[Miles O'brien, Cnn Correspondent:] Good morning. I'm Miles O'Brien. Just in to CNN this morning, Coretta Scott King has died. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pioneer in her own right in the civil rights movement. We'll have much more on this breaking story in just a bit.
[Soledad O'brien, Cnn Anchor:] I'm Soledad O'Brien. Wheels up for ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt. Just minutes ago, the seriously injured pair took off for the long trip home. We're live in Germany with the very latest.
[M. O'brien:] And President Bush tries to get back on message with the State of the Union tonight. We'll talk to the Senate majority and minority leaders ahead on
[American Morning. S. O'brien:] Some sad news to share with you this morning. Coretta Scott King, the widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. is dead. Her former personal assistant and a P.R. relations firm representing the family say that Coretta King died last night in California. She was 78 years old. For years, it was Coretta Scott King that kept the flame of her husband's mission alive.
[S. O'brien:] She became known to the world as a woman of courage and conviction. But as a girl from rural Alabama, Coretta Scott King probably never dreamed of the historic events that awaited her life. She studied music at Antioch College in Ohio. In 1951, she received a scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. While there, she met and married Martin Luther King, Jr. who was studying theology at Boston University. In 1954, Dr. King began his career as a pastor and his civil rights work in Montgomery, Alabama. Mrs. King worked closely with her husband behind-the-scenes, while raising their four children. In December, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man.
[Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:] And we feel, also, that one of the great glories of American democracy is that we have the right to protest.
[S. O'brien:] It set off the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott.
[Unidentified African-americans:] We shall overcome.
[S. O'brien:] The civil rights movement had begun. It was a dangerous time for the King family.
[George W. Bush, President Of The United States:] He was beaten and stabbed and jailed, and came close to losing his wife and baby daughter when their house was bombed.
[S. O'brien:] In 1960, the Kings moved to Atlanta, where King was jailed until Mrs. King appealed to then presidential candidate John F. Kennedy to intervene.
[Unidentified Male:] I know of the times that Coretta got up early in the morning to go out and help women organize as hospital employees.
[S. O'brien:] Coretta King balanced mothering with movement work, organizing sit-ins at segregated restaurants and marches. She also performed in freedom concerts, singing and reading poetry, to raise money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
[M.l. King:] Now is the time.
[S. O'brien:] She was present at many of the major events in the civil rights movement, like the Washington Mall march, where her husband gave his "I Have A Dream" speech. In 1968, an assn's bullet shattered her world, killing Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis. His death sparked outraged and riots. Coretta moved from the role of wife to that of caretaker of her husband's legacy.
[Unidentified Female:] At the same time she was raising four children, encouraging and teaching us by example to be the very best that we could be.
[S. O'brien:] She created a living memorial dedicated to advancing King's dream. Mrs. King remained a dynamic figure for civil rights. She joined the battle to end apartheid in South Africa. But life in the endless spotlight proved to be grueling. There was a bitter public fight between the King family and the National Park Service over preserving King's birthplace and his tomb, and the controversial absolution by her youngest son, Dexter King, of James Earl Ray, the man who confessed and then recanted, to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
[Dexter King:] I believe, and as I've said, my family believes that he is innocent.
[S. O'brien:] Like others who've survived racism, intolerance and great loss, Mrs. King lived life with a special kind of grace. She challenged future generations to dream of more.
[C.s. King:] We must make our hearts instruments of peace and non- violence because when the heart is right, the mind and the body will follow.
[S. O'brien:] A civil rights icon herself, she ranks among the most influential African-Americans of all time. Again, Coretta Scott King the widow of civil rights leader and Nobel Peace laureate Martin Luther King, Jr. dead at the age of 78.
[M. O'brien:] Homeward bound those injured ABC newsmen are winging their way to the Bethesda Naval Hospital as we speak. A plane carrying ABC anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt departed Ramstein Air Base in Germany about 30 minutes ago. CNN's Chris Burns is at Ramstein right now Chris, what do we know about their condition?
[Chris Burns, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, hello, Miles. They are still listed in stable but serious condition. And for that reason, they're traveling with a couple of what they call C. CAT teams. These are critical care air transportable teams with a physician, with a nurse, with a respiratory technician. It's basically a flying ICU unit, and it's quite impressive how much of the part of the hospital was brought with them, basically, on the plane there are two of them because they're among five others who are in intensive care who are being flown back to Andrews Air Force Base and on to further hospitalization. They're among 30 injured soldiers and others on that plane, half of them walking but half of them on stretchers. Just another day here at Ramstein. Back to you Miles.
[M. O'brien:] Well, that is a reminder of how, frankly, how common that scene is. Give us a sense, Chris, of why the transfer and why the transfer now. Is there certain care that they can only get at Bethesda?
[Burns:] Well, Bethesda is the hospital of presidents. So obviously they're going to get perhaps even more critical care than they will here. But this is also, at Landstuhl, which is right nearby, is well known as the one that processes has processed thousands of soldiers coming through, injured from Afghanistan, from Iraq and other places, former hostages. So it is also known for its expertise. But obviously going back to Bethesda they might get the absolute tops in care. And that's what they want to get.
[M. O'brien:] Thank you, Chris Burns, at Ramstein Air Base.
[Burns:] Thank you, Miles.
[M. O'brien:] Proof that journalist Jill Carroll is still alive, but it's not easy to watch. A new tape played on Al Jazeera yesterday. You can see her crying, as you can see, apparently crying. The date burned in as January 28th. That's beneath the banner you see there. But we can't verify when it was shot, of course. No sound played on Al Jazeera, where it first aired. But the network says she is pleading for all female Iraqi prisoners to be released. Now, that has been the kidnappers' demand so far. Nothing you can see on the tape, however, can be verified. Let's check the headlines now with Carol Costello in the newsroom Carol, good morning.
[Carol Costello, Cnn Anchor:] Good morning, Miles. Good morning to all of you. President Bush trying to reach out to Americans tonight. The president getting ready to deliver his State of the Union address, with much to prove to the American public. The White House says the speech will have an upbeat tone and will focus on issues like health care, education and energy. You can bet Iraq will also be mentioned. The president's speech set to take place at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN will, of course, have live coverage, beginning at 7:00 tonight in the "SITUATION ROOM." Judge Samuel Alito could become Justice Alito before the day is done. The full Senate is set to take a final v. It could take place as early as three hours from now. A majority of lawmakers support Alito's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. He could be sworn in before tonight's State of the Union address. Iran lashing out at news that it could face possible economic sanctions over its nuclear program. The U.N. Security Council agreeing to look into the situation. China and Russia, which both sit on the Security Council, agreed to the review, but are also sending diplomats to Iran, hoping to defuse the situation. They're urging Iran to cooperate with the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency. In Houston, Texas, opening statements set to begin this morning in the Enron fraud case. Jury selection get this it took only one day. Twelve jurors and four alternates are seated. And guess what? They're mostly women. Court resumes in less than the widow of hours. Alan Greenspan could boost interest rates one last time. It could be his swan song. The Fed chair steps down today after nearly two decades with the Reserve. Before he goes, he'll meet with the committee that sets interest rates. And that's expected to be in just about an hour. Greenspan is expected to be replaced by Ben Bernanke. And we're eagerly awaiting the Oscar nominations, as I'm sure you are. We should hear the announcement in just about a half hour. Reese Witherspoon is among the contenders for best actress. She's been earning praise for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in "Walk The Line." And Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" leads the pack for best film. The official announcement coming at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Of course, we will bring you those announcements live. Back to you Miles.
[M. O'brien:] All right, thank you very much. I'm just on the edge of my seat at the thought. Oh, boy. Who is going to be? Chad I know you're going to be all excited about it, as well.
[Chad Myers, Cnn Meteorologist:] Yes.
[M. O'brien:] Yes.
[Myers:] The only time I get to see a movie is when I'm stuck on an airplane going somewhere, actually. So they when you a 14- month-old, now a 15-month-old, you don't get to too many movies.
[S. O'brien:] That's what we like to hear, Chad. Thank you.
[M. O'brien:] Thank you, Chad.
[S. O'brien:] Ahead this morning, we're going to talk to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The midterm elections could be tough on fellow Republicans. We're going to ask him how the president is going to be able to give them a boost in tonight's State of the Union address.
[M. O'brien:] Plus, are you wondering how those "New You" folks are doing? I have been. It's time for their checkup. They're four weeks into the program.
[S. O'brien:] Ooh, get the measuring tape out.
[M. O'brien:] Ouch. Ouch. She's looking good. Any signs of a let down? Any relapses? Any I'm sure there's quite a story to tell. We'll bring you up to date in just a little bit.