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CNN Saturday Morning News
Hurricane Dean Headed for Jamaica
Aired August 18, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TJ HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, SATURDAY MORNING: From the CNN center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is August 18th. Good morning to you all. I'm TJ Holmes.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR, SATURDAY MORNING: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Betty Nguyen. It's a category four hurricane and building. Dean roaring through the Caribbean. Could it be on its way to the U.S.?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The city is safer now than it's ever been. We've learned a lot since hurricane Katrina and hurricane Rita hit and we've made a lot of progress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Louisiana is under a state of emergency this morning. While some people think New Orleans is ready for hurricane season, others aren't so sure. Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People there saying they have been waiting three, up to four hours to get just one bottle of purified drinking water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Our Harris Whitbeck is in Peru bringing us the latest on that difficult recovery effort following a devastating earthquake.
KEILAR: And scrambling for safety, hijackers took control of this airliner. We'll tell you why and we'll tell you what they wanted.
HOLMES: We are going to start with that menace and monster of a storm that is turning right now. Forecasters say hurricane Dean could strengthen into a category five storm today. That's the most dangerous type of storm with winds about 155 miles per hour. Dean has been roaring across the eastern Caribbean and is expected to slam into Jamaica tomorrow. The storm could threaten the U.S. by Wednesday. CNN's Jeanne Meserve looks at preparations already under way to help those most at risk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After Katrina passed, 34 bodies were found at Saint Rita's nursing home, patients who should have been evacuated but were not. To avoid a similar tragedy, the Department of Health and Human Services is already tracking hurricane Dean and doing computer simulations of its potential impact on the Texas coast, a possible point of landfall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you can see, these hospitals in here are at extreme risk for flooding.
MESERVE: Already there are daily conference calls among state and Federal officials to plan and coordinate. Federal officials praised Texas for the attention it has given elderly and special needs populations.
REAR ADMIRAL W. CRAIG VANDERWAGEN, DEPT. OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: They have planned evacuation sites based on the level of disability for these people, very sophisticatedly and very pointedly, very nice plan identifying a specific conveyance for a specific individual to a specific location.
MESERVE: But Texas officials don't believe they've accounted for them all. They are urging people with special needs to register for transportation in the event of an evacuation.
MIKE MONTGOMERY, HARRIS CO. TEXAS EMERGENCY MGMT: The bottom line is it will never be too late. We will never give up on people with special needs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Louisiana's governor is taking action as well. Kathleen Blanco has declared a state of emergency. She is urging residents to be prepared for the worst, hope for the best. Louisiana is still of course recovering from the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina and Rita back in 2005.
KEILAR: Let's head over to the CNN weather center right now where Bonnie Schneider is in for Reynolds Wolf. She has the latest on this monster storm. Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Brianna, we are watching a major hurricane emerge. If you are just waking up and joining us, this storm, hurricane Dean has strengthened now to category four intensity. That is a serious situation. You can see the storm as it tumbles through areas into Martinique bringing devastating winds and rain. Now it's in the open waters of the eastern Caribbean, warm, deep waters that are allowing this storm to grow and intensify.
Right now the current winds are at 150 miles per hour with gusts as high as 180 miles per hour. As this storm works its way to the west, it is moving to the west at about 18 miles per hour, so it slowed down since yesterday and that will allow it to strengthen, as well. It looks like at this point, if the storm doesn't make a direct strike on Jamaica, it will make a near miss to Jamaica. So Jamaica will see some of the worst devastation from this hurricane. The next stop could be the Yucatan peninsula when the storm intensifies to category five intensity. That means winds could get as high as 160 miles per hour. It may not make a direct strike on the Yucatan, notice the cone of uncertainty actually stretches all the way from Havana down toward much of Mexico and even into Belize. Beyond that, as we get to the beginning of next week, we'll see the storm come over into even warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico, possibly making landfall somewhere in Texas or perhaps somewhere in northern Mexico.
To get a better idea of the track, I want to show Google earth. We've laid down what we call our spaghetti map where all our different computer models. Right now here's where the storm is, a category four and as we work our way through the next couple of days, you can see that the models actually start to expand and then they expand even further as the storm passes to the south of Cuba, meaning that there's a wide range of where the storm could go especially once it gets into the Gulf and by Tuesday and Wednesday, will you see that we will get a better idea of where the storm is headed. But at this point, anywhere along the Gulf coast needs to be ready for Dean because we're not sure exactly where it will make landfall.
KEILAR: All right. Thanks for that Bonnie.
HOLMES: Bonnie, thank you. Jamaica's prime minister has ordered shelters open across the island. Reporter Kirk Abrahams joins us now by phone from Kingston, Jamaica with more on the storm preparations and Kirk, we just heard our meteorologist say that Jamaica is going to get hit. It's going to get hit maybe worse than anybody with this. Is the island ready yet?
KIRK ABRAHAMS, JAMAICAN REPORTER: Indeed, TJ, Jamaicans are fearing the worst of the storm in the next 24 hours. Jamaica is on the road to preparation (INAUDIBLE) with people stocking up on stuff. Shelters have been opened, as you pointed out and this morning, the number of persons will be evacuated from low-lying areas.
HOLMES: I guess this might sound kind of a silly question, but are people taking it seriously? We heard all the reports and the meteorologists and how serious this storm is, but people are not taking this lightly. They are doing what they need to do and they know they're about to get hit hard.
ABRAHAMS: Normally in Jamaica, I think hurricane Gilbert was the one which in 1980 (INAUDIBLE) it hit them seriously. Over the past couple of years we had Dennis, people started making preparations just hours before the storm. There was -- people were not - didn't want to evacuate. But people are taking this one a bit seriously. I have not seen that kind of rush (INAUDIBLE). It's pretty much sunny here in Jamaica so people aren't really, really getting down to the nitty gritty of things and getting prepared right now.
HOLMES: Of course it's summer time. It's always a tourist area. A lot of people like to visit the island there. What is being done for those tourists? Are they certainly being told to get out while you can? And have you seen a rush of tourists trying to make their way out of Jamaica?
ABRAHAMS: A couple of them left yesterday. I think most will be leaving today. The airports are still open. There has been no (INAUDIBLE) airports will closed any time today or if they will be closed tomorrow. But certainly the Jamaica tourist board is meeting to see how best to get the tourists out of here as quickly as possible and some of them are still staying in hotels.
HOLMES: Kirk Abrahams reporter there for us in Kingston, Jamaica. Kirk, Abrahams, we appreciate your time and good luck to you there.
ABRHAMS: Sure.
HOLMES: And as hurricane Dean hits, you may be looking for ways to help the people affected. CNN can help you help them. Go to cnn.com/impact and click on natural disasters for links to various relief agencies impacting your world now, just a click away at cnn.com/impact.
KEILAR: Now let's get to Utah where that underground rescue operation is suspended indefinitely. Crews there have stopped digging inside the coal mine where those six miners are trapped. This after three rescuers were killed while trying to reach them. And CNN's Kara Finnstrom is on the scene in Huntington. Kara, what can you tell us?
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With those efforts to reach these miners underground by tunneling through that rock and debris now halted, the focus will be reaching them from above ground by continuing to drilling down that fourth hole, to help to see or to hear the miners through that hole. If they do, they will then drill a larger hole that they can lower a capsule down through and hopefully bring those miners up. The decision to halt that underground rescue effort has been met in this small mining community with some real mixed emotions. We spoke with one woman who has a cousin, Dale Black, who was one of those rescuers killed during Thursday's cave-in and another cousin who remains trapped. That's Kerry Allred, one of those original six miners and she says she is frustrated and frightened.
AZURE DAVIS, FAMILY MEMBER OF MINERS: I can just imagine being trapped myself and hearing rocks fall thinking OK, they're close enough. They must be close by. And that's got to be really hard.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FINNSTROM: Today flags are flying at half staff across the state in honor of those rescuers who were killed. We mentioned Dale Black. Another rescue of those rescuers has been identified. He is 53-year- old Gary Jenson. He's a father of four and a husband. All of those miners and also the mine safety experts who are working down in that mine now being remembered as heroes. And a bit of good news today. There were three of those rescuers who remained in the hospital and the good news is that all three of those are expected to survive. Brianna.
KEILAR: Kara, do we know what this means for the chances of finding those missing miners? Abandoning this horizontal rescue and going for the rescue from above? Do we know what that spells for their chances?
FINNSTROM: The horizontal rescue was really going at a very slow pace any way. So the fourth bore hole that's going down was really the best hope of making contact with them any sooner. And rescuers says if they do find them and they do make contact with them, they can continue to feed them what they need through that hole, if it's more air to be pumped in there, if it's food or water. So they say they are still hopeful that they can be reached in that way with this capsule. So we'll have to see.
KEILAR: All right. Well, that is good news there. Kara Finnstrom live for us in Huntington, Utah. Thanks Kara.
And today at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, we have a CNN special for you "Tragedy at Crandall Canyon Mine." Join Fredricka Whitfield for a special one-hour program and that's only here on CNN.
Well ahead this morning on CNN, we're tracking hurricane Dean as it gains strength and heads for the Gulf.
HOLMES: Also, desperate days in Peru, the struggle to get help for earthquake survivors.
KEILAR: And a hijacking ends right after this. What the hijackers wanted.
HOLMES: Also those toxic toys, what is next? Our Josh Levs is going to be here with a reality check to help parents sort out this recall mess.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A hijacking drama ends peacefully in Turkey. Witnesses say two men claiming to have a bomb hijacked a Turkish jetliner shortly after taking off from northern Cyprus. Authorities say the plane was forced to land in southern Turkey, 136 people aboard managed to escape while the hijackers were letting women and children off the plane. The pilots escaped by climbing out the cockpit windows. After three hours of negotiations, the hijackers surrendered. Passengers say the hijackers wanted to go to either Iran or Syria.
KEILAR: In Peru they search, they wait and they hope. Rescuers are looking for more signs of life after this week's massive earthquake that killed more than 500 people.
HOLMES: Meanwhile relief supplies are trickling in for desperate survivors and CNN's Harris Whitbeck reports from Pisco along Peru's Pacific coast.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cargo planes deliver baby-sized coffins to the airport near towns hit by the earthquake. Their final destination, the hospital in Pisco where tiny bodies lay beneath black tarps. There's another truck load of coffins on the way. Doctors fear that dehydration and diarrhea will claim more victims. Injuries fester and infection menaces under the desert sun. The tops of buildings dangle like limp marionettes, 85 percent of the adobe city has been destroyed. Its survivors tend to the dead.
A mariachi band serenades a victim at his funeral. Rich or poor, you'll always be the king. Haveas Morone (ph) was 42 years old. A physics teacher, he died because he stayed inside his falling classroom to make sure his students made it out during the earthquake. Two days later, his wife and daughters mourn him as a hero, one of hundreds of funerals, the entire Ica (ph) region must endure in the coming days. Rescuers dig through the rubble of toppled houses and buildings nonstop. Each hour new bodies turn up.
JORGE VEDA, FIRE DEPT CHIEF (THROUGH TRANSLATOR: In my 35 years as a firefighter, I have never seen this amount of destruction.
WHITBECK: Pisco, a desert town by the sea had become accustomed to seismic shifts but nothing prepared them for this. Father and husbands corpse hoisted like a rag doll from the fragile rubble, a church crushing elderly women during mass. Rescuers have already removed 41 bodies there and expect many more.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR: I'm waiting with hope because they did find some people alive. But after so much time, I know it's unlikely that my old grandmother is still alive.
WHITBECK: A tourist hotel housing people from around the world who came here looking for fun. Now rescuers work long into the night looking for survivors. One man said he received a text message from his brother, allegedly trapped inside. Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Pisco, Peru.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Of course this morning we are tracking hurricane Dean. Ahead we are watching Dean as it strengthens and moves closer to the U.S.
KEILAR: And we are also minutes away from a special preview of Christiane Amanpour's documentary "God's Warriors." It's a peak inside the six-hour television event that you will find only right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Tony Snow is bowing out. CNN has learned the White House press secretary plans to step down as early as next month. Sources say Snow needed to make more money to help his family including college-bound children. Snow took a significant pay cut from his broadcasting career to take the White House job but he's remained passionate about the post and the administration's messages, especially about Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We've got to choose whether to say or leave Iraq. The decision will influence the entire world and it's going to stamp future generations of Americans for good or ill. They will recall this either as America's finest hour or its final hour as a nation of consequence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: No official word on who might replace Snow, but speculation surrounds his deputy, Dana Perino.
HOLMES: The draw-down of U.S. troops in Iraq will be tied to results of the current so-called troop surge. That is according to a top U.S. general. Under the plan, troop levels would stay at 160,000 through early next year. If the security situation improves and Iraqi troops become more proficient, some 30,000 U.S. forces would withdraw. That is about the number of troops involved in the troop build-up this summer. On "This Week at War," following Iraq's most recent genocide attack, we go to the front lines of Diyala province. Plus, Iran's influence in the region and the race for Arctic oil. Tom Foreman is your host tonight and tomorrow night at 7:00 Eastern time.
KEILAR: Religion and politics are a volatile mix and there is no clearer illustration if that than the bitterly contested Israeli occupied west bank.
HOLMES: But the strife is not always Jew versus Muslim. In some cases it's been Jew versus Jew. Chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour takes a closer look at one such confrontation at a small Jewish outpost called Omono (ph) in her upcoming CNN documentary "God's Warriors."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Omono was founded in 1995, despite what was then the Israeli government stated policy -- no new settlements.
GERSHAM GORENBERG: It was the same kind of process that went back in the '70s. They had officials who were sympathetic and would help them out. These little clumps of mobile homes sprung up all over the west bank, over 100 of them.
AMANPOUR: According to an official investigation, for more than a decade government ministry spent millions on the unauthorized outposts by bypassing procedure and violating Israeli law.
GORENBERG: And then a few of them, the settlers said OK, we're here. The government hasn't pulled us out. Let's start building houses.
AMANPOUR: Nine of these permanent houses were built for nine Omono families living in cramped trailers. Among them Edit Levenger (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR: I walk around here with my children and tell them this is the hill that Abraham climbed. This is where Jacob had his dream. It's not something that was once upon a time. It's alive and now. AMANPOUR: But Peace Now, an Israeli organization that opposes the settlements, wanted the nine houses torn down. Draw Etkus (ph) filed a lawsuit arguing that the Omono homes did not have official permits and that they were built on privately owned Palestinian land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no law. There is one law, this is the law of the occupier if you're stronger, you grab, you take.
AMANPOUR: The settlers' response? They had a legitimate deal with nearby Palestinians who feared for their lives if the transaction were ever made public.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Our land was bought and paid for. The Arab owners got their money.
AMANPOUR: But the court ruled that the nine permanent homes were illegal and ordered them demolished. On February 1, 2006, thousands of protesters and thousands of security forces came to Omono. Both sides prepared for confrontation. As Israeli soldiers and riot police moved forward, violence erupted. Demonstrators were beaten. Soldiers and police were pelted with rocks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We wanted to protest the demolition, but nobody intended to harm anyone.
AMANPOUR: No one was killed, but there were more than 200 casualties, soldiers and settlers. All this over nine houses on a tiny plot of land.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: It's a six-hour television event hosted by Christiane Amanpour. It premieres next week. God's Jewish warriors on Tuesday, August 21st, God's Muslim warriors on Wednesday, August 22nd and God's Christian warriors on Thursday, August 23rd, all at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. If you would like to know more, right now you can go to cnn.com/godswarriors. And you can experience God's Warriors right now at cnn.com as I mentioned, see more sneak peek clips and behind the scenes photos. Watch Christiane's video diaries and also you can send us an I-report.
HOLMES: Of course, all morning long right here, we're going to be watching hurricane Dean. We'll have reports from Jamaica where we will get a better idea of how strong this hurricane is going to be and Bonnie, it looks like it's going to be as strong as the scale will allow.
SCHNEIDER: Absolutely. Right now this is a category four storm headed west straight for Jamaica and possibly the Yucatan. I'll have a complete report with the latest track of hurricane Dean. That's coming up.
KEILAR: Plus Josh Levs is here with help for parents.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Hey, Brianna. Millions of toys recalled this week and now a lot of parents concerned how can you know if your kids are safe? We're going to have answers coming up in the CNN reality check. Brianna.
KEILAR: Tony Snow and why $168,000 a year is not enough. CNN.com's most popular is minutes away this morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Strong winds and rain in the Caribbean as the first major hurricane of the year blows towards Jamaica and possibly the U.S. Welcome back. I'm Brianna Keilar in for Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm TJ Holmes. Thanks so very much for being here. CNN is your hurricane headquarters. We got a heck of a hurricane to talk about this morning. Let's do it.
KEILAR: That's right. Hurricane Dean is roaring across the Caribbean. It's on a collision course with Jamaica. Dean is expected to strengthen into a monster Category Five storm later today.
Tropical storm warnings went up on the island of St. Kitts. We received this I-Report video from Chris Evelyn. He says he shot it from his patio as strong winds blew across the island. Right now evacuation plans are in place in Jamaica and the island is bracing for a direct hit from Hurricane Dean tomorrow.
And some Louisiana hotels say their bookings are up because of Hurricane Dean. Hotel managers in Baton Rouge say they're taking reservations from people seeking shelter just in case. Some hotels say they're booked through the end of next week. One is even filled up through the end of the month.
And let's get now to the CNN Weather Center, where Bonnie Schneider has the latest on Hurricane Dean -- Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Brianna, we are getting in I-Reports from viewers as far away as St. Kitts, one of the islands that saw the worst of Hurricane Dean's wrath as it moved through.
I want to go to these I-Reports now to show you what it looked like when the storm was just about to come through.
This was actually taken by a tourist, Fran Kubick and her son Evan. He's 10-years old. They're vacationing in St. Kitts. And this is actually the Marriott resort there.
And you can kind of see in the distance the clouds thickening up, as well as the palm trees bent from the winds coming through. So that's a look at a pretty picture, normally, but unfortunately even those beautiful resorts are facing the rough conditions right now. The waves are picking up, as well, not just around St. Kitts, but, unfortunately, things are not looking good for Jamaica. There's a hurricane watch in effect for Jamaica now. That will likely be upgraded to a hurricane warning because of Dean.
This storm is not only intensifying, but it's grown larger in terms of the extension of its size and hurricane force winds and tropical storm force winds. We're also seeing a more well-defined eye and more powerful thunderstorms, as well.
Let's take a closer look at this storm on radar. This radar is coming out of Puerto Rico. And you can see the heavy bands of rain as they rotate around this storm. So we're already getting those rain bands right now to the south coast of Puerto Rico and into the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as well, where we have hurricane warnings in effect right now.
Let's talk about the latest conditions. This storm has intensified since yesterday. If you have been tracking it and you're just turning on the television, right now it is a category four, with maximum winds currently at 150 miles per hour.
Later today, it's likely to intensify even further, to winds at 155. Now, this is key, because if those winds go to 156, we'll have a category five hurricane on our hands and not a category four anymore. That certainly is in the forecast for Monday. But when you have winds so close to the category five mark, really, you have to be prepared for the worst.
So I'd say right now, as the storm works its way over the open Caribbean, it's likely to intensify due to the warm water temperature. The water temperature there is 85 plus. As you start heading toward the Yucatan, after it may or may not make a direct strike to Jamaica. If it doesn't make a direct hit, it's going to come so close that it will bring still the full force of the storm.
The next stop will possibly be either the Yucatan Channel, where it will pass between the Yucatan and Cuba, or a direct strike on the Yucatan, which would be devastating because by Monday, that storm should be at category five strength.
And, finally, the last stop will be the Gulf of Mexico. There's a wide range here across Texas and Northern Mexico in that cone of uncertainty as to where this storm will go. Anyone who lives on the Gulf Coast needs to be on alert due to Dean -- back to you.
KEILAR: All right, Bonnie.
And that would be especially devastating for the Yucatan Peninsula, right, because they were hit a couple of years ago pretty severely.
SCHNEIDER: That's exactly right, several times in 2005 during that active year. And many of the resorts, for example, in Cancun, were rebuilt and finally open now, only to face another threat coming up soon.
KEILAR: All right, Bonnie Schneider, thanks for that.
HOLMES: Thanks, Bonnie.
(AUDIO CLIP) KEILAR: That is the wake up call for Endeavour's astronauts. The shuttle crew started its day about two hours ago. The fourth and final spacewalk of the mission is on tap this morning. But some chores will have to be put off until the next visit. NASA is cutting the spacewalk short by about two hours to bring Endeavour home on Tuesday -- that's one day early -- because NASA wants to avoid Hurricane Dean, which could hit the U.S. on Wednesday.
HOLMES: More than 1,000 forced to evacuate, tens of thousands without electricity after a powerful typhoon hits Taiwan. The storm made landfall this morning with winds above 95 miles per hour. At least one death is blamed on the typhoon.
The storm already has caused major flooding in the Philippines. The monsoon rains that were already drenching that country were made worse by the typhoon. Disaster officials say nearly 390,000 people were affected by the flooding.
Back here in Texas now, still battling the effects of Tropical Storm Erin. The storm is blamed for at least six deaths and the search continues for one person who is still missing. Erin made landfall early Thursday, dumping heavy rain along the water-logged Texas Coast.
KEILAR: There's a new effort to get tainted toys off of the shelves. The State of New York announcing late Friday that its inspectors will make sure that toys are removed from stores, returned to manufacturers and destroyed.
This action comes after numerous recalled toys were found still sitting on New York's store shelves this week.
The huge nationwide toy recall was announced just days ago.
So what do you do now to make sure that your kids are safe?
Well, that's why CNN's Josh Levs is joining us now for a Reality Check.
JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And, you know, a lot of parents are concerned about this. And it's millions of toys. This is a huge amount, so...
KEILAR: And you're a parent. This must be scary.
LEVS: It is. Yes. Fortunately, my son is still a bit before some of these toys...
KEILAR: Yes.
LEVS: But it's true. And this is the thing, is that it's making people worry not only about the toys that are a part of the recall, but also about other toys, because who knows?
A lot of people are saying who knows what's next?
So what we want to do now is talk you through what you need to know about the recall so far and what to do if you're concerned about your child's safety.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): Barbie, "Sesame Street," Dora the Explorer, among around 11 million toys recalled in the U.S. this month. Over the last seven years, more than This month, 15 million were recalled by Mattel.
The nation's leading toy maker produces hundreds of millions a year. Most are considered safe.
BRYAN STOCKTON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL, MATTEL: We've had a history of trust. And when you look at the number of recalls, we think we make overwhelmingly safe products.
LEVS: Some recalled products have magnets that could fall out and be swallowed.
NANCY NORD, CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION: Mattel has now redesigned that product to make sure that that doesn't happen.
LEVS: Other recalled toys have lead paint. Mattel says it was used by a subcontractor of a trusted Chinese vendor.
NORD: There is no excuse for lead paint to be used in children's toys. It is outlawed in this country. It has been for 30 years.
LEVS: How can you know if your kid's toys are safe?
First, check the recall lists. There's information at CNN.com and at the CPSC Web site, where you can also sign up to be notified about future recalls.
Nearly all the toys recalled this year with manufactured in China. But a "made in China" label does not automatically mean a problem. Parents concerned about toys can contact the CPSC.
Also, be vigilant. Swallowed magnets could lead to flu-like symptoms. Lead paint on toys often doesn't lead to symptoms, but it can have long-term health effects. Health officials say if you're concerned, take your child to the doctor for a simple blood test.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LEVS: Now, toy companies are making some changes as a result of this. And not just Mattel, but it's growing in general.
And I'll tell you, a spokeswoman for Mattel, Brianna, told me this week that the company puts no price tag on safety.
KEILAR: And -- but I mean these are big name toys.
LEVS: Yes.
KEILAR: We saw Big Bird, Barbie.
LEVS: "Sesame Street."
KEILAR: I mean this...
LEVS: Yes.
KEILAR: This is this has to be costing the toy industry so much.
LEVS: And, yes, you would think that. Yes. And that's something that I looked into this week, is how much of all these recalls cost the toy industry.
It's a $22 billion industry, which means they get about $22 billion in sales every year, all put together.
So I started to think well, if they can put those figures together, maybe they can put recall figures together and say how much that has cost.
It's not happening. I spoke with a toy industry analyst. I spoke with the association that represents the industry. Nobody has a figure because the toy companies have not been putting that out there.
Here's the one thing we do know. Two weeks ago, when Mattel announced a recall, they said it would cost them $30 million. And now, after the latest recall, which is even bigger, they're still saying it doesn't raise the total costs because doing a recall in general, no matter the size, I guess, a similar price.
So the only figure we have right now, Brianna, $30 million cost to Mattel for just what's happened this month.
KEILAR: Wow!
LEVS: Yes.
KEILAR: All right, Josh, thanks so much.
LEVS: Thanks.
KEILAR: We really appreciate it.
And also this morning, we will follow this story continually in our 9:00 a.m. hour. We're going to talk with a mother who is a co- founder of the group Moms Rising. She's helping organize a petition which asks Congress to push for stronger oversight of the toy industry.
HOLMES: And we've got one more note here about your kids and safety. An announcement from Toys"R"Us. It's removing all vinyl baby bibs from its stores and from its Babies"R"Us stores. The company found lead in two bibs it tested. The bibs were, yes, made in China. Toys"R"Us is offering full refunds. Information available at that number you see --1-800-869-7787.
Also, of course, this morning we are tracking Hurricane Dean as it roars across the Caribbean. The storm could grow into a monster. It's pretty much a monster already, but it is growing in intensity as it gets closer to the U.S.
KEILAR: And "Growing Up Diana" -- this is CNN's Soledad O'Brien with a look at the life of Lady Di as the 10-year anniversary of her death approaches.
That's ahead.
HOLMES: Also, right after this, new details on what killed those rescuers as they tried this week to save six trapped miners in Utah.
Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCHNEIDER: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your Allergy Report.
As we look toward the Gulf Coast, you'll find some improvements in air quality due to all the moisture we've been experiencing there. And off to the west, though, unfortunately, we have a high concentration of pollutants in the air over parts of the Rockies and the Midwest and even in the Southeast due to lack of rainfall.
That's a look at your Allergy Report for Saturday.
I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Those six miners trapped in a Utah coal mine are certainly now facing an uncertain fate.
KEILAR: That's right. The underground search for them suspended after three rescuers were killed.
And CNN's Brian Todd has been on the scene.
He filed this report last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An underground rescue mission turned deadly, now suspended indefinitely.
GOV. JON HUNTSMAN (R), UTAH: Suffice it to say, yesterday we went from a tragedy to a catastrophe.
TODD: Graphic new detail on the collapse that killed three and injured six others. The head of the Federal Mine Safety Agency says the men were digging in the main tunnel, in one of the deepest parts of the mine, some 2,000 feet underground, with all that mountain weight being forced onto the tunnel and its supports.
RICHARD STICKLER, MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION: The right rib exploded off of the coal pillar with tremendous force. We moved. It knocked out all the ground support we had in place, the water jacks that you've seen the pictures of, the chain link fence.
TODD: All of that, he said, was propelled to the opposite side of the tunnel. Nine miners were standing right there and some got buried in several feet of coal.
Utah's governor says no more miners should be sent into that tunnel for now.
HUNTSMAN: Let us ensure that we have no more injuries. We have suffered enough as a state.
TODD: But drilling from the top of the mountain continues, with a fourth hole in progress, as rescue workers try to reach chambers where the six missing miners might have retreated for air. Officials say for the moment, those drills may offer the best chance of finding the miners, missing now for nearly 11 days.
STRICKLAND: If we can find miners alive, then we will start drilling a bore hole that would be large enough to put a capsule into the mine and bring the miners out through a capsule.
TODD (on camera): Even as they try to recover from this calamity, federal officials are defending their actions before the collapse, saying they had consensus that their plan for this rescue was the safest one possible.
But just days before this disaster, 12 rescue workers had asked to be reassigned, saying they were concerned for their safety.
Brian Todd, CNN, Huntington, Utah.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: And stay here, because in the next half hour we're going to continue to follow the search efforts and the rescue efforts out there in Utah.
Also, we're going to be hearing from family members.
KEILAR: Plus -- Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very good morning to you, Brianna.
A very good morning to you out there.
A hot new Italian sports car once belonging to a Hollywood actor gets a new price tag and now a new owner. That's just one of the stories that is making the most popular list this morning. And we have the details next. And that's coming up next from the Dot-Com Desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: CNN recently revamped its Web site. If you haven't had a chance to check it out lately, you really should.
DE LA CRUZ: You should.
And you have, haven't you?
KEILAR: It is very cool.
DE LA CRUZ: OK, good.
And you have, too, T.J.?
HOLMES: I'm always on there.
DE LA CRUZ: T.J. is singing "Chocolate Rain" over there.
HOLMES: "Chocolate Rain."
DE LA CRUZ: He's a little bit too busy.
You know, that's actually one of the vital (ph) videos on the Web right now.
HOLMES: Yes. (INAUDIBLE).
DE LA CRUZ: And we're going to talk about it later on this morning.
HOLMES: And we're going to interview the guy who did that song a little later, as well.
DE LA CRUZ: Excellent. Excellent.
HOLMES: But, Veronica, hello.
DE LA CRUZ: Hello.
HOLMES: This is usually a scary thing to do, is ask you what you did last night.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But we're going to go with it right now.
So please tell us, what were you up to last night?
DE LA CRUZ: You guys are horrible.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, you know, I was the mistress of ceremonies at the National Association of Asian-American Professionals. And I just wanted to give you guys a big shout out and thank you.
They presented me with this beautiful award, just a piece of recognition there. And I wanted to say thank you.
HOLMES: That you almost broke a minute ago.
DE LA CRUZ: I didn't break it.
HOLMES: You were close to breaking it, Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: No, I was not close to breaking it.
(LAUGHTER)
DE LA CRUZ: So it was a -- it was a great night and I'm absolutely honored that they would have me do this.
And to all of you out there who are in town for that convention, enjoy the rest of your stay in Atlanta. It's a great organization.
So, I appreciate it.
HOLMES: Very nice.
DE LA CRUZ: All right, back to CNN.com.
Let's talk about the most popular stories right now.
We're going to start with this one, news that Tony Snow is likely to step down as White House press secretary. While Snow has not directly confirmed he is leaving, sources both in and out of the White House tell CNN that he is.
As you know, Snow has been battling cancer, but money might be the deciding factor. Snow says he's been telling people he would leave "when my money runs out."
Snow's position reportedly pays $168,000 a year.
And the Utah coal mine disaster continues to attract a lot of traffic at CNN.com. Today, the latest is that one of the three men killed in the rescue operation two days ago was a federal mine safety official. Although attempts to reach six trapped miners have been suspended, drilling continues on a hole into an area where the miners might be. And, as you know, the miners were trapped 12 days ago now.
Also popular on the Web this morning, where is Hurricane Dean headed?
How bad is it going to be?
This is video taken yesterday as it passed through the Antilles. Dean is now a muscular category four. It is projected to hit as a category five.
Now, if the storm stays on its current course, Jamaica will take a direct hit tomorrow.
And rounding out the most popular list this morning, $2.3 million might seem like a lot for a 44-year-old Italian sports car. But this one that you're looking at is a piece of Hollywood history. The 1963 Ferrari once belonged to the late actor Steve McQueen. The car has since been restored, which is why it doubled its estimated sale price of $1.2 million. Hmmm. And check out the 007 license plate. So happy motoring to the person who scoops that one up.
And, of course, you can find all of that online at CNN.com/most popular.
And, also, in the next hour, we're going to be talking about I- Reports. So, please, if you are outdoors and Hurricane Dean happens to pass through your area, do send us a picture, but do be careful. I mean we have to ask people to be careful.
And we've gotten some terrific video in, some great pictures. But safety first, as always, you know?
KEILAR: That's right. Safety first. That is the word.
All right, thanks, Veronica.
Appreciate it.
HOLMES: Thank you.
Well, of course, the word is this morning from the National Hurricane Center that Dean, yes, will likely become a category five storm.
KEILAR: And we're keeping tabs on this monster storm.
HOLMES: Also coming up right after this break, a peek at Soledad O'Brien's special investigation, "Growing Up Diana".
KEILAR: And the playground that burst into flames.
What's this?
And could it happen at a playground near you?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: As the 10-year anniversary of the death of Diana approaches, CNN's Soledad O'Brien looking back at what turned out to be anything but a fairytale live. People who knew Diana spoke to O'Brien for the upcoming SIU documentary, "Growing Up Diana".
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MARY ROBERTSON: She does seem to have been left completely alone through that period, actually, in the run-up to the wedding. She was very much moved into Clarence House and then left alone.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Isolated from friends, family, even Prince Charles, who was preoccupied with other commitments, including his ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles. ROBERTSON: It was a tough night for her.
O'BRIEN: Mary Robertson knew something was wrong the minute she saw Diana at a private pre-wedding celebration. It turns out just days before, Diana had discovered a bracelet Charles bought for Camilla. That and frequent phone conversations between the two crushed Diana.
ROBERTSON: After the receiving line, she just disappeared upstairs. So she knew that night that Camilla wasn't out of his life. And she just couldn't face the crowds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I think it just built up doubt in her mind. And I think that was -- that's when it got difficult for her. She had misgivings the night before the wedding, big time.
O'BRIEN (on camera): And what did she say?
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: Soledad O'Brien joins us now from New York to talk about this documentary a bit.
I guess something here, you think a big wedding day. Diana is about to get married. You'd think maybe the royal family would do all they could to go out of their way to make sure everything is just perfect for her. But she was kind of alone and on her own during this time.
O'BRIEN: Yes, but building up to the royal wedding, she was alone. But a lot of that was for her own safety. Remember, she was being literally stalked by the press, the paparazzi. And so the safest thing for this young whom, was who was only 19 years old, was to bring her to Buckingham Palace and really have her ensconced away from the press.
And I think that if you look at it from the palace's perspective, they would say we did everything we could to keep her safe.
Now, she's 19. She's got a lot of friends. She's the kind of young woman who was a social person, who used to being in an apartment and doing her own thing. So that's where you kind of see the rub, where she did feel like she was alone and didn't have a lot of friends there.
She had visitors, certainly, to the palace. We had many people tell us that. But, you know, she -- it wasn't the same thing as living in your own apartment. So I don't think it was -- the palace was uncaring toward Diana. I think most people would say that you had, in some ways, the palace, for the first time, confronting the fact they had a young, modern woman in this palace. And that theme would really reassert itself over and over again. And you'd see Diana confronting the palace in many ways, especially after the wedding.
HOLMES: All right.
And people have seen this story so much. They've seen so much of it. We think we know the whole story. It's been 10 years now. But we're still finding things out. And you're finding things out in your investigation.
What else -- what else in there that's still -- O'BRIEN: Absolutely.
HOLMES: ...that still might surprise us?
O'BRIEN: Yes, you know, what's interesting to me, was that a lot of people would talk about -- and Diana herself would talk about how she wasn't particularly book smart. She wasn't. She got horrible grades.
But you a woman who was -- the term they use now is E.Q. you know, not I.Q. but E.Q. you know, that social intelligence. She understood people and understood relationships and how to deal with human beings.
And that, in a lot of ways, ended up being incredibly important for her, especially when you're talking about a palace that had, for a lot of the commoners, a sense of being cold and sometimes uncaring. Diana was able to break right through that because she would reach out, literally, physically reach out and touch regular people. It was kind of not done before. HOLMES: The fascination is not going anywhere.
It's "Growing Up Diana," August 21st, 8:00 Eastern.
CNN's SIU with Soledad O'Brien.
Soledad, good to see you.
We look forward to seeing it.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, T.J.
Likewise.
KEILAR: from the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING and I'm Brianna Keilar in for Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
Good morning to you all.
Take a look at what's happening. Hurricane Dean now a category four storm. It is turning in the Caribbean. You need to watch this one. We are watching this one. We're tracking Dean for you this morning.
KEILAR: And Michael Vick -- new charges are looming while his co- defendants plan to testify against him. We're going to tell you what's at stake for this sports star, as we take you Beyond The Game.
But first, Hurricane Dean is growing into a monster storm on a collision course with Jamaica. Dean is expected to strengthen to a category five storm today. That's the most powerful with winds above 155 miles per hour. Right now Dean is a category four and it's roaring across the Caribbean. The storm ripped roofs off of buildings and it also flooded streets as it slammed several Caribbean islands. Evacuation plans are in place in Jamaica, the island now bracing for a direct hit from Dean tomorrow.
And Louisiana's governor is taking action. Governor Kathleen Blanco has declared a state of emergency. She is urging residents to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. Louisiana is, of course, still recovering from the devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
TJ HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, SATURDAY MORNING: We turn to the hurricane center. It certainly is now. Our Bonnie Schneider in with us this weekend, talking about this storm. Seemed like not too long ago hurricane Flossie was the big deal we were talking about. It's all about Dean now.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is all about Dean for sure. We're looking at some radar now showing you where the rain is. It's just south of Puerto Rico. We're getting plenty of rain in that vicinity. This radar site is from Puerto Rico. You can see the wraparound effect of the bands from Dean. As we look at our satellite perspective, I'll put this map into motion and you'll find that we have a well-defined eye here with Dean. There it is right there, outflow on all four quadrants. This is a powerful category four storm. The latest coordinates still have the storm with maximum winds at 150 miles per hour.
There's some new watches and warnings to tell you about. There's a hurricane warning now in effect for parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. We have a tropical storm warning that remains in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands and for Puerto Rico. And also Jamaica is under a hurricane watch that will likely be updated to a hurricane warning later this morning. Looking at the latest coordinates and what we have to tell you, first off, we have the storm still at category four strength with winds at 150 miles per hour, but gusts are even higher than that at 180. Almost a category five the storm will be by this afternoon because as you see, once you start getting up to 155 plus, that's when you change over to category five status.
Looking at the map through the Caribbean, you can see that the storm is likely to intensify by Monday to category five status, those winds at 160. The big question is where will the storm go at that point? It looks like we'll be watching for it to work its way into the Gulf of Mexico. The cone of uncertainty shows that we have the storm stretching all the way possibly from Texas down through Mexico. As we take a look at our computer models, what we're looking at is kind of a wide spread of where the storm might hit. Some the computer models are taking it more on a path toward Texas and Louisiana, but the majority of them have them moving more towards the Texas-Mexico border here. So we'll be watching to see which of one of our computer models is most reliable.
But the one thing to note is the areas that will be most immediately affected by the storm will be the island of Jamaica, possibly taking a direct hit and possibly another also hit in the Yucatan, but that's a little early to say. This area may get lucky and have the storm pass right through the region. But right now we do have a tropical storm watch in effect for Cuba as well. This may be upgraded to a hurricane watch in the next 24 hours. Back to you.
KEILAR: All right, thanks Bonnie.
HOLMES: And of course, hurricane Dean changing the travel plans for a lot of folks, including astronauts. The shuttle "Endeavor," NASA is bringing "Endeavor" home Tuesday. It's going to be a little earlier, a day earlier. And as part of that plan, today's space walk is being cut short. The concern is that the hurricane could hit Houston, forcing shuttle control managers to move mission control from the Johnson space center to the Kennedy space center in Florida.
Texas could see more rain today from the remnants of tropical storm Erin. That storm is blamed for at least six deaths. Some of the victims were swept away by floodwaters. The search continues for one person who is still missing. Erin made land fall early Thursday, dumping heavy rain along the waterlogged Texas coast.
KEILAR: And more than a thousand forced to evacuate, tens of thousands without electricity after a powerful typhoon hits Taiwan. The storm made land fall this morning with winds above 95 miles an hour. At least one death is blamed on this typhoon. The storm already has caused major flooding in the Philippines. The monsoon rains that were already drenching the country were made worse by this storm. Disaster officials say nearly 390,000 people were affected by the flooding.
Meanwhile, survivors cling to hope in Peru. They're desperate for word that their loved ones will be found alive after this week's massive quake. More than 500 people were killed in Wednesday's quake. Countless others believed to still be trapped under buildings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I'm waiting with hope because they did find some people alive. But after so much time, I know it's unlikely that my old grandmother is still alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Food, water, and other relief supplies have begun arriving in the quake zone. We're going to talk soon with our Harris Whitbeck in our next hour. He'll be live with us from Peru.
HOLMES: I want to talk a bit about that search for the trapped miners in Utah. With the underground search now suspended, their fate more uncertain than ever and that has relatives and friends of course frustrated. CNN's Dan Simon reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And last night, another cousin, Dale Black, was one of the rescuers killed. AZURE DAVIS: It's just hard.
SIMON: Today she and her friends invited us over. They wanted to share their pain and frustrations, first over the slow process in digging for the miners.
DAVIS: How do they not know, at least the big vicinity of where they're at.
SIMON: And now with the underground search coming to a halt. That's because Davis says she believes in her heart that her trapped cousin is still alive.
DAVIS: I can just imagine being trapped myself and hearing rocks fall, thinking, OK, they're close enough. They must be close by. That's got to be really hard.
SIMON: All of Davis' friends here disagree with the decision to stop the rescue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My biggest fear was that they would stop. They would stop looking. There's a grandpa out there, somebody's husband out there, somebody's dad. I'm a daddy's girl, you know. And I know they have families that need them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I had the skill to do it, that I would go in and dig with my hands because the families need closure, and it's not fair to the families.
SIMON: Mining is still the life blood of this central Utah community, but today two miners tell us the profession is getting too dangerous. Randy Howe (ph) says he retired several years ago after getting hurt.
RANDY HOWE: I've been covered up in that much coal in the mine before from them bounces and I guess I just got lucky that -- I don't know anymore about these mines. I don't work in them no more. I put 26 years in the mine, and my son works in one now. And I wish he would go to school and do something else.
SIMON: For nearly two weeks, this community has been on edge. Now it begins grieving, and with six miners still trapped, this emotional ordeal is so much harder.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And while digging a rescue tunnel, that has been stopped. So workers are still drilling a hole from the top that could provide air, food and water to those trapped miners. And today at 4:00 Eastern time, CNN special, "Tragedy at Crandall Canyon Mine." You can join Fredricka Whitfield for a special one hour program. Again, that's only here on CNN.
KEILAR: Stay with CNN for continuing coverage on hurricane Dean. We're going to keep you updated on its path. We're also going to show you some I-reports from viewers who are in the middle of it all.
HOLMES: Also, will Michael Vick take a plea deal and what impact will that have on the game? We'll talk with our sports analyst Rick Horrow coming up. But first, the good doctor, Sanjay Gupta, he's here now with a preview of today's "House Call."
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, guys. I know you heard the story this week, lead in your kids' toys. Are toy makers putting your child in danger? Find out what you can do to keep your children safe.
Plus, absent from school and at risk for drugs. Find out who's most in danger and why. It may surprise you. All that and more of this week's medical headlines coming up on "House Call" at 8:30.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The future of Michael Vick, with two of his co-defendants pleading guilty to dog fighting charges yesterday, there's word this morning that Vick himself could be trying to hammer out a plea deal. Going to turn now to sports business analyst Rick Horrow, pretty Ricky. He joins us now from Philadelphia. Sir, good morning, always good to see you. Tell me, in the eyes of the public, are they starting to separate a bit the whole image issue between NFL and Vick? You know, it was all a blight on the NFL, all a blight on Vick's image, of course. Now are people starting to turn and just see this as a Michael Vick image problem and not so much as an NFL problem anymore?
RICK HORROW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's what pretty Ricky thinks. Thank you very much for causing me some grief among all my friends for the next couple of weeks. Thanks a lot.
HOLMES: Glad I could help.
HORROW: I understand. But the bottom line is that the NFL has always had an image problem with this. The indictment and the facts are so heinous and so repugnant that I think people are thinking the NFL couldn't have possibly caused this. By the way, he's had a 60 percent increase in awareness and an 88 percent increase in unlikability. So that's Michael Vick. He went from second to 33rd in jersey sales. I don't know anybody that's going to buy one of his jerseys, pal.
HOLMES: Never again. Tell me, a lot of people are hearing plea. And as far as a young man in his life goes, maybe to stay out of prison for a long time, a plea deal might pretty much be the way to go. But if he takes a plea, the NFL has a pretty strict conduct policy. If he admits to some of this stuff in a plea deal, what could the NFL do to him?
HORROW: Ban him for life. Not sure that they're going to do it. Roger Goodell (ph) has sent a pretty strong signal with Tank Johnson (ph) and Henry and a lot of the other athletes with frankly indiscretions that were nowhere near like this. So you may see that. Bottom line is he's lost $7 million a year in endorsements that are no longer on the table. He got paid $40 million in his contract. So he's OK financially, but he's certainly not OK in any other way.
HOLMES: Is he going to play football again, Rick?
HORROW: I don't know that he'll play here. He may play in Canada. He may play somewhere else. It's hard to answer that question today because you never say never, but I wouldn't hire him.
HOLMES: What are you hearing right now about a plea deal?
HORROW: They're working it out right now, my sources tell me. Someone will break in in the next few hours and be more specific, I would predict.
HOLMES: Rick, we will talk about some football news still, some different type of football news. For folks who don't get it, people who aren't gamers, explain to them what happened this week, this game, NFL Madden '08. Explain to folks, some of them, what this game is and what this means for folks out there who do game.
HORROW: Yeah, well, first of all, I hope our demographic remembers John Madden as the football coach of the Oakland Raiders, not some guy in a computer box. I'm afraid most of the next generation think the latter, 60 million copies of Madden '08, the premiere video game that has been sold in the last 18 years. $60, that's the other number. The bottom line is $2 billion in sales. That's a lot of this. And why? Because advertisers now are getting into the mix. Seventy five percent of the people surveyed said they'll tolerate the ads as long as it will continue to allow them to play the game. That's why $200 million in ads. Now $1 billion predicted by 2011. By the way, it all comes around. You know who the poster guy and the cover boy was for Madden 2004? Yeah, Michael Vick.
HOLMES: This time we got Vince Young this time around. There's usually a curse that goes along with the guy who gets the cover. He ends up getting injured. I think six of the last seven guys who were on this cover ended up hurt the next year?
HORROW: This one is the mother of all curses. Michael Vick would have hoped that his biggest problem was trying to avoid the rush of a defensive lineman I'm afraid over the next few years.
HOLMES: And real quick, you talk about a lot of money with this game. How much of that money is going back to the NFL? What are they getting for it?
HORROW: They've got a big license agreement. It's a major seven figure, eight figure deal. Some of it goes back to the endorser. A lot of it goes back to EA sports. They're a big company, and they're only getting bigger.
HOLMES: All right, Rick Horrow, pretty Ricky what they call him, up there in Philly.
HORROW: Your check's in the mail. Here it is. I'm sending it to you right now.
HOLMES: Rick, always good to see you. Enjoy your time in Philly. Hope to see you soon.
HORROW: Talk to you soon.
KEILAR: We're keeping an eye on hurricane Dean, and so is Veronica de la Cruz, who is tracking Dean on the web this morning. Veronica, what can you tell us?
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you know Brianna, the storm is forecast at Jamaica as a category five. We're going to be taking a look at some of your I-reports next.
Plus this
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chocolate rain some stay dry and others feel the pain
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: A storm of another kind, chocolate rain. We're going to be talking to the creator of this viral video. It's all coming up next on the dot com desk.
KEILAR: And just minutes away, Veronica, a guy busted for selling fake plasma TVs out of his car. You won't believe what's beneath the plastic wrap. This, you got to see right ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chocolate cake, 620 calories, pecan pie, 530 calories, hot fudge sundae nearly 600 calories. Desserts, we love them, but they don't always love us. Two-thirds of Americans are battling the bulge, but dieticians will tell you denial is not the answer, portion control is. More and more restaurants are now answering the craving by offering miniature desserts. Bite-sized sweets are the hottest food trend of the year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The larger desserts can carry sometimes 500 to 600 calories. A small dessert might only have about 200.
COSTELLO: Chef Clifford Clow (ph) uses traditional ingredients in his mini desserts, not low fat substitutes. He says compromising taste is not an option. So he thinks small, just what dieticians want to hear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We always encourage portion control. To see a restaurant kind of on our side, that's the great thing.
COSTELLO: So if you want just a taste of heaven after your meal, go with a little, not a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm thinking about having two.
COSTELLO: It's tempting, but on second thought, maybe not. Carol Costello, CNN, New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A hijacking drama ends peacefully in Turkey. Witnesses say two men claimed to go have a bomb, hijacked a Turkish jet liner shortly after taking off from northern Cyprus. Authorities say the plane was forced to land in southern Turkey, 136 people aboard managed to escape while the hijackers were letting women and children off the planes. The pilots escaped by climbing out the cockpit windows. After three hours of negotiations, the hijackers surrendered. Passengers say the hijackers wanted to go to either Iran or Syria.
KEILAR: Well, look here at some new photos from the Associated Press. These are of people in Jamaica preparing for hurricane Dean. You can see this man here stocking up on water, other people stocking up on groceries ahead of hurricane Dean's winds, at this point, 150 miles an hour with gusts even higher. And people in the Caribbean have actually been sending CNN their photos and their video of hurricane Dean.
HOLMES: And Veronica de la Cruz has been going through that stuff for us.
DE LA CRUZ: It makes you nervous, doesn't it, looking at those pictures?
HOLMES: And hearing it's going to be a category five.
DE LA CRUZ: I wanted to show you some I-report video that we have received. This is from Chris Evelyn. He shot it on the island of St. Kitts as hurricane Dean was passing through. And as you can see, it was blowing pretty hard. Chris says there were some downed trees and power lines, but there wasn't much damage thankfully. We do expect the images from Jamaica to be a completely different story. Of course, hopefully, we'll get some tomorrow.
Also wanted to share some viral video with you guys this morning. This is a whole other story as well, this video racing across the web, a young man from Minneapolis. He goes by the name of Tay Zonday. Just take a listen for a second.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAY ZONDAY: Chocolate rain some stay dry and others feel the pain, chocolate rain a baby born before (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: You've got to admit it's a catchy little tune.
HOLMES: That will be in my head all morning.
DE LA CRUZ: It's been in my head all morning and it's catapulted this grad student to Internet fame. His song has been covered by the likes of John Mayer (ph). It inspired hundreds of spoofs, including one featuring Darth Vader. You know they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery right and you know that Tay Zonday is going to be joining us in the 11:00 hour to talk about becoming an overnight success on the worldwide web. And the first time I saw this, I thought, OK, I don't get it. He says chocolate rain over and over again. Why is this so great? I just don't get it, but it's been in my head ever since.
KEILAR: TJ's been singing it all morning.
DE LA CRUZ: All morning.
KEILAR: It will be in my head.
HOLMES: That's the only lyric I know is chocolate rain.
KEILAR: I know that's the only lyric he knows. Trust me. He's got a pretty good voice.
HOLMES: You want to leave us this morning. By all means, serenade us as we go back.
DE LA CRUZ: You really don't want to hear my voice. I cannot sing. He does have a voice, a very interesting one at that.
KEILAR: Can I say the funny thing is how it says he looks away from the - what is he doing?
DE LA CRUZ: He shows us in the little subtitles.
KEILAR: And he's going to join us in the 11:00 hour to tell us all about it.
DE LA CRUZ: Ask him about the dramatic pause, please. Definitely.
HOLMES: Thank you so much Veronica.
Let's turn back. We got to talk about this hurricane still this morning, folks. Maybe looking for ways to help the people affected, that are certainly going to be affected as well by this hurricane. CNN can help you help them. Go to cnn.com/impact. Click on natural disasters for a link to various relief agencies impacting your world, now just a click away at cnn.com/impact.
KEILAR: Coming up, you're looking for a hot deal on a plasma TV. Well, before you go for it, buyer beware. That's ahead here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Also, a story that proves you get what you pay for. What looks like a steal on the plasma TV I told you about turns out really to be just that, a steal.
HOLMES: Also on "House Call" Dr. Sanjay Gupta on what you can do to protect your kids from lead in toys. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: You've heard of hot properties.
HOLMES: Of course we have.
KEILAR: But probably not like this.
HOLMES: Police in Vacaville, California, arrested a man after receiving a complaint, a complaint that he was selling plasma TVs from his car. What could the complaint there possibly be? The merchandise obviously looked a bit stolen, complete with price tags and yes, remote controls.
KEILAR: And it gets better. Police also unwrapped the TV to discover a used oven door.
HOLMES: Wow.
KEILAR: That's just what you want hanging on your wall, right?
HOLMES: Wow.
KEILAR: And there's even more. They say the man also had boxes that contained 12-inch floor tiles and he was trying to sell those as laptop computers.
HOLMES: I know a friend who could use some floor tiles but not like that really.
KEILAR: Can you get Vista on your floor tile? That's my question.
HOLMES: We have a legacy in Baltimore, a mystery here that has been solved. The person behind the liquor and the roses at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe. It's been an annual tradition for decades.
KEILAR: That's right, 93-year-old Sam Porfora came forward this week to say that it was he who was doing this. Porfora says he invented the legend of the Poe toaster in the 1960s to stir up interest in the Poe gravesite, which at that time was really in disrepair. Members of the Poe society say they don't believe Porfora's claim.
Also people who signed up for the new iPhones have begun getting their first bills from AT&T. Let me tell you, some of them are just doozies.
HOLMES: Justine Ezarik of Pittsburgh was so outraged she posted this video on the web to show all the 300-page bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTINE EZARIK, AT&T PHONE CUSTOMER: This is a lot of waste. A cardboard box, a ton of pages and it was almost $10 to send this. That really doesn't make much sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The bill, you might be asking why 300 pages, because every single one of her 30,000 text messages was itemized.
KEILAR: And her total bill, $275.
HOLMES: Hey, cost of doing business on the iPhone.
KEILAR: Wow.
HOLMES: Also, of course, I simply cannot get enough of chocolate rain.
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