[Miles O'brien, Cnn Anchor:] Good morning, I'm Miles O'Brien.
[Carol Costello, Cnn Anchor:] And I'm Carol Costello in for Soledad.
[O'brien:] All about the Oscars. Those guys from "Brokeback Mountain" were the favorites, but someone else crashed the party.
[Costello:] Did they ever. Iran issues a nuclear ultimatum. We're live in Vienna where international investigators are meeting. The Pentagon looks into criminal charges in the friendly-fire death of Pat Tillman, but some of the key evidence may be missing.
[O'brien:] An angry ex-student turned possible terrorist. A campus attack gets extra attention today. And the expansion of America, some surprising numbers for young people on the battle of bulging waistlines. A big upset last night at the Academy Awards. The inside favorite to win best picture, that gay cowboy tale, "Brokeback Mountain," derailed by "Crash," a story of race relations in Los Angeles. Either way, it was an unusual year for the Oscars. Message movies taking the marquee. CNN's Sibila Vargas now with highlights from Hollywood's big night, the 78th Annual Academy Awards.
[Jack Nicholson, Actor:] And the Oscar goes to "Crash."
[Sibila Vargas, Cnn Entertainment Correspondent:] The big win and the big surprise of the night for best picture, "Crash."
[Cathy Schulman, Producer, "crash":] We are humbled by the other nominees in this category. You have made this year one of the most breathtaking and stunning maverick years in American cinema.
[Vargas:] The maverick, small-budget film about race and class upset the much-buzzed frontrunner "Brokeback Mountain." But it wasn't a total shutout for the cowboy romance. "Brokeback Mountain's" Ang Lee used the film's signature line when accepting the award for best director.
[Ang Lee, Best Director Winner:] I wish I knew how to quit you.
[Vargas:] "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart hosted the evening with a mix of his classic political humor.
[Jon Stewart:] Bjork couldn't be here tonight, she was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her.
[Vargas:] And a few jokes at the expense of Hollywood.
[Stewart:] "Good Night and Good Luck," which is not just Edward R. Murrow's signoff, it's also how Mr. Clooney ends all his dates. Now...
[Vargas:] George Clooney, nominated for three Academy Awards for two different films, took home the first Oscar of the night for best supporting actor in "Syriana." Clooney praised Oscar voters for their willingness to award out-of-the-mainstream films.
[George Clooney, Best Supporting Actor:] I'm proud to be a part of this Academy, proud to be part of the community and proud to be out of touch.
[Vargas:] "The Constant Gardener's" Rachel Weisz won the Oscar for best supporting actress. The best actor award, as most industry experts predicted, went to "Capote" and Philip Seymour Hoffman. And the man of the evening thanked his mom.
[Philip Seymour Hoffman, Best Actor Winner:] Be proud, mom, because I'm proud of you and we're here tonight and it's so good.
[Vargas:] Reese Witherspoon won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line." She thanked her grandmother.
[Reese Witherspoon, Best Actress Winner:] My grandmother was one of the biggest inspirations in my life. She taught me how to be a real woman.
[Vargas:] And also honored the woman she played.
[Witherspoon:] And people used to ask June how she was doing. And she'd used to say I'm just trying to matter. And I know what she means, you know, I'm just trying to matter and live a good life and make work that means something.
[Vargas:] A significant night for all the Oscar winners. Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.
[O'brien:] And one of the show's more interesting moments was the rap group, Three 6 Mafia, winning best song for "It's Hard Out There for a Pimp" from the film "Hustle & Flow." The lyrics had to be toned down a little bit for the TV audience Carol.
[Costello:] They did say the B word that rhymes with witch, though. That was the big controversy about that song.
[O'brien:] Very edgy.
[Costello:] Very edgy.
[O'brien:] Yes.
[Costello:] And the audience really didn't get the group either. They were like, what?
[O'brien:] Yes.
[Costello:] Anyway, we'll talk more about this in "Morning Coffee."
[O'brien:] We will.
[Costello:] In other news this morning, the U.S. Army is opening a fifth investigation into the friendly-fire death of former NFL star Pat Tillman, but this one could have criminal implications. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more for you.
[Barbara Starr, Cnn Pentagon Correspondent:] Two years after his death, the Army will open a criminal probe into the death of Corporal Pat Tillman, the NFL player turned Army Ranger. Tillman died in a firefight in the mountains of Afghanistan in April 2004 in what was eventually ruled to be friendly-fire, killed by his fellow Rangers in the confusion of battle. Now the Pentagon's inspector general has ruled that while there were fact-finding reviews, the Army failed to ever conduct a criminal probe and did not consider the possibility of negligent homicide. Now the Army's criminal investigative division, the CID, will take over. Tillman gained national attention when he walked away from a $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to become an Army Ranger after the 911 attacks. This highly unusual criminal investigation could be tough. Evidence, such as portions of Tillman's bloodied uniform were burned, some of the members of the unit have left the Army. And ultimately the confusion and fog of war could wind up being just that and not a criminal act. Barbara Starr, CNN, Washington.
[Costello:] And coming up in the next hour, we'll talk with a military law expert about this investigation and the possibility that some soldiers could face courts-martial in the case.
[O'brien:] Iran's nuclear standoff with the rest of the world may be going critical. The country vowing to ramp up its nuclear program if the United Nations Security Council gets involved. Senior international correspondent Matthew Chance joining us now via videophone from Vienna where all this is coming to a head. Good morning Matthew.
[Matthew Chance, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] Morning to you, Miles. In fact, the U.N. Security Council, according to diplomats here of course, has already become involved, because that was a decision taken by the emergency meeting of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog here a month ago. What's being discussed today, though, is the latest report by the director general of the U.N.'s nuclear agency, Mohammed Elbaradei, to discuss exactly what Iran's compliance has been over the past several weeks since that last meeting, the basis on which the United Nations Security Council may decide what action to take. Here's what Mohammed Elbaradei had to say a few moments ago.
[Mohammed Elbaradei, Iaea Director General:] I think confrontation could be counterproductive. It would not provide us with a
[Chance:] Well Mohammed Elbaradei there urging calm on all sides in this very frantic period of diplomatic activity. His report setting out some of the shortcomings of Iran over the past several weeks, but mainly that it has stepped up its uranium enrichment program, despite international pressure for it to freeze it. And it is still, after three years, not providing IAEA inspectors with sufficient access to its nuclear program for the agency to say whether or not it is a strictly peaceful nuclear program or not Miles.
[O'brien:] Matthew Chance in Vienna, thank you Carol.
[Costello:] The rebuilt levees in New Orleans may not stop another storm. That's the assertion of two teams monitoring the rebuilding of the city's levee system. According to "The Washington Post," the teams say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is using substandard materials. The Corps of Engineers disputes that. The group also says earth in levees that should take years to rebuild and settle are being put back together in just a few weeks. There are still more than 1,900 people missing in the wake of those levee breaks. That number fell by one after new searches in the Lakeview district on Sunday. CNN's Sean Callebs has more for you.
[Sean Callebs, Cnn Correspondent:] After working for a number of days, cadaver dogs, working with trainers, located remains in a house in the decimated Lakeview area of New Orleans. It was a house that the police department had checked just a few days earlier. Now later today, the work will really begin in earnest when the cadaver dogs, their trainers, as well as the New Orleans Fire Department and the Army Corps of Engineers go into the devastated Ninth Ward. They are going to be focusing on an area that is considered a high probability for finding human remains. Now the work actually began back in October of last year but was forced to stop in December because the city simply ran out of money. FEMA only recently authorized the $400,000 necessary to resume that work. Sean Callebs, CNN in New Orleans.
[O'brien:] In Boston, the mayor is outraged by an attack on a homeless man. The man says he was asleep in a park in the north end early Sunday when two men kicked him, set him on fire. Mayor Thomas Menino is vowing to catch the attackers and make an example of them. Steve Cooper of our affiliate WHDH live now from Boston. Steve, what else can you tell us about these attacks?
[Steve Cooper, Whdh-tv Reporter:] Miles, they've been working this case overnight here in Langone Park. This is in Boston's north end section of the city. In fact, you look behind us here, the victim was found in that baseball field just beyond us here this morning. And again, this is one of those stories that has everyone talking around here today, just an unspeakable act. And so the search continues for the suspects. This morning, the mayor, of course, calling this an outrageous crime. This happening early yesterday morning, the 30-year-old homeless man was sound asleep. Now according to police, the suspects actually kicked the man first and then they took off. So, a short time later, they apparently came back, dousing the man with lighter fluid or perhaps gasoline. That's what investigators are still trying to figure out this morning. They set him on fire, then they took off. The victim was rushed to Mass General Hospital here in Boston suffering from second-degree burns. We're told that he may need some skin grafting to repair some of the damage to his legs. In the meantime, the mayor basically telling us this morning that they are making this a top priority case. He says it's outrageous. He says he wants to find the two suspects. Police are all over the place questioning people, trying to find out where these two people are, but this is a sort of crime that, according to the mayor of Boston, simply won't be tolerated around here Miles.
[O'brien:] Steve Cooper with WHDH in Boston's north end, thank you. There will be an antiterrorism rally at the University of North Carolina today. It will be held in the same spot where a man drove an SUV into a crowd of students on Friday. Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, a native of Iran, will make his first court appearance this morning. He told police he wanted to avenge the deaths or murders of Muslims around the world. No one seriously injured Friday, but students were, quite understandably, shaken up by the attack.
[Unidentified Male:] He just comes through, and he was going like 40 miles an hour, and then people are just jumping out of the way. And like I dove out of the way. And then the guy, like, that was standing right beside me just got hit by the car. And then, like, I saw a girl dive and hit a trashcan. Like she hit her face on the trashcan. And then the car just didn't slow down at all and just completely caught a tire and went around the side of the of Lenore and went up by Davis and hit, like, two more people. And then apparently he, like, went up onto, like, by Old East or something and hit another girl there. And I mean, basically, it was the craziest thing I've ever seen in my life. And I've never been scareder, to be honest with you.
[O'brien:] Car plowed into a crowded student gathering in a spot known as The Pit. The driver has been charged with nine counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
[Costello:] Well, hopefully let's talk about something good now, and that would be the weather. So Chad.
[Chad Myers, Cnn Meteorologist:] Yes.
[Costello:] We're counting on you.
[Myers:] All right, what do you need?
[Costello:] We need some good weather and sunny skies.
[Myers:] You need a city to go fly to?
[Costello:] Yes.
[Myers:] Twenty-one Buffalo that's what I could do best. Twenty-one find out the best city in the country and tell you where to go, but then all the planes would be full.
[Costello:] Rain, 30 inches of snow, rain in the south.
[Myers:] You wanted good news. It's all relative.
[Costello:] I guess so.
[O'brien:] It's got to be. Just one city, but as Chad said, all the planes would be full, so, oh well.
[Myers:] Right.
[O'brien:] Thank you Chad.
[Myers:] You're welcome.
[O'brien:] So is Ma Bell back? We've got a huge phone company merger to tell you about. It could affect millions of customers.
[Costello:] Yes, so much for deregulation. Also, joy to the world, BlackBerry users may be able to breathe a sigh of relief this morning. We've got an update on that BlackBerry case.
[O'brien:] And later, hip-hop and history. A cultural phenomenon earns a spot in one of America's most revered institutions. Stay with us.