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Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez on amazing face transplant
For years, one young man never left his house without wearing a mask to avoid stares and comments on his face. Richard Lee Norris had suffered extensive damage to his face from a devastating gun shot. In seven months and a marathon surgery, one doctor led a transplant team to repair his jaw, teeth and tongue, and gave Norris a new look. The reconstructive procedure took 10 years of research at the University of Maryland Medical Center and funds from the Office of Naval Research in the Department of Defense. The doctor responsible shares the story on “Early Start” this morning. Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez is the Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Dr. Rodriguez says he and and his team had rehearsed a practice run with an elite group of surgeons before performing the complex surgery on Norris. “So by the time Richard’s operation came about, we were ready to really succeed at every level,” he says. “And everything went as planned without a hitch. And for that note, Richard is doing great,” with only a minor episode one month after the operation that has since smoothed out.
Dr. Rodriguez says Richard is a superb and committed patient who is now undergoing speech and physical therapy. “He is the real hero of the story,” Dr. Rodriguez says. “When you get a new tongue and you get new jaws and you haven’t had teeth in 15 years, you put all that together, you have to get used to working with that.” Dr. Rodriguez says Norris is working on that “all that is progressing wonderfully.” Dr. Rodriguez says Richard’s speech “every day is getting crisper and sharper.” “He’s learning to smile symmetrically, so his face is really beginning to animate.”
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Peter Brookes on foiled NY terror plot: 'The threat is still with us'
CNN is following the story of an alleged New York terror plot busted by the FBI. The target was the New York Federal Reserve Bank and authorities have arrested 21-year-old suspect Quazi Nafis for the alleged attempt. The Bangladeshi national tried to set off 1,000 lbs of dummy explosives from a car he parked outside the bank. The bombs were part of a complex FBI sting, however, and investigators say there was never an actual threat. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Peter Brookes joins John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin on “Early Start” with his take. Brookes is currently a senior fellow with the Heritage Foundation.
Brookes lays down the seriousness of the attempt. “It’s obviously very serious, especially since it’s the most recent. The threat is still with us.” He says that “there have been 53 foiled terror plots on the United States since 9/11.” New York City Police say this is the 15th terror plot foiled at the NYFederal Reserve Bank since 9/11.
Brookes considers the suspect, who prosecutors say was inspired by al Qaeda, “a wannabe.” “He says he has contacts overseas with al Qaeda. The FBI is telling us now they can’t find any at this point,” Brookes says. But Brookes weighs the severity of the consequences of the attack had it been legitimate. “This certainly wouldn’t have been helpful” to our struggling economy, he says. “One of the things I’m really worried about is a cyber attack against our financial systems. And especially for our private sector, they need to be prepared here,” Brookes says. “The next one may be attacking, choosing to go via the Internet, as opposed to via a van filled with explosives.”
National Correspondent Susan Candiotti on alleged NY terror plot foiled: '“If this had been an actual bomb, he could have killed a lot of people'
FBI foiled an alleged terror plot to bomb the Federal Reserve Bank of New York yesterday. A 21-year-old Bangladeshi national is accused in the alleged plot. Identified as Quazi Nafis, the young man was in the United States on a student visa and majoring in cybersecurity at SoutheastMissouriStateUniversity from January until May of this year. Nafis is now in federal custody and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.
Nafis allegedly parked a van outside the bank equipped with 1,000 lbs of dummy explosives. They were provided by an undercover agent, and Nafis attempted to detonate it. The dummy bombs were a part of a sting operation that failed to accomplish his mission and Nafis was subsequently arrested. National Correspondent Susan Candiotti has more on this developing story.
Authorities were able to uncover this plot from early on, Candiotti reports. “They had their eye on him a very long time,“ she says. Nafis moving to New York after finishing school and got on social media to reach out to “people that prosecutors say he thought could help him to destroy America. He wanted to target America and wreck the economy.” Nafis eventually connected with someone on Facebook who turned out to be working for the FBI. “And that’s when authorities set up this elaborate sting.”
Nafis targeted the landmark NY bank, which Candiotti reports is home to the world’s largest supply of gold bullion. “If this had been an actual bomb, he could have killed a lot of people, authorities say.”
Chief Business Correspondent Ali Velshi on security at the New York Federal Reserve Bank
An alleged plot to bomb the New York Federal Bank was prevented yesterday when authorities arrested a 21-year-old Bangladeshi national charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Identified as Quazi Nafis, the young man was in the United States on a student visa and majoring in cybersecurity at SoutheastMissouriStateUniversity from January until May of this year. FBI agents were following the phony plot early on in an elaborate sting operation. Nafis is now in federal custody. Chief Business Correspondent Ali Velshi was just at the New York Federal Reserve Bank on Monday, two days before the arrest was announced. He joins John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin on “Early Start” to talk about the landmark bank.
Velshi, who says he hadn’t been to the Federal Reserve in years, was there to interview the new president, William Dudley, and something on him kept triggering security before he was finally cleared. Although Velshi says security at the bank doesn’t feel like a fortress, the bank itself is highly important and security is sensitive. “It is one the 12 Federal Reserve banks in the United States and it is the most important one,” Velshi says. “It’s also got the world’s biggest gold vault” with “probably more gold than FortKnox.”
However, Velshi finds it unusual that Nafis recognized the Fed’s integral value to the American financial system. “It doesn’t seem like an obvious target for somebody to go to,” Velshi says. “It’s crucially important, he had the right idea about how important it was, I just don’t think most people do.” Lastly, he says, “I’m glad nothing happened.”
CNN’s Brian Todd has the story on Felix Baumgartner’s record making skydive from space
Felix Baumgartner made history Sunday when he broke records jumping from 128,000 feet or 24 miles above the Earth, higher than anyone before him. Baumgartner became the first to break through the sound barrier outside of a vehicle. Traveling at a top speed of over 700 miles per hour at his peak, he was faster than the speed of sound. The free-fall lasted four minutes and 19 seconds. CNN’s Brian Todd has more on the story about the aerospace pioneer known as “Fearless Felix.”
Costa Concordia captain in court for pre-trial hearing today, CNN’s Bed Wedeman reports
When the Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, capsized off the Tucson coast in January, 32 people were killed. The captain of the ship has since been charged with manslaughter and abandoning ship. He is in court today for a pretrial hearing. Survivors of the disaster are also present. CNN’s Bed Wedeman has the details live from Rome.
Experts are expected to reveal data from the black box in court today. “This will provide hard data on exactly what happened on the night of January 11th, 2012,” Wedeman says, “when this cruise ship, which is the size of three football fields, carrying more than 4,000 crew members and passengers, hit a rock just off the Italian coast.”
What's trending on October 15, 2012?
John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin tell you what’s trending this morning on “Early Start”. First up, it’s some classic NFL trash talk on Twitter. Then, the latest breakup news in Hollywood, Actor Russel Crowe and his musician wife Danielle Spencer have separated after nine years of marriage. Last but not least, this season is Ian Rappaport’s first covering the National Football League for the NFL network. But watch him deal with a football headed his way on cam like a pro!
Branding Strategist Peter Shankman on IKEA catalogue airbrushing women out of its Saudi Arabian version: 'What flies in America might not fly in Saudi Arabia'
Whoever thought the IKEA catalog could be like a Highlight’s activity? Well, compare pictures from the United States version of the catalogue with ones from the Saudi Arabian version and see if you can spot the difference. One of these things is not like the other. The women have been airbrushed out of version issued in Saudi Arabia! Branding Strategist Peter Shankman comes to “Early Start” this morning to shed light on the glaring difference.
Shankman reasons that, “when you’re selling globally, you have to be aware of all of the different ways of life around the world. What flies in America might not fly in Saudi Arabia,” Shankman explains. “In America, whether we believe that to be normal or ok or not, is irrelevant to how they’re selling in Saudi Arabia. If you’re selling in a country that has specific rules and specific rights, you need to appeal to those rights.”
Whether the decision is correct or not depends on perspective, Shankman says. However, Shankman is “willing to bet that the decision to airbrush the women out of the catalogue wasn’t even theirs.” It was likely outsourced and IKEA might not have even seen it. “I’m willing to bet that it was a company within the Middle East that did that and that was their logic.” It became a bigger deal once it was publicized in the United States. Shankman’s advice to IKEA is to let this go now that it has issued an apology and take a more hands on approach on the next catalogue.
CNN's Zoraida Sambolin investigates parent-trigger laws
The mother whose story inspired the new film "Won't Back Down," sat down with Zoraida to discuss her experience fighting her daughter's failing school system. Parent-trigger laws similar to the one in California have been passed in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Right now 12 other states are considering similar measures.
The brand new movie stars Academy Award nominees Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis.
The Hoffa Case is Reopened
Police will dig up a driveway in Roseville, Michigan to search for the remains of Jimmy Hoffa. An unnamed, trusted tipster told police that he was present when the body was buried there in 1975.
Susan Candiotti reports on the confidence of the investigators.
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