all goes well and won't be able to even stay at George Washington University Hospital overnight, T.J.

HOLMES: Do we know what time the procedure is happening? Sometime soon?

HENRY: We don't have the exact time. He arrived at the top of the 8:00 hour Eastern time. You assume it will take him a few minutes to get ready. And then cardiologists say the procedure itself takes between 30 to 60 minutes, just depending on the patient, depending upon the circumstances.

And then of course He'll have down time to make sure medication comes down and he's healthy, everything went well. We expect in the next hour or so, we should be seeing him, T.J.

HOLMES: All right, Ed Henry for us keeping an eye on the vice president. Thanks so much, Ed.

And Vice President Cheney will be a guest on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE." That's coming up on Tuesday. You'll hear what he has to say, maybe about his procedure he's having today, but also some bigger issues, the Iraq war, the war on terror, a whole lot more. You can catch that Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. NGUYEN: Well President Bush spending the weekend at Camp David and preparing to welcome the new British prime minister. Gordon Brown arrives tomorrow and this will be his first visit to the U.S. as prime minister.

The White House says the two leaders will discuss Iraq and Afghanistan, preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and guarding against the threat from terrorists. Prime Minister Brown took office just days before the failed attacks in London and Glasgow.

HOLMES: Denver hit pretty hard by storms and now dealing with some major, major flooding. Slow-moving storms dumped torrential rains yesterday. Rushing water flowed from streets, stranded motorists. One apparent casualty of the severe weather. A jogger is believed to have been struck and killed by lightning.

NGUYEN: In Texas, emergency crews are bracing for what is expected to be a very busy weekend. Heavy rain is expected today and tomorrow for the waterlogged state -- central, south Texas. Well they have already been soaked. Search and rescue teams among the responders placed on stand by. You know it's serious when they have these teams placed on stand by, waiting for more rain to come.

HOLMES: And we've been watching that rain, see some of the aftermath there, but are more folks going to be dealing with storms? I guess, who is under the gun today, Reynolds?

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, it's not out, but it's not out of control either. That's a good thing. Firefighters in southern California say they are making progress against a wildfire in Orange County, battling it from the ground and from the air.

The blaze broke out yesterday, it's burned more than 77 acres. Authorities say they have been -- they haven't seen any injuries in this just yet. No buildings being threatened either.

HOLMES: We do want to get you some news now about your security. Congress approves a bill that includes many of the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. And President Bush says he will sign it. The House passed the measure yesterday by a vote of 371-40. The Senate approved it Thursday and among its provisions, shifting more antiterrorism money to high-risk cities and states. Requiring the screening of all cargo on passenger planes within three years and setting a five-year goal of scanning all container ships for nuclear devices.

HOLMES: Let's turn to Pakistan now. The government has closed Islamabad's red mosque until further notice. This comes after a suicide bombing at a nearby restaurant yesterday killed 13 people and wounded more than 60 others. It also comes after massive protests broke out when the mosque reopened for Friday prayers. The mosque has been closed since the Pakistani army siege and bloody stand-off with Islamic extremists. NGUYEN: All right, so let's talk now about politics and paychecks. Democrats preparing to push for another hike in the minimum wage. Senator Edward Kennedy says he intends to propose a legislation to raise it to $9.50 an hour by 2009. The minimum wage went up to $5.85/hour on Tuesday, and that was the first increase in 10 years. It's part of a three-step process that will raise the minimum wage to $7.25/hour by 2009.

HOLMES: Well, next week just has to be better. Investors certainly hope so after a very rough week on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 208 points yesterday. That was the second decline in a row. The Dow finished the week at 13,265. It was down more than 585 points for the week and this comes after a week we saw the Dow close at 14,000 for the first time.

NGUYEN: Yes, such a difficult week. Last week, and this week, maybe it will be better. In the meantime, though speaking of money, paying for water, T.J. that you can get absolutely for free.

HOLMES: I don't drink that stuff.

NGUYEN: Here is why, the latest flap over what's in your water bottle.

HOLMES: Also, getting speeders to slow down. Take a look at little Timmy. I don't know if that's his name. But they've got a secret here. The secret is with these kids. It's the sign of the times in one neighborhood. Stick around for that.

NGUYEN: And if the real money is in sports dealing with those endorsements, then Michael Vick is in some real trouble. In a few minutes, we'll see who is pulling the plug on Vick. You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right, listen up, shoppers. You better beware because not all recalled food is being taken off those store shelves. It's happening with some Castleberry's can products. Recalled due to fears over botulism.

Castleberry's recalled over 90 different varieties all together. But FDA investigators found the recalled cans in some 250 stores so far. In North Carolina alone, they found 500 cans. At least four people have been sickened by tainted hot dog chili sauce.

And consumers about to get a clue about where their bottled water actually comes from. We knew it all along. Pepsi Cola is now saying it will be changing the label on its best selling AquaFina brand to indicate that it comes from a public water source.

That's right, though Pepsi does say it's put through an extensive purification process, AquaFina sales topped over $2 million. Dasani, No. 2, also comes from a public water source, AKA tap water, T.J.

HOLMES: I don't use either one of those brands. I'm OK, I use some other stuff that I'm sure it doesn't come from a public water source.

NGUYEN: Sure.

HOLMES: All right, thank you Betty.

Well whether you own your home, hope to buy one, or fear you're about to lose the one you've got, there are new signs this week of even more distress in the housing market. For what these latest signs mean, we turn to CNN consumer specialist Gerri Willis.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CONSUMER SPECIALIST: Well, bad news here. Hi there, T.J. I'm afraid the real estate recovery we talked so much about, well it's delayed yet again. The National Association of Realtors came out with its monthly report of housing numbers. It said home sales fell to a four-year low in June, which typically a hot home buying month. Sales were down 11.4 percent from this time last year and down 3.8 percent since May. New home sales, well they were bad too, took a plunge dropping 6.6 percent last month. So not any good news really out there, T.J.

HOLMES: Gerri, we love you here. It's always a pleasure to see you. You bring so much joy to our lives, but sometimes your news can be straight depressing. So, you got anything upbeat? Any good news you can give us?

WILLIS: I do. This is just for you. I know you need some good news. The report also said inventory down 4.2 percent. That is a good thing. That means there are fewer houses on the market. It's simple. Supply-demand. If there are fewer houses, that means you get more for your house and the report seems to show that happening and it says sales prices up slightly, 5.3 percent since this time last year. So now the median home price is up to $230,100.

HOLMES: That should make people smile who are at least trying to sell their homes. That's good news.

WILLIS: Well, it sounds like good news it could be misleading. This is the median home price. Half the homes sold for more, half sold for less. A lot of the houses on the lower end of the market aren't selling that skews the number higher, so the number looks good, but it may not really mean that much.

However, one economist I talked with said there could be a window of opportunity in the fall for both buyers and sellers. He thinks the federal reserve might cut interest rates and would make it easier for buyers to borrow money and with more buyers borrowing money, sellers would have more opportunity to sell their homes, T.J.

HOLMES: Makes perfect sense there. We've talked about foreclosures before, the high number and how numbers could go higher. Of course, that hurts the housing market, but also is that eventually we'll see that start to hurt this economy?

WILLIS: Well, a lot of concern out there about that. Some states are taking action, coming up with programs to try to stem the tide of foreclosures. Massachusetts says it will give $250 million to a program to help delinquent borrowers.

New York has a similar program, with $100 million in funding. Plus remember, banks are more and more willing to accept what they call short sales. That's when the homeowner finds a buyer for the house, even if the buyer won't pay as much as you owe on that loan.

The bank writes it off as a loss, and you can walk away scott free. Foreclosures can cost lenders, homeowners up to $80,000. So they would rather avoid foreclosure if possible. And of course, it's very expensive for folks who are foreclosing.

HOLMES: Gerri, always great news - great information, I should say. Sometimes not so good news, but we appreciate you being honest with us. Gerri, always good to see you and we'll see you on "OPEN HOUSE" this weekend, right?

WILLIS: Great to see you, T.J., thanks.

HOLMES: And yes, we will see her shortly. She's going to be back in just a few minutes on "OPEN HOUSE." She'll have much more on the housing market, plus she'll tell us how to keep your kids safe online. How to go green, how to save money, and how to find hidden treasures right in your own home. 9:30 Eastern, right here on CNN.

NGUYEN: Chock full of information, it's a great show, don't miss it.

But in the meantime, don't miss this. First, there was a chase, OK? And then a fiery crash. All of it caught on camera by the officer. There it is, that crash. The officer in pursuit caught all of this. We'll tell you what happened next, we have those details.

HOLMES: Also, slow down. Kids at play. Really? Not really. But that will scare you.

NGUYEN: Yeah, it will.

HOLMES: Kids have a secret that slows speeders down. What's going on here? That's just wrong right there.

NGUYEN: I would slow down -- an officer there.

HOLMES: No, you wouldn't, Betty.

NGUYEN: OK, I do have the tickets to prove it.

HOLMES: All right, we'll be back after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: NFL star Michael Vick takes another hit in his dog fighting scandal. There are more advertisers bailing on the Falcons' quarterback who once was a darling of endorsement deals. Nike, the shoe maker, has suspended his contract with Vick. And Reebok has taken unprecedented action and has stopped sales of his jersey. Vick has entered a not guilty plea to the charges. HOLMES: From football's most controversial man right now to baseball's most controversial man. He's now a swing away from history. Barry Bonds homered last night. And he's inches away from one of the most sacred records in all of sports. CNN's Dan Simon is in San Francisco.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barry Bonds on the verge of making history. He hit a home run Friday night and that is just two home runs shy of breaking Hank Aaron's record.

The magic number is 756. Bonds now has 754 home runs. Giants fans of course going crazy. They want to see Barry Bonds break the record and they want to see him do it here at AT&T ballpark.

But there is something you simply can't ignore here. And that, of course, the allegations that Barry Bonds has used performance- enhancing drugs.

Bonds of course has denied ever using steroids or taking performance-enhancing drugs. But many sports commentators and sports fans believe otherwise and think there should be an asterisk next to Barry Bonds' name in the record books.

But sports fans here at AT&T ballpark, Giants fans trying to put all of that side. They want to see Barry Bonds make history, and they want to see him do it here on his home turf. Still two more games here this weekend and then the Giants are on the road. Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Drivers, you need to slow down. That's the message. But look at how it's being delivered. That's the real story here. Stay tuned for that.

NGUYEN: Also, first he fled, then the officer had to rescue him before arresting him. We're on the beat. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Here is a perfect example of how not to drive. Take a look at the video here. Walk us through it, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, recorded by the sheriff's department in Jacksonville, Florida. Take a look. A suspected drunken driver veers in front of the officer. The officer gives chase and after rounding the corner, here is what he found. That driver was pulled from the wreckage of his flaming SUV. Is he facing charges including driving under the influence and aggravated assault on a police officer.

So in light of that, let's talk about this -- putting the break brakes on speeders. One man now taking matters into his own hands.

HOLMES: Yes, and he's getting help from the neighborhood kids. They hope his idea doesn't fall flat.

NGUYEN: You are so witty.

HOLMES: I'm not taking responsibility for that line. Some writer worked real hard on that line.

NGUYEN: Yes, I know. It was great.

HOLMES: We're going to get more on this story from Brittany Morehouse of affiliate WKYC in West Salem, Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRITTANY MOREHOUSE, WKYC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cars whiz by houses on Main Street.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they fly by, 55, 60.

MOREHOUSE: Until drivers see these smiling faces.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's slowing them down.

MOREHOUSE: Then they call up Mike Wood yelling.

MIKE WOOD, CREATOR: At first, they're mad, because they think why are these people leaving their kids by the road.

MOREHOUSE: Then they realize these kids and this officer are really signs.

WOOD: Then they're like, oh, those aren't real kids and then it's funny.

MOREHOUSE: They're so realistic that Wood got a good laugh out of his first poster, which he placed in his neighbor's yard.

LAURA KELLING, NEIGHBOR: We called him and I said I think you better check on Katie. And he's like, why, honey? I said, she's just standing out here. She's standing out here sleeping.

MOREHOUSE: The signs are made from real pictures. So you can change the expression from serious to friend until just one flash.

WOOD: We use a high-resolution printer, we use outdoor vinyl and outdoor ink so they can be put outside in the weather without a problem.

MOREHOUSE: Wood's now turned his idea into business, and it's booming.

WOOD: It's posted on law enforcement sites around the country and they are already calling and wanting to know how they can get one like that.

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